The role of temporal and dynamic signal components in the perception of syllable-final stop voicing by children and adults

Adults whose native languages permit syllable-final obstruents, and show a vocalic length distinction based on the voicing of those obstruents, consistently weight vocalic duration strongly in their perceptual decisions about the voicing of final stops, at least in laboratory studies using synthetic speech. Children, on the other hand, generally disregard such signal properties in their speech perception, favoring formant transitions instead. These age-related differences led to the prediction that children learning English as a native language would weight vocalic duration less than adults, but weight syllable-final transitions more in decisions of final-consonant voicing. This study tested that prediction. In the first experiment, adults and children (eight and six years olds) labeled synthetic and natural CVC words with voiced or voiceless stops in final C position. Predictions were strictly supported for synthetic stimuli only. With natural stimuli it appeared that adults and children alike weighted syllable-offset transitions strongly in their voicing decisions. The predicted age-related difference in the weighting of vocalic duration was seen for these natural stimuli almost exclusively when syllable-final transitions signaled a voiced final stop. A second experiment with adults and children (seven and five years old) replicated these results for natural stimuli with four new sets of natural stimuli. It was concluded that acoustic properties other than vocalic duration might play more important roles in voicing decisions for final stops than commonly asserted, sometimes even taking precedence over vocalic duration.     

Immunostimulatory effects of three classes of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides on PBMC from HCV chronic carriers

Background  

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection results from weak or absent T cell responses. Pegylated-interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin, the standard of care for chronic HCV, have numerous immune effects but are not potent T cell activators. A potent immune activator such as TLR9 agonist CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG) may complement current treatment approaches.     

On the numerical integration of an odd periodic function over a half-period

A method is described for the numerical evaluation of integrals of the form ∫ ₀ ^p f(t)dt, wheref is an odd periodic function with period 2p. The method is based on term-by-term integration of the Fourier sine series forf(t).     

Mass spectrometry—III: Further studies of the unimolecular decomposition of acetophenone azine in the gas phase induced by electron-impact

Mass spectra of acetophenone azine-d₁₀ (II) and acetophenone azine-d₆ (III) were obtained to ascertain the validity of the proposed mass spectral fragmentation mechanisms proposed for acetophenone azine (I). Data from II and III reveal that the [M –1] ion in the spectrum of I is formed via loss of ring hydrogen. Within experimental uncertainty the major fragmentation reactions of the molecular ion of I, the [M –1] ion, and the [M –15] ion occur without loss of structural identity of the phenyl and methyl moieties. Ionization of I occurs with a high degree of structural integrity.     

Conformational analogies of morphine agonists and antagonists as revealed by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy

The extreme similarity (except in the vicinity of the nitrogen atom) of the ¹³C spectra of the agonist-antagonist pairs oxymorphone-naloxone and morphine-nalorphine and their respective hydrochlorides suggests that the N-methyl and N-allyl compounds have analogous conformations. This makes unlikely an interpretation of the agonist-antagonist dichotomy in terms of confonnational differences. Both morphine hydrochloride and nalorphine hydrochloride exist as mixtures of two diastereomers: ca 83% of the isomer with equatorial N-alkyl and 17% of the isomer with axial N-alkyl (ΔG°=O.95 kcalmol^?1).     

Fluorescence spectral imaging of dihydroxyacetone on skin in vivo

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) has been proposed as a potential alternative to dansyl chloride for use as a fluorescence marker on skin to assess stratum corneum turnover time in vivo. However, the fluorescence from DHA on skin has not been adequately studied. To address this void, a noninvasive, noncontact spectral imaging system is used to characterize the fluorescence spectrum of DHA on skin in vivo and to determine the optimal wavelengths over which to collect the DHA signal that minimizes the contributions from skin autofluorescence. The DHA-skin fluorescence signal dominates the 580-680 nm region of the visible spectrum when excited with ultraviolet radiation in the 320-400 nm wavelength region (UVA). An explanation of the time-dependent spectral features is proposed in terms of DHA polymerization and binding to skin.     

Morphological changes in blood vessels produced by hyperosmotic agents and measured by optical coherence tomography

Optical tissue clearing by hyperosmotic chemical agents significantly increases light depth penetration in skin and may improve light-based therapeutics such as laser treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions. A feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the potential role of optical clearing by glycerol in laser treatment of cutaneous vessels. Optical imaging was performed to investigate the morphological effects of glycerol on blood vessels of skin. Blood vessels were imaged using Doppler optical coherence tomography in in vivo hamster skin treated with glycerol. Images were obtained from the subdermal side to assess morphological changes in the blood vessels caused by glycerol and from the epidermal side to assess enhanced Doppler imaging of blood vessels. Application of glycerol to the subdermis resulted in venule stasis and for prolonged treatment times, arteriole stasis. In cases where flow remained in arterioles, an improved Doppler signal was detected from blood vessels when imaging transepidermally compared with the native condition. Intensity images indicated changes in blood optical properties and improved contrast of skin cross sections after glycerol application. The observed optical and morphological effects were reversed upon hydration of the skin with phosphate-buffered saline. The combination of increased depth of light penetration and the temporary slowing or cessation of flow in blood vessels could mean improved laser treatment of vessels.