NP Types Research Articles

NP recursion over time: Evidence from Indo-European

Some languages constrain the recursive embedding of NPs to some specific morphosyntactic types, allowing it, for example, only with genitives but not with bare juxtaposition. In Indo-European, every type of NP embedding—genitives, adjectivizers, adpositions, head marking, or juxtaposition—is unavailable for syntactic recursion in at least one attested language. In addition, attested pathways of change show that NP types that allow recursion can emerge and disappear in less than 1,000 years. This wide-ranging synchronic diversity and its high diachronic dynamics raise the possibility that at many hypothetical times in the history of the family recursive NP embedding could have been lost for all types simultaneously, parallel to what has occasionally been observed elsewhere (Everett 2005, Evans & Levinson 2009). Performing Bayesian phylogenetic analyses on a sample of fifty-five languages from all branches of Indo-European, we show, however, that it is extremely unlikely for such a complete loss to ever have occurred. When one or more morphosyntactic types become unavailable for syntactic recursion in an NP, an unconstrained alternative type is very likely to develop in the same language. This suggests that, while diachronic pathways away from NP recursion clearly exist, there is a tendency—perhaps a universal one—to maintain or develop syntactic recursion in NPs. A likely explanation for this evolutionary bias is that recursively embedded phrases are not just an option that languages have (Fitch et al. 2005), but they are in fact preferred by our processing system.

Coreference Annotation in the Russian Clinical Pear Stories Corpus: Annotation Features and Preliminary Results

This work is devoted to the distribution of different referential devices in spoken discourse produced by healthy speakers and people with aphasia and its comparison to written discourse. We discuss some special annotation issues for the corpus of Pear film retellings (Russian CliPS) by people with aphasia (PWA), right hemisphere damage (RHD), and healthy speakers (HP for healthy people) of Russian. The study summarizes the comprehensive annotation schema developed for this task and the preliminary research of the referential choice features based on the corpus. Comparing retellings and written texts, we found a significant difference in the use of basic coreferential expressions between the two. Firstly, there is a significant difference in the distribution of basic NP types. Speakers use reduced devices such as zero anaphora or bare nouns in retellings more frequently than in written texts. There are also differences in the distribution of more granulated features such as the word order within an NP, the use of anaphoric and reduced expressions (demonstratives or zero NPs) for the first mention of an entity, and the inclusion of epistemic markers into NPs. We also found that the retellings produced by PWA and HP do not differ much in terms of the distribution of basic NP types. However, a detailed analysis within different NP types and taking into consideration various disfluencies reveals some prominent differences between the two populations. These include a difference in zero subject distribution, the frequency of non-referential NP links, the frequency of co-reference errors. While adapting the initial coreference annotation scheme we concluded that besides referential ambiguity, which is normally taken into account in spoken discourse analysis, and basic taxonomy of the referential devices (full NP vs. anaphoric pronoun vs. anaphoric zero), other features need to be considered.

Experimental and computational studies on the electronic excited states of nitrobenzene

The gas phase electronic absorption spectrum of nitrobenzene (C6H5NO2) in the 4.5–11.2eV region is recorded using synchrotron radiation with a view to comprehend the nature of the excited states. Electronic excited states of nitrobenzene are mainly classified as local excitations within the benzene ring or nitro group and charge transfer excitations between the benzene and nitro group, with some transitions showing percentage from both. The nature of molecular orbitals, their orderings and energies are obtained from density functional theory calculations which help in assigning partially assigned/unassigned features in earlier photoelectron spectroscopy studies. Optimized geometry of ionic nitrobenzene predicts redistribution of charge density in the benzene ring rather than the nitro group resulting in stabilization of the benzene ring π orbitals in comparison to the neutral molecule. Time dependent density functional theory computations are found to describe the experimental spectra well with respect to energies, relative intensities and nature of the observed transitions in terms of valence, Rydberg or charge transfer type. New insights into the interpretation of 1B2u←1A1g and 1B1u←1A1g shifted benzene transitions in light of the present computational calculations are presented. The first few members of the ns, np and nd type Rydberg series in nitrobenzene, converging to the first six ionization potentials, identified in the spectra as weak but sharp peaks are reported for the first time. In general, transitions to the lowest three unoccupied molecular orbitals 4b1, 3a2 and 5b1 are valence or charge transfer in nature, while excitations to higher orbitals are predominantly Rydberg in nature. This work presents a consolidated experimental study and theoretical interpretation of the electronic absorption spectrum of nitrobenzene.

Asymmetry in children's comprehension of raising.

This paper investigates English-speaking children's acquisition of raising constructions (e.g. John seems to Mary to be happy) and finds an asymmetric effect of NP type on their comprehension: an improvement in performance is observed when a lexical NP is raised across a pronominal experiencer (e.g. John seems to her to be happy) compared to when a pronoun is raised across a lexical NP experiencer (e.g. He seems to Mary to be happy). These results are consistent with a processing-based approach to intervention effects, which reduces children's difficulty with raising to a performance limitation, rather than a grammatical deficit.

