The Role of Segmental Information in Syntactic Processing Through the Syntax–Prosody Interface

2020 ◽  
pp. 002383092097440
Author(s):  
Holger Mitterer ◽  
Sahyang Kim ◽  
Taehong Cho

In two experiments, it was investigated whether potentially contrastive segmental information in the form of an epenthetic glottal stop in Maltese can influence syntactic parsing decisions. The glottal stop in Maltese serves a dual function as a phoneme used for lexical contrast and a non-contrastive phone that may mark a prosodic juncture. In both experiments, participants perceived a larger prosodic boundary before the word u (Engl. “and”) if the u was produced with an epenthetic glottal stop, showing the use of prosodically conditioned segmental information in syntactic parsing. Furthermore, listeners were generally unaware of the existence of the epenthetic glottal stop even though a glottal stop is used as a phoneme represented as a grapheme “q.” They also perceived a larger prosodic juncture when the preceding syllable was lengthened before the word u (“and”). These findings were consistent regardless of whether the glottal stop reinforced a late-closure decision (Experiment 1) or an early-closure decision (Experiment 2). The results indicate that both segmental and suprasegmental information influences syntactic parsing decisions, demonstrating that the syntax–prosody interface is reflected along both the segmental and suprasegmental (duration) dimensions, which are mediated by the phonetics–prosody interface.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1046
Author(s):  
Inam Ul Haq ◽  
Sabine Brantl

Moonlighting proteins are proteins with more than one function. During the past 25 years, they have been found to be rather widespread in bacteria. In Bacillus subtilis, moonlighting has been disclosed to occur via DNA, protein or RNA binding or protein phosphorylation. In addition, two metabolic enzymes, enolase and phosphofructokinase, were localized in the degradosome-like network (DLN) where they were thought to be scaffolding components. The DLN comprises the major endoribonuclease RNase Y, 3′-5′ exoribonuclease PnpA, endo/5′-3′ exoribonucleases J1/J2 and helicase CshA. We have ascertained that the metabolic enzyme GapA is an additional component of the DLN. In addition, we identified two small proteins that bind scaffolding components of the degradosome: SR1P encoded by the dual-function sRNA SR1 binds GapA, promotes the GapA-RNase J1 interaction and increases the RNase J1 activity. SR7P encoded by the dual-function antisense RNA SR7 binds to enolase thereby enhancing the enzymatic activity of enolase bound RNase Y. We discuss the role of small proteins in modulating the activity of two moonlighting proteins.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-165
Author(s):  
Celine Canes ◽  
Vanessa Aurelia ◽  
Juan Phillip Yoel Tanesia ◽  
Albert Hasudungan ◽  
Erica Lukas

The role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has only grown in tandem with globalization, as it plays a dual function by improving capital accumulation whilst simultaneously growing total factor yield, which puts it at an advantage over foreign aids and foreign portfolio investments. Using panel data from 34 Indonesian provinces over the 2015 - 2019 period, this research examined the determinants of provincial FDI and its impact on regional economic development in Indonesia. The random effect method with robust standard error was used to regress the model, and the variables found to be positively significant were the ratio of industrial value added for micro sized firms to regional GDP, as well as the growth rate of industrial value added for small sized firms. Our analysis revealed that micro-sized firms tend to have much higher industrial value added compared to small-sized firms, and that these firms tend to cluster in Western Indonesia. The role of the government should be to foster the growth and competitiveness of small and micro-sized firms, especially for regions where the industrial value added is still low. Further study is suggested on the determinants of industrial value added at the provincial level, as well as more comprehensive research on FDI determinants with a larger dataset.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaja Chmielewska ◽  
Dorota Formanowicz ◽  
Piotr Formanowicz

Abstract Atherosclerosis as one of the crucial causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is the leading reason of death worldwide. One of the contributing factors to this phenomenon is endothelial dysfunction, which is associated with the impact of various agents and their interactions. Tobacco smoke is one of the well known factors here. For better understanding of its significance a model of its impact on atherosclerotic plaque formation has been proposed. The model contains selected aspects of the influence of tobacco smoke, dual function of nitric oxide (NO) (influence of various mechanisms on NO bioavailability), oxidative stress which promotes low density lipoproteins oxidation, macrophages significance and other mechanisms leading to an aggravation of the endothelial disturbances. The model has been built using Petri nets theory and the analysis has been based on t-invariants. This approach allowed to confirm the important role of inflammation and oxidative stress in atherosclerosis development and moreover it has shown the considerable influence of the cigarette smoke.


