Minimizing dependencies across languages and speakers. Evidence from basque, polish and spanish and native and non-native bilinguals.

223 p.Within the last years, evidence for a general preference towards grammars reducing the linear distance between elements in a dependency has been accumulating (e. g., Futrell, Mahowald, and Gibson, 2015b; Gildea and Temperley, 2010). This cognitive bias towards dependency length minimization has been argued to result from communicative and cognitive pressures at play during language production. Although corpus evidence supporting this claim is quite broad insofar as grammaticalized structures are concerned (e. g., Futrell et al., 2015b; Liu, 2008; Temperley, 2007, among others), its validity rests on more shaky foundations regarding production preferences (Stallings, MacDonald, and O¿Seaghdha, 1998; Wasow, 1997; Yamashita and Chang, 2001, among others). This dissertation intends to address this gap. It examines whether dependency length minimization is an active mechanism shaping language production preferences, and explores the specific nature of this principle and its interplay with linguistic specifications and architectural properties of the human memory system. In a series of 5 cued-recall production experiments and 2 complex memory span tasks, I investigate the effect of dependency length in modulating production preferences across languages with differing grammatical properties (e.g., head-position and case marking) and across speakers (e. g., natives and non-natives and with variable working memory capacity). I begin by showing that the preference for short dependencies is better accounted by a general cognitive preference for minimizing the distance across dependents than by conceptual availability. I then show how languages as diverse as Basque, Spanish and Polish tend to choose the communicatively more efficient structures, when there is more than one available alternative to express the same meaning. Crucially, I confirm that there is consistent variation regarding this tendency both across languages and across speakers. I argue that language-specific (e. g., pluripersonal agreement) and general cognitive mechanisms (e. g., word order based-expectations) interact with the preference towards dependency length minimization. Also, I show that the degree of communicative efficiency achieved by highly proficient and early non-native bilingual speakers is lower than that reached by their native peers. Finally, I find that the bias towards shifted orders that yield shorter dependencies correlates positively with working memory. Based on these findings, I conclude that there is strong evidence supporting the claim that dependency length minimization is a pervasive force in human language production, resulting from a general cognitive constraint towards efficient communication, and also that its strength varies depending on grammatical and individual specifications compatible with information-theoretic considerations

Minimizing dependencies across languages and speakers. Evidence from basque, polish and spanish and native and non-native bilinguals.

223 p.Within the last years, evidence for a general preference towards grammars reducing the linear distance between elements in a dependency has been accumulating (e. g., Futrell, Mahowald, and Gibson, 2015b; Gildea and Temperley, 2010). This cognitive bias towards dependency length minimization has been argued to result from communicative and cognitive pressures at play during language production. Although corpus evidence supporting this claim is quite broad insofar as grammaticalized structures are concerned (e. g., Futrell et al., 2015b; Liu, 2008; Temperley, 2007, among others), its validity rests on more shaky foundations regarding production preferences (Stallings, MacDonald, and O¿Seaghdha, 1998; Wasow, 1997; Yamashita and Chang, 2001, among others). This dissertation intends to address this gap. It examines whether dependency length minimization is an active mechanism shaping language production preferences, and explores the specific nature of this principle and its interplay with linguistic specifications and architectural properties of the human memory system. In a series of 5 cued-recall production experiments and 2 complex memory span tasks, I investigate the effect of dependency length in modulating production preferences across languages with differing grammatical properties (e.g., head-position and case marking) and across speakers (e. g., natives and non-natives and with variable working memory capacity). I begin by showing that the preference for short dependencies is better accounted by a general cognitive preference for minimizing the distance across dependents than by conceptual availability. I then show how languages as diverse as Basque, Spanish and Polish tend to choose the communicatively more efficient structures, when there is more than one available alternative to express the same meaning. Crucially, I confirm that there is consistent variation regarding this tendency both across languages and across speakers. I argue that language-specific (e. g., pluripersonal agreement) and general cognitive mechanisms (e. g., word order based-expectations) interact with the preference towards dependency length minimization. Also, I show that the degree of communicative efficiency achieved by highly proficient and early non-native bilingual speakers is lower than that reached by their native peers. Finally, I find that the bias towards shifted orders that yield shorter dependencies correlates positively with working memory. Based on these findings, I conclude that there is strong evidence supporting the claim that dependency length minimization is a pervasive force in human language production, resulting from a general cognitive constraint towards efficient communication, and also that its strength varies depending on grammatical and individual specifications compatible with information-theoretic considerations

