Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering (Discontinued) - Volume 4, Issue 3, 2016

Background: Various combinations of Japanese sound symbolic words are produced by reduplicating the word stem, adding /Q/, /N/, /R/ and /ri/ to the word stem, or inserting /Q/, /N/, /R/ and /ri/ into the word stem. Ono (2007) notes there is a systematic rule for attaching /Q/, /N/, /R/, and /ri/ to the end of a word stem, and the word form can be extended until it becomes a form ending in "-Q". Objective: It has been noted that there are many words that are not listed in dictionaries as one of the characteristics of sound symbolic words. This paper examines the specific characteristics of sound symbolic words, focusing on /Q/, /N/, /R/ and /ri/. Methods: Sound symbolic words which are used in current Japanese were searched in the dictionary, "Kurasi-no Kotoba: Gion/Gitaigo Jiten." There are 2,030 Sound symbolic words in total in the dictionary and 1977 words out of them were examined in this paper. Results: Four hundred six sound symbolic words, equivalent to 1/5 of the entire listing, were not listed in the "Nihon Kokugo Daijiten". From here, we will examine whether certain patterns exist among the words not listed in the "Nihon Kokugo Daijiten". Conclusion: One pattern is a word form with more than two elements, especially where the word ends with "RQ" and "RN". Another is a form with a single end word of /Q/, such as "ABQ", and a reduplication type word form, "ABABQ". There are many word forms ending with element /Q/, followed by /N/; however, there are only a few with word forms ending with /R/ or /ri/. These word forms include many types that contain the element /Q/. Not only does this pattern simply emphasize speed or momentum, it also emphasizes a strong colloquial tone and may even create a vulgar impression.

Background: In the Kyoto School of Linguistics, which originated with Dr. Hisanosuke Izui, scholars have made great accounts of the continuity of language that represent a significant achievement in 20th century linguistics. Objective: In this paper, we assert that Eugenio Coseriu in Europe and Dr. Hisanosuke Izui in East Asia attempted to overcome Saussure’s Antinomy of synchrony and diachrony based on the language viewpoints of Wilhelm von Humboldt. Results: In a particular utilitarian effort to illustrate the continuity of language, the Kyoto School of Linguistics developed two models: one is a linear schematization using one attribute, and the other is an octahedron. Conclusion: The three-way model and the triangle model of C.S. Peirce may be more applicable to these complex systems.

Style is considered to be a poetic function. This paper suggests how to translate these cases according to literal and cognitive analyses. Background: The word "the style" has broad content. It can be used, for example, to indicate a writer's choice of words; use of ornament, rhythm, and figures, such as metaphors; and the lengths of sentences and words, compositions of words and sentences. Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the major transformation in English translation and to investigate the reason for this transformation in individual cases. Results: When the change of style is resolved into the change of valency, the translation maintaining the style is possible in the light of cognitive pragmatics. Conclusion: We have three ways to translate the sentence with French subject « on ».

Background: How is intercultural understanding possible? As shown by hermeneutic theories of understanding, it is inevitable to interpret different cultures within our own cultural perspective regulating our understanding as a preconception. Nevertheless, this basic framework of our understanding is usually considered as strange, because we are so familiar with it that we are unable to grasp it. With the progress of intercultural interpretation, we begin to shed light on the horizons of both other cultures and our own. Objective: However, how can we reflect on our own preconception? Hans-Georg Gadamer answers this question by arguing that the horizon of other ‘calls’ us to interrupt our horizon for a moment and enables us to distance ourselves from it. If so, why are we shocked to hear this unfamiliar call, though we still remain in our own horizon? Method: In order to answer this question, I consider some significant theories of such philosophers as Gadamer, Martin Heidegger and Vladimir Jankelevitch. Result: As the result of my consideration, I claim that we can hear the above-mentioned unfamiliar call in our own horizon because not only are we surrounded by the horizon of our culture, but we also transcend it at the same time. Conclusion: This implies that while belonging to our cultural community, we originally dwell in a primary and unlimited community (‘cosmopolis’) that precedes all of the actual communities. Furthermore, we can realize unconditional hospitality only when we are ‘cosmopolitan’.

Objective: We introduce the relation between Stylometry and neuroscience by reviewing stylometric studies from the viewpoint of pattern recognition. Structure: This paper is organized as follows. Section 1 presents stylometric studies based on pattern recognition. Section 2 and Section 3 outline stylometric features and authorship attribution methods. Section 4 describes the relation between stylometry and the brain. Conclusion: This paper indicates the relation between stylometry and neuroscience by presenting stylistic variation in the works of an author who suffers from mental illness.

Background: Language is an advanced cognitive function of the human brain. Chinese word expertise is typically associated with enhanced inferior parietal lobule (IPL) activation in response to written words. Wu et al. (2012) reported that stronger activation of the bilateral IPL was observed in the literate subjects compared with the illiterate subjects. However, whether education level effects the neural activation associated with phonological processing of Chinese is still unknown. Objective: In order to find the difference of brain activity between illiterate and literate subjects with Chinese character voice processing. Methods: In this study, all subjects were asked to listening the character voice or pure tone pairs and discriminate whether the character voice or pure tone of each stimuli pair was the same or not using response keys. Both literate and illiterate subjects activated a widely distributed cerebral network, including the bilateral inferior, middle and superior frontal gyri, superior temporal gyrus and parietal lobe, in the Chinese character voice judgment task. Finally, we directly compared the activation's of literate subjects with illiterate subjects. Results: The results demonstrate that brain activation in the bilateral parts of the posterior inferior parietal lobule is more active for literate than illiterate subjects in the Chinese character voice judgment task. We found that no significant activation for illiterate and literate subjects in the pure tone judgment task. Conclusion: In conclusion, phonetic pairs of the glyph character voices are proposed, and all of the character voice pairs are ambiguous in the meaning of the CCD task. Therefore, compared with the illiterate subjects, the literate subjects exhibited stronger bilateral IPL activation.

