bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered Renal Expression of Na+ Transporters and ROMK in Protein-Deprived Rats
Authors: Ruete María Celeste , Carrizo Liliana C. , Bocanegra María Victoria , Vallés Patricia G.
Published: February 2009

Potassium depletion has been associated with altered sodium reabsorption in tubule segments. We studied if the altered abundance of Na+ transporters and ROMK are associated with distal potassium secretion that contributes to the development of hypokalemia in protein-deprived rats. After weaning, Wistar rats were fed with a low-protein diet (8%, LP) for 14 days and then recovered with a normal-protein (NP) diet (24%, RP). An age-matched control group was fed with an NP diet (24%, NP). We showed hypokalemia, lower glomerular filtration rate and higher FEK+ in the LP group. Immunoblotting revealed that the type 3 Na+/H+ exchanger in the cortex was decreased in the LP group. However, the type 2 Na+-K+-2Cl– cotransporter was increased in the outer stripe of the outer medulla in the LP group. The abundance of the aldosterone-regulated Na+-Cl– cotransporter (NCC) and epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) was higher in the LP group and was associated with higher plasma aldosterone level. ROMK protein levels were increased. Na+/K+-ATPase protein levels were the same in both groups. After the recovery period, the expression of Na+ transporters and ROMK returned to control values. We conclude that increased expression of NCC, ENaC subunits, and ROMK contributed to distal potassium secretion leading to enhanced potassium excretion, which may explain the hypokalemia resulting from LP feeding. A role of aldosterone may be suggested.
C-Reactive-Protein Levels Associated with Infection Predict Short- and Long-Term Outcome after Supratentorial Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Diedler Jennifer , Sykora Marek , Hahn Philipp , Rupp André , Rocco Andrea , Herweh Christian , Steiner Thorsten
Published: February 2009

Background: The aim of the current study was to assess the occurrence of infection and its impact on the short- and long-term outcome of patients with supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: 247 patients suffering from supratentorial ICH were extracted from our local stroke database. Complete data sets including long-term functional outcome measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and baseline computed tomography data could be obtained in 113. The charts of these patients were screened for the presence and cause of infection, and baseline and maximal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were recorded. Results: We identified 52 patients (50.5%) with infection during their hospital stay. Patients with infection, had significantly larger hemorrhages (28.7 vs. 11.9 ml; p = 0.002), a poorer admission status (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS, score 14 vs. 6; p = 0.002) and more frequently intraventricular hemorrhage extension (46.2 vs. 23.5%; p = 0.016) than those without infection. In a multivariate logistic regression model, baseline NIHSS score (odds ratio, OR, 1.2, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.1–1.31, p < 0.001), age (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.03–1.16, p = 0.002) and maximal CRP levels (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.12–2.64, p = 0.013) were independent predictors of poor long-term functional outcome (mRS >2). Conclusion: Infections were frequent complications in our cohort of ICH patients and occurred significantly more often in patients with poor functional outcome. Maximal CRP levels were an independent predictor of poor outcome in a multivariate model.
Criteria for a Clinically Informative Serum Biomarker in Acute Ischaemic Stroke: A Review of S100B
Authors: Dassan Pooja , Keir Geoffrey , Brown Martin M.
Published: February 2009

Background and Purpose: Serum S100B has been widely studied as a biomarker in acute ischaemic stroke. The main objective of this review was to appraise the published literature on S100B and determine its clinical applicability. Methods: Medline was searched to identify studies on S100B (or S-100B) in acute ischaemic stroke. The authors have proposed the criteria for a clinically informative serum biomarker for acute ischaemic stroke, and relevant articles relating to these criteria were then selected. Results: Studies have shown that S100B has a low specificity for acute ischaemic stroke because of its tendency to be raised from extracranial sources. Data regarding S100B kinetics compiled from 6 longitudinal studies show that serum levels are not raised immediately following acute ischaemic stroke and peak 3 days after symptom onset. However, serum S100B levels correlate well with infarct volume and are higher in stroke patients at risk of malignant infarction or haemorrhagic transformation after thrombolysis. In addition, serum S100B levels correlate well with functional outcome. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that S100B is not a valuable biomarker for diagnosing acute ischaemic stroke. Instead, it may have a more promising role in non-specialist hospitals, as an additional tool for identifying patients at increased risk of specific early neurological complications after stroke and as a surrogate marker of cerebral damage and functional outcome, particularly in a research setting.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Prevents Puromycin Aminonucleoside-Induced Apoptosis of Glomerular Podocytes by Activating the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt-Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xiao Houqin , Shi Wei , Liu Shuangxin , Wang Wenjian , Zhang Bin , Zhang Yong , Xu Lixia , Liang Xinling , Liang Yongzheng
Published: February 2009

