scholarly journals Languages adapt to their contextual niche

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES WINTERS ◽  
SIMON KIRBY ◽  
KENNY SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Situational Context ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Iterated Learning ◽  
Systematic Structure ◽  
Communicative Success ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Feature Dimension

abstractIt is well established that context plays a fundamental role in how we learn and use language. Here we explore how context links short-term language use with the long-term emergence of different types of language system. Using an iterated learning model of cultural transmission, the current study experimentally investigates the role of the communicative situation in which an utterance is produced (situational context) and how it influences the emergence of three types of linguistic systems: underspecified languages (where only some dimensions of meaning are encoded linguistically), holistic systems (lacking systematic structure), and systematic languages (consisting of compound signals encoding both category-level and individuating dimensions of meaning). To do this, we set up a discrimination task in a communication game and manipulated whether the feature dimension shape was relevant or not in discriminating between two referents. The experimental languages gradually evolved to encode information relevant to the task of achieving communicative success, given the situational context in which they are learned and used, resulting in the emergence of different linguistic systems. These results suggest language systems adapt to their contextual niche over iterated learning.

Innovatory role of nanomaterials as bio-tools for treatment of cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khuram Shahzad Ahmad ◽  
Muntaha Talat ◽  
Shaan Bibi Jaffri ◽  
Neelofer Shaheen
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Cancer Therapeutics ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Cancerous Cells

AbstractConventional treatment modes like chemotherapy, thermal and radiations aimed at cancerous cells eradication are marked by destruction pointing the employment of nanomaterials as sustainable and auspicious materials for saving human lives. Cancer has been deemed as the second leading cause of death on a global scale. Nanomaterials employment in cancer treatment is based on the utilization of their inherent physicochemical characteristics in addition to their modification for using as nano-carriers and nano-vehicles eluted with anti-cancer drugs. Current work has reviewed the significant role of different types of nanomaterials in cancer therapeutics and diagnostics in a systematic way. Compilation of review has been done by analyzing voluminous investigations employing ERIC, MEDLINE, NHS Evidence and Web of Science databases. Search engines used were Google scholar, Jstore and PubMed. Current review is suggestive of the remarkable performance of nanomaterials making them candidates for cancer treatment for substitution of destructive treatment modes through investigation of their physicochemical characteristics, utilization outputs and long term impacts in patients.

Awareness and opinion about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among young women: a developing country perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saubhagya Kumar Jena ◽  
Lipsa Mishra ◽  
Sushree Samiksha Naik ◽  
Shahnawaz Khan
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Urban Sector ◽  
Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Ovarian Syndrome

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the perception on PCOS and its prevalence among adolescent and young women.MethodsThe study was conducted over 2 year period in a tertiary care teaching hospital from Eastern India. A pre-formed, validated questionnaire was used to record the details. Descriptive statistics was used to report the findings.ResultsOf 965 young patients with mean (SD) age 20.64 (2.1) years, 27 (2.79 %) were aware of an entity called PCOS. Awareness among adolescents with PCOS was 25.9 % (7/27). All aware patients belonged to the urban sector with professionals constituting around 48%, of which 11% were students. The major source of information among aware patients was from doctors (40.7%), and friends and Internet (25.9%); rest being from books, newspapers, and teachers. Majority (70%) were aware that diet restriction and exercise were the primary modalities of treatment, whereas, only 3.7% knew about the role of contraceptive pills in PCOS.ConclusionsAwareness regarding PCOS among the young women is very low mainly in the rural set up. Doctors and health staffs should play a major role in spreading awareness of the entity to prevent long term complications.

scholarly journals How are Kawaii (Cute) Fictional Characters Used in Japanese Advertising

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1 (39)) ◽  
pp. 55-78
Author(s):  
Oana-Maria BÎRLEA
Keyword(s):  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Fictional Characters ◽  
Japanese Company ◽  
The Public ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Government ◽  
Commercial Advertising

This article aims to explain the use and role of cute, adora- ble characters in Japanese advertising. Kawaii culture or the “culture of cute” has become known worldwide mainly because of Hello Kitty, the cat which led the “pink globalization”, as Yano (2013) states. In this paper we have attempted to reveal the symbolism of these apparent meaning- less cute signs and characters. Starting from Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions (2001, 2003, 2010), which shows how a society’s culture influ- ences the values of its members, we intended to show how are these kawaii characters used in Japanese advertising and how they fit cultural specif- ics. Used either in non-commercial, educational or commercial advertising, cute personae can make the target audience feel more comfortable, secure and cooperating (Murakami, 2005). In this paper we have discussed the role of three iconic characters: the emblematic Hello Kitty, Kumamon, the lovely bear created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture (Japan) and Gudetama, a lazy egg yolk produced by the Japanese company Sanrio in 2014. The selected characters reflect different types and personalities and each of them serves a specific purpose, but via the analysis conveyed we conclude that perhaps their main aim is to persuade and create a long-term relationship with the public.

