Verbal hygiene in the Hong Kong gay community

This paper explores the status and function of English among gay men in Hong Kong through the analysis of postings about English on a popular gay internet forum. The forum, gayhk.com, while mainly featuring discussions about sex, fashion, entertainment and relationships, also contains a surprising amount of discussion about the English language, mostly taking the form of what Cameron refers to as ‘verbal hygiene’ – the enforcement of language ‘standards’ through the criticism of the language use of particular individuals or groups. The analysis of these postings sees them not just as evidence of language attitudes within the gay community, but also as tools with which Chinese gay men in postcolonial Hong Kong position themselves in relation to one another, in relation to ‘foreign’ gay men, and in relation to the wider population of Hong Kong.

Ability of students to recognize the relationship between using mobile apps for learning during fieldwork and the development of graduate attributes

The increasing importance of employability in Higher Education curricula and the prevalence of using mobile devices for fieldbased learning prompted an investigation into student awareness of the relationship between the use of mobile apps for learning and the development of graduate attributes (GAs) (and the link to employability). The results from post-fieldwork focus groups from four field courses indicated that students could make clear links between the use of a variety of mobile apps and graduate attribute development. The study suggests a number of mobile apps can align simultaneously with more than one graduate attribute. Furthermore, prior experience and the context of use can influence students’ perceptions of an app and its link with different GAs.

On the ability of statistical wind-wave models to capture the variability and long-term trends of the North Atlantic winter wave climate

A dynamical wind-wave climate simulation covering the North Atlantic Ocean and spanning the whole 21st century under the A1B scenario has been compared with a set of statistical projections using atmospheric variables or large scale climate indices as predictors. As a first step, the performance of all statistical models has been evaluated for the present-day climate; namely they have been compared with a dynamical wind-wave hindcast in terms of winter Significant Wave Height (SWH) trends and variance as well as with altimetry data. For the projections, it has been found that statistical models that use wind speed as independent variable predictor are able to capture a larger fraction of the winter SWH inter-annual variability (68% on average) and of the long term changes projected by the dynamical simulation. Conversely, regression models using climate indices, sea level pressure and/or pressure gradient as predictors, account for a smaller SWH variance (from 2.8% to 33%) and do not reproduce the dynamically projected long term trends over the North Atlantic. Investigating the wind-sea and swell components separately, we have found that the combination of two regression models, one for wind-sea waves and another one for the swell component, can improve significantly the wave field projections obtained from single regression models over the North Atlantic.

The acquisition of verbal paradigms in Dutch and Greek L2 children: cross-linguistic differences and inflectional defaults

Previous research with children learning a second language (L2) has reported errors with verb inflection and cross-linguistic variation in accuracy and error patterns. However, owing to the cross-linguistic complexity and diversity of different verbal paradigms, the cross-linguistic effects on the nature of default forms has not been directly addressed in L2 acquisition studies. In the present study, we compared accuracy and error patterns in verbal agreement inflections in L2 children acquiring Dutch and Greek, keeping the children’s L1 constant (Turkish). Results showed that inflectional defaults in Greek follow universal predictions regarding the morphological underspecification of paradigms. However, the same universal predictions do not apply to the same extent to Dutch. It is argued that phonological properties of inflected forms should be taken into account to explain cross-linguistic differences in the acquisition of inflection. By systematically comparing patterns in child L2 Dutch and Greek, this study shows how universal mechanisms and target language properties work in tandem in the acquisition of inflectional paradigms.

Influence of energy and pulse repetition rate of Er : YAG laser on enamel ablation ability and morphological analysis of the laser-irradiated surface