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin D and its analogs reduce proteinuria and slow the decline in kidney function in chronic kidney disease. Given a rich literature identifying podocyte apoptosis as an early step in the pathophysiological progression to proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis, we hypothesized that vitamin D protects podocytes from undergoing apoptosis. Methods: A rat model of podocyte apoptosis was created by a single intravenous injection of 100 mg·kg–1 puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) and received either solvent or 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Proteinuria, podocyte apoptosis, the expression of nephrin protein and mRNA, TGF-β/Smad and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt-signaling pathway were evaluated, respectively. Results: PAN induced massive proteinuria, serum creatinine elevation and podocyte apoptosis in PAN nephropathy rats, which was associated with the loss of nephrin, an adhesion molecule specific for the glomerular slit and the reduced of p-Akt/Akt ratio. Moreover, PAN induced foot process retraction, redistribution of nephrin and the activation of TGF-β/Smad-signaling pathway. Compared with PAN nephropathy rats, 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly prevented loss of nephrin, foot process retraction and podocyte apoptosis by stimulating Akt phosphorylation and suppressing TGF-β/Smad-signaling pathway. Conclusion: 1,25(OH)2D3 reduced the PAN-induced podocyte apoptosis and loss of nephrin in PAN nephropathy rat. The anti-apoptotic effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on podocytes may be partly attributable to activation of a PI3K/Akt survival pathway.
Axial Stretch of Rat Single Ventricular Cardiomyocytes Causes an Acute and Transient Increase in Ca
2+
Spark Rate
Authors: Iribe Gentaro , Ward Christopher W. , Camelliti Patrizia , Bollensdorff Christian , Mason Fleur , Burton Rebecca A.B. , Garny Alan , Morphew Mary K. , Hoenger Andreas , Lederer W. Jonathan , Kohl Peter
Published: February 2009

We investigate acute effects of axial stretch, applied by carbon fibers (CFs), on diastolic Ca
2+
spark rate in rat isolated cardiomyocytes. CFs were attached either to both cell ends (to maximize the stretched region), or to the center and one end of the cell (to compare responses in stretched and nonstretched half-cells). Sarcomere length was increased by 8.01±0.94% in the stretched cell fraction, and time series of XY confocal images were recorded to monitor diastolic Ca
2+
spark frequency and dynamics. Whole-cell stretch causes an acute increase of Ca
2+
spark rate (to 130.7±6.4%) within 5 seconds, followed by a return to near background levels (to 104.4±5.1%) within 1 minute of sustained distension. Spark rate increased only in the stretched cell region, without significant differences in spark amplitude, time to peak, and decay time constants of sparks in stretched and nonstretched areas. Block of stretch-activated ion channels (2 μmol/L GsMTx-4), perfusion with Na
+
/Ca
2+
-free solution, and block of nitric oxide synthesis (1 mmol/L L-NAME) all had no effect on the stretch-induced acute increase in Ca
2+
spark rate. Conversely, interference with cytoskeletal integrity (2 hours of 10 μmol/L colchicine) abolished the response. Subsequent electron microscopic tomography confirmed the close approximation of microtubules with the T-tubular-sarcoplasmic reticulum complex (to within ≈10
−8
m). In conclusion, axial stretch of rat cardiomyocytes acutely and transiently increases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
spark rate via a mechanism that is independent of sarcolemmal stretch-activated ion channels, nitric oxide synthesis, or availability of extracellular calcium but that requires cytoskeletal integrity. The potential of microtubule-mediated modulation of ryanodine receptor function warrants further investigation.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
Authors: Kooijman Ron , Sarre Sophie , Michotte Yvette , De Keyser Jacques
Published: February 2009

Background and Purpose—

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) exerts neuroprotective effects in both white and gray matter under different detrimental conditions. The purpose of this review is to collect the evidence whether IGF-I is a candidate neuroprotective drug in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Results—

IGF-I was found to be neuroprotective in animal models of focal brain ischemia when given ≥2 hours after the insult. Different routes of administration (eg, cerebroventricular, intravenous, and intranasal) were found to be effective. In addition to inhibition of apoptosis and reduction of the infarct volume, IGF-I also improved neurological outcome. Furthermore, there are strong indications that IGF-I can also stimulate the regeneration of neural tissue.

