Intonational Cues to Segmental Contrasts in the Native Language Facilitate the Processing of Intonational Cues to Lexical Stress in the Second Language

A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.This study examines whether second language (L2) learners' processing of an intonationally cued lexical contrast is facilitated when intonational cues signal a segmental contrast in the native language (L1). It does so by investigating Seoul Korean and French listeners' processing of intonationally cued lexical-stress contrasts in English. Neither Seoul Korean nor French has lexical stress; instead, the two languages have similar intonational systems where prominence is realized at the level of the Accentual Phrase. A critical difference between the two systems is that French has only one tonal pattern underlying the realization of the Accentual Phrase, whereas Korean has two underlying tonal patterns that depend on the laryngeal feature of the phrase-initial segment. The L and H tonal cues thus serve to distinguish segments at the lexical level in Korean but not in French; Seoul Korean listeners are thus hypothesized to outperform French listeners when processing English lexical stress realized only with (only) tonal cues (H* on the stressed syllable). Seoul Korean and French listeners completed a sequence-recall task with four-item sequences of English words that differed in intonationally cued lexical stress (experimental condition) or in word-initial segment (control condition). The results showed higher accuracy for Seoul Korean listeners than for French listeners only when processing English lexical stress, suggesting that the processing of an intonationally cued lexical contrast in the L2 is facilitated when intonational cues signal a segmental contrast in the L1. These results are interpreted within the scope of the cue-based transfer approach to L2 prosodic processing

Hypoxia Tolerance of 10 Euphausiid Species in Relation to Vertical Temperature and Oxygen Gradients

Oxygen Minimum Zones prevail in most of the world’s oceans and are particularly extensive in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystems such as the Humboldt and the Benguela upwelling systems. In these regions, euphausiids are an important trophic link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. The species are known as pronounced diel vertical migrators, thus facing different levels of oxygen and temperature within a 24 h cycle. Declining oxygen levels may lead to vertically constrained habitats in euphausiids, which consequently will affect several trophic levels in the food web of the respective ecosystem. By using the regulation index (RI), the present study aimed at investigating the hypoxia tolerances of different euphausiid species from Atlantic, Pacific as well as from Polar regions. RI was calculated from 141 data sets and used to differentiate between respiration strategies using median and quartile (Q) values: low degree of oxyregulation (0.25 0.25 or Q3 > 0.75); and metabolic suppression (RI median, Q1 and Q3 0) was identified for the neritic temperate species Thysanoessa spinifera and the tropical species Euphausia lamelligera. RI values of Euphausia distinguenda and the Humboldt species Euphausia mucronata qualified these as metabolic suppressors. RI showed a significant impact of temperature on the respiration strategy of E. hanseni from oxyregulation to metabolic suppression. The species’ estimated hypoxia tolerances and the degree of oxyconformity vs. oxyregulation were linked to diel vertical migration behavior and the temperature experienced during migration. The results highlight that the euphausiid species investigated have evolved various strategies to deal with different levels of oxygen, ranging from species showing a high degree of oxyconformity to strong oxyregulation. Neritic species may be more affected by hypoxia, as these are often short-distance-migrators and only adapted to a narrow range of environmental conditions

Le point de vue d’intervenants sociaux offrant des services en vertu de la LSJPA sur le vécu familial des jeunes délinquants au Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean

