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Semantic information can be accessed unconsciously, yet it remains unclear to what extent unconscious semantic information spreads across association networks. We compared conscious and unconscious semantic priming among different levels of semantic associations: direct, cross-form, and metaphoric associations. Chinese words associated with thermal qualities (cold or warm) were adopted as the primes, followed by a discrimination task regarding the target being associated with coldness or warmth. The targets were (1) words with thermal qualities, (2) illustrations representing thermal qualities, or (3) words describing personality traits that are metaphorically associated with thermal qualities. We first demonstrated the typical semantic priming effect in the three types of semantic associations when the prime was visible (Experiment 1). We then rendered the primes invisible using the continuous flash suppression paradigm and found a reversed semantic priming effect for the direct association and yet no priming effects for the cross-form and metaphoric associations (Experiment 2). These results suggested that unconscious semantic priming only occurs between directly associated stimuli while consciousness is necessary for higher-level associations and facilitatory interactions, delineating the contrast between unconscious and conscious semantic processing., Author(s): Sung-En Chien [sup.1] , Wei-Chen Chang [sup.2] , Yi-Chuan Chen [sup.3] , Shu-Lih Huang [sup.2] , Su-Ling Yeh [sup.1] [sup.4] [sup.5] [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/05bqach95, grid.19188.39, 0000 0004 [...]

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a major contributor to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, has been linked with exposure to air pollution. However, the relationship between air pollutants and the five components of MetS [abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting blood glucose levels], has not been clearly described. Objective: We examined the association between long-term exposure to air pollutants and the occurrence of MetS and its components by using a longitudinal cohort in Taiwan. Methods: The MJ Health Research Foundation is a medical institute that conducts regular physical examinations. The development of MetS, based on a health examination and the medical history of an MJ cohort of 93,771 participants who were enrolled between 2006 and 2016 and had two or more examinations, was compared with estimated exposure to air pollutants in the year prior to health examination. The exposure levels to fine particulate matter [PM with an aerodynamic diameter of [less than or equal to]2.5 [micro]m (P[M.sub.2.5])] and nitrogen dioxide (N[O.sub.2]) in the participants' residential areas were estimated using a hybrid Kriging/land-use regression (LUR) model executed using the XGBoost algorithm and a hybrid Kriging/LUR model, respectively. Cox regression with time-dependent covariates was conducted to estimate the effects of annual air pollutant exposure on the risk of MetS and its components. Results: During the average follow-up period of 3.4 y, the incidence of MetS was 38.1/1,000 person-years. After mutual adjustment and adjustments for potential covariates, the results indicated that every 10-[micro]g/[m.sup.3] increase in annual P[M.sub.2.5] concentration was associated with an increased risk of abdominal obesity [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.14], hypertriglyceridemia (aHR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.23), low HDL-C (aHR= 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.17), hypertension (aHR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.21), and elevated fasting blood glucose (aHR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.20). Furthermore, P[M.sub.2.5] and N[O.sub.2] may increase the risk of developing MetS among people who already 'have' some components of MetS. Discussion: Our findings suggest that in apparently healthy adults undergoing physical examination, exposure to P[M.sub.2.5] and N[O.sub.2] might be associated with the occurrence of MetS and its components. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10611, Introduction In the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounted for 31.8% (17.8 million) and 1.8% (1 million), respectively, of all-cause [...]

