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The main goal of this paper is to suggest a combination of data analyses -- notably generalized additive models, time-series clustering methodology, visual methods for significance testing and qualitative analyses -- that relate to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). To this end, we report on findings from a larger project conducted in a bilingual (pre)primary school in Switzerland, aiming to elucidate the complex ways that L2 English development emerges over time in 45 children who received German/English bilingual instruction over a period of eight years (age 5-12) in combination with emerging extracurricular exposure to English. The results reveal that increased extracurricular activities in English are particularly noticeable during periods of rapid development, but the effects seem temporally limited to the end stages of testing and strongly hinge on the cluster in question (i.e., learners with trajectorial similarities). We relate the findings to the "authenticity gap" between English inside and outside of school, as clusters who perceive a discrepancy between in- and out-of-school encounters with English also show rapid development that is characterized by increased English exposure during extracurricular activities. Methodological implications of adopting non-linear models, which can model complex dynamic relationships in order to better reconcile generalizability, variability, and individuality, are discussed.

In this paper, we discuss the problem of articulation between levels in the educational system, as the transition from a rather more communicative, content-based and holistic approach to English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching at primary level to more formal and explicit ways of foreign language (FL) teaching at secondary is often experienced as problematic by students and teachers alike (see, e.g., Muñoz, Tragant, & Camuñas, 2015). The results of a mixed methods analysis are presented, in which we analyzed, through a questionnaire and language experience essays, perceived continuity between input received in primary school and secondary school, as well as learners' beliefs, attitudes and self-efficacy before and after they transitioned to secondary school. Twelve primary schools and six secondary schools in Switzerland participated in the study, with a total of 280 early learners of EFL (biological age 12-13 years, age of onset 8 years). We will argue that one of the main reasons why early FL instruction seems not to bear fruit later in secondary school is that, on the one hand, coherence in curriculum design and practice vary in a few--but crucial--aspects within and between primary schools. On the other hand, the fact that secondary education becomes a meeting point for mixed ability classes also seems to mitigate the potential advantages of an earlier start.

The main goal of this paper is to analyze how the age factor behaves as an alleged individual difference (ID) variable in SLA by focusing on the influence that the learning context exerts on the dynamics of age of onset (AO). The results of several long-term classroom studies on age effects will be presented, in which I have empirically analyzed whether AO works similarly across settings and learners or whether it is influenced by characteristics of the setting and the learner--and if so, whether there are contextual variables that can help us understand why those outcomes are different. Results of multilevel analyses indicate that macro-contextual factors (i.e., the wider school context) turn out to have a mediating effect on the relation between AO and L2 proficiency increase, exerting both positive and negative influences and thus suggesting that AO effects are malleable, which is what one would expect if we are dealing with an ID variable. In contrast, no such phenomenon can be observed in relation to lower contextual levels; learners within classes do not vary with regard to how sensitive they are to AO. Since the broader social environment in which learning takes place seems to be more influential than the cognitive state assumed to be a characteristic of the individual, I suggest that an ID model that assumes that age is a "fixed factor" (Ellis, 1994, p. 35) is not entirely satisfactory.

Many teachers experience high levels of work-related strain due to time pressure, which over time can lead to various health problems, such as emotional exhaustion. However, there is growing evidence that this could be a reciprocal effect. Moreover, it is known that perceived social support can buffer the negative effects of stress, such as time pressure, on health outcomes. Less is known about buffering effects of received social support. Based on longitudinal data of n = 1071 Swiss primary and secondary school teachers over the course of one school year, the present study examined the reciprocal relationship between teachers' perceived time pressure and emotional exhaustion and whether received social support from the school principal buffers this relationship. Results of a random intercept cross-lagged panel model show a strong relationship between teachers' perceived time pressure and emotional exhaustion at the between-person level, but no effects at the within-person level. Further, received social support was directly related to less perceived time pressure and less emotional exhaustion. The results showed neither evidence for reciprocal effects between perceived time pressure and emotional exhaustion nor for a buffering effect of received social support from the school principal. Concluding, present findings indicate that the receipt of social support from the school principal is a central job resource that beneficially relates to teachers' experience of time pressure and emotional exhaustion.

