People inherently assess landscapes by creating spontaneous aesthetic liking judgments based on the surrounding stimuli.To understand these judgements objectively,use may be made of the fluency theory of aesthetic ple...People inherently assess landscapes by creating spontaneous aesthetic liking judgments based on the surrounding stimuli.To understand these judgements objectively,use may be made of the fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure(the psychological processes through which people experience beauty).This study aims to predict people’s visual aesthetic preferences based on fluency theory and to correlate these preferences with landscape types and features.An ordinary least squares(OLS)regression model was developed to predict visual aesthetic liking,using image statistics as explanatory variables.We determined types of landscape using Landscape Character Assessment(LCA)and applied viewshed analyses distinguishing between near,medium,and far zones.We identified landscape features by content analysis making use of machine learning-based image recognition supplied by Google Cloud Vision API.The results show that vegetation and geological forms were the most significant features for people’s visual aesthetic liking,followed by waterscapes and built structures/human settlements.The viewshed analyses indicated that‘medium-altitude,low-gradient artificial areas’were visible in photographs with high aesthetic visual liking in all zones(i.e.,at all distances).When the photographs showing this type of landscape are examined,the artificial areas in the photographs turn out to consist mostly of historical buildings or remains.This finding suggests that historical sites are not just important for their cultural value,but for their visual aesthetic value as well.展开更多
In this study,we aim to investigate the reciprocal influence between language motivation and English speaking fluency among language learners,and to draw implications for effective teaching methodologies.By analyzing ...In this study,we aim to investigate the reciprocal influence between language motivation and English speaking fluency among language learners,and to draw implications for effective teaching methodologies.By analyzing multiple cases of language learners in conjunction with relevant theories and practical insights,the study uncovers a dynamic correlation between language motivation and speaking fluency.The research findings indicate that heightened language motivation can positively impact learners’speaking fluency,while improved oral skills,in turn,bolster learners’language confidence and motivation.Building on these insights,the study proposes impactful teaching approaches,such as cultivating learners’enthusiasm for language acquisition,providing diverse opportunities for oral practice,and fostering active engagement in language communication.These strategies are designed to enhance language motivation and speaking fluency among learners,offering valuable guidance and reference for educators.展开更多
Fluency on oral English has always been the goal of Chinese English learners. Language corpuses offer great convenience to language researches. Prefabricated chunks are a great help for learners to achieve oral Englis...Fluency on oral English has always been the goal of Chinese English learners. Language corpuses offer great convenience to language researches. Prefabricated chunks are a great help for learners to achieve oral English fluency. With the help of computer software, chunks in SECCL are categorized. The conclusion is in the process of chunks acquiring, emphasis should be on content-related chunks, especially specific topic-related ones. One effective way to gain topic-related chunks is to build topic-related English corpus of native speakers.展开更多
Recent research has found that L2 learners of high grammatical proficiency will not necessarily show concomitant pragmatic skills. On the basis of Danesi＇s Conceptual Fluency theory and actual learners＇ oral abiliti...Recent research has found that L2 learners of high grammatical proficiency will not necessarily show concomitant pragmatic skills. On the basis of Danesi＇s Conceptual Fluency theory and actual learners＇ oral abilities, this research conducted two types of tests： a discourse-completion test and a dialogue-interpretation test. The research has found that L2 learners are often influenced by L1 conceptual system, and speeches are not necessarily appropriate and native-like.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an expanded polytetrafluoro-ethylene-covered Fluency stent compared with that of a polyethylene terephthalate-covered Wallgraft stent for the management of transjugular intrahe...AIM:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an expanded polytetrafluoro-ethylene-covered Fluency stent compared with that of a polyethylene terephthalate-covered Wallgraft stent for the management of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)dysfunction.METHODS:A retrospective review of patients who underwent TIPS revision with stent-grafts between May 2007 and June 2011 was conducted.The patients were divided into two groups according to the stentgrafts implanted:the Fluency stent(Bard Incorporated,Karlsruhe,Germany)and the Wallgraft stent(Boston Scientific,Galway,Ireland).The primary patency rates were calculated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:A total of 73 patients were evaluated in this study:33 with Fluency stents and 40 with Wallgraft stents.The primary patency rates at 12 and 24 mo were 91% and 85%,respectively,in the Fluency stent group and 78% and 63%,respectively,in the Wallgraft stent group.The primary shunt patency rates after TIPS revision were significantly better with the Fluency stent than with the Wallgraft stent(P = 0.033).CONCLUSION:TIPS revision with the Fluency stent has higher medium-term patency rates than that with the Wallgraft stent.展开更多
