No description available.

Purpose: To describe behavior of children with periventricular brain injury (PBI) in a tethered-kicking intervention. Methods: Sixteen infants with PBI were randomly assigned to exercise or no-training in a longitudinal pilot study. Frequencies of leg movements and interlimb coordination were described from videos at 2 and 4 months' corrected age (CA). Results: Eight of the 13 children (62%) with longitudinal data increased the frequency of leg movements while tethered to a mobile between 2 and 4 months' CA. Movement frequency was correlated with scores on the Test of Infant Motor Performance, but no differences between experimental groups were found. Children with typical development at 12 months' CA increased the proportion of leg movements that were synchronous between 2 and 4 months, as did a child with cerebral palsy in the experimental group. Conclusions: The tethered-kicking intervention facilitates movement in infants with PBI, but effects on development remain to be demonstrated.

No description available.

Using the social networking site Facebook as a corpus, I collected 1,500 random samples of interactions between friends. I tracked the use of jokes and disparaging humor between same- and opposite-gender pairs to discover that there is a strong correlation between the style of joke-making evoked by the speaker and the gender of both the speaker and the hearer. The men in the study were about eight times more likely to make insulting or degrading jokes with other men than the women were with each other. Following the study is a discussion where I address methods of politeness across genders, approaches to humor, and how sex, culture, and gender expectations influence our communicative choices. Though the discussion is based in our linguistic choices, the results of the study reflect trends that are present in countless aspects of society, and the issues that are raised go far beyond the spoken word. / text

While insult has been a frequent topic for rhetorical study in the past, little if any work has gone toward the formation of a systematic theory of insult. Karina Korostelina has proposed a theory of intergroup identity insults, which appears promising from a socio-cultural perspective. However, her theory does not address the particularly rhetorical characteristics of insults, preferring instead to analyze them with reference to their socio-historic context. While her theory proves sound under scrutiny, it does little to shed light on pejorative rhetoric as rhetoric. In what follows, I would like to propose certain characteristics of pejorative rhetoric that may prove useful in developing a rhetorical understanding of insult. I will be using Korostelina’s theory as a starting place to ground my discussion of insult, but I will go beyond the socio-historic contexts to suggest a purely rhetorical aspect of insults that creates new meanings and associations independent of larger cultural contexts. While independent of cultural contexts, these new associations are still informed by cultural contexts. As such, I will be using coffee, a cultural artifact with a variety of social and culture meanings, as a lens from which to examine pejorative rhetoric. Ultimately, I propose that insult functions by drawing from the associations inherent in cultural artifacts in order to transform those associations into purely rhetorical associations, that is, associations that could not exist without the influence of pejorative rhetoric, thereby creating a rhetorical context independent of large cultural contexts.

v anglickém jazyce "The language of Spanish Insults" The objective of the present paper was to explore, as the title indicates, the rich variety of the Spanish insults. We centered mainly on the comparison of the Spanish insults to the Czech insults and observed the diferences and specific characteristics of Spanish insults. We began the first part with the definition of formal and informal language and its sociolects, because we believe that it helps to understand the properties of the insults, since they have many common characteristics with the sociolects. Afterwards, we tried to describe the historical and cultural backgrounds, because due to different evolutions in each country, the habits to use insults and curses are different, especially concerning the curses, which are still very common in Spain. In Czech Republic the curses fell into oblivion during the last century, while the people were becoming more atheistic. The role of taboo is also very important, because in each society, taboo is what's influencing the usage and the importance of every insult. Neverthless, the insults don't serve only for attacking somebody or to show disappointment, but they also have other functions, such as identifying with the members of the group or to address someone in a friendly way. In the practical part,...

