Subcortical aphasia with deep dyslexia: A case study of a Japanese patient

The reading performance of a Japanese Broca-type aphasic patient on a single-word reading test was investigated. The result indicated that the subject fits the symptom complex of deep dyslexia in more than one aspect. Unique characteristics of this subject included (1) the isolated subcortical site of the lesion, which apparently produced deep dyslexia, and (2) double dissociations between kanji and kana processing and between oral reading and reading comprehension. The performance of this subject was compared with that of another Japanese deep dyslexic subject in S. Sasanuma (1980, In M. Coltheart, K. Patterson, & J. C. Marshall (Eds.), Deep dyslexia, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul). A theoretical implication was attempted based on a dual coding process scheme by S. Sasanuma and O. Fujimura (1978, Cortex, 7, 1-18).     

Disruption of reference in aging

A homogeneous sample of normal adults living in a religious order in a study of age effects on reference as a cohesive device in discourse production and comprehension. Narrative and procedural discourse were examined across various levels of complexity and stimulus/response requirements. Results indicate that significant ambiguity of reference emerges in the younger elderly group (age 64-76) in comparison to the middle-aged group (age 27 to 55), and increases markedly in the older elderly group (age 77-92). Related impairments of comprehension and cognition were also observed. These findings are interpreted to be general features of linguistic variation with advancing age. Communicative consequences of ambiguous reference are discussed.     

The semantics of grammatical gender: A cross-cultural study

Although most present-day scholars claim that grammatical gender has no meaning correlates, anecdotal evidence dating back to the Greeks suggests that grammatical gender carries connotative meanings of femininity and masculinity. In the present study native German speakers (tested in Germany) and native Spanish speakers (tested in Mexico) judged 54 high-frequency translation equivalents on semantic differential scales chosen to reflect dimensions of evaluation, potency, and activity. Half the words were of feminine gender in German but of masculine gender in Spanish (Type I words), and half were of masculine gender in German and of feminine gender in Spanish (Type II words). As predicted, German speakers judged Type II words higher in potency than Type I words, whereas Spanish speakers judged Type I words higher in potency than Type II words. The conclusion was that grammatical gender does affect meaning.     

A Multi-informant Multi-Measure Approach to the Two Factor Model of Emotion with Youth

The two-factor model of emotion clarifies the complexities of the relationship between anxiety and depression through their varying associations with positive and negative affect. Although this model’s structure has been studied in children, the lack of parent report measures on model-specific constructs has thus far prevented a multi-informant perspective on the model. Capitalizing on recent advancements in parent report assessment instruments, the present investigation aimed to confirm the two-factor model of emotion per child self-report; expand the model’s applicability to include parent report; and create a combined-informant model with a large number of parent-child dyad pairs (N?=?610). Structural equation modeling demonstrated good fit within parent and child informant models, but diminished fit for the multi-informant model. These results suggest a high degree of robustness with respect to informant type. Implications for the integration of multi-informant assessment information are discussed.     

An investigation of surface reconstruction from binocular disparity based on standard regularization theory: comparison between "membrane" and "thin-plate" potential energy models

Visible surfaces of three-dimensional objects are reconstructed from two-dimensional retinal images in the early stages of human visual processing. In the computational model of surface reconstruction based on the standard regularization theory, an energy function is minimized. Two types of model have been proposed, called "membrane" and "thin-plate" after their function formulas, in which the first or the second derivative of depth information is used. In this study, the threshold of surface reconstruction from binocular disparity was investigated using a sparse random dot stereogram, and the predictive accuracy of these models was evaluated. It was found that the thin-plate model reconstructed surfaces more accurately than the membrane model and showed good agreement with experimental results. The likelihood that these models imitate human processing of visual information is discussed in terms of the size of receptive fields in the visual pathways of the human cortex.     

