The contribution of word stress and vowel reduction to the intelligibility of the speech of Canadian French second language learners of English

Cette thèse porte sur la perception par des locuteurs natifs de l’anglais (L1) de la production orale de francophones parlant l’anglais comme langue seconde (L2). Elle emploie une méthode d’analyse mixte visant à déterminer: (1) l’existence d’une interférence et (2) le degré d’interférence de l’accent tonique et de la réduction vocalique avec l’intelligibilité ; (3) la comparaison de l’impact de l’omission de la réduction vocalique et de son mauvais positionnement sur l’intelligibilité; (4) si un déplacement de l’accent vers la droite nuit d’avantage à l’intelligibilité qu’un déplacement vers la gauche; (5) si les locuteurs anglophones familiers avec l’accent francophone comprennent plus aisément l’anglais des locuteurs francophones. Nous avons administré un test de perception de type ‘close-shadowing’, composé de 80 mots anglais multisyllabiques prononcés par des Québécois, à 60 anglophones L1. Les mots étaient classés selon les erreurs prosodiques les plus fréquentes. Trente des participants anglophones avaient été rarement ou jamais exposés à un accent francophone L2 (groupe non tolérant). Trente étaient en contact quotidiennement avec le français ou avec des locuteurs francophones de l’anglais L2 (groupe tolérant). Les réponses fournies par les anglophones étaient analysées qualitativement afin de déterminer quelles erreurs prosodiques contribuaient le plus à la perte d’intelligibilité. La mesure du temps de réaction des participants a permis d’évaluer l’effet de ralentissement des différents types d’erreur sur l’identification des mots. Les résultats montrent que la réduction vocalique nuit davantage à l’intelligibilité que le mauvais positionnement de l’accent et que l’omission de la réduction vocalique nuit moins que son mauvais positionnement. Un déplacement de l’accent lexical à droite nuit d’avantage à l'intelligibilité qu’un déplacement vers la gauche. Le groupe tolérant a identifié plus de mots que le groupe non tolérant, ce qui suggère que l’auditeur natif tire profit pour la compréhension de la production orale L2 de l’exposition à une L2. Néanmoins, les temps de réponse étaient statistiquement similaires chez les deux groupes. Cela pourrait s’expliquer par le fait que les auditeurs tolérants à l’accent connaissent aussi le français, et activeraient plusieurs candidats lexicaux pendant la recherche de l’unité lexicale appropriée, ce qui ralentirait leur temps de réaction.This thesis studies the perception of French accented English by native English speakers. It presents the results of a mixed methods study aimed at exploring (1) whether both incorrect word stress and incorrect vowel reduction have an impact on intelligibility, (2) if so, whether they interfere equally, (3) whether the omission of vowel reduction has a greater or lesser impact on intelligibility than misplacement, (4) whether rightward misplacement of word stress has a greater impact on intelligibility than leftward misplacement, and (5) whether L2 speech that typically misproduces word stress and vowel reduction is more intelligible to listeners who are familiar with the accent. Sixty native Canadian English listeners performed a close-shadowing task whereby they evaluated 80 Canadian French (CF) accented two-, three- and four-syllable words categorized according to the naturally occurring prosodic errors they contain. Thirty native English judges had had little or no exposure to CF L2 speech (i.e., are non-accent-tolerant) and 30 use, or are in daily contact with French and/or French-accented English (i.e., are accent-tolerant). The judges’ responses were analysed qualitatively to determine which prosodic error contribute to loss of intelligibility, and quantitatively to determine which errors slow word identification. Results show that both incorrect stress and vowel reduction interfere with an L2 speaker’s intelligibility (Research Question 1) but they do so unequally. Incorrect vowel reduction is more detrimental (Research Question 2). Results also show that omitting vowel reduction is less detrimental to intelligibility than misplacing it (Research Question 3). As for stress, intelligibility is more impaired by rightward than leftward misplacement (Research Question 4). As for accent familiarity, the accent tolerant group accurately identified more words than the non-accent-tolerant group, suggesting that exposure to a particular L2 does benefit a listener (Research Question 5), though the response times for both listener groups were statistically similar. A possible explanation for these mixed results is that the accent-tolerant listeners, because they speak French, activate more lexical candidates during lexical access, thus slowing down their reaction times

Bien-être psychosocial de femmes âgées ayant vécu un épisode de maltraitance

L’objectif de la présente étude était de comparer le bien-être psychosocial actuel de 16 femmes âgées de 65 ans ou plus, vivant dans la communauté, à celui de 19 femmes rapportant n’avoir jamais vécu d’épisode de maltraitance dans leur vie. Bien que la littérature scientifique suggère que la détresse psychologique soit l’une des principales conséquences de la maltraitance, les résultats font surtout état de différences en lien avec les dimensions sociales. Les femmes ayant été maltraitées considèrent avoir peu de soutien de leur famille, un faible lien d’attachement avec d’autres personnes et n’ont personne à qui s’adresser pour obtenir conseils.The purpose of the study was to compare the current psychosocial well-being of 16 community-dwelling women aged 65 and over who had experience abuse to 19 women who report never having been abused during their lifetime. Although scientific research show that psychological distress is one of the main consequences of elder abuse, the present study instead revealed differences on the social variables. For instance, women that have experienced mistreatment report having little support from their family, consider that they have a weak attachment to other people, and that they have no one to turn to when they need advice

