2,555 research outputs found
Developmental Acoustic Analysis of the /r/ Phoneme
No full textabstract: The purpose of this study was to identify acoustic markers that correlate with accurate and inaccurate /r/ production in children ages 5-8 using signal processing. In addition, the researcher aimed to identify predictive acoustic markers that relate to changes in /r/ accuracy. A total of 35 children (23 accurate, 12 inaccurate, 8 longitudinal) were recorded. Computerized stimuli were presented on a PC laptop computer and the children were asked to do five tasks to elicit spontaneous and imitated /r/ production in all positions. Files were edited and analyzed using a filter bank approach centered at 40 frequencies based on the Mel-scale. T-tests were used to compare spectral energy of tokens between accurate and inaccurate groups and additional t-tests were used to compare duration of accurate and inaccurate files. Results included significant differences between the accurate and inaccurate productions of /r/, notable differences in the 24-26 mel bin range, and longer duration of inaccurate /r/ than accurate. Signal processing successfully identified acoustic features of accurate and inaccurate production of /r/ and candidate predictive markers that may be associated with acquisition of /r/.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Communication Disorders 201
Working memory capacity: Is there a bilingual advantage?
No full textabstract: Previous studies suggest that bilinguals have certain executive function advantages over monolinguals. However, few studies have examined specific working memory (WM) differences between monolinguals and bilinguals using complex span tasks. In the current study, 52 bilingual and 53 monolingual speakers were administered simple and complex WM span tasks, including a backward digit-span task, standard operation span tasks and a non-verbal symmetry span task. WM performance was a strong predictor of performance on other WM tasks, whereas bilingual status was not. Thus, the present study did not find evidence of a bilingual advantage in WM capacity.This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published as Ratiu, Ileana, & Azuma, Tamiko (2015). Working memory capacity: Is there a bilingual advantage?. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, 27(1), 1-11. DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2014.976226. Copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20445911.2014.97622
A feminist guide to hacking this tech gatebox "Azuma Hikari"
No full textDouglas College student research essay submitted as partial requirement for GSWS 2101: Gender Today (Fall 2021) course. Faculty sponsor to submit this essay to DOOR: Dr. Jill Fellows.
The use of virtual assistants is increasing every day, as a technological tool that is marketed as a necessity to assist in making our modern lives more efficient. These tools are designed to help us with daily tasks such as searching for information, reading emails, writing messages, making calls and scheduling meetings with others. The most popular examples “Siri” or “Alexa” have been created with specific gendered characteristics and behavior as the author points out “virtual assistants are very obviously gendered. Siri and Alexa both have female names”, (Fellows, forthcoming 2022) designed with a personality of submissive and serviceable, as the author mentions “they portray a gender binary dominant-submissive relationship, positioning the user in the dominant position, and they play out subordination as feminine.” (Fellows, forthcoming 2022)Not peer reviewe
APOPTOTIC SIGNALING THROUGH CD95 (FAS/APO-1) ACTIVATES AN ACIDIC SPHINGOMYELINASE
No full textIntracellular pathways leading from membrane receptor engagement to apoptotic cell death are still poorly characterized. We investigated the intracellular signaling generated after cross-linking of CD95 (Fas/Apo-1 antigen), a broadly expressed cell surface receptor whose engagement results in triggering of cellular apoptotic programs. DX2, a new functional anti-CD95 monoclonal antibody was produced by immunizing mice with human CD95-transfected L cells. Crosslinking of CD95 with DX2 resulted in the activation of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in promyelocytic U937 cells, as well as in other human tumor cell lines and in CD95-transfected murine cells, as demonstrated by induction of in vivo sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis and generation of ceramide. Direct in vitro measurement of enzymatic activity within CD95-stimulated U937 cell extracts, using labeled SM vesicles as substrates, showed strong SMase activity, which required pH 5.0 for optimal substrate hydrolysis. Finally, all CD95-sensitive cell lines tested could be induced to undergo apoptosis after exposure to cell-permeant C-2-ceramide. These data indicate that CD95 cross-linking induces SM breakdown and ceramide production through an acidic SMase, thus providing the first information regarding early signal generation from CD95, and may be relevant in defining the biochemical nature of intracellular messengers leading to apoptotic cell death
Enzyme-Like Catalysis via Ternary Complex Mechanism : Alkoxy-Bridged Dinuclear Cobalt Complex Mediates Chemoselective O-Esterification over N-Amidation
