How statistical correlations influence discourse-level processing: Clause type as a cue for discourse relations

Linguistic phenomena (e.g., words and syntactic structure) co-occur with a wide variety of meanings. These systematic correlations can help readers to interpret a text and create predictions about upcoming material. However, to what extent these correlations influence discourse processing is still unknown. We address this question by examining whether clause type serves as a cue for discourse relations. We found that the co-occurrence of gerund-free adjuncts and specific discourse relations found in natural language is also reflected in readers' offline expectations for discourse relations. However, we also found that clause structure did not facilitate the online processing of these discourse relations, nor that readers have a preference for these relations in a paraphrase selection task. The present research extends previous research on discourse relation processing, which mostly focused on lexical cues, by examining the role of non-semantic cues. We show that readers are aware of correlations between clause structure and discourse relations in natural language, but that, unlike what has been found for lexical cues, this information does not seem to influence online processing and discourse interpretation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-reported mental health symptoms, quality of life and coping strategies in French health sciences students during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: An online survey

Introduction

Health sciences students usually report high rates of mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic context may have serious psychological impacts in this at-risk population. We aimed to assess the self-reported mental health status, health-related quality of life and coping strategies of health sciences students during the early stage of the pandemic.

Method

An online 128-item questionnaire sent to 17,673 health sciences students from the Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in April 2020 assessed: a) sociodemographic characteristics, b) conditions of lockdown, c) depressive (Beck Depression Inventory- Short Form, BDI-SF), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-A, STAI-A) and traumatic symptoms (Impact of Event Scale -Revised, IES-R), d) health-related quality of life (SF12) and e) coping strategies (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, Brief COPE).

Results

The participation rate was 9.9% (n = 1,765). A total of 19.5% of participants reported an IES-R > 33, 11.6% depressive symptoms, 58.1% anxiety symptoms, and 4.4% suicidal ideation. Their mental health-related quality of life was significantly poorer than for physical health. Female gender, COVID-like symptoms, social isolation due to the lockdown, pandemic-related financial restraint and exams-related stress were significantly associated with poorer self-reported mental health conditions. Volunteering in the healthcare system was significantly associated with lower mental health scores. Coping strategies were mostly oriented toward avoidance and positive appraisal.

Conclusion

French health sciences students exhibited high levels of self-reported mental health problems and a poor mental health-related quality of life during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific risk factors related to the pandemic partly explain the observed prevalence.

Six Degrees-of-Freedom Haptic Interaction with Fluids

We often interact with fluids in our daily life, either through tools such as when holding a glass of water or directly with our body when we swim or we wash our hands. Multimodal interactions with virtual fluids would greatly improve the simulations realism, particularly through haptic interaction. However, achieving realistic, stable, and real-time force feedback from fluids is particularly challenging. In this work, we propose a novel approach that allows real-time six Degrees of Freedom (DoF) haptic interaction with fluids of variable viscosity. Our haptic rendering technique, based on a Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics physical model, provides a realistic haptic feedback through physically based forces. 6DoF haptic interaction with fluids is made possible thanks to a new coupling scheme and a unified particle model, allowing the use of arbitrary-shaped rigid bodies. Particularly, fluid containers can be created to hold fluid and hence transmit to the user force feedback coming from fluid stirring, pouring, shaking, and scooping, to name a few. Moreover, we adapted an existing visual rendering algorithm to meet the frame rate requirements of the haptic algorithms. We evaluate and illustrate the main features of our approach through different scenarios, highlighting the 6DoF haptic feedback and the use of containers.

Effect of arsenite on swimming motility delays surface colonization in Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans

Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans is a Gram-negative bacterium able to detoxify arsenic-contaminated environments by oxidizing arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)] and by scavenging arsenic ions in an extracellular matrix. Its motility and colonization behaviour have been previously suggested to be influenced by arsenite. Using time-course confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigated its biofilm development in the absence and presence of arsenite. Arsenite was shown to delay biofilm initiation in the wild-type strain; this was partly explained by its toxicity, which caused an increased growth lag time. However, this delayed adhesion step in the presence of arsenite was not observed in either a swimming motility defective fliL mutant or an arsenite oxidase defective aoxB mutant; both strains displayed the wild-type surface properties and growth capacities. We propose that during the biofilm formation process arsenite acts on swimming motility as a result of the arsenite oxidase activity, preventing the switch between planktonic and sessile lifestyles. Our study therefore highlights the existence, under arsenite exposure, of a competition between swimming motility, resulting from arsenite oxidation, and biofilm initiation.

Post-pneumonectomy pulmonary edema: analysis and risk factors

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the risk factors for postpneumonectomy pulmonary edema in 146 consecutive patients.

METHODS

In 1992, 146 consecutive patients, aged 60.5 +/- 9.4 years, underwent pneumonectomy, mostly for cancer (n = 136). Pulmonary edema was defined clinically and radiologically in the absence of left ventricular dysfunction or infection. Several parameters, including preoperative functional respiratory values, pulmonary perfusion scan data and intraoperative data were analyzed. Two groups were determined according to the occurrence of pulmonary edema and differences were compared by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients (15%) developed pulmonary edema within the 1st postoperative week. Most cases were mild or moderate. Severe pulmonary edema occurred in five (3.4%) patients requiring mechanical ventilation; among them, two died. Previous chemotherapy (P < 0.01), radiotherapy (P < 0.0001), predictive postoperative forced expiratory volume in the 1st second less than 45% (P < 0.01), a remaining lung perfusion of 55% or less (P < 0,05) and an intraoperative fluid load of 2000 ml fluid or more (P < 0.01) were associated with pulmonary edema in the univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis identified prior radiotherapy, perfusion of the remaining lung of 55% or less and high intraoperative fluid load as independent and significant risk factors for pulmonary edema.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that previous treatment with radiotherapy resection of well perfused lung parenchyma and excessive fluid load are high risk factors for the development of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema and that patients for whom these factors are relevant should be closely monitored in their postoperative course.