scholarly journals Pancreatic α and β cells are globally phase-locked

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huixia Ren ◽  
Yanjun Li ◽  
Chengsheng Han ◽  
Yi Yu ◽  
Bowen Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Islet Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Phase Oscillators ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Oscillation Modes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Glucagon And Insulin ◽  
Different Cell Types

ABSTRACTThe Ca2+ modulated pulsatile secretions of glucagon and insulin by pancreatic α and β cells play a key role in glucose metabolism and homeostasis. However, how different types of islet cells couple and coordinate via paracrine interactions to produce various Ca2+ oscillation patterns are still elusive. By designing a microfluidic device to facilitate long-term recording of islet Ca2+ activity at single cell level and simultaneously identifying different cell types in live islet imaging, we show heterogeneous but intrinsic Ca2+ oscillation patterns of islets upon glucose stimulation. The α and β cells oscillate in antiphase and are globally phase locked to various phase delays, causing fast, slow or mixed oscillations. A mathematical model of coupled phase oscillators quantitatively agrees with experiments and reveals the essential role of paracrine regulations in tuning the oscillation modes. Our study highlights the importance of cell-cell interactions to generate stable but tunable islet oscillation patterns.

scholarly journals Cancer Nano-Immunotherapy from the Injection to the Target: The Role of Protein Corona

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 519
Author(s):  
Idoia Mikelez-Alonso ◽  
Antonio Aires ◽  
Aitziber L. Cortajarena
Keyword(s):  
Protein Corona ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Immune Reactivity ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Cancer Remission ◽  
New Strategies

Immunotherapy has become a promising cancer therapy, improving the prognosis of patients with many different types of cancer and offering the possibility for long-term cancer remission. Nevertheless, some patients do not respond to these treatments and immunotherapy has shown some limitations, such as immune system resistance or limited bioavailability of the drug. Therefore, new strategies that include the use of nanoparticles (NPs) are emerging to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies. NPs present very different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties compared with free drugs and enable the use of lower doses of immune-stimulating molecules, minimizing their side effects. However, NPs face issues concerning stability in physiological conditions, protein corona (PC) formation, and accumulation in the target tissue. PC formation changes the physicochemical and biological properties of the NPs and in consequence their therapeutic effect. This review summarizes the recent advances in the study of the effects of PC formation in NP-based immunotherapy. PC formation has complex effects on immunotherapy since it can diminish (“immune blinding”) or enhance the immune response in an uncontrolled manner (“immune reactivity”). Here, future perspectives of the field including the latest advances towards the use of personalized protein corona in cancer immunotherapy are also discussed.

scholarly journals Measures Implemented by Local Authorities, Particularly in the Sphere of Spatial Policy, and Its Impact on Setting Up and Developing Companies – Opinions Comparison

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 302-318
Author(s):  
Izabela Rogalska ◽  
Renata Marks-Bielska
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Location Factors ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Spatial Policy ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Spatial Resources

AbstractResearch background: The development of business on a local level depends on a variety of factors, which as is often the case are shaped by the local authorities. An example of activities carried out by local governments in order to help develop businesses is the management of the spatial resources in a given municipality in such a way as to facilitate starting and developing companies.Purpose: The principal objective of this study has been to identify how local authorities and businessmen perceive the role of conditions associated with the municipality’s spatial policy in terms of starting and conducting a business.Research methodology: The research results rely on primary data acquired by conducting a survey based on a questionnaire designed by the authors.Results: The results permitted to demonstrate differences and similarities among the opinions of our respondents concerning factors linked to the spatial policy of a municipality that have an impact on decisions to set up and develop companies. Among the location factors, the most important ones, according to both local governments and businessmen, were the state of the local infrastructure, such as IT, transportation, communication, waterworks and sewers, power supply.Novelty: The confrontation of the replies provided by local authorities and by entrepreneurs concerns spatial policy, and the territorial scope of the research covering the whole of Poland, the different types of enterprises from various branches are the innovative element of the study.

scholarly journals Learning to interpret novel eHMI: The effect of vehicle kinematics and eHMI familiarity on pedestrians' crossing behaviour

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yee Mun Lee ◽  
Ruth Madigan ◽  
Chinebuli Uzondu ◽  
Jorge Garcia ◽  
Richard Romano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Traffic ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
The Road ◽  
Implicit Communication ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Pedestrian Crossing ◽  
Kinematic Information ◽  
Vehicle Deceleration