The verbal fluency test （VFT） can be dissociated into ＂clustering＂ （generating words within subcategories） and ＂switching＂ （shifting between clusters）, which may be valuable in differential diagnosis. In the...The verbal fluency test （VFT） can be dissociated into ＂clustering＂ （generating words within subcategories） and ＂switching＂ （shifting between clusters）, which may be valuable in differential diagnosis. In the current study, we investigated the validity of VFT in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer＇s disease （AD, n = 65）, vascular dementia （VaD, n = 65）, mild cognitive impairment （MCI, n = 92）, and vascular cognitive impairment without dementia （VCIND, n = 76） relative to cognitively normal senior controls （NC, n = 374）. We found that in the NC group, the total correct score was significantly correlated with age and education; males generated more subcategories; cluster size increased with education, and subcategory and switching decreased with age. A significantly progressive advantage was observed in VFT scores in the sequence NC 〉 MCI/VCIND 〉 AD/VaD, and this significantly discriminated dementia patients from the other groups. AD patients performed better in all four VFT scores than VaD patients. Subcategory and switching scores significantly distinguished AD from VaD patients （AD 〉 VaD; mean difference, 0.50 for subcategory, P 〈0.05; 0.71 for switching, P 〈0.05）. MCI patients scored higher than VCIND patients, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that semantic VFT is useful for the detection of MCI and VCIND, and in the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment.展开更多
This study aimed to investigate the association between atrophy in the prefrontal cortex with executive function and verbal fluency in elderly male and female patients poststroke. Thirty elderly female patients with n...This study aimed to investigate the association between atrophy in the prefrontal cortex with executive function and verbal fluency in elderly male and female patients poststroke. Thirty elderly female patients with non-aphasic ischemic stroke aged -〉 60 years and 30 age-matched non-aphasic male patients with ischemic stroke were recruited. Automatic magnetic resonance imaging segmentation was used to assess the volume of the whole prefrontal cortex, along with its subdivisions： anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The Semantic Verbal Fluency Test was administered at 3 and 15 months poststroke. At 3 months poststroke, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume was significantly correlated with Verbal Fluency Test score in female patients only （partial coefficient = 0.453, P = 0.045）, after controlling for age, education, diabetes, neurological deficit, white matter lesions volume, as well as the location and volume of infarcts. At 15 months poststroke, there remained a significant association between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume and Verbal Fluency Test （partial coefficient = 0.661, P = 0.001） and between the left prefrontal cortex volume and Verbal Fluency Test （partial coefficient = 0.573, P = 0.004） in female patients after the same adjustments. These findings indicate that atrophy of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributes to the impairment of verbal fluency in elderly female patients with stroke. Sex differences may be present in the neuropsychological mechanisms of verbal fluency impairment in patients with stroke.展开更多
Despite a large number of studies on fluency disorders in schizophrenia, it is still not clear whether executive functioning and fluency tasks are empirically linked and how symptomatology could specifically get invol...Despite a large number of studies on fluency disorders in schizophrenia, it is still not clear whether executive functioning and fluency tasks are empirically linked and how symptomatology could specifically get involved on these influences. We carried out analyses of performances in several verbal fluency tasks, a non-verbal fluency task and an executive test (FAB) in 25 schizophrenics and 25 healthy subjects matched in terms demographic data. Patients also completed the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale in order to control for their clinical profile. Our results suggest that schizophrenic patients show both category and letter fluency deficits with a greater impairment for letter fluency. They also display poorer performances for the non-verbal fluency task. In patients, all the verbal and non-verbal fluencies are significantly correlated with the FAB total score. By contrast, in controls, only letter fluency correlates with the FAB total score, which is congruent with previous literature on the healthy mechanisms of verbal fluency. Besides, factorial analyses show that symptomatology is specifically related to particular indexes of fluency tasks. Taken together, these data lead to support the hypothesis of retrieval rather than semantic difficulties and alargest involvement of executive functioning in schizophrenics during tasks that require a certain degree of efficiency, with performance being influenced by the clinical profile. Yet, the relation between fluency scores and executive functioning has to be more intensively explored and further studies should include semantic memory measures that fit with pathology’s constraints and characteristics.展开更多
By dividing English learners in Chinese university context into intermediate and advanced level learners, the essay argues that fluency rather than accuracy is needed for most university students. It further discusses...By dividing English learners in Chinese university context into intermediate and advanced level learners, the essay argues that fluency rather than accuracy is needed for most university students. It further discusses some suitable teaching methods in both contexts respectively to balance this pair of objective focus.展开更多
This paper firstly defines the key concepts of accuracy and fluency in relation to the development of speaking skills. Then, consider the challenges presented to language teachers of ensuring that learners develop acc...This paper firstly defines the key concepts of accuracy and fluency in relation to the development of speaking skills. Then, consider the challenges presented to language teachers of ensuring that learners develop accuracy and complexity in their speaking, as well as fluency. Finally according to the teaching materials supplied, identify and evaluate the opportunities provided for the development of spoken accuracy and fluency, and explain how to exploit the materials to the fullest extent.展开更多
When it comes to the delivery of speech,it usually relates to the fluency.To be more specific,how to orally express thoughts and feelings smoothly and clearly.And acquiring the increased fluency is a highly ranked goa...When it comes to the delivery of speech,it usually relates to the fluency.To be more specific,how to orally express thoughts and feelings smoothly and clearly.And acquiring the increased fluency is a highly ranked goal among L2 speakers.T his essay will concentrate on two major aspects of fluency.The first part will discuss the factors affecting the oral fluency and the following part will provide some implications for improving fluency in the classroom context.展开更多
This study explored the distribution of three types of English formulaic language, which involves four categories in L1 Chinese L2 English learners’ speaking performance. In addition, it investigated the relationship...This study explored the distribution of three types of English formulaic language, which involves four categories in L1 Chinese L2 English learners’ speaking performance. In addition, it investigated the relationship between the English learners’ use of formulaic language and their spoken English fluency. A CCA(canonical correlation analysis) was conducted to examine the correlations between two sets of fluency variables(dependent variables) and linguistic variables of English formulaic language use(independent variables). The fluency variable set consists of:(1)temporal indices such as SR(speech rate), AR(articulation rate), MLR(mean length of run), and PTR(phonation time ratio);(2) linguistic variables of English formulaic language like F2 R(twoword formulaic sequences/run ratio, B3 R(three-word lexical bundles/run ratio), and B4 R(fourword lexical bundles/run ratio). These are calculated according to the frequency of the English formulaic language in the speech samples of the participants(n = 86) across three academic levels.The results indicate that the learners’ spoken English fluency is highly related to their use of English formulaic language. Its limitations and future research directions are also discussed.展开更多
Purpose: Anxiety disorders are frequently associated with chronic stress with possible cognitive consequences. The aim of this study was to determine the verbal fluency performance in a cohort of patients with anxiety...Purpose: Anxiety disorders are frequently associated with chronic stress with possible cognitive consequences. The aim of this study was to determine the verbal fluency performance in a cohort of patients with anxiety disorders and allostatic load, treated with alprazolam during 12 weeks. Methods: Patients with GAD (general anxiety disorders, DSM IV), with >6 in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), neuroticism > 18 (NEO-FFI inventory), and normal Mini-Mental State Examination were included. Clinical and Psychiatric examination, Allostatic Load Index and cognitive assessment were analyzed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests were determined in all patients. The scoring for each fluency task was determined by counting the number of correct words. The total score from each semantic and phonemic verbal task was analyzed comparing the individual score with normal data controlled by age and sex. Patients with scores > ?2 standard deviation (SD) from normative data were considered impaired. Results: Fifty-four patients completed the semantic verbal fluency test before treatment and fifty patients completed after treatment. According to the z-scores before treatment 7 patients of 54 (12.9%) had verbal fluency impairments. After treatment none patients showed semantic verbal fluency deficits but 3 patients of 50 (6%) showed phonemic impairments. Impaired group was significantly associated with an older age before treatment (p = 0.033) and with a similar tendency but not significant (p = 0.09) after treatment (Student t test). Conclusion: In this study older age factor was associated with verbal fluency impairment in GAD patients. Stratified treatments analyzing age and sex factors, including allostatic load measurements and cognitive assessments may be useful tools to determine the effectiveness and the safety of psychopharmacological treatments.展开更多
The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of using a computer-lab on oral English fluency amongst all Chinese students at Western Oregon University （WOU）. The participants are oversea Chinese graduate...The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of using a computer-lab on oral English fluency amongst all Chinese students at Western Oregon University （WOU）. The participants are oversea Chinese graduate students who take undergraduate courses at WOU, and some of them regard English as their Second Language. The study adopts the experimental design, There are total of 60 Chinese students participating in the study. The results indicate that the use of a Computer-Lab significantly improved students＇ English oral expression ability.展开更多
The term of ＂conceptual fluency＂ put forward by Danesi offers a fresh perspective to look at the current disturbing situation that confronts college English teaching in China. This paper propounds its theoretical ba...The term of ＂conceptual fluency＂ put forward by Danesi offers a fresh perspective to look at the current disturbing situation that confronts college English teaching in China. This paper propounds its theoretical basis by reflecting on the philosophical and linguistic trends in modern era, and points out the defects of Danesi＇s theory, insisting that conceptual fluency should be built on both the lexical and grammatical levels. It then exemplifies the implementation of the theory in actual teaching practice.展开更多
The paper discusses the concept of oral fluency and some factors which influence students＇ oral fluency, analyses the data from first-year English majors in USST and also helps design some effective ways to provide e...The paper discusses the concept of oral fluency and some factors which influence students＇ oral fluency, analyses the data from first-year English majors in USST and also helps design some effective ways to provide every chance to ＂force＂ students to speak English. Finally, the paper points out that oral class is absolutely not the only class to practice speaking English, other classes such as Comprehensive English, Extensive English, etc., can also be used to improve the students＇ oral fluency effectively if designed properly展开更多
文摘People inherently assess landscapes by creating spontaneous aesthetic liking judgments based on the surrounding stimuli.To understand these judgements objectively,use may be made of the fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure(the psychological processes through which people experience beauty).This study aims to predict people’s visual aesthetic preferences based on fluency theory and to correlate these preferences with landscape types and features.An ordinary least squares(OLS)regression model was developed to predict visual aesthetic liking,using image statistics as explanatory variables.We determined types of landscape using Landscape Character Assessment(LCA)and applied viewshed analyses distinguishing between near,medium,and far zones.We identified landscape features by content analysis making use of machine learning-based image recognition supplied by Google Cloud Vision API.The results show that vegetation and geological forms were the most significant features for people’s visual aesthetic liking,followed by waterscapes and built structures/human settlements.The viewshed analyses indicated that‘medium-altitude,low-gradient artificial areas’were visible in photographs with high aesthetic visual liking in all zones(i.e.,at all distances).When the photographs showing this type of landscape are examined,the artificial areas in the photographs turn out to consist mostly of historical buildings or remains.This finding suggests that historical sites are not just important for their cultural value,but for their visual aesthetic value as well.
文摘In this study,we aim to investigate the reciprocal influence between language motivation and English speaking fluency among language learners,and to draw implications for effective teaching methodologies.By analyzing multiple cases of language learners in conjunction with relevant theories and practical insights,the study uncovers a dynamic correlation between language motivation and speaking fluency.The research findings indicate that heightened language motivation can positively impact learners’speaking fluency,while improved oral skills,in turn,bolster learners’language confidence and motivation.Building on these insights,the study proposes impactful teaching approaches,such as cultivating learners’enthusiasm for language acquisition,providing diverse opportunities for oral practice,and fostering active engagement in language communication.These strategies are designed to enhance language motivation and speaking fluency among learners,offering valuable guidance and reference for educators.
文摘Fluency on oral English has always been the goal of Chinese English learners. Language corpuses offer great convenience to language researches. Prefabricated chunks are a great help for learners to achieve oral English fluency. With the help of computer software, chunks in SECCL are categorized. The conclusion is in the process of chunks acquiring, emphasis should be on content-related chunks, especially specific topic-related ones. One effective way to gain topic-related chunks is to build topic-related English corpus of native speakers.
