scholarly journals What Are Abstract Concepts? On Lexical Ambiguity and Concreteness Ratings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Löhr
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Ambiguity ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Physical Objects ◽  
Sensorimotor Representations

AbstractIn psycholinguistics, concepts are considered abstract if they do not apply to physical objects that we can touch, see, feel, hear, smell or taste. Psychologists usually distinguish concrete from abstract concepts by means of so-called concreteness ratings. In concreteness rating studies, laypeople are asked to rate the concreteness of words based on the above criterion. The wide use of concreteness ratings motivates an assessment of them. I point out two problems: First, most current concreteness ratings test the intuited concreteness of word forms as opposed to concepts. This ignores the ubiquitous phenomenon of lexical ambiguity. Second, the criterion of abstract concepts that the instruction texts of rating studies rely on does not capture the notion that psychologists working on abstract concepts are normally interested in, i.e., concepts that could reasonably be sensorimotor representations. For many concepts that pick out physical objects, this is not reasonable. In this paper, I propose a characterization of concrete and abstract concepts that avoids these two problems and that may be useful for future studies in psychology.

scholarly journals Characterization of CRISPR Spacer and Protospacer Sequences in Paenibacillus larvae and Its Bacteriophages

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Casey Stamereilers ◽  
Simon Wong ◽  
Philippos K. Tsourkas
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Paenibacillus Larvae ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
American Foulbrood ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Complete Genomes ◽  
Point Of Reference

The bacterium Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American foulbrood, the most devastating bacterial disease of honeybees. Because P. larvae is antibiotic resistant, phages that infect it are currently used as alternative treatments. However, the acquisition by P. larvae of CRISPR spacer sequences from the phages could be an obstacle to treatment efforts. We searched nine complete genomes of P. larvae strains and identified 714 CRISPR spacer sequences, of which 384 are unique. Of the four epidemiologically important P. larvae strains, three of these have fewer than 20 spacers, while one strain has over 150 spacers. Of the 384 unique spacers, 18 are found as protospacers in the genomes of 49 currently sequenced P. larvae phages. One P. larvae strain does not have any protospacers found in phages, while another has eight. Protospacer distribution in the phages is uneven, with two phages having up to four protospacers, while a third of phages have none. Some phages lack protospacers found in closely related phages due to point mutations, indicating a possible escape mechanism. This study serve a point of reference for future studies on the CRISPR-Cas system in P. larvae as well as for comparative studies of other phage–host systems.

scholarly journals Insights into neutralizing antibody responses in individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. eabe6855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Beltrán-Pavez ◽  
Sebastián Riquelme-Barrios ◽  
Aarón Oyarzún-Arrau ◽  
Aracelly Gaete-Argel ◽  
Roxana González-Stegmaier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Host Immunity ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Neutralization Activity ◽  
Future Studies

Chile has one of the worst numbers worldwide in terms of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and COVID-19–related deaths per million inhabitants; thus, characterization of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses in the general population is critical to understanding of immunity at the local level. Given our inability to perform massive classical neutralization assays due to the scarce availability of BSL-3 facilities in the country, we developed and fully characterized an HIV-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype, which was used in a 96-well plate format to investigate NAb responses in samples from individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or treated with convalescent plasma. We also identified samples with decreased or enhanced neutralization activity against the D614G spike variant compared with the wild type, indicating the relevance of this variant in host immunity. The data presented here represent the first insights into NAb responses in individuals from Chile, serving as a guide for future studies in the country.

scholarly journals Isolation and Molecular Characterization of the Romaine Lettuce Phylloplane Mycobiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
Danny Haelewaters ◽  
Hector Urbina ◽  
Samuel Brown ◽  
Shannon Newerth-Henson ◽  
M. Catherine Aime
Keyword(s):  
Lactuca Sativa ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
Food Spoilage ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Plant Leaves ◽  
Romaine Lettuce ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Core ◽  
American Agriculture

Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an important staple of American agriculture. Unlike many vegetables, romaine lettuce is typically consumed raw. Phylloplane microbes occur naturally on plant leaves; consumption of uncooked leaves includes consumption of phylloplane microbes. Despite this fact, the microbes that naturally occur on produce such as romaine lettuce are for the most part uncharacterized. In this study, we conducted culture-based studies of the fungal romaine lettuce phylloplane community from organic and conventionally grown samples. In addition to an enumeration of all such microbes, we define and provide a discussion of the genera that form the “core” romaine lettuce mycobiome, which represent 85.5% of all obtained isolates: Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Filobasidium, Naganishia, Papiliotrema, Rhodotorula, Sampaiozyma, Sporobolomyces, Symmetrospora and Vishniacozyma. We highlight the need for additional mycological expertise in that 23% of species in these core genera appear to be new to science and resolve some taxonomic issues we encountered during our work with new combinations for Aureobasidiumbupleuri and Curvibasidium nothofagi. Finally, our work lays the ground for future studies that seek to understand the effect these communities may have on preventing or facilitating establishment of exogenous microbes, such as food spoilage microbes and plant or human pathogens.

scholarly journals Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Study of N,N-Di(4-bromo)nitrenium Ions in Selected Solutions

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Du ◽  
Xin Lan ◽  
Zhiping Yan ◽  
Ruixue Zhu ◽  
David Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Transient Absorption ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Reaction Pathway ◽  
Addition Reactions ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Nitrenium Ions ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Nitrenium Ion ◽  
Design Time

Nitrenium ions are important reactive intermediates in chemistry and biology. In this work, femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption (fs-TA and ns-TA) along with nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (ns-TR3) experiments were employed to examine the photochemical pathways of N-(4,4′-dibromodiphenylamino)-2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium BF4− (salt (DN) from just absorption of a photon of light to the production of the important N,N-di(4-bromophenyl)nitrenium ion 2. In acetonitrile (MeCN), the formation of halogenated diarylnitrenium ion 2 was observed within 4 ps, showing the vibrational spectra with strong intensity. The nucleophilic adduct reaction of ion 2 with H2O was also examined in aqueous solutions. The direct detection of the unique ortho adduct intermediate 3 shows that there is an efficient and exclusive reaction pathway for 2 with H2O. The results shown in this paper give new characterization of 2, which can be used to design time-resolved spectroscopy investigations of covalent addition reactions of nitrenium ions with other molecules in future studies.

Workshop on a detailed characterization of Trichinella spiralis antigens: a platform for future studies on antigens and antibodies to this parasite

1996 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 273-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.G. ORTEGA-PIERRES ◽  
L. YEPEZ-MULIA ◽  
W. HOMAN ◽  
H.R .GAMBLE ◽  
P.L. LIM ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trichinella Spiralis ◽  
Detailed Characterization ◽  
Future Studies

scholarly journals Isolation of Polymer-Degrading Bacteria and Characterization of the Hindgut Bacterial Community from the Detritus-Feeding Larvae of Tipula abdominalis (Diptera: Tipulidae)

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (17) ◽  
pp. 5683-5686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana M. Cook ◽  
Emily DeCrescenzo Henriksen ◽  
Rima Upchurch ◽  
Joy B. Doran Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Gene Clone ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Degrading Bacteria ◽  
Novel Bacteria ◽  
Tipula Abdominalis

ABSTRACT The Tipula abdominalis larval hindgut microbial community presumably facilitates digestion of the lignocellulosic diet. The microbial community was investigated through characterization of bacterial isolates and analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. This initial study revealed novel bacteria and provides a framework for future studies of this symbiosis.

scholarly journals Ultrastructural Characterization of Porcine Growing and In Vitro Matured Oocytes

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Michel Kere ◽  
Pan-Chen Liu ◽  
Yuh-Kun Chen ◽  
Pei-Chi Chao ◽  
Li-Kuang Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Layer ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Cortical Granules ◽  
Oocyte Growth ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Morphological Alterations ◽  
Ultrastructural Characterization ◽  
Subcellular Level

This study aimed to investigate ultrastructural changes of growing porcine oocytes and in vitro maturated oocytes. Light microscopy was used to characterize and localize the primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary follicles. During oocyte growth and maturation, the morphology of mitochondria was roundish or ovoid in shape depending on the differentiation state, whereas their mean diameters oscillated between 0.5 and 0.7 µm, respectively, from primary and secondary follicles. Hooded mitochondria were found in the growing oocytes of the tertiary follicles. In addition to the pleomorphism of mitochondria, changes in the appearance of lipid droplets were also observed, along with the alignment of a single layer of cortical granules beneath the oolemma. In conclusion, our study is apparently the first report to portray morphological alterations of mitochondria that possess the hooded structure during the growth phase of porcine oocytes. The spatiotemporal and intrinsic changes during oogenesis/folliculogenesis are phenomena at the ultrastructural or subcellular level of porcine oocytes, highlighting an in-depth understanding of oocyte biology and impetus for future studies on practical mitochondrion replacement therapies for oocytes.

