Sound symbolism in Japanese names: Machine learning approaches to gender classification.

This study investigates the sound symbolic expressions of gender in Japanese names with machine learning algorithms. The main goal of this study is to explore how gender is expressed in the phonemes that make up Japanese names and whether systematic sound-meaning mappings, observed in Indo-European languages, extend to Japanese. In addition to this, this study compares the performance of machine learning algorithms. Random Forest and XGBoost algorithms are trained using the sounds of names and the typical gender of the referents as the dependent variable. Each algorithm is cross-validated using k-fold cross-validation (28 folds) and tested on samples not included in the training cycle. Both algorithms are shown to be reasonably accurate at classifying names into gender categories; however, the XGBoost model performs significantly better than the Random Forest algorithm. Feature importance scores reveal that certain sounds carry gender information. Namely, the voiced bilabial nasal /m/ and voiceless velar consonant /k/ were associated with femininity, and the high front vowel /i/ were associated with masculinity. The association observed for /i/ and /k/ stand contrary to typical patterns found in other languages, suggesting that Japanese is unique in the sound symbolic expression of gender. This study highlights the importance of considering cultural and linguistic nuances in sound symbolism research and underscores the advantage of XGBoost in capturing complex relationships within the data for improved classification accuracy. These findings contribute to the understanding of sound symbolism and gender associations in language.

Using artificial intelligence to explore sound symbolic expressions of gender in American English.

This study investigates the extent to which gender can be inferred from the phonemes that make up given names and words in American English. Two extreme gradient boosted algorithms were constructed to classify words according to gender, one using a list of the most common given names (N∼1,000) in North America and the other using the Glasgow Norms (N∼5,500), a corpus consisting of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs which have each been assigned a psycholinguistic score of how they are associated with male or female behaviour. Both models report significant findings, but the model constructed using given names achieves a greater accuracy despite being trained on a smaller dataset suggesting that gender is expressed more robustly in given names than in other word classes. Feature importance was examined to determine which features were contributing to the decision-making process. Feature importance scores revealed a general pattern across both models, but also show that not all word classes express gender the same way. Finally, the models were reconstructed and tested on the opposite dataset to determine whether they were useful in classifying opposite samples. The results showed that the models were not as accurate when classifying opposite samples, suggesting that they are more suited to classifying words of the same class.

A cross-linguistic, sound symbolic relationship between labial consonants, voiced plosives, and Pokémon friendship.

Introduction: This paper presents a cross-linguistic study of sound symbolism, analysing a six-language corpus of all Pokémon names available as of January 2022. It tests the effects of labial consonants and voiced plosives on a Pokémon attribute known as friendship. Friendship is a mechanic in the core series of Pokémon video games that arguably reflects how friendly each Pokémon is. Method: Poisson regression is used to examine the relationship between the friendship mechanic and the number of times /p/, /b/, /d/, /m/, /g/, and /w/ occur in the names of English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, German, and French Pokémon. Results: Bilabial plosives, /p/ and /b/, typically represent high friendship values in Pokémon names while /m/, /d/, and /g/ typically represent low friendship values. No association is found for /w/ in any language. Discussion: Many of the previously known cases of cross-linguistic sound symbolic patterns can be explained by the relationship between how sounds in words are articulated and the physical qualities of the referents. This study, however, builds upon the underexplored relationship between sound symbolism and abstract qualities.

Random forests, sound symbolism and Pokémon evolution.

This study constructs machine learning algorithms that are trained to classify samples using sound symbolism, and then it reports on an experiment designed to measure their understanding against human participants. Random forests are trained using the names of Pokémon, which are fictional video game characters, and their evolutionary status. Pokémon undergo evolution when certain in-game conditions are met. Evolution changes the appearance, abilities, and names of Pokémon. In the first experiment, we train three random forests using the sounds that make up the names of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Pokémon to classify Pokémon into pre-evolution and post-evolution categories. We then train a fourth random forest using the results of an elicitation experiment whereby Japanese participants named previously unseen Pokémon. In Experiment 2, we reproduce those random forests with name length as a feature and compare the performance of the random forests against humans in a classification experiment whereby Japanese participants classified the names elicited in Experiment 1 into pre-and post-evolution categories. Experiment 2 reveals an issue pertaining to overfitting in Experiment 1 which we resolve using a novel cross-validation method. The results show that the random forests are efficient learners of systematic sound-meaning correspondence patterns and can classify samples with greater accuracy than the human participants.

CO2 activation by permethylpentalene amido zirconium complexes.

We report the synthesis and characterisation of new permethylpentalene zirconium bis(amido) and permethylpentalene zirconium cyclopentadienyl mono(amido) complexes, and their reactivity with carbon dioxide.