Adrenergic status of humans during prolonged exposure to the altitude of 6,542 m

Plasma norepinephrine (NE) concentration increases with altitude exposure while maximal heart rate (HR) and chronotropic response to isoproterenol (IP) are blunted. Downregulation of cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-AR) has been evoked to explain this phenomenon. Chronotropic response was studied at extreme altitude in 10 subjects (4 women, 6 men; aged 35 +/- 6 yr). Observations were made in normoxia (N) and after 1 (H1) and 3 (H3) wk at 6,542 m. Acclimatization was accomplished by gradual climbing from 4,000 to 6,542 m over 10 days. Plasma NE was obtained at rest and during submaximal exercise. Successive doses of IP (0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 microgram/kg-1.min-1) were infused for 5 min each. Density and affinity of lymphocyte beta 2-AR were also measured. Increase in HR for maximal dose of IP decreased from 57 +/- 12 to 34 +/- 7 and 37 +/- 10 min-1 in H1 and H3, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). IP dose for which HR rises by 25 min-1 (I25) increased from 27 +/- 5 in N to 42 +/- 10 and 43 +/- 17 ng.kg-1.min-1 in H1 and H3, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Arterial O2 saturation at rest was 98 +/- 2% in N, 72 +/- 6% in H1 (P < 0.001), and 79 +/- 5% in H3 (P < 0.001). The chronotropic response was neither restored nor further attenuated after 3 wk at 6,542 m. Plasma NE levels at rest and during exercise were higher at 6,542 m than values obtained in previous studies at 4,350 and 4,800 m.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Haemostasis at high altitude

Haemostasis has been studied by several authors during exposure to altitude hypoxia. On acute induction to hypoxia, platelet count, platelet aggregability and bleeding time are normal; an increase of thromboxane released from platelets and of prostacyclin, released from endothelial cells is observed; coagulation factors are unchanged except of F. VIII which is increased; modified antithrombin III (ATm) are normal; fibrinopeptide A is increased in subjects with pulmonary edema and fibrinolytic activity after venous occlusion is normal. In chronic hypoxia, during a stay at 6542 m (Mt. Sajama), we found in 7 subjects an important increase in D. Dimer (p < 0.001) that seems to correspond to an activation of coagulation and a decrease of F. VIII R. Cof/F. VIII R. Ag ratio which suggests an endothelial cell damage.

Penetration of ciprofloxacin into human pleural fluid

The concentrations of ciprofloxacin (1.5 mg/kg of body weight) in serum and in uninfected pleural exudates were studied after one and three intravenous injections had been given at 8-h intervals. The drug was assayed in serum and in pleural fluid by high-performance liquid chromatography. The peak concentrations in pleural fluid 1.5 h after one and three injections were (mean +/- standard error of the mean) 0.52 +/- 0.09 and 0.77 +/- 0.15 mg/liter, respectively; the corresponding 8-h concentrations were 0.19 +/- 0.05 and 0.39 +/- 0.10 mg/liter. At 1 and 8 h, the ratios of mean concentrations in pleural fluid to mean concentrations in serum were 112 and 158%, respectively, after one injection and 77 and 122% after three injections. This study suggested that there is a satisfactory pleural penetration of ciprofloxacin after intravenous injection.

[digital angiography via intravenous route in the study of the transplanted kidney artery]

Results of 351 intravenous digital subtraction angiographs (AN) of transplanted kidneys emphasized reliability of this examination for detection of renal artery stenosis. A prospective study of 219 patients (188 interpretable AN) showed significant stenosis of grafted artery in 22% of cases: 17% of the 126 patients with normal blood pressure and 34% of the 62 cases of hypertension. Digital subtraction allows, with a single injection, assessment of renal artery, nephrogram and excretory cavities, but it is not a substitute for conventional intravenous urography 1 to 2 months after grafting.

Complications related to subclavian catheters for hemodialysis. Report and review

Personal experience with subclavian vein cannulations for hemodialysis are given, and the pertinent literature on the subject is reviewed. Two hundred subclavian dialysis catheters were placed in 148 patients who kept them in place for a total of 2,798 days. Immediate complications were two pneumothoraxes and two hemothoraxes due to subclavian artery puncture. Seventeen cases of bacteremia were related to subclavian catheter infections. In 1 case, a complication of sepsis was a vertebral osteomyelitis. Clinical evidences of subclavian vein thrombosis occurred in 5 cases. Life-threatening complications were met in 2 cases: 1 with pericardial tamponade due to right atrium perforation and 1 with mediastinal hematoma and right hemothorax due to superior vena cava perforation. Review of the literature indicates that pneumothoraxes and/or hemothoraxes occurred in 1.7% of the catheter insertions and that sepsis related to subclavian dialysis catheters occurred in 8.9% of the patients. As systematically investigated subclavian vein thrombosis involved at least 50% of the patients. Our 2 personal cases of life-threatening complications and 14 similar cases of the literature were analyzed: left subclavian catheters were associated with superior vena cava perforation with right hemothorax or mediastinal hematoma, while right subclavian catheters gave atrial perforation with pericardial tamponade. Death occurred in 3 of 16 cases, and emergency surgery was required in 5 of 16 cases. Taking into account all these complications, recommendations are made for the use of subclavian dialysis catheters.