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The "embodied" position on language comprehension proposes that metaphor or metonymy understanding can be presented in a distributed network based on previous sensorimotor experience. The current study attempted to investigate how children understood metaphor and metonymy.in the context of daily diet that provides rich sensory experience for children. We implemented an eye-tracking experiment where a 2 × 2 × 2 mixed design was employed. Thirty Chinese pupils aging from 6 to 12 were instructed to appreciate Chinese menus denoting metaphoric or metonymic expressions. Results of eye-tracking indicated that the dish image captioned with metaphorical names held the greatest attention of pupils, which held especially true for junior pupils. Moreover, the inclusion of Chinese pinyin in the menu served as a distractor that reduced pupils' attention to other menu elements. This study adds to the state of the art on embodied account of language by inspecting how the under-explored children perceived metaphorical and metonymic expressions. The context of everyday diet abundant in sensory experience managed to provide a more vivid scenario on this topic. It also provides practical insight into how to design menus to invoke particular sensory experience of infants who are undergoing both physical and mental development.
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Although many studies document the role of propositional truth-value in human psychological reading behavior, there is a relative paucity of research examining the role of differential propositional truth-value in processing Chinese counterfactual conditionals. This study is to investigate the role of differential propositional value in processing Chinese counterfactual conditionals by means of ERPs (event-related potentials). The study is based on comprehending two types of Chinese counterfactual conditionals, which is propositional truth value introduced by two different markers of conditional conjunctions in the protasis and apodosis, such as true counterfactual conditional markers jiaru (if) & jiu (so) in the sentence wo xiang yu jiaru you tui jiu keyi zai shuixia zhixi (I think if fish had legs so they could stifle under water), and false counterfactual conditional markers ruguo (if) & namo (then) in the sentence wo xiang gou ruguo you lin namo keyi zai shuixia huxi (I think if dogs had scales, then they could breathe under water). Two counterfactual propositional values (i.e. true and false propositional values) are constructed through manipulating sentence counterfactuality between the true and false counterfactual conditional markers in the protasis and the apodosis. Twenty-four full-time Chinese college students participated in the ERP study. The results demonstrated that processing the true counterfactual propositional sentences with conditional markers jiaru (if) & jiu (so) elicited the N400 effect relative to false propositional sentences with conditional markers ruguo (if) & namo (then). Moreover, the counterfactual sentences with true propositional conditions varied from the elicitation of the N400 effect in the protasis and absence of the N400 effect in the apodosis, showing that semantic roles may gradually disappear under the impact of truth value of propositional counterfactual condition, and/or the roles of semantic anomaly was eliminated in the accumulated sentence processing. While for the false counterfactual conditional sentences, elicitations of P300 in the protasis and robust N400 effect in the apodosis were shown, indicating the increasing semantic role in the processing. Interestingly, there was the absence of the P600 effect for processing sentences with syntactic violation, suggesting little extra syntactic cost in processing sentences with false propositional condition.
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Comprensión , Electroencefalografía , Potenciales Evocados , Lectura , Humanos , Femenino , Potenciales Evocados/fisiología , Masculino , Adulto Joven , Adulto , Comprensión/fisiología , China , Psicolingüística , LenguajeRESUMEN
Hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were both characterized by elevated levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Previous studies had found that high iodine or hyperlipidemia alone was associated with increased TSH level. However, their combined effects on TSH have not been elucidated. In this study, combination of high iodine and hyperlipidemia was established through the combined exposure of high-water iodine and high fat diet in Wistar rats. The results showed that combined exposure of high iodine and high fat can induce higher TSH level. The mRNA and protein levels of sodium iodide transporters (NIS) and type 1 deiodinase (D1) in thyroid tissues, which were crucial genes in the synthesis of thyroid hormones, decreased remarkably in combined exposure group. Mechanistically, down-regulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis associated in lung denocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) may regulate the expression of NIS by increasing miR-339-5p, and regulating D1 by increasing miR-224-5p. Then, the above findings were explored in subjects exposed to high water iodine and hyperlipidemia. The results indicated that in population combined with high iodine and hyperlipidemia, TSH level increased to higher level and lncRNA MALAT1-miR-339-5p-NIS axis was obviously activated. Collectively, this study found that combined exposure of high iodine and hyperlipidemia induced a higher level of TSH, and lncRNA MALAT1-miR-339-5p-NIS axis may play important role.
