The study of metaphor as part of Critical Discourse Analysis

This article discusses how the study of metaphoric and more generally, figurative language use contributes to critical discourse analysis (CDA). It shows how cognitive linguists’ recognition of metaphor as a fundamental means of concept- and argument-building can add to CDA's account of meaning constitution in the social context. It then discusses discrepancies between the early model of conceptual metaphor theory and empirical data and argues that discursive-pragmatic factors as well as sociolinguistic variation have to be taken into account in order to make cognitive analyses more empirically and socially relevant. In conclusion, we sketch a modified cognitive approach informed by Relevance Theory within CDA

Complete genome sequence of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus containing a heterogeneic staphylococcal cassette chromosome element

Staphylococcus aureus is a common human bacterium that sometimes becomes pathogenic, causing serious infections. A key feature of S. aureus is its ability to acquire resistance to antibiotics. The presence of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) element in serotypes of S. aureus has been confirmed using multiplex PCR assays. The SCC element is the only vector known to carry the mecA gene, which encodes methicillin resistance in S. aureus infections. Here, we report the genome sequence of a novel methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strain: SCC-like MSSA463. This strain was originally erroneously serotyped as methicillin-resistant S. aureus in a clinical laboratory using multiplex PCR methods. We sequenced the genome of SCC-like MSSA463 using pyrosequencing techniques and compared it with known genome sequences of other S. aureus isolates. An open reading frame (CZ049; AB037671) was identified downstream of attL and attR inverted repeat sequences. Our results suggest that a lateral gene transfer occurred between S. aureus and other organisms, partially changing S. aureus infectivity. We propose that attL and attR inverted repeats in S. aureus serve as frequent insertion sites for exogenous genes.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000316747000011&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701BiologySCI(E)PubMed0ARTICLE3268-2745

ERG finally has something to YAP about in prostate cancer

SummaryThe significance of ERG in human prostate cancer is unclear because mouse prostate is resistant to ERG-mediated transformation. We determined that ERG activates the transcriptional program regulated by YAP1 of the Hippo signaling pathway and found that prostate-specific activation of either ERG or YAP1 in mice induces similar transcriptional changes and results in age-related prostate tumors. ERG binds to chromatin regions occupied by TEAD/YAP1 and transactivates Hippo target genes. In addition, in human luminal-type prostate cancer cells, ERG binds to the promoter of YAP1 and is necessary for YAP1 expression. These results provide direct genetic evidence of a causal role for ERG in prostate cancer and reveal a connection between ERG and the Hippo signaling pathway

Neutral and Cationic Rare Earth Metal Alkyl and Benzyl Compounds with the 1,4,6-Trimethyl-6-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,4-diazepane Ligand and Their Performance in the Catalytic Hydroamination/Cyclization of Aminoalkenes

A new neutral tridentate 1,4,6-trimethyl-6-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,4-diazepane (L) was prepared. Reacting L with trialkyls M(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2 (M = Sc, Y) and tribenzyls M(CH2Ph)3(THF)3 (M = Sc, La) yielded trialkyl complexes (L)M(CH2SiMe3)3 (M = Sc, 1; M = Y, 2) and tribenzyl complexes (L)M(CH2Ph)3 (M = Sc, 3; M = La, 4). Complexes 1 and 2 can be converted to their corresponding ionic compounds [(L)M(CH2SiMe3)2(THF)][B(C6H5)4] (M = Sc, Y) by reaction with [PhNMe2H][B(C6H5)4] in THF. Complexes 3 and 4 can be converted to cationic species [(L)M(CH2Ph)2]+ by reaction with [PhNMe2H][B(C6F5)4] in C6D5Br in the absence of THF. The neutral complexes 1-4 and their cationic derivatives were studied as catalysts for the hydroamination/cyclization of 2,2-diphenylpent-4-en-1-amine and N-methylpent-4-en-1-amine reference substrates and compared with ligand-free Sc, Y, and La neutral and cationic catalysts. The most effective catalysts in the series were the cationic L-yttrium catalyst (for 2,2-diphenylpent-4-en-1-amine) and the cationic lanthanum systems (for N-methylpent-4-en-1-amine). For the La catalysts, evidence was obtained for release of L from the metal during catalysis.

Coping Mediates the Association Between Type D Personality and Perceived Health in Chinese Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Background: Increasing evidence show that Type D personality is a risk factor for morbidity, mortality, and quality of life of patients with coronary vascular disease. Few studies examined coping as a potential behavioral mechanism to explain the harmful effect of Type D personality. Purpose: This study examined the association between Type D personality, coping, and perceived health among Chinese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: One hundred seventeen CHD patients completed the assessments on Type D personality, coping, perceived severity of CHD, and morale. Results: There was no difference on severity of coronary artery stenosis between Type D and non-Type D patients. Compared to the non-Type D patients, the Type D patients perceived higher severity of CHD (5.31±2.41 versus 4.45±2.17, p<0.05) and lower morale (12.67±4.71 versus 15.00±4.43, p<0.05), and used less confrontation (16.90±5.39 versus 20.88±4.95, p<0.001) and more acceptance-resignation coping (10.16±3.50 versus 8.35±3.48, p<0.05). Mediation analyses showed that confrontation coping mediated the association between Type D personality and perceived severity of disease, and acceptance-resignation coping mediated the association between Type D personality and morale after controlling for age, gender, and clinical variables. Conclusion: The Type D patients used maladaptive coping in response to disease. These coping strategies fully mediated the association between Type D personality and perceived health. Implications for integrating coping training into the intervention for patients with a Type D personality are discussed. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Spin dynamics in semiconductors