Transformation of Formazanate at Nickel(II) Centers to Give a Singly Reduced Nickel Complex with Azoiminate Radical Ligands and Its Reactivity toward Dioxygen.

The heteroleptic (formazanato)nickel bromide complex LNi(µ-Br)2NiL [LH = Mes-NH-N═C(p-tol)-N═N-Mes] has been prepared by deprotonation of LH with NaH followed by reaction with NiBr2(dme). Treatment of this complex with KC8 led to transformation of the formazanate into azoiminate ligands via N-N bond cleavage and the simultaneous release of aniline. At the same time, the potentially resulting intermediate complex L'2Ni [L' = HN═C(p-tol)-N═N-Mes] was reduced by one additional electron, which is delocalized across the π system and the metal center. The resulting reduced complex [L'2Ni]K(18-c-6) has a S = 1/2 ground state and a square-planar structure. It reacts with dioxygen via one-electron oxidation to give the complex L'2Ni, and the formation of superoxide was detected spectroscopically. If oxidizable substrates are present during this process, these are oxygenated/oxidized. Triphenylphosphine is converted to phosphine oxide, and hydrogen atoms are abstracted from TEMPO-H and phenols. In the case of cyclohexene, autoxidations are triggered, leading to the typical radical-chain-derived products of cyclohexene.

Electron transfer within ß-diketiminato nickel bromide and cobaltocene redox couples activating CO2.

Reduction of ß-diketiminato nickel(ii) complexes (LtBuNiII) to the corresponding nickel(i) compounds does not require alkali metal compounds but can also be performed with the milder cobaltocenes. LtBuNiBr and Cp2Co have rather similar redox potentials, so that the equilibrium with the corresponding electron transfer compound [LtBuNiIBr][Cp2CoIII] (ETC) clearly lies on the side of the starting materials. Still, the ETC portion can be used to activate CO2 yielding a mononuclear nickel(ii) carbonate complex and ETC can be isolated almost quantitatively from the solutions through crystallisation. The more negative reduction potential of Cp*2Co shifts the equilibrium formed with LtBuNiBr strongly towards the ETC and accordingly the reaction of such solutions with CO2 is much faster.

Japanese Perceptual Epenthesis is Modulated by Transitional Probability.

Perceptual epenthesis is the perception of illusory vowels in consonantal sequences that violate native phonotactics. The consensus has been that each language has a single, predictable candidate for perceptual epenthesis, that vowel which is most minimal (i.e., shortest and/or quietest). However, recent studies have shown that alternate epenthetic vowels can be perceived when the perceptual epenthesis of the minimal vowel would violate native co-occurrence restrictions. We propose a potential explanation for these observed patterns: speech perception, and thus also vowel perceptual epenthesis, is modulated by transitional probability whereby epenthetic vowels must conform to the language specific expectations of the listener. To test this explanation, we present two experiments examining perceptual epenthesis of two Japanese vowels-/u/ and /i/-against their transitional probability in CV sequences. In Experiment 1, Japanese listeners assigned VCCV tokens to VCuCV and VCiCV categories. In Experiment 2, participants discriminated VCCV tokens from VCuCV and VCiCV tokens. The results show that sequences where /i/ is transitionally probable are more likely to elicit /i/ perceptual epenthesis.

Realising the electrochemical stability of graphene: scalable synthesis of an ultra-durable platinum catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Creating effective and stable catalyst nanoparticle-coated electrodes that can withstand extensive cycling is a current roadblock in realising the potential of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Graphene has been proposed as an ideal electrode support material due to its corrosion resistance, high surface area and high conductivity. However, to date, graphene-based electrodes suffer from high defect concentrations and non-uniform nanoparticle coverage that negatively affects performance; moreover, production methods are difficult to scale. Herein we describe a scalable synthesis for Pt nanoparticle-coated graphene whereby PtCl2 is reduced directly by negatively charged single layer graphene sheets in solution. The resultant nanoparticles are of optimal dimensions and can be uniformly dispersed, yielding high catalytic activity, remarkable stability, and showing a much smaller decrease in electrochemical surface area compared with an optimised commercial catalyst over 30 000 cycles. The stability is rationalised by identical location TEM which shows minimal nanoparticle agglomeration and no nanoparticle detachment.

Understanding metal synergy in heterodinuclear catalysts for the copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides.

