Interlanguage phonology : acquisition of timing control and perceptual categorization of durational contrast in Japanese

The timing organization of phonological durational contrast is known to be one of the most challenging areas in the acquisition of Japanese phonology (Sugito 1989; Muraki and Nakaoka 1990; Han 1992; Toda 1994). This study examines the acquisition of timing control and perceptual categorization of the durational contrast in Japanese, and aims to contribute to second language acquisition theory from the viewpoint of interlanguage phonology. Acoustic techniques were used to investigate the mechanisms of learners' speech perception and production. In order to capture the acquisition processes and the developmental factors in the formation of interlanguage phonology, both crosssectional and longitudinal experiments are conducted with different groups of learners at various proficiency levels, and the results were compared with those of native . speakers. The processes such as first language transfer, overexaggeration and phonetic approximation are observed in the learners' speech production. The acoustic observation revealed what has been claimed as genetically innate Universal Grammar (Chomsky and Halle 1968) pertaining to voice onset time, which is clearly observed in Japanese native speakers speech, is not operative in beginning learners' speech production. On the other hand, it is operative in advanced learners' speech which shares similarities with that of native speakers. The experimental results reported in this dissertation reveal crucial theoretical insufficiency concerning the "universal principle". This supposedly universal theory concerning voice onset time, should not be restricted to a specific language, runs into difficulties in explaining the reasons why this property does not show up with learners' speech production during the initial stages, but does show up later at more advanced stages (i.e. it is developmental, but not universal)

【研究論文】ブレンディッド・ラーニング -新たなモデルの構築と音声教育実践-

departmental bulletin pape

Living Conditions, Ability to Seek Medical Treatment, and Awareness of Health Conditions and Healthcare Options among Homeless Persons in Tokyo, Japan

Empirical data indicative of the health conditions and medical needs of homeless persons are scarce in Japan. In this study, with the aim of contributing to the formulation of future healthcare strategies for the homeless, we conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey and interviews at a park in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, to clarify the living conditions of homeless persons and their health conditions and awareness about the availability of medical treatment. Responses from 55 homeless men were recorded (response rate:36.7%). With the exception of one person, none of them possessed a health insurance certificate. Half of the respondents reported having a current income source, although their modal monthly income was 30,000 yen($1 was approximately 90 yen). The number of individuals who responded "yes" to the questions regarding "Consulting a doctor on the basis of someone's recommendation" and "Being aware of the location of the nearest hospital or clinic" was significantly higher among those who had someone to consult when they were ill than among those who did not (the odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] were 15.00 [3.05-93.57] and 11.45 [1.42-510.68], respectively). This showed that whether or not a homeless person had a person to consult might influence his healthcare-seeking behavior. When queried about the entity they consulted (multiple responses acceptable), respondents mentioned "life support organizations" (61.1%) and "public offices" (33.3%). Overall, 94.5% of the respondents were aware of swine flu (novel influenza A (H1N1)). Their main sources of information were newspapers and magazines. On the basis of these findings, with regard to the aim of formulating healthcare strategies for homeless persons, while life support organizations and public offices play significant roles as conduits to medical institutions, print media should be considered useful for communicating messages to homeless persons

Diagnóstico das bibliotecas de Ciências Sociais e Humanas do estado de São Paulo

Quadro da situação das 70 bibliotecas do Estado arroladas no Guia de bibliotecas de Ciências Sociais e Humanas do Estado de São Paulo, editado pelo Grupo de Trabalho da Associação Paulista de Bibliotecários, em 1972 e 1974. Complementa as informações com dados referentes a recursos materiais. Da conclusão consta um quadro geral dos dados qus caracterizam a biblioteca mais freqüente, formada através das modas obtidas de todos os dados. Ilustrado com cartograma, tabelas e gráfico

New Approach to Teaching Japanese Pronunciation in the Digital Era - Challenges and Practices