In this study we seek evidence of validity according to the socio-cognitive framework (Weir, 2005) for a new sentence repetition test (SRT) for young Deaf L1 Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS) users. SRTs have been developed for various purposes for both spoken and sign languages to assess language development in children. In order to address the need for tests to assess the grammatical development of Deaf L1 DSGS users in a school context, we developed an SRT. The test targets young learners aged 6-17 years, and we administered it to 46 Deaf students aged 6.92-17.33 (M = 11.17) years. In addition to the young learner data, we collected data from Deaf adults (N = 14) and from a sub-sample of the children (n = 19) who also took a test of DSGS narrative comprehension, serving as a criterion measure. We analyzed the data with many-facet Rasch modeling, regression analysis, and analysis of covariance. The results show evidence of scoring, criterion, and context validity, suggesting the suitability of the SRT for the intended purpose, and will inform the revision of the test for future use as an instrument to assess the sign language development of Deaf children.

Research on teacher knowledge has been criticised for taking too narrow a view on expertise. Therefore, teacher competence frameworks have been developed that are closely related to professional demands. Their practice-oriented conceptualisations have led to innovative measures with situative demands. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on whether these frameworks are actually suited to map teacher growth. This study investigated whether two components of teacher competence, Action-related (AC) and Reflective Competence (RC), can be differentially fostered through specific interventions in early childhood mathematics education. We designed two professional development programmes with a focus on AC and RC and implemented them in a randomised controlled experiment with 170 teachers. Overall, we found that AC, RC, and professional knowledge were sensitive to interventions with different change profiles. Although our hypotheses were only partially supported, the results can be seen as evidence regarding the distinctness of competence and knowledge components.

Purpose: This study uses a holistic approach to learning at work to examine the role of reflection in the formal-informal learning interaction. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the reflection on a formal training affects the subsequent informal learning activities. This study also aims to provide insights into the effects of national culture values (in terms of uncertainty avoidance) on learning in the context of a globalized world of work. Design/methodology/approach: In a longitudinal study, 444 employees working for a global acting automotive company located in 6 countries were surveyed 2 times (4-6 weeks between both measurements). Participants reflected on a training they participated in (t[subscript 1]: satisfaction and utility) and indicated their informal learning activities (t[subscript 2]). Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the effect of the reflection of training (t[subscript 1]) on the proceeding use of informal learning strategies (t[subscript 2]) and how uncertainty avoidance affects the use of different learning forms. Findings: Results show a spillover effect: when employees reflect a formal training and rate it as satisfying, more use of informal learning proceeds. No effects were found for utility. Uncertainty avoidance had direct effects: high uncertainty avoidance results in better evaluations and more informal learning. Furthermore, uncertainty avoidance had an indirect effect on informal learning via reflection. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the formal-informal learning interaction longitudinally and to introduce reflection as a mediator within this process. Furthermore, the study provides evidence that uncertainty avoidance is an important factor for formal and informal learning in the globalized world of work.

At preschool age, motor skills and cognitive functions are regularly examined at well-child visits. Although reliable screening depends on the stability of the assessed developmental domains, little is known about the stability of motor and cognitive performance in preschool children. The aim of the present study was to investigate how stable motor skills and cognitive functioning are in the preschool years and whether they can predict their own and respective outcome 1 year later. 509 children were examined (46.4% female; M = 3.9 years; SD = 0.6; range 3.0-6.0 years) from the Swiss Preschoolers' Health Study (SPLASHY) at baseline and 1 year later. A Latent Variable Cross-lagged Panel Model revealed that both motor skills and cognitive functioning are highly stable in the preschool age (0.65/0.67). Cross-lagged coefficients were smaller (0.37/0.22). However, as the cross-lagged paths did not differ significantly from each other, no reliable conclusions for the prediction of motor skills and cognitive functions may be drawn. We conclude that cognitive functioning and motor skills are highly stable already in the preschool years. Although small cross-lagged predictive values were found, motor skills and cognitive functions may not to be reliable predictors of their respective outcomes. Future studies should test cross-lagged predictive effects in clinical samples, where the effects might be larger.

