The Role of Context in Processing Chinese Three-Character Verb–Object Metaphors: An Event-Related Potential Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 1327-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolu Wang ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Lingxuan Zhao ◽  
Yuqiu Liu ◽  
Binyao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Contextual Effect ◽  
Priming Condition ◽  
Semantic Access ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Target Probe ◽  
Metaphor Processing ◽  
Prime Target ◽  
Integration Stage

Whether and how context plays a role in metaphor processing remains a controversial issue. One major theory on metaphor comprehension, the graded salience hypothesis (GSH) model, emphasizes salience as the key factor determining the precedence of semantic access. Using event-related potential technique, the present study examined Chinese metaphors to investigate whether the salient meaning is always processed first regardless of context. The experiment employed a Prime-Target-Probe paradigm. Three-character Chinese verb–object metaphors were used as the Target proceeded by one of the three contexts (the Prime): (1) metaphorical context priming the Target’s metaphorical meaning, (2) literal context priming the Target’s literal meaning, and (3) irrelevant context as the control condition. The Target was then followed by the Probe, which was always related to the Target (except in the filler condition). Forty participants were asked to judge whether the Target and the following Probe were semantically related. The N400 elicited by the Target showed no contextual effect. The N400 amplitude elicited by the Probe was smaller in the metaphorical priming condition compared with the literal priming condition, while the N400 in the irrelevant control condition was between the other two conditions, demonstrating a clear context effect. In addition, an unexpected P240 component also showed the similar graded pattern. Our results mostly support the GSH model, indicating that the salient meaning invariantly gets activated first before the activation of the nonsalient meaning at the lexical access stage. However, context does play a role in a parallel way either facilitating or suppressing this interpretation in the latter meaning integration stage.

The role of animacy in metaphor processing of Mandarin Chinese: An Event-Related Potential (ERP) study

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 100915
Author(s):  
Haojie Ji ◽  
Senqing Qi ◽  
Shiyang Xu ◽  
Jinxin Chen ◽  
David Yun Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Metaphor Processing

Feel Thine Own Self – Mood Congruency Evaluation of Emotional State Adjectives

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Szczepan J. Grzybowski ◽  
Miroslaw Wyczesany ◽  
Jan Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Mood Induction ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Negativity Bias ◽  
Positive Potential ◽  
Semantic Access ◽  
Current Mood ◽  
Component Time

Abstract. The goal of the study was to explore event-related potential (ERP) differences during the processing of emotional adjectives that were evaluated as congruent or incongruent with the current mood. We hypothesized that the first effects of congruence evaluation would be evidenced during the earliest stages of semantic analysis. Sixty mood adjectives were presented separately for 1,000 ms each during two sessions of mood induction. After each presentation, participants evaluated to what extent the word described their mood. The results pointed to incongruence marking of adjective’s meaning with current mood during early attention orientation and semantic access stages (the P150 component time window). This was followed by enhanced processing of congruent words at later stages. As a secondary goal the study also explored word valence effects and their relation to congruence evaluation. In this regard, no significant effects were observed on the ERPs; however, a negativity bias (enhanced responses to negative adjectives) was noted on the behavioral data (RTs), which could correspond to the small differences traced on the late positive potential.

scholarly journals Protective Role of Glutathione in the Hippocampus after Brain Ischemia

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7765
Author(s):  
Youichirou Higashi ◽  
Takaaki Aratake ◽  
Takahiro Shimizu ◽  
Shogo Shimizu ◽  
Motoaki Saito
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Neuronal Death ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Thiol Group ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Rate Limiting ◽  
Cysteine Uptake

Stroke is a major cause of death worldwide, leading to serious disability. Post-ischemic injury, especially in the cerebral ischemia-prone hippocampus, is a serious problem, as it contributes to vascular dementia. Many studies have shown that in the hippocampus, ischemia/reperfusion induces neuronal death through oxidative stress and neuronal zinc (Zn2+) dyshomeostasis. Glutathione (GSH) plays an important role in protecting neurons against oxidative stress as a major intracellular antioxidant. In addition, the thiol group of GSH can function as a principal Zn2+ chelator for the maintenance of Zn2+ homeostasis in neurons. These lines of evidence suggest that neuronal GSH levels could be a key factor in post-stroke neuronal survival. In neurons, excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) is involved in the influx of cysteine, and intracellular cysteine is the rate-limiting substrate for the synthesis of GSH. Recently, several studies have indicated that cysteine uptake through EAAC1 suppresses ischemia-induced neuronal death via the promotion of hippocampal GSH synthesis in ischemic animal models. In this article, we aimed to review and describe the role of GSH in hippocampal neuroprotection after ischemia/reperfusion, focusing on EAAC1.

