TY - JOUR A1 - Schaefer, Laura A1 - Bittmann, Frank T1 - Coherent behavior of neuromuscular oscillations between isometrically interacting subjects BT - experimental study utilizing wavelet coherence analysis of mechanomyographic and mechanotendographic signals JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Previous research has shown that electrical muscle activity is able to synchronize between muscles of one subject. The ability to synchronize the mechanical muscle oscillations measured by Mechanomyography (MMG) is not described sufficiently. Likewise, the behavior of myofascial oscillations was not considered yet during muscular interaction of two human subjects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the myofascial oscillations intra- and interpersonally. For this the mechanical muscle oscillations of the triceps and the abdominal external oblique muscles were measured by MMG and the triceps tendon was measured by mechanotendography (MTG) during isometric interaction of two subjects (n = 20) performed at 80% of the MVC using their arm extensors. The coherence of MMG/MTG-signals was analyzed with coherence wavelet transform and was compared with randomly matched signal pairs. Each signal pairing shows significant coherent behavior. Averagely, the coherent phases of n = 485 real pairings last over 82 ± 39 % of the total duration time of the isometric interaction. Coherent phases of randomly matched signal pairs take 21 ± 12 % of the total duration time (n = 39). The difference between real vs. randomly matched pairs is significant (U = 113.0, p = 0.000, r = 0.73). The results show that the neuromuscular system seems to be able to synchronize to another neuromuscular system during muscular interaction and generate a coherent behavior of the mechanical muscular oscillations. Potential explanatory approaches are discussed. KW - motor unit synchronization KW - muscle KW - task KW - contractions KW - humans KW - magnetoencephalography KW - systems KW - power KW - hand KW - time Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33579-5 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Macmillan Publishers Limited CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sauermann, Antje A1 - Höhle, Barbara T1 - Word order in German child language and child-directed speech BT - a corpus analysis on the ordering of double objects in the German middlefield JF - Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics N2 - We report two corpus analyses to examine the impact of animacy, definiteness, givenness and type of referring expression on the ordering of double objects in the spontaneous speech of German-speaking two- to four-year-old children and the child-directed speech of their mothers. The first corpus analysis revealed that definiteness, givenness and type of referring expression influenced word order variation in child language and child-directed speech when the type of referring expression distinguished between pronouns and lexical noun phrases. These results correspond to previous child language studies in English (e.g., de Marneffe et al. 2012). Extending the scope of previous studies, our second corpus analysis examined the role of different pronoun types on word order. It revealed that word order in child language and child-directed speech was predictable from the types of pronouns used. Different types of pronouns were associated with different sentence positions but also showed a strong correlation to givenness and definiteness. Yet, the distinction between pronoun types diminished the effects of givenness so that givenness had an independent impact on word order only in child-directed speech but not in child language. Our results support a multi-factorial approach to word order in German. Moreover, they underline the strong impact of the type of referring expression on word order and suggest that it plays a crucial role in the acquisition of the factors influencing word order variation. KW - German KW - word order KW - corpus study KW - language acquisition KW - information structure KW - referring expression Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.281 SN - 2397-1835 VL - 3 IS - 1 PB - Ubiquity Press LTD CY - London ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rubertus, Elina A1 - Noiray, Aude T1 - On the development of gestural organization BT - A cross-sectional study of vowel-to-vowel anticipatory coarticulation T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - In the first years of life, children differ greatly from adults in the temporal organization of their speech gestures in fluent language production. However, dissent remains as to the maturational direction of such organization. The present study sheds new light on this process by tracking the development of anticipatory vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in a cross-sectional investigation of 62 German children (from 3.5 to 7 years of age) and 13 adults. It focuses on gestures of the tongue, a complex organ whose spatiotemporal control is indispensable for speech production. The goal of the study was threefold: 1) investigate whether children as well as adults initiate the articulation for a target vowel in