3,233 research outputs found
Slang compounds as one case of morphological complexity
No full textThe phenomenon of compounding offers an interesting case study for the interaction of the lexicon with semantics and morphology. More precisely, compounding in English slang is thought to be a highly relevant phenomenon for an illustration of both morphosemantic complexity (i.e. semantic non-compositionality of the constituent parts) and morphotactic complexity (i.e. morphological non-constituency, or difficulty in identifying these constituent parts at all). In the present paper an attempt is made to apply the notion of language complexity, as developed by Merlini Barbaresi (this volume), to be intended here in terms of non-transparency, which implies greater effort in processing and decoding the linguistic sign.
In this paper, the parameter of morphological transparency will be used to explore how English slang compounds, as a rule, sacrifice morphological transparency in favour of multilevel opacity. First, a few interpretations of prototypical compounds will be provided in order to obtain some definitional criteria for the very phenomenon of composition. Secondly, a set of representative candidates – namely, compounds taken from slang dictionaries (either on-line or paper dictionaries) – will be selected as predictable cases of morphological complexity. Thirdly, these candidates will be examined from the perspective of their morpho-semantic and -tactic non-transparency, in a broad sense, difficulty of perception, or otherwise opacifying obstruction to recognition. Last but not least, a subset of these candidates will be reconsidered from the perspective of their productivity, viz. their attested regularity and potential for becoming accepted models in the creation of novel slang compounds. Interestingly, this subclass of compounds will turn out to be the most complicated case of classification within the framework of morphological complexity
Tracce di una storia = Traces of a history
No full text(IT) L’architetto portoghese PAULO MERLINI reinterpreta una piccola costruzione di campagna, a nord di Porto. Nell’articolazione e nei materiali – granito, cemento e intonaco candido – il progetto racchiude la testimonianza dell’evoluzione del manufatto originale. E il suo rapporto con il luogo.
(UK) The Portuguese architect Paulo Merlini has reinterpreted a small rural construction to the north of Porto. In its articulation and materials – granite, concrete and white plaster – the project bears witness to the evolution of the original structure. And its relationship with its locatio
Direct replacement of antibodies with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles in ELISA - development of a novel assay for vancomycin
No full textA simple and straightforward technique for coating microplate wells with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) to develop ELISA type assays is presented here for the first time. NanoMIPs were synthesized by a solid phase approach with immobilized vancomycin (template) and characterized using Biacore 3000, dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy. Immobilization, blocking and washing conditions were optimized in microplate format. The detection of vancomycin was achieved in competitive binding experiments with a HRP-vancomycin conjugate. The assay was capable of measuring vancomycin in buffer and in blood plasma within the range 0.001-70 nM with a detection limit of 0.0025 nM (2.5 pM). The sensitivity of the assay was three orders of magnitude better than a previously described ELISA based on antibodies. In these experiments nanoMIPs have shown high affinity and minimal interference from blood plasma components. Immobilized nanoMIPs were stored for 1 month at room temperature without any detrimental effects to their binding properties. The high affinity of nanoMIPs and the lack of a requirement for cold chain logistics make them an attractive alternative to traditional antibodies used in ELIS
A morphopragmatic analysis of English and Italian negative prefixes
No full textPragmatic investigations of negation have hitherto concentrated on syntactic aspects of the language, such as the negation of predicate expressions (Hübler, 1987), the negation of the contrary (Hoffmann, 1987) and litotes (Caffi, 1989). However, there are no morphopragmatic studies on affixal negation previous to the present contribution (see Dressler and Merlini Barbaresi, 1994).
This paper explores the regular pragmatic effects produced by English negative prefixes (dis-, in-, non-, un-) and by their Italian counterparts (dis-, in-, non-, s-). In both languages, pragmatic meanings are associated with the feature [cautious] when negative derived words are functional to politeness and euphemistic reticence (cf. E. unsuccess vs. flop / It. insuccesso vs. fiasco), and with the feature [detached] when they help the speaker to save his/her own face and, simultaneously, to prevent the hearer’s negative reaction, as in the case of understatement (cf. E. inelegant vs. rude / It. indelicato vs. villano). From a dynamic perspective, negative derived words are used to modify the illocutionary force of speech acts, esp. towards downgrading. So, according to the context, they may favour either altruistic or egoistic mitigation.
