Tonal Patterns Research Articles

Implicit auditory memory in older listeners: From encoding to 6-month retention

Any listening task, from sound recognition to sound-based communication, rests on auditory memory which is known to decline in healthy ageing. However, how this decline maps onto multiple components and stages of auditory memory remains poorly characterised. In an online unsupervised longitudinal study, we tested ageing effects on implicit auditory memory for rapid tone patterns. The test required participants (younger, aged 20–30, and older adults aged 60–70) to quickly respond to rapid regularly repeating patterns emerging from random sequences. Patterns were novel in most trials (REGn), but unbeknownst to the participants, a few distinct patterns reoccurred identically throughout the sessions (REGr). After correcting for processing speed, the response times (RT) to REGn should reflect the information held in echoic and short-term memory before detecting the pattern; long-term memory formation and retention should be reflected by the RT advantage (RTA) to REGr vs REGn which is expected to grow with exposure. Older participants were slower than younger adults in detecting REGn and exhibited a smaller RTA to REGr. Computational simulations using a model of auditory sequence memory indicated that these effects reflect age-related limitations both in early and long-term memory stages. In contrast to ageing-related accelerated forgetting of verbal material, here older adults maintained stable memory traces for REGr patterns up to 6 months after the first exposure. The results demonstrate that ageing is associated with reduced short-term memory and long-term memory formation for tone patterns, but not with forgetting, even over surprisingly long timescales.

Some considerations about intonation patterns of vocatives in Romanian language

This paper focuses on an analysis of the intonation patterns of different types of vocatives in Romanian language. We present the main characteristics of the tonal patterns observed in the vocative constructions instances of isolated vocatives and contexts in which vocatives occur in different positions: initial, middle, and final. Our analysis, in the framework of AM phonology with ToBI conventions, reveals that most of isolated vocatives are realized as L+H*(!)H% (vocative chant), and L+H* L% (insistent call). For non-isolated vocatives the most frequent contours are labeled as L+H* L% and H+L* L%. Cross-linguistically, our findings show that Romanian vocatives display the same pattern as other Romance languages.

No Link Between Speech-in-Noise Perception and Auditory Sensory Memory - Evidence From a Large Cohort of Older and Younger Listeners.

A growing literature is demonstrating a link between working memory (WM) and speech-in-noise (SiN) perception. However, the nature of this correlation and which components of WM might underlie it, are being debated. We investigated how SiN reception links with auditory sensory memory (aSM) - the low-level processes that support the short-term maintenance of temporally unfolding sounds. A large sample of old (N = 199, 60-79 yo) and young (N = 149, 20-35 yo) participants was recruited online and performed a coordinate response measure-based speech-in-babble task that taps listeners' ability to track a speech target in background noise. We used two tasks to investigate implicit and explicit aSM. Both were based on tone patterns overlapping in processing time scales with speech (presentation rate of tones 20 Hz; of patterns 2 Hz). We hypothesised that a link between SiN and aSM may be particularly apparent in older listeners due to age-related reduction in both SiN reception and aSM. We confirmed impaired SiN reception in the older cohort and demonstrated reduced aSM performance in those listeners. However, SiN and aSM did not share variability. Across the two age groups, SiN performance was predicted by a binaural processing test and age. The results suggest that previously observed links between WM and SiN may relate to the executive components and other cognitive demands of the used tasks. This finding helps to constrain the search for the perceptual and cognitive factors that explain individual variability in SiN performance.

Negativity and Aspect in Mbaise Lect of Igbo

This paper examines negativity and aspect in Mbaise dialect of the Igbo language. The specific objectives of this study are to examine how aspect and negation are marked/realised in Mbaise Igbo, as well as to examine their tonal patterns. Data for the study are got through elicitation method, intuition and printed materials, and are then transcribed and analysed descriptively using the X-bar theory as its framework. Findings reveal the presence of perfective, progressive and habitual aspects in Mbaise Igbo with their various markers. This study equally observes that Mbaise Igbo has two negative markers. Also, these aspect forms can be combined with negations to form negative sentences. In line with the second objective, the findings of this study reveal that aspect has various tone patterns. In the formation of negative sentences, however, these aspect markers do change their tonal patterns. This study concludes that aspect and negation as functional/verbal categories are robust and indeed exist in the Mbaise Igbo.