Conclusions—

Additional studies are required to reveal the neuroprotective mechanisms of IGF-I in detail and to elucidate the role of IGF-binding proteins. Preclinical studies in relevant animal models for studying stroke (ie, hypertensive, diabetic, or aged animals) should be done testing different doses and routes of IGF-I administration and different combinations of IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins.
Without Visible Scars: Digital Art and the Memory of War
Authors: Aceti Lanfranco
Published: February 2009

What is the role of the artist in re-creating a cultural landscape where the psychology and identity are shaped by multiple narratives of wars? The author's art practice attempts to demonstrate the role of digital media in providing a platform for visual representation of multiple narratives.
Hindu Tree Veneration as a Mode of Environmental Encounter
Authors: Fowler-Smith Louise
Published: February 2009

The author presents her encounters with venerated and Sacred Trees on field trips to India to affirmatively answer the question: Is it possible for the artist to change how we perceive the environment to the extent that people change the way they respond to and inhabit it? She argues that how we perceive and contemplate the land affects how we treat the land, and ultimately how we live within it. The paper goes beyond the economic or conservationist perspective, setting out the religious context with which the tree is perceived aesthetically in its natural environment. The practice of venerating the tree through decoration has, over time, effected cultural change in India. The tree is seen as a form that houses the sacred and thus is protected.
Scoring the Work: Documenting Practice and Performance in Variable Media Art
Authors: MacDonald Corina
Published: February 2009

This paper examines the issues inherent to documenting integral characteristics of variable media artworks. The author begins by revisiting Suzanne Briet's vision of documentation as a socially constructed practice central to the creation and dissemination of knowledge. This perspective lends insight into the nature of the document in the digital age and suggests a new cultural technique for working with variable media art as both document and documented. Janet Cardiff's 40 Part Motet (2001) provides case material for this discussion, and Richard Rinehart's proposal of the score as a documentary medium is suggested as a means of capturing the elements of practice and performance associated with variable media.
New Criteria for New Media
Authors: Ippolito Jon , Blais Joline , Smith Owen F. , Evans Steve , Stormer Nathan
Published: February 2009

This paper argues for redefining evaluation criteria for faculty working in new media research and makes specific recommendations for promotion and tenure committees in U.S. universities.
Augmenting Creative Realities: The Second Life Performance Project
Authors: Farley Kathryn , Nitsche Michael , Bolter Jay , MacIntyre Blair
Published: February 2009

This article discusses the development of a new interface that allows for the creation of mixed-reality performances. It details the features of the new technology, charts the ways in which the interface has been used in rehearsal sessions and describes how the technology functions as an innovative tool for creative expression.
Friendship and Solidarity (1999)
Authors: Gadamer Hans-Georg
Published: February 2009

With reference to Plato and Aristotle, Gadamer discusses the question of what is left of friendship and solidarity in an age of ‘anonymous responsibility.’
Climate Change and Well-Being
Authors: Heap Brian , Comim Flavio
Published: February 2009

Human well-being in industrialized and developing nations continues to be influenced by disparate components and there is growing evidence that climate change is a new and potentially damaging global threat. Context affects the prospect of finding solutions because socio-economic elements, ethical considerations, and moral norms all play their part. Of central concern is how to advance from the innumerable benefits of capitalism and industrialization based on economies driven by fossil fuels towards a predominantly low carbon economy faced with high population growth rates, consumerism in the North, poverty in the South, financial instability worldwide, and food insecurity. Cooperation among nations has become a pressing priority and it demands that value systems should be incorporated more strongly into international negotiations if we are to sustain a civil society that responds positively to the new politics of the global environment.
Auserwältes Volk und Staatsbürger Juden und Nichtjuden in der Lehre von Rabbi Elias Gutmacher
Authors: Hildesheimer Meir
Published: February 2009

The Jewish emancipation in Germany (1869-1871) brought about a fundamental change in the position of Jews in state and society, leading to a rapprochement between Jews and their non-Jewish surroundings. For religious Jews, this transition into neutral society brought up fundamental theological questions: How is emancipation to be evaluated from a religious perspective? What is the appropriate relationship with the state? How should Jews interact with Gentiles? How could Jews integrate into society without denying the singularity of Israel and without neglecting their religious obligations? Rabbi Elias Gutmacher (1796-1874) was one of the religious leaders of Judaism in Germany whose scholarship was deeply concerned with such questions. Gutmacher was from Grätz in the Posen region and became primarily known as a cabbalist. The following article summarizes his views on the topic, which can be found in his literary oeuvre and most of all in his sermons.
Das andere Zeremoniell Gottesdienst im Zeitalter der Aufklärung
Authors: Twellmann Marcus
Published: February 2009

During the first half of the 18th century, court-orientated scholarship helped shape a concept of ,,ceremony“ that had a great impact on religious practices in a number of ways: First, this scholarship itself fostered a ,,politicization“ of church services by subjugating them to the criteria of decorum and political utility. Second, in analogy to courtly ceremonies, church service was understood as a sign of reverence aiming to win grace. A critical religious philosophy, blaming this understanding for superstitious cult practices, foreclosed the full development of an ethical understanding of ceremony that was already recognizable in the philosophical foundations of the older ceremonial sciences. At the end of the century such an understanding continued to be pursued only within the context of justifying Jewish ceremonial law.
A New Bruker IFS 125HR FTIR Spectrometer for the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory at Eureka, Nunavut, Canada: Measurements and Comparison with the Existing Bomem DA8 Spectrometer
Authors: Batchelor Rebecca L. , Strong Kimberly , Lindenmaier Rodica , Mittermeier Richard L. , Fast Hans , Drummond James R. , Fogal Pierre F.
Published: February 2009

