Detecting contact effects in pronunciation

Abstract Background Iroko gall bug, Phytolyma fusca Walker, is a major insect pest of Milicia excelsa (Iroko) seedling hampering its propagation in West Africa. Milicia excelsa is an indigenous forest timber tree in the tropical rain forest of West Africa with a very high value in international trade due to its wood quality. Sustainable management of P. fusca infestations on Iroko seedlings have not been achieved due to their cryptic nature and multivoltine generations. This study evaluated the residual and contact effects of crude ethanol and aqueous extracts of four plants (Azadirachta indica, Jatropha curcas, Piper guineense, and Aframomum melegueta) on adult P. fusca in the laboratory and field. Results All the extracts had residual effects and contact effects on adult insects in the laboratory at 75% and 100% concentrations of applications. Azadirachta indica, P. guineense, and A. melegueta gave 80–100% adult mortality at both concentrations in the laboratory; their efficacies were comparable to cypermethrin. The ethanol extracts of P. guineense and A. indica were more effective than other extracts in protecting the seedlings against Phytolyma infestations in the field. They significantly (p < 0.01) reduced infestation compared to other extracts and control. Ethanol extracts of the tested plant materials were more effective than their aqueous extracts both in the laboratory and field. Conclusion The results proved that P. guineense and A. indica extracts were very potent and promising in protecting Milicia excelsa seedlings against Phytolyma fusca infestations and they can be used in the early management of Phytolyma infestations in the field.

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The generalization of intergroup contact effects: Emerging research, policy relevance, and future directions

Journal of Social Issues ◽

10.1111/josi.12419 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Boin ◽

Mirjana Rupar ◽

Sylvie Graf ◽

Sybille Neji ◽

Olivia Spiegler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Research Policy ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

Future Directions ◽

Policy Relevance ◽

Contact Effects

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Bilingualism and sound change: perception in the /ʎ/-/j/ merger process in Majorcan Spanish

Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie (ZrP) ◽

10.1515/zrp-2020-0005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (1) ◽

pp. 106-133

Author(s):

Assumpció Rost Bagudanch

Keyword(s):

Language Contact ◽

Sound Change ◽

Balearic Islands ◽

Chance Level ◽

Control Group ◽

Inhibiting Effect ◽

Change Perception ◽

Merger Process ◽

Linguistic Behaviour ◽

Contact Effects

AbstractYeísmo has been accounted for as a merger process occurring in Spanish irrespective of language contact effects though some scholars have claimed that the interference between Spanish and the variety of Catalan spoken in Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) has an inhibiting effect on yeísmo. This paper focusses on whether this inhibiting effect can be demonstrated at the perception level and whether it has an effect in the linguistic behaviour of bilinguals. To examine these effects, we conducted an identification experiment with three groups of listeners (Majorcan Catalan-dominant bilinguals, Spanish-dominant bilinguals and a control group of Spanish monolinguals). Results show that Catalan dominants do recognise [ʎ] stimuli, but Spanish dominants only identify [ʎ] at chance level. Consequently, it would seem that bilingual subjects display a bimodal performance at the perception level.

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Dynamic contact effects: Individuals’ positive and negative contact history influences intergroup contact effects in a behavioral game.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ◽

10.1037/pspi0000374 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarina J. Schäfer ◽

Müge Simsek ◽

Eva Jaspers ◽

Mathijs Kros ◽

Miles Hewstone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intergroup Contact ◽

Dynamic Contact ◽

Behavioral Game ◽

Contact Effects

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Contact effects in Gunn diodes

Electronics Letters ◽

10.1049/el:19710488 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 7 (24) ◽

pp. 711 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

W.S.C. Gurney

Keyword(s):

Gunn Diodes ◽

Contact Effects

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Bidirectionality of language contact: Spanish and Catalan vowels

Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America ◽

10.3765/plsa.v6i1.4956 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 159

Author(s):

Annie Helms

Keyword(s):

Social Factors ◽

Language Contact ◽

Balearic Islands ◽

Production Data ◽

Front Vowel ◽

Vowel Production ◽

Public Spheres ◽

Disproportionate Number ◽

Probabilistic Nature ◽

Contact Effects

The disproportionate number of studies in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands observing Spanish contact effects in Catalan production, rather than Catalan contact effects in Spanish production, is an oversight of bidirectionality and the probabilistic nature of social factors in situations of language contact. Accordingly, the present study analyzes both Catalan and Spanish mid front vowel production data from Barcelona to investigate whether Catalan contact effects occur in Spanish via a process of dissimilation, and whether such effects are strengthened in younger speakers due to the relatively recent implementation of Catalan linguistic policy in the educational and public spheres. The results are suggestive of dissimilation, where phonetic distinctions are maintained between Spanish /e/ and the two Catalan mid front vowels across both F1 and F2. Additionally, analyses of variance across F1 and F2 reveal that Spanish /e/ productions across F1 are more diffuse in younger speakers and Catalan mid front vowels across F2 are less diffuse, providing evidence of reciprocity in contact effects. These results underscore the bidirectional nature of language contact and advocate for the use of variance of F1 and F2 as a metric of phonological contact effects.

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