The Bold and the Beautiful: How Aspects of Personality Affect Foreign Language Pronunciation

In the main study, a group of Polish learners of English completed a number of mimicry tasks in three languages: Italian, Dutch and Chinese, as well as a narration task in English. Mimicry performance and English pronunciation were then assessed by native speakers and compared. Participants also completed a questionnaire concerning their feelings about the languages they were to mimic and a second questionnaire designed to detect affective factors such as language learning anxiety, as well as attitudes towards the pronunciation of Polish and English. The pilot study suggested that the perceived attractiveness of the foreign language to be mimicked did not affect the performance of most participants, and that mimicry skill was fairly constant across languages. However, those who were particularly concerned about their personal appearance showed greater fluctuation in their ability to mimic and their performance appeared to be influenced by their attitude towards the language. This is referred to by the author as the Cecily effect. That study also confirmed the results of my previous experimental work showing that mimicry skill is correlated to some degree with English language pronunciation and that both pronunciation and mimicry are negatively affected by high levels of anxiety. The main study sets out to investigate whether or not these conclusions hold true for a larger sample population and also seeks to determine the effect of confidence and willingness to take risks on scores for both foreign language pronunciation and mimicry exercises

Application Of The Double Diamond Framework To Prepare The Communication Strategy Of A Great Sports Event

Any sports event is characterised by the process of planning, organisation, implementation and its evaluation. This system applies to both single and repetitive, small or larger sports events. The planning process itself applies to all components – sports, technical, financial, process-law, and marketing communications. There are several marketing communication goals, but they all focus on end-users, fans, their desires, needs and interests in each sporting event. To maximise the benefits of marketing communications, careful preparation and a creative concept in the editorial plan must be prepared. Different procedures are used to prepare the communication strategy. This article aims to introduce the universal Double Diamond framework, which was used to prepare the communication strategy on the web and social medias for the World Cup in biathlon in Nové Město na Moravě held from December 20 to December 23, 2018, to familiarise with the possibilities of using social tool networks and to present the results achieved with these mediums. This study describes the framework theoretically and then shows possible practical outputs from the whole process

Properties of a newly characterized protein of the bovine kidney pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 J54Master of Scienc

Continuous Elevation of PTH Increases the Number of Osteoblasts via Both Osteoclast-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

Sustained parathyroid hormone (PTH) elevation stimulates bone remodeling (ie, both resorption and formation). The former results from increased RANKL synthesis, but the cause of the latter has not been established. Current hypotheses include release of osteoblastogenic factors from osteoclasts or from the bone matrix during resorption, modulation of the production and activity of osteoblastogenic factors from cells of the osteoblast lineage, and increased angiogenesis. To dissect the contribution of these mechanisms, 6-month-old Swiss-Webster mice were infused for 5 days with 470 ng/h PTH(1-84) or 525 ng/h soluble RANKL (sRANKL). Both agents increased osteoclasts and osteoblasts in vertebral cancellous bone, but the ratio of osteoblasts to osteoclasts and the increase in bone formation was greater in PTH-treated mice. Cancellous bone mass was maintained in mice receiving PTH but lost in mice receiving sRANKL, indicating that maintenance of balanced remodeling requires osteoblastogenic effects beyond those mediated by osteoclasts. Consistent with this contention, PTH, but not sRANKL, decreased the level of the Wnt antagonist sclerostin and increased the expression of the Wnt target genes Nkd2, Wisp1, and Twist1. Furthermore, PTH, but not sRANKL, increased the number of blood vessels in the bone marrow. Weekly injections of the RANKL antagonist osteoprotegerin at 10 µg/g for 2 weeks prior to PTH infusion eliminated osteoclasts and osteoblasts and prevented the PTH-induced increase in osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and blood vessels. These results indicate that PTH stimulates osteoclast-dependent as well as osteoclast-independent (Wnt signaling) pro-osteoblastogenic pathways, both of which are required for balanced focal bone remodeling in cancellous bone. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Phonetic Convergence, Language Talent, Personality and Attention