Le présent mémoire s’intéresse au point de vue d’intervenants sociaux offrant des services en vertu de la Loi sur le système de justice pénale pour les adolescents (LSJPA) à propos du vécu familial de jeunes délinquants au Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean. Bien que beaucoup de chercheurs se soient intéressés aux facteurs de risque et de protection associés à la délinquance juvénile, peu d’écrits se penchent plus spécifiquement sur le vécu familial des jeunes ayant commis un acte de délinquance. En ce sens, ce mémoire poursuit trois principaux objectifs : (a) décrire le point de vue des intervenants sociaux sur les caractéristiques des jeunes délinquants au Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean et l’implication des parents dans les interventions qui leur sont destinées; (b) identifier les différents facteurs qu'ils associent aux comportements délinquants des jeunes, tant dans leur vie personnelle, familiale que sociale; (c) documenter leur vision quant aux réactions et aux sentiments des parents à la suite de la délinquance de leur jeune, de même que les conséquences qui en découlent dans leur vie. Afin de répondre à ces objectifs, une recherche qualitative de type exploratoire-descriptive à l’aide d’entrevues semi-dirigées a été privilégiée. Les entrevues ont été réalisées auprès de neuf intervenants sociaux offrant des services en vertu de la LSJPA, que ce soit à Equijustice Saguenay, Equijustice Lac-Saint-Jean ou au CIUSSS-SLSJ. La réalisation de cette étude a permis de constater que la responsabilisation des jeunes vis-à-vis de leurs délits demeure un objectif au coeur des interventions menées par les répondants. Aussi, cette étude souligne que les intervenants doivent accorder de l’importance aux besoins des parents afin qu’ils puissent s’impliquer auprès de leur jeune, mieux comprendre la situation et les interventions mises à leur disposition et, ainsi, bénéficier de meilleurs résultats post-intervention. Bien que les intervenants puissent rencontrer des obstacles par rapport à l’implication des parents dans l’intervention, de plus en plus d’études démontrent l’importance du rôle de ces derniers afin d’aider les jeunes délinquants (Broeking, 2008; Burke et al., 2014; Peterson-Badali et Broeking, 2010; Savignac, 2009; Webster, 2008; Weiler, 2007). Le fait d’inclure les parents dans le processus d’intervention a donc des retombées positives pour les jeunes. En outre, les résultats de ce mémoire soulignent que les réalités rencontrées par les intervenants changent depuis quelques années. En effet, ils constatent une augmentation de certains délits, notamment ceux à caractère sexuel ou ceux liés aux réseaux sociaux. Les répondants mentionnent que la délinquance juvénile est une problématique multifactorielle, liée à la fois à des caractéristiques individuelles, familiales, sociales et économiques. Selon les intervenants interrogés, les interventions effectuées avec les adolescents délinquants visent, d’abord et avant tout, la responsabilisation du jeune ainsi que la prise de conscience des conséquences de ses actes, et ce, à l’aide de travaux bénévoles ou de stratégies de médiation. De plus, la manière dont le parent s’implique à travers les interventions peut avantager ou nuire au rétablissement du jeune. Enfin, les répercussions d’un délit sont variées et peuvent toucher le bien-être de l’adolescent et son parcours scolaire, de même qu’affecter sa santé mentale et celle de ses parents. La délinquance peut également avoir des impacts sur la vie personnelle, familiale et professionnelle des parents. À des fins d’interprétation, les résultats ont été analysés à l’aide du modèle de la régulation familiale de Le Blanc et Cusson (2010), ainsi que le schéma conceptuel des émotions et des réactions des parents de Rivard Hamel (2010). En somme, cette recherche permet de documenter le vécu familial des parents ayant un adolescent délinquant en région, tel que perçu par des intervenants offrant des services en vertu de la LSJPA. Étant donné que les intervenants ciblés dans le cadre de cette étude proviennent d’organismes différents, les résultats permettent d’identifier des nuances dans les responsabilités et les perceptions quant aux caractéristiques des jeunes et la place des parents dans l’intervention. Toutefois, en raison de l’échantillon limité, cette comparaison mériterait d’être davantage approfondie, en portant un regard sur le point de vue des parents eux-mêmes. Cette piste est à considérer dans le cadre de futures recherches dans le but d’améliorer les services offerts aux jeunes délinquants et à leurs familles. Le fait de mieux connaître le point de vue des parents favoriserait leur implication, en plus de prendre en considération leurs idées dans le processus d’intervention

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, TC-PTP, SHP1, and SHP2, Cooperate in Rapid Dephosphorylation of Stat3 in Keratinocytes Following UVB Irradiation

Stat3 is initially dephosphorylated in murine keratinocytes in response to UVB irradiation. Treatment with Na3VO4 desensitized keratinocytes to UVB-induced apoptosis with the recovery of phosphorylated Stat3 protein levels, implying that a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) is involved in this mechanism. In the current work, we report that three PTPs including TC45 (the nuclear form of TC-PTP), SHP1, and SHP2 are involved in this rapid dephosphorylation of Stat3 in keratinocytes induced by UVB irradiation. Dephosphorylation of Stat3 was increased rapidly after UVB irradiation of cultured keratinocytes. Knockdown of TC-PTP, SHP1, or SHP2 using RNAi showed that these PTPs are likely responsible for most of the rapid Stat3 dephosphorylation observed following UVB irradiation. The level of phosphorylated Stat3 was significantly higher in keratinocytes transfected with TC-PTP, SHP1, or SHP2 siRNA in the presence or absence of UVB compared with keratinocytes transfected with control siRNA. TC45 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes and translocated from cytoplasm to nucleus upon UVB irradiation. Stat3 dephosphorylation was associated with nuclear translocation of TC45. Further studies revealed that knockdown of all three phosphatases, using RNAi, prevented the rapid dephosphorylation of Stat3 following UVB irradiation. In mouse epidermis, the level of phosphorylated Stat3 was initially decreased, followed by a significant increase at later time points after UVB exposure. The levels of Stat3 target genes, such as cyclin D1 and c-Myc, followed the changes in activated Stat3 in response to UVB irradiation. Collectively, these results suggest that three phosphatases, TC45, SHP1, and SHP2, are primarily responsible for UVB-mediated Stat3 dephosphorylation and may serve as part of an initial protective mechanism against UV skin carcinogenesis

