Multimodal Integration in Statistical Learning: Evidence from the McGurk Illusion

Recent advances in the field of statistical learning have established that learners are able to track regularities of multimodal stimuli, yet it is unknown whether the statistical computations are performed on integrated representations or on separate, unimodal representations. In the present study, we investigated the ability of adults to integrate audio and visual input during statistical learning. We presented learners with a speech stream synchronized with a video of a speaker's face. In the critical condition, the visual (e.g., /gi/) and auditory (e.g., /mi/) signals were occasionally incongruent, which we predicted would produce the McGurk illusion, resulting in the perception of an audiovisual syllable (e.g., /ni/). In this way, we used the McGurk illusion to manipulate the underlying statistical structure of the speech streams, such that perception of these illusory syllables facilitated participants' ability to segment the speech stream. Our results therefore demonstrate that participants can integrate audio and visual input to perceive the McGurk illusion during statistical learning. We interpret our findings as support for modality-interactive accounts of statistical learning.

Construction Grammar For Kids

Most accounts of child language acquisition use as analytic tools adult-like syntactic categories and schemas (formal grammars) with little concern for whether they are psychologically real for young children. Recent research has demonstrated, however, that children do not operate initially with such abstract linguistic entities, but instead operate on the basis of concrete, item-based constructions. Children construct more abstract linguistic constructions only gradually – on the basis of linguistic experience in which frequency plays a key role – and they constrain these constructions to their appropriate ranges of use only gradually as well – again on the basis of linguistic experience in which frequency plays a key role. The best account of first language acquisition is provided by a construction-based, usage-based model in which children process the language they experience in discourse interactions with other persons, relying explicitly and exclusively on social and cognitive skills that children of this age are known to possess.

Linkage in narratives: A comparison between monolingual speakers of French and Italian, and early and late French-Italian bilinguals

In the course of language acquisition learners have to deal with the task of producing narrative texts that are coherent across a range of conceptual domains (space, time, entities) -- both within as well as across utterances. The organization of information is analyzed in this study, on the basis of retellings of a silent film, in terms of devices used in the coordination and subordination of events within the narrative sequence. The focus on subordination reflects a core grammatical difference between Italian and French, as Italian is a null-subject language while French is not. The implications of this contrast for information structure include differences in topic management within the sequence of events. The present study investigates in how far Italian-French bilingual speakers acquire the patterns of monolingual speakers of Italian. It compares how early and late bilinguals of these two languages proceed when linking information in narratives in Italian.

Structural brain changes related to bilingualism: does immersion make a difference?

Abstract Within the field of neuroscientific research on second language learning, considerable attention has been devoted to functional and recently also structural changes related to second language acquisition. The present literature review summarizes studies that investigated structural changes related to bilingualism. Furthermore, as recent evidence has suggested that native-like exposure to a second language (i.e., a naturalistic learning setting or immersion) considerably impacts second language learning, all findings are reflected with respect to the learning environment. Aggregating the existing evidence, we conclude that structural changes in left inferior frontal and inferior parietal regions have been observed in studies on cortical gray matter changes, while the anterior parts of the corpus callosum have been repeatedly found to reflect bilingualism in studies on white matter (WM) connectivity. Regarding the learning environment, no cortical alterations can be attributed specifically to naturalistic or classroom learning. With regard to WM changes, one might tentatively propose that changes in IFOF and SLF are possibly more prominently observed in studies investigating bilinguals with a naturalistic learning experience. However, future studies are needed to replicate and strengthen the existing evidence and to directly test the impact of naturalistic exposure on structural brain plasticity.

The nature of syntactic impairment in autism

This paper presents a first exploration of the syntactic abilities of autistic children using the framework of truncation theory (Rizzi 1993-4, 2000). It is the first step of an ongoing research project aiming to (a) provide a complete map of syntax in autism, for such work has never been attempted from a sound linguistic perspective (b) develop a targeted remediation program to enhance syntactic abilities of autistic children. Recently, a growing body of work has emphasized the existence of a causal relation between the acquisition of complex syntax (embedding) and the development of a theory of mind (in normally-developing, deaf and autistic children). Early identification and remediation of syntactic deficits is therefore crucial not only to enhance cognitive abilites related to theory of mind, but also because of the critical period hypothesis for language acquisition.

