Does the coexistence of literal and figurative meanings in metaphor comprehension yield novel meaning?: Empirical testing based on quantum cognition

Metaphor comprehension is a creative process that may lead to the emergence of novel meaning. Several studies have examined the emergence according to the interaction between the topic and vehicle. We focused on the other type of emergence in metaphor comprehension: the interaction between the literal and figurative meanings. This article hypothesized that the whole meaning of some metaphorical sentences can be regarded as a superposition state of their literal and figurative meanings, which cannot be reduced to the simple composition of each meaning. To test this hypothesis, we applied QQ equality to metaphor comprehension and conducted an experiment using 21 metaphorical sentences and 1,000 participants. The model comparisons suggested that about 15% of comprehension of metaphorical sentences can be regarded as resulting from a superposition state of literal and metaphorical understanding. This result sheds new light on the emergent function and cognitive state surrounding metaphor comprehension

Report of a case of acinic cell carcinoma of the upper lip and review of Japanese cases of acinic cell carcinoma of the minor salivary glands

Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is a malignant tumor of the salivary glands. The majority of ACCs occur in the parotid gland, and ACCs of the minor salivary glands (MSGs) are relatively infrequent. We describe here a patient with ACC of the upper lip. The patient was a 31-year-old male who presented with a nodular mass on the left upper lip. The preoperative diagnosis was benign tumor or cyst, and the lesion was surgically excised. The histological diagnosis was ACC. The postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence or metastasis was detected at 13 months postoperatively. In addition, we retrospectively reviewed 21 reported Japanese patients with ACC of the MSGs. In 7 of the 21 patients, the preoperative diagnosis was benign tumor, and the tumors were resected without preoperative biopsy. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that disease-free survival was worse in patients who underwent resection with a preoperative diagnosis of benign tumor than in patients who underwent resection with a preoperative diagnosis of malignant tumor. The rate of recurrence was higher for ACCs assumed to be benign lesions on a purely clinical basis, or without an accurate preoperative biopsy. ACCs of the MSGs are easy to be misdiagnosed for benign lesions such as mucous cysts or hemangiomas. Correct preoperative diagnosis and initial therapy may therefore be the most important prognostic factors

「人間科学研究交流会」報告 第56回 : 解釈多様性を考慮した文章理解の認知

departmental bulletin pape

Clinical usefulness of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder rating scale-IV in the treatment of enuretic children undiagnosed with developmental disorders

To determine the association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） and nocturnal enuresis （NE） and its relation to the effectiveness of NE treatment in children undiagnosed with developmental disorders. A total of 154 children with NE （112 males and 42 females） were included in this study, aged ≥5–＜15 years, presenting at the Department of Pediatrics, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, between January 2016 and June 2017. None of the participants was diagnosed with developmental disorders. We retrospectively evaluated Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV （ADHD-RS-IV） scores, Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score （DVSS）, NE clinical characteristics, and efficacy of NE treatment. The mean age was 8.0±2.0 years （standard deviation）. Sixty-seven （40.3％） patients presented with daytime incontinence （DI）. The mean total ADHD-RS and DVSS scores were 7.7±8.0 and 6.6±4.3, respectively, and they were significantly correlated （p＝0.049）. ADHD-RS scores were significantly higher in patients with DI than in those without DI （p＝0.0006）. ADHD-RS scores and large-volume DI （a DVSS subscale item） were significantly correlated. Six months after treatment initiation, patients with ＜50％ improvement （nonresponder） in NE had significantly higher total ADHD-RS scores than those with ≥50％ improvement （responder） （p＝0.007）. Even in patients not diagnosed with developmental disorders, ADHD characteristics may influence the clinical course of NE. Evaluation of ADHD characteristics using a screening tool such as the ADHD-RS is important in the NE treatment

Odorant-Binding Proteins OBP57d and OBP57e Affect Taste Perception and Host-Plant Preference in Drosophila sechellia

Despite its morphological similarity to the other species in the Drosophila melanogaster species complex, D. sechellia has evolved distinct physiological and behavioral adaptations to its host plant Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as Tahitian Noni. The odor of the ripe fruit of M. citrifolia originates from hexanoic and octanoic acid. D. sechellia is attracted to these two fatty acids, whereas the other species in the complex are repelled. Here, using interspecies hybrids between D. melanogaster deficiency mutants and D. sechellia, we showed that the Odorant-binding protein 57e (Obp57e) gene is involved in the behavioral difference between the species. D. melanogaster knock-out flies for Obp57e and Obp57d showed altered behavioral responses to hexanoic acid and octanoic acid. Furthermore, the introduction of Obp57d and Obp57e from D. simulans and D. sechellia shifted the oviposition site preference of D. melanogaster Obp57d/e(KO) flies to that of the original species, confirming the contribution of these genes to D. sechellia's specialization to M. citrifolia. Our finding of the genes involved in host-plant determination may lead to further understanding of mechanisms underlying taste perception, evolution of plant–herbivore interactions, and speciation

Indirect Effects of Ploidy Suggest X Chromosome Dose, Not the X:A Ratio, Signals Sex in Drosophila

In the textbook view, the ratio of X chromosomes to autosome sets, X:A, is the primary signal specifying sexual fate in Drosophila. An alternative idea is that X chromosome number signals sex through the direct actions of several X-encoded signal element (XSE) proteins. In this alternative, the influence of autosome dose on X chromosome counting is largely indirect. Haploids (1X;1A), which possess the male number of X chromosomes but the female X:A of 1.0, and triploid intersexes (XX;AAA), which possess a female dose of two X chromosomes and the ambiguous X:A ratio of 0.67, represent critical tests of these hypotheses. To directly address the effects of ploidy in primary sex determination, we compared the responses of the signal target, the female-specific SxlPe promoter of the switch gene Sex-lethal, in haploid, diploid, and triploid embryos. We found that haploids activate SxlPe because an extra precellular nuclear division elevates total X chromosome numbers and XSE levels beyond those in diploid males. Conversely, triploid embryos cellularize one cycle earlier than diploids, causing premature cessation of SxlPe expression. This prevents XX;AAA embryos from fully engaging the autoregulatory mechanism that maintains subsequent Sxl expression, causing them to develop as sexual mosaics. We conclude that the X:A ratio predicts sexual fate, but does not actively specify it. Instead, the instructive X chromosome signal is more appropriately seen as collective XSE dose in the early embryo. Our findings reiterate that correlations between X:A ratios and cell fates in other organisms need not implicate the value of the ratio as an active signal

Padronização da extração de DNA genômico a partir de diferentes fases do leite humano/ Standardization of genomic DNA extraction from different phases of human milk

O leite humano (LH) é um fluido fisiológico composto por eletrólitos, glicídios, glicoproteínas e células nucleadas, como leucócitos e células epiteliais mamárias. Posto isso, o LH pode ser uma fonte viável e segura para a obtenção de DNA comparado à extração pelo sangue periférico, visto que não é necessário realizar o acesso venoso periférico nas puérperas, o que seria incômodo para elas. Dessa forma, devido à escassez de informações na literatura, este trabalho propõe a padronização de técnicas para extração de DNA do LH em suas diferentes fases (colostro, transição e maduro) pelas seguintes metodologias: Salting out, Qiagen QIAamp DNA Mini Kit™ e Biopur®. Os resultados das três técnicas de extração produziram um DNA de maior pureza, porém em concentrações mais baixas, ainda que suficientes para processos de amplificação, comparado ao DNA extraído pelo sangue periférico

Quantifying variation in the ability of yeasts to attract Drosophila melanogaster

Yeasts that invade and colonise fruit significantly enhance the volatile chemical diversity of this ecosystem. These modified bouquets are thought to be more attractive to Drosophila flies than the fruit alone, but the variance of attraction in natural yeast populations is uncharacterised. Here we investigate how a range of yeast isolates affect the attraction of female D. melanogaster to fruit in a simple two choice assay comparing yeast to sterile fruit. Of the 43 yeast isolates examined, 33 were attractive and seven repellent to the flies. The results of isolate-versus-isolate comparisons provided the same relative rankings. Attractiveness varied significantly by yeast, with the strongly fermenting Saccharomyces species generally being more attractive than the mostly respiring non-Saccharomyces species (P = 0.0035). Overall the habitat (fruit or other) from which the isolates were directly sampled did not explain attraction (P = 0.2352). However, yeasts isolated from fruit associated niches were more attractive than those from non-fruit associated niches (P = 0.0188) regardless of taxonomic positioning. These data suggest that while attractiveness is primarily correlated with phylogenetic status, the ability to attract Drosophila is a labile trait among yeasts that is potentially associated with those inhabiting fruit ecosystems. Preliminary analysis of the volatiles emitted by four yeast isolates in grape juice show the presence/absence of ethanol and acetic acid were not likely explanations for the observed variation in attraction. These data demonstrate variation among yeasts for their ability to attract Drosophila in a pattern that is consistent with the hypothesis that certain yeasts are manipulating fruit odours to mediate interactions with their Drosophila dispersal agent. © 2013 Palanca et al