A new Bruker IFS 125HR Fourier transform spectrometer has been installed at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory at Eureka, Nunavut, Canada (80.05°N, 86.42°W). This instrument will become the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change’s (NDACC’s) primary instrument at Eureka, replacing the existing Bomem DA8 Fourier transform spectrometer, and will operate throughout the sunlit parts of the year. This paper introduces the new instrument and describes the retrieval procedure, including a comprehensive error analysis. Total columns of O3, HCl, HF, HNO3, N2O, CH4, and CO are presented for the first full year of measurements (2007). Perturbations in the total column resulting from the presence of the Arctic polar vortex over Eureka and the chemical processes within it are visible, as are annual cycles driven by photochemistry and dynamics. Enhancements in the CO total column resulting from specific biomass burning smoke events can also be seen. An intercomparison between the existing Bomem DA8 and the new Bruker IFS 125HR was carried out in July 2007 and is presented here. The total columns derived from the two instruments are shown to be in excellent agreement, with mean differences for all gases of less than 2.3%.
The CALIPSO Lidar Cloud and Aerosol Discrimination: Version 2 Algorithm and Initial Assessment of Performance
Authors: Liu Zhaoyan , Vaughan Mark , Winker David , Kittaka Chieko , Getzewich Brian , Kuehn Ralph , Omar Ali , Powell Kathleen , Trepte Charles , Hostetler Chris
Published: February 2009

The Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite was launched in April 2006 to provide global vertically resolved measurements of clouds and aerosols. Correct discrimination between clouds and aerosols observed by the lidar aboard the CALIPSO satellite is critical for accurate retrievals of cloud and aerosol optical properties and the correct interpretation of measurements. This paper reviews the theoretical basis of the CALIPSO lidar cloud and aerosol discrimination (CAD) algorithm, and describes the enhancements made to the version 2 algorithm that is used in the current data release (release 2). The paper also presents a preliminary assessment of the CAD performance based on one full day (12 August 2006) of expert manual classification and on one full month (July 2006) of the CALIOP 5-km cloud and aerosol layer products. Overall, the CAD algorithm works well in most cases. The 1-day manual verification suggests that the success rate is in the neighborhood of 90% or better. Nevertheless, several specific layer types are still misclassified with some frequency. Among these, the most prevalent are dense dust and smoke close to the source regions. The analysis of the July 2006 data showed that the misclassification of dust as cloud occurs for <1% of the total tropospheric cloud and aerosol features found. Smoke layers are misclassified less frequently than are dust layers. Optically thin clouds in the polar regions can be misclassified as aerosols. While the fraction of such misclassifications is small compared with the number of aerosol features found globally, caution should be taken when studies are performed on the aerosol in the polar regions. Modifications will be made to the CAD algorithm in future data releases, and the misclassifications encountered in the current data release are expected to be reduced greatly.
A Preliminary Statistical Study of Correlations between Inflow Feeder Clouds, Supercell or Multicell Thunderstorms, and Severe Weather
Authors: Mazur Rebecca J. , Weaver John F. , Vonder Haar Thomas H.
Published: February 2009

This study examines the relationship between severe weather and organized lines of cumulus towers, called feeder clouds, which form in the inflow region of supercell and multicell thunderstorms. Using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imagery, correlations between the occurrence of feeder clouds and severe weather reports are explored. Output from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) mesocyclone detection algorithm (MDA) is also assessed for a subset of the satellite case days. Statistics from the satellite and radar datasets are assembled to estimate not only the effectiveness of feeder cloud signatures as sole predictors of severe weather, but also the potential utility of combining feeder cloud analysis with the radar’s MDA output.

Results from this study suggest that the formation of feeder clouds as seen in visible satellite imagery is often followed by the occurrence of severe weather in a storm. The study finds that feeder cloud signatures by themselves have low skill in predicting severe weather. However, if feeder clouds are observed in a storm, there is a 77% chance that severe weather will occur within 30 min of the observation. For the cases considered, the MDA turns out to be the more effective predictor of severe weather. However, results show that combined predictions (feeder clouds plus mesocyclones) outperform both feeder cloud signatures and the MDA as separate predictors by ∼10%–20%. Thus, the presence of feeder clouds as observed in visible imagery is a useful adjunct to the MDA in diagnosing a storm’s potential for producing severe weather.
Tensile Properties of CFRP and Hybrid FRP Composites at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Shenghu Cao  , Zhis WU  , Xin Wang
Published: February 2009

