Microvariação na resolução de sujeitos pronominais: português europeu vs. italiano

The present study investigates the resolution of null and overt subject pronouns in intrasentential contexts, considering the role of animacy in antecedent assignment. Participants were 15 native speakers of EP and 14 of Italian. Each language group was administered two multiple choice tasks (speeded and untimed), which had a 2x2 design, crossing the following variables: animacy of the matrix object (animate vs. inanimate) and type of pronominal embedded subject (overt vs. null). Results indicate that there is microvariation in the resolution of overt pronominal subjects in EP and in Italian: the position of the antecedent is the most relevant factor in EP, whereas, in Italian, the animacy of the antecedent is the preponderant factor. Results also show that there is microvariation in the resolution of null subjects (contra previous claims in the literature): the bias for subject antecedents is weaker in Italian than in EP. Possible reasons for the observed microvariation are discussed in detail.

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Resolução anafórica em português europeu L2: efeitos de animacidade e a posição do antecedente

Revista da Associação Portuguesa de Linguística ◽

10.26334/2183-9077/rapln8ano2021a17 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 260-275

Author(s):

Joana Teixeira ◽

Alexandra Fiéis ◽

Ana Madeira

Keyword(s):

Adult Learners ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Anaphora Resolution ◽

Null Subjects ◽

Subject Pronouns ◽

European Portuguese ◽

The Matrix ◽

L1 Influence ◽

Choice Tasks

This study investigates the interpretation of subject pronouns in L2 EP by Italian native speakers, to examine the following questions: In overt subject resolution, do L1 Italian - L2 European Portuguese learners behave like L1 EP speakers regarding antecedent animacy (a property at the syntax-semantics interface) at L2 developmental stages and at the near-native level?; When the antecedent in object position is animate, do L1 Italian - L2 EP learners exhibit permanent optionality in the interpretation of overt subject pronouns but not of null subjects, as claimed by Sorace (2016), a.o.? Participants were 15 adult EP native speakers, 10 intermediate, 10 advanced and 10 near-native Italian adult learners of L2 EP. They were administered two multiple-choice tasks (speeded and untimed) with a 2x2 design crossing the following variables: animacy of the matrix object (animate vs. inanimate) and type of embedded pronominal subject (overt vs. null). Results indicate that L2 learners show problems only in the areas where the L1 and the L2 differ (Madeira, Fiéis & Teixeira, this volume), namely: the resolution of overt subjects in the presence of [-animate] object antecedent and the resolution of null subjects. Learners’ performance in these areas remains unstable even at the near-native level. These findings challenge the ideas that internal interfaces (syntax/semantics) are not persistently problematic and that null subjects are unproblematic in L2 anaphora resolution (cf. Sorace, 2011, 2016). They moreover point to the importance of L1 influence in L2 anaphora resolution, a factor generally played down in previous studies (e.g., Sorace, 2016).

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NATIVE AND NONNATIVE INTERPRETATION OF PRONOMINAL FORMS

Studies in Second Language Acquisition ◽

10.1017/s0272263115000303 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 131-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sarah Schimke ◽

Saveria Colonna

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Null Subjects ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Subject Pronouns ◽

Overt Pronouns

This study investigates the influence of grammatical role and discourse-level cues on the interpretation of different pronominal forms in native speakers of French, native speakers of Turkish, and Turkish learners of French. In written questionnaires, we found that native speakers of French were influenced by discourse-level cues when interpreting ambiguous overt subject pronouns in French, whereas native speakers of Turkish were mainly influenced by a syntactic cue—subjecthood—when interpreting null subjects (pro) in Turkish translation equivalents. When interpreting implicit subjects of nonfinite dependent clauses (PRO), native speakers of both French and Turkish were influenced by subjecthood. Finally, Turkish learners of French were influenced by discourse-level cues in the interpretation of overt pronouns as well as PRO and showed no subject preference in either case. These results are in line with approaches to second language (L2) acquisition that stress the role of discourse-level principles in the processing and use of a L2 (Clahsen & Felser, 2006; Klein & Perdue, 1997).

