The Impact of Semantics and Syntax on Lexical Retrieval in Individuals With Aphasia

Nearly all people with aphasia (PWA) report difficulty with lexical retrieval (i.e., anomia). While there are several tasks used to measure lexical retrieval, each poses different degrees and types of challenges. For example, some studies have found that PWA performance varies depending on the type of lexical retrieval task. The tasks that have been used include lexical retrieval in isolation tasks (such as picture-naming), lexical retrieval in sentence level tasks (such as narration tasks), and lexical retrieval in sentence-completion tasks. Some studies have found no differences between the accuracy of lexical retrieval in isolation and at the sentence level (e.g., Basso, Razzano, Faglioni, and Zanobio, 1990), while others note evidence that lexical retrieval at the sentence level is more efficient than lexical retrieval in isolation (e.g., Pashek and Tompkins, 2002). Even within a study, there is inconsistency as to which task is more difficult. Pashek & Tompkins (2002) used the same stimuli across multiple tasks and found that not all PWA were more accurate on the picture naming task, consistent with differences noted in an earlier study by Williams and Canter (1982). When comparing lexical retrieval in isolation versus at the sentence level, the task demands naturally differ, thus providing different semantic and syntactic contexts for the target. The current study investigated the role of linguistic information on single word retrieval by manipulating syntactic and semantic information; that is, whether visual, semantic and syntactic contexts offer different levels of support for word retrieval in healthy controls and people with aphasia. We examined two different types of visual stimuli (images with associated verbs and isolated images), task demands, and the role of a related verb in sentence completion tasks in the two groups of individuals. Participant performance was evaluated for both accuracy and response time for a more detailed analysis. Our findings show differential performance between people with aphasia and healthy controls across experimental tasks: specifically, healthy controls tended to have more uniform performance for both accuracy and response time, while individuals with aphasia showed variability. Semantic content in visual images was both facilitative and inhibitory depending on the population and order of presentation, while auditory semantic content appears to be facilitatory in healthy controls. Previous research on sentence level lexical retrieval is supported for healthy controls, and inconclusive for individuals with aphasia. This study provides valuable information about the role of semantic and syntactic information in lexical retrieval. Healthy individuals are aided in lexical retrieval with both a syntactic frame and semantically related verbs, while individuals with aphasia show a great deal of variability. The findings further highlight the need for future research regarding individual factors that may impact conflict resolution in lexical retrieval in acquired brain injury populations

Multianalyte analysis of volatile compounds in virgin olive oils using SPME-GC with FID or MS detection: results of an international interlaboratory validation

The organoleptic assessment (Panel test) is the only procedure within the official methods for determining the quality of virgin olive oils that involves an expert panel. There is an urgent need for analytical methodology that can reliably measure volatile compounds in virgin olive oils that is capable of supporting and anticipating the official Panel test. For this reason, a new method based on solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography with the choice of two possible detectors (FID or MS) was subjected to a large international interlaboratory validation study. The study involved a two-stage process: first, a pretrial phase in which 7 participants were exposed to the method for the first time to identify any initial problems with the methodology; then, a formal validation stage (trial proper), which involved 20 laboratories from Europe, USA, Japan and China. The performance of the different detectors was investigated. While both methods have advantages, the method using FID provided better results for 11 compounds, in terms of reproducibility, compared to MS. This information will allow to implement the method with accurate information of the method performance depending on the detector used. Practical applications: This study provides information from an interlaboratory validation of a method for measuring volatile compounds in virgin olive oils conducted with laboratories (from industry and academia) working in the olive oil sector. The information on the expected analytical errors in the determination of each volatile compound is necessary to apply this method for supporting the official Panel test (sensory analysis). The SPME-GC-MS/FID methods proposed in this work can be used for the internal quality control of a company/distributor/quality control laboratory and could also be used in cases of difficult/contradictory organoleptic assessment, or to confirm results from sensory panels in cases of disputes/disagreement (Reg. EU 2022/2105)

Less is more: possibility and necessity as centres of gravity in a usage-based classification of core modals in Polish