The performance of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites at high temperatures is a serious concern that needs investigation before the incorporation of these composites into important engineering structures. This article presents an experimental study on the tensile properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, hybrid carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer (C/GFRP) sheets and hybrid carbon/basalt fiber reinforced polymer (C/BFRP) sheets at different temperatures. The specimens of FRP sheets were tested at temperatures ranging from 16 to 200°C, while corresponding dry fiber sheets (without resin impregnation) were tested at 16°C as a reference. The test results show that the tensile strength of carbon fibers in different FRP sheets decreases significantly with increasing temperature, and remains almost stable at an ultimate value (3000 MPa) after the polymer exceeds its glass transition temperature (T g), which is higher than the tensile strength of the non-impregnated fiber sheets at room temperature. At elevated temperatures, the hybridization of fibers can reduce the scatter of the tensile strengths of CFRP composites. Additionally, the tensile strength of CFRP sheets with different dimensions is significantly different, but size dependence is independent of temperature. Furthermore, elevated temperature also influences the failure modes of FRP composites.
Evaluating the Nuclear Peace Hypothesis
Authors: Rauchhaus Robert
Published: February 2009

Do nuclear weapons reduce the probability of war? This article quantitatively evaluates the nuclear peace hypothesis. The results indicate that the impact of nuclear weapons is more complicated than is conventionally appreciated. Both proliferation optimists and pessimists find confirmation of some of their key claims. When a nuclear asymmetry exists between two states, there is a greater chance of militarized disputes and war. In contrast, when there is symmetry and both states possess nuclear weapons, then the odds of war precipitously drop. When combined, these findings provide support for the existence of the stability—instability paradox. Evidence suggests that while nuclear weapons promote strategic stability, they simultaneously allow for more risk-taking in lower intensity disputes.
Behavioral Manifestations of Modesty
Authors: Xiaohua Chen Sylvia , Bond Michael Harris , Bacon Chan  , Donghui Tang  , Buchtel Emma E.
Published: February 2009

Three studies examined the social manifestations of modesty in Chinese and Canadian cultures, conceptualizing and operationalizing it as a self-presentation tactic with communal functions. In Study 1, the authors developed a self-report Modest Behavior Scale (MBS) to tap the behavioral aspects of modesty and identified three factors: self-effacement, other-enhancement, and avoidance of attention-seeking. The authors validated the scale by establishing its nomological network with trait modesty, individuation, independent and interdependent self-construals, traditionality, and modernity, in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, which are culturally different regions of China. In Study 2, the MBS was supplemented with additional items, and a different set of predictors, including values, was used to predict the three factors in both Hong Kong and Beijing, China. In Study 3, we administered the MBS in Vancouver, Canada, adding emic items generated from this Canadian sample and using values and other variables as predictors. Gender differences are discussed in terms of the role played by modest self-presentations in promoting intragroup harmony in different cultural settings.
The Efficacy of Communicative Fairness and Rhetorical Aesthetics in Contributions to Argumentation
Authors: Christmann Ursula , Mischo Christoph
Published: February 2009

This paper deals with the effects of aesthetic quality and argumentational integrity or fairness on the persuasiveness of contributions to argumentation. Contemporary discussions of aesthetics and morality distinguish three possible relationships: (a) superiority of aesthetics in making contributions persuasive, (b) integrity as a necessary precondition for the efficacy of aesthetics, and (c) a compensatory relationship between aesthetics and integrity. Basic argumentative dialogs were varied in aesthetic quality via the use of figurative language and in fairness via the additionof faulty, insincere, or unjustarguments. Materials were presented in a written (Study I) or spoken form (Study *II), and followed with questions exploringcognitive, emotional, and conativeaspects of persuasive efficacy. Results of both studies strongly support case (b): Only in arguments perceived as fair can persuasive impact be enhanced by aesthetic means.
Comprehending Speaker Intent in Rebuttal Analogy Use: The Role of Irony Mapping, Absurdity Comparison and Argumentative Convention
Authors: Colston Herbert L.
Published: February 2009