A study of number marking in Izere nouns

This research descriptively examines number marking in Izere nouns, using morpholexical rules as proposed by Lieber (1980). In essence, it describes noun inflections for number from base forms in Izere, with the aid of these rules. Data for the research were collected in Fobur, Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State, using selected nouns from the Ibadan wordlist of 400 basic items, alongside an adapted list of nouns specifically designed for the research. The selected nouns were collected electronically and then transcribed in a way that identified the inflected noun forms from the base ones. The data were then analyzed qualitatively. Morpholexical rules were also proposed to account for morphological changes in the inflected forms of these nouns. The research findings indicate that affixation, tone pattern change and suppletion are the dominant morphological processes that account for noun inflections for number in Izere.

Associations between maternal phthalate exposure and neonatal neurobehaviors: The Taiwan maternal and infant cohort study (TMICS)

Previous studies have shown associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and neurobehavioral changes in children. However, few studies have focused on neonatal neurobehavioral development. This study aimed to examine the associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and neonatal neurobehavioral development in the early days of life after birth.This cohort study included 283 mother-infant pairs who participated in the Taiwan Mother Infant Cohort Study during 2012–2015. Each mother was interviewed, and urine samples were collected during the third trimester of pregnancy (weeks 29–40). Eleven common phthalate metabolites in maternal urine were analyzed. The Chinese version of the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Examination was used to evaluate early infant neurobehavioral development within five days of birth. We performed multiple linear regressions to explore the associations between phthalate exposure and neonatal neurobehavioral development. Sex differences in the association between phthalate metabolites and neonatal neurobehaviors were noted. Among girls, tertiles of phthalate metabolite concentrations were associated with worse behavioral responses and tone and motor patterns in the high-molecular-weight phthalate (HMW) and low-molecular-weight phthalate (LMW) groups. Girls in the highest tertile of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) had a negative association with tone and motor patterns. Girls in the highest tertile of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and MiBP showed a negative association with behavioral responses. In contrast, tertiles of phthalate metabolite exposure were associated with improved neurobehaviors in mono-methyl phthalate (MMP) among boys. The highest tertile of MMP was positively associated with behavioral responses, primitive reflexes, and tone and motor patterns. Our findings suggest that maternal phthalate exposure affects neonatal neurobehavioral development in a sex-specific manner. Despite the relatively small sample size, our findings add to the existing research linking maternal phthalate exposure to neonatal neurobehavioral development. Additional research is needed to determine the potential long-term effects of prenatal phthalate exposure on children.

Influence of Counteranions on the Performance of Tin-based EUV Photoresists

A positive-tone extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresist was obtained via the exchange of the hydroxide ions of tin-oxo-hydroxo cages with tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-borate. Thin films were obtained after spin coating on silicon substrates and exposed to line patterns in interference lithography at 92 eV (13.5 nm). For low doses and development with ethylbenzene positive tone patterns were obtained. In contrast, the exchange of the hydroxide ions of tin-oxo-hydroxo cages with tetrakis(4-methylphenyl)-borate or tetrakis[3,5-bis(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-methoxy-2-propyl)phenyl]-borate led to the negative-tone photoresist behaviour that has previously been observed for tin-oxo cages with all other counterions. In situ exposures at 92 eV and subsequent X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were performed on a film of tin-oxo-hydroxo cages with tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-borate anions to probe the chemical changes induced by the EUV exposure. This shows that the C-F bonds of the anions are relatively stable.

Synchronic Variation and Diachronic Evolution of Tone Patterns in Kunming Dialect

An acoustic experiment was conducted to analyze the tonal patterns of single characters in the Kunming dialect. The experimental results show that the Kunming dialect has a semi-high flat tone for the first tone, a low descending tone for the second tone, a high descending tone for the third tone, and a low tone for the fourth tone. The first and third tones are both high, while the second and fourth are both low tones, as opposed to the tonal patterns of "flat" and "low". The newer Kunming dialects show variation. The first tone starts and ends at a higher level, the third tone's bent section disappears, and the fourth tone starts and ends at a lower level, with a shorter tone duration. The variation in tone pattern starts in the middle-aged group in the old urban, and the degree of variation is female > male, old urban > old suburban, and the youth and middle-aged group > senior group, respectively. The female tone pattern has more similar vocal tone characteristics to those in the middle-aged and youth groups.