Latino perceptions of and barriers to preventive healthcare maintenance in the southwest United States

Between the 1990 and 2000 Censuses, the Latino population accounted for 40% of the increase in the nation’s total population. The growing population of Latinos underscores the importance for understanding factors that influence whether and how Latinos take care of their health. According to the U.S. Department of Human Health Service’s Office of Minority Health (OMH), Latinos are at greater risk for health disparities (2003). Factors such as lack of health insurance and access to preventive care play a major role in limiting Latino use of primary health care (Institute of Medicine, 2005). Other significant barriers to preventive health care maintenance behaviors have been identified in current literature such as primary care physician interaction, self-perceived health status, and socio-cultural beliefs and traditions (Rojas-Guyler, King, Montieth and 2008; Meir, Medina, and Ory, 2007; Black, 1999). Despite these studies, there remains less information regarding interpersonal perceptions, environmental dynamics and individual and cultural attitudes relevant to utilization of healthcare (Rojas-Guyler, King, Montieth and 2008; Aguirre-Molina, Molina and Zambrana, 2001). Understanding the perceptions of Latinos and the barriers to health care could directly affect healthcare delivery. Improved healthcare utilization among Latinos could reduce the long term health consequences of many preventable and manageable diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore Latino perceptions of U.S. health care and desired changes by Latinos in the U.S. healthcare system. The study had several objectives, including to explore perceived barriers to healthcare utilization and the resulting effects on health among Latinos, to describe culturally influenced attitudes about health care and use of health care services among Latinos, and to make recommendations for reducing disparities by improving healthcare and its utilization. The current study utilized data that were collected as part of a larger study to examine multidimensional, cross-cultural issues relevant to interactions between healthcare consumers and providers. Qualitative methods were used to analyze four Spanish-language focus group transcripts to interpret cultural influences on perceptions and beliefs among Latinos. Direct coding of transcript content was carried out by two reviewers, who conducted independent reviews of each transcript. Team members developed and refined thematic categories, positive and negative cases, and example text segments for each theme and sub-theme. Incongruities of interpretations were resolved through extensive discussion. Study participants included 44 self-identified Latino adults (16 male, 28 female) between age 18 and 64 years. Thirty seven (84.1%) of the participants were immigrants. The study population comprised eight ethnic subgroups. While 31% of the participants reported being employed on a full-time basis, only 18.4% had medical insurance that was private or employee sponsored. Five major themes regarding the perceptions and healthcare utilization behaviors of Latinos were consistent across all focus groups and were identified during the analysis. These were: (1) healthcare utilization, experience, and access; (2) organizational and institutional systems; (3) communication and interpersonal interactions between healthcare provider, staff, and patient; (4) Latinos’ perception of their own health status; (5) cultural influences on healthcare utilization, which included an innovation termed culturally-bound locus of control. Healthcare utilization was directly influenced by healthcare experience, access, current health status, and cultural factors and indirectly influenced by organizational systems. There was a strong interdependence among the main themes. The ability to communicate and interact effectively with healthcare providers and navigate healthcare systems (organizational and institutional access) significantly influenced the participant’s health care experience, most often (indirectly) impacting utilization negatively. ^ Research such as this can help to identify those perceptions and attitudes held by Latinos concerning utilization or underutilization of healthcare systems. These data suggest that for healthcare utilization to improve among Latinos, healthcare systems must create more culturally competent environments by providing better language services at the organizational level and more culturally sensitive providers at the interpersonal level. Better understanding of the complex interactions between these impediments can aid intervention developments, and help health providers and researchers in determining appropriate, adequate, and effective measurers of care to better increase overall health of Latinos.^

Prevalence of gastro esophageal reflux disease following the Montreal Consensus and its association with Helicobacter pylori infection and obesity in a random sample of adults of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 2004.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common condition affecting 25 to 40% of the population and causes significant morbidity in the U.S., accounting for at least 9 million office visits to physicians with estimated annual costs of $10 billion. Previous research has not clearly established whether infection with Helicobacter pylori, a known cause of peptic ulcer, atrophic gastritis and non cardia adenocarcinoma of the stomach, is associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected in a cross-sectional study of a random sample of adult residents of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that was conducted in 2004 (Prevalence and Determinants of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis Study or CAG study, Dr. Victor M. Cardenas, Principal Investigator). In this study, the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease was based on responses to the previously validated Spanish Language Dyspepsia Questionnaire. Responses to this questionnaire indicating the presence of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and disease were compared with the presence of H. pylori infection as measured by culture, histology and rapid urease test, and with findings of upper endoscopy (i.e., hiatus hernia and erosive and atrophic esophagitis). The prevalence ratio was calculated using bivariate, stratified and multivariate negative binomial logistic regression analyses in order to assess the relation between active H. pylori infection and the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux typical syndrome and disease, while controlling for known risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease such as obesity. In a random sample of 174 adults 48 (27.6%) of the study participants had typical reflux syndrome and only 5% (or 9/174) had gastroesophageal reflux disease per se according to the Montreal consensus, which defines reflux syndromes and disease based on whether the symptoms are perceived as troublesome by the subject. There was no association between H. pylori infection and typical reflux syndrome or gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, we found that in this Northern Mexican population, there was a moderate association (Prevalence Ratio=2.5; 95% CI=1.3, 4.7) between obesity (≥30 kg/m2) and typical reflux syndrome. Management and prevention of obesity will significantly curb the growing numbers of persons affected by gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and disease in Northern Mexico. ^