scholarly journals Changing Technology or Behavior? The Impacts of a Behavioral Disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5861
Author(s):  
Marianne Pedinotti-Castelle ◽  
Pierre-Olivier Pineau ◽  
Kathleen Vaillancourt ◽  
Ben Amor
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
The North ◽  
Behavioral Disruption ◽  
Transportation Sector ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Additional Costs

Transportation is a key factor in the fight against climate change. Consumer behavior changes in transportation are underrepresented in energy policies, even if they could be essential to achieve the fixed GHG emission reduction targets. To help quantify the role of behaviors in energy transition and their implications on the dynamics of an energy system, this study is conducted using the North American TIMES Energy Model, adapted to Quebec (Canada). A behavioral disruption scenario (an increase in carpooling) is introduced in the model’s transportation sector and is compared to a massive electrification scenario. Our results highlight the fact that a behavioral disruption can lead to the same GHG emission reductions (65%) by 2050 as an electrification policy, while alleviating different efforts (such as additional electrical capacity and additional costs) associated with massive electrification. Moreover, the results are sensitive to behavior-related parameters, such as social discount rates and car lifetimes.

scholarly journals sFasL—The Key to a Riddle: Immune Responses in Aging Lung and Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2177
Author(s):  
Shulamit B. Wallach-Dayan ◽  
Dmytro Petukhov ◽  
Ronit Ahdut-HaCohen ◽  
Mark Richter-Dayan ◽  
Raphael Breuer
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Lung Disease ◽  
Fas Ligand ◽  
Death Receptor ◽  
Mesenchymal Cells ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Cell Accumulation ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Aged Subjects

By dint of the aging population and further deepened with the Covid-19 pandemic, lung disease has turned out to be a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. The condition is exacerbated when the immune system further attacks the healthy, rather than the diseased, tissue within the lung. Governed by unremittingly proliferating mesenchymal cells and increased collagen deposition, if inflammation persists, as frequently occurs in aging lungs, the tissue develops tumors and/or turns into scars (fibrosis), with limited regenerative capacity and organ failure. Fas ligand (FasL, a ligand of the Fas cell death receptor) is a key factor in the regulation of these processes. FasL is primarily found in two forms: full length (membrane, or mFasL) and cleaved (soluble, or sFasL). We and others found that T-cells expressing the mFasL retain autoimmune surveillance that controls mesenchymal, as well as tumor cell accumulation following an inflammatory response. However, mesenchymal cells from fibrotic lungs, tumor cells, or cells from immune-privileged sites, resist FasL+ T-cell-induced cell death. The mechanisms involved are a counterattack of immune cells by FasL, by releasing a soluble form of FasL that competes with the membrane version, and inhibits their cell death, promoting cell survival. This review focuses on understanding the previously unrecognized role of FasL, and in particular its soluble form, sFasL, in the serum of aged subjects, and its association with the evolution of lung disease, paving the way to new methods of diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Innovative Work Behavior—A Key Factor in Business Performance? The Role of Team Cognitive Diversity and Teamwork Climate in This Relationship

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Nadežda Jankelová ◽  
Zuzana Joniaková ◽  
Juraj Mišún
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Main Tool ◽  
Work Behavior ◽  
Cognitive Diversity ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Innovative Work Behavior ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Innovative Work

The aim of our paper is to examine whether the support of innovative work behavior by management is positively related to business performance and at the same time, whether this relationship is mediated by the teamwork climate and cognitive diversity of teams. Cognitive diversity is defined as differences in knowledge and perspective, which arise from professional diversity and account for its positive effects. A teamwork climate represents staff perceptions of collaboration between personnel. Business performance is defined by the level of sales. Our sample consisted of 211 managers of companies operating in Slovakia, and data collection took place in the form of a questionnaire. The main tool for examining the mechanism of operation of the investigated relationships is mediation using regression analysis and the Sobel test to determine the significance of the indirect effect of mediation variables. The findings point to a significant direct relationship between the innovative work behavior of company employees and business performance. The intensity of this relationship can be partly influenced by promoting cognitive diversity, especially in the area of knowledge and ways of thinking. The significant role of a teamwork climate was not demonstrated in the examined model.

scholarly journals HIF-1α promoted vasculogenic mimicry formation in lung adenocarcinoma through NRP1 upregulation in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Fu ◽  
Wenwen Du ◽  
Zongli Ding ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Vasculogenic Mimicry ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Vimentin Expression ◽  
Cell Metastasis ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Important Form

AbstractNeovascularization is a key factor that contributes to tumor metastasis, and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is an important form of neovascularization found in highly invasive tumors, including lung cancer. Despite the increasing number of studies focusing on VM, the mechanisms underlying VM formation remain unclear. Herein, our study explored the role of the HIF-1α/NRP1 axis in mediating lung adenocarcinoma metastasis and VM formation. HIF-1α, NRP1 expression, and VM in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patient samples were examined by immunohistochemical staining. Quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR), western blot, transwell assay, wound healing assay, and tube formation assay were performed to verify the role of HIF-1α/NRP1 axis in LUAD metastasis and VM formation. ChIP and luciferase reporter assay were used to confirm whether NRP1 is a direct target of HIF-1α. In LUAD tissues, we confirmed a positive relationship between HIF-1α and NRP1 expression. Importantly, high HIF-1α and NRP1 expression and the presence of VM were correlated with poor prognosis. We also found that HIF-1α could induce LUAD cell migration, invasion, and VM formation by regulating NRP1. Moreover, we demonstrated that HIF-1α can directly bind to the NRP1 promoter located between −2009 and −2017 of the promoter. Mechanistically, MMP2, VE-cadherin, and Vimentin expression were affected. HIF-1α plays an important role in inducing lung adenocarcinoma cell metastasis and VM formation via upregulation of NRP1. This study highlights the potential therapeutic value of targeting NRP1 for suppressing lung adenocarcinoma metastasis and progression.

scholarly journals Body image, self-esteem, and sense of masculinity in patients with prostate cancer: a qualitative meta-synthesis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bowie ◽  
Oliver Brunckhorst ◽  
Robert Stewart ◽  
Prokar Dasgupta ◽  
Kamran Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Prostate Cancer Survivors ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Key Topics

Abstract Purpose Body image, self-esteem, and masculinity are three interconnected constructs in men with prostate cancer, with profound effects on quality of life. This meta-synthesis aimed to evaluate all known qualitative studies published studying the effect of prostate cancer on these constructs. Methods A systematic review utilising PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases up to May 2020 was conducted in line with PRISMA and ENTREQ guidelines. All qualitative studies of men’s experiences with body image, self-esteem, and masculinity whilst living with prostate cancer were included. A thematic meta-synthesis was conducted to identify emergent descriptive and analytical themes under the main study constructs. Results Of 2188 articles identified, 68 were included. Eight descriptive themes were identified under two analytical themes: ‘Becoming a Prostate Cancer Patient’ and ‘Becoming a Prostate Cancer Survivor’. These described the distress caused by changes to body image, sexual functioning, sense of masculinity, and self-esteem, and the subsequent discourses men engaged with to cope with and manage their disease. A key element was increased flexibility in masculinity definitions, and finding other ways to re-affirm masculinity. Conclusions Prostate cancer has an important effect on men’s health post-diagnosis, and we identified strong relationships between each construct evaluated. The role of hegemonic masculinity is important when considering men’s coping mechanisms and is also a key factor when addressing these constructs in counselling post-treatment. Implications for Cancer Survivors This meta-synthesis provides key topics that uniquely affect prostate cancer survivors, enabling these patients to be effectively counselled, and have their concerns recognised by clinicians.

scholarly journals The roles and mechanisms of hypoxia in liver fibrosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyao Cai ◽  
Min Hu ◽  
Zhiyang Chen ◽  
Zeng Ling
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Liver Diseases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
Chronic Liver Injury ◽  
Key Factor

AbstractLiver fibrosis occurs in response to any etiology of chronic liver injury. Lack of appropriate clinical intervention will lead to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), seriously affecting the quality of life of patients, but the current clinical treatments of liver fibrosis have not been developed yet. Recent studies have shown that hypoxia is a key factor promoting the progression of liver fibrosis. Hypoxia can cause liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis can, in turn, profoundly further deepen the degree of hypoxia. Therefore, exploring the role of hypoxia in liver fibrosis will help to further understand the process of liver fibrosis, and provide the theoretical basis for its diagnosis and treatment, which is of great significance to avoid further deterioration of liver diseases and protect the life and health of patients. This review highlights the recent advances in cellular and molecular mechanisms of hypoxia in developments of liver fibrosis.

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