Crossmodal correspondences refer to when specific domains of features in different sensory modalities are mapped. We investigated how vowels and lexical tones drive sound–shape (rounded or angular) and sound–size (large or small) mappings among native Mandarin Chinese speakers. We used three vowels (/i/, /u/, and /a/), and each vowel was articulated in four lexical tones. In the sound–shape matching, the tendency to match the rounded shape was decreased in the following order: /u/, /i/, and /a/. Tone 2 was more likely to be matched to the rounded pattern, whereas Tone 4 was more likely to be matched to the angular pattern. In the sound–size matching, /a/ was matched to the larger object more than /u/ and /i/, and Tone 2 and Tone 4 correspond to the large–small contrast. The results demonstrated that both vowels and tones play prominent roles in crossmodal correspondences, and sound–shape and sound–size mappings are heterogeneous phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs robotic technology advances, robots are increasingly being designed and utilized for applications involving children across various fields. Since the acceptance of robots is profoundly affected by their appearance, understanding children’s preferences for the looks of robots becomes imperative. The uncanny valley effect (UVE) posits that the perceived likeability of robots increases as their appearance becomes more humanlike but then sharply drops when they approach near-perfect human similarity before rising once an extremely realistic likeness is achieved. Due to inconsistent results in the literature regarding when humans develop a sense of uncanniness toward humanlike robots, the present study aims to examine the emergence of the UVE in children. 67 1st-graders (aged six to seven years) and 95 4th-graders (aged nine to ten years) evaluated 12 robot faces on the scales of likeability, disgust, humanness, and intention to play with the robots (i.e., acceptance). The results demonstrated that the UVE was not observed in 1st-graders or 4th-grade boys. Nevertheless, a UVE-like pattern emerged among 4th-grade girls, particularly in their ratings of likeability and acceptance as a function of robots’ degree of humanness. A positive correlation between likeability and acceptance was consistently found across all age and gender groups. Additionally, negative correlations were found between likeability and disgust, as well as disgust and acceptance, specifically in the fourth graders but not in the first graders. These results suggest that the UVE may not be fully developed in 10-year-old children, with girls potentially exhibiting earlier development than boys. We conclude that age and gender differences should be considered when evaluating children’s preferences for robot appearance and their willingness to interact with robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While nutrition's critical role in enhancing respiratory health is acknowledged, the specific impacts of vitamins A and K on lung function remain largely unexplored. The study aimed to evaluate the relationships between vitamins A and K intake and lung function., Methods: The cross-sectional study focused on adults aged 20-79 with utilizing data from US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012. Lung function was assessed by measuring forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio of these two values (FEV1/FVC). Regression model was performed to determine the associations between intake of vitamins A and K and outcomes., Results: Data of 10,034 participants (representing 142,965,892 adults in the US) were analyzed. After adjusting for relevant confounders, multivariable analysis revealed 1 μg/day increase of vitamin A intake was significantly associated with 0.03 ml increased FEV1 ( p = 0.004) and 0.04 ml increased forced vital capacity (FVC) ( p < 0.001). In addition, 1 μg/day increase in vitamin K intake was significantly associated with 0.11 ml increased FEV1 ( p = 0.022). Neither vitamin A and K intake was associated with FEV1/FVC or presence of airway obstruction., Conclusions: In relatively healthy population of the US, greater vitamin A or K intake was independently associated with better lung function assessed by spirometry. Benefits of such vitamins for pulmonary health should be confirmed in future randomized controlled trials., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen and Hung.)

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, affects 20-25% of the global population. The creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio (CCR) is an indicator of skeletal muscle mass. While CCR may play a role in MetS development, sex differences in these associations are not fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how CCR levels are associated with MetS in a Chinese adult population, focusing on possible sex disparities., Method: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 9,376 adults from Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital between 2014 to 2016. We examined the relationship between CCR and MetS, adjusting for cardiometabolic risk factors., Results: The prevalence of MetS was 24.7% in males and 18.0% in females. Interestingly, we observed significant sex differences in the association between CCR quartiles and MetS. Females in the lowest CCR quartile had a significantly higher risk of MetS (odds ratio=1.84). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed acceptable diagnostic power of CCR for MetS in females (area under the curve=0.65) but not in males., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that CCR is an independent risk factor for MetS in females, highlighting the importance of sex-specific assessments when evaluating MetS risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Chen, Chen and Li.)

In hospitals, safety climate refers to the safety policies and regulations established by medical institutions and the measures taken to ensure medical personnel feel safe while working at these institutions. Safety climate can directly affect the overall work performance of medical personnel and indirectly affect patient care quality, which in turn impacts the rate of occupational hazards. Common occupational hazards in the medical workplace include contracting infectious diseases, overwork, irregular circadian rhythm due to working shifts, changes in sleep patterns and dietary habits, musculoskeletal discomfort, workplace violence, workplace stress, and needlestick injuries. This paper was developed to explore the history of promoting needlestick prevention in Taiwan, and discusses how to use the results of empirical research as scientific evidence and critical proofs to advocate for needlestick prevention and to establish related policies. In addition, the process of how improvements to the hospital safety climate and the prevention of occupational hazard incidents mutually influence and complement each other was examined. Future studies are encouraged to explore this topic to further elucidate the sources of workplace stress and to devise methods to ameliorate their influence on workplace stress in medical institutions. The results of these studies may be referenced by relevant government agencies and medical institutions when developing policies promoting safe environments in hospitals that improve the safe-work perceptions of nursing personnel and create comfortable and friendly medical environments.

Cullin 4A (Cul4A) reportedly has oncogenic roles in several cancer types by regulating tumor suppressors through the ubiquitination and proteolysis of the tumor suppressor. In addition, Cul4A is associated with chemosensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. This study investigated the association between Cul4A and lung cancer cell chemosensitivity to paclitaxel, particularly with respect to the role of the p33 inhibitor of the growth 1 (p33ING1b) tumor suppressor. The results showed that the Cul4A knockdown upregulated the p33ING1b expression in lung cancer cells and increased the lung cancer cell and mice tumor xenograft chemosensitivity to paclitaxel. The Cul4A knockdown also inhibited the growth and increased the apoptosis in the tumor xenografts treated with paclitaxel. Notably, the p33ING1b overexpression increased the lung cancer cell chemosensitivity to paclitaxel, but the p33ING1b knockdown reduced the chemosensitivity. A further analysis demonstrated that Cul4A regulates the expression of p33ING1b through protein-protein interactions, ubiquitination, and protein degradation. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that Cul4A mediates the chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells to paclitaxel by regulating p33ING1b. These findings may offer novel insights into future therapeutic strategies for lung cancer that target Cul4A., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)