No full textHydroxy group-selective acylation in the presence of more nucleophilic amines was achieved using acetates of first-row late transition metals, such as Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, and Zn. Among them, cobalt(II) acetate was the best catalyst in terms of reactivity and selectivity. The combination of an octanuclear cobalt carboxylate cluster [Co-4(OCOR)(6)O](2) (2a: R = CF3, 2b: R = CH3, 2c: R = Bu-t) with nitrogen-containing ligands, such as 2,2'-bipyridine, provided an efficient catalytic system for transesterification, in which an alkoxide-bridged dinuclear complex, Co-2((OCOBu)-Bu-t)(2)-(bpy)(2)(mu(2)-OCH2-C6H4-4-CH3)(2) (10), was successfully isolated as a key intermediate. Kinetic studies and density functional theory calculations revealed Michaelis-Menten behavior of the complex 10 through an ordered ternary complex mechanism similar to dinuclear metallo-enzymes, suggesting the formation of alkoxides followed by coordination of the ester.</p
Evidence of dynamic recrystallization in polar firn
No full textMicrostructural analyses have been performed on polar firn from the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica drilling site in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The results derived from images of the firn structure in microscopic resolution indicate that dynamic recrystallization is active in firn at all depths, and it dominates the evolution of the microstructure when the firn density exceeds a critical value of 730 kg/m3 (overburden snow load ∼0.2 MPa). At the firn-ice transition (density ∼820 kg/m3) the microstructure is characterized by many small grains and bulged or irregularly shaped grain boundaries. More than half of all grains show subgrain boundaries. Thus, strain-induced boundary migration is an essential feature to describe the irregular grain structure. In agreement with previous studies, significant grain growth has been observed with depth for the largest grains in the samples. However, our microscopic analysis reveals that the grain growth with depth in fact vanishes if all grains larger than 65 μm in diameter are taken into account. This result reflects the fact that the growth of the largest grains is counteracted by grain size reduction by shrinking and subdivision of old grains, as well as production of new grains. Consequently, previous conclusions that grain growth in polar firn is essentially analogous to normal grain growth in metallic and ceramic sinters and that the stored strain energy is small in comparison with grain boundary energy can no longer be supported. Additionally, our observations show that the incipience of dynamic recrystallization in polar ice sheets is not as sensitive to temperature as supposed so far. A discussion of the change of the mean grain size due to the measuring technique is imperative
Efficacy of nintedanib in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis across prespecified subgroups in INPULSIS
No full textRationale: In the two replicate, placebo-controlled, 52-week, phase III INPULSIS trials, nintedanib 150 mg twice daily significantly reduced the annual rate of decline in FVC, the primary endpoint, in subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It is unknown if this effect was uniform across all subjects treated with nintedanib. Objectives: To investigate the potential association of demographic and clinical variables with the effect of nintedanib in subjects with IPF. Methods: Subgroup analyses of pooled data from the INPULSIS trials were prespecified. Subgroups were analyzed by sex, age (<65, ≥ 65 yr), race (white, Asian), baseline FVC percentage predicted (≥ 70%, >70%), baseline St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score (≤ 40, >40), smoking status (never, ex/current), systemic corticosteroid use (yes/no), and bronchodilator use (yes/no). Measurements and Main Results: A total of 1,061 subjects were treated (nintedanib n = 638, placebo n = 423). There was no statistically significant difference in the effect of nintedanib for the primary endpoint or the key secondary endpoints of change from baseline in SGRQ total score or time to first acute exacerbation in any subgroup. Treatment effects for the key secondary endpoints seemed more pronounced in subjects with baseline FVC ≤ 70% predicted, because the majority of acute exacerbations and a greater deterioration in SGRQ total score occurred in placebo-treated subjects in this subgroup. Conclusions: Pooled data from the INPULSIS trials support a consistent effect of nintedanib across a range of IPF phenotypes by slowing disease progression across a number of prespecified subgroups.</p
63Cu NQR Evidence of Dimensional Crossover to Anisotropic 2D Regime in S = 1/2 Three-Leg Ladder Sr2Cu3O5
No full textIce microstructure in Antarctic deep drilling samples (EDML): Cryogenic EBSD, X-ray Laue diffraction and optical microscopy
No full textWe present data obtained with classical optical microscopy (LM microstructure mapping^1) and high-resolution full-crystal orientation measurements (X-ray Laue diffraction^2 and Electron backscattered diffraction^3) revealing information on mechanical properties and deformation behaviour of polar ice. These data provide insight into activity of recrystallization processes caused by deformation including the activity of different dislocation types.
^1Weikusat, I.; Kipfstuhl, S.; Faria, S. H.; Azuma, N. \& Miyamoto, A. Subgrain boundaries and related microstructural features in EPICA-Dronning Maud Land (EDML) deep ice core. J. Glaciol., 2009, 55, 461-472, doi: 10.3189/002214309788816614
^2Weikusat, I.; Miyamoto, A.; Faria, S. H.; Kipfstuhl, S.; Azuma, N. \& Hondoh, T. Subgrain boundaries in Antarctic ice quantified by X-ray Laue diffraction. J. Glaciol., 2011, 57, 85-94
^3Weikusat, I.; de Winter, D. A. M.; Pennock, G. M.; Hayles, M.; Schneijdenberg, C. T. W. M. & Drury, M. R. Cryogenic EBSD on ice: preserving a stable surface in a low pressure SEM. J. Microsc., 2010, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2010.03471.
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