Speech Characteristics of Japanese Speakers Affecting American and Japanese Listener Evaluations

The study examines what pronunciation features (i.e., segmental and suprasegmental features, as well as other acoustic properties such as speech rate, intensity, pitch, and pitch range) affect the intelligibility of Japanese learners of English, when judged by native-speaking (NS; American) and non-native-speaking (NNS; Japanese) listeners. Kashiwagi and Snyder (2008) concluded, based on both statistical and interview data, that intelligibility and accentedness judgments were quasi-independent of each other, and that segmental features in the speech samples of Japanese learners were perceived both by NS (American) and NNS (Japanese) listeners to be more problematic than suprasegmentals. The present study is designed to verify these conclusions by re-examining the data with further statistical procedures. Additional data on speech rate, intensity, pitch, and pitch range were also added to the statistical analyses to explore the issue of intelligibility. The resulting data suggest that non-native pronunciation of segmentals, especially of certain vowels, affect the judgments of intelligibility most strongly, and that intelligibility scores and accentedness ratings are controlled by different sets of factors. Speech rate, intensity, pitch and pitch range are also found to have some effects. The data also suggest that NS (American) and NNS (Japanese) listeners are affected differently by certain pronunciation features

Speech Characteristics of Japanese Speakers Affecting American and Japanese Listener Evaluations

The study examines what pronunciation features (i.e., segmental and suprasegmental features, as well as other acoustic properties such as speech rate, intensity, pitch, and pitch range) affect the intelligibility of Japanese learners of English, when judged by native-speaking (NS; American) and non-native-speaking (NNS; Japanese) listeners. Kashiwagi and Snyder (2008) concluded, based on both statistical and interview data, that intelligibility and accentedness judgments were quasi-independent of each other, and that segmental features in the speech samples of Japanese learners were perceived both by NS (American) and NNS (Japanese) listeners to be more problematic than suprasegmentals. The present study is designed to verify these conclusions by re-examining the data with further statistical procedures. Additional data on speech rate, intensity, pitch, and pitch range were also added to the statistical analyses to explore the issue of intelligibility. The resulting data suggest that non-native pronunciation of segmentals, especially of certain vowels, affect the judgments of intelligibility most strongly, and that intelligibility scores and accentedness ratings are controlled by different sets of factors. Speech rate, intensity, pitch and pitch range are also found to have some effects. The data also suggest that NS (American) and NNS (Japanese) listeners are affected differently by certain pronunciation features

In Vivo Diagnostic Imaging Using Micro-CT: Sequential and Comparative Evaluation of Rodent Models for Hepatic/Brain Ischemia and Stroke

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing need for animal disease models for pathophysiological research and efficient drug screening. However, one of the technical barriers to the effective use of the models is the difficulty of non-invasive and sequential monitoring of the same animals. Micro-CT is a powerful tool for serial diagnostic imaging of animal models. However, soft tissue contrast resolution, particularly in the brain, is insufficient for detailed analysis, unlike the current applications of CT in the clinical arena. We address the soft tissue contrast resolution issue in this report. METHODOLOGY: We performed contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) on mouse models of experimental cerebral infarction and hepatic ischemia. Pathological changes in each lesion were quantified for two weeks by measuring the lesion volume or the ratio of high attenuation area (%HAA), indicative of increased vascular permeability. We also compared brain images of stroke rats and ischemic mice acquired with micro-CT to those acquired with 11.7-T micro-MRI. Histopathological analysis was performed to confirm the diagnosis by CECT. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the models of cerebral infarction, vascular permeability was increased from three days through one week after surgical initiation, which was also confirmed by Evans blue dye leakage. Measurement of volume and %HAA of the liver lesions demonstrated differences in the recovery process between mice with distinct genetic backgrounds. Comparison of CT and MR images acquired from the same stroke rats or ischemic mice indicated that accuracy of volumetric measurement, as well as spatial and contrast resolutions of CT images, was comparable to that obtained with MRI. The imaging results were also consistent with the histological data. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the CECT scanning method is useful in rodents for both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of pathologic lesions in tissues/organs including the brain, and is also suitable for longitudinal observation of the same animals

Genome wide screen identifies microsatellite markers associated with acute adverse effects following radiotherapy in cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The response of normal tissues in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy varies, possibly due to genetic differences underlying variation in radiosensitivity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cancer patients (n = 360) were selected retrospectively from the RadGenomics project. Adverse effects within 3 months of radiotherapy completion were graded using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria; high grade group were grade 3 or more (n = 180), low grade group were grade 1 or less (n = 180). Pooled genomic DNA (gDNA) (n = 90 from each group) was screened using 23,244 microsatellites. Markers with different inter-group frequencies (Fisher exact test <it>P </it>< 0.05) were analyzed using the remaining pooled gDNA. Silencing RNA treatment was performed in cultured normal human skin fibroblasts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Forty-seven markers had positive association values; including one in the <it>SEMA3A </it>promoter region (P = 1.24 × 10^-5). <it>SEMA3A </it>knockdown enhanced radiation resistance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study identified 47 putative radiosensitivity markers, and suggested a role for <it>SEMA3A </it>in radiosensitivity.</p