Atypical patterns of tone production in tone-language-speaking children with autism.

Speakers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are found to exhibit atypical pitch patterns in speech production. However, little is known about the production of lexical tones (T1, T2, T3, T4) as well as neutral tones (T1N, T2N, T3N, T4N) by tone-language speakers with ASD. Thus, this study investigated the height and shape of tones produced by Mandarin-speaking children with ASD and their age-matched typically developing (TD) peers. A pronunciation experiment was conducted in which the participants were asked to produce reduplicated nouns. The findings from the acoustic analyses showed that although ASD children generally produced both lexical tones and neutral tones with distinct tonal contours, there were significant differences between the ASD and TD groups for tone height and shape for T1/T1N, T3/T3N, and T4/T4N. However, we did not find any difference in T2/T2N. These data implied that the atypical acoustic pattern in the ASD group could be partially due to the suppression of the F0 range. Moreover, we found that ASD children tended to produce more errors for T2/T2N, T3/T3N than for T1/T1N, T4/T4N. The pattern of tone errors could be explained by the acquisition principle of pitch, similarities among different tones, and tone sandhi. We thus concluded that deficits in pitch processing could be responsible for the atypical tone pattern of ASD children, and speculated that the atypical tonal contours might also be due to imitation deficits. The present findings may eventually help enhance the comprehensive understanding of the representation of atypical pitch patterns in ASD across languages.

Pratt Software's Phonological Characteristics, Prosodic Features, and Importance

Pratt is computer software that helps phoneticians synthesize, edit, and analyse speech. Phoneticians, sociolinguists, as well as phonologists all utilize this software. With the aid of this software, one can perform spectral, pitch, formant, and intensity evaluations as well as detect jitters, shimmers, and voice breaks. It can change the form of files and enhance some of their existing qualities. A track's frequencies can be changed and it can be made stereo or mono with this Pratt software. With the help of this feature, one can produce high-quality illustrations for use in academic research articles. For speech analysts that favour in-depth research, it is a more effective instrument. The sound tracks are edited and can be changed to suit the preferences and needs. The Praat software's best feature, the scripting language, will help to automate the necessary tasks that it can carry out. The dialectal background determines whether learning a new language as well as its prosodic qualities is successful or unsuccessful. Intonations are influenced by pitch levels. Accent mispronunciation is solely caused by incorrect pitch patterns. The varying intentions are indicated by the variation in pitch levels. Linguistic and phonetic elements combine to form intonation. Tonal patterns serve a variety of linguistic purposes. The computerized learning utilizes phonetic acoustic hardware and software, concentrating on speech assessment patterns. The improvements in speech technology showed even better ways to reveal the prosodic intonation qualities. Software for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) allows for the visual representation of speech graphically the sound waveform and pitch contours. The visual displays and speech evaluations were presented by the software. The researcher's emphasis and area of interest were therefore the prosodic characteristics and intonation contours, which led to improved outcomes. It was found through research using the Praat software to evaluate intonation contour perception that conceptualizing pronunciation elements was extremely helpful. Speech is organized hierarchically by prosody, which is evoked by characteristics of suprasegmental acoustics. It has both phonetic and phonological characteristics. Features like stress, duration tone and, intonation, are determined by suprasegmental acoustic qualities. Praat is practical software that enables the user to alter and achieve the required phonetic and sound engineering values and levels.

Low-high-low or high-low-high? Pattern effects on sequential auditory scene analysis.