In this paper we present the results of an empirical study into the cognitive reality of existing classifications of modality using Polish data. We analyzed random samples of 250 independent observations for the 7 most frequent modal words (móc, można, musieć, należy, powinien, trzeba, wolno), extracted from the Polish national corpus. Observations were annotated for modal type according to a number of classifications, including van der Auwera and Plungian (1998), as well as for morphological, syntactic and semantic properties using the Behavioral Profiling approach (Divjak and Gries 2006). Multiple correspondence analysis and (polytomous) regression models were used to determine how well modal type and usage align. These corpus-based findings were validated experimentally. In a forced choice task, naive native speakers were exposed to definitions and prototypical examples of modal types or functions, then labeled a number of authentic corpus sentences accordingly. In the sorting task, naive native speakers sorted authentic corpus sentences into semantically coherent groups. We discuss the results of our empirical study as well as the issues involved in building usage-based accounts on traditional linguistic classifications

Consumer behaviour on the dairy products market

Celem opracowania jest próba identyfikacji czynników wpływających na zachowania konsumenckie na rynku wyrobów mleczarskich. Na podstawie dostępnych danych i opracowań statystycznych przedstawiono główne kierunki zmian w produkcji i spożyciu produktów mleczarskich w Polsce. Przedstawiono wyniki badań ankietowych, dotyczące zachowań nabywczych na rynku wyrobów mleczarskich w grupie liczącej 200 celowo dobranych osób oraz zaprezentowano wyniki tego badania. Mleko oraz przetwory mleczne były powszechnie spożywane przez respondentów, a decyzje o ich zakupie były podejmowane zazwyczaj w sposób rutynowy. Na ich konsumpcję, zdaniem ankietowanych, wpływały m.in. możliwość bezpośredniego spożycia oraz przyzwyczajenie. Głównymi determinantami zakupu tych produktów okazały się wrażenia sensoryczne oraz termin przydatności do spożycia, a barierą wysoka cena.The aim of the study was to analyze consumer behaviour on the dairy products market. Basing on available literature issues related to consumers, conditions of purchase of food products and milk and milk products market in Poland were presented. In the practical part of the thesis was carried out a survey regarding consumer behaviuor on the dairy products market in group of 200 random persons and results of the study were presented. Milk and milk products are commonly consumed by respondents and decisions about their purchase are usually made in a routine manner. Their consumption by the respondents is affected by the possibility of direct consumption and habit. The main determinants of the purchase these products have been the sensory impressions and expiry date and the high price was barrier

Polymeric in situ forming systems for biomedical applications. Part II. Injectable hydrogel systems

Część druga pracy przeglądowej poświęconej układom polimerowym formowanym wmiejscu zastosowania (in situ), dotycząca wstrzykiwalnych układów hydrożelowych. Przedstawiono główne strategie otrzymywania hydrożeli formowanych w miejscu implantowania, z zasadniczym podziałem na sieciowanie chemiczne i fizyczne.The paper is the second part of a review concerning polymeric systems formed at the site of application (in situ). The following presentation relates to injectable hydrogel systems. Brief description of the polymers applied in such systems is given. The main strategies for preparing hydrogels at the target site are also described. In situ gelling systems have been essentially classified into chemically and physically crosslinked ones

Polymeric in situ forming systems forbiomedical applications. Part I. Injectable implants

Artykuł stanowi przegląd literatury (111 poz. lit.) dotyczącej polimerowych implantów formowanych w miejscu wprowadzenia do organizmu. Materiały takie mogą pełnić zarówno funkcję konstrukcyjną, jak też służyć jako nośnik substancji bioaktywnych. Implanty formowane in situ (ISFI) można otrzymać w wyniku reakcji grup funkcyjnych składników układu lub w wyniku procesów fizycznych. Omówiono ISFI stosowane w charakterze rusztowań wstrzykiwalnych, przeznaczonych do wspomagania regeneracji tkanek, a także wykorzystywane jako układy kontrolowanego uwalniania leków, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem preparatów używanych w praktyce klinicznej. Skoncentrowano się na układach formowanych w wyniku separacji fazy stałej, opartych na poliestrach alifatycznych zaakceptowanych do zastosowań biomedycznych. Omówiono skład takich układów oraz wpływ rodzaju rozpuszczalnika i masy molowej użytego polimeru na szybkość tworzenia implantu, a także kinetykę uwalniania zawartej w nim substancji bioaktywnej.The paper is a literature review with 111 references on the polymeric implants forming in the site of incorporation into organism. This kind of materials may have only a structural function, but they can also serve as carriers of bioactive compounds in the treated site. In situ forming implants (ISFI) can be obtained by reaction of functional groups contained in the system components or as a result of physical processes. ISFI serving as injectable scaffolds intended for tissue regeneration and the requirements that should be fulfilled by these materials are presented. Also, various ideas for using ISFI as controlled drug delivery systems, in particular clinically used materials, are described. The attentionis focused on the systems solidifying by solid phase separation, based on aliphatic polyesters accepted for biomedical applications. The composition of these systems and the influence of solvent and polymer molecular weight on the rate of implant formation as well as kinetics of bioactive substance release are discussed