Objective: To assess the influence of energy and pulse repetition rate of Er:YAG laser on the enamel ablation ability and substrate morphology. Methods: Fifteen crowns of molars were sectioned in four fragments, providing 60 samples, which were ground to flatten the enamel surface. The initial mass was obtained by weighing the fragments. The specimens were hydrated for I h, fixed, and a 3-mm-diameter area was delimited. Twelve groups were randomly formed according to the combination of laser energies (200, 250, 300, or 350 mJ) and pulse repetition rates (2, 3, or 4 Hz). The final mass was obtained and mass loss was calculated by the difference between the initial and final mass. The specimens were prepared for SEM. Data were submitted to ANOVA and Scheffe test. Results: The 4 Hz frequency resulted in higher mass loss and was statistically different from 2 and 3 Hz (p < 0.05). The increase of frequency produced more melted areas, cracks, and unselective and deeper ablation. The 350 mJ energy promoted greater mass loss, similar to 300 mJ. Conclusions: The pulse repetition rate influenced more intensively the mass loss and morphological alteration. Among the tested parameters, 350 mJ/3 Hz improved the ability of enamel ablation with less surface morphological alterations. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res.

A gender approach to work ability and its relationship to professional and domestic work hours among nursing personnel

The association between working hours and work ability was examined in a cross-sectional study of male (N = 156) and female (N = 1092) nurses in three public hospitals. Working hours were considered in terms of their professional and domestic hours per week and their combined impact; total work load. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between total work load and inadequate work ability index (WAI) for females only. Females reported a higher proportion of inadequate WAI, fewer professional work hours but longer domestic work hours. There were no significant differences in total work load by gender. The combination of professional and domestic work hours in females seemed to best explain their lower work ability. The findings suggest that investigations into female well-being need to consider their total work load. Our male sample may have lacked sufficient power to detect a relationship between working hours and work ability. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working at night and work ability among nursing personnel: when precarious employment makes the difference

To test the association between night work and work ability, and verify whether the type of contractual employment has any influence over this association. Permanent workers (N = 642) and workers with precarious jobs (temporary contract or outsourced; N = 552) were interviewed and filled out questionnaires concerning work hours and work ability index. They were classified into: never worked at night, ex-night workers, currently working up to five nights, and currently working at least six nights/2-week span. After adjusting for socio-demography and work variables, current night work was significantly associated with inadequate WAI (vs. day work with no experience in night work) only for precarious workers (OR 2.00, CI 1.01-3.95 and OR 1.85, CI 1.09-3.13 for those working up to five nights and those working at least six nights in 2 weeks, respectively). Unequal opportunities at work and little experience in night work among precarious workers may explain their higher susceptibility to night work.

A 2-year follow-up study of work ability among college educators

The aim of this study was to evaluate work ability among college educators before and after an intervention at the workplace. An administrative restructuring in the workplace started to be implemented in 2005. The work ability index (WAI) was administered to 154 educators before the restructure in 2004 and to 60 educators following the restructure in 2006. A mest comparing the WAI score of the 60 educators who took part in both phases showed a trend of improving work ability (p = 0.06; mean WAI in 2004 was 41.7 and 43.3 in 2006). The results suggest that the intervention led to an improvement in psychosocial factors, which in turn positively influenced work ability. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ability of Ru complexes for ROMP tuned through a combination of phosphines and amines

Polynorbonerne with high molecular weight was obtained via ring opening metathesis polymerization using catalysts derived from [RuCl(2)(PPh(2)Bz)(2) L] (1 for L = PPh(2) Bz; 2 for L = piperidine) type of complexes when in the presence of ethyl diazoacetate in CHCl(3). The polymer precipitated within a few minutes at 50 degrees C when using 1 with ca. 50% yield ([NBE]/[Ru] = 5000). Regarding 2, for either 30 min at 25 C or 5 min at 50 degrees C, more than 90% of yields are obtained; and at 50 C for 30 min a quantitative yield is obtained. The yield and PDI values are sensitive to the [NBE]/[Ru] ratio. The reaction of 1 with either isonicotinamide or nicotinamide produces six-coordinated complexes of [RuCl(2)(PPh(2)Bz)(2)(L)(2)] type, which are almost inactive and produce only small amounts of polymers at 50 C for 30 min. Thus, we Concluded that the novel complexes show very distinct reactivities for ROMP of NBE. This has been rationalized on account of a combination of synergistic effects of the phosphine-amine ancillary ligands. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kommunikation bortom orden : En etnografisk studie om hur lärares actio och ickeverbala kommunikation påverkar elevers motivation

