scholarly journals Why phonetically-motivated constraints do not lead to phonetic determinism: The relevance of aspiration in cueing NC sequences in Tumbuka

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Downing ◽  
Silke Hamann

This paper examines the role of phonetic cues to postnasal laryngeal contrasts, language-specific differences in the use of these cues, and the phonetic naturalness of the different cues. While many studies have shown that long stop closure duration is a well-established cue to voicelessness in the postnasal context (see, e.g., Cohn & Riehl 2012, who claim this to be a universal property), the present study focusses on the role of aspiration noise in maintaining a voicing contrast in the postnasal environment. It provides experimental data from the Bantu language Tumbuka to illustrate that aspiration noise can preserve a postnasal laryngeal contrast even when stop closure duration is short. Though typologically less common, we show that the use of aspiration as a cue is also phonetically motivated. Furthermore, we show that such phonetic motivation should not be directly incorporated into phonology (e.g., as markedness constraints in OT). Instead, we employ the BiPhon model (Boersma 2007), which allows for a strict distinction between the modules of phonetics and phonology, and which formalizes the mapping of phonetic cues onto phonological representations via cue constraints, avoiding the problem of phonetic determinism.

2010 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 159-191
Author(s):  
Laura J. Downing

As work like McCarthy (2002: 128) notes, pre-Optimality Theory (OT) phonology was primarily concerned with representations and theories of subsegmental structure. In contrast, the role of representations and choice of structural models has received little attention in OT. Some central representational issues of the pre-OT era have, in fact, become moot in OT (McCarthy 2002: 128). Further, as work like Baković (2007) notes, even for assimilatory processes where representation played a central role in the pre-OT era, constraint interaction now carries the main explanatory burden. Indeed, relatively few studies in OT (e.g., Rose 2000; Hargus & Beavert 2006; Huffmann 2005, 2007; Morén 2006) have argued for the importance of phonological representations. This paper intends to contribute to this work by reanalyzing a set of processes related to vowel harmony in Shimakonde, a Bantu language spoken in Mozambique and Tanzania. These processes are of particular interest, as Liphola’s (2001) study argues that they are derivationally opaque and so not amenable to an OT analysis. I show that the opacity disappears given the proper choice of representations for vowel features and a metrical harmony domain.  


Author(s):  
Судоргин Е.П. ◽  
Карсакова И.Н.

Аннотация: О роли разминки перед тренировкой и соревнованиями написано много научных статьей и диссертаций. Ещё больше о значимости физической подготовки спортсменов, в том числе и шахматистов. В то же время авторы считают, что вопросу физической подготовки шахматистов и в частности разминке в научной и научно-методической литературе уделяется недостаточно внимания. В своей статье авторы приводят собственные экспериментальные данные о влиянии физических упражнений (разминки) на умственную работоспособность студентов-шахматистов БГУ и как следствие на спортивные результаты команды. Ключевые слова: Шахматы, разминка, умственная работоспособность, средства и методы разминки, методы оценки результатов. Аннотация: Машыгуунун жана мелдештердин алдында даярдоонун ролу жөнүндө көптөгөн илимий макала жана диссертация жазылган. Ошондой эле илимий жана илимий-методикалык адабияттарда шахматка даярдоого көп көңүл бурулбай жатат. Макаланын авторлору шахмат ойногон студенттерге физикалык көнүгүүлөрдүн тийгизген таасири жөнүндө өздөрүнүн эксперименталдык маалыматтарын көргөзүштү. Түйүндүү сөздөр: Шахмат, акыл-дарамет, курулуштар жана ыкмалар, баа берүү жыйынтыгы боюнча кабыл алынат. Abstract: on the role of warm-up before training and competitions written many scientific articles and theses. More about the significance of the physical preparation of athletes, including players. At the same time, the authors believe that the issue of fit- ness players and in particular workout in scientific and scientific-methodical literature neglected. In his article the authors cite their own experimental data on the influence of physical exercises (warm-up) on the mental fitness of students-BSU players and as a result the sport performance team. Keywords: chess, warm-up, mental fitness, workout tools and methods, methods of evaluation results.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 343-376
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Rodrigues De Paula