A Gravitational Redshift Determination of the Mean Mass of White Dwarfs. DA Stars

We measure apparent velocities (v_app) of the Halpha and Hbeta Balmer line cores for 449 non-binary thin disk normal DA white dwarfs (WDs) using optical spectra taken for the ESO SN Ia Progenitor surveY (SPY; Napiwotzki et al. 2001). Assuming these WDs are nearby and co-moving, we correct our velocities to the Local Standard of Rest so that the remaining stellar motions are random. By averaging over the sample, we are left with the mean gravitational redshift, : we find = = 32.57 +/- 1.17 km/s. Using the mass-radius relation from evolutionary models, this translates to a mean mass of 0.647 +0.013 -0.014 Msun. We interpret this as the mean mass for all DAs. Our results are in agreement with previous gravitational redshift studies but are significantly higher than all previous spectroscopic determinations except the recent findings of Tremblay & Bergeron (2009). Since the gravitational redshift method is independent of surface gravity from atmosphere models, we investigate the mean mass of DAs with spectroscopic Teff both above and below 12000 K; fits to line profiles give a rapid increase in the mean mass with decreasing Teff. Our results are consistent with no significant change in mean mass: ^hot = 0.640 +/- 0.014 Msun and ^cool = 0.686 +0.035 -0.039 Msun.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 14 pages, 12 figure

Recency of immersion in L2 environment more important than L2 proficiency in speech segmentation

Speech segmentation is a language-specific skill: each language provides different cues for optimally segmenting the continuous speech stream into words. When exposed to a novel language, listeners have been shown to use those segmentation cues that they are familiar with from their native language (L1)

Mixed pairing symmetry in \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 X organic superconductors from ultrasonic velocity measurements

Discontinuities in elastic constants are detected at the superconducting transition of layered organic conductors \kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}X by longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic velocity measurements. Symmetry arguments show that discontinuities in shear elastic constants can be explained in the orthorhombic compound only if the superconducting order parameter has a mixed character that can be of two types, either A_{1g}+B_{1g} or B_{2g}+B_{3g} in the classification of irreducible representations of the orthorhombic point group D_{2h}. Consistency with other measurements suggests that the A_{1g}+B_{1g} (d_{xy}+d_{z(x+y)}) possibility is realized. Such clear symmetry-imposed signatures of mixed order parameters have not been observed in other superconducting compounds.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX,3 figure

A tetraspecific VHH-based neutralizing antibody modifies disease outcome in three animal models of Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a leading cause of nosocomial infection, is a serious disease in North America, Europe, and Asia. CDI varies greatly from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening diarrhea, toxic megacolon, and toxemia. The incidence of community-acquired infection has increased due to the emergence of hypervirulent antibiotic-resistant strains. These new strains contribute to the frequent occurrence of disease relapse, complicating treatment, increasing hospital stays, and increasing morbidity and mortality among patients. Therefore, it is critical to develop new therapeutic approaches that bypass the development of antimicrobial resistance and avoid disruption of gut microflora. Here, we describe the construction of a single heteromultimeric VHH-based neutralizing agent (VNA) that targets the two primary virulence factors of Clostridium difficile, toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB). Designated VNA2-Tcd, this agent has subnanomolar toxin neutralization potencies for both C. difficile toxins in cell assays. When given systemically by parenteral administration, VNA2-Tcd protected against CDI in gnotobiotic piglets and mice and to a lesser extent in hamsters. Protection from CDI was also observed in gnotobiotic piglets treated by gene therapy with an adenovirus that promoted the expression of VNA2-Tcd