Sequential auditory scene analysis (ASA) is often studied using sequences of two alternating tones, such as ABAB or ABA_, with "_" denoting a silent gap, and "A" and "B" sine tones differing in frequency (nominally low and high). Many studies implicitly assume that the specific arrangement (ABAB vs ABA_, as well as low-high-low vs high-low-high within ABA_) plays a negligible role, such that decisions about the tone pattern can be governed by other considerations. To explicitly test this assumption, a systematic comparison of different tone patterns for two-tone sequences was performed in three different experiments. Participants were asked to report whether they perceived the sequences as originating from a single sound source (integrated) or from two interleaved sources (segregated). Results indicate that core findings of sequential ASA, such as an effect of frequency separation on the proportion of integrated and segregated percepts, are similar across the different patterns during prolonged listening. However, at sequence onset, the integrated percept was more likely to be reported by the participants in ABA_low-high-low than in ABA_high-low-high sequences. This asymmetry is important for models of sequential ASA, since the formation of percepts at onset is an integral part of understanding how auditory interpretations build up.

Tone and prosodic recursion in Degema nouns and noun phrases

Abstract This paper presents the first systematic study of tone in nouns and noun phrases in Degema. From a database of approximately 1,000 nouns, we find that nouns fall into three main tone patterns: /L-L/ (48% of nouns), /H-H/ (18%), and /L-HH/ (13%). This last case is theoretically important in that it includes cases where two separate H tones associate to the same tone-bearing unit, in violation of the Obligatory Contour Principle. In isolation, nouns are subject to two basic tone rules which alter their underlying forms: downstep is inserted between two final H’s (e.g. /H-H/ → [H↓H]), and H is inserted at the end of an all-low sequence (e.g. /L-L/ → [LH]). The combined effect of these rules is that virtually all nouns and noun phrases have a pitch change. Further, we catalog tonal effects found on nouns in 33 distinct modificational contexts within the noun phrase. We attribute these tonal effects to whether modifiers plus the noun form phonological phrases (φ) or phonological words (ɷ), and whether they form recursive prosodic structures, e.g. of the type ( ( A )φ B )φ. By positing recursive structure, we can localize tonal effects to an outermost prosodic layer (e.g. φ[+max]), innermost layer (e.g. φ[+min]), non-inner or outermost layers (e.g. φ[-max]), or to the prosodic category as a whole (i.e. all layers of a φ).

The tonal system of Hengyang Xiang

Hengyang belongs to the Hengzhou branch of Xiang Chinese; it contrasts six tones: high rising (45), falling-rising (213), low-rising (24), low level (11), mid level (33), and low-mid (22). Liu (2010) found that the falling-rising (213) and the low-rising (24) tones have merged to become a distinct low-dipping tone (214), as in Mandarin. This merger is attributed to language contact and influence from Mandarin, because it is mostly observed in frequent words and has a stronger tendency among younger populations (Liu, 2010). However, it is unclear whether this tone merger is complete, because previous reports conflict as to the number of tones in the tonal system of Hengyang (Zhong, 2011; Li, 1986; Huang, 2013). This study investigates the tonal system in Hengyang using acoustic analyses to capture the tonal differences in pitch and voice quality characteristics including spectral tilt and periodicity measures. We recorded ten participants reading monosyllabic words. The participants were from four age groups ranging from 21 to 60 years old (21–30, 31–40, 41–50, and 51–60 years old). We hypothesize that the tone merger occurs more often in frequently used words and for younger speakers. The findings will depict the acoustic spaces of Hengyang tones and show whether the merged tonal patterns are associated with particular words and/or age groups. The discussion will emphasize how language contact gives rise to tonal neutralization and sound change.

Local Culture-Based Music Game Model for Early Childhood Education

Many music experts and educators have researched to see the positive effects of several types of music. Music turns out to be able to affect the intellectual development of children as well as make children wise to socialize. Many facts were revealed from this research. Among them, there is an exciting relationship between music and human intelligence. This study uses a qualitative methodology, with the research object being PIAUD IAIMNU Metro Lampung students. The results of this study indicate that playing music can increase a child's intelligence level because it includes sensitivity to mastery of rhythm, tone patterns, rhythms, tempos, instruments, and musical expressions to be able to sing a song or play it. Learning or playing in early childhood has several advantages, including being able to hone memory because children will recognize and try to memorize the tones of the music.