advance of its acoustic onset, 2) test if the identity of the intervocalic consonant matters and finally, 3) describe age-related developments of these lingual coarticulatory patterns. To achieve this goal, ultrasound tongue imaging was used to record lingual movements and quantify changes in coarticulation degree as a function of consonantal context and age. Results from linear mixed effects models indicate that like adults, children initiate vowels' lingual gestures well ahead of their acoustic onset. Second, while the identity of the intervocalic consonant affects the degree of vocalic anticipation in adults, it does not in children at any age. Finally, the degree of vowelto-vowel coarticulation is significantly higher in all cohorts of children than in adults. However, among children, a developmental decrease of vocalic coarticulation is only found for sequences including the alveolar stop /d/ which requires finer spatiotemporal coordination of the tongue's subparts compared to labial and velar stops. Altogether, results suggest greater gestural overlap in child than in adult speech and support the view of a non-uniform and protracted maturation of lingual coarticulation calling for thorough considerations of the articulatory intricacies from which subtle developmental differences may originate. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 478 KW - Catalan VCV Sequences KW - Speech Motor Control KW - Vocal-Tract KW - Acoustic Analysis KW - Locus Equations KW - Lingual Coarticulation KW - Children KW - Ultrasound KW - English KW - Resistance Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-419753 IS - 478 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rubertus, Elina A1 - Noiray, Aude T1 - On the development of gestural organization BT - A cross-sectional study of vowel-to-vowel anticipatory coarticulation JF - PLoS ONE N2 - In the first years of life, children differ greatly from adults in the temporal organization of their speech gestures in fluent language production. However, dissent remains as to the maturational direction of such organization. The present study sheds new light on this process by tracking the development of anticipatory vowel-to-vowel coarticulation in a cross-sectional investigation of 62 German children (from 3.5 to 7 years of age) and 13 adults. It focuses on gestures of the tongue, a complex organ whose spatiotemporal control is indispensable for speech production. The goal of the study was threefold: 1) investigate whether children as well as adults initiate the articulation for a target vowel in advance of its acoustic onset, 2) test if the identity of the intervocalic consonant matters and finally, 3) describe age-related developments of these lingual coarticulatory patterns. To achieve this goal, ultrasound tongue imaging was used to record lingual movements and quantify changes in coarticulation degree as a function of consonantal context and age. Results from linear mixed effects models indicate that like adults, children initiate vowels' lingual gestures well ahead of their acoustic onset. Second, while the identity of the intervocalic consonant affects the degree of vocalic anticipation in adults, it does not in children at any age. Finally, the degree of vowelto-vowel coarticulation is significantly higher in all cohorts of children than in adults. However, among children, a developmental decrease of vocalic coarticulation is only found for sequences including the alveolar stop /d/ which requires finer spatiotemporal coordination of the tongue's subparts compared to labial and velar stops. Altogether, results suggest greater gestural overlap in child than in adult speech and support the view of a non-uniform and protracted maturation of lingual coarticulation calling for thorough considerations of the articulatory intricacies from which subtle developmental differences may originate. KW - Catalan VCV Sequences KW - Speech Motor Control KW - Vocal-Tract KW - Acoustic Analysis KW - Locus Equations KW - Lingual Coarticulation KW - Children KW - Ultrasound KW - English KW - Resistance Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203562 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 21 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Francisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - A Failure to Find Cross Cognitive Domain Semantic Priming Between Exception Phrases and Subtraction or Addition JF - Frontiers in Psychology N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., “everybody except John”) while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., “nobody except John”; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01524 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - A Failure to Find Cross Cognitive Domain Semantic Priming Between Exception Phrases and Subtraction or Addition T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., “everybody except John”) while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., “nobody except John”; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 469 KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-417278 IS - 469 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rohlf, Helena L. A1 - Holl, Anna K. A1 - Kirsch, Fabian A1 - Krahé, Barbara A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Longitudinal Links between Executive Function, Anger, and Aggression in Middle Childhood T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Previous research has indicated that executive function (EF) is negatively associated with aggressive behavior in childhood. However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies that have examined the effect of deficits in EF on aggression over time and taken into account different forms and functions of aggression at the same time. Furthermore, only few studies have analyzed the role of underlying variables that may explain the association between EF and aggression. The present study examined the prospective paths between EF and different forms (physical and relational) and functions (reactive and proactive) of aggression. The habitual experience of anger was examined as a potential underlying mechanism of the link between EF and aggression, because the tendency to get angry easily has been found to be both a consequence of deficits in EF and a predictor of aggression. The study included 1,652 children (between 6 and 11 years old at the first time point), who were followed over three time points (T1, T2, and T3) covering 3 years. At T1, a latent factor of EF comprised measures of planning, rated via teacher reports, as well as inhibition, set shifting, and working-memory updating, assessed experimentally. Habitual anger experience was assessed via parent reports at T1 and T2. The forms and functions of aggression were measured via teacher reports at all three time points. Structural equation modeling revealed that EF at T1 predicted physical, relational, and reactive aggression at T3, but was unrelated to proactive aggression at T3. Furthermore, EF at T1 was indirectly linked to physical aggression at T3, mediated through habitual anger experience at T2. The results indicate that deficits in EF influence the later occurrence of aggression in middle childhood, and the tendency to get angry easily mediates this relation. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 382 KW - executive function KW - anger KW - relational aggression KW - reactive aggression KW - proactive aggression KW - childhood KW - longitudinal study Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-409471 IS - 382 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rohlf, Helena L. A1 - Holl, Anna K. A1 - Kirsch, Fabian A1 - Krahé, Barbara A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Longitudinal Links between Executive Function, Anger, and Aggression in Middle Childhood JF - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience N2 - Previous research has indicated that executive function (EF) is negatively associated with aggressive behavior in childhood. However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies that have examined the effect of deficits in EF on aggression over time and taken into account different forms and functions of aggression at the same time. Furthermore, only few studies have analyzed the role of underlying variables that may explain the association between EF and aggression. The present study examined the prospective paths between EF and different forms (physical and relational) and functions (reactive and proactive) of aggression. The habitual experience of anger was examined as a potential underlying mechanism of the link between EF and aggression, because the tendency to get angry easily has been found to be both a consequence of deficits in EF and a predictor of aggression. The study included 1,652 children (between 6 and 11 years old at the first time point), who were followed over three time points (T1, T2, and T3) covering 3 years. At T1, a latent factor of EF comprised measures of planning, rated via teacher reports, as well as inhibition, set shifting, and working-memory updating, assessed experimentally. Habitual anger experience was assessed via parent reports at T1 and T2. The forms and functions of aggression were measured via teacher reports at all three time points. Structural equation modeling revealed that EF at T1 predicted physical, relational, and reactive aggression at T3, but was unrelated to proactive aggression at T3. Furthermore, EF at T1 was indirectly linked to physical aggression at T3, mediated through habitual anger experience at T2. The results indicate that deficits in EF influence the later occurrence of aggression in middle childhood, and the tendency to get angry easily mediates this relation. KW - executive function KW - anger KW - relational aggression KW - reactive aggression KW - proactive aggression KW - childhood KW - longitudinal study Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00027 SN - 1662-5153 VL - 12 IS - 27 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reinauer, Christina A1 - Viermann, Rabea A1 - Foertsch, Katharina A1 - Linderskamp, Hannah A1 - Warschburger, Petra A1 - Holl, Reinhard A1 - Staab, Doris A1 - Minden, Kirsten A1 - Muche, Rainer A1 - Domhardt, Matthias A1 - Baumeister, Harald A1 - Meissner, Thomas T1 - Motivational Interviewing as a tool to enhance access to mental health treatment in adolescents