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att få insikt i hur lärarens ickeverbala kommunikation och actio påverkar elevers motivation. Utifrån en etnografisk arbetsmetod observerades en svensklärare på en gymnasieskola under fyra lektionstimmar för att undersöka hur läraren kommunicerade med sina elever ickeverbalt. Parallellt med observationerna intervjuades både läraren och eleverna som deltog i undersökningen. Undersökningen visade att lärares ickeverbala kommunikation och actio har en stor påverkan på elevernas motivation, att denna påverkan sker omedelbart och att den kan förändras under en pågående lektion. När en lärare medvetandegör hur hon eller han kommunicerar med sina elever ickeverbalt kan aspekter som oavsiktlig och intuitiv kommunikation få en mindre påverkan på undervisningen. Detta bidrar i sin tur till att utveckla lärarens ickeverbala kompetens och på så sätt sin förmåga att motivera sina elever under hela lektionen.

PokerMapper: : mapping executive functions, poker playing ability and responsible gambling in online environments

Research objectives Poker and responsible gambling both entail the use of the executive functions (EF), which are higher-level cognitive abilities. The main objective of this work was to assess if online poker players of different ability show different performances in their EF and if so, which functions are the most discriminating ones. The secondary objective was to assess if the EF performance can predict the quality of gambling, according to the Gambling Related Cognition Scale (GRCS), the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Sample and methods The study design consisted of two stages: 46 Italian active players (41m, 5f; age 32±7,1ys; education 14,8±3ys) fulfilled the PGSI in a secure IT web system and uploaded their own hand history files, which were anonymized and then evaluated by two poker experts. 36 of these players (31m, 5f; age 33±7,3ys; education 15±3ys) accepted to take part in the second stage: the administration of an extensive neuropsychological test battery by a blinded trained professional. To answer the main research question we collected all final and intermediate scores of the EF tests on each player together with the scoring on the playing ability. To answer the secondary research question, we referred to GRCS, PGSI and SOGS scores.  We determined which variables that are good predictors of the playing ability score using statistical techniques able to deal with many regressors and few observations (LASSO, best subset algorithms and CART). In this context information criteria and cross-validation errors play a key role for the selection of the relevant regressors, while significance testing and goodness-of-fit measures can lead to wrong conclusions.   Preliminary findings We found significant predictors of the poker ability score in various tests. In particular, there are good predictors 1) in some Wisconsin Card Sorting Test items that measure flexibility in choosing strategy of problem-solving, strategic planning, modulating impulsive responding, goal setting and self-monitoring, 2) in those Cognitive Estimates Test variables related to deductive reasoning, problem solving, development of an appropriate strategy and self-monitoring, 3) in the Emotional Quotient Inventory Short (EQ-i:S) Stress Management score, composed by the Stress Tolerance and Impulse Control scores, and in the Interpersonal score (Empathy, Social Responsibility, Interpersonal Relationship). As for the quality of gambling, some EQ-i:S scales scores provide the best predictors: General Mood for the PGSI; Intrapersonal (Self-Regard; Emotional Self-Awareness, Assertiveness, Independence, Self-Actualization) and Adaptability  (Reality Testing, Flexibility, Problem Solving) for the SOGS, Adaptability for the GRCS. Implications for the field Through PokerMapper we gathered knowledge and evaluated the feasibility of the construction of short tasks/card games in online poker environments for profiling users’ executive functions. These card games will be part of an IT system able to dynamically profile EF and provide players with a feedback on their expected performance and ability to gamble responsibly in that particular moment. The implementation of such system in existing gambling platforms could lead to an effective proactive tool for supporting responsible gambling. 

