Intonation and Prosody in Creole Languages: An Evolving Ecology

Research on the prosody and intonation of creole languages has largely remained an untapped resource, yet it is important for enriching our understanding of how or if their phonological systems changed or developed under contact. Further, their hybrid histories and current linguistic ecologies present descriptive and analytical treasure troves. This has the potential to inform many areas of linguistic inquiry including contact effects on the typological classification of prosodic systems, socioprosodic variation (individual and community level), and the scope of diversity in prosodic systems among creole languages and across a variety of languages similarly influenced by language contact. Thus, this review highlights the importance of pushing beyond questions of creole language typology and genetic affiliation. I review the existing research on creole language prosody and intonation, provide some details on a few studies, and highlight some key challenges and opportunities for the subfield and for linguistics in general.

Pruning harvesting with modular towed chipper: Little effect of the machine setting and configuration on performance despite strong impact on wood chip quality

Pruning residues can have a high quality as feedstock for energy purposes and are largely available in Europe. However, it is still an untapped resource. Such scarce use is due to the need to optimize their supply chain in term of collection machines and the associate cost of collection. A modular chipper (prototype PC50) for pruning harvest was developed. Such prototype is adaptable to various harvesting logistics and may produce a higher quality woodchip compared with the one produced by shredders available in the market. In this work, we tested the performance and quality of the product delivered by the prototype PC50 in various conditions and plant species, after a modulation of the machine settings (counter-rotating toothed rollers [CRR] speed), loading systems ([LS], either big bag or container), and knife types ([KT], either discontinuous hoe shaped knives or continuous helicoidal knives). To take into account of the covariates in the experiment (Cropping season and plant species), LSmeans were computed to have an unbiased estimate of the treatments means. The modulation of LS and KT scarcely affected the performance of the machine. In particular, the choice of the KT affected the field efficiency when the LS was a Tilting box but not a Big Bag. Whereas the continuous knife resulted in a 97% higher material capacity compared to hoe shape knives, the last of which the amount of short sized (<16 mm) fractions compared to helicoidal knives. No role of the CCR was found on the machine performance, but increasing CRR speed reduced the chip apparent bulk density and the fraction chips with a size <8 mm.

Increasing Animal Cognition Research in Zoos

Animal cognition covers various mental processes including perception, learning, decision-making and memory, and animal behavior is often used as a proxy for measuring cognition. Animal cognition/behavior research has multiple benefits; it provides fundamental knowledge on animal biology and evolution but can also have applied conservation and welfare applications. Zoos provide an excellent yet relatively untapped resource for animal cognition research, because they house a wide variety of species - many of which are under threat - and allow close observation and relatively high experimental control compared to the wild. Multi-zoo collaboration leads to increased sample size and species representation, which in turn leads to more robust science. However, there are salient challenges associated with zoo-based cognitive research, which are subject-based (e.g., small sample sizes at single zoos, untrained/unhabituated subjects, site effects) and human-based (e.g., time restrictions, safety concerns, and perceptions of animals interacting with unnatural technology or apparatus). We aim to increase the understanding and subsequent uptake of animal cognition research in zoos, by transparently outlining the main benefits and challenges. Importantly, we use our own research (1) a study on novelty responses in hornbills, and (2) a multi-zoo collaboration called the ManyBirds project to demonstrate how challenges may be overcome. These potential options include using drop and go apparatuses that require no training, close human contact or animal separation. This article is aimed at zoo animal care and research staff, as well as external researchers interested in zoo-based studies.

“The Story is My Life”: Bridging Symbol to Self in a Novel Creative and Reflective Writing Task

This article describes the development and testing of a novel creative and reflective writing task. Following the rationale of sand-tray and play therapies, participants were asked to meaningfully incorporate four objects from a randomly generated matrix of options into a creative short story. They then composed a second story that incorporated four possessions from home associated with important memories. Afterwards, participants produced interpretive statements or reflections on what the stories meant to them. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted based on narrative data from 15 young adult participants in Canada. Our goals were to: (a) explore the extent to which object familiarity was associated with qualitative differences in stories and interpretations, and (b) investigate for connections between features of participants’ stories and depth of interpretation. Analysis of creative stories resulted in a scheme of four response categories with ten subcategories. Participants’ interpretations of their own stories were coded based on self-described sources of inspiration, such as critical life episodes or popular media. Results are accompanied with excerpts of participants’ stories and reflections, and percentage comparisons are reported. Findings are presented in dialogue with established interpretive frameworks originating in depth psychology. Manipulation of object familiarity resulted in demonstrable differences at the levels of word length, point of view, narrative forms and features, self-disclosure, and reflection. Use of familiar objects in such a task appears to be a largely untapped resource that shows promise as a route to insight.

