Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Explorer Are single and extended metaphors processed differently ? A test of two Relevance-Theoretic accounts

Carston (2010) proposes that metaphors can be processed via two different routes. In line with the standard Relevance-Theoretic account of loose use, single metaphors are interpreted by a local pragmatic process of meaning adjustment, resulting in the construction of an ad hoc concept. In extended metaphorical passages, by contrast, the reader switches to a second processing mode because the various semantic associates in the passage are mutually reinforcing, which makes the literal meaning highly activated relative to possible meaning adjustments. In the second processing mode the literal meaning of the whole passage is metarepresented and entertained as an ‘imaginary world’ and the intended figurative implications are derived later in processing. The results of three experiments comparing the interpretation of the same target expressions across literal, single-metaphorical and extendedmetaphorical contexts, using self-paced reading (Experiment 1), eye-tracking during natural reading (Experiment 2) and cued recall (Experiment 3), offered initial support to Carston’s distinction between the processing of single and extended metaphors. We end with a comparison between extended metaphors and allegories, and make a call for further theoretical and experimental work to increase our understanding of the similarities and differences between the interpretation and processing of different figurative uses, single and extended.
Radiation pneumonitis and early circulatory cytokine markers.

Radiation pneumonitis is a distinct clinical entity that differs from other pulmonary symptoms such as allergic pneumonitis, chemical pneumonitis, or pneumonia by various infectious agents. Recent research has supported the mechanism of cellular interaction between lung parenchymal cells and circulating immune cells mediated through a variety of cytokines including proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, and profibrotic cytokines. Identifying reliable biomarkers for radiation pneumonitis will allow us to identify individuals at risk for pneumonitis before or during the early stage of therapy. Prospective blood sampling, scoring of respiratory symptoms, and chest imaging were conducted for patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy for malignancy. Serial plasma specimens were analyzed for circulating cytokine changes before, during, and up to 12 weeks after radiation. Radiation pneumonitis was diagnosed using National Cancer Institute (NCI) common toxicity criteria. Cytokine analysis was assayed for interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), E-selectin, L-selectin, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) using enzyme linked immmunosorbant assay (ELISA). Twenty-four patients had clinical follow-up longer than 12 months after radiotherapy. Thirteen had symptomatic pneumonitis (NCI grade 2). The peak incidence of symptoms was between 6 and 13 weeks after radiotherapy. Six patients had only radiographic infiltrates (NCI grade 1). Five patients did not have clinical or radiographic pneumonitis. Both IL-1alpha and IL-6 levels were significantly higher before, during, and after radiotherapy for those who had pneumonitis. The pattern of changes of MCP-1, E-selectin, L-selectin, TGF-beta1, and bFGF varied, but none of these cytokines correlated with radiation pneumonitis. Analysis of a panel of circulating cytokines with different putative functions in radiation pulmonary injury identified IL-1alpha and IL-6 as early circulating cytokine markers for radiation pneumonitis.
Trypanosoma cruzi -infected Triatoma gerstaeckeri (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from Nuevo León, México, and pathogenicity of the regional strain.

INTRODUCTION Four species of triatomines have been reported in Nuevo León, northeast (NE) México, but Triatoma gerstaeckeri has only been recorded from a peridomestic dwelling. OBJECTIVES To assess the natural infection index (NII) of Trypanosoma cruzi in triatomines and the infestation index (II) of T. gerstaeckeri collected in a suburban locality, and to collect histopathological data to understand tissue tropism of the regional T. cruzi strain (strain NE) obtained from the vectors collected after an experimental inoculation in Mus musculus . MATERIALS AND METHODS Triatomines were collected from 85 houses and peridomiciles in Allende, Nuevo León. Stool samples were obtained to determine the T. cruzi NII and were used in an experimental mice infection. RESULTS A total of 118 T . gerstaeckeri were captured, and 46 (adults and nymphs) were collected inside the same house (II=1.17%). Thirty-seven reduvids were infected with T. cruzi (NII=31.3%). Tissue tropism of the T. cruzi NE strain was progressive in skeletal muscle, myocardial, and adipose tissues and was characterized by the presence of intracellular amastigotes and destruction of cardiac myocells. CONCLUSIONS The presence of naturally infected domiciliary vectors is an important risk factor for public health in the region considering that these vectors are the principal transmission mechanism of the parasite. The T. cruzi NE strain has similar virulence to that of other Mexican and Texan strains and caused chagasic infections in 11 of 12 mice.
Iron regulatory protein prevents binding of the 43S translation pre‐initiation complex to ferritin and eALAS mRNAs.

Translation of ferritin and erythroid 5‐aminolevulinate synthase (eALAS) mRNAs is regulated by iron via mRNA‐protein interactions between iron‐responsive elements (IREs) and iron regulatory protein (IRP). In iron‐depleted cells, IRP binds to single IREs located in the 5′ untranslated regions of ferritin and eALAS mRNAs and represses translation initiation. The molecular mechanism underlying this translational repression was investigated using reconstituted, IRE‐IRP‐regulated, cell‐free translation systems. The IRE‐IRP interaction is shown to prevent the association of the 43S translation pre‐initiation complex (including the small ribosomal subunit) with the mRNA. Studies with the spliceosomal protein U1A and mRNAs which harbour specific binding sites for this protein in place of an IRE furthermore reveal that the 5′ termini of mRNAs are generally sensitive to repressor protein‐mediated inhibition of 43S pre‐initiation complex binding.
Fatigue and Depression in Sick-Listed Chronic Low Back Pain Patients

Objective The relationship between fatigue and pain has been investigated previously, but little is known about the prevalence of substantial fatigue in patients sick-listed for chronic low back pain (CLBP) and about how fatigue is associated with depression, pain, and long-term disability. The aims of the study were to examine the prevalence of substantial fatigue; associations between fatigue, depression, and pain; and whether fatigue predicted long-term disability. Methods Five hundred sixty-nine patients participating in a randomized controlled trial and sick-listed 2–10 months for LBP were included in the study. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted to investigate the prevalence and independent associations between fatigue, depression, pain, and disability, while longitudinal analyses were done to investigate the association between fatigue and long-term disability. Results The prevalence of substantial fatigue was 69.7%. Women reported significantly more fatigue than men (t = −3.6, df = 551; P < .001). Those with substantial fatigue had higher pain intensity (t = −3.3, df = 534; P = 0.01), more depressive symptoms (t = −10.9, df = 454; P < 0.001), and more disability (t = −7.6, df = 539; P < 0.001) than those without substantial fatigue. Musculoskeletal pain and depression were independently associated with substantial fatigue. In the longitudinal analyses, fatigue predicted long-term disability at 3, 6, and 12 months' follow-up. After pain and depression were controlled for, fatigue remained a significant predictor of disability at 6 months' follow-up. Conclusions The vast majority of the sick-listed CLBP patients reported substantial fatigue. Those with substantial fatigue had more pain and depressive symptoms and a significant risk of reporting more disability at 3, 6, and 12 months. Substantial fatigue is disabling in itself but also involves a risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome and long-term disability.
High blood pressure and associated cardiovascular risk factors in France

Objective To estimate, with respect to age and gender, the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in treated and non-treated subjects and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Healthcare centres in the centre of France. Participants All subjects (n = 61 108) who had a free health check-up, between February 1995 and September 1996. Main outcome measures High BP (systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 90 mmHg or antihypertensive therapy); diabetes (fasting glucose plasma concentration > 1.26 g/l or antidiabetic therapy); hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol > 2 g/l or lipid-lowering therapy); hypertriglyceridaemia (fasting triglycerides plasma concentration > 2 g/l or triglyceridaemia-lowering therapy); overweight (body mass index ⩾ 25 kg/m2); abdominal fat distribution (waist to hip ratio > 0.9 in males and > 0.8 in females). Results Prevalence of high BP was 37.7% in males and 22.2% in females. BP was normalized in 29.7% of treated males and 44.1% of treated females. High BP was associated with at least another cardiovascular risk factor in 83.8% of the males and 76.7% of the females with high BP. Hypercholesterolaemia was the most frequently associated risk factor. Except smoking, the prevalence of each cardiovascular risk factor was shown to increase with the severity of hypertension. Two or more other cardiovascular risk factors were present in 22.9% of the males and 9.8% of the females with high BP. Conclusions Rate of high BP, even in treated subjects, is high. More than three out of four subjects with high BP have at least one other cardiovascular risk factor.
Crestal bone changes around titanium implants: a methodologic study comparing linear radiographic with histometric measurements.

Generally, endosseous implants can be placed according to a nonsubmerged or a submerged technique and in 1-piece or 2-piece configurations. Recently, it has been shown that peri-implant crestal bone reactions differ significantly radiographically as well as histometrically under such conditions and are dependent on a rough/smooth implant border in 1-piece implants and on the location of a microgap (interface) between the implant and the abutment/restoration in 2-piece configurations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether standardized radiography as a noninvasive clinical diagnostic method correlates with peri-implant crestal bone levels as determined by histometric analysis. Fifty-nine implants were placed in edentulous mandibular areas of 5 foxhounds in a side-by-side comparison in both submerged and nonsubmerged techniques. Three months after implant placement, abutment connection was performed in the submerged implant sites. At 6 months, all animals were sacrificed, and evaluations of the first bone-to-implant contact (fBIC), determined on standardized periapical radiographs, were compared to similar analyses made from nondecalcified histology. It was shown that both techniques provide the same information (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.993; P < .001). The precision of the radiographs was within 0.1 mm of the histometry in 73.4% of the evaluations, while the level of agreement fell to between 0.1 and 0.2 mm in 15.9% of the cases. These data demonstrate in an experimental study that standardized periapical radiography can evaluate crestal bone levels around implants clinically accurately (within 0.2 mm) in a high percentage (89%) of cases. These findings are significant because crestal bone levels can be determined using a noninvasive technique, and block sectioning or sacrifice of the animal subject is not required. In addition, longitudinal evaluations can be made accurately such that bone changes over various time periods can be assessed. Such analyses may prove beneficial when trying to distinguish physiologic changes from pathologic changes or when trying to determine causes and effects of bone changes around dental implants.
Neural Mechanisms of Context Effects on Face Recognition: Automatic Binding and Context Shift Decrements

Although people do not normally try to remember associations between faces and physical contexts, these associations are established automatically, as indicated by the difficulty of recognizing familiar faces in different contexts (“butcher-on-the-bus” phenomenon). The present fMRI study investigated the automatic binding of faces and scenes. In the face–face (F–F) condition, faces were presented alone during both encoding and retrieval, whereas in the face/scene–face (FS–F) condition, they were presented overlaid on scenes during encoding but alone during retrieval (context change). Although participants were instructed to focus only on the faces during both encoding and retrieval, recognition performance was worse in the FS–F than in the F–F condition (“context shift decrement” [CSD]), confirming automatic face–scene binding during encoding. This binding was mediated by the hippocampus as indicated by greater subsequent memory effects (remembered > forgotten) in this region for the FS–F than the F–F condition. Scene memory was mediated by right parahippocampal cortex, which was reactivated during successful retrieval when the faces were associated with a scene during encoding (FS–F condition). Analyses using the CSD as a regressor yielded a clear hemispheric asymmetry in medial temporal lobe activity during encoding: Left hippocampal and parahippocampal activity was associated with a smaller CSD, indicating more flexible memory representations immune to context changes, whereas right hippocampal/rhinal activity was associated with a larger CSD, indicating less flexible representations sensitive to context change. Taken together, the results clarify the neural mechanisms of context effects on face recognition.
Measurement of optical response of a detuned resonant sideband extraction gravitational wave detector

We report on the optical response of a suspended-mass detuned resonant sideband extraction (RSE) interferometer with power recycling. The purpose of the detuned RSE configuration is to manipulate and optimize the optical response of the interferometer to differential displacements (induced by gravitational waves) as a function of frequency, independently of other parameters of the interferometer. The design of our interferometer results in an optical gain with two peaks: an RSE optical resonance at around 4 kHz and a radiation pressure induced optical spring at around 41 Hz. We have developed a reliable procedure for acquiring lock and establishing the desired optical configuration. In this configuration, we have measured the optical response to differential displacement and found good agreement with predictions at both resonances and all other relevant frequencies. These results build confidence in both the theory and practical implementation of the more complex optical configuration being planned for Advanced LIGO.
The Effects Of Peer Interactions On The Development Of Technological Fluency In An Early Childhood Robotics Learning Environment

Students interact in a classroom environment in a daily basis – interacting with teachers, classmates, and even with technology. The effects that these peer interactions within the educational setting have been extensively studied in the field of education over the past 20 years and have been shown to improve students self-esteem and attitude towards the educational process. 7 Beyond these general improvements in students opinions on education and toward themselves, cooperative learning -the collaboration between peers to better understand unfamiliar topics has been shown to positively influence a student development reading strategies 6 , computational skills in mathematics 9 , and a conceptual understanding of physics within education settings 4 . As such, the understanding of peer interactions has played an important role in the way curriculum is developed for the established fields of education. With the relatively recent interest in expanding the educational curriculum frameworks to include concepts of engineering and technology, educators are looking for effective methods of addressing these new curriculum changes. However, engineering concepts are topics that are typically unfamiliar to teachers and few teacher have experience using educational technology related to engineering, like Lego Robolab program. 2 The lack of acquaintance with engineering concepts and technology lead many educators to developing this curriculum for their classroom. One possible education aid that these educators might encourage, based on its record in advancing student progress in other disciplines, is cooperative learning within their students. Little research exist that indicates what type of effect or even what type of interactions occur within a technological learning environment using engineering-based curriculum. The purpose of this study is to explore that question by determining the frequencies and effects of the peer interactions that occurred within an early-childhood robotic learning environment. Specifically, which of the underling concepts of the curriculum were most often used as the foundation of peer-interactions and how did those interactions appear to effect the children’s understanding of engineering methods and processes.
The Maintenance of Single-Locus Polymorphism by Maternal Selection

Population geneticists have long been interested in the ability of natural selection to maintain the levels of standing variation observed in natural populations. Here, we study the polymorphism-maintaining properties of maternal selection, in which the fitness of an individual is a function of its own and its mother’s genotype. Using a model proposed by Gavrilets, we first estimate the proportion of parameter/state space that preserves allelic variation, before investigating the construction of polymorphism over time through the joint action of mutation and selection. These two methods, the “parameter-space” and “constructionist” approaches, respectively, enable us to draw some general conclusions. We argue that, even though the proportion of parameter-state space allowing multiallele polymorphism is greater under maternal selection than under the standard model of constant viability selection, the former is, in fact, less likely to maintain large numbers of alleles. Nevertheless, variation that is balanced by maternal selection is likely to show elements of heterozygous advantage and be resistant to depletion by genetic drift. We observe that the population mean fitness frequently decreases after the successful invasion of a new mutation, but such declines are usually temporary.
Effects of Fire on Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in Fennoscandian Boreal Forests

Fire, the primary natural disturbance factor in Fennoscandian boreal forests, is considered to have exerted major selection pressure on most boreal forest organisms. However, recent studies show that few ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi appear to have evolved post-fi re adaptations, no succession of EM fungi following fi re is apparent after low intensity fi res, and only two EM fungal taxa exclusively fruit at post-fi re conditions. In this paper I review the present knowledge of effects of forest fi re on EM fungal communities in Fennscandian boreal forests, put into perspective by a comparison from other parts of the world. Characteristically, these boreal forests consist of less than a handful of tree species, e.g. Scots pine and Norway spruce, while the below ground communities of EM fungi is impressively species rich with presently more than 700 known taxa. Commonly, forest fi res in Fennoscandia have been of low intensity, with a considerable portion of the trees surviving and the organic humus layer partly escaping combustion. Hence, EM fungi appear to largely have evolved under conditions characterised by a more or less continuous presence of their hosts. In fact, the composition of EM fungi within a forest appear be more variable due to spatial variation than due to wildfi re. However, in areas with high intensity burns and high tree mortality, most EM fungi may locally be killed. Thus, the legacy of EM fungi following wildfi re depends on the survival of trees, which determine the potential for mycorrhizal growth, and the combustion and heating of the organic soil, which directly correlate to mortality of mycorrhizas. The questions if and to what degree fi res may be of signifi cance for yet unidentifi ed spatiotemporal dynamics of EM fungal populations and communities are discussed. Recent experiments indicate a few EM fungi are favoured by high intensity burn conditions whereas others disappear. The consequences of wildfi res in temperate conifer forests differ considerably from those in boreal forests. Wildfi res in temperate conifer forests are typically high intensity stand-replacing fi res that cause a total combustion of organic layers. Subsequently, prefi re EM fungal communities are largely eradicated and a succession of post-fi re EM fungi is initiated.
Mechanisms underlying regional differences in the Ca2+ sensitivity of BKCa current in arteriolar smooth muscle

The plasma membrane large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated, K+ channel (BKCa) is a major ion channel contributing to the regulation of membrane potential. Activation of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel by both depolarization and increased intracellular Ca2+ results in hyperpolarization that acts to limit agonist and mechanically induced vasoconstriction in small arteries. Using patch‐clamp techniques we demonstrate that regional differences exist in how BKCa is regulated, particularly with respect to its Ca2+ sensitivity. Using single‐channel recordings and siRNA to manipulate protein subunit expression, it is argued that the β1‐subunit plays a more dominant role in cerebral blood vessels as compared with small arteries from skeletal muscle. Subtle differences in the regulation of membrane potential in different vascular beds allow local blood flow and pressure to be closely adapted to the tissue's metabolic needs.