This article reviews the current status of spin dynamics in semiconductors which has achieved a lot of progress in the past years due to the fast growing field of semiconductor spintronics. The primary focus is the theoretical and experimental developments of spin relaxation and dephasing in both spin precession in time domain and spin diffusion and transport in spacial domain. A fully microscopic many-body investigation on spin dynamics based on the kinetic spin Bloch equation approach is reviewed comprehensively.Comment: a review article with 193 pages and 1103 references. To be published in Physics Reports

The effects of emotional states and traits on time perception

Background: Models of time perception share an element of scalar expectancy theory known as the internal clock, containing specific mechanisms by which the brain is able to experience time passing and function effectively. A debate exists about whether to treat factors that influence these internal clock mechanisms (e.g., emotion, personal- ity, executive functions, and related neurophysiological components) as arousal- or attentional-based factors. Purpose: This study investigated behavioral and neurophysiological responses to an affective time perception Go/ NoGo task, taking into account the behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation systems (BASs), which are components of reinforcement sensitivity theory. Methods: After completion of self-report inventories assessing personality traits, electroencephalogram (EEG/ERP) and behavioral recordings of 32 women and 13 men recruited from introductory psychology classes were completed during an affective time perception Go/NoGo task. This task required participants to respond (Go) and inhibit (NoGo) to positive and negative affective visual stimuli of various durations in comparison to a standard duration. Results: Higher BAS scores (especially BAS Drive) were associated with overestimation bias scores for positive stimuli, while BIS scores were not correlated with overestimation bias scores. Furthermore, higher BIS Total scores were associ- ated with higher N2d amplitudes during positive stimulus presentation for 280 ms, while higher BAS Total scores were associated with higher N2d amplitudes during negative stimuli presentation for 910 ms. Discussion: Findings are discussed in terms of arousal-based models of time perception, and suggestions for future research are considered

The Early Stage of Bacterial Genome-Reductive Evolution in the Host

The equine-associated obligate pathogen Burkholderia mallei was developed by reductive evolution involving a substantial portion of the genome from Burkholderia pseudomallei, a free-living opportunistic pathogen. With its short history of divergence (∼3.5 myr), B. mallei provides an excellent resource to study the early steps in bacterial genome reductive evolution in the host. By examining 20 genomes of B. mallei and B. pseudomallei, we found that stepwise massive expansion of IS (insertion sequence) elements ISBma1, ISBma2, and IS407A occurred during the evolution of B. mallei. Each element proliferated through the sites where its target selection preference was met. Then, ISBma1 and ISBma2 contributed to the further spread of IS407A by providing secondary insertion sites. This spread increased genomic deletions and rearrangements, which were predominantly mediated by IS407A. There were also nucleotide-level disruptions in a large number of genes. However, no significant signs of erosion were yet noted in these genes. Intriguingly, all these genomic modifications did not seriously alter the gene expression patterns inherited from B. pseudomallei. This efficient and elaborate genomic transition was enabled largely through the formation of the highly flexible IS-blended genome and the guidance by selective forces in the host. The detailed IS intervention, unveiled for the first time in this study, may represent the key component of a general mechanism for early bacterial evolution in the host

TMPRSS2-ERG -specific transcriptional modulation is associated with prostate cancer biomarkers and TGF-β signaling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>TMPRSS2-ERG </it>gene fusions occur in about 50% of all prostate cancer cases and represent promising markers for molecular subtyping. Although <it>TMPRSS2-ERG </it>fusion seems to be a critical event in prostate cancer, the precise functional role in cancer development and progression is still unclear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We studied large-scale gene expression profiles in 47 prostate tumor tissue samples and in 48 normal prostate tissue samples taken from the non-suspect area of clinical low-risk tumors using Affymetrix GeneChip Exon 1.0 ST microarrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comparison of gene expression levels among <it>TMPRSS2-ERG </it>fusion-positive and negative tumors as well as benign samples demonstrated a distinct transcriptional program induced by the gene fusion event. Well-known biomarkers for prostate cancer detection like <it>CRISP3 </it>were found to be associated with the gene fusion status. WNT and TGF-β/BMP signaling pathways were significantly associated with genes upregulated in <it>TMPRSS2-ERG </it>fusion-positive tumors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>TMPRSS2-ERG </it>gene fusion results in the modulation of transcriptional patterns and cellular pathways with potential consequences for prostate cancer progression. Well-known biomarkers for prostate cancer detection were found to be associated with the gene fusion. Our results suggest that the fusion status should be considered in retrospective and future studies to assess biomarkers for prostate cancer detection, progression and targeted therapy.</p