Effect of Musical Aptitude on the Perception of English Vowels: An Eye-Tracking Investigation Among Native Mandarin Speakers.

Purpose: Previous research has suggested that individuals' higher musical aptitude enhances their speech perception in terms of pitch and temporal features. However, it remains unclear whether this cross-domain transfer could extend to the perception of second language (L2) vowels. The primary aim of this study is to investigate how musical aptitude influences the categorical perception of English vowels by native Mandarin speakers.

Enhanced dual-mode terahertz absorption in a graphene-dielectric metasurface by quasi-bound states in the continuum.

A graphene-dielectric metasurface driven by quasi-bound states in the continuum (BICs) is proposed for enhanced dual-mode absorption in the terahertz (THz) regime. The graphene-dielectric metasurface is composed of a periodic array of cross-shaped slabs and monolayer graphene. By introducing symmetry perturbation for the cross-shaped slab metasurface, the symmetry-protected BICs transform into quasi-BICs.

Kindlin-1 promotes mitophagy by inhibiting PINK1 degradation to enhance hepatocellular carcinoma progression and modulates sensitivity to donafenib.

Mitophagy, essential for mitochondrial homeostasis, may affect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and drug sensitivity, though its precise role remains unclear. Kindlin-1 is an adhesion protein which can regulate the function of integrins, resulting in an aggressive phenotype in certain solid malignant tumors.This study explored the clinical significance and cellular functions of Kindlin-1 in HCC.

Emotional prosody perception in Mandarin: Effects of age, hearing, education, and cognition.

Accurately recognizing the emotional prosody of others is crucial for effective social interactions, yet this ability notably declines as individuals age, particularly in individuals with age-related hearing loss. To further understand how aging and hearing loss affect older adults' recognition patterns and to investigate potential contributors, the present study recruited 32 older adults with normal hearing, 26 older adults with age-related hearing loss, 30 younger adults with simulated hearing loss, and 30 younger adults with normal hearing to identify vocal emotions portrayed in semantically neutral Chinese words. Accuracy was analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models to assess the impact of aging and hearing loss.

Radiology report generation based on adaptive enhanced fusion of multi features.

The radiology report is essential for doctors' diagnosis and treatment. The automatic generation of radiology reports can assist doctors in diagnosis and treatment, thereby reducing their workload. Some existing studies consider the entire radiological image as the input for report generation, overlooking the local feature information within it.

The protective role and mechanism of ginkgolide B in regulating mTOR signalling pathway involved in Manganese-induced apoptosis and autophagy in N27 cells.

Ginkgolide B (GB) is a diterpenoid compound found in the leaves of the traditional Chinese medicine plant Ginkgo biloba, which has been shown to have a variety of pharmacological functions. However, the role of GB in Manganese(Mn)-induced apoptosis and autophagy in neuronal cells remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of GB on Mn-induced apoptosis and autophagy in N27 cells and further elucidate the mechanism of its protective effects.

Exploring structural stigma towards mental disorders: An analysis of trial verdicts.

Mental health issues, particularly depression, often carry a stigma that can infiltrate various societal institutions, including the legal system. This study investigates the structural stigma associated with depression within the context of second-instance criminal trials in China, examining trial verdicts from 2009 to 2023. Through a detailed analysis of 171 cases using Semantic Network Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, and logistic regression, this research elucidates the complex ways in which depression is considered in judicial decisions.

Neurobehavioral characteristics and symptomatic correlations of audiovisual multisensory integration in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Multisensory integration (MSI) avoids cognitive overload, and the traditional all-or-nothing perspective for dysfunctional MSI in schizophrenia has been increasingly challenged. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze extant evidence on audiovisual MSI in schizophrenia.

Methods: We searched Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES databases from inception until April 16th, 2024.

Pausing patterns in English school-age children with a history of late talking: Frequent pauses and prolonged response delays.

Introduction: This study explored silent pause patterns, their interaction with filled pauses, and response delays in five-year-old children who were previously identified as late talkers in their conversations with adults.

Methods: We analyzed 73 child-adult conversations (36 with a late-talking history, 37 typically developing) from the CHILDES Clinical English Ellis Weismer Corpus at age five across three temporal stages. Using Praat, we identified and classified silent pauses (> 250 ms) by duration and position and annotated them across three tiers: silent pause categories, pauses near filled pauses, and response delays.

Disruptions in lexical and speech entrainment: Multidimensional insights from English school-age late talkers.

Late talkers, despite achieving normal language test scores by age five, often face enduring conversational challenges. This study examines whether school-age children identified as late talkers at 24 months show persistent disruptions in speech and lexical entrainment. We analysed spontaneous conversational samples from 36 late talkers and 37 typically developing five-year-olds, examining lexical entrainment patterns in high-frequency, hedge, and affirmative cue words and speech entrainment of 412 acoustic features (rhythmic, articulatory, and phonatory dimensions).

Auditory Global-Local Processing Under Tonal Language Background: Effect of Attention and Autistic Traits.

Purpose: Neurotypical individuals show a robust "global precedence effect (GPE)" when processing hierarchically structured visual information. However, the auditory domain remains understudied. The current research serves to fill the knowledge gap on auditory global-local processing across the broader autism phenotype under the tonal language background.

Maternal supplementation with konjac glucomannan and κ-carrageenan promotes sow performance and benefits the gut barrier in offspring.