Grapes and Wine

Grape and Wine is a collective book composed of 18 chapters that address different issues related to the technological and biotechnological management of vineyards and winemaking. It focuses on recent advances, hot topics and recurrent problems in the wine industry and aims to be helpful for the wine sector. Topics covered include pest control, pesticide management, the use of innovative technologies and biotechnologies such as non-thermal processes, gene editing and use of non-Saccharomyces, the management of instabilities such as protein haze and off-flavors such as light struck or TCAs, the use of big data technologies, and many other key concepts that make this book a powerful reference in grape and wine production. The chapters have been written by experts from universities and research centers of 9 countries, thus representing knowledge, research and know-how of many regions worldwide

Modern Technologies and Their Influence in Fermentation Quality

During the last few years, industrial fermentation technologies have advanced in order to improve the quality of the final product. Some examples of those modern technologies are the biotechnology developments of microbial materials, such as Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts or lactic bacteria from different genera. Other technologies are related to the use of additives and adjuvants, such as nutrients, enzymes, fining agents, or preservatives and their management, which directly influence the quality and reduce the risks in final fermentation products. Other technologies are based on the management of thermal treatments, filtrations, pressure applications, ultrasounds, UV, and so on, which have also led to improvements in fermentation quality in recent years. The aim of the issue is to study new technologies able to improve the quality parameters of fermentation products, such as aroma, color, turbidity, acidity, or any other parameters related to improving sensory perception by the consumers. Food safety parameters are also included

Metabolic and Blood Flow Properties of Functional Brain Networks Using Human Multimodal Neuroimaging

The brain has a high energetic cost to support neuronal activity, requiring both oxygen and glucose supply from the cerebral vascular system. Additionally, the brain functions through complex patterns of interconnectivity between neuronal assemblies giving rise to functional network architectures that can be investigated across multiple spatial scales. Different brain regions have different roles and importance within these network architectures, with some regions exhibiting more global importance by being involved in cross-network communication while other being predominantly involved in local connections. There are indications that regions exhibiting a more global role in inter networks connectivity are characterized by a higher and more efficient metabolic profile, leading to differences in metabolic properties when compared to more locally connected regions. Understanding the link between oxygen/glucose metabolism and functional features of brain network architectures, across different spatial scales, is of primary importance. This thesis consists of three original studies combining human brain resting-state multimodal neuroimaging and transcriptional data to investigate the glucose/oxygen metabolic costs of brain functional connectivity. We quantified glucose metabolism from positron emission tomography, and oxygen metabolism and functional connectivity from magnetic resonance imaging. In the first study, we highlight how the oxygen/glucose metabolism of brain regions can non-linearly relate to their functional hubness, within the resting-state networks of the brain across a nested hierarchy. We found that an increase in oxygen/glucose metabolism is associated with a non-linear increase in functional hubness where increase rates are both network- and scale-dependent. In the second study, we show specific transcriptional signatures that characterize the oxygen/glucose metabolic costs of regions involved in network global versus local centrality. This study highlights the different metabolic profiles of local and global regions, with gene expression related to oxidative metabolism and synaptic pathways being enriched in association with spatial patterns in common with resting blood flow and metabolism (oxygen and glucose) and globally-connected regions. In the third study, we demonstrate that there are oxygen/glucose metabolic costs to the functional integration and segregation of resting-state networks. We highlight that the metabolic costs of functional integration could reflect the hierarchical organization of the brain from unimodal to transmodal regions