DMA analysis of the structure of crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate)s

Purpose: This paper presents the study aimed at the development of crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate)s (X-PMMA) of varied crosslink density and the investigation of the relationships between the polymer network structure and dynamic mechanical properties. Methods: A series of model X-PMMA networks were crosslinked by the introduction of: 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20% of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). The copolymerizations led to various glass-rubber relaxation properties of the polymer networks, as revealed by dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA). Glass temperature (Tg) and storage modulus above the Tg ( ) Erubbery were a sensitive function of network architecture. DMA data were used for calculating the network parameter (Mc), crosslink density (q) and its alternative measure – the degree of crosslinking (DX). Results: The viscoelastic properties as well as structural parameters calculated from those showed correlation with the amount of the crosslinker. The increase in TEGDMA content resulted in the Tg, q and DX increases, whereas Mc decrease. The possible incomplete conversion of double bonds was detected in the DMA analysis, which was confirmed by the degree of conversion (DC), measured by FTIR spectroscopy. Additionally, some amount of sol fraction was found by 1H NMR experiments. Conclusions: The structure-property relationships developed for the system presented in this work could be useful in tissue engineering, where X-PMMA is applied. The direct measure of storage modulus values before and above glass transition may serve as a simple and fast indicator of the X-PMMA crosslink density

Primary Progressive Aphasias in Bilinguals and Multilinguals

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is the result of neurodegeneration affecting language abilities that continue to decline as the disease progresses. There are three main variants of PPA: non‐fluent, semantic, and logopenic. Deficits may occur in different areas of language, such as lexical retrieval, auditory comprehension, syntactic structure, processing morphological components, and repetition abilities. However, the impact on language is not comparable across all individuals with PPA; rather it differs for each of the different variants based on the underlying pattern of neural change. In bilinguals or multilinguals with PPA, the language decline has an added layer of complexity. Decline may occur across the different languages in parallel, or differentially, and a number of factors may affect the pattern of decline. Recognizing the factors that most affect language decline in bilinguals and multilinguals with PPA, along with identifying the neural changes occurring in the brain, can increase our understanding of language organization in the bilingual or multilingual brain. It should be noted that language decline is not the only decline associated with PPA, as changes in cognition and behaviour have also been observed, particularly in the later stages (e.g. Rosen et al. 2006). However, language is the most salient decline in PPA so we focus on language in this chapter

Metabolic syndrome is associated with similar long-term prognosis in non-obese and obese patients. An analysis of 45 615 patients from the nationwide LIPIDOGRAM 2004-2015 cohort studies

Aims We aimed to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and long-term all-cause mortality. Methods The LIPIDOGRAM studies were carried out in the primary care in Poland in 2004, 2006 and 2015. MetS was diagnosed based on the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) and Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria. The cohort was divided into four groups: non-obese patients without MetS, obese patients without MetS, non-obese patients with MetS and obese patients with MetS. Differences in all-cause mortality was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Results 45,615 participants were enrolled (mean age 56.3, standard deviation: 11.8 years; 61.7% female). MetS was diagnosed in 14,202 (31%) by NCEP/ATP III criteria, and 17,216 (37.7%) by JIS criteria. Follow-up was available for 44,620 (97.8%, median duration 15.3 years) patients. MetS was associated with increased mortality risk among the obese (hazard ratio, HR: 1.88 [95% CI, 1.79-1.99] and HR: 1.93 [95% CI 1.82-2.04], according to NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria, respectively) and non-obese individuals (HR: 2.11 [95% CI 1.85-2.40] and 1.7 [95% CI, 1.56-1.85] according to NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria respectively). Obese patients without MetS had a higher mortality risk than non-obese patients without MetS (HR: 1.16 [95% CI 1.10-1.23] and HR: 1.22 [95%CI 1.15-1.30], respectively in subgroups with NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria applied). Conclusions MetS is associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in non-obese and obese patients. In patients without MetS obesity remains significantly associated with mortality. The concept of metabolically healthy obesity should be revised