Na presente tese desenvolvo um estudo sobre os jogos de ofensas entre estudantes do ensino medio da Escola de Aplicação da Universidade Federal do Para (EAUFPA), realizados por meio de trocas de epítetos verbais e atos não-verbais entre dois ou mais participantes. Estes jogos de ofensas integram um conjunto de praticas relacionais e tipos de interação social que se remetem a processos identitarios a partir da intersecção das categorias raça, genero e classe. Por meio de pesquisa etnografica e entrevistas, descrevo as maneiras pelas quais as diferentes definições sobre o que e ofensivo-insultuoso e o que e comico entre os estudantes se relacionam com processos de percepção de si dentro do cotidiano escolar, fazendo surgir micro-hierarquias, procedimentos relacionais de subordinação e atos de humilhação social entre os envolvidos nas trocas verbais, bem como outras modalidades conflitivas de interação social dentro desta escola. Esta tese procura destacar variabilidades e arbitrariedades nas definições nativas acerca do que seria ofensividadeinsultuosidade ou brincadeira entre os sujeitos da pesquisa, usando para isso diferentes relatos e narrativas registradas junto aos entrevistados como definições semânticas polarizadas. Em outras palavras, procuro identificar, compreender e descrever etnograficamente em que momentos e situações um epíteto verbal ou um ato não-verbal passa a ser definido como ofensivo-insultuoso. Analisando entrevistas formais e conversas informais, tento descrever como um vocabulo ou uma ação não-verbal mobilizam uma ofensividade-insultuosidade oposta a uma comicidade-ludicidade em certos momentos, mas em outros não. Qual e a influencia da sociabilidade escolar, das vivencias e experiencias construídas entre os estudantes na escola sobre a definição do que e considerado ofensivo e, de outro modo, do que e comicidade? O que e vivido em outros espaços não escolares pelos estudantes influencia nestas definições sobre ofensividade ou brincadeira na escola? Quais são os termos nativos usados para identificar estas trocas verbais? Como estas praticas mobilizam raça, genero e classe para tecer masculinidades, feminilidades e políticas relacionais que estabelecem aliados e adversarios, amizades e inimizades entre os estudantes? Inicialmente, apresento tais jogos como tipos de altercações e contendas que abarcam, de modo simultâneo, tanto insultos estigmatizantes que se referem caricaturalmente a estereotipos coletivos imputados de modo grotesco a alguem com base em situações e condutas que divergem ou não de um padrão comportamental definido como norma na sociabilidade estudantil, como galhofas e zombarias aceitas ludicamente entre os estudantes que se aproximam e sedimentam entre si relações grupais na escola. Depois, estipulo tres modalidades heurísticas de jogos verbais (sistematizadas a partir de estudos feitos sobre o tema) que interagem entre si para ajudar a compreender as complexidades das praticas observadas. A primeira consiste em um jogo de insultar que mobiliza epítetos e atos ofensivos, humilhantes que implicam em danos identitarios e perdas relacionais entre os envolvidos. A segunda e o jogo de brincar, uma troca que envolve eminentemente a ludicidade, a jocosidade, e, no limite, uma comicidade conflitiva. A terceira e o jogo de insultar e de brincar, uma troca que envolve ludicidade, comicidade e jocosidade mas que pode fazer surgir insultuosidade, danos identitarios e perdas relacionais para os envolvidos. Procuro tambem descrever praticas e sujeitos que mobilizam de modo específico insultos verbais raciais e sexuais remissivos a estereotipos, masculinidades e feminilidades racializadas em uma perspectiva que ressalta a agencia política de jovens homens negros e jovens mulheres negras. / This thesis presents a study of offensive games played among middle school students attending the Application School of the Federal University of Para. These games consist of exchanges of verbal insults and/or non verbal acts between two or more participants. All of these pranks are composed of a group of interpersonal relationships and social interactions that relate to identitary processes involving the intersection of social categories such as race, gender and class. By way of ethnographic research and interviews, I describe the ways in which the different conceptions of what is considered offensive or derogatory and what is considered funny among the students is related to processes of self perception in their daily school life that bring forth the microhierarchies, subordination procedures and humiliation practices between the students involved in the pranks as well as other conflictive modalities of social interaction in the school. This dissertation points to making visible the variabilities and arbitrary aspects present in the native definitions of what is considered offensive-derogatory or mere joking among the research subjects using different accounts or narratives developed by the interviewees as polarized semantic definitions. In other words, I will identify, explain, and describe ethnographically in what moments and situations a verbal epithet or a non verbal act comes to be defined as offensive-derogatory. Analyzing formal interviews and informal conversations I intend to describe how is it that a word or a non verbal act mobilizes an offensive insult that opposes a comic-ludicity in some moments but in others not. Some of the main questions that this dissertation explores are: What is the influence of the school socialization and the lived experiences of the students in the school on their definitions of what is considered offensive and what is considered a joke? Do their lived experiences in spaces outside the school influence these definitions of what is an insult or a joke in the school? What are the native terms used to identify these verbal exchanges? How do these practices mobilize race, gender and class to weave masculinities, femininities and interpersonal politics that establish allies and adversaries friendships and animosities between the students? From the beginning I present these pranks or games as arguments and exchanges that are composed simultaneously of stigmatizing insults that make reference to collective caricature stereotypes imposed over someone grotesquely because of situations and behaviors that are different or not from a established behavioral pattern defined as the norm of the school socialization,or in other words as normal and accepted jokes and pranks between the students that develop group relationships or cliques in the school. Afterwards, I establish three heuristic modalities of verbal jokes (sistematized after research done on the topic) that interact within themselves to comprehend the complexities of the observed practices. The first of these modalities consists on a insult game that mobilizes words and offensive humiliating acts that end in identity damages and broken relationships among the students involved. The second modality is the joking game, an exchange that involves playfulness and, on its limits, a problematic comic relief. The third modality is the joking and insulting game, this exchange involves ludic characteristics, playfulness and comic relief that may result in insults, identity damages and broken relationships among the students involved. I also describe subjects and practices that mobilize in a specific manner verbal insults of racial or sexual nature that reference to stereotypes, racialized masculinities and femininities from a perspective that visibilizes the political agency of Black young middle class men and Black young working class women.