Background: Language is the ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication, and there are hundreds of different languages in the world, all of which have three elements: orthographic, semantic and phonologic. Scientists are always seeking to understand the essence of language and the relationship of the three elements as they interact in the brain. Methods: In the last 20 years, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become one of the most popular methods to investigate the mechanism of brain patterns associated with language processing. We summarize the consequence of previous research in order to make a conclusion about the neural basis of three elements in language processing. Results: These three elements have not only common relative brain areas but also different specific brain regions. This overall structure can be summarized in most languages; however, in different languages, the specific brain areas are not the same. Furthermore, these differences are modulated by stimuli or language systems and so on. Conclusion: The difference is specific, but the commonality is absolute. In addition, the differences in the results that are associated with a variety of language studies are relative, and the diversity of forms of expression does not affect the nature of the language.

Background: The purpose of neurolinguistics is to reveal the relationship between language behavior and brain activity; brain waves are powerful evidence for studying this relationship. We can find the relationship between brain waves and language through ERPs (Event-related Potentials, a method to measure brain response). The principle of ERP technology is to present, cancel or change stimuli and obtain the EEG signals from subjects. Because similar stimulation can cause similar brain waves, the superposition of multiple signals can be used to extract useful information from the EEG signal. By exploring the relationship between EEG signals and events, psychological changes in people can be studied. ERP has a low cost and high time resolution, which can directly reflect the relationship between language processing and physiological reactions, consciousness and existence; thus, ERP has often been used in the study of neural linguistics in recent years. Conclusion: In this paper, we first introduce the research objectives of neurolinguistics, and then we expound on the principle of ERP technology. Finally, we summarize the language study through ERP technology in recent years with respect to phonetics, semantics, syntax and application.

Background: Sleep spindles have been related to the development of the human brain. An electroencephalography band power analysis previously distinguished sleep spindles in autistic children from those in typically developed children. However, prior time domain analysis has been limited. Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the characteristics of sleep spindles in autistic and typically developed children under sedation. Methods: Autistic (6.30 ± 1.88 years) and typically developed children (6.14 ± 2.05 years; n = 8/group) participated in this study. Chloral hydrate sedation was used in combination with electroencephalography under medical supervision. Data recording started once subjects were asleep, continuing for ten minutes. The sigma band frequency was obtained using an FIR band pass filter. Rectification and low pass filtering were used to detect candidate sleep spindles. The sleep spindle density and duration were determined. Results: Sleep spindles predominantly occurred in anterior brain regions, especially in the frontal pole and frontal regions. Sigma activity in the autistic group increased compared to the control group, most predominantly in the frontal pole and frontal regions. In these regions, the autistic group showed greater sleep spindle density than controls. Further, sleep spindle duration was slightly longer in the autistic group than in the control group. Fp1 and Fp2 were the preferred electrode sites to distinguish between the two groups. Conclusion: Autistic children may have different brain properties than typically developed children, especially in frontal regions. Sedation during electroencephalography has utility in the analysis of brain abnormalities in children

Background: Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are technologies that allow humans to interact with artificial devices. To support daily life by BMIs, it is necessary to reconstruct the motion information by measured EEGs signals. Our purpose is to estimate the force/torque information from the brain activity to help and support the human's daily life. Methods: In order to extract the relationship between EEGs and elbow joint torque when a subject controls the robot arm, the features of the EEGs related to motion are extracted by twice short-time Fourier transform. And, we focus on the power spectral periodicities of alpha and beta wave. Further, the EEG-Torque linear model is established by principle component analysis (PCA). Results: We analyse the measured EEGs in movement to extract the relationship between EEGs and EMG signals, and further estimate the joint torque from the EEGs. The results show that the periodicity of alpha and beta wave variations at each measurement point have strong associations with the subject's movement. Based on this, we build a linear model representing the relationship between EEGs and EMG by PCA, and the EMG signals are successfully estimated from EEGs. This implies a great potential to use EEGs for supporting human's activities. Conclusion: Periodic changes of the power spectra relates to human moving at 20-25Hz in alpha band and 10-15Hz in beta band. From these results, the linear model between the EEGs and the joint torque which developed by principal component analysis are confirmed and it is used to estimate the joint torque. The validity of this approach is verified by experiments.

Background: Wireless body area network (WBAN) including bio-sensor network is expected to be a new communication system in ubiquitous society including medicine or point of care from the view point of easy connection of equipment#142;In this case, reduction of risk of information leak to a third party through special propagation is necessary. Human body communication (HBC) through the human body is a good solution for this problem. On the other hand, radio frequency (RF) communication should be carried out with a small power from the viewpoint of minimal invasion. Thus, high efficiency signal injection into human body is necessary. This paper provides the RF signal injection method with automatic impedance matching circuit operated by the use of Peripheral Interface Controller (PIC©)) for this purpose. Methods: Automatic impedance matching circuit is assembled according to the design concept. In our proposed method, with the measurement results of magnitude of forward wave and reflected wave, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is calculated. On the basis of VSWR values, according to the predetermined control flow of automatic impedance matching, controller operates so as to cancel out the imaginary component of human body impedance at the injection point. Results: Experimental results show that injection circuit with automatic impedance matching operated effectively in an actual environment so as to cancel out the imaginary component of human body impedance. Conclusion: The proposed method provides good RF signal injection in WBAN. Effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by the laboratory test measurement. The proposed method can cover the wide range of human body impedance. Moreover, the proposed method has potential for application in time varying human body impedance due to body movement.