Gli studi pragmatici sulla negazione si sono finora occupati di aspetti sintattici, come la negazione di un predicato (Hübler, 1987), del contrario (Hoffmann, 1987) e la litote (Caffi, 1989). Tuttavia, prima del presente contributo, non ci sono stati studi morfopragmatici sugli affissi negativi (v. Dressler and Merlini Barbaresi, 1994).
Questo studio esplora gli effetti pragmatici regolarmente prodotti dai prefissi negativi inglesi (dis-, in-, non-, un-) e da quelli italiani (dis-, in-, non-, s-). In entrambe le lingue, i significati pragmatici sono associati al tratto [cautious] quando i derivati negativi servono alla cortesia e alla reticenza eufemistica (cfr. E. unsuccess vs. flop / It. insuccesso vs. fiasco), e al tratto [detached] quando servono a salvare la faccia del parlante e, simultaneamente, a prevenire reazioni negative dell’ascoltatore, come nel caso dell’understatement (cfr. E. inelegant vs. rude / It. indelicato vs. villano). In prospettiva dinamica, i derivati negativi sono usati per modificare la forza illocutoria degli atti del discorso, in particolare verso l’attenuazione. Possono dunque favorire, a seconda del contesto, la mitigazione altruistica o quella egoistica
Coaching early career teachers in urban elementary schools: A mixed method study
No full textCoaching for urban early career teachers (ECTs) offers promise and aligns with features of effective professional development to support the implementation of evidence-based practices. However, the functional components and key elements of coaching and coach supervision are not well specified in the literature. The goal of the current study was to examine adherence and feasibility of a coaching intervention designed to provide urban ECTs with concentrated support in classroom management and engaging learners—two instructional domains that are robust predictors of attrition (Ingersoll and Strong in Rev Educ Res 81:201–233, 2011). Coaches (n = 6) worked with ECTs (n = 15) in three urban, high-poverty elementary schools during the 2-year intervention. A mixed-method design was employed, such that qualitative data (i.e., semi-structured interviews) and quantitative data (i.e., adherence measures) were collected concurrently, remained independent during analyses, and were integrated during interpretation (Creswell and Clark in Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2007). Findings revealed that ECTs generally received the intended frequency and duration of coaching but with fewer opportunities for post-conferences. Coach supervision, on average, was delivered with intended frequency, with variability across coaches. Thematic analyses highlighted coach provision of emotional and instrumental support, emphasized consistent coaching as critical, and that time was a significant barrier to ECT participation in coaching. Supervision promoted social support among coaches and provided opportunities to adapt the model to ECT needs.Peer reviewe
Communautés et écriture en ligne. Histoire, devenir, un dialogue
No full textIn this interview, Elisa Bricco talks to writer Benoît Vincent about
the transformations that have taken place over the last twenty years
as a result of the technological turn in literary production. We look
at the repercussions of technology’s hold over literary production, and
in particular at the development of the notion of author in the context
of collective writing. The example of the General Instin project will
be used to highlight some of the issues raised by digital technology in
relation to the production of literary texts.Dans cet entretien, Elisa Bricco discute avec l’écrivain Benoît Vincent
sur les transformations qui sont survenues dans les vingt dernières
années à cause du tournant technologique de la production littéraire. On
s’interroge sur les répercussions de l’emprise de la technologie sur le
faire littéraire et notamment sur le développement de la notion d’auteur
dans le contexte de l’écriture collective. L’exemple du projet Général
Instin servira pour mettre en lumières quelques enjeux du numérique
par rapport à la production de textes littéraires
Communautés et écriture en ligne. Histoire, devenir, un dialogue