El lenguaje de Aristóteles según el Index Aristotelicus de Hermann Bonitz

El clásico Index Aristotelicus de Hermann Bonitz contiene un sinnúmero de voces griegas de las que se ha valido Aristóteles para desarrollar su pensamiento. Bonitz presenta cada vocablo citando textos que revelan el valor que tenía para el hombre griego común, su funcionamiento gramatical y sus diversos sentidos en cuanto términos filosóficos aristotélicos. Nosotros hemos seleccionado, de dicha obra, algunas voces que son clave del pensamiento lógico-metafísico aristotélico, y hemos transcrito cada uno de los textos-muestra que en Bonitz son citados meramente mediante el nombre de la obra que los contiene y su correspondiente ubicación según Bekker. Hemos reunido importante cantidad de ejemplos que enriquecen el acceso al griego aristotélico, presentándolos en idioma español y acompañados de las frases griegas que contienen la voz correspondiente. Ofrecemos aquí dos artículos: σύμβολον y μῦθος, que serán incluidos en la obra que intentamos publicar en el presente año.

El valor como medida de la trascendencia : un punto de coincidencia entre Francisco Romero y Augusto Salazar Bondy

Francisco Romero y Augusto Salazar Bondy se interesaron por los temas antropológicos y axiológicos, por la actualización y difusión de la producción filosófica en general y, en especial la de lengua española y manifestaron particular inquietud por los desarrollos de la filosofía en América Latina. Aunque la evolución posterior del pensamiento de Salazar Bondy siguió rumbos teóricos diferentes a los de Romero, es posible señalar algunos puntos de contacto entre sus ideas acerca del valor, sobre todo con aquellas que el peruano elaboró durante la primera etapa de su trayectoria intelectual, entre 1958 y 1964. La idea de trascendencia del argentino resulta compatible con la tesis salazariana acerca del valor como ente no–real, cuya consistencia radica en la “posibilidad ideal" o apertura –trascendencia– hacia un correlato concreto, por referencia al cual el ente alcanza su completud.

Cultura popular y poesía narrativa medieval: contactos productivos

El presente artículo propone focalizar la pertinencia de la configuración teórica del concepto de literatura y cultura popular para el estudio de la poesía narrativa medieval en su pasaje del universo de la oralidad al de la escritura, y de la escritura manuscrita a la imprenta. Los ejemplos serán aportados a su vez por los géneros narrativos paradigmáticos medievales, la épica y el romancero, en el dominio lingüístico específico del castellano.

Barroco, Modernismo, Neobarroco

Rubén Darío es el primer escritor en lengua castellana que reivindica sin matices y de manera plena la obra de Luis de Góngora. Su propuesta se encuentra plasmada en Cantos de vida y esperanza a través del tríptico de sonetos "Trébol" y el poema que abre el poemario ("Yo soy aquel que ayer no más decía"), en el cual confiesa que dos de sus grandes influencias son Góngora y Paul Verlaine. A partir de este diálogo inicial que establece Darío, la crítica ha insistido desde muy temprano sobre las afinidades que se encuentran entre el Modernismo y el Barroco. Pero debajo de las afinidades existen desde luego diferencias cruciales, que en este trabajo desarrollo a partir de tres ejes comparativos: la política, la religión y el lenguaje. Tras esta comparación, sostengo que el Modernismo, a través de Darío, arranca el Barroco de su suelo histórico y lo coloca en los dilemas y las contradicciones modernas del artista con la sociedad. Con esto, sienta las bases de lo que más tarde será el Neobarroco.

Poéticas políticas del español. Algunas notas sobre imaginarios del idioma en Juan Gelman y los Zapatistas

Se describen y analizan las proximidades y distancias entre imaginarios poéticos y críticos del idioma español y de su historia (el de Juan Gelman y el de la crítica subalternista) vinculados a las vanguardias literarias de la izquierda latinoamericana, y las prácticas discursivas del zapatismo en cuyo interior, a su vez, se establecen diferencias entre las de procedencia indígena y las firmadas por el Subcomandante Marcos.

Intervenciones críticas en la poesía última (Prácticas de articulación y agendas complementarias)

Indagaremos algunas dominantes en la intervención crítica sobre el género poético en lengua española de las últimas décadas, proponiendo alternativas diferentes a las convencionales operaciones de recorte y exclusión de grupos y tendencias, a los que nos tiene acostumbrada la crítica mayoritaria, desde antologías y suplementos literarios, preocupada por rotular, oponer y disgregar, diseñando mapas de polaridades irreconciliables y nombres propios consagrados como oráculos, sin nexo con sus coetáneos, asimilados como adversarios, y potenciando rivalidades personales, o comportamientos públicos de los actores por encima de sus escrituras. Para superar estas reductivas miradas se hace necesario ensayar propuestas de articulación: suturar fisuras imaginarias para integrar praxis materiales; imaginar políticas de intercambio textual e ideológico; admitir un trazado de zonas de confluencia permeables; asumir que los poetas vehiculizan identidades móviles y receptivas, a favor de un diálogo inter-local mutuamente enriquecedor.