Achievement Motivation among High School Basketball and Cross-Country Athletes: A Personal Investment Perspective

Abstract

Goal perspective research in the sport setting has primarily focused on task and ego goal orientations, while failing to address the influence of social goals (e.g., Urdan & Maehr, 1995). Maehr and Braskamp's (1986) personal investment theory allows researchers to examine achievement motivation from a multidimensional perspective that incorporates social factors of motivation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the personal incentives, sense of self, and perceived options (Maehr & Braskamp, 1986) of basketball and cross-country athletes via semi-structured interviews. Results from content analyses revealed that athletes defined positive and negative experiences through task-, ego-, and socially-oriented personal incentives as well as sense of self and perceived options components. Socially-oriented personal incentives and sense of self components were more prevalent for the basketball athletes than for the cross-country athletes. Notable sport group differences suggest the need to further examine social factors of motivation with a broader representation of individual and team sport athletes.     

Short-range order in Al-rich 𝛄-TiAl alloys studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with image processing

The atomic arrangements of short-range order (SRO) in two Al-rich γ-TiAl alloys with 62.5 and 60.0at.%Al respectively have been investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with image processing. For both alloys, SRO structures are formed in Ti-rich (002) layers of the L1₀ ordered γ-TiAl matrix, in the course of the phase transformation from the Al₅ Ti₃ long-period superstructure phase at lower temperatures to the h-Al₂ Ti phase at higher temperatures. The SRO structures are composed of three types of ordered cluster: Ti₄ Al type (square shaped), Ti₃ Al type (fat rhombus shaped) and Ti₂ Al type (lean rhombus shaped). The ordered clusters form local microdomains of the Al₅ Ti₃ and Al₃ Ti₂ superstructures in addition to the Al₅ Ti₃ and h-Al₂ Ti superstructures, by different methods of tiling the ordered clusters. Such ordered clusters or microdomains tend to be in contact with each other through common {310) boundaries. This results in peculiar diffuse streaks in diffraction connecting intensity maxima arising from the long-period superstructures.     

Secondary defects induced by ion and electron irradiation of GaSb

Secondary defects induced by ion and electron irradiation up to 6?dpa (displacements per atom) at liquid-nitrogen temperature in GaSb thin films are compared. For Sn ion (60?keV) irradiation, voids were observed. However, for high-energy electron (2?MeV) irradiation, interstitial-type dislocation loops were produced. The densities of voids and interstitial-type dislocation loops were almost equivalent (8?×?10¹⁴?voids/m² and 3?×?10¹⁴?loops/m²) after irradiations at the same damage level of 6?dpa. It is concluded that the formation of voids by ion irradiation follows the creation of localised vacancy defects in cascade damage.     

Experimental evidence of the second signaling system of man

After the first principles of the conditional reflexes had been elucidated by Pavlov and his followers, Pavlov named the neurophysiologic entity common to both animals and men thefirst signaling system. He recognized that man has another signaling system,viz., language, and he proposed that it be named thesecond signaling system. Few experimental studies relating to the second signaling system have been done. Only occasional studies of the effects of spoken language on animals and men, or the effects of spoken language upon EEG and other motor activities of men have been reported. In this paper, the author reports experimental investigation of the second signaling system through the classical conditional salivary method in man, and the development of its methodology.     

Investigating the Relative Contributions of Computerised Working Memory Training and English Language Teaching to Cognitive and Foreign Language Development

The current study reports on an intervention study that investigated the relative contributions of 5‐week English language training (ELT) and 5‐week working memory training (WMT) to improvements in English language knowledge and working memory capacity in university learners of English as a foreign language. The participants were allocated to one of the following three experimental groups and a control group: (i) ELT only; (ii) WMT only; and (iii) both WMT and ELT. The results showed that intervention effects were pronounced in the WMT + ELT group, who improved scores on the reading span test and all tests of verbal and visuo‐spatial short‐term and working memory. The gains on verbal short‐term (Japanese) and working memory (Japanese and English) were maintained 3 months later. None of the interventions, single or combined, were associated with gains in foreign language knowledge, however. The sustained effects of the dual approach and its implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.