No full textIn this interview, Elisa Bricco talks to writer Benoît Vincent about the transformations that have taken place over the last twenty years as a result of the technological turn in literary production. We look at the repercussions of technology’s hold over literary production, and in particular at the development of the notion of author in the context of collective writing. The example of the Général Instin project will be used to highlight some of the issues raised by digital technology in relation to the production of literary texts.Dans cet entretien, Elisa Bricco discute avec l’écrivain Benoît Vincent sur les transformations qui sont survenues dans les vingt dernières années à cause du tournant technologique de la production littéraire. On s’interroge sur les répercussions de l’emprise de la technologie sur le faire littéraire et notamment sur le développement de la notion d’auteur dans le contexte de l’écriture collective. L’exemple du projet Général Instin servira pour mettre en lumières quelques enjeux du numérique par rapport à la production de textes littéraires
Comment on Bandelli and Porcelli/1 - Against Moral Panic, in Defence of Data
No full textElisa Giomi’s commentary is an answer to Bandelli and Porcelli’s essay “Femicide in Italy. ‘Femminicidio,’ Moral Panic and Progressivist Discourse” [2016]. Although Giomi assumes that Bandelli and Porcelli effectively illustrate the instrumentalization of lethal violence against women in Italian political discourse, yet she criticizes their reading of the “femminicidio narrative” as a phenomenon of moral panic that locates the threat in the typical Italian heterosexual family/couple: all the available empirical findings confirm that these are precisely the contexts where lethal aggressions against women most frequently occur. The author also disagrees with the authors’ conclusion that the femminicidio narrative authorized “the application of a gender paradigm to the official reading of domestic/partner violence” in 2012/13 Italian public discourse. Finally, she contends that in their essay the “feminist discourse” is represented in a stereotypical way, one that is instrumental in depicting it as a hegemonic discourse
Classification of the instrument of assessment of children between 0 and 3 years of age.
No full textOne of the difficulties described in epidemiological studies about psychopathology in children 0-3 years of age appears during the assessment phase. In fact, the assessment of indicators of particular difficulties in children is hampered by the rapid processes of transformation of behavior that cross all areas of child development. The aim of this article was to provide an overview as complete as possible of all instruments used in the assessment phase of children 0-3 years. The literature shows a number of tools for evaluation and diagnosis of psychopathology that have been divided into four categories: mental development tests, interviews with parents, questionnaires and rating scales, evaluation of the parent-child assessment of specific diagnostic entities. The main features of each instrument are described
Chronically low NMNAT2 expression causes sub-lethal SARM1 activation and altered response to nicotinamide riboside in axons
No full textNicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 2 (NMNAT2) is an endogenous axon survival factor that maintains axon health by blocking activation of the downstream prodegenerative protein SARM1 (sterile alpha and TIR motif containing protein 1). While complete absence of NMNAT2 in mice results in extensive axon truncation and perinatal lethality, the removal of SARM1 completely rescues these phenotypes. Reduced levels of
NMNAT2 can be compatible with life, however they compromise axon development and survival. Mice born expressing sub-heterozygous levels of NMNAT2 remain overtly normal into old age but develop axonal defects in vivo and in vitro as well as behavioural phenotypes.
Therefore, it is important to examine the effects of constitutively low NMNAT2 expression on SARM1 activation and disease susceptibility. Here we demonstrate that chronically low NMNAT2 levels reduce prenatal viability in mice in a SARM1-dependent manner and lead to
sub-lethal SARM1 activation in morphologically intact axons of superior cervical ganglion (SCG) primary cultures. This is characterised by a depletion in NAD(P) and compromised neurite outgrowth. We also show that chronically low NMNAT2 expression reverses the NAD enhancing
effect of nicotinamide riboside (NR) in axons in a SARM1-dependent manner. These data indicate that low NMNAT2 levels can trigger sub-lethal SARM1 activation which is detectable at the molecular level and could predispose to human axonal disorders
- …