Studies into phonetic adaptation rarely consider individual differences (IDs) on a cognitive and personality level between speakers as a direct source of adaptation variation. In order to investigate the degree to which the individual phonetic talent and further psycho-cognitive IDs of speakers affect phonetic convergence in a second language setting, 20 German native speakers were involved in two dialog tasks with two native speakers of English, a male speaker of American English and a female speaker of Standard Southern British English. The dialogs were quasi-spontaneous task-oriented interactions elicited with the Diapix picture-matching game. The English L2 learners were divided into a phonetically talented and less talented group based on their test results and evaluation in a preceding extensive language talent test battery. The acoustic analyses using amplitude envelopes revealed that talented speakers converged significantly more toward their English native speaking partners in the Diapix study. An additional analysis relates their degree of convergence to a range of personality and cognitive measures. The factors openness, neuroticism, Behavior Inhibition score and the switch costs in a Simon Test significantly impacted the degree of phonetic convergence in the dialog study

Motivation Of Football, Ice-Hockey And Floorball Fans To Visit Matches Of Professional Sports Clubs

Článek se zabývá motivací spotřebitelů profesionálních sportovních klubů fotbalu, hokeje a florbalu k návštěvě jednotlivých utkání. I přes patrný drobný nárůst v dlouhodobé návštěvnosti u vybraných sportovních odvětvích, průměrná návštěvnost oproti zahraničním státům je výrazně nižší. Vliv na to může mít celá řada aspektů, počínaje neatraktivitou samotného utkání či hráčů, které za klub nastupují, špatně nastavená cenová politika jednotlivých klubů, nedostatečná propagace utkání, aj. Ke zjištění výsledků bylo využito především dotazníkového šetření během jednotlivých sportovních utkání, které bylo následně zpracováno a vyhodnoceno. Bylo zjištěno, že nejčastější motivací k návštěvě sportovních zápasů vybraných sportů jsou především lidé, se kterými dotyčné osoby chodí na utkání a pak také pocit odreagování se a atmosféra spojená s daným utkáním. Naopak cena vstupenky, ani osobnosti či individuality hrající za daný klub při rozhodování uživatelů nehrají výraznou roli.The article examines the motivation of consumers of professional sports clubs of football, hockey and floorball to visit matches. Despite the apparent small increase in long-term attendance in selected sports, the average number of visitors compared to foreign countries is significantly lower. This impact can have several aspects, ranging from the unappealing matches or the players themselves who are playing for the club. Bad pricing pricing policy of individual clubs and the lack of promotion of the match etc. To find out the results, a questionnaire survey was used during individual sports matches, processed and evaluated. The data has shown that the most frequent motives for visiting sports matches of selected sports are primarily the people who go to the match and then acquire the feeling of relaxation and the atmosphere associated with the given match. Ticket prices, even personalities and individuality of players who are playing for the club, don’t play a role in deciding process

Salience Network and Default Mode Network dysfunction after traumatic brain injury

It is now widely accepted that cognitive control depends on the integrated operation of large-scale distributed brain networks. Recent methodological advances allow both structural and functional connectivity (FC) within these networks to be studied non- invasively in vivo. These approaches hold the promise of dramatically extending our understanding of the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on cognitive control, which has the potential to help determine strategic targets for the rehabilitation of individuals with TBI. In the current thesis, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging is combined to test the general hypothesis that cognitive deficits after TBI arise from functional disconnection within brain networks that mediate cognitive functions. Of particular interest are the interactions between two brain networks known as the Salience Network (SN) and the Default Mode Network (DMN). These networks are thought to be important for cognitive control however, how these networks interact during cognitive control is limited. This thesis largely investigates the effect of TBI on network interactions that accompany changing motor control. Functional MRI of the Stop Signal Task (SST) is initially used to study response inhibition. In healthy subjects, FC between the right anterior insula (rAI), a key node of the SN, and the DMN transiently increased during stopping. This change in FC was not seen in a group of TBI patients with impaired cognitive control. Furthermore, the amount of damage to the underlying white matter tract negatively correlated with the strength of FC between the networks. These findings are confirmed in a second group of TBI patients. In the second group, switching rather than inhibiting a motor response: (1) was accompanied by a similar increase in network FC in healthy controls; (2) was not seen in TBI patients; and (3) tract damage after TBI again correlated with FC breakdown. I also replicate this pattern of structure-function in a group of elderly participants who demonstrate similar cognitive control impairments as the TBI group. The findings show that FC between the rAI and DMN increases with cognitive control, and that the ability to efficiently regulate the FC between the rAI and DMN can be predicted by the structural integrity within a remote brain network previously proposed to be involved in switching between internally and externally directed attention. This work provides evidence for a model of cognitive control where the SN is involved in the attentional capture of salient external stimuli and signals the DMN to reduce its activity when attention is externally focused. It also identifies DMN dysfunction as underlying various cognitive deficits after TBI, and confirms the relevance of white matter damage in the development of brain dysfunctions after TBI