文摘Recent research has found that L2 learners of high grammatical proficiency will not necessarily show concomitant pragmatic skills. On the basis of Danesi＇s Conceptual Fluency theory and actual learners＇ oral abilities, this research conducted two types of tests： a discourse-completion test and a dialogue-interpretation test. The research has found that L2 learners are often influenced by L1 conceptual system, and speeches are not necessarily appropriate and native-like.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 30770984 and No. 81171444
文摘AIM:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an expanded polytetrafluoro-ethylene-covered Fluency stent compared with that of a polyethylene terephthalate-covered Wallgraft stent for the management of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)dysfunction.METHODS:A retrospective review of patients who underwent TIPS revision with stent-grafts between May 2007 and June 2011 was conducted.The patients were divided into two groups according to the stentgrafts implanted:the Fluency stent(Bard Incorporated,Karlsruhe,Germany)and the Wallgraft stent(Boston Scientific,Galway,Ireland).The primary patency rates were calculated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:A total of 73 patients were evaluated in this study:33 with Fluency stents and 40 with Wallgraft stents.The primary patency rates at 12 and 24 mo were 91% and 85%,respectively,in the Fluency stent group and 78% and 63%,respectively,in the Wallgraft stent group.The primary shunt patency rates after TIPS revision were significantly better with the Fluency stent than with the Wallgraft stent(P = 0.033).CONCLUSION:TIPS revision with the Fluency stent has higher medium-term patency rates than that with the Wallgraft stent.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(09DZ1950400,08411951000)the Fudan Elite Foundation
文摘The verbal fluency test （VFT） can be dissociated into ＂clustering＂ （generating words within subcategories） and ＂switching＂ （shifting between clusters）, which may be valuable in differential diagnosis. In the current study, we investigated the validity of VFT in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer＇s disease （AD, n = 65）, vascular dementia （VaD, n = 65）, mild cognitive impairment （MCI, n = 92）, and vascular cognitive impairment without dementia （VCIND, n = 76） relative to cognitively normal senior controls （NC, n = 374）. We found that in the NC group, the total correct score was significantly correlated with age and education; males generated more subcategories; cluster size increased with education, and subcategory and switching decreased with age. A significantly progressive advantage was observed in VFT scores in the sequence NC 〉 MCI/VCIND 〉 AD/VaD, and this significantly discriminated dementia patients from the other groups. AD patients performed better in all four VFT scores than VaD patients. Subcategory and switching scores significantly distinguished AD from VaD patients （AD 〉 VaD; mean difference, 0.50 for subcategory, P 〈0.05; 0.71 for switching, P 〈0.05）. MCI patients scored higher than VCIND patients, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that semantic VFT is useful for the detection of MCI and VCIND, and in the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment.
基金supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR,No. 452906
文摘This study aimed to investigate the association between atrophy in the prefrontal cortex with executive function and verbal fluency in elderly male and female patients poststroke. Thirty elderly female patients with non-aphasic ischemic stroke aged -〉 60 years and 30 age-matched non-aphasic male patients with ischemic stroke were recruited. Automatic magnetic resonance imaging segmentation was used to assess the volume of the whole prefrontal cortex, along with its subdivisions： anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The Semantic Verbal Fluency Test was administered at 3 and 15 months poststroke. At 3 months poststroke, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume was significantly correlated with Verbal Fluency Test score in female patients only （partial coefficient = 0.453, P = 0.045）, after controlling for age, education, diabetes, neurological deficit, white matter lesions volume, as well as the location and volume of infarcts. At 15 months poststroke, there remained a significant association between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume and Verbal Fluency Test （partial coefficient = 0.661, P = 0.001） and between the left prefrontal cortex volume and Verbal Fluency Test （partial coefficient = 0.573, P = 0.004） in female patients after the same adjustments. These findings indicate that atrophy of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributes to the impairment of verbal fluency in elderly female patients with stroke. Sex differences may be present in the neuropsychological mechanisms of verbal fluency impairment in patients with stroke.
文摘Despite a large number of studies on fluency disorders in schizophrenia, it is still not clear whether executive functioning and fluency tasks are empirically linked and how symptomatology could specifically get involved on these influences. We carried out analyses of performances in several verbal fluency tasks, a non-verbal fluency task and an executive test (FAB) in 25 schizophrenics and 25 healthy subjects matched in terms demographic data. Patients also completed the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale in order to control for their clinical profile. Our results suggest that schizophrenic patients show both category and letter fluency deficits with a greater impairment for letter fluency. They also display poorer performances for the non-verbal fluency task. In patients, all the verbal and non-verbal fluencies are significantly correlated with the FAB total score. By contrast, in controls, only letter fluency correlates with the FAB total score, which is congruent with previous literature on the healthy mechanisms of verbal fluency. Besides, factorial analyses show that symptomatology is specifically related to particular indexes of fluency tasks. Taken together, these data lead to support the hypothesis of retrieval rather than semantic difficulties and alargest involvement of executive functioning in schizophrenics during tasks that require a certain degree of efficiency, with performance being influenced by the clinical profile. Yet, the relation between fluency scores and executive functioning has to be more intensively explored and further studies should include semantic memory measures that fit with pathology’s constraints and characteristics.
文摘By dividing English learners in Chinese university context into intermediate and advanced level learners, the essay argues that fluency rather than accuracy is needed for most university students. It further discusses some suitable teaching methods in both contexts respectively to balance this pair of objective focus.
