Cinque's functional verbs in French

This article focuses on the syntax of a number of subcategories of verb in French which are compatible with a following bare infinitive and which express various kinds of grammatical tense, mood, modality, aspect and voice, as well as such (more lexical?) notions as perception, causation and locomotion. The article starts by cataloguing a number of properties that these verbs display, and outlines various traditional accounts. It then sketches recent proposals by Cinque (1999, 2006a) [Cinque, Guglielmo, 1999. Adverbs and Functional Heads: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective. Oxford University Press; Cinque, Guglielmo, 2006a. Restructuring and Functional Heads. Oxford University Press] regarding functional clause structure. Finally, the article uses Cinque’s framework to account for the properties identified

On non-overt specifiers

I consider non-overt specifiers, in particular two contexts in which they have been posited. First, SpecIP: in finite clauses in nullsubject languages, SpecIP is standardly assumed to be occupied by a null pronominal (little pro) (Rizzi 1982a). Second, SpecNegP: in negative clauses in languages whose sole overt negative marker is associated with NegE, SpecNegP is claimed to be occupied by a null polarity operator (OP) (Haegeman 1995). A specifier, like a complement, is a syntactic dependant of a head. I argue that the null hypothesis is that a head does not have a dependant unless it needs one; a head is capable of ‘doing its job’ on its own, and will therefore be dependant-free, unless it is in some relevant sense lacking, whereby the dependant provides what is missing. In this light, I review the evidence for non-overt specifiers in SpecIP/Spec-NegP and show that the evidence does not stand up to close examination, and that the facts can be accounted for by assuming that the relevant heads can ‘do their job’ without a specifier, and that, consequently, their projections not only have no overt specifier, but actually have no specifier position, either, and therefore no nonovert specifier

The syntax of French

French is a syntactically interesting language, with aspects of its word order and clause structure triggering a variety of important developments in syntactic theory. This is a concise and accessible guide to the syntax of Modern French, providing a clear overview of those aspects of the language that are of particular interest to linguists. A broad variety of topics are covered, including the development and spread of French; the evolution of its syntax; syntactic variation; lexical categories; noun, verb and adjective phrases; clause structure; movement; and agreement. Drawing on the work of a wide range of scholars, it highlights the important role of French in the development of syntactic theory and shows how French challenges some fundamental assumptions about syntactic structure. An engaging and in-depth guide to all that is interesting about French, The Syntax of French will be invaluable to students and scholars of syntactic theory and comparative linguistics

Demonstration of a partially automated assessment approach to create an individualised, open-ended modelling worksheet

\ua9 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Partially automated assessment is implemented via the ‘Printable worksheet’ mode in the Numbas e-assessment system to create a mathematical modelling worksheet which is individualised with random parameters but completed and marked as if it were a non-automated piece of coursework, preserving validity while reducing the risk of academic misconduct via copying and collusion. A simple modelling scenario is used for this demonstration. A cylindrical tank of water is draining through a small hole in its base, with the size of the tank, size of the hole and initial volume of water randomised so that the details are different for each student. Students are guided through deriving a model of the movement of water out of their version of the tank, asked to compute the expected time for it to empty and asked to discuss some aspects of the model and their findings in a discursive narrative report

Role of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor subtypes in acute benzodiazepine physical dependence-like effects: evidence from squirrel monkeys responding under a schedule of food presentation.

RATIONALE: Assays of schedule-controlled responding can be used to characterize the pharmacology of benzodiazepines and other GABAA receptor modulators, and are sensitive to changes in drug effects that are related to physical dependence. OBJECTIVE: The present study used this approach to investigate the role of GABAA receptor subtypes in mediating dependence-like effects following benzodiazepine administration. METHODS: Squirrel monkeys (n = 6) were trained on a fixed-ratio schedule of food reinforcement. Initially, the response rate-decreasing effects of chlordiazepoxide (0.1-10 mg/kg; nonselective GABAA receptor agonist), zolpidem (0.032-1.0 mg/kg; α1 subunit-containing GABAA subtype-preferring agonist), and HZ-166 (0.1-10 mg/kg; functionally selective α2 and α3 subunit-containing GABAA receptor agonist) were assessed. Next, acute dependence-like effects following single injections of chlordiazepoxide, zolpidem, and HZ-166 were assessed with flumazenil (0.1-3.2 mg/kg; nonselective GABAA receptor antagonist). Finally, acute dependence-like effects following zolpidem administration were assessed with βCCt and 3-PBC (0.1-3.2 mg/kg and 0.32-10 mg/kg, respectively; α1 subunit-containing GABAA receptor antagonists). RESULTS: Chlordiazepoxide, zolpidem, and HZ-166 produced dose- and time-dependent decreases in response rates, whereas flumazenil, βCCT, and 3-PBC were ineffective. After the drug effects waned, flumazenil produced dose-dependent decreases in response rates following administration of 10 mg/kg chlordiazepoxide and 1.0 mg/kg zolpidem, but not following any dose of HZ-166. Further, both βCCT and 3-PBC produced dose-dependent decreases in response rates when administered after 1.0 mg/kg zolpidem. CONCLUSIONS: These data raise the possibility that α1 subunit-containing GABAA receptors play a major role in physical dependence-related behaviors following a single injection of a benzodiazepine