PTH Receptor Signaling in Osteocytes Governs Periosteal Bone Formation and Intracortical Remodeling

The periosteal and endocortical surfaces of cortical bone dictate the geometry and overall mechanical properties of bone. Yet the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate activity on these surfaces are far from being understood. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has profound effects in cortical bone, stimulating periosteal expansion and at the same time accelerating intracortical bone remodeling. We report herein that transgenic mice expressing a constitutive active PTH receptor in osteocytes (DMP1-caPTHR1 mice) exhibit increased cortical bone area and an elevated rate of periosteal and endocortical bone formation. In addition, DMP1-caPTHR1 mice display a marked increase in intracortical remodeling and cortical porosity. Crossing DMP1-caPTHR1 mice with mice lacking the Wnt coreceptor, LDL-related receptor 5 (LRP5), or with mice overexpressing the Wnt antagonist Sost in osteocytes (DMP1-Sost mice) reduced or abolished, respectively, the increased cortical bone area, periosteal bone formation rate, and expression of osteoblast markers and Wnt target genes exhibited by the DMP1-caPTHR1 mice. In addition, DMP1-caPTHR1 lacking LRP5 or double transgenic DMP1-caPTHR1;DMP1-Sost mice exhibit exacerbated intracortical remodeling and increased osteoclast numbers, and markedly decreased expression of the RANK decoy receptor osteoprotegerin. Thus, whereas Sost downregulation and the consequent Wnt activation is required for the stimulatory effect of PTH receptor signaling on periosteal bone formation, the Wnt-independent increase in osteoclastogenesis induced by PTH receptor activation in osteocytes overrides the effect on Sost. These findings demonstrate that PTH receptor signaling influences cortical bone through actions on osteocytes and defines the role of Wnt signaling in PTH receptor action. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Amelioration of type I diabetes‐induced osteoporosis by parathyroid hormone is associated with improved osteoblast survival

Type 1 diabetic osteoporosis results from impaired osteoblast activity and death. Therefore, anti‐resorptive treatments may not effectively treat bone loss in this patient population. Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment stimulates bone remodeling and increases bone density in healthy subjects. However, PTH effects may be limited in patients with diseases that interfere with its signaling. Here, we examined the ability of 8 and 40 µg/kg intermittent PTH to counteract diabetic bone loss. PTH treatment reduced fat pad mass and blood glucose levels in non‐diabetic PTH‐treated mice, consistent with PTH‐affecting glucose homeostasis. However, PTH treatment did not significantly affect general body parameters, including the blood glucose levels, of type 1 diabetic mice. We found that the high dose of PTH significantly increased tibial trabecular bone density parameters in control and diabetic mice, and the lower dose elevated trabecular bone parameters in diabetic mice. The increased bone density was due to increased mineral apposition and osteoblast surface, all of which are defective in type 1 diabetes. PTH treatment suppressed osteoblast apoptosis in diabetic bone, which could further contribute to the bone‐enhancing effects. In addition, PTH treatment (40 µg/kg) reversed preexisting bone loss from diabetes. We conclude that intermittent PTH may increase type 1 diabetic trabecular bone volume through its anabolic effects on osteoblasts. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1326–1334, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90247/1/22844_ftp.pd