This study analyzes how worker pay is related to educational diversity, i.e., diversity in the educational composition of work groups in terms of the different types of vocational and academic education. As previous research shows that various types of diversity have positive effects in the workplace, a positive effect due to 'educational diversity' also seems plausible. We provide novel empirical evidence on the relation between the educational diversity of work groups and productivity, or more precisely, individual workers' pay. Using theoretical considerations drawn from diversity research, we develop hypotheses on the relation between a group's educational diversity and individual workers' pay. Drawing on an exceptionally large set of employer-employee data with more than 87,000 employers and 1,200,000 employees, we test our hypotheses and find that the educational diversity of work groups--and thus work groups with workers of different types of vocational and academic education--is positively related to individual workers' pay. Thus, educational diversity in the form of a combination of academic and Vocational Education and Training (VET) graduates in the workplace seems to be advantageous for the workers involved. Our findings suggest that educational diversity is especially beneficial in groups with high levels of task complexity and shorter organizational tenure.

The longitudinal intervention study reported here is the first to investigate the efficiency of computer learning software specifically designed for dyslexic Swiss German learners of Standard German as a second language (L2) and English as a third language (L3). A total of 40 subjects (20 of them dyslexics and 20 of them nondyslexics; 10 students from each group participated in interventions and the other 10 from each group served as control groups) were assessed with a battery of verbal and written pre- and posttests involving phonological/ orthographic and semantic measures of their L2 and L3 before and after three months of daily intervention with the software. The results show that computer-based training in the L3 is potentially an important tool of intervention for dyslexic students as it has a positive effect on the components of L3 as well as L2 learning. As a consequence of their progress in acquiring the relationships between L3 graphemes and phonemes, the experimental groups, but not the control groups, made significant gains on L2 naming accuracy and speed, L2 and L3 word reading, L2 and L3 phonological awareness, and L2 and L3 receptive and productive vocabulary and comprehension tasks.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of age of onset and type of instruction on ultimate EFL attainment at the end of the period of normal schooling in Switzerland, measured in terms of written fluency, complexity, morphosyntactic accuracy, vocabulary size, and listening skills. Data were gathered from four groups of 18-year-old Swiss German learners of English: 50 were early starters who had attended an immersion (CLIL) program in elementary school and who continued CLIL in secondary school (EARLY CLIL), 50 had followed the same elementary school program but then received traditional EFL instruction after elementary school (EARLY MIX), 50 were late starters who began learning English immersively in secondary school, (LATE CLIL), while the other 50 attended a traditional EFL program in secondary school (LATE NON-CLIL). Results show that age of onset alone does not seem to be the distinguishing variable since early introduction of English in elementary school did not result in a higher level of proficiency when exposure to the language was limited to a few hours of class per week. The performance of the EARLY MIX participants was equaled and in certain areas significantly surpassed by the other groups, despite the additional five years of English study they had had in elementary school. The best results were found when early CLIL instruction was followed up by the use of English as an additional language of instruction in secondary school (EARLY CLIL group), which confirms the link between young starting age, implicit learning and long and massive exposure.

Results from recent research have demonstrated positive effects of somatic approaches, such as the Feldenkrais Method, somaesthetics, and body mapping in the field of music. However, the direct impact of such approaches on instrumental sound has not been studied so far. The present pilot study was thus designed to investigate the influence of non-judgmental body awareness on the sound of high string instruments. Eleven students of the music universities of Neuchâtel and Lausanne were requested to sense specific parts of their body while playing one long note. The analysis of audio recordings and interviews conducted post hoc show a positive correlation between the subjective experience of ease participants reported, and objective sound volume or stability. The largest effects were observed when participants were aware of their pelvis, rib cage or head region. Increases of sound volume or stability were often accompanied by non-voluntary changes in body-weight distribution, indicating that body awareness had a direct influence on the musculoskeletal system. In view of the reportedly high numbers of playing-related health problems in professional orchestra players, more research should be carried out to examine in detail possible effects of body awareness on instrumental sound and on psychological and physical well-being.