Bacterial Endophytes As Indicators of Susceptibility To Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS) Disease In Beta vulgaris L.

Background: The fungus Cercospora beticola causes Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS) of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Despite the global importance of this disease, durable resistance to CLS has still not been obtained. Therefore, the development of tolerant hybrids is still a major goal for sugar beet breeding. Although recent studies have suggested that the leaf microbiome composition can offer useful predictors to assist plant breeders, this is an untapped resource in sugar beet breeding efforts. Methods: Using Ion GeneStudio S5 technology to sequence amplicons from seven 16S rRNA hypervariable regions, the most recurring endophytes discriminating CLS-symptomatic and symptomless sea beets (Beta vulgaris L.ssp. maritima) were identified. This allowed the design of taxon-specific primer pairs to quantify the abundance of the most representative endophytic species in large naturally occurring populations of sea beet and subsequently in sugar beet breeding genotypes under either CLS symptomless or infection stages using qPCR. Results: Among the screened bacterial genera, Methylobacterium and Mucilaginibacter were found to be significantly (p<0.05) more abundant in symptomatic sea beets with respect to symptomless. In cultivated sugar beet material under CLS infection, the comparison between resistant and susceptible genotypes confirmed that the susceptible genotypes hosted higher contents of the above-mentioned bacterial genera. Conclusions: These results suggest that the abundance of these species can be correlated with increased sensitivity to CLS disease. This evidence can further prompt novel protocols to assist plant breeding of sugar beet in the pursuit of improved pathogen resistance.

Splitting of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase is Common in Narnaviridae: Identification of a type II Divided-RdRp from Deep-Sea Fungal Isolates

Until recently, it was accepted that RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is the only essential gene for non-retro RNA viruses and is encoded by a single open reading frame (ORF) in their genomes. However, divided-RdRps that are coded by two ORFs were discovered in fungal RNA viruses in a few independent reports. This discovery showed higher plasticity of viral RdRp than was expected. Among these divided-RdRps, the division site was common; specifically, the first part of the RdRp contains motifs F, A, and B, whereas the latter part possesses motifs C and D. These RdRps are designated as type I divided-RdRp and have been limited to viruses in a specific clade of Narnaviridae. In this study, to further understand the plasticity of RdRp, we explored viruses from deep sea-derived fungal strains as an untapped resource with a focus on Aspergillus section Versicolores. Seven strains were found to be infected by total of 13 viruses, and the viral RNA genomes were determined by FLDS technology. Among them, six strains belong to Narnaviridae. One of the strains, Aspergillus tennesseensis narnavirus 1, which infects an Aspergillus tennesseensis, has a divided RdRp with a new division site (referred to as type II divided-RdRp). A couple of sequences for possible type II divided-RdRps were also detected in public metagenomic datasets. Our findings reveal that different types of division in RdRp are present in the virosphere, and two types of RdRp splitting occurred independently within Narnaviridae.

Roman Climate Awareness in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

This article examines the past and potential contributions of Pliny the Elder’s Natural History (NH) on the subject of Roman perceptions and experiences of environmental change. It asks in particular how classicists, archaeologists, and environmental historians can responsibly use the NH as a source on ancient climate. First, it briefly reviews relevant topics in the paleoclimatology of the Roman world, a rapidly advancing discipline enabling the identification of ancient climate changes with increasing precision and confidence (I). The article then turns to the reliability of Pliny as an authority on ancient climate by examining his accuracy, objectivity, and use of source material in literary and historical context, including his rhetorical goals, which have gone understudied until quite recently (II). A close reading of passages on environmental and climate change follows, highlighting areas in which Pliny’s observations are at odds with his source material. The examples discussed demonstrate the importance of phenology (III) and meteorology (IV) in Pliny’s encyclopedic account of the natural world, one characterized by anthropocentrism, pragmatism, and an emphasis on local knowledge. The evidence for ancient climate change is plentiful but not conclusive on the details and timing, and further studies will continue to refine local records. Rather than presenting a synthetic reconstruction based on Pliny’s observations, I argue that his encyclopedia offers an untapped resource on ancient climate and weather, not only by providing evidence of climate change, but also by recommending increased attention to seasonality, agricultural communities, and the lived experience of agricultural labor in order to better understand the effects of climate change on ancient populations.