Rebuttal analogies (e.g., “Politicians arguing over the renaming of an airport is like watering your petunias when your house is on fire”) are commonly used as responses in verbal conflicts. The following study investigated the role that irony mapping, absurdity comparison, and argumentative convention play in interpreters' derivations of speaker`s intentions in using rebuttal analogies. In general, these intentions are to demonstrate the unsoundness of the opposed proposition (“argument”) and its advocate (“social attack”), (Whaley & Holloway, 1996). Three rebuttal analogy types were rated on argumentativeness and social attack in verbal conflict and nonverbal conflict scenarios. The results of six experiments on 120 participants found that analogies with ironic bases (e.g., “Doubling the defense budget in order to intimidate North Korea is like u sing a chainsaw to file your nails”) were perceived as more of a social attack and as more argumentative than analogies with absurd(e.g.,“…u sing ketchup to wax your car” )and nonironic(e.g.,“…u sing a nailfile to file your nails”) bases. No difference was found between the two scenario types. Norming data confirmed equivalence of absurdity of ironic and absurd bases, and greater irony of ironic over absurd bases. The results thus implicate hearers' use of the ironic structure between bases and targets in the interpretation of rebuttal analogies rather than mere absurdity comparison or argumentative convention.
Perceiving Non-Native Speech
Authors: Bürki-Cohen Judith , Miller Joanne L. , Eimas Peter D.
Published: February 2009

In a series of experiments using monosyllabic words produced by a native and a non-native speaker of English, native English speakers monitored the wordinitial consonants of the words to decide which of two consonants was present on each trial. In some of the experiments, a secondary task of a linguistic nature, deciding whether the target-bearing word was a noun or verb, was also required. When the words were presented in silence, the native and non-native stimuli were processedin a like manner. Specifically, when the secondary task was not required, phonemic decisions tended to be made on the basis of prelexical information, whereas when the secondary task was required, they tended to be made on the basis of postlexical information(see Eimas, Marcovitz Hornstein, & Payton, 1990). However, when the listening conditions were degraded by presenting the words at a lower level and in noise, the two types of stimuli yielded different patterns. Native speech was processed as before, whereas for non-native speech phonemic decisions now tended to be made on the basis of postlexical information both when a secondary task was required and when it was not. The contrasting results for native and non-native speech are discussed in terms of models of phoneme processing.
Voornaam is not (really) a Homophone: Lexical Prosody and Lexical Access in Dutch
Authors: Cutler Anne , Van Donselaar Wilma
Published: February 2009

Four experiments examined Dutch listeners' use of suprasegmental information in spoken-word recognition. Isolated syllables excised from minimal stress pairs such as V OORnaam/voorNAAM could be reliably assigned to their source words. In lexical decision, no priming was observed from one member of minimal stress pairs to the other, suggesting that the pairs' segmental ambiguity was removed by suprasegmental information. Words embedded in nonsense strings were harder to detect if the nonsense string itself formed the beginning of a competing word, but a suprasegmental mismatch to the competing word significantly reduced this inhibition. The same nonsense strings facilitated recognition of the longer words of which they constituted the beginning, but again the facilitation was significantly reduced by suprasegmental mismatch. Together these results indicate that Dutch listeners effectively exploit suprasegmental cues in recognizing spoken words. Nonetheless, suprasegmental mismatch appears to be somewhat less effective in constraining activation than segmental mismatch.
A Direct Assessment of the Relation Between Shared Knowledge and Communication in a Referential Communication Task
Authors: Nohara-LeClair Michiko
Published: February 2009

The present paper introduces away to document quantitatively the changing relation between shared knowledge and communication over time. It is often assumed that people engaged in prolonged interaction come to share more knowledge over the course of interaction, and, further, it is assumed that this increase in shared knowledge enables them to communicate more efficiently with each other. In Experiments 1 and 2, this assumption was evaluated by monitoring the participants' knowledge of the experimental stimuli and their estimates about each other's knowledge periodically during several trials of a referential communication task. The results confirmed that participants developed more shared knowledge over the course of interaction, and that their estimates about shared knowledge become more accurate over successive trials. Experiment 3 was conducted in order to examine whether the use of intervening questionnaires in the earlier experiments prompted the participants to behave differently than they otherwise would. Although the use of the questionnaires encouraged a more active exchange of information, the overall pattern of behavior exhibited by the participants was not affected by this procedure.
Obtaining Phonetic Transcriptions: A Comparison between Expert Listeners and a Continuous Speech Recognizer
Authors: Wester Mirjam , Kessens Judith M. , Cucchiarini Catia , Strik Helmer
Published: February 2009

Key words Abstract In this article, we address the issue of using a continuous speech recognition tool to obtain phonetic or phonological representations of speech. Two experiments were carried out in which the performance of a continuous speech recognizer (CSR) was compared to the performance of expert listeners in a task of judging whether a number of prespecified phones had been realized in an utterance. In the first experiment, nine expert listeners and the CSR carried out exactly the same task: deciding whether a segment was presentor no tin 467 cases. In the second experiment, we expanded on the first experiment by focusing on two phonological processes: schwa-deletion and schwa-insertion. The results of these experiments show that significant differences in performance were found between the CSR and the listeners, but also between individual listeners. Although some of these differences appeared to be statistically significant, their magnitude is such that they may very well be acceptable dependingon what the transcriptions are needed for. In other words, although the CSR is not infallible, it makes it possible to explore large data sets, which might outweigh the errors introduced by the mistakes the CSR makes. For these reasons, we can conclude that the CSR can be used instead of a listener to carry out this type of task: deciding whether a phone is presentor not.
Syntactic Priming of Nouns and Verbs in Chinese
Authors: Lu Ching-Ching , Bates Elizabeth , Hung Daisy , Tzeng Ovid , Hsu Jean , Tsai Chih-Hao , Roe Katherine
Published: February 2009