In current urban traffic, pedestrians attempting to cross the road at un-signalised locations are thought to mostly use implicit communication, such as deceleration cues, to interpret a vehicle’s intention to yield. There is less reliance on explicit driver- or vehicle-based messages, such as hand/head movements, or flashing lights/beeping horns. With the impending deployment of Automated Vehicles (AV), especially those at SAE Level 4 and 5, where the driver is no longer in control of the vehicle, there has been a surge in interest in the value of new forms of communication for AVs, for example, via different types of external Human Machine Interfaces (eHMIs). However, there is still much to be understood about how quickly a novel eHMI affects pedestrian crossing decisions, and whether it provides any additional aid, above and beyond implicit/kinematic information from the vehicle. The aim of this between-participant study, funded by the H2020 interACT project, was to investigate how the combination of kinematic information from a vehicle (e.g. Speed and Deceleration), and eHMI designs, play a role in assisting the crossing decision of pedestrians in a cave-based pedestrian simulator. Using an existing, well-recognised, message for yielding (Flashing Headlights - FH) as a benchmark, this study also investigated how quickly a novel eHMI (Slow Pulsing Light Band – SPLB) was learned. To investigate the effect of eHMI visibility on crossing decisions, the distance at which each eHMI was perceivable was also measured. Results showed that, compared to SPLB, the FH led to earlier crossings during vehicle deceleration, especially at lower approaching speeds, and smaller time gaps. However, although FH was visible earlier than SPLB, this visibility does not appear to be the only reason for earlier crossings, with message familiarity thought to play a role. Participants were found to learn the meaning conveyed by FH relatively quickly, crossing around 1 second earlier in its presence (compared to the no eHMI condition), across the three blocks of trials. On the other hand, it took participants at least one block of 12 trials for the new SPLB signal to affect crossing, which only accelerated crossing initiations by around 200ms, compared to the no eHMI condition. The role of comprehension, long-term exposure, and familiarity of novel messages in this context is therefore important, if AVs are to provide safe, trustworthy communication messages, which will enhance traffic flow and efficiency.

Long-term unemployment

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 713-727
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Apergis ◽  
Nicholas Apergis
Keyword(s):  
Working Environment ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Uk ◽  
First Time ◽  
Robustness Check ◽  
Modelling Approach

PurposeThis paper empirically explores the role of skill losses during unemployment behind firms' behaviour in interviewing long-term unemployedDesign/methodology/approachThe analysis makes use of the Work Employment Relations Survey in the UK, while it applies a panel probit modelling approach to estimate the empirical findings.FindingsThe findings document that skill losses during long-term unemployment reduce the likelihood of an interview, while they emphasize the need for certain policies that could compensate for this deterioration of skills. For robustness check, the estimation strategy survives the examination of the same predictors under different types of the working environment.Originality/valueThe original values of the work 1 combines for the first time both duration and technology as predictors of interview probability. Until now, the independent variables were used to test whether an individual has managed to exit unemployment, thus skipping the step of the interview process.

scholarly journals Ayn Rand’s Objectivist Ethics Applied to Video Game Business

2019 ◽  
Vol 167 (4) ◽  
pp. 761-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tuomas Harviainen ◽  
Janne Paavilainen ◽  
Elina Koskinen
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Game Development ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Online Business ◽  
Game Developers

AbstractThis article analyzes the business ethics of digital games, using Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. It identifies different types of monetization options as virtuous or nonvirtuous, based on Rand’s views on rational self-interest. It divides the options into ethical Mover and unethical Looter designs, presents those logics in relation to an illustrative case example, Zynga, and then discusses a view on the role of players in relation to game monetization designs. Through our analysis of monetization options in the context of Objectivist ethics, the article contributes to discussions on game revenue ethics. It also expands the still understudied area of applying Rand’s ethics to business, in the context of a new sector, game development, and business. This research enables ethicists to apply a wider-than-before perspective on virtue ethics to online business, and helps game developers act in a virtuous manner, which provides them with a long-term business advantage.

Suppliers’ power relationships with industrial key customers

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 562-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Lacoste ◽  
Keith Blois
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Companies ◽  
Key Account ◽  
Corrugated Cardboard ◽  
Set Up

Purpose – This paper aims to incorporate material derived from four case study analyses of industrial business-to-business relationships. Although there is a substantial amount of literature on the concept of power, there is little academic research studying the “perception” of power – especially that of key customers’ suppliers – relative to that of the buying company. This paper develops a framework, which provides a different set of perceptions regarding the nature of supplier-key customer relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The case studies involve four firms that have been long-term suppliers to a number of global industrial companies and who have set up key account programs to work with them. Three suppliers are in the corrugated cardboard industry (two large and one medium-sized company) and one supplier (a medium-sized company) is in the coding equipment industry. Findings – The study develops a power framework, which can be used in the analysis of buyer/supplier power and points out the risk that can arise when one or more of the parties involved operates on the basis of perceptions that are incorrect. Originality/value – The results suggest that the actors’ power perceptions are important constructs, which have so far been neglected in the academic literature, and stress the role of “subjectivity” in the actors’ analysis of power.

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