Natural Infant-Directed Speech Facilitates Neural Tracking of Prosody

Infants prefer to be addressed with infant-directed speech (IDS). IDS benefits language acquisition through amplified low-frequency amplitude modulations. It has been reported that this amplification increases electrophysiological tracking of IDS compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). It is still unknown which particular frequency band triggers this effect. Here, we compare tracking at the rates of syllables and prosodic stress, which are both critical to word segmentation and recognition. In mother-infant dyads (n=30), mothers described novel objects to their 9-month-olds while infants' EEG was recorded. For IDS, mothers were instructed to speak to their children as they typically do, while for ADS, mothers described the objects as if speaking with an adult. Phonetic analyses confirmed that pitch features were more prototypically infant-directed in the IDS-condition compared to the ADS-condition. Neural tracking of speech was assessed by speech-brain coherence, which measures the synchronization between speech envelope and EEG. Results revealed significant speech-brain coherence at both syllabic and prosodic stress rates, indicating that infants track speech in IDS and ADS at both rates. We found significantly higher speech-brain coherence for IDS compared to ADS in the prosodic stress rate but not the syllabic rate. This indicates that the IDS benefit arises primarily from enhanced prosodic stress. Thus, neural tracking is sensitive to parents’ speech adaptations during natural interactions, possibly facilitating higher-level inferential processes such as word segmentation from continuous speech.

INFLUENCE OF THERMAL STRESS RATE ON CHANGES IN ELECTRICAL INSULATING OILS

This work solves the comparison of two different thermal stress times for selected liquid insulation materials based on transformer oils by impedance spectroscopy. Research is focused on actual and progressive liquid insulation materials. The scientific objectives of the experiment are focused on the determination of hypotheses, defined by predictable electrophysical parameters in experimental conditions, which are described in the analysis of the measured results.

Preliminary study of stress changes evolution on central part of Sumatran Fault influenced by large interplate earthquakes and tectonic stress rates

The inland seismic activity in Great Sumatran Fault (GSF) has significantly increased over the past several decades after the occurrence of historical large interplate earthquakes along the plate boundary. This condition led to some occurrences of historical intraplate earthquakes along Sumatran fault. To quantitatively examine the physical mechanisms between intraplate earthquakes and interplate earthquakes, we estimated the static coseismic stress changes of Coulomb failure function (ΔCFF) using receiver fault approach from large historical-recorded interplate earthquakes and the increase in tectonic stress rates. We examined this research in the central part of GSF since this zone is assumed to have the most heterogeneous stress field and thus became our focus study area. The cumulative ΔCFF models showed almost all segments in the central part of GSF suffered negative changes (<-0.1 MPa) which assumed to be unlikely to rupture in short time. However, the preliminary analysis of the increase in tectonic stress rate indicated that large intraplate earthquakes occurred on Angkola and Siulak segments were dominantly influenced by the increase in interseismic stress rate just after the series of large subduction earthquake occurrences, apart from the decreased stress changes from those major interplate earthquakes.

A time dependent model of elastic stress in the Central Apennines

&lt;p&gt;Seismicity in the Central Apennines is characterized by normal faulting with dip NE-SW near 45&amp;#176;. We show that if the stress at the hypocenter of the 2016 Norcia (Mw=6.5) and 2009 L&amp;#8217;Aquila (Mw=6.3 on the Paganica fault) earthquakes originated only from stress transfer from previous historical events occurred in 1315 and 1461 (L&amp;#8217;Aquila), 1703 (Montereale plain) and 1703 (Norcia/Valnerina), then the orientation of the principal stress axes would be inconsistent with the observed tensional regime. The additional contribution of a regional stress is thus required to properly align the principal stress axes to those of the moment tensor, but GNSS geodesy provides only stress rates. We empirically estimate a time multiplier for the regional stress rate, computed with a dense GNSS network, such that the principal stress axes resulting from the sum of the stress transferred by previous events and the regional stress rate multiplied by the empirical temporal scale are consistent with normal faulting, both at the L&amp;#8217;Aquila and Norcia hypocenters. Based on a Catalogue of 36 events of magnitude larger than 5.6 we estimate the total Coulomb stress at depths and along planes parallel to those of L&amp;#8217;Aquila and Norcia. We provide evidence of an asymmetry of the Coulomb stress leading to a stress concentration near the hypocenter of the two events just prior of the 2009 and 2016&amp;#160; earthquakes. This stress anomaly disappeared after the two events. Similar stress patterns are observed for earlier events which took place in 1461 at L&amp;#8217;Aquila, 1703 on the Montereale plain and in 1703 at Norcia/Valnerina. The 1997 sequence of Colfiorito exhibits a similar, anisotropic Coulomb stress pattern. Based on the Database of Individual Seismogenic Sources DISS 3.2.1 of INGV we identify as areas of maximum Coulomb stress at present (&gt;2016) the Gran Sasso , the Camerino and Sarnano areas and the area between the San Pio delle Camere, Tocco da Casauria and Sulmona faults.&lt;/p&gt;

ON THE EFFECT OF EFFORT REGULATION BY MEANS OF TEMPORARY CONTINUITYIN SPLIT SPAN STRUCTURES OF STEELREINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGES

The publication shows the effectiveness of applying the principle of temporary continuity by combining split span structures into acontinuous couplingusing a temporary joint. The method can be viewed as an option for effort regulation, creating abearing capacity reserveinload-bearing constructions within the span structures of bridges. The calculations provided show the effect on stress rate and bending moment in split span structurescombined into a double-spancontinuous coupling by a temporary joint.

Fracture Analysis of α-Quartz Crystals Subjected to Shear Stress

This study assesses the correlations between the intensity of stress undergone by crystals and the morphological characteristics of particles and fracturing products. The effects of the fractures on the microstructure of quartz are also studied. Alpha quartz, subjected to shear stress, is quickly crushed according to a fracturing sequence, with a total fracture length that is correlated to the stress rate. The shear stress generates a sequence of macro and microstructural events, in particular localized melting phenomena, never highlighted before on quartz and the formation of different polymorphs, such as cristobalite and tridymite together with amorphous silica.

Polymerization shrinkage behaviour of resin composites functionalized with unsilanized bioactive glass fillers

Previous work has shown that partial replacement of reinforcing fillers with unsilanized silica particles can diminish polymerization shrinkage stress of dental resin composites. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether such an effect can be attained by using unsilanized bioactive glass (BG). Incorporating BG fillers into resin composites is interesting due to their potential for exerting caries-preventive effects. Experimental light-curable composites with a total filler load of 77 wt% were prepared. Reinforcing fillers were partially replaced with 0–60 wt% of BG 45S5 and an experimental low-sodium fluoride-containing BG. The following properties were investigated: linear shrinkage, degree of conversion, shrinkage stress, maximum shrinkage stress rate, and time to achieve maximum shrinkage stress rate. The diminishing effect of BG 45S5 on shrinkage stress was mediated by a decrease in degree of conversion caused by this BG type. In contrast, as the degree of conversion remained unaffected by the experimental BG, the resulting shrinkage behaviour was governed by the effect of varying amounts of silanized and unsilanized fillers on material’s viscoelastic properties. The replacement of silanized reinforcing fillers with unsilanized BG did not reduce polymerization shrinkage stress unless the reduction was attained indirectly through a diminished degree of conversion.