Syntactic priming of Chinese nouns and verbs was in vestigated in word recognition (cued shadowing of auditory targets) and production(picture naming). Disyllabic compoun words were presented after syntactically congruent, incongruent,or neutral auditory contexts, with azero delay between offset of the context and onset of the target. Significant priming was observed inboth tasks, including facilitation as well as inhibition. Post hoc analyses showed that reaction times were also affected by sublexical variables that are especially relevant for Chinese, including syllable density (number of word types and tokens in the language with the same first or second syllable) and semantic transparency (whether the meaning of the whole word is predictable from the separate meanings of the the two syllables within the compound). These patterns suggest competitive effects at the sublexical level. Implications for interactive models of lexical access are discussed.
Identification of Regional Varieties by Intonational Cues
Authors: Peters Jörg , Gilles Peter , Auer Peter , Selting Margret
Published: February 2009

Two experiments examined the commonly held belief that regional varieties of German can be identified by intonational features alone. In both experiments, listeners were presented with regional intonational contours of German. In the first experiment, listeners judged contours of Hamburg urban vernacular compared with contours of Northern Standard German. In the second experiment, listeners judged contours of Berlin urban vernacular compared with contours of both Northern Standard German and Low Alemannic German. The performance of listeners was found to vary with their linguistic experience. Listeners who were familiar both with the local variety and with some nonlocal variety by personal contact performed better than listeners who were familiar with the local variety only. Moreover, also listeners not familiar with Hamburg German and Berlin German, respectively, were found to perform the identification test with some success. This led to the conclusion that overall success rates do not only depend on true recognition of local contours but may additionally be enhanced by using some kind of elimination strategy. A second factor that affected performance was the choice of speaker for generating the carrier utterances. In the first experiment, all carrier utterances were produced by a speaker of Northern Standard German. In the second experiment, two sets of carrier utterances were used. The first set was obtained from a speaker of Northern Standard German and the second set from a speaker of Berlin urban vernacular. As expected, Berlin contours were better identified when presented with an utterance that was produced by a speaker of Berlin urban vernacular. However, no uniform effect was found for the different contours that were ex a mined.
Naturalistic and Experimental Analyses of Word Frequency and Neighborhood Density Effects in Slips of the Ear
Authors: Vitevitch Michael S.
Published: February 2009

A comparison of the lexical characteristics of 88 auditory misperceptions (i.e., slips of the ear) showed no di fference in word-frequency, neighborhood density, and neighborhood frequency between the actual and the perceived utterances. Another comparison of slip of the ear tokens (i.e., actual and perceived utterances) and words in general (i.e., randomly selected from the lexicon) showed that slip of the ear tokens had denser neighborhoods and higher neighborhood frequency than words in general, as predicted from laboratory studies. Contrary to prediction, slip of the ear tokens were higher in frequency of occurrence than words in general. Additional laboratory-based investigations examined the possible source of the contradictory word frequency finding, high lighting the importance of using naturalistic and experimental data to develop models of spoken language processing.
Effects of Pitch Accent Position, Type, and Status on Focus Projection
Authors: Welby Pauline
Published: February 2009

This paper examines predictions made by two theories of the relationship between pitch accent and focus. The empirical evidence presented suggests that listeners are sensitive to a variety of factors that may affect the focus projection ability of pitch accents, that is the ability of a pitch accent on one word to mark focus on a larger constituent. The findings suggest that listeners' interpretation of focus structure is most sensitive to the presence or absence of a pitch accent on a focused constituent and the deaccenting of following unfocused material (pitch accent position). Preliminary evidence su ggests that the status of a pitch accent as nuclear or prenuclear may also affect listeners' interpretations, though to a lesser extent than accent position. Finally, the results show that focus projection is affected only minimally, if at all, by the type of pitch accent (at least for the two accent types compared (H * vs. L + H *)).
Learning Foreign Vowels
Authors: Kingston John
Published: February 2009