Pronunciation has been a black hole in the L2 Japanese classroom on account of a lack of class time, teacher\u2019s confidence, and consciousness of the need to teach pronunciation, among other reasons. The absence of pronunciation instruction is reported to result in fossilized pronunciation errors, communication problems, and learner frustration. With an intention of making a contribution to improve such circumstances, this paper aims at three goals. First, it discusses the importance, necessity, and e ectiveness of teaching prosodic aspects of Japanese pronunciation from an early stage in acquisition. Second, it shows that Japanese prosody is challenging because of its typological rareness, regardless of the L1 backgrounds of learners. Third and finally, it introduces a new approach to teaching L2 pronunciation with the goal of developing L2 comprehensibility by focusing on essential prosodic features, which is followed by discussions on key issues concerning how to implement the new approach both inside and outside the classroom in the digital era

TDP-43 regulates cholesterol biosynthesis by inhibiting sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2

Dyslipidemia is considered an essential component of the pathological process of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal motor neuron disease. Although TAR DNA Binding Protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) links both familial and sporadic forms of ALS and cytoplasmic aggregates are a hallmark of most cases of ALS, the molecular mechanism and the in vivo relation of ALS dyslipidemia with TDP-43 have been unclear. To analyze the dyslipidemia-related gene expression by TDP-43, we performed expression microarray and RNA deep sequencing (RNA-Seq) using cell lines expressing high levels of TDP-43 and identified 434 significantly altered genes including sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2), a master regulator of cholesterol homeostasis and its downstream genes. Elevated TDP-43 impaired SREBP2 transcriptional activity, leading to inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis. The amount of cholesterol was significantly decreased in the spinal cords of TDP-43-overexpressed ALS model mice and in the cerebrospinal fluids of ALS patients. These results suggested that TDP-43 could play an essential role in cholesterol biosynthesis in relation to ALS dyslipidemia

Structure of Musashi1 in a complex with target RNA: the role of aromatic stacking interactions

Mammalian Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates the translation of target mRNAs, and participates in the maintenance of cell ‘stemness’ and tumorigenesis. Msi1 reportedly binds to the 3′-untranslated region of mRNA of Numb, which encodes Notch inhibitor, and impedes initiation of its translation by competing with eIF4G for PABP binding, resulting in triggering of Notch signaling. Here, the mechanism by which Msi1 recognizes the target RNA sequence using its Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-type RNA-binding domains (RBDs), RBD1 and RBD2 has been revealed on identification of the minimal binding RNA for each RBD and determination of the three-dimensional structure of the RBD1:RNA complex. Unique interactions were found for the recognition of the target sequence by Msi1 RBD1: adenine is sandwiched by two phenylalanines and guanine is stacked on the tryptophan in the loop between β1 and α1. The minimal recognition sequences that we have defined for Msi1 RBD1 and RBD2 have actually been found in many Msi1 target mRNAs reported to date. The present study provides molecular clues for understanding the biology involving Musashi family proteins

Antigen Challenge-induced Expression of Amphiregulin by Mast Cells Increases Goblet-Cell Hyperplasia in a Mouse Model of Asthma

Mast cells play important roles in both acute-and late-phase allergic reactions mediated by IgE, such as those in bronchial asthma. Remodeling of the airway wall may contribute to the development of chronic refractory asthma; effective treatment for remodeling is currently lacking. Tryptase released by degranulated mast cells may participate in airway remodeling by stimulating the proliferation of airway smooth-muscle cells and fibroblasts and promoting the production of extracellular matrix. We found that continued antigen challenge produced time-dependent increases in the number of goblet cells, which are essential for sputum production, as well as the number of mast cells. Furthermore, the expression of amphiregulin released from mast cells was up-regulated by after ovalbumin challenges in mice. The number of amphiregulin-positive cells positively correlated with the degree of goblet-cell hyperplasia. Our results suggest that mast cells also play a key role in airway remodeling