A higher aspect ratio enhanced bioaccumulation and altered immune responses due to intravenously-injected aluminum oxide nanoparticles

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles (AlO NP) have been widely utilized in a variety of areas, including in the optical, biomedical and electronic fields and in the overall development of nanotechnologies. However, their toxicological profiles are still not fully developed. This study compared the distribution and immunotoxicity of two rod-types of AlO NP. As reported previously, the two types of AlO NP had different aspect ratios (long-type: 6.2 ± 0.6, short-type: 2.1 ± 0.4), but the size and surface charge were very similar. On Day 14 after a single intravenous (IV) injection (1.25 or 5 mg/kg), both AlO NP accumulated primarily in the liver and spleen and altered the levels of redox response-related elements. The accumulated level was higher in mice exposed to the long-type AlO NP compared to the short-type. Additionally, it was noted that the levels of IL-1β, IL-8 and MCP-1 were enhanced in the blood of mice exposed to both types of AlO NP and the percentages of neutrophils and monocytes among all white blood cells were increased only in mice injected with the long-type AlO NP (5 mg/kg). In addition, as compared to the control, co-expression of CD80 and CD86 (necessary for antigen presentation) on splenocytes together with a decreased expression of chemotaxis-related marker (CD195) was attenuated by exposure to the AlO NP, especially the long-type. Taken together, the data suggest that accumulation following a single IV injection with rod-types of AlO NP is strengthened by a high aspect ratio and, subsequently, this accumulation has the potential to influence immune functions in an exposed host.

Effect of size, concentration, and type of spherical gold nanoparticles on heat evolution following laser irradiation using tissue-simulating phantoms.

Photothermal therapy has recently gained a considerable attention particularly after the revolution of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The aim of the present study is to assess the optimal photothermal response through investigating some effective parameters of spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), e.g., type, size, and concentration, as a preclinical study for efficient photothermal treatment. Tissue-simulating phantoms based on agar and water media incorporated with two different types of AuNPs, spherical Au particles capped with citrate or spherical Au core-silica shell NPs, were built. Heat evolution for each NP type was recorded in the phantom matrix with different particle sizes at various concentrations following exposure to low laser power (irradiance 35 mW/cm(2)) and emitting at λ = 532 nm. Our results demonstrated that AuNPs capped with citrate recorded higher temperature elevations than those capped with silica shell. Particles with smaller sizes produced more heating effect than those having larger sizes. Also, higher temperatures were recorded at a critical concentration of NPs. Exponential decay constants based on theoretical calculations demonstrated that laser attenuation increases with the continuous increase of particle size and concentration.

Hydrolytic charge-reversal of PEGylated polyplexes enhances intracellular un-packaging and activity of siRNA.

Hydrolytically degrading nano-polyplexes (HDG-NPs) that reverse charge through conversion of tertiary amines to carboxylic acids were investigated to improve intracellular un-packaging of siRNA and target gene silencing compared to a non-degradable analog (non-HDG-NPs). Both NP types comprised reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) synthesized diblock copolymers of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) corona-forming block and a cationic block for nucleic acid packaging that incorporated butyl methacrylate (BMA) and either dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA, non-HDG-NPs) or dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA, HDG-NPs). HDG-NPs decreased significantly in size and released significantly more siRNA (∼40%) than non-HDG-NPs after 24 h in aqueous solution. While both HDG-NPs and non-HDG-NPs had comparable uptake and cytotoxicity up to 150 nM siRNA doses, HDG-NPs achieved significantly higher target gene silencing of the model gene luciferase in vitro. High resolution FRET confocal microscopy was used to monitor the intracellular un-packaging of siRNA. Non-HDG-NPs had significantly higher FRET efficiency than HDG-NPs, indicating that siRNA delivered from HDG-NPs was more fully un-packaged and therefore had improved intracellular bioavailability.

Effects of Monotypic and Binary Mixtures of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Microbial Growth in Sandy Soil Collected from Artificial Recharge Sites.

The potential effects of monotypic and binary metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs, ZnO, NiO, Co3O4 and TiO2) on microbial growth were evaluated in sandy soil collected from artificial recharge sites. Microbial growth was assessed based on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and viable cell counts (VCC). Microbial growth based on ATP content and VCC showed considerable differences depending on NP type and concentration, whereas DHA did not significantly change. In general, ZnO NPs showed the strongest effect on microbial growth in all measurements, showing an EC50 value of 10.9 mg/L for ATP content. The ranking (EC50) of NPs based on their effect on microbial growth assessed by ATP content and VCC was ZnO > Co3O4 > NiO > TiO2. Upon exposure to binary NP mixtures, synergistic and additive modes of action were observed for ATP content and VCC, respectively. The ranges of observed (P(O)) and expected (P(E)) activity were 83%–92% and 78%–82% of the control (p-value 0.0010) based on ATP content and 78%–95% and 72%–94% of the control (p-value 0.8813) based on VCC under the tested conditions, respectively. The results indicate that the effects of NP mixtures on microbial growth in the sandy soil matrix were as great, or greater, than those of single NPs. Therefore, understanding the effects of single NPs and NP mixtures is essential for proper ecological risk assessment. Additionally, these findings demonstrate that the evaluation of NP effects may be profoundly influenced by the method of microbial growth measurement.