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Hiperlipidemias , Yodo , MicroARNs , ARN Largo no Codificante , Ratas Wistar , Tirotropina , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , ARN Largo no Codificante/metabolismo , Animales , MicroARNs/metabolismo , MicroARNs/genética , Tirotropina/sangre , Tirotropina/metabolismo , Hiperlipidemias/metabolismo , Hiperlipidemias/genética , Masculino , Glándula Tiroides/metabolismo , Glándula Tiroides/efectos de los fármacos , Dieta Alta en Grasa/efectos adversos , Ratas , Simportadores/genética , Simportadores/metabolismo , Humanos , Hipotiroidismo/metabolismo , Hipotiroidismo/genética , Hipotiroidismo/inducido químicamente , Yoduro Peroxidasa/metabolismo , Yoduro Peroxidasa/genéticaRESUMEN
In this study, the aim was to investigate the correlation between varying levels of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in adults and the occurrence of thyroid diseases, with the additional objective of determining the optimal iodine status level for adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on adults from six areas with different drinking water iodine concentrations (WIC) without eating iodized salt in Heze and Jining counties, Shandong Province, China. A total of 1336 adults were included in this study, and drinking water samples, blood samples, urine samples, thyroid ultrasound, and a questionnaire were collected. UIC, free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroid hormone (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) were detected. There were no significant differences in the detection rates of hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) among the different median UIC groups (UIC < 100 µg/L, 100-199 µg/L, 200-299 µg/L, ≥ 300 µg/L). However, the detection rates of hypothyroidism were higher in the UIC < 100 µg/L group (16.67%) and the UIC ≥ 300 µg/L group (16.51%) compared to the other groups. The detection rate of TAI increased as UIC levels increased. The detection rate of thyroid nodule (TN) in the UIC < 100 µg/L group was significantly higher than that in the UIC 200-299 µg/L UIC group (χ2 = 10.814, P = 0.001). After adjusting confounding factors, it was found that low UIC (< 100 µg/L) was a risk factor for TN (OR 1.83, 95% CI [1.04-3.22]). Meanwhile, there no statistical difference between UIC 200 and 299 µg/L and UIC 100 and199 µg/L for OR of hypothyroidism, TAI, and TN. This study identified associations between different UIC levels and the prevalence of thyroid disorders, with low UIC (< 100 µg/L) posing a risk for TN, and the detection rate of TN and hypothyroidism was the lowest in UIC (200-299 µg/L) group. Therefore, the acceptable UIC range of 'adequate' iodine intake among adults can be widened from 100-199 µg/L to 100-299 µg/L.
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BACKGROUND: The oxidative stress induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a pivotal factor in skin aging and can even contribute to the development of skin cancer. AIM: This study explored the antioxidant effect and mechanism of water-soluble intracellular extract (WIE) of Desmodesmus sp.YT (YT), aiming to develop a natural antioxidant suitable for incorporation into cosmetics. METHODS: The study evaluated the scavenging capacity of YT-WIE against free radicals and assessed its impact on human skin fibroblasts (HSF) cell viability and UV resistance using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Transcriptome sequencing was employed to elucidate the mechanism of action, while RT-qPCR and western blot were used to validate the expression of key genes. RESULTS: YT-WIE displayed robust antioxidant activity, demonstrating potent scavenging abilities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH; IC50 = 0.55 mg mL-1), 2,2'-Azino-bis (3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid; ABTS; IC50 = 3.11 mg mL-1), Hydroxyl (·OH; IC50 = 2.21 mg mL-1), and Superoxide anion (O2 â¢-; IC50 = 0.98 mg mL-1). Furthermore, compared to the control group, the YT-WIE group exhibited an 89.30% enhancement in HSF viability and a 44.63% increase in survival rate post-UV irradiation. Significant upregulation of antioxidant genes (GCLC, GCLM, TXNRD1, HMOX1, NQO1) was observed with YT-WIE treatment at 400 µg mL-1, with fold increases ranging from 1.13 to 5.85 times. CONCLUSION: YT-WIE demonstrated considerable potential as an antioxidant, shielding human cells from undue oxidative stress triggered by external stimuli such as UV radiation. This suggests its promising application in cosmetics antioxidants.
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Antioxidantes , Fibroblastos , Estrés Oxidativo , Piel , Rayos Ultravioleta , Humanos , Fibroblastos/efectos de la radiación , Fibroblastos/efectos de los fármacos , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Rayos Ultravioleta/efectos adversos , Antioxidantes/farmacología , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de la radiación , Piel/efectos de la radiación , Piel/efectos de los fármacos , Piel/citología , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de la radiación , Envejecimiento de la Piel/efectos de los fármacos , Envejecimiento de la Piel/efectos de la radiación , Agua , Células CultivadasRESUMEN
This study examined consumers' psychological reactance, which is insufficiently explored in the literature. This research fills the gaps found in the literature reviewed and investigates how the psychological reactance of restaurant consumers developed because of social, temporal, and spatial distancing measures during COVID-19. This study also explored ways in which the restaurant industry can increase its compliance with COVID-19 restrictions in such a situation. We explored the effects of social, temporal, and spatial distancing on psychological reactance. We also identified the moderating effect of lockdown restrictions, which strengthen the psychological reactance developed because of (a) social distancing, (b) temporal distancing, and (c) spatial distancing. We collected data from restaurant consumers in Lahore. This study applied quantitative techniques (i.e., a test of normality, measurement model assessment, structural model assessment, and common method variance). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 and the results were interpreted and presented accordingly. This study added to the literature on psychological reactance, service management, and psychological distance. We could also help the restaurant industry overcome the challenges that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the closures. This study could assist the restaurant industry to understand consumer behavior and attract potential consumers.
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Current cognitively oriented research on metaphor proposes that understanding metaphorical expressions is a process of building embodied simulations, which are constrained by past and present bodily experiences. However, it has also been shown that metaphor processing is also constrained by the linguistic context but, to our knowledge, there is no comparable work in the domain of metonymy. As an initial attempt to fill this gap, the present study uses eye-tracking experimentation to explore this aspect of Chinese metonymy processing. It complements previous work on how the length of preceding linguistic context influences metonymic processing by focusing on: (1) the contextual information of both the preceding target words; (2) the immediate spillover after the target words; and (3) whether the logical relationship between the preceding contextual information and the target word is strong or weak (a 2 × 2 between-subject experiment with target words of literal/metonymy and logic of strong/weak). Results show that readers take longer to arrive at a literal interpretation than at a metonymic one when the preceding information is in a weak logic relationship with target words, although this disparity can disappear when the logic is strong. Another finding is that both the preceding and the spillover contextual information contribute to metonymy processing when the spillover information does more to the metonymy than it does to the literal meaning. This study further complements cognitive and pragmatic approaches to metonymy, which are centered on its conceptual nature and its role in interpretation, by drawing attention to how the components of sentences contribute to the metonymic processing of target words. Based on an experiment, a contextual model of Chinese metonymy processing is proposed.
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This study examines the influence of COVID-19 on unpaid leave, the direct impacts of psychological contract breach on organizational distrust and turnover intention, and their indirect impact through emotional exhaustion. The study used partial least squares to analyze the data set of 238 questionnaires from hospitality establishments. Results indicate a significant direct positive impact of psychological contract breach on organizational distrust and favorable indirect effects through emotional exhaustion. However, psychological contract breach had no direct effects on turnover intention. The study has equally found the positive effect of organizational distrust on turnover intention. The research provides both theoretical and practical implications and suggests areas for further studies.
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Design of elaborated nanomaterials to improve the therapeutic efficacy and mitigate the side effects of chemotherapeutic anticancer drugs, such as Doxorubicin (Dox), is significant for cancer treatment. Here, we describe a co-assembled strategy, where amphiphile short peptides are co-assembled with Doxorubicin to form nanoscale particles for enhanced delivery of Dox. Two kinds of short peptides, Fmoc-FK (FK) and Fmoc-FKK (FKK), are synthesized. Through adjusting the component ratio of peptide and Dox, we obtain two kinds of co-assembled nanoparticles with homogeneous size distributions. These nanoparticles show several distinct characteristics. First, they are pH-responsive as they are stable in alkaline and neutral conditions, however, de-assembly at acidic pH enables selective Dox release in malignant cancer cells. Second, the nanoparticles show an average size of 50-100 nm with positive charges, making them effective for uptake by tumor cells. Moreover, the side effects of Dox on healthy cells are mitigated due to decreased exposure of free-Dox to normal cells. To conclude, the co-assembled peptide-Dox nanoparticles exhibit increased cellular uptake compared to free-Dox, therefore causing significant cancer cell death. Further apoptosis and cell cycle analysis indicates that there is a synergistic effect between the peptide and Doxorubicin.
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Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Doxorrubicina/farmacología , Portadores de Fármacos/química , Nanopartículas/química , Péptidos/química , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Liberación de Fármacos , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Fluorenos/química , Puntos de Control de la Fase G2 del Ciclo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Microscopía Electrónica de Rastreo , Nanopartículas/ultraestructura , Tamaño de la PartículaRESUMEN
Fe-Co-N-C electrocatalysts have proven superior to their counterparts (e.g. Fe-N-C or Co-N-C) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we report on a unique strategy to prepare Fe-Co-N-C-x (x refers to the pyrolysis temperature) electrocatalysts which involves anion-exchange of [Fe(CN)6 ]3- into a cationic CoII -based metal-organic framework precursor prior to heat treatment. Fe-Co-N-C-900 exhibits an optimal ORR catalytic performance in an alkaline electrolyte with an onset potential (Eonset : 0.97â V) and half-wave potential (E1/2 : 0.86â V) comparable to that of commercial Pt/C (Eonset =1.02â V; E1/2 =0.88â V), which outperforms the corresponding Co-N-C-900 sample (Eonset =0.92â V; E1/2 =0.84â V) derived from the same MOF precursor without anion-exchange modification. This is the first example of Fe-Co-N-C electrocatalysts fabricated from a cationic CoII -based MOF precursor that dopes the Fe element via anion-exchange, and our current work provides a new entrance towards MOF-derived transition-metal (e.g. Fe or Co) and nitrogen-codoped carbon electrocatalysts with excellent ORR activity.
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Numerous studies have demonstrated that word frequency influences sentence processing. However, the impact of frequently used epistemic modality adverbs on sentence processing is less clear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the processing of Chinese epistemic modality adverbs by means of ERPs (event-related potentials) based on degrees of modal certainty encoded by different orthographic forms of two epistemic adverbs yexu (possibly) and yiding (surely) co-occurred with two psychological verbs guji (estimate) and quexin (convince) in Mandarin Chinese sentences as Wo guji Xiaolin yexu hui jingxuan banzhang (I estimate Xiaolin possibly future compete monitor). Two conditions (i.e. agreed and disagreed conditions) are constructed through manipulating the agreement of the certainty degree between the psychological verbs and the epistemic adverbs. Twenty-four enrolled Chinese college students took part in the ERP experiment. The results showed that the epistemic adverb yexu (possibly) in disagreed sentences (quexin &yexu) relative to agreed sentences (guji &yexu), elicited a monophasic P600 effect with a centro-parietal distribution, indicating extra syntactic costs in processing the epistemic adverb in sentences with modal uncertainty. The absence of N400 was observed for processing yexu (possibly) in the agreed and disagreed sentences, suggesting that little semantic processing difficulty of the epistemic adverb happens in sentences with modal certainty and/or uncertainty. While for the epistemic adverb yiding (surely) in the agreed and disagreed sentences, the absence of P600 and N400 indicates that little difficulty in syntactic and/or semantic processing of the epistemic adverb happens in sentences with modal certainty and/or uncertainty.