PROSODIC TRANSFER IN LEARNER AND CONTACT VARIETIES

A remarkable example of Spanish-Italian contact is the Spanish variety spoken in Buenos Aires (Porteño), which is said to be prosodically “Italianized” due to migration-induced contact. The change in Porteño prosody has been interpreted as a result of transfer from the first language (L1) that occurred when Italian immigrants learned Spanish as a second language (L2; McMahon, 2004). This article aims to examine if and to what extent prosodic features that are typical of Italian show up in Porteño and in L2 Castilian Spanish produced by Italian native speakers. Specifically, we investigated speech rhythm and the realization of yes-no questions in Porteño and L2 Castilian Spanish in comparison to Italian and L1 Castilian Spanish. We hypothesized that Italian, Porteño, and L2 Castilian Spanish would exhibit similar rhythm patterns, showing high values for the percentage of vocalic material, the variation coefficient of vocalic intervals, and the speech-rate-normalized pairwise variability index for vowels as well as high frequencies of rising prenuclear accents, with the peak located at the end of the syllable (L+H*) and falling final contours in yes-no questions, in contrast to Castilian Spanish. The results confirm our predictions for speech rhythm but not entirely for the intonation of yes-no questions.

Diurnal progesterone rhythms in the female mouse

ABSTRACT The patterns of peripheral progesterone concentrations were investigated in a number of murine models on a 13 h light: 11 h darkness lighting regime. The pattern in the intact mouse at dioestrus was compared with that in the ovariectomized mouse. A diurnal pattern was recorded in both, maxima occurring around the end of the light period; no conspicuous nadir was recorded, levels of progesterone remaining relatively constant over a 14-h period. Adrenalectomized mice displayed no such rhythm, indicating that the adrenal is responsible for any diurnal rhythm in peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations at dioestrus. At pro-oestrus in intact animals a similar rhythm was observed, but the maximum levels of progesterone were approximately five times greater than at dioestrus and, moreover, persisted in adrenalectomized mice, indicating that the rhythm of adrenal secretion of progesterone is masked by ovarian secretion. Ovariectomized mice with implants of oestradiol-17β displayed a similar rhythm to that of intact mice at dioestrus, but had significantly higher plasma progesterone levels around the time of the maxima although not over the total 24-h period. An s.c. injection of oestradiol benzoate superimposed on oestrogen levels produced by implants had no significant effect on plasma progesterone levels. Also at pro-oestrus the pattern of peripheral LH concentration was investigated in both the intact and the adrenalectomized mouse. For both, maxima were recorded just before darkness, at 19.00 h, in advance of the progesterone surge. In adrenalectomized mice this surge at 19.00 h was attenuated. The possible role of adrenal progesterone in ovulation and the mechanisms by which endogenous oestrogens might enhance adrenal progesterone output are considered. J. Endocr. (1987) 112, 15–21

Warm-Up and Stridulation in the Buschcricket, Hexacentrus Unicolor Serville (Orthoptera, Conocephalidae, Listroscelidinae)

The morphology of the stridulatory organ of the tropical bushcricket Hexacentrus unicolor is described and an investigation is made of stridulatory movements and muscle activities. 1. The song is produced by extremely fast stridulatory movements (320–415 Hz), during which, while closing the wings, a highly specialized file is brought into contact with the plectrum to produce sound. The muscles are activated with the same frequency, i.e. they work synchronously (neurogenic). 2. A few minutes before the stridulation starts, the muscles are activated in a similar rhythm to that pertaining during singing (pattern of spike trains and pauses). As a result, the thorax temperature increases considerably (up to approximately 37°C, 13–15°C higher than the ambient temperature). The frequency of the muscle potentials within the spike trains rises during warm-up. There are, however, indications that no phase displacement of antagonistically working muscles takes place.

Evidence for the coupling of the regulations of tyrosine aminotransferase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

An experimental design which simulated a light–darkness schedule reproduced the daily rhythm of tyrosine aminotransferase in rat liver. A similar rhythm was identified for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Both enzyme rhythms were profoundly and similarly modified by the amount of dietary protein fed to the animals. The liver glycogen content fluctuated in a manner that produced plots which were virtually the mirror images of the enzyme rhythm plots. The oscillations of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were less pronounced than those of tyrosine aminotransferase and the same quantitative relationship was found in response to infused nonpharmacological amounts of Cortisol.A relationship in the regulations of the two enzymes suggested by the present and other experiments is envisaged and discussed.

Seasonal variation in the reactivity to oestrogen of the ovariectomized ewe

Fifteen tests carried out at an average interval of 4 weeks for 14 months showed an annual rhythm in the proportion of spayed crossbred ewes which exhibited oestrus after an injection of 15.6 µg oestradiol benzoate (ODB) following a 12 day period of progesterone treatment. Reactivity was highest in late summer and early autumn and lowest in winter and early spring. The periods of minimum reactivity coincided with the periods of low environmental temperatures and low body weights. The significance of the annual rhythm is discussed with particular relation to the phenomenon of "silent oestrus". No similar rhythm was detected in the 7-aginal response to oestrogen.

Notes on Some Passages of Plato'S Timaeus

This famous sentence, which opens the address of the Demiurge to the created gods, has puzzled commentators both ancient and modern. We must, I think, agree with Taylor and Cornford, who both discuss it at length, that no sense can be got out of θεọἰ θε⋯ν taken together, i.e. with a comma after θε⋯ν: I need notreproduce their arguments on this point. Accordingly they punctuate after θεọἰ. Taylor, however, thinks that even so the sentence cannot be translated, and accepts Badham's proposal to read ộδων in place of θε⋯ν ⋯ν. He then takes ộδων ἒπγων as an instance of ‘inverse relative attraction’ and translates ‘Ye gods, works whereof I am maker and father, seeing they were fashioned by my hands, are indissoluble without my consent’. Cornford objects to ộδων on the grounds that it creates an objectionable hiatus between the first two words (and it is true that the Timaeus is very sparing of hiatus), and also that it destroys what he finds to be the dominant rhythm of the whole speech, and particularly of this first sentence. That rhythm is Cretic: θεọἰ θε⋯ν ⋯ν ẻγὠ δημωνπγ⋯ς πατ⋯π ἒπγων: which he compares the famous opening of the De Corona τοῖς θεοῖς ε⋯χομα π⋯δ κα⋯ π⋯δς. I am, however, doubtful about the cogency of this argument from rhythm, as I have noticed a number of places in the dialogue where a similar rhythm occurs to all appearance naturally:58 A κα⋯ ππ⋯ς αὐτὐν πεφνκνῖα βοὑλεδθα.66 C ⋯δὺ κα⋯ ποδφλ⋯ς παντ⋯ π⋯ν.70 A τ⋯ν τε δ⋯ καπδ⋯αν ⋯μμ⋯των.77 A τ⋯ς γ⋯π ⋯νθπωπ⋯νης δνγγεν⋯81 δ⋯γκλεν αὐτ⋯ν ππ⋯ς ἂλληλα κ⋯κτηα.