The proposal to have this meeting arose from biochemical studies. But we believe that the results obtained have wider implications in the field of physiology and cytology. Biochemists have taken a part in the study of events occurring at the synapse ever since the transmitter theory was first enunciated. In fact, one of the first successes of the new theory was a biochemical one: the interpretation of the action of physostigmine as an inhibition of an enzyme, now called acetylcholinesterase (Loewi & Navratil 1926). However, until recently the role of the biochemist in the study of synaptic transmission has been an ancillary one. He has provided information on the enzymic equipment of neurons, especially the equipment with enzymes involved in transmitter formation, and he has also studied transmitter inactivation. But now, in the past year or two, the biochemists have also begun to share in the study of the events that occur during transmission. These recent observations were made on adrenergic neurons. To the student of adrenergic systems the transmitter theory has been particularly relevant. The catecholamines have a dual function. In the chromaffin tissue they are secreted as true hormones, and at the endings of adrenergic neurons they are released as transmitters. It was this link that Dr Arnold Welch and I had in mind when we wrote the paper in which we described our early observations on chromaffin granules. We ended the discussion of this paper, dedicated to Otto Loewi on the occasion of his eightieth birthday, with the sentence: ‘Such an interpretation would be in harmony with a concept that regards “ secretion” from glandular tissue and “ liberation” from nerves as events that are fundamentally related’ (Blaschko & Welch 1953).


Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 711-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.E. Rusten ◽  
R. Cantera ◽  
J. Urban ◽  
G. Technau ◽  
F.C. Kafatos ◽  
...  

Genes of the spalt family encode nuclear zinc finger proteins. In Drosophila melanogaster, they are necessary for the establishment of head/trunk identity, correct tracheal migration and patterning of the wing imaginal disc. Spalt proteins display a predominant pattern of expression in the nervous system, not only in Drosophila but also in species of fish, mouse, frog and human, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for these proteins in nervous system development. Here we show that Spalt works as a cell fate switch between two EGFR-induced cell types, the oenocytes and the precursors of the pentascolopodial organ in the embryonic peripheral nervous system. We show that removal of spalt increases the number of scolopodia, as a result of extra secondary recruitment of precursor cells at the expense of the oenocytes. In addition, the absence of spalt causes defects in the normal migration of the pentascolopodial organ. The dual function of spalt in the development of this organ, recruitment of precursors and migration, is reminiscent of its role in tracheal formation and of the role of a spalt homologue, sem-4, in the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system.


2009 ◽  
Vol 284 (42) ◽  
pp. 28896-28904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo A. Wang ◽  
Hanke van der Wel ◽  
Yusuf Vohra ◽  
Therese Buskas ◽  
Geert-Jan Boons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
David Ar Rouz

Translation is usually deemed to help bridge gaps but seldom thought of as a means of strengthening or, at least, highlighting borders. The present article uses the example of translations involving the Breton language in order to show that translation may favour negotiation by both helping negotiators to understand each other and having them recognise the social border that makes them different. The article explains firstly the author’s understanding of borders and negotiation. Secondly, the case of translation from and into Breton is examined. And finally, the discussion is extended to the European institutions, where European language policy also illustrates the dual function of translation in negotiation. The example of Breton evidences that translation fosters social distinction, language development and cooperation. At the EU level, the same roles are assumed by translation services and they contribute moreover to the legitimacy of the institutions and to the exercise of democracy. Such a conclusion invites to consider translation as an adequate means to manage language and cultural differences, even compared to language learning. It may be used, then, to deal with pressing issues such as the current migration flows to Europe.


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (16) ◽  
pp. 5650-5663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noboru Taniguchi ◽  
Kenji Yoshida ◽  
Tatsuo Ito ◽  
Masanao Tsuda ◽  
Yasunori Mishima ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a chromatin protein that has a dual function as a nuclear factor and as an extracellular factor. Extracellular HMGB1 released by damaged cells acts as a chemoattractant, as well as a proinflammatory cytokine, suggesting that HMGB1 is tightly connected to the process of tissue organization. However, the role of HMGB1 in bone and cartilage that undergo remodeling during embryogenesis, tissue repair, and disease is largely unknown. We show here that the stage-specific secretion of HMGB1 in cartilage regulates endochondral ossification. We analyzed the skeletal development of Hmgb1 −/− mice during embryogenesis and found that endochondral ossification is significantly impaired due to the delay of cartilage invasion by osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and blood vessels. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that HMGB1 protein accumulated in the cytosol of hypertrophic chondrocytes at growth plates, and its extracellular release from the chondrocytes was verified by organ culture. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the chondrocyte-secreted HMGB1 functions as a chemoattractant for osteoclasts and osteoblasts, as well as for endothelial cells, further supporting the conclusion that Hmgb1 −/− mice are defective in cell invasion. Collectively, these findings suggest that HMGB1 released from differentiating chondrocytes acts, at least in part, as a regulator of endochondral ossification during osteogenesis.


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