Carbon dioxide and epoxide copolymerization is an industrially relevant means to valorize waste and improve sustainability in polymer manufacturing. Given the value of the polymer products-polycarbonates or polyether carbonates-it could provide an economic stimulus to capture and storage technologies. The process efficiency depends upon the catalyst, and previously Zn(II)Mg(II) heterodinuclear catalysts showed good performances at low carbon dioxide pressures, attributed to synergic interactions between the metals. Now, a Mg(II)Co(II) catalyst is reported that exhibits significantly better activity (turnover frequency > 12,000 h-1) and high selectivity (>99% CO2 utilization and polycarbonate selectivity) for carbon dioxide and cyclohexene oxide copolymerization. Detailed kinetic investigations show a second-order rate law, independent of CO2 pressure from 1-40 bar, to produce polyols. Kinetic data also reveal that synergy arises from differentiated roles for the metals in the mechanism: epoxide coordination occurs at Mg(II), with reduced transition state entropy, while the Co(II) centre accelerates carbonate attack by lowering the transition state enthalpy. This rare insight into intermetallic synergy rationalizes the outstanding catalytic performance and provides a new feature to exploit in other homogeneous catalyses.

A Case of Septum Pellucidum Agenesis in a Patient with Psychotic Symptoms.

Agenesis of the septum pellucidum is a rare congenital defect that has been associated with psychiatric disorders, cognitive deficits, learning disabilities, seizures, and neuropsychiatric disturbances. We present the case of a patient with partial agenesis of the septum pellucidum who exhibits disorganized behavior and paranoid and persecutory delusions. We add to the literature of incidental neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with partial agenesis of the septum pellucidum which is an area that requires further exploration and study. We discuss the implications of these findings in light of previous literature findings.

Ethene Activation and Catalytic Hydrogenation by a Low-Valent Uranium Pentalene Complex.

The reaction of the uranium(III) complex [U(η8-Pn††)(η5-Cp*)] (1) (Pn†† = C8H4(1,4-SiiPr3)2, Cp* = C5Me5) with ethene at atmospheric pressure produces the ethene-bridged diuranium complex [{(η8-Pn††)(η5-Cp*)U}2(µ-η2:η2-C2H4)] (2). A computational analysis of 2 revealed that coordination of ethene to uranium reduces the carbon-carbon bond order from 2 to a value consistent with a single bond, with a concomitant change in the formal uranium oxidation state from +3 in 1 to +4 in 2. Furthermore, the uranium-ethene bonding in 2 is of the δ type, with the dominant uranium contribution being from f-d hybrid orbitals. Complex 2 reacts with hydrogen to produce ethane and reform 1, leading to the discovery that complex 1 also catalyzes the hydrogenation of ethene under ambient conditions.

Chronic Atypical Depression as an Early Feature of Pituitary Adenoma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Pituitary adenomas are often diagnosed as incidental findings on brain imaging. We present the case of a 52-year-old African American female patient with long standing depressed mood prior to the incidental finding of a pituitary adenoma. We explore the possibility of certain mood symptoms prompting an early diagnosis of pituitary adenoma.

On Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Basal Ganglia Injury: A Report of Three Cases and Literature Review.

The basal ganglia have been considered to primarily play a role in motor processing. A growing body of theoretical and clinical evidence shows that in addition to the motor functions the basal ganglia play a key role in perceptual and visual disturbances. This role may be evident in patients with basal ganglia pathology and subsequent manifestation of symptoms that include cognitive, perceptual, and affective disturbances. We present three cases with basal ganglia pathology that demonstrate affective and psychotic symptoms. Two of the cases presented with late onset psychotic disturbances suggesting likely neurological etiologies. The third case presented with treatment refractory psychosis and symptoms that are rare for a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The role of incidental bilateral basal ganglia calcifications in all the cases is discussed. A review of current literature highlighting various neuropsychiatric manifestations of basal ganglia pathologies in various patients with psychiatric symptoms is presented.

Ring-Opening Polymerisation of Low-Strain Nickelocenophanes: Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Polynickelocenes with Carbon and Silicon Main Chain Spacers.

Polymetallocenes based on ferrocene, and to a lesser extent cobaltocene, have been well-studied, whereas analogous systems based on nickelocene are virtually unexplored. It has been previously shown that poly(nickelocenylpropylene) [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (CH2 )3 ]n is formed as a mixture of cyclic (6x ) and linear (7) components by the reversible ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of tricarba[3]nickelocenophane [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (CH2 )3 ] (5). Herein the generality of this approach to main-chain polynickelocenes is demonstrated and the ROP of tetracarba[4]nickelocenophane [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (CH2 )4 ] (8), and disila[2]nickelocenophane [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (SiMe2 )2 ] (12) is described, to yield predominantly insoluble homopolymers poly(nickelocenylbutylene) [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (CH2 )4 ]n (13) and poly(tetramethyldisilylnickelocene) [Ni(η5 -C5 H4 )2 (SiMe2 )2 ]n (14), respectively. The ROP of 8 and 12 was also found to be reversible at elevated temperature. To access soluble high molar mass materials, copolymerisations of 5, 8, and 12 were performed. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry measurements of 13 and 14 indicated that these homopolymers behave as simple paramagnets at temperatures greater than 50 K, with significant antiferromagnetic coupling that is notably larger in carbon-bridged 6x /7 and 13 compared to the disilyl-bridged 14. However, the behaviour of these polynickelocenes deviates substantially from the Curie-Weiss law at low temperatures due to considerable zero-field splitting.