Despite contrary research findings, many laypeople still claim that starting second language (L2) instruction early yields linguistic advantages. This assertion is again undermined by a 5-year longitudinal study conducted in Switzerland testing the English language skills of 636 secondary-school students who had all learned Standard German and French at primary school, but only half of whom had learned English from age 8, the remainder having started English 5 years later. The results suggest that age-related attainment effects are overshadowed by other effects, yielding diverse outcomes according to individual differences and contextual effects mediating L2 outcomes. An earlier age of learning proved beneficial only for children raised as biliterate simultaneous bilinguals receiving substantial parental support, as opposed to monolinguals and nonbiliterate bilinguals (simultaneous or sequential). These issues require studies that explore what underlies age effects in L2 learning and investigate how learning contexts shape processes of L2 development.

This study examines evidence for the hypothesis (e.g., Muñoz, 2006) that an early starting age is not necessarily more beneficial to the successful learning of L2 inflectional morphology in strictly formal instructional settings. The present author investigated the quantitative and qualitative differences in the production and reception of 5 selected inflectional morphemes in English written performance and competence tasks by 100 early classroom learners and 100 late classroom learners of the same age. While an earlier age of first exposure and a longer instructional period was not associated with higher accuracy scores, the findings suggest distinct patterns in the productive and receptive knowledge abilities of inflectional morphology; the late classroom learners' superiority seems to be rooted in their greater reliance upon memory-based item-by-item associative learning, as they are significantly stronger on tasks that might cause semantic difficulties, whereas the early classroom learners are marginally better on pattern-based processes for certain morphemes. This finding possibly supports Ullman's (2005) proposal that, as procedural memory declines with age, older starters have difficulty in discovering regularities in the input and thus over-rely on the declarative memory system in L2 learning.

Affective occupational commitment (AOC) during training is considered to prevent occupational turnover and positively influence later work-related outcomes and learning processes. However, little is known about AOC development in a training context. This study examines antecedents and consequences of AOC and its development during vocational education and training. Participants were 497 Swiss apprentices who took part in a longitudinal survey throughout their 3-year training program. The results of latent growth curve modeling showed a slight average decrease in AOC over time. Initial AOC was negatively related to occupational turnover intention and positively related to satisfaction with the apprenticeship. Perceived person-occupation fit and feelings of competence during in-company training were positively correlated with initial AOC. Change in AOC was the smallest when apprentices felt autonomous and larger when they felt competent. The results indicate how in-company training environments can be arranged that foster apprentices' AOC.

The aim of the current study is to better understand the decision-making of men considering teaching as a career option. By means of a longitudinal study (n = 226), we examined the persistence of male academic high-school students in Switzerland interested in teaching during transition to higher education. For 85 men attending information events for teacher education, using regression analysis we explore factors contributing to their decidedness and volition before enrolling for teacher education studies. The findings reveal that only a very small number of male academic high-school students are interested in teaching. Those who are, however, are persistent in their study choice. Results of the regression analysis show that an interest in working with children and youth, the importance of having free time for other things and having professional experience working with children contribute to the likelihood of men having decided to take up teacher education studies.

Recent findings (see, for example, Muñoz and Singleton, 2011) indicate that age of onset is not a strong determinant of instructed foreign language (FL) learners' achievement and that age is intricately connected with social and psychological factors shaping the learner's overall FL experience. The present study, accordingly, takes a participant-active approach by examining and comparing second language (L2) data, motivation questionnaire data, and language experience essays collected from a cohort of 200 Swiss learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at the beginning and end of secondary school. These were used to analyse (1) whether in the long run early instructed FL learners in Switzerland outperform late instructed FL learners, and if so the extent to which motivation can explain this phenomenon, (2) the development of FL motivation and attitudes as students ascend the educational ladder, (3) the degree to which school-level variables affect age-related differences, and (4) learners' beliefs about the age factor. We set out to combine large-scale quantitative methods (multilevel analyses) with individual-level qualitative data. While the results reveal clear differences with respect to rate of acquisition in favor of the late starters, whose motivation is more strongly goal- and future-focused at the first measurement, there is no main effect for starting age at the end of mandatory school time. Qualitative analyses of language experience essays offer insights into early and late starters' L2 learning experience over the course of secondary school, capturing the multi-faceted complexity of the role played by starting age.

This study examines the impact of L2 literacy on the development of writing proficiency in the L3, as related to age of onset (AO) of instruction, as well as the effects of AO on ultimate L3 attainment at the end of the period of normal schooling. Using longitudinal data for the same student cohort (200 Swiss learners of English) at the beginning and at the end of secondary education, it was found that advantages of an early start do not emerge even after a substantial amount of input has been gained. The late starters, who began English instruction five years after the early starters, were able to catch-up to the written performance of the early starters within six months, and this remained true even when the total number of hours of study input was not controlled for. Quantitative analysis revealed that this may be explained in terms of a possible "threshold level" for L2 writing to transfer to the L3, since the late starters began L3 education with a better foundation in L2 German, which is their primary language of literacy. Furthermore, high statistical correlations were found between L2 and L3 literacy skills irrespective of starting age.

This study investigates the interrelation of motivation, autonomy, metacognition, and L3 gains made as a function of three months of intervention with computer software specifically designed for the private use of dyslexic Swiss German learners of Standard German as a second language (L2) and English as a third language (L3). Based on questionnaire data and phonological/orthographic and semantic L3 measures gathered from 40 subjects (ten dyslexic participants receiving special training, ten normal readers matched on training situation, ten controls matched on reading ability, ten controls with median reading abilities), it was found that self-directed, multi-sensory training in the L3 is a potentially important tool in intervention for dyslexic students, as it not only allows the students to improve in learning foreign languages but also to move from feelings of apprehension and doubt to linguistic self-confidence. Thus, the results allow us to gain further insight into the L3 learning experiences of dyslexic elementary school students in a learner-directed learning environment, contributing to the existing body of research on the educational importance of learners developing autonomy and metacognition.

Previous research has demonstrated that adults are successful at visually tracking rigidly moving items, but experience great difficulties when tracking substance-like "pouring" items. Using a comparative approach, we investigated whether the presence/absence of the grammatical count-mass distinction influences adults and children's ability to attentively track objects versus substances. More specifically, we aimed to explore whether the higher success at tracking rigid over substance-like items appears universally or whether speakers of classifier languages (like Japanese, not marking the object-substance distinction) are advantaged at tracking substances as compared to speakers of non-classifier languages (like Swiss German, marking the object-substance distinction). Our results supported the idea that language has no effect on low-level cognitive processes such as the attentive visual processing of objects and substances. We concluded arguing that the tendency to prioritize objects is universal and independent of specific characteristics of the language spoken.

A study with n = 55 younger (18-33 years, M = 23.67) and n = 58 older (61-85 years, M = 71.44) adults investigated age-related differences in social approach and avoidance motivation and their consequences for the experience of social interactions. Results confirmed the hypothesis that a predominant habitual approach motivation in younger adults shifts toward a stronger avoidance motivation in older adults. Moreover, age and momentary motivation predicted the experience of an actual social interaction. Younger adults reported stronger negative emotions in a rejection situation when striving to approach acceptance rather than avoid rejection. Conversely, older adults reported fewer positive emotions in a rejection situation when they attempted to avoid rejection rather than approach acceptance. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the same motivation has different consequences for the experience of potentially threatening social situations in younger and older adults. People seem to react emotionally when the achievement of important developmental goals (approaching others in young adulthood, avoiding negative social interactions in older adulthood) is thwarted. Moreover, results suggest that approach and avoidance motivation play an important role for socioemotional development.

The aim of this longitudinal, mixed methods study was to gain an understanding of whether female academic high school students who intended to study science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) actually enrolled in such studies 2 years later, and how these women perceived this process retrospectively. The results revealed a high persistence of students' intentions to pursue a career in STEM areas. In comparison with students who entered the social sciences or humanities, STEM students demonstrated higher competencies in mathematics and placed more importance on pursuing investigative activities. Qualitative analysis revealed that learning experiences, parental support, and role models were decisive in terms of the female students' choice of studies. Since their childhood, these students have developed a sense of identity as scientists. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms.

This paper analyses the use of periphrastic "do" in negative declaratives and non-negative questions with inversion by 200 Swiss and 30 German middle-school students of the same age but with different onsets of learning English and consequently a different amount of foreign language instructions. "Do"-support shows evidence of a variety of influences on the learning of a foreign language in an instructional setting, from cross-linguistic influences to the role of the typological difference among the languages involved and the kind and length of instructions. By means of a fine-grained characterisation of the learners' negation and interrogation patterns, it will be shown that there are important differences in the way multilingual learners with differing ages of onset and different L1s, L2s and L3s create their own rule systems in the process of learning the use of periphrastic "do" in L3/L4 English. Most importantly, the learners' productive knowledge and grammaticality judgments cannot be fully explained in terms of either the structure of their L1 (Swiss vs. Standard German) or of the target language (English), which indicates the incorporation of L2 (French) in their L3 utterances and grammaticality judgments and thus supports the hypothesis of syntactic transfer from L2 to L3.

The study examines the career decision-making of Swiss academic high school students opting for a career in a non-traditional, gender-typed area of work during the transition to higher education. Based on a longitudinal study, a qualitative study with 11 female students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and 13 male student teachers was conducted in order to analyse their perceptions of the career decision-making process. They felt supported by their parents and teachers. Women showed a strong sense of identity as future scientists without mentioning specific career goals. Men, by contrast, referred to job security-related considerations and emphasised the importance of role models for their choice. Female students emphasised their status of being "unique in a men's world" whereas male student teachers highlighted the role of 'masculinity in the classroom'.

Research has identified a wide range of factors that affect evaluation use but continues to be inconclusive as to their relative importance. This article addresses the complex phenomenon of evaluation use in three ways: first, it draws on recent conceptual developments to delimitate the examined form of use; second, it aims at identifying conditions that are necessary but not necessarily sufficient for evaluation use; third, it combines mechanisms of evaluation use, context conditions, and actor perceptions. The study reported here examines the use of 11 program and project evaluations by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The article makes use of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a method that is well suited to the study of context-bound necessity. It is concluded that the analysis of conditions that are necessary to trigger mechanisms of evaluation use in certain contexts is challenging, but promising to face the complexity of the phenomenon. (Contains 2 figures, 5 tables, and 1 note.)

Previous studies with adult human participants revealed that motor activities can influence mental rotation of body parts and abstract shapes. In this study, we investigated the influence of a rotational hand movement on mental rotation performance from a developmental perspective. Children at the age of 5, 8, and 11 years and adults performed a mental rotation task while simultaneously rotating their hand (guided by a handle). The direction of the manual rotation was either compatible or incompatible with the direction of the mental rotation. Response times increased with increasing stimulus orientation angles, indicating that participants of all age groups used mental rotation to perform the task. A differential effect of the compatibility of manual rotation and mental rotation was found for 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds, but not for 11-year-olds and adults. The results of this study suggest that the ability to dissociate motor from visual cognitive processes increases with age. (Contains 5 figures and 3 tables.)