Two hypotheses have recently been put forward to account for listeners' ability to distinguish and learn contrasts between speech sounds in foreign languages. First, Best's Perceptual Assimilation Model and Flege's Speech Learning Model both predict that the ease with which a listener can tell onenon-native phoneme from an other varies directly with the extent to which these sounds assimilate to different native phonemes (Best, 1994; also Best, McRoberts, & Goodell, 2001; Flege, 1991). Second, Logan, Lively, & Pisoni (1991)have argued that training listeners to identify nonnative phonemes teaches them sets of exemplars rather than more abstract distinctive feature values. Ireport here the results of three sets of experiments designed to test these hypotheses, in which American English listeners were trained to categorize German nonlow vowels. The first set of experiments show that some instances of the same contrast between German vowels are more easily discriminated than others, a result incompatible with the predictions of either Best's or Flege's models, but compatible with the alternative category recognition interpretation. Thesecond set of experiments reveals effects of contextual and speaker variation on listeners' ability to learn [tense] but not [high] contrasts between foreign vowels, and are thus at least partly compatible with an exemplar model of foreign category learning (Pisoni, Lively, & Logan, 1994; also Nosofsky, 1986). The third set of ex periments compares the predictions of Nosofsky's (1986) selective attention exemplar
A Statistical Basis for Speech Sound Discrimination
Authors: Anderson Jennifer L. , Morgan James L. , White Katherine S.
Published: February 2009

Infants under six months are able to discriminate native and non-native consonant contrasts equally well, but as they learn the phonological systems of their native language, this ability declines. Current explanations of this phenome non agree that the decline indiscrimination ability is linked to the formation of native-language phonemic categories. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of input statistics in learning these categories: our hypothesis was that relative frequency is a determinant of the relative order in which categories are acquired. English-learning infants of two age groups (6.5 months and 8.5 months) were tested on their ability to discriminate non-native consonant contrasts using the Conditioned Head Turn Procedure. As predicted, older infants were worse in their performance on the more frequent coronal stop contrast than on the less frequent dorsal stop contrast. In contrast, 6.5-month-olds discriminated both contrasts equally well. An adult control group tested with an AX task also discriminated both contrast sequally. These results provide preliminary confirmation of the hypothesis that frequency plays an important role in tuning of phonological systems to properties of the native language. A simple attractor model suffices to account for these and previous results on loss of discrimination of non-native-language contrasts and suggests that the technique of measuring graded loss of multiple contrasts, in combination with observation of inputfrequencies, can offer a powerful methodof assessing infants' phonological representations.
Perception of English Intonation by English, Spanish, and Chinese Listeners
Authors: Grabe Esther , Rosner Burton S. , García-Albea José E. , Xiaolin Zhou
Published: February 2009

Native language affects the perception of segmental phonetic structure, of stress, and of semantic and pragmatic effects of intonation. Similarly, native language might influence the perception of similarities and differences among intonation contours. To test this hypothesis, a cross-language experiment was conducted. An English utterance was resynthesized with seven falling and four rising intonation contours. English, Iberian Spanish, and Chinese listeners then rated each pair of nonidentical stimuli for degree of difference. Multidimensionals caling of the results supported the hypothesis. The three groups of listeners produced statistically different perceptual configurations for the falling contours. All groups, however, perceptually separated the falling from the rising contours. This result suggested that the perception of intonation begins with the activation of universal auditory mechanisms that process the direction of relatively slow frequency modulationd A second experiment there fore employed frequency-modulated sine waves that duplicated the fundamental frequency contours of the speech stimuli. New groups of English, Spanish, and Chinese subjects yielded no cross-language differences between the perceptual configurations for these nonspeech stimuli. The perception of similarities and differences among intonation contours calls upon universal auditory mechanisms whose output is molded by experience with one's native language.
A Contrastive Study of Prosody and Lexical Stress Placement in Singapore English and British English
Authors: Ling Low Ee , Grabe Esther
Published: February 2009

It has been claimed that Singapore English and British English differ in stress placement: Singapore English speakers stress the final syllables of polysyllabic words such as flawlessly which are stressed initially in British English. Two considerations lead us to question the cross-varietal difference in stress placement. Firstly, we note that previous comparative studies have investigated stress differences in nuclear position. In this position, however, cues to a boundary and cues to stress may be confounded. Secondly, differences in stress placement have not been suggested by Singapore English speakers, but by British English analysts who may have presupposed comparable acoustic cues to stress in the two varieties. Thus, we hypothesize that it is not the flocation of lexical stress which differs in the two varieties, but the acoustic realization of stress. In the present paper this hypothesis was tested experimentally.

Ten Singapore English and ten British English speakers produced polysyllabic words in nuclear, intonation phrase-final, and in non-nuclear, intonation phrase-medial position. Duration and F0 measurements were taken. The results do not support the claimed cross-varietal difference in flexical stress placement. In nuclear position, Singapore English test items are associated with significantly more phrase-final flengthening than British English test items. Additionally, we find a flack of “deprominencing” in F0 in Singapore English, that is, the difference between the nuclear syllable and following unstressed syllables is less clearly marked. In prenuclear position, the cross-varietal differences in duration and F0 disappear.