Exploring the speech-gesture semantic continuum

Freigang F, Kopp S. Exploring the speech-gesture semantic continuum. Presented at the 1st European Symposium on Multimodal Communication, Valletta, Malta

Beyond propositional content: Modifying functions in gesture

Freigang F, Kopp S. Beyond propositional content: Modifying functions in gesture. Presented at the Workshop Mapping Multimodal Dialogue (MaMuD 2), Leuven, Belgium

The tone we don't hear - Analysing the modifying functions of gestures

Freigang F, Kopp S. The tone we don't hear - Analysing the modifying functions of gestures. Presented at the 6th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies (ISGS 6), San Diago, CA, USA

Analysing the Modifying Functions of Gesture in Multimodal Utterances

Freigang F, Kopp S. Analysing the Modifying Functions of Gesture in Multimodal Utterances. In: Proceedings of the 4th Conference on Gesture and Speech in Interaction (GESPIN). 2015.Gestures may contribute to the meaning of an utterance not only by adding information but also by modifying the gestural or verbal content uttered in parallel. The phenomenon of modification is more common in natural interaction than it has been given attention. We created a corpus of natural communicative gestures and body movements and conducted a study to examine their modifying functions. Results show that index-finger-pointings are most prominent, which emphasise and affirm an uttered content and, thus, are not only used for referencing but also for modifying. Holds emphasise and colour the utterance by showing a stance towards something. Brushing gestures change the utterance in a discounting or downtoning way. A cluster analysis suggests four distinct categories: a focusing category for emphasising an aspect, an epistemic-attitudinal category to convey one’s own stance, an epistemic category for uncertainty, and a category where multiple viewpoints are discussed

An analysis of modal (pragmatic) functions of gesture

Freigang F, Kopp S. An analysis of modal (pragmatic) functions of gesture. Presented at the 15th International Pragmatics Conference (IPrA), Belfast, Northern Ireland

How gestures tune meaning of multimodal utterances: Analyses of modifying functions

Freigang F, Kopp S. How gestures tune meaning of multimodal utterances: Analyses of modifying functions. Presented at the 7th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies (ISGS 7), Paris, France

Brushing up or aside? - Analyzing the modifying functions of gesture in different multimodal utterance contexts

Freigang F, Kopp S. Brushing up or aside? - Analyzing the modifying functions of gesture in different multimodal utterance contexts. Presented at the Workshop Mapping Multimodal Dialogue (MaMuD 3), Lille, France

J., C., G., C. , I., S. Kopp

Freigang F, Klett S, Kopp S. Pragmatic multimodality: Effects of nonverbal cues of focus and certainty in a virtual human. In: Beskow J, Peters C, Castellano G, O'Sullivan C, Leite I, Kopp S, eds. The Seventeenth International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA 2017). Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol 10498. Springer International Publishing; 2017: 142-155

Targeted removal of macrophage-secreted interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protects against lethal Candida albicans sepsis.

Invasive fungal infections are associated with high mortality rates, and the lack of efficient treatment options emphasizes an urgency to identify underlying disease mechanisms. We report that disseminated Candida albicans infection is facilitated by interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) secreted from macrophages in two temporally and spatially distinct waves. Splenic CD169+ macrophages release IL-1Ra into the bloodstream, impeding early neutrophil recruitment. IL-1Ra secreted by monocyte-derived tissue macrophages further impairs pathogen containment. Therapeutic IL-1Ra neutralization restored the functional competence of neutrophils, corrected maladapted hyper-inflammation, and eradicated the otherwise lethal infection. Conversely, augmentation of macrophage-secreted IL-1Ra by type I interferon severely aggravated disease mortality. Our study uncovers how a fundamental immunoregulatory mechanism mediates the high disease susceptibility to invasive candidiasis. Furthermore, interferon-stimulated IL-1Ra secretion may exacerbate fungal dissemination in human patients with secondary candidemia. Macrophage-secreted IL-1Ra should be considered as an additional biomarker and potential therapeutic target in severe systemic candidiasis