Information structure: theoretical perspectives

Under embargo until: 2022-09-12This chapter discusses the terminology commonly used in the information structure literature: in particular, topic, focus, contrast, and emphasis. An important component of our discussion is the impact of the visual-gestural modality on the syntactic and prosodic encoding of information structure. Kimmelman argued that in RSL and NGT, doubling is also used for information structure-related functions, but proposed that the functions of doubling are better described as foregrounding. Information structure is a field of linguistics covered in numerous books and articles. Information structure in sign languages has also been investigated almost from the first days of sign linguistics; however, as is often the case, most of the available studies focus on a very small number of sign languages, and among these, American Sign Language is the one most prominently represented. The chapter aims to theoretical research, It discusses the few available experimental or psycholinguistic studies on information structure in sign languages.acceptedVersio

Positive signs – How sign language typology benefits deaf communities and linguistic theory

Sign language typology is the systematic comparative study of linguistic structures across sign languages, and has emerged as a separate linguistic sub-discipline over the past 15 years. It is situated at the crossroads between linguistic typology and sign language linguistics, the latter itself a relatively young discipline with its roots in the 1960s and 70s (McBurney 2001). The cross-fertilisation initiated by the advent of sign language typology is obvious: Typologists gain an entirely new dimension in their study of linguistic diversity, and sign language linguists gain a rich tool box of concepts and methods for discovering typological patterns across sign languages. Beyond theory and methodology, the impact that sign language typology research has on the deaf communities who are the primary users of these languages is discussed in Section 2. Section 3 discusses some areas in which sign language typology has made unique contributions to linguistic theory and has prompted discussions that may otherwise not have come to the surface

Local licensing and feature copy in language production

In the last 30 years, psycholinguists have developed language production models based on speech error evidence. In particular, it has been shown that different processing levels have to be distinguished between a preverbal message and the articulation of an utterance. However, only few attempts have been made to relate the processing models to a particular grammar theory. In this paper, I am going to show that the Distributed Morphology framework allows for a straightforward explanation of certain intricate error data that involve the manipulation of morphosyntactic features and/or the application of context-sensitive phonological and morphological rules

High and low negation in Sign Language of the Netherlands

In this paper, we offer a formal account of clausal negation in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) based on corpus data. Data analysis reveals that NGT displays considerable variation in negative clauses with respect to (i) word order and (ii) spreading of the headshake. As for (i), we show that the different positions of the manual negator vis-à-vis the VP result from the presence of two NegPs which trigger V- or (remnant) VP-movement, which in turn allows different spell-out strategies. As for (ii), we argue that the proposed structure, while not syntactically determining the headshake’s spreading domain, does interact with spreading by defining which categories can host the headshak

Ground Reaction Forces: The Sine Qua Non of Legged Locomotion

Legged locomotion results from the feet pressing against the ground to generate ground reaction forces (GRFs) that are responsible for moving the body. By changing limb coordination patterns and muscle forces, the GRFs are adjusted to allow the horse to move in different gaits, speeds, and directions with appropriate balance and self-carriage. This article describes the typical GRF patterns in each gait, the adaptations that produce turning, and the GRF patterns used to unload the painful limb when the horse is lame. The intent is to provide information that is of practical interest and value to equine scientists rather than being a comprehensive review of the topic. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease.

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

SBML Level 3: an extensible format for the exchange and reuse of biological models

Systems biology has experienced dramatic growth in the number, size, and complexity of computational models. To reproduce simulation results and reuse models, researchers must exchange unambiguous model descriptions. We review the latest edition of the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML), a format designed for this purpose. A community of modelers and software authors developed SBML Level 3 over the past decade. Its modular form consists of a core suited to representing reaction-based models and packages that extend the core with features suited to other model types including constraint-based models, reaction-diffusion models, logical network models, and rule-based models. The format leverages two decades of SBML and a rich software ecosystem that transformed how systems biologists build and interact with models. More recently, the rise of multiscale models of whole cells and organs, and new data sources such as single-cell measurements and live imaging, has precipitated new ways of integrating data with models. We provide our perspectives on the challenges presented by these developments and how SBML Level 3 provides the foundation needed to support this evolution