Inovações na linguagem tipográfica: a tensão entre o visual e o verbal na letra fantasia

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do título de mestre do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul

A concordância verbal de segunda pessoa do singular em Pelotas e suas implicações lingüísticas e sociais

Proponho, com este trabalho, uma análise da variação da manutenção da marca de concordância verbal de segunda pessoa do singular em Pelotas (RS). Considero, para tanto, os aspectos lingüísticos e, sobretudo, os aspectos sociais dessa variação. Almejo, assim, auxiliar na descrição de fenômenos de concordância verbal. Apóio esta análise na Teoria da Variação Laboviana e em visões de classes sociais que levam em conta princípios socioeconomicistas, marxistas, econolingüísticos, ocupacionais e das condições estruturais de manutenção das desigualdades sociais. Analisei dados de concordância de segunda pessoa do singular em noventa entrevistas do Banco de Dados Sociolingüísticos Variáveis por Classe Social – VarX – que foram realizadas em Pelotas (RS) em 2000 e 2001. O VarX possui uma divisão equilibrada de informantes por gênero, faixa etária e classe social. Das entrevistas realizadas na casa do informante, afloram falas espontâneas sobre histórias familiares, peripécias do passado. Utilizei, para a análise dos dados, metodologia quantitativa com base na interface Windows para o Varbrul e em formulário de codificação de dados. Além dos dados de fala do VarX, utilizei como fonte de pesquisa o Questionário do VarX e os resultados do Censo 2000 do IBGE. Os resultados, com relação à concordância de segunda pessoa do singular em Pelotas, apontam na direção de que: ocorra apagamento variável da desinência número-pessoal em virtude de uma regularização do paradigma verbal em que são privilegiadas formas neutras; o apagamento da marca de segunda pessoa do singular sofra influência de condicionadores lingüísticos (saliência fônica, interlocução entrevistado/entrevistador, ausência do pronome-sujeito e tipo de frase) e sociais (há indícios de que: a utilização de marca tenha prestígio, mas sua não-utilização não sofra estigma; o fenômeno esteja em fase de consolidação e se configure como uma mudança lingüística quase completada; as mulheres resistam ao processo de apagamento da marca de concordância mais do que homens).

A conscientização da comunicação não verbal na educação universitária

Trabalho experimental, CUJO objetivo e provar ser possivel uma aprendizagem de ma10r sensibilização da comunicação não-verbal, atraves de um curso ção de Comunicações não-verbais. ~ precedido de de interaabordagem teórica mostrando a importância da comunicação não-verbale_ de como a Educação precisa se ocupar desta area. Apresenta,. em seguida, sugestoes para a aplicação dos resultados na formação de professores e propoe futuras pesqu1sas a tir da ora realizada.

A comunicação não-verbal na sala de aula

O objetivo deste trabalho situa-se a partir dos acréscimos do pensamento cientifico moderno, que em função dos estudos do processo verbal da comunicação humana, visa, agora, um pouco mais adiante, o estudo de seu processo não verbal, onde se sanam velhas dúvidas e propõem-se novos questionamentos acerca da figura Homem. O trabalho analisará as duas dimensões existenciais que o homem estabelece com o mundo: a dimensão verbal, quando da sua apreensão da "imagem de mundo", dentro de suas características psico-linguísticas e a dimensão não-verbal que sobredetermina esta "imagem de mundo", dentro do aspecto psico-biológico do ser. A postulação de uma existência verbal e de uma existência não-verbal, não poderia ser entendida como duas ordens diferentes e antagônicas, mas como duas modalidades de manifestação da existencialidade: o indivíduo participa simultaneamente das duas, como identidade e diferença. E é sob este aspecto que, a sala de aula se revelaria como um micro-universo, cujas coordenadas básicas, informação/formação, articulariam, de fato, as coordenadas existenciais identidade/diferença. Acrescentaria-se, finalmente, que a partir da sala de aula, o indivíduo modelaria a sua realidade conceitual, sendo ao mesmo tempo, por ela modelado. Tal processo se desenvolveria à medida em que o indivíduo reelaborasse a realidade objetiva como sujeito do discurso e seria modelado, à medida em que se deixasse objetivar e impessoalizar-se no discurso cultural. A partir então deste jogo maior do homem, onde se ajustariam as duas dimensões existenciais, que o equilíbrio psico-social do individuo se tentaria, garantindo a sua sobrevivência. Seria desta forma, o espaço sala de aula, franquia maior da individualidade, um campo aberto a educadores e psicologos, fazendo uso mais profilatico que terapêutico ao ajuste do homem a seu grupo e/ou um pouco mais, ao seu próprio sentido humano.