Preserving Linguistic Diversity: Strategies for Language Preservation and Cultural Heritage Safeguarding

The Batak linguistic group in North Sumatra, Indonesia, encompasses a diverse array of languages, each representing a unique cultural identity. This research embarks on an in-depth comparative analysis of these languages to unveil their linguistic relationships and explore their cultural significance within their respective communities. The research employs a multi-faceted approach, involving data collection from native speakers, fieldwork in community settings, and collaboration with language experts. Linguistic data, including phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic features, are meticulously analyzed. Comparative methods are applied to elucidate linguistic bonds and distinctive nuances within these languages. Our analysis confirms the presence of strong linguistic bonds among the Mandailing Batak, Toba Batak, and Karo languages. Shared phonological features, agglutinative morphology, SVO word order, and culturally significant lexicons underscore their common Batak heritage. The existence of tonal patterns and tonal variations enriches the linguistic landscape. Simultaneously, distinctive linguistic nuances in each language highlight their unique identities and cultural significance. This research emphasizes the significance of preserving linguistic diversity and cultural heritage within the Batak communities. The findings provide valuable insights into the preservation of cultural practices, historical knowledge, and ancestral narratives. It serves as a call to action for the continued preservation and revitalization of these languages, recognizing their profound connections to culture and identity.

Neurological examination at 32-weeks postmenstrual age predicts 12-month cognitive outcomes in very preterm-born infants

BackgroundTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) at 30–32 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA, ‘Early’) and term equivalent age (TEA) in infants born <31 weeks PMA to predict cognitive outcomes at 12 months corrected age (CA).MethodsProspective cohort study of 119 infants (73 males; median 28.4 weeks gestational age at birth) who underwent Early and TEA HNNE. At 12 months CA, 104 participants completed Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition, (Bayley-III). Optimum cut-off points for each HNNE subscale were determined to establish diagnostic accuracy for predicting adverse cognitive outcomes on the Bayley-III Cognitive Composite Scale (≤85).ResultsThe best diagnostic accuracy for HNNE total score at 30–32 weeks PMA predicting cognitive impairment occurred at cut-off ≤16.7 (sensitivity (Se) = 71%, specificity (Sp) = 51%). The Abnormal Signs subscale demonstrated the best balance of sensitivity/specificity combination (Se = 71%, Sp = 71%; cut-off ≤1.5). For HNNE at TEA, the total score at cut-off ≤24.5 had Se = 71% and Sp = 47% for predicting cognitive impairment. The Tone Patterns subscale demonstrated the strongest diagnostic accuracy at TEA (Se = 71%, Sp = 63%; cut-off ≤3).ConclusionsEarly and TEA HNNE demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy for cognitive outcomes at 12-months CA in infants born <31 weeks gestational age.Clinical Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12613000280707; web address of trial: http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12613000280707.aspx.ImpactEarly Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) assessment at 30–32 weeks postmenstrual age has moderate diagnostic accuracy for cognitive outcomes at 12 months corrected age in infants born <31 weeks gestation.Early HNNE at 30–32 weeks has stronger predictive validity than HNNE at term equivalent age.Early HNNE may provide an early marker for risk-stratification to optimise the planning of post-discharge support and follow-up services for infants born preterm.

Identical Tones and the OCP in Èwùlù: An Optimality Account

The Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP) potentially acts as a constraint on adjacent identical tones. This is why, in tone languages, underlying /HHL/ and /LLH/ may surface as [HL] and [LH] respectively. Èwùlù (Igboid: West-Benue Congo, Nigeria), a relatively unknown small dialect, exhibits such OCP-motivated adjustments on adjacent identical tone structures. Adopting the Optimality Theory, this study accounts for the tonal modifications in order to complement the earlier findings in the literature that advance our understanding of how the OCP shops for adjacent identical tones in representations but may fail to do so due to attested structural exceptions in its tonology. Therefore, the study examines tonal patterns such as, juncture tone deletion, consecutive high and low tones, tonal affix, downstep and final high tone displacement. The findings showed that the OCP can be dominated by some higher-ranked constraints in the Èwùlù tonal grammar, like is the case in some languages,. This study draws some theoretical implication. The Èwùlù tonal system provides further evidence that suggests the OCP is not universal; it is violable just like other constraints active in Universal Grammar.