Tis paper aims to describe the syntax of the constructions that present the verbal extensions {-ik-} and {-uk-} and their allomorphs in Shimakonde, a Bantu language classifed as P23 in the Guthrie classifcation (GUTHRIE 1967-71). Tis language is spoken in the northern regions of Mozambique and Tanzania. Tese verbal extensions are reported in literature under the labels of stative, impositive, pseudo-passive, neuter, and quasi-passive (DOKE, 1947; SATYO, 1985; MCHOMBO, 1993; DUBINSKY SIMANGO, 1996; BENTLEY KULEMEKA, 2001; LIPHOLA, 2001; NGUNGA, 2004; KHUMALO, 2009; LEACH, 2010; LANGA, 2013). Te addition of the {-ik-} or {-uk-} morphemes to the verb structure usually demotes or suppresses the external argument, turning a basically transitive predicate into an intransitive one. Tis paper aims to investigate in Shimakonde if alternations from a dyadic to a monadic predicate, through the use of one of the aforementioned morphemes, are instances of the phenomenon known in literature as causative/ anticausative alternation (HASPELMATH, 1987, 1993; LEVIN RAPPAPORT HOVAV, 1992, 1995; NAVES, 1998, 2005; VAN HOUT, 2004; OLIVEIRA, 2011; KALLULLI, 2007). In order to do so, I analyze the grammatical role of this morpheme with two Shimakonde native consultants from different Mozambique districts (Mocimboa da Praia and Montepuez). Te feldwork activities consisted of translations of sentences from Portuguese to Shimakonde, testing the grammaticality of the proposed sentences. In order to examine the data that were collected, I adopted the Alexiadou, Anagnostopoulou and Schäfer (2006) refnement of the verbal categories by Levin Rappaport Hovav (1992, 1995). One of the results obtained is that the verbal extensions display an atelic reading (giving rise to stative interpretation) or a telic reading (giving rise to anticausative or passive interpretation). To account for the different interpretations in these constructions, I propose distinct associations between Asp head and Voice head in accordance with Kratzer (1996), Pylkkänen (2002), van Hout (2004), and Oliveira (2010).


Chemistry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 821-830
Author(s):  
Davide De Simeis ◽  
Stefano Serra ◽  
Alessandro Di Fonzo ◽  
Francesco Secundo

Natural flavor and fragrance market size is expected to grow steadily due to the rising consumer demand of natural ingredients. This market request is guided by the general opinion that the production of natural compounds leads to a reduction of pollution, with inherent advantages for the environment and people’s health. The biotransformation reactions have gained high relevance in the production of natural products. In this context, few pieces of research have described the role of microalgae in the oxidation of terpenoids. In this present study, we questioned the role of microalgal based oxidation in the synthesis of high-value flavors and fragrances. This study investigated the role of three different microalgae strains, Chlorella sp. (211.8b and 211.8p) and Chlorococcum sp. (JB3), in the oxidation of different terpenoid substrates: α-ionone, β-ionone, theaspirane and valencene. Unfortunately, the experimental data showed that the microalgal strains used are not responsible for the substrate oxidation. In fact, our experiments demonstrate that the transformation of the four starting compounds is a photochemical reaction that involves the oxygen as oxidant. Even though these findings cast a shadow on the use of these microorganisms for an industrial purpose, they open a new possible strategy to easily obtain nootkatone in a natural way by just using an aqueous medium, oxygen and light.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron R. Friedman ◽  
Luisa P. Cacheaux ◽  
Sebastian Ivens ◽  
Daniela Kaufer

Clinical and experimental data suggest that stress contributes to the pathology of epilepsy. We review mechanisms by which stress, primarily via stress hormones, may exacerbate epilepsy, focusing on the intersection between stress-induced pathways and the progression of pathological events that occur before, during, and after the onset of epileptogenesis. In addition to this temporal nuance, we discuss other complexities in stress-epilepsy interactions, including the role of blood-brain barrier dysfunction, neuron-glia interactions, and inflammatory/cytokine pathways that may be protective or damaging depending on context. We advocate the use of global analytical tools, such as microarray, in support of a shift away from a narrow focus on seizures and towards profiling the complex, early process of epileptogenesis, in which multiple pathways may interact to dictate the ultimate onset of chronic, recurring seizures.


Phonology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Vietti ◽  
Birgit Alber ◽  
Barbara Vogt

In the Southern Bavarian variety of Tyrolean, laryngeal contrasts undergo a typologically interesting process of neutralisation in word-initial position. We undertake an acoustic analysis of Tyrolean stops in word-initial, word-medial intersonorant and word-final contexts, as well as in obstruent clusters, investigating the role of the acoustic parameters VOT, prevoicing, closure duration and F0 and H1–H2* on following vowels in implementing contrast, if any. Results show that stops contrast word-medially via [voice] (supported by the acoustic cues of closure duration and F0), and are neutralised completely in word-final position and in obstruent clusters. Word-initially, neutralisation is subject to inter- and intraspeaker variability, and is sensitive to place of articulation. Aspiration plays no role in implementing laryngeal contrasts in Tyrolean.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kacprzak ◽  
C. Boutin ◽  
T. Doanh

Abstract This study deals with the behavior of composite blends constituted of rigid and impervious grains included in saturated clay paste of kaolin, considered as permeable and deformable. Permeability tests performed during standard oedometr tests (before each load step) highlight the key role of the original and actual state of the clay paste, and show the existence of a threshold of sand grain concentration above which a structuring effect influences its permeability. In the light of these experiments some usual homogenization methods (with simplifying assumptions to make the problem manageable) are considered in order to model the mixture permeability. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons with experimental data point out their respective domain of interest and limitations of such approaches


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