554 research outputs found
On the DP/NP Analysis of Mandarin Chinese and its Implications
In this paper, I examine the nominal structure in Mandarin Chinese (MC). Specifically, I discuss the issue of whether the DP projection is always present in syntax (the Universal DP Hypothesis) or the existence of DP may be dependent on languages (the DP/NP Parameter). Based on a test established in Despić (2009), I examine the relevant data in MC and argue that, contrary to the claim traditionally held in the literature, DP does not exist in MC. Using tests from binding paradigm, it is further shown that classifiers do head their own projections in MC, as previously argued in the literature. Similar examination is also applied to Japanese to show that Japanese behaves alike with MC in two respects. First, DP does not exist in Japanese, either. Second, classifiers are also heading their projection, not merely adjoined to NPs. Lastly, as a result of the paradigm, I discuss some of the consequences on the nature of classifiers and argue that, while classifiers in MC and Japanese are enclitics and need a preceding host, classifiers in Cantonese are free morphemes and can occur alone by themselves
Delayed Airway Obstruction after Internal Jugular Venous Catheterization in a Patient with Anticoagulant Therapy
Delayed onset of neck hematoma following central venous catheterization without arterial puncture is uncommon. Herein, we present a patient who developed a delayed neck hematoma after repeated attempts at right internal jugular venous puncture and subsequent enoxaparin administration. Progressive airway obstruction occurred on the third day after surgery. Ultrasound examination revealed diffuse hematoma of the right neck, and fibreoptic examination of the airway revealed pharyngeal edema. After emergent surgical removal of the hematoma, the patient was extubated uneventfully
Candida lipolytica candidemia as a rare infectious complication of acute pancreatitis: A case report and literature review
Candida lipolytica candidemia is a rare but an emerging pathogenic yeast infection in humans. It can gain access to the bloodstream through intravascular catheterization, especially through central venous catheters in immunocompromised or critically ill patients during hospitalization. In this report, we present a noncatheter-related C. lipolytica candidemia infection in an 84-year-old man who was admitted due to acute pancreatitis. The possible pathogenesis and management of C. lipolytica candidemia are highlighted. It was an unusual infectious complication of acute pancreatitis. Clinicians should be aware that such an opportunistic pathogen can lead to invasive candidemia infection. In clinical practice, systemic antifungal therapy and the removal of the potentially infected central venous catheter might be recommended for the treatment of C. lipolytica candidemia
InSpaceType: Reconsider Space Type in Indoor Monocular Depth Estimation
Indoor monocular depth estimation has attracted increasing research interest.
Most previous works have been focusing on methodology, primarily experimenting
with NYU-Depth-V2 (NYUv2) Dataset, and only concentrated on the overall
performance over the test set. However, little is known regarding robustness
and generalization when it comes to applying monocular depth estimation methods
to real-world scenarios where highly varying and diverse functional
\textit{space types} are present such as library or kitchen. A study for
performance breakdown into space types is essential to realize a pretrained
model's performance variance. To facilitate our investigation for robustness
and address limitations of previous works, we collect InSpaceType, a
high-quality and high-resolution RGBD dataset for general indoor environments.
We benchmark 11 recent methods on InSpaceType and find they severely suffer
from performance imbalance concerning space types, which reveals their
underlying bias. We extend our analysis to 4 other datasets, 3 mitigation
approaches, and the ability to generalize to unseen space types. Our work marks
the first in-depth investigation of performance imbalance across space types
for indoor monocular depth estimation, drawing attention to potential safety
concerns for model deployment without considering space types, and further
shedding light on potential ways to improve robustness. See
\url{https://depthcomputation.github.io/DepthPublic} for data
Hesperetin-7,3'-O-dimethylether selectively inhibits phosphodiesterase 4 and effectively suppresses ovalbumin-induced airway hyperresponsiveness with a high therapeutic ratio
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hesperetin was reported to selectively inhibit phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). While hesperetin-7,3'-<it>O</it>-dimethylether (HDME) is a synthetic liposoluble hesperetin. Therefore, we were interested in investigating its selectivity on PDE4 and binding ability on high-affinity rolipram-binding sites (HARBs) <it>in vitro</it>, and its effects on ovalbumin-induced airway hyperresponsiveness <it>in vivo</it>, and clarifying its potential for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>PDE1~5 activities were measured using a two-step procedure. The binding of HDME on high-affinity rolipram-binding sites was determined by replacing 2 nM [<sup>3</sup><it>H</it>]-rolipram. AHR was assessed using the FlexiVent system and barometric plethysmography. Inflammatory cells were counted using a hemocytometer. Cytokines were determined using mouse T helper (Th)1/Th2 cytokine CBA kits, and total immunoglobulin (Ig)E or IgG<sub>2a </sub>levels were done using ELISA method. Xylazine (10 mg/kg)/ketamine (70 mg/kg)-induced anesthesia was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HDME revealed selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibition with a therapeutic (PDE4<sub>H</sub>/PDE4<sub>L</sub>) ratio of 35.5 <it>in vitro</it>. <it>In vivo</it>, HDME (3~30 μmol/kg, orally (p.o.)) dose-dependently and significantly attenuated the airway resistance (R<sub>L</sub>) and increased lung dynamic compliance (C<sub>dyn</sub>), and decreased enhanced pause (P<sub>enh</sub>) values induced by methacholine in sensitized and challenged mice. It also significantly suppressed the increases in the numbers of total inflammatory cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils, and levels of cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of these mice. In addition, HDME (3~30 μmol/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently and significantly suppressed total and ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels in the BALF and serum, and enhanced IgG<sub>2a </sub>level in the serum of these mice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HDME exerted anti-inflammatory effects, including suppression of AHR, and reduced expressions of inflammatory cells and cytokines in this murine model, which appears to be suitable for studying the effects of drugs on atypical asthma and COPD, and for screening those on typical asthma. However, HDME did not influnce xylazine/ketamine-induced anesthesia. Thus HDME may have the potential for use in treating typical and atypical asthma, and COPD.</p
Recent range-wide demographic expansion in a Taiwan endemic montane bird, Steere's Liocichla (Liocichla steerii)
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