Aplikasi Identifikasi Nada Darbuka Dengan Onset Detection, MFCC, Dan KNN

Darbuka is one of the hadrah musical instruments that acts as a marker when the vocals raise or lower the rhythm of the sound. In learning the Darbuka, the trainer needs to check whether the sound produced is correct or not. With the Darbuka tone recognition system, it will be easier for someone to learn hadrah without a coach. The system developed in this study uses onset detection to break the tone pattern. Then each note goes through a feature extraction process using MFCC with parameters of frame length, overlap length, and the number of coefficients. Then the results of feature extraction through a classification process using KNN. Thexresultsxof the system test showxthat the best combination of parameters in the identification of Darbuka tones with a frame length of 20 ms, overlap length of 40%, the number of MFCC coefficients as much as 13 and a value of K = 1 produces a basic tone identification accuracy of 100%, a tone pattern identification accuracy of 30%, and the accuracy of basic tone identification in the tone pattern is 72.67%.

Phonetic Realizations of Metrical Structure in Tone Languages: Evidence From Chinese Dialects.

In tone languages, some case studies showed that the word-level tonal representation was closely related to the underlying metrical pattern. Based on different tonal patterns in prosodic units, the metrical structures could generally be divided into the left- and right-dominant types in Chinese dialects. Yet the cross-dialectal phonetic realizations (e.g., duration and pitch) between or within these two metrical structures were still unrevealed. The current study investigated the duration and pitch realizations of disyllabic prosodic words in Changsha and Chengdu dialects (the left-dominant structure), and in Fuzhou and Xiamen dialects (the right-dominant structure). Results showed that not all the duration patterns across four Chinese dialects were sensitive to different metrical structures, indicating that the duration might not be the universal cue for metrical prominence in Chinese dialects. In terms of pitch realization across all the four Chinese dialects, level tones (sometimes falling tones) generally appeared in the metrically weak unit, while underlying pitch forms appeared in the metrically strong unit. Compared with duration, pitch might be more robust for prosodic realizations of metrical structures in Chinese dialects. Furthermore, there was an interaction between duration and pitch patterns in Chinese dialects, which could shed new light on the phenomenon of “metrical tone sandhi”. Meanwhile, this study also provides some references for the judgment of the metrical stress and prosodic realizations in other Chinese dialects.

Observations on Basic Intonational Patterns of Questions and Statements in Standard Lithuanian

This paper discusses the results of the pilot study on intonational patterns of questions and statements in Lithuanian. Special attention is devoted to the tone changes at the end of the intonational phrase, i.e. to the boundary tone and the pitch accent of the last word. In order to identify the main patterns, a corpus of 96 tokens (statements, questions with wh-word ‘kada’ and yes/no questions with and without interrogative word ‘ar’ read by four speakers) has been examined. F0 measurements were extracted using Praat. The audio files were annotated based on the main principles of the autosegmental-metrical phonology: high tone is marked with H, low tone – L, pitch accent – ‘*’ and boundary tone – ‘%.’ In the perception experiment, the participants were asked to identify the statements and questions (the interrogative words were removed). 21 native speakers participated in the experiment.The results have shown that the end of the statements in Standard Lithuanian is described by low tones (L* L%), whereas questions can have tones as follows: high-low (HL* L%), low (L* L%) and low-high (LH* H%). The tone patterns at the end of the questions depend on the presence or absence of the interrogation word: wh- questions are characterized by low tones at the end of phrase (L *L%), yes/no questions with an interrogative word ‘ar’ may have low (L* L%) or rising tones (LH* H%), and yes/no questions without an interrogative word end in rising (LH* H%) or falling (HL* L%) tones. The patterns with low or falling tones are common for the questions with an interrogative word and (or) focus word in a non-final position of the phrase. The results of the perception experiment allow us to draw preliminary conclusions that the high boundary tone, the interrogative word and the pitch accent of the focused word are equivalent markers of a question in Lithuanian.