<p>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) renders the brain more vulnerable to secondary insults. The increased vulnerability can probably be explained by a combination of disturbances in hemodynamics, metabolism and craniospinal dynamics. Reduced ability to compensate for added intracranial volume, i.e. reduced intracranial compliance (IC), is one possible mechanism. The <i>aim</i> of this thesis was to study the role of IC on the effect of secondary insults after TBI. </p><p>A rat TBI model was developed where IC could be altered without causing pathological increases in intracranial pressure (ICP). Reduction of IC was made by placing rubber film between the dura mater and bilateral bone flaps. A reduction of IC in terms of reduced Pressure Volume Index was confirmed. Microdialysis (MD) of extracellular fluid was used to monitor neurochemical changes. Reduced IC after TBI proved to increase the vulnerability of the brain to secondary intracranial volume insults according to neurochemical microdialysis markers. Reduced IC or intracranial volume insults alone did not cause any metabolic changes as compared to controls. Moderate posttraumatic hypotension (50mmHg for 30 min) induced 2 hrs after TBI, did not aggravate posttraumatic extracellular neurochemical changes significantly, irrespective of the level of IC. Although controversial, a mild to moderate hypotensive insult after initial posttraumatic stabilization may not be as detrimental as earlier believed.</p><p>The Spiegelberg Compliance Monitor and MD were simultaneously used in 10 TBI patients to get an impression of the clinical value of IC monitoring and the relationship between IC, temperature and MD Lactate/Pyruvate ratio. IC and MD could be monitored simultaneously in TBI patients. Higher L/P ratios were seen when IC was low. Patients with induced coma treatment had significantly higher average L/P ratios, possibly due to their poorer neurological condition. An indication was also found that in TBI patients with high temperatures, L/P ratio rose as IC decreased, but in patients with low temperature there was no effect of IC on L/P ratio. These data suggest the importance of avoiding hyperthermia in TBI patients, especially in patients with low or decreased IC (monitored or anticipated).</p>

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) renders the brain more vulnerable to secondary insults. The increased vulnerability can probably be explained by a combination of disturbances in hemodynamics, metabolism and craniospinal dynamics. Reduced ability to compensate for added intracranial volume, i.e. reduced intracranial compliance (IC), is one possible mechanism. The aim of this thesis was to study the role of IC on the effect of secondary insults after TBI. A rat TBI model was developed where IC could be altered without causing pathological increases in intracranial pressure (ICP). Reduction of IC was made by placing rubber film between the dura mater and bilateral bone flaps. A reduction of IC in terms of reduced Pressure Volume Index was confirmed. Microdialysis (MD) of extracellular fluid was used to monitor neurochemical changes. Reduced IC after TBI proved to increase the vulnerability of the brain to secondary intracranial volume insults according to neurochemical microdialysis markers. Reduced IC or intracranial volume insults alone did not cause any metabolic changes as compared to controls. Moderate posttraumatic hypotension (50mmHg for 30 min) induced 2 hrs after TBI, did not aggravate posttraumatic extracellular neurochemical changes significantly, irrespective of the level of IC. Although controversial, a mild to moderate hypotensive insult after initial posttraumatic stabilization may not be as detrimental as earlier believed. The Spiegelberg Compliance Monitor and MD were simultaneously used in 10 TBI patients to get an impression of the clinical value of IC monitoring and the relationship between IC, temperature and MD Lactate/Pyruvate ratio. IC and MD could be monitored simultaneously in TBI patients. Higher L/P ratios were seen when IC was low. Patients with induced coma treatment had significantly higher average L/P ratios, possibly due to their poorer neurological condition. An indication was also found that in TBI patients with high temperatures, L/P ratio rose as IC decreased, but in patients with low temperature there was no effect of IC on L/P ratio. These data suggest the importance of avoiding hyperthermia in TBI patients, especially in patients with low or decreased IC (monitored or anticipated).

<p>The aim of this study is to investigate how language is used, online, in a condescending way in order to make the recipient feel belittled. The research questions sought to find out what kind of linguistic strategies are used online in order to make language function in a derogatory way as well as the linguistic reactions these strategies evoke in the recipients. How this derogatory usage can be met by using specific linguistic strategies was also explored.</p><p>The study was conducted by performing qualitative discourse analysis based on the theoretical framework of Culpeper’s (1996) impoliteness theory. The data consisted of excerpts from four different threads in online discussion forums. The results indicate that there are several ways to insult someone, and that sarcasm, in particular, is heavily utilized in order to make language function in a derogatory manner.</p><p>The conclusion of the study is that phenomena such as the flouting of maxims, face-threatening acts, impoliteness strategies and flaming are all utilized when trying to belittle someone. All these linguistic strategies performed with the intention to insult people have proved to have a negative affect on people who are exposed to them. This affect can be detected through the linguistic reactions they rendered, for example: counter-attacks with insults of their own and refuting the insults.</p><p>The present study contributes to enlightening linguistic strategies which are being used in a derogatory way and as such might function to raise awareness of the power invested in language.</p>