Geoff Cloke at 65: a pioneer in organometallic chemistry.

Professor Geoff Cloke FRS celebrates his 65th birthday in 2018. In a career spanning four decades, his research endeavours have accounted for some of the most innovative synthetic chemistry of the modern era, with his many publications describing truly exceptional compounds and experimental methods that portray a unique chemical imagination. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Cloke can be particularly proud of his successful mentoring, a level of dedication that propelled many students and post-docs on to become research leaders in their own right. In compiling this collection of some of his research articles, a small cross-section of his friends, colleagues and collaborators, wish to pay tribute to his modesty, compassion and generous personality.

Single-molecule magnet properties of a monometallic dysprosium pentalene complex.

The pentalene-ligated dysprosium complex [(η8-Pn†)Dy(Cp*)] (1Dy) (Pn† = [1,4-(iPr3Si)2C8H4]2-) and its magnetically dilute analogue are single-molecule magnets, with energy barriers of 245 cm-1. Whilst the [Cp*]- ligand in 1Dy provides a strong axial crystal field, the overall axiality of this system is attenuated by the unusual folded structure of the [Pn†]2- ligand.

Hydrodeoxygenation of water-insoluble bio-oil to alkanes using a highly dispersed Pd-Mo catalyst.

Bio-oil, produced by the destructive distillation of cheap and renewable lignocellulosic biomass, contains high energy density oligomers in the water-insoluble fraction that can be utilized for diesel and valuable fine chemicals productions. Here, we show an efficient hydrodeoxygenation catalyst that combines highly dispersed palladium and ultrafine molybdenum phosphate nanoparticles on silica. Using phenol as a model substrate this catalyst is 100% effective and 97.5% selective for hydrodeoxygenation to cyclohexane under mild conditions in a batch reaction; this catalyst also demonstrates regeneration ability in long-term continuous flow tests. Detailed investigations into the nature of the catalyst show that it combines hydrogenation activity of Pd and high density of both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites; we believe these are key features for efficient catalytic hydrodeoxygenation behavior. Using a wood and bark-derived feedstock, this catalyst performs hydrodeoxygenation of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose-derived oligomers into liquid alkanes with high efficiency and yield.Bio-oil is a potential major source of renewable fuels and chemicals. Here, the authors report a palladium-molybdenum mixed catalyst for the selective hydrodeoxygenation of water-insoluble bio-oil to mixtures of alkanes with high carbon yield.

Controlling the Surface Hydroxyl Concentration by Thermal Treatment of Layered Double Hydroxides.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are important materials in the field of catalyst supports, and their surface hydroxyl functionality makes them interesting candidates for supporting well-defined single-site catalysts. Here, we report that the surface hydroxyl concentration can be controlled by thermal treatment of these materials under vacuum, leading to hydroxyl numbers (αOH) similar to those of dehydroxylated silica, alumina, and magnesium hydroxide. Thermal treatment of [Mg0.74Al0.26(OH)2](SO4)0.1(CO3)0.03·0.62(H2O)·0.04(acetone) prepared by the aqueous miscible organic solvent treatment method (Mg2.84Al-SO4-A AMO-LDH) is shown to yield a mixed metal oxide above 300 °C by a combination of thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), BET surface area analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy. PXRD shows the disappearance of the characteristic LDH 00l peaks at 300 °C indicative of decomposition to the layered structure, coupled with a large increase in the BET surface area (95 vs 158 m2 g-1 from treatment at 275 and 300 °C, respectively). Titration of the surface hydroxyls with Mg(CH2Ph)2(THF)2 indicates that the hydroxyl number is independent of surface area for a given treatment temperature. Treatment at 450 °C under vacuum produces a mixed metal oxide material with a surface hydroxyl concentration (αOH) of 2.14 OH nm-2 similar to the hydroxyl number (αOH) of 1.80 OH nm-2 for a sample of SiO2 dehydroxylated at 500 °C. These materials appear to be suitable candidates for use as single-site organometallic catalyst supports.

A base-free synthetic route to anti-bimetallic lanthanide pentalene complexes.

We report the synthesis and structural characterisation of three homobimetallic complexes featuring divalent lanthanide metals (Ln = Yb, Eu and Sm) bridged by the silylated pentalene ligand [1,4-{SiiPr3}2C8H4]2- (= Pn†). Magnetic measurements and cyclic voltammetry have been used to investigate the extent of intermetallic communication in these systems, in the context of molecular models for organolanthanide based conducting materials.