Digestive and Absorptive Phase Anomalies Associated with the Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency of Cystic Fibrosis

The pancreas has an enormous reserve capacity, and significant malabsorption usually signals complete absence of exocrine function. However, there is evidence that acid lipases of nonpancreatic origin play an important compensatory role. Complete duodenal hydrolysis of fat requires a series of complex interdependent physicochemical events involving pancreatic lipase, colipase, phospholipase A2, and bile salts in an environment where the pH must be close to neutrality. Lipolytic products must then be shuttled through the unstirred water layer to the surface of the microvillus membrane by ionized bile salts, which must be present in sufficient concentrations to form micelles. In pancreatic insufficiency, there is not only a defective lipolytic phase but also an impaired micellar phase. The output of bile salts is decreased because of increased fecal loss. Furthermore, a significant percentage of bile salts precipitate because the duodenum is acidic and there is a large predominance of glycine conjugates. Although much less work has been done on the absorptive phase of patients with pancreatic insufficiency, there is tentative evidence that defective phospholipid absorption, essential fatty acid deficiency, and protein malnutrition could impair the absorptive phase, particularly chylomicron formation. Although significant advances have been made in our understanding of factors responsible for malabsorption associated with pancreatic insufficiency, much remains to be done for the further delineation of defects. It is hoped that this will lead to further refinements of enzyme preparations and to new strategies of intervention

Regard sensible sur la transformation de cinq familles ayant participé au Programme de renforcement des familles

Cet article met en lumière comment la méthode photovoix (photovoice) a été adaptée et utilisée dans une recherche visant à faire l’évaluation des retombées d’un programme destiné à cinq familles ayant participé, entre 2011 et 2015, au Programme de renforcement des familles (PRF). Celles-ci ont été invitées à prendre des photographies les représentant, à partir desquelles fut ensuite réalisé un entretien en profondeur et finalement, une exposition devant les membres de leur communauté. Douze professionnelles et professionnels, dont cinq ayant accompagné les familles pour prendre leurs photographies, ont assisté à cette exposition et participé à leur tour à des entretiens de groupe pour partager leurs réactions face aux photographies. Les résultats indiquent que ce processus s’est avéré un puissant moyen pour ces familles d’élaborer et d’exprimer le sens de leur transformation. Ils portent également à réfléchir sur les méthodes sensibles et alternatives que peut utiliser la recherche évaluative.This article highlights how the photovoice method was adapted and used in a research project to evaluate the results of a program for five families who participated, between 2011 and 2015, in the Strengthening Families Program (SFP). The families were invited to take photos that represented themselves. These photos formed the basis for in-depth interviews, and then for an exhibition for members of their community. Twelve professionals, five of whom accompanied the families when they took their photos, attended the exhibition and took part in their turn in the group sessions to share their reactions to the photos. The results indicate that this process was a powerful means for these families to formulate and express the meaning of their transformation. They also inspire reflection on sensitive alternative methods that can be used in evaluative research

Human recombinant membrane-bound aminopeptidase P: production of a soluble form and characterization using novel, internally quenched fluorescent substrates

APP (aminopeptidase P) has the unique ability to cleave the N-terminal amino acid residue from peptides exhibiting a proline at P-1'. Despite its putative involvement in the processing of bioactive peptides, among them the kinins, little is known about the physiological roles of both human forms of APP. The purpose of the present study is first to engineer and characterize a secreted form of hmAPP (human membrane-bound APP). Our biochemical analysis has shown that the expressed glycosylated protein is fully functional, and exhibits enzymic parameters similar to those described previously for mAPP purified from porcine or bovine lungs or expressed from a porcine clone. This soluble form of hmAPP cross-reacts with a polyclonal antiserum raised against a 469-amino-acid hmAPP fragment produced in Escherichia coli. Secondly, we synthesized three internally quenched fluorescent peptide substrates that exhibit a similar affinity for the enzyme than its natural substrates, the kinins, and a higher affinity compared with the tripeptide Arg-Pro-Pro used until now for the quantification of APP in biological samples. These new substrates represent a helpful analytical tool for rapid and reliable: screening of patients susceptible to adverse reactions associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or novel vasopeptidase (mixed angiotensin-converting enzyme/neprilysin) inhibitors.Univ Montreal, Fac Pharm, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, CanadaUNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Montreal, Fac Med, Dept Biochim, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, CanadaUniv Montreal, Fac Arts & Sci, Dept Math & Stat, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, CanadaLoyola Univ, Stritch Sch Med, Dept Biochem, Dept Cell Biol Neurobiol & Anat, Maywood, IL 60153 USAUNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc