Tonal symmetry induces fluency and sense of well-formedness

Fluency influences grammaticality judgments of visually presented strings in artificial grammar learning (AGL). Of many potential sources that engender fluency, symmetry is considered to be an important factor. However, symmetry may function differently for visual and auditory stimuli, which present computationally different problems. Thus, the current study aimed to examine whether objectively manipulating fluency by speeding up perception (i.e. manipulating the inter-stimulus interval, ISI, between each syllable of a string) influenced judgments of tonal strings; and thus how symmetry-based fluency might influence judgments. In experiment 1, with only a test phase, participants were required to give their preference ratings of tonal strings as a measurement of fluency. In experiment 2, participants were instructed to make grammaticality judgments after being incidentally trained on tonal symmetry. Results of experiment 1 showed that tonal strings with shorter ISI were liked more than those with longer ISI while such difference was not found between symmetric and asymmetric strings without training. Additionally, experiment 2 found both main effects of symmetry and ISI as well as an interaction. In particular, only asymmetric strings were more likely to be judged as grammatical when they were presented at a shorter ISI. Taken together, participants were sensitive to the fluency induced by the manipulation of ISI and sensitive to symmetry only after training. In sum, we conclude that objective speed influenced grammaticality judgments, implicit learning of tonal symmetry resulted in enhanced fluency, and that fluency may serve as a basis for grammaticality judgments

Tonal symmetry induces fluency and sense of well-formedness

Fluency influences grammaticality judgments of visually presented strings in artificial grammar learning (AGL). Of many potential sources that engender fluency, symmetry is considered to be an important factor. However, symmetry may function differently for visual and auditory stimuli, which present computationally different problems. Thus, the current study aimed to examine whether objectively manipulating fluency by speeding up perception (i.e. manipulating the inter-stimulus interval, ISI, between each syllable of a string) influenced judgments of tonal strings; and thus how symmetry-based fluency might influence judgments. In experiment 1, with only a test phase, participants were required to give their preference ratings of tonal strings as a measurement of fluency. In experiment 2, participants were instructed to make grammaticality judgments after being incidentally trained on tonal symmetry. Results of experiment 1 showed that tonal strings with shorter ISI were liked more than those with longer ISI while such difference was not found between symmetric and asymmetric strings without training. Additionally, experiment 2 found both main effects of symmetry and ISI as well as an interaction. In particular, only asymmetric strings were more likely to be judged as grammatical when they were presented at a shorter ISI. Taken together, participants were sensitive to the fluency induced by the manipulation of ISI and sensitive to symmetry only after training. In sum, we conclude that objective speed influenced grammaticality judgments, implicit learning of tonal symmetry resulted in enhanced fluency, and that fluency may serve as a basis for grammaticality judgments

Table_1.docx

<p>Fluency influences grammaticality judgments of visually presented strings in artificial grammar learning (AGL). Of many potential sources that engender fluency, symmetry is considered to be an important factor. However, symmetry may function differently for visual and auditory stimuli, which present computationally different problems. Thus, the current study aimed to examine whether objectively manipulating fluency by speeding up perception (i.e., manipulating the inter-stimulus interval, ISI, between each syllable of a string) influenced judgments of tonal strings; and thus how symmetry-based fluency might influence judgments. In Experiment 1, with only a test phase, participants were required to give their preference ratings of tonal strings as a measurement of fluency. In experiment 2, participants were instructed to make grammaticality judgments after being incidentally trained on tonal symmetry. Results of Experiment 1 showed that tonal strings with shorter ISI were liked more than those with longer ISI while such difference was not found between symmetric and asymmetric strings without training. Additionally, Experiment 2 found both main effects of symmetry and ISI as well as an interaction. In particular, only asymmetric strings were more likely to be judged as grammatical when they were presented at a shorter ISI. Taken together, participants were sensitive to the fluency induced by the manipulation of ISI and sensitive to symmetry only after training. In sum, we conclude that objective speed influenced grammaticality judgments, implicit learning of tonal symmetry resulted in enhanced fluency, and that fluency may serve as a basis for grammaticality judgments.</p

Demographic and clinical data of all subjects.

Demographic and clinical data of all subjects.</p

Regions showing decreased VMHC in chronic stroke patients versus healthy controls.

<p>Regions showing decreased VMHC in chronic stroke patients versus healthy controls.</p

The significant correlations between the VMHC in the CPL and FMA-H scores as well as illness duration in patient group.

<p>VMHC: voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity; CPL: cerebellum posterior lobe; FMA-H: Fugl–Meyer Score of hand.</p

Image_2_The non-oral infection of larval Echinococcus granulosus induces immune and metabolic reprogramming in the colon of mice.jpeg

BackgroundThe intestinal tract serves as a critical regulator for nutrient absorption and overall health. However, its involvement in anti-parasitic infection and immunity has been largely neglected, especially when a parasite is not transmitted orally. The present study investigated the colonic histopathology and functional reprogramming in mice with intraperitoneal infection of the larval Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus).ResultsCompared with the control group, the E. granulosus–infected mice exhibited deteriorated secreted mucus, shortened length, decreased expression of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and occludin in the colon. Moreover, RNA sequencing was employed to characterize colonic gene expression after infection. In total, 3,019 differentially expressed genes (1,346 upregulated and 1,673 downregulated genes) were identified in the colon of infected mice. KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes involved in intestinal immune responses, infectious disease-associated pathways, metabolism, or focal adhesion were significantly enriched. Among these, 18 tight junction-relative genes, 44 immune response-associated genes, and 23 metabolic genes were annotated. Furthermore, mebendazole treatment could reverse the colonic histopathology induced by E. granulosus infection.ConclusionsIntraperitoneal infection with E. granulosus induced the pathological changes and functional reprogramming in the colon of mice, and mebendazole administration alleviated above alternations, highlighting the significance of the colon as a protective barrier against parasitic infection. The findings provide a novel perspective on host-parasite interplay and propose intestine as a possible target for treating parasitic diseases that are not transmitted orally.</p

Image_1_The non-oral infection of larval Echinococcus granulosus induces immune and metabolic reprogramming in the colon of mice.jpeg

BackgroundThe intestinal tract serves as a critical regulator for nutrient absorption and overall health. However, its involvement in anti-parasitic infection and immunity has been largely neglected, especially when a parasite is not transmitted orally. The present study investigated the colonic histopathology and functional reprogramming in mice with intraperitoneal infection of the larval Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus).ResultsCompared with the control group, the E. granulosus–infected mice exhibited deteriorated secreted mucus, shortened length, decreased expression of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and occludin in the colon. Moreover, RNA sequencing was employed to characterize colonic gene expression after infection. In total, 3,019 differentially expressed genes (1,346 upregulated and 1,673 downregulated genes) were identified in the colon of infected mice. KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes involved in intestinal immune responses, infectious disease-associated pathways, metabolism, or focal adhesion were significantly enriched. Among these, 18 tight junction-relative genes, 44 immune response-associated genes, and 23 metabolic genes were annotated. Furthermore, mebendazole treatment could reverse the colonic histopathology induced by E. granulosus infection.ConclusionsIntraperitoneal infection with E. granulosus induced the pathological changes and functional reprogramming in the colon of mice, and mebendazole administration alleviated above alternations, highlighting the significance of the colon as a protective barrier against parasitic infection. The findings provide a novel perspective on host-parasite interplay and propose intestine as a possible target for treating parasitic diseases that are not transmitted orally.</p

Lesion overlap map across the 29 stroke patients.

<p>Color bar indicates the number of subjects had lesion in each voxel.</p

Significant differences in seed-based functional connectivity between chronic stroke patients and healthy controls.

<p>Cold colors indicate that these regions show a lower FC with the right CPL in chronic stroke patients when compared to healthy controls. The threshold for seed-based FC was set at a FDR corrected p< 0.05, cluster>20. The color bars indicate the T value from the t-test between groups. FC: functional connectivity; CPL: cerebellum posterior lobe.</p