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Whence subject-verb agreement? Investigating the role of topicality, accessibility, and frequency in Vera’a texts

Linguistics ◽

10.1515/ling-2018-0010 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 735-780 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stefan Schnell

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Speech Act ◽

Relevant Factor ◽

Subject Pronouns ◽

Verb Agreement ◽

Overt Pronouns ◽

Functional Factors ◽

Subject Agreement ◽

Reduced Forms

Abstract While the grammaticalization of subject agreement appears to be a diachronic near-universal, there has been little agreement on usage-based motivations for this crosslinguistic tendency. Three usage-based approaches – Givón’s NP detachment under topicalization, Ariel’s accessibility theory, and a set of accounts in terms of frequency-driven morphologization – are examined here in the light of corpus data from the Oceanic language Vera’a. The high frequency of overt pronouns in 1st and 2nd person subjects, as well as formal reduction in some 1st-person pronouns, observed in the corpus seem suggestive of grammaticalization of subject agreement in speech-act participants (SAPs). Yet, the remaining variation between pronominal and zero forms and the distribution of reduced forms do not appear to reflect functional factors in the way of topicalization or accessibility. Overall, frequency-driven accounts appear to fare better in explaining the Vera’a facts, in particular the distribution of 1st person zero subjects and the formal reduction of 1st person subject pronouns. The overall high levels of subject pronouns, however, are not fully accounted for by any of the three approaches; I suggest that, in addition to genre effects, the deictic and shifting nature of reference to speech-act participants may be a relevant factor.

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Anaphora resolution in near-native speakers of Italian

Second language Research ◽

10.1191/0267658306sr271oa ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 339-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 306

Author(s):

Antonella Sorace ◽

Francesca Filiaci

Keyword(s):

Native Speakers ◽

Main Clause ◽

Subordinate Clause ◽

Matrix Clause ◽

Null Subject ◽

Subject Pronouns ◽

Complex Sentences ◽

Processing Strategies ◽

The Matrix ◽

Subject Pronoun

This study presents data from an experiment on the interpretation of intrasentential anaphora in Italian by native Italian speakers and by English speakers who have learned Italian as adults and have reached a near-native level of proficiency in this language. The two groups of speakers were presented with complex sentences consisting of a main clause and a subordinate clause, in which the subordinate clause had either an overt pronoun or a null subject pronoun. In half of the sentences the main clause preceded the subordinate clause (forward anaphora) and in the other half the subordinate clause preceded the main clause (backward anaphora). Participants performed in a picture verification task in which they had to indicate the picture(s) that corresponded to the meaning of the subordinate clause, thus identifying the possible antecedents of the null or overt subject pronouns. The patterns of responses of the two groups were very similar with respect to the null subject pronouns in both the forward and backward anaphora conditions. Compared to native monolingual speakers, however, the near-natives had a significantly higher preference for the subject of the matrix clause as a possible antecedent of overt subject pronouns, particularly in the backward anaphora condition. The results indicate that near-native speakers have acquired the syntactic constraints on pronominal subjects in Italian, but may have residual indeterminacy in the interface processing strategies they employ in interpreting pronominal forms.

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Extracellular matrix: the gatekeeper of tumor angiogenesis

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst20190653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 1543-1555 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Maurizio Mongiat ◽

Simone Buraschi ◽

Eva Andreuzzi ◽

Thomas Neill ◽

Renato V. Iozzo

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Tumor Angiogenesis ◽

Signaling Cascades ◽

Cancer Growth ◽

Cell Behavior ◽

Metastatic Progression ◽

Surface Receptors ◽

The Matrix ◽

Multiple Signaling

Abstract The extracellular matrix is a network of secreted macromolecules that provides a harmonious meshwork for the growth and homeostatic development of organisms. It conveys multiple signaling cascades affecting specific surface receptors that impact cell behavior. During cancer growth, this bioactive meshwork is remodeled and enriched in newly formed blood vessels, which provide nutrients and oxygen to the growing tumor cells. Remodeling of the tumor microenvironment leads to the formation of bioactive fragments that may have a distinct function from their parent molecules, and the balance among these factors directly influence cell viability and metastatic progression. Indeed, the matrix acts as a gatekeeper by regulating the access of cancer cells to nutrients. Here, we will critically evaluate the role of selected matrix constituents in regulating tumor angiogenesis and provide up-to-date information concerning their primary mechanisms of action.

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The Interactions between Polyphenols and Microorganisms, Especially Gut Microbiota

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10020188 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 188

Author(s):

Małgorzata Makarewicz ◽

Iwona Drożdż ◽

Tomasz Tarko ◽

Aleksandra Duda-Chodak

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Bacteria ◽

Research Data ◽

Bioactive Metabolites ◽

Human Organism ◽

Comprehensive Knowledge ◽

Bidirectional Relationship ◽

The Matrix ◽

Intestinal Pathogens ◽

The Impact

This review presents the comprehensive knowledge about the bidirectional relationship between polyphenols and the gut microbiome. The first part is related to polyphenols’ impacts on various microorganisms, especially bacteria, and their influence on intestinal pathogens. The research data on the mechanisms of polyphenol action were collected together and organized. The impact of various polyphenols groups on intestinal bacteria both on the whole “microbiota” and on particular species, including probiotics, are presented. Moreover, the impact of polyphenols present in food (bound to the matrix) was compared with the purified polyphenols (such as in dietary supplements) as well as polyphenols in the form of derivatives (such as glycosides) with those in the form of aglycones. The second part of the paper discusses in detail the mechanisms (pathways) and the role of bacterial biotransformation of the most important groups of polyphenols, including the production of bioactive metabolites with a significant impact on the human organism (both positive and negative).