文摘This paper firstly defines the key concepts of accuracy and fluency in relation to the development of speaking skills. Then, consider the challenges presented to language teachers of ensuring that learners develop accuracy and complexity in their speaking, as well as fluency. Finally according to the teaching materials supplied, identify and evaluate the opportunities provided for the development of spoken accuracy and fluency, and explain how to exploit the materials to the fullest extent.
文摘When it comes to the delivery of speech,it usually relates to the fluency.To be more specific,how to orally express thoughts and feelings smoothly and clearly.And acquiring the increased fluency is a highly ranked goal among L2 speakers.T his essay will concentrate on two major aspects of fluency.The first part will discuss the factors affecting the oral fluency and the following part will provide some implications for improving fluency in the classroom context.
文摘This study explored the distribution of three types of English formulaic language, which involves four categories in L1 Chinese L2 English learners’ speaking performance. In addition, it investigated the relationship between the English learners’ use of formulaic language and their spoken English fluency. A CCA(canonical correlation analysis) was conducted to examine the correlations between two sets of fluency variables(dependent variables) and linguistic variables of English formulaic language use(independent variables). The fluency variable set consists of:(1)temporal indices such as SR(speech rate), AR(articulation rate), MLR(mean length of run), and PTR(phonation time ratio);(2) linguistic variables of English formulaic language like F2 R(twoword formulaic sequences/run ratio, B3 R(three-word lexical bundles/run ratio), and B4 R(fourword lexical bundles/run ratio). These are calculated according to the frequency of the English formulaic language in the speech samples of the participants(n = 86) across three academic levels.The results indicate that the learners’ spoken English fluency is highly related to their use of English formulaic language. Its limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
文摘Purpose: Anxiety disorders are frequently associated with chronic stress with possible cognitive consequences. The aim of this study was to determine the verbal fluency performance in a cohort of patients with anxiety disorders and allostatic load, treated with alprazolam during 12 weeks. Methods: Patients with GAD (general anxiety disorders, DSM IV), with >6 in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), neuroticism > 18 (NEO-FFI inventory), and normal Mini-Mental State Examination were included. Clinical and Psychiatric examination, Allostatic Load Index and cognitive assessment were analyzed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests were determined in all patients. The scoring for each fluency task was determined by counting the number of correct words. The total score from each semantic and phonemic verbal task was analyzed comparing the individual score with normal data controlled by age and sex. Patients with scores > ?2 standard deviation (SD) from normative data were considered impaired. Results: Fifty-four patients completed the semantic verbal fluency test before treatment and fifty patients completed after treatment. According to the z-scores before treatment 7 patients of 54 (12.9%) had verbal fluency impairments. After treatment none patients showed semantic verbal fluency deficits but 3 patients of 50 (6%) showed phonemic impairments. Impaired group was significantly associated with an older age before treatment (p = 0.033) and with a similar tendency but not significant (p = 0.09) after treatment (Student t test). Conclusion: In this study older age factor was associated with verbal fluency impairment in GAD patients. Stratified treatments analyzing age and sex factors, including allostatic load measurements and cognitive assessments may be useful tools to determine the effectiveness and the safety of psychopharmacological treatments.
文摘The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of using a computer-lab on oral English fluency amongst all Chinese students at Western Oregon University （WOU）. The participants are oversea Chinese graduate students who take undergraduate courses at WOU, and some of them regard English as their Second Language. The study adopts the experimental design, There are total of 60 Chinese students participating in the study. The results indicate that the use of a Computer-Lab significantly improved students＇ English oral expression ability.
文摘The term of ＂conceptual fluency＂ put forward by Danesi offers a fresh perspective to look at the current disturbing situation that confronts college English teaching in China. This paper propounds its theoretical basis by reflecting on the philosophical and linguistic trends in modern era, and points out the defects of Danesi＇s theory, insisting that conceptual fluency should be built on both the lexical and grammatical levels. It then exemplifies the implementation of the theory in actual teaching practice.
文摘The paper discusses the concept of oral fluency and some factors which influence students＇ oral fluency, analyses the data from first-year English majors in USST and also helps design some effective ways to provide every chance to ＂force＂ students to speak English. Finally, the paper points out that oral class is absolutely not the only class to practice speaking English, other classes such as Comprehensive English, Extensive English, etc., can also be used to improve the students＇ oral fluency effectively if designed properly