with chronic medical conditions and need for psychological support (COACH-MI) BT - study protocol for a clusterrandomised controlled trial JF - Trials N2 - Background This cluster-randomised monocentric controlled trial focuses on improving the uptake symptoms of mental health care in adolescents with chronic medical conditions who have been identified by screening to have depression or anxiety. The study aims to determine the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI) delivered by trained physicians to increase 12- to 20-year-old adolescents’ utilisation of psychological health care for symptoms of anxiety or depression. Methods/design In this single-centre approach, n = 1,000 adolescents will be screened (using PHQ-9 and GAD-7), and adolescents with results indicative of anxiety or depressive symptoms (n = 162) will be advised to seek psychological health care in clusters from treating physicians in specialised outpatient departments. Participants who screen positive will receive either two sessions of MI or treatment as usual (TAU; regarded as the typical daily clinical practice), which is focused on recommending them to seek psychological health care for further evaluation. MI efficacy will be compared to the current TAU as the control condition. The primary outcome is the utilisation rate of psychological health care after counselling by an MI-trained physician vs. an untrained physician. Additionally, reasons for not claiming psychological support and changes in disease-related parameters will be evaluated in a 6-month follow-up session. Discussion This trial will evaluate the feasibility of MI as a way to improve the utilisation of mental health-care services by adolescents who need further support other than that provided by standard care for chronic diseases. Physicians offering MI to adolescents may serve as a model for optimising health-care management in daily clinical practice, which may improve adolescents’ long-term well-being by improving adherence to medical treatment and preventing negative lifelong consequences into adulthood. KW - Adolescents KW - adherence to medical treatment KW - anxiety KW - chronic condition KW - depression KW - motivational interviewing Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2997-5 SN - 1745-6215 VL - 19 PB - BMC CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo A1 - García-Pinillos, Felipe A1 - García-Ramos, Amador A1 - Yanci, Javier A1 - Gentil, Paulo A1 - Chaabene, Helmi A1 - Granacher, Urs T1 - Effects of Different Plyometric Training Frequencies on Components of Physical Fitness in Amateur Female Soccer Players JF - Frontiers in Physiology N2 - Plyometric jump training (PJT) is a frequently used and effective means to improve amateur and elite soccer players' physical fitness. However, it is unresolved how different PJT frequencies per week with equal overall training volume may affect training-induced adaptations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of an in-season 8 week PJT with one session vs. two sessions per week and equal training volume on components of physical fitness in amateur female soccer players. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants (N = 23; age, 21.4 ± 3.2 years) were randomly assigned to a one session PJT per-week (PJT-1, n = 8), two sessions PJT per-week (PJT-2, n = 8) or an active control group (CON, n = 7). Before and after training, participants performed countermovement jumps (CMJ), drop-jumps from a 20-cm drop-height (DJ20), a maximal kicking velocity test (MKV), the 15-m linear sprint-time test, the Meylan test for the assessment of change of direction ability (CoDA), and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery endurance test (Yo-YoIR1). Results revealed significant main effects of time for the CMJ, DJ20, MKV, 15-m sprint, CoDA, and the Yo-YoIR1 (all p < 0.001; d = 0.57–0.83). Significant group × time interactions were observed for the CMJ, DJ20, MKV, 15-m sprint, CoDA, and the Yo-YoIR1 (all p < 0.05; d = 0.36–0.51). Post-hoc analyses showed similar improvements for PJT-1 and PJT-2 groups in CMJ (Δ10.6%, d = 0.37; and Δ10.1%, d = 0.51, respectively), DJ20 (Δ12.9%, d = 0.47; and Δ13.1%, d = 0.54, respectively), MKV (Δ8.6%, d = 0.52; and Δ9.1%, d = 0.47, respectively), 15-m sprint (Δ8.3%, d = 2.25; and Δ9.5%, d = 2.67, respectively), CoDA (Δ7.5%, d = 1.68; and Δ7.4%, d = 1.16, respectively), and YoYoIR1 (Δ10.3%, d = 0.22; and Δ9.9%, d = 0.26, respectively). No significant pre-post changes were found for CON (all p > 0.05; Δ0.5–4.2%, d = 0.03–0.2). In conclusion, higher PJT exposure in terms of session frequency has no extra effects on female soccer players' physical fitness development when jump volume is equated during a short-term (i.e., 8 weeks) training program. From this, it follows that one PJT session per week combined with regular soccer-specific training appears to be sufficient to induce physical fitness improvements in amateur female soccer players. KW - women KW - stretch-shortening cycle KW - muscle power KW - football KW - training load KW - agility Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00934 SN - 1664-042X VL - 9 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER -