NP Intonation Units and Referent Identification

Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on The Place of Morphology in a Grammar (1992), pp. 237-24

Variation in VEGFA and risk of cardiovascular disease in the UK Biobank

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is an escalating global health crisis, contributing significantly to worldwide mortality and morbidity. Dyslipidemia stands as a critical risk factor for CVD. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) is pivotal in angiogenesis and represents a clinical target for CVD intervention. However, the impact of genetic modulation of VEGFA on lipid levels and the subsequent risk of cardiovascular events remains unclear.MethodsWe used LDpred2 to calculate genetic scores for lipid levels based on VEGFA variation, serving as instrumental variables to simulate the effect of VEGFA inhibitors. We then assessed the associations between genetic risk for lipid levels and CVD risk by conducting One-sample Mendelian randomization.ResultsOur results indicated that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C; odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.11], remnant cholesterol (RC; OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.13–1.36), and triglycerides (TG; OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.22) were positively associated with the incidence of CVD. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was inversely associated with the incidence of CVD (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.76–0.86). When considering the genetic score for LDL-C constructed based on VEGFA, the group with a high genetic score demonstrated an elevated CVD risk (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04–1.19) compared to those with a low genetic score. Notably, One-sample Mendelian randomization results provided evidence of a causal relationship between LDL-C and CVD (p = 8.4×10−3) when using genetic variation in VEGFA as an instrumental variable.ConclusionsGenetic variation mimicking the effect of VEGFA inhibition, which lowers LDL-C levels, was causally associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. These findings offer insight into the potential therapeutic relevance of modulating VEGFA-mediated lipid changes in the prevention and management of CVD

NP coordination in Medieval Chinese : a discourse approach

This paper deals with the historical development, from a discourse perspective, of nominal (NP) coordination from Early Medieval Chinese, as reflected in Shishuo Xinyu -ЙЬтД^И"-^ to Late Medieval Chinese, as reflected in Dunhuang Bianwen"%& Ф •£ It is shown that simple juxtaposition (or zero form) istheoasic device used throughout Medieval Chinese. Conjunctions are found to appear with conjuncts that are either non-specific, or specific but sub-dividable in terms of discourse context and conception. The distinction between coordination and comitatives is maintained through a comparison of a cluster of discourse properties such as anaphora, topicality and empathy, as exhibited in the NPs of the two constructions. We show that the most prominent development from Early Medieval Chinese to Late Medieval Chinese is the grammaticization of sub-dividability. Based on the observation that unitary NPs tend to be expressed with simple juxtaposition and distant NPs overt conjunction, we propose the iconicity principle to account for the grammar of NP coordination in Medieval Chinese.Tao Hongyin. NP coordination in Medieval Chinese : a discourse approach. In: Cahiers de linguistique - Asie orientale, vol. 20 1, 1991. pp. 85-106

Zhang Bojiang 張伯江, Fang Mei 方梅: 漢語功能語法研究 Hanyu gongneng yufa yanjiu.

Tao Hongyin. Zhang Bojiang 張伯江, Fang Mei 方梅: 漢語功能語法研究 Hanyu gongneng yufa yanjiu.. In: Cahiers de linguistique - Asie orientale, vol. 28 2, 1999. pp. 259-266

A corpus-based sociolinguistic study of amplifiers in British English

Amplifiers such as "very", "so", "absolutely" and "totally" are a common type of intensifiers in the English language. While earlier studies have explored the meaning and grammar of amplifiers, as well as their connection with social variables, notably genre categories, few have explored extralinguistic parameters on the basis of substantive corpus data. In this article we use the British National Corpus (BNC), the largest balanced corpus of British English available today, to explore variations in the use of amplifiers in terms of a wide range of sociolinguistic variables. Specifically, we examine 33 amplifiers across the following dimensions: discourse mode and register, gender, age, education level, audience gender and age, as well as publication date. Our results paint a complex picture. Some tendencies are clear, for example, amplifiers are more common in speech than in writing, higher levels of education correlate positively with higher frequencies of use, and there is an overall decrease in the use of amplifiers over an intervening thirty year period). However, other areas merely defy simple generalizations. For example, gender differences between men and women vary from speaking to writing, so do the differences among individual amplifiers and among age groups. Our results raise interesting issues pertaining to both traditional sociolinguistic concerns and the emerging field of corpus linguistics

Acquisition of the Epistemic Discourse Marker <i>Wo Juede</i> by Native Taiwan Mandarin Speakers

This study examines the use of a fixed expression, wo juede (WJ) ‘I feel, I think’, in Taiwan Mandarin in the context of two types of oral production tasks: argumentative and negotiative discourses. The participants consisted of two groups used for comparison: one group of children from Grades 2, 4, and 6, and one group of adults (college students). The results show that both groups were more inclined to utilize WJ in argumentative genres than in negotiative genres. Of the seven pragmatic functions associated with WJ, the participants all had a strong preference to use WJ for the commenting/reasoning function. Developmental patterns gleaned from the data indicate that children’s language expands as their age increases. The implications of the findings for cross-linguistic comparison in the realm of epistemic modality are explored in this paper. This study contributes to the study of Chinese morphology by drawing more attention to the acquisition and development patterns of fixed expressions in larger chunks

Correlation between levels of 2, 5-hexanedione and pyrrole adducts in tissues of rats exposure to n-hexane for 5-days.

The formation of pyrrole adducts might be responsible for peripheral nerve injury caused by n-hexane. The internal dose of pyrrole adducts would supply more information for the neurotoxicity of n-hexane. The current study was designed to investigate the tissue distributions of 2, 5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) and pyrrole adducts in rats exposed to n-hexane, and analyze the correlation between pyrrole adducts and 2,5-HD in tissues.Male Wistar rats were given daily dose of 500,1000, 2000, 4000 mg/kg bw n-hexane by gavage for 5 days. The rats were sacrificed 24 hours after the last administration. The levels of 2, 5-hexanedione and pyrrole adducts in tissues were measured by gas chromatography and Ehrlich's reagent, respectively. The correlations between 2, 5-hexanedione and pyrrole adducts were analyzed by linear regression.Dose-dependent effects were observed between the dosage of n-hexane and 2, 5-hexanedione, and pyrrole adducts in tissues. The highest level of 2, 5-hexanedione was found in urine and the lowest in sciatic nerve, while the highest level of pyrrole adducts was seen in liver and the lowest in serum. There were significant correlations among the free 2, 5-hexanedione, total 2, 5-hexanedione and pyrrole adducts within the same tissues. Pyrrole adducts in serum showed the most significant correlation with free 2, 5-hexanedione or pyrrole adducts in tissues.The findings suggested that pyrrole adducts in serum might be a better indicator for the internal dose of free 2, 5-hexanedione and pyrrole adducts in tissues

Application of a nurse‐led transitional care programme for patients discharged with T‐tubes after biliary surgery

Abstract Aim Nurse‐led transitional care programmes (TCPs) have been shown to facilitate patient recovery in several illness settings, but its role among patients discharged with T‐tubes remains uncertain. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a nurse‐led TCP among patients discharged with T‐tubes. Design This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary medical centre. Methods From January 2018 to December 2020, a total of 706 patients discharged with T‐tubes after biliary surgery were included in the study. Patients were divided into a TCP group (n = 255) and a control group (n = 451) based on whether they participated in a TCP. The baseline characteristics, discharge readiness, self‐care ability, transitional care quality and quality of life (QoL) were compared between the groups. Results Self‐care ability and transitional care quality were significantly higher in the TCP group. Patients in the TCP group also exhibited improved QoL and satisfaction. The results suggest that the incorporation of a nurse‐led TCP among patients discharged with T‐tubes after biliary surgery is feasible and effective. No Patient or Public Contribution