Morphometric and molecular characterization of an expanding Ionian population of the fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Annelida)

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (7) ◽  
pp. 1569-1577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Righi ◽  
Isabella Maletti ◽  
Ferruccio Maltagliati ◽  
Alberto Castelli ◽  
Michele Barbieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic History ◽  
Generalist Predator ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Mitochondrial Coi ◽  
Hermodice Carunculata ◽  
Scuba Divers ◽  
History Analysis ◽  
Individual Size ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractThe amphinomid fireworm Hermodice carunculata is a potentially invasive species reported throughout the subtropical Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which is known as a generalist predator and opportunistic feeder. The ongoing climate changes and seawater warming may favour fireworm poleward range expansions and density increases. Our results provide the first investigation into a population which has purportedly been spreading widely in the Salento Peninsula (Apulia, Italy). The specimens were analysed using allometric variables and molecular markers. The best morphometric parameters to estimate individual size were determined as key information for future studies on fireworm population dynamics. To phylogeographically characterize the Apulian population, sequences of the mitochondrial COI and 16S rDNA regions were obtained from a pool of individuals and treated together with those of Atlantic specimens retrieved from GenBank. The estimates of genetic variability for Apulian population were consistent with those recently reported in the literature. Inferences on demographic history analysis confirmed a recent expansion event in Apulia, as has been recounted by fishermen and scuba divers during recent years. Overall, these results constitute a crucial step in the characterization of present-day H. carunculata populations, and provide greater insight into fireworm population ecology.

The DAU allele cluster of the RHDgene

Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 306-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz F. Wagner ◽  
Birgit Ladewig ◽  
Katharina S. Angert ◽  
Guido A. Heymann ◽  
Nicole I. Eicher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Donors ◽  
African Descent ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Future Studies

Abstract Variant D occurs frequently in Africans. However, considerably lessRHD alleles have been described in this population compared with Europeans. We characterized 5 new RHD alleles, dubbedDAU-0 to DAU-4, that shared a T379M substitution and occurred in a cDe haplotype.DAU-1 to DAU-4 were detected in Africans with partial D phenotypes. They harbored one and 2 additional missense mutations, respectively, dispersed throughout the RhD protein. An anti-D immunization was found in DAU-3. DAU-0carrying T379M only was detected by screening European blood donors and expressed a normal D phenotype. Within the phylogeny of theRHD alleles, DAU formed an independent allele cluster, separate from the DIVa, weak D type 4, and Eurasian D clusters. The characterization of the RH phylogeny provided a framework for future studies on RH alleles. The identification of theDAU alleles increased the number of known partial D alleles in Africans considerably. DAU alleles may be a major cause of antigen D variability and anti-D immunization in patients of African descent.

The study of proventricular micromorphological characterization of ten Grylloidea species (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) from China

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2906 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
XIAOQIANG LI ◽  
BINGZHONG REN ◽  
YUTING ZOU ◽  
JIAN ZHANG ◽  
YINLIANG WANG
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Clustering Analysis ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Critical Value ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Species Relationships ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Scanning Electron

The present study compares the proventricular morphology, analyzed under optic microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), among ten Grylloidea species. The result showed that the size of proventriculus was of critical value. Internally, the main differences were the number of sclerotized appendix (sa), middle denticles (md) and lateral denticles (ld), and the structure of lateral teeth (lt). In addition, we analyzed the crickets’ feeding habits and note that the the proventriculus possesses highly sclerotized projections which act in the selection of victuals. The morphology of proventriculus is closely related to feeding habits. A clustering analysis of seven features of the proventriculus was constructed. It revealed that the proventriculus had significance for taxonomy and species relationships. Observations on morphological characterization of proventricular morphology will be useful in future studies of the feeding habits and phylogeny of crickets.

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