Copyright of Journal for Sociology of Education & Socialization / Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung & Sozialisation is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The annual life cycle of temperate bats is typically accompanied by seasonal movements. In autumn, individuals of several species display very active flying behaviour around preferred locations, often hibernacula, a behaviour called swarming. This behaviour is usually characterized by a strong male-biased sex ratio and is often considered to be related to mating. Alternatively, these groupings may be a social behaviour related to the location and quality assessment of hibernacula and may enable this information to be transferred to juveniles, the maternal guidance hypothesis. Our study reports the results of a weekly survey of a bat community in an abandoned mine in Switzerland from April to October 2009, a period longer than the swarming period. The site is characterized by numerous visiting species as well as a high number of common pipistrelle bats displaying autumnal swarming like behaviour at the entrance of the mines. Thirteen species were present at the site with a total of 1,589 individuals of which 1,404 (88%) were common pipistrelle bats allowing us to focus on intersexual and age variations in their arrival phenology. Although the recapture rate was too low to obtain a reliable population size estimator, our data suggest that the site attracts individuals from a large area, possibly from several different nursing colonies and therefore requires a national conservation status. Adult males were present at the site throughout the study period with a peak from mid-July to the end of August. Females arrived later and both sexes displayed a swarming like behaviour in July and August. During this period, the sex ratio was slightly female biased, an unexpected pattern when compared with other swarming species. The absence of a male-biased sex ratio suggests that swarming behaviour in pipistrelle bats may have functions other than mating. Juveniles of both sexes joined the site about two weeks later suggesting that the maternal guidance hypothesis also did not explain this phenology pattern. The number of days between recaptures was greater for males than females indicating that males stay longer or return more often to the sites than females. Further studies may bring insights to the understanding of the function of swarming in pipistrelle bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most commonly used tools for tuberculosis testing in cattle, the tuberculin skin test and the interferon-γ release assay, detect immune reactivity to various antigens of Mycobacterium bovis, including ESAT-6 and CFP-10. However, some non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) can also harbor the cfp-10 and/or esat-6 genes, which can lead to false-positive results. We tested 77 NTM isolates belonging to 22 different species from lymph nodes of healthy slaughtered cattle for the occurrence of cfp-10 and esat-6. Most isolates did not harbor cfp-10 and esat-6. However, M. gordonae, 'M. lymphaticum', M. kansasii, and M. persicum were cfp-10 positive. The esat-6 gene was found in M. kansasii and M. persicum. Protein expression of cfp-10 and esat-6 could be detected for M. kansasii and M. persicum. An effective tuberculosis control program based on interferon-γ release assays and tuberculin skin testing is dependent on further monitoring and characterization of NTM in a cattle population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the intensification of the search for sustainable urban planning, the ideal of the compact and green city characterized by high density, mixed land use and attractive green infrastructure, has become a desirable urban form at global scale. Urban greening, including urban gardening, has experienced a resurgence of interest. Within the frame of the compact city, the meanings, forms and functions of urban gardening have been re-evaluated for their contribution to urban sustainability, turning those spaces into a contested subject of negotiation. This qualitative study, conducted in the Swiss cities of Basle, Berne, Geneva and Zurich, investigates how the meanings of urban gardening are discursively (re)produced in political negotiation processes and how different rationalities of space produce a hegemonic order, constructing urban gardening sites as contested spaces. The findings demonstrate that urban growth strategies within the frame of the compact city, aiming at an efficient and resource-saving (re)organization of urban space, are discursively rationalizing current transformation processes. While so-called traditional forms of urban gardening are closed down, displaced to locations with less significance for urban development plans, or transformed in spatial and functional terms, new forms of urban gardening commensurate with the current ideals of urban landscapes and are emerging in the inner-city areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Beitrag zeigt auf, dass von 1952 bis 2003 in der Schweiz für hoch gebildete Frauen die höchste Scheidungswahrscheinlichkeit bestand. Von 2004 bis 2013 hingegen sind keine bildungsspezifischen Unterschiede hinsichtlich des Scheidungsverhaltens mehr festzustellen, da die Scheidungswahrscheinlichkeit vor allem für tief, aber auch für mittel gebildete Frauen zugenommen hat. Folglich ist der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Bildungsniveau der Frauen und dem Scheidungsverhalten in der Schweiz zwischen 1952 und 2013 verschwunden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics is the property of Universidade de Vigo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Urbanization is a fundamental environmental change, today happening at accelerated speed worldwide. Despite the strong and permanent human impact, urban biodiversity has generally proved to be surprisingly high. Quantitative information on the effect of management actions on biodiversity is often lacking but is an indispensable basis for decisions by urban planners and managers. We therefore quantified key urban variables to predict changes in avian biodiversity when their urban habitat is modified. We analysed species richness, diversity (Simpson index) and community composition of 63 bird species with reference to major urban environmental gradients at 96 sampling points in three Swiss cities. Best explanatory models were selected from candidate models following information theory, and their respective predictions were averaged based on AICc-weights. Bird species richness and diversity are negatively affected by increasing fractions of sealed area or buildings, while increasing vegetation structures, in particular trees, show positive effects. Our models predict an increase from 13 species in the absence of trees to 20 species with 46% tree cover (+54%). Coniferous trees help to maximize bird species richness, with the models predicting an increase from 14 species at sites with only deciduous woody plants to 20 species (+43%) at places with equal representation of coniferous and deciduous plants. While the analysis of the Simpson index did not show any influence of the coniferous and broadleaf woody plants mixture, partial redundancy analysis revealed such an influence on bird community composition, highlighting the importance to consider several measures when analyzing biodiversity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When informing the population about potential health hazards, cultural differences in risk perception should be taken into account and risk communication adapted to the cultural context. The present paper suggests cross-cultural, anthropological and psychological frameworks which may help explore possible differences in risk perception among the language groups in Switzerland in order to suggest effective risk communication strategies. The cultural cognition project, a combination of the psychometric paradigm and the cultural theory of risk, seems to be an adequate approach and a creative starting point for adapting information campaigns about health risks to the language regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to affect both the average level and the variability of crop yields. In this modelling study, we quantified mean and inter-annual variability of grain yield for maize Zea mays L., winter wheat Triticum spp. L. and winter canola Brassica napus L. for climatic conditions corresponding to current and doubled atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Climate scenarios with and without taking into account changes in the inter-annual variability of climate were developed from the output of a regional climate model for the time window 2071 to 2100. Climate change effects on the mean yield of maize and canola were consistently negative, but a positive impact was simulated for mean yield of winter wheat for elevated CO2 concentration. The coefficient of yield variation increased in the scenarios for maize and canola, but decreased for wheat. Higher thermal time requirements increased mean yield and reduced yield variability for all crops. Shifts in the sowing dates had a beneficial impact on the yield of maize, but not on the yield of canola and wheat. It is concluded that in the Alpine region, the potential effect of climate change is crop-specific. However, the introduction of new cultivars may provide means by which to maintain or even increase current productivity levels for most of the crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports on methodological difficulties arising when trees and tree-ring series are used to reconstruct rockfall activity. Unlike disturbances from other processes such as debris flows, floods or snow avalanches, scars caused by rockfall are more randomly distributed on trees and may occur at considerable height on the stem. Therefore, the selection and the number of trees as well as the determination of sampling heights and sample depth, all require special care in investigations of spatio-temporal variations in rockfall activity. The purpose of this paper is to assess the reliability and potential standardization of methods used to determine rockfall impact heights occurring in trees. The data come from three case studies located in prealpine and alpine environments of Switzerland. The paper also addresses questions about the relationship between ‘hidden’ (masked) and visible scars. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between scar data derived from one single cross-section or increment cores and the total population of scars on a stem. Our results indicate that impact scars may be identified from almost ground level up to 9m of height on the stem surface. The wound healing and the masking of scars, in contrast, greatly depend on the bark properties of the tree species, their annual increment rates and age, as well as on the predominant size class of rockfall fragments. As a result, as many as 90% of all scars were masked in thick-barked Larix decidua Mill., whereas the ‘hidden’ scars only counted for 16–25% in Abies alba Mill. or Fagus sylvatica L. The analysis of single cross-sections at a given height shows that, at best, 13–37% of the rockfall scars occurring on the entire tree can be detected. The data suggest that the number of events reconstructed at a given height can be considerably improved if other signs of growth disturbances such as reaction wood, abrupt growth reductions or, when present, rows of traumatic resin ducts are considered as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We used one of the few rockfall models explicitly taking trees into account and compared the results obtained with the 3D simulation model RockyFor with empirical data on tree impacts at three mountain forests in Switzerland. Even though we used model input data with different resolutions at the study sites, RockyFor accurately predicted the spatial distribution of trajectory frequencies at all sites. In contrast, RockyFor underestimated mean impact heights observed on trees at the two sites where high- and medium-resolution input data were available and overestimated them at the site where input data with the lowest resolution data were used. By comparing the results of the simulation scenarios “current forest cover” and “non-forested slope”, we assessed the protective effect of the current stands at all three sites. The number of rocks reaching the bottom parts of the study sites would, on average, almost triple if the “current forest cover” were absent. We conclude that RockyFor is able to predict the spatial distribution of rockfall trajectories on forested slopes accurately, based on input data with a resolution of at least 5m×5m. With the increasing availability of high-resolution data, it provides a useful tool for assessing the protective effect of mountain forests against rockfall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present the results of a global irradiation test of full size triple-GEM detectors operated with a CF4-based gas mixture. This study has been performed in the framework of an R&D activity on detectors for the innermost region of the first muon station of the LHCb experiment. The prototypes have been irradiated at the Calliope facility of the ENEA-Casaccia with a high intensity 1.25 MeV gamma from a 60Co source. After the irradiation test the detectors' performances have been measured with X-rays and with a 3 GeV pion beam at CERN. A SEM analysis on several samples of the detectors has been performed to complete the understanding of the physical processes occurring in the GEM detector during the strong irradiation [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]