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What is beyond the edges? Gated communities and their role in China’s desire for harmonious cities

City Territory and Architecture ◽

10.1186/s40410-020-00122-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Badiaa Hamama ◽

Jian Liu

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Real Estate ◽

Urban Form ◽

Gated Communities ◽

Urban Fabric ◽

Chinese Cities ◽

The Matrix ◽

Process Of Urbanization ◽

New Urbanization

Abstract During the rapid process of urbanization in post-reform China, cities assumed the role of a catalyst for economic growth and quantitative construction. In this context, territorially bounded and well delimited urban cells, globally known as ‘gated communities’, xiaoqu, continued to define the very essence of Chinese cities becoming the most attractive urban form for city planners, real estate developers, and citizens alike. Considering the guidelines in China’s National New Urbanization Plan (2014–2020), focusing on the promotion of humanistic and harmonious cities, in addition to the directive of 2016 by China’s Central Urban Work Conference to open up the gates and ban the construction of new enclosed residential compounds, this paper raises the following questions: As the matrix of the Chinese urban fabric, what would be the role of the gated communities in China’s desire for a human-qualitative urbanism? And How to rethink the gated communities to meet the new urban challenges? Seeking alternative perspectives, this paper looks at the gated communities beyond the apparent limits they seem to represent, considering them not simply as the ‘cancer’ of Chinese cities, rather the container of the primary ingredients to reshape the urban fabric dominated by the gate.

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Statistical Speech Segmentation in Tone Languages: The Role of Lexical Tones

Language and Speech ◽

10.1177/0023830917706529 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 84-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

David M. Gómez ◽

Peggy Mok ◽

Mikhail Ordin ◽

Jacques Mehler ◽

Marina Nespor

Keyword(s):

Speech Processing ◽

Additional Data ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Speech Segmentation ◽

Lexical Tones ◽

Tone Languages ◽

Transitional Probabilities ◽

Lexical Processes

Research has demonstrated distinct roles for consonants and vowels in speech processing. For example, consonants have been shown to support lexical processes, such as the segmentation of speech based on transitional probabilities (TPs), more effectively than vowels. Theory and data so far, however, have considered only non-tone languages, that is to say, languages that lack contrastive lexical tones. In the present work, we provide a first investigation of the role of consonants and vowels in statistical speech segmentation by native speakers of Cantonese, as well as assessing how tones modulate the processing of vowels. Results show that Cantonese speakers are unable to use statistical cues carried by consonants for segmentation, but they can use cues carried by vowels. This difference becomes more evident when considering tone-bearing vowels. Additional data from speakers of Russian and Mandarin suggest that the ability of Cantonese speakers to segment streams with statistical cues carried by tone-bearing vowels extends to other tone languages, but is much reduced in speakers of non-tone languages.

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The Effect of Dual Language Activation on L2-Induced Changes in L1 Speech within a Code-Switched Paradigm

Languages ◽

10.3390/languages6030114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 114

Author(s):

Ulrich Reubold ◽

Sanne Ditewig ◽

Robert Mayr ◽

Ineke Mennen

Keyword(s):

Dual Language ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Predictor Variable ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Acoustic Measures ◽

Before And After ◽

Language Activation ◽

Dual Activation ◽

Induced Changes

The present study sought to examine the effect of dual language activation on L1 speech in late English–Austrian German sequential bilinguals, and to identify relevant predictor variables. To this end, we compared the English speech patterns of adult migrants to Austria in a code-switched and monolingual condition alongside those of monolingual native speakers in England in a monolingual condition. In the code-switched materials, German words containing target segments known to trigger cross-linguistic interaction in the two languages (i.e., [v–w], [ʃt(ʁ)-st(ɹ)] and [l-ɫ]) were inserted into an English frame; monolingual materials comprised English words with the same segments. To examine whether the position of the German item affects L1 speech, the segments occurred either before the switch (“He wants a Wienerschnitzel”) or after (“I like Würstel with mustard”). Critical acoustic measures of these segments revealed no differences between the groups in the monolingual condition, but significant L2-induced shifts in the bilinguals’ L1 speech production in the code-switched condition for some sounds. These were found to occur both before and after a code-switch, and exhibited a fair amount of individual variation. Only the amount of L2 use was found to be a significant predictor variable for shift size in code-switched compared with monolingual utterances, and only for [w]. These results have important implications for the role of dual activation in the speech of late sequential bilinguals.

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