Recent research has underscored the potential role of analysis of EEG signals as indicators of cognitive decline. In addition, we have also seen the emergence of embedded systems that are capable of analyzing biological signals in real time to track a number of physiological variables and make accurate conclusions about the individual 's physiological status and health. This paper presents the design of an embedded system which is capable of tracking relevant bio-signals from the person in real time and facilitating a dependable decision making process that provides alerts for potential brain activity changes. The design focuses around the use of sensors and a processing element. It incorporates the use of electroencephalography (EEG) and oxygen saturation (Sp02) signals. As an early proof-ofconcept, our system collects data from the sensors, performs initial processing and provides the framework to compute significant physiological variables.
Research on the perception of novel phonemic contrasts by second language (L2) learners typically employs tasks such as identification and discrimination. These tasks allow researchers to study L2 speech in a highly controlled setting. However, they differ in important ways from natural communication, which normally requires learners to (1) access lexical representations of words containing novel contrasts, and (2) interpret linguistic context (e.g., syntax, semantics, discourse) while simultaneously perceiving/producing novel contrasts. This study investigated whether learners/ perceptual performance with respect to novel contrasts is mediated by whether or not tasks require lexical access (LA) and/or the simultaneous interpretation of linguistic context (SILC). Native English speakers learned Ukrainian auditory nonword pairs differentiated by palatalization contrasts along with pictured “meanings.” An ability to distinguish the words was tested in tasks differing on the two dimensions (LA and SILC). Performance was most accurate in the noLA + noSILC task, least accurate in the LA + SILC and noLA + SILC tasks, and intermediate in the LA + noSILC task, indicating that both LA and SILC appear to depress perceptual accuracy. However, the effect of SILC is stronger than that of LA. Future directions and implications for the study of L2 perception/production will be discussed.
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