Influence of surface chemical properties on the toxicity of engineered zinc oxide nanoparticles to embryonic zebrafish.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in a variety of products, thus understanding their health and environmental impacts is necessary to appropriately manage their risks. To keep pace with the rapid increase in products utilizing engineered ZnO NPs, rapid in silico toxicity test methods based on knowledge of comprehensive in vivo and in vitro toxic responses are beneficial in determining potential nanoparticle impacts. To achieve or enhance their desired function, chemical modifications are often performed on the NPs surface; however, the roles of these alterations play in determining the toxicity of ZnO NPs are still not well understood. As such, we investigated the toxicity of 17 diverse ZnO NPs varying in both size and surface chemistry to developing zebrafish (exposure concentrations ranging from 0.016 to 250 mg/L). Despite assessing a suite of 19 different developmental, behavioural and morphological endpoints in addition to mortality in this study, mortality was the most common endpoint observed for all of the ZnO NP types tested. ZnO NPs with surface chemical modification, regardless of the type, resulted in mortality at 24 hours post-fertilization (hpf) while uncoated particles did not induce significant mortality until 120 hpf. Using eight intrinsic chemical properties that relate to the outermost surface chemistry of the engineered ZnO nanoparticles, the highly dimensional toxicity data were converted to a 2-dimensional data set through principal component analysis (PCA). Euclidean distance was used to partition different NPs into several groups based on converted data (score) which were directly related to changes in the outermost surface chemistry. Kriging estimations were then used to develop a contour map based on mortality data as a response. This study illustrates how the intrinsic properties of NPs, including surface chemical modifications and capping agents, are useful to separate and identify ZnO NP toxicity to zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Proinflammatory and cytotoxic response to nanoparticles in precision-cut lung slices.

Precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) are an established ex vivo alternative to in vivo experiments in pharmacotoxicology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of PCLS as a tool in nanotoxicology studies. Silver (Ag-NPs) and zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) nanoparticles as well as quartz particles were used because these materials have been previously shown in several in vitro and in vivo studies to induce a dose-dependent cytotoxic and inflammatory response. PCLS were exposed to three concentrations of 70 nm monodisperse polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated Ag-NPs under submerged culture conditions in vitro. ZnO-NPs (NM110) served as ‘soluble’ and quartz particles (Min-U-Sil) as ‘non-soluble’ control particles. After 4 and 24 h, the cell viability and the release of proinflammatory cytokines was measured. In addition, multiphoton microscopy was employed to assess the localization of Ag-NPs in PCLS after 24 h of incubation. Exposure of PCLS to ZnO-NPs for 4 and 24 h resulted in a strong decrease in cell viability, while quartz particles had no cytotoxic effect. Moreover, only a slight cytotoxic response was detected by LDH release after incubation of PCLS with 20 or 30 µg/mL of Ag-NPs. Interestingly, none of the particles tested induced a proinflammatory response in PCLS. Finally, multiphoton microscopy revealed that the Ag-NP were predominantly localized at the cut surface and only to a much lower extent in the deeper layers of the PCLS. In summary, only ‘soluble’ ZnO-NPs elicited a strong cytotoxic response. Therefore, we suggest that the cytotoxic response in PCLS was caused by released Zn2+ ions rather than by the ZnO-NPs themselves. Moreover, Ag-NPs were predominantly localized at the cut surface of PCLS but not in deeper regions, indicating that the majority of the particles did not have the chance to interact with all cells present in the tissue slice. In conclusion, our findings suggest that PCLS may have some limitations when used for nanotoxicology studies. To strengthen this conclusion, however, other NP types and concentrations need to be tested in further studies.

The potentiation effect makes the difference: Non-toxic concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles enhance Cu nanoparticle toxicity in vitro

Here we examined whether the addition of a non-toxic concentration (6.25μg/mL) of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs: 19, 35 and 57nm, respectively) modulates the cytotoxicity of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs, 63nm in size) in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. The cytotoxic effect of CuNPs on HepG2 cells was markedly enhanced by the ZnONPs, the largest ZnONPs causing the highest increase in toxicity. However, CuNPs cytotoxicity was not affected by co-incubation with medium containing only zinc ions, indicating the increase in toxicity might be attributed to the particle form of ZnONPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the presence of CuNPs and ZnONPs inside the cells co-exposed to both types of NP and outflow of cytoplasm through the damaged cell membrane. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) determined an increase in the concentration of zinc and a decrease in that of copper in co-exposed cells. On the basis of these results, we propose that accumulation of large numbers of ZnONPs in the cells alters cellular membranes and the cytotoxicity of CuNPs is increased.

Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectroscopy of CH2Cl2 and CD2Cl2 in the energy region 50,000–95,000 cm−1

A consolidated study of the VUV absorption spectra of CH2Cl2 and CD2Cl2 in the 50,000–95,000cm−1 region using synchrotron radiation is presented. Rydberg series and vibronic analysis are carried out and supported by quantum chemical calculations. The broad absorption band of CH2Cl2 in the region 50,000–60,000cm−1