This research aims to investigate the effects of dietary konjac glucomannan and κ-carrageenan (SF) on sow performance and suckling piglet gut barrier. Thirty-four sows in late gestation (parity 2-5) were selected at random and grouped into two treatments. The control group (Con group;  = 17) was fed the basal diet; the SF group was fed the same diet supplemented with 0.

Category-Sensitive Age-Related Shifts Between Prosodic and Semantic Dominance in Emotion Perception Linked to Cognitive Capacities.

Purpose: Prior research extensively documented challenges in recognizing verbal and nonverbal emotion among older individuals when compared with younger counterparts. However, the nature of these age-related changes remains unclear. The present study investigated how older and younger adults comprehend four basic emotions (i.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis.

Purpose: As artificial intelligence (AI) takes an increasingly prominent role in health care, a growing body of research is being dedicated to its application in the investigation of communication sciences and disorders (CSD). This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, developers, and professionals seeking to comprehend the evolving landscape of AI in CSD research.

Method: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of AI-based research in the discipline of CSD published up to December 2023.

Effect of Age and Gender on Categorical Perception of Vocal Emotion Under Tonal Language Background.

Purpose: Categorical perception (CP) manifests in various aspects of human cognition. While there is mounting evidence for CP in facial emotions, CP in vocal emotions remains understudied. The current study attempted to test whether individuals with a tonal language background perceive vocal emotions categorically and to examine how factors such as gender and age influence the plasticity of these perceptual categories.

Decline of Affective Prosody Recognition With a Positivity Bias Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Understanding how older adults perceive and interpret emotional cues in speech prosody contributes to our knowledge of cognitive aging. This study provides a systematic review with meta-analysis to investigate the extent of the decline in affective prosody recognition (APR) among older adults in terms of overall and emotion-specific performance and explore potential moderators that may cause between-studies heterogeneity.

Method: The literature search encompassed five electronic databases, with a specific emphasis on studies comparing the APR performance of older adults with that of younger adults.

Age and sex differences in emotion perception are influenced by emotional category and communication channel.

Sex differences in verbal and nonverbal emotion processing in older individuals are underexplored despite declining emotional performance with age. This study aimed to investigate the nature of sex differences in age-related decline in emotion perception, exploring modulatory effects on communication channels and emotion categories. Seventy-three older adults (43 female participants, aged 60-89 years) and 74 younger adults (37 female participants, aged 18-30 years) completed a task to recognize basic emotions (i.

Factors influencing speech improvement following maxillary complete-arch implant-supported restorations: A retrospective study.

Objective: This study explored factors affecting speech improvement in patients with an edentulous maxilla after the delivery of a complete-arch implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis (IFDP).

Materials And Methods: Patients who had received IFDP for edentulous maxilla were enrolled, and various potential speech improvement-related factors were considered, including patient demographics, anterior residual bone volume, preoperative facial features, preoperative acoustic parameters, and adaptation time. Acoustic analysis and perceptual ratings were used to assess three fricatives [s], [f], and [ɕ].

Auditory Challenges and Listening Effort in School-Age Children With Autism: Insights From Pupillary Dynamics During Speech-in-Noise Perception.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate challenges in speech-in-noise (SiN) processing faced by school-age children with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and their impact on listening effort.

Method: Participants, including 23 Mandarin-speaking children with ASCs and 19 age-matched neurotypical (NT) peers, underwent sentence recognition tests in both quiet and noisy conditions, with a speech-shaped steady-state noise masker presented at 0-dB signal-to-noise ratio in the noisy condition. Recognition accuracy rates and task-evoked pupil responses were compared to assess behavioral performance and listening effort during auditory tasks.

Chinese Emotional Speech Audiometry Project (CESAP): Establishment and Validation of a New Material Set With Emotionally Neutral Disyllabic Words.

Purpose: The Chinese Emotional Speech Audiometry Project (CESAP) aims to establish a new material set for Chinese speech audiometry tests, which can be used in both neutral and emotional prosody settings. As the first endeavor of CESAP, this study demonstrates the development of the material foundation and reports its validation in neutral prosody.

Method: In the development step, 40 phonetically balanced word lists consisting of 30 Chinese disyllabic words with neutral valence were first generated.

Dietary fat supplementation relieves cold temperature-induced energy stress through AMPK-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis in pigs.

Background: Cold stress has negative effects on the growth and health of mammals, and has become a factor restricting livestock development at high latitudes and on plateaus. The gut-liver axis is central to energy metabolism, and the mechanisms by which it regulates host energy metabolism at cold temperatures have rarely been illustrated. In this study, we evaluated the status of glycolipid metabolism and oxidative stress in pigs based on the gut-liver axis and propose that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key target for alleviating energy stress at cold temperatures by dietary fat supplementation.

Investigating Perception to Production Transfer in Children With Cochlear Implants: A High Variability Phonetic Training Study.

Purpose: This study builds upon an established effective training method to investigate the advantages of high variability phonetic identification training for enhancing lexical tone perception and production in Mandarin-speaking pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients, who typically face ongoing challenges in these areas.

Method: Thirty-two Mandarin-speaking children with CIs were quasirandomly assigned into the training group (TG) and the control group (CG). The 16 TG participants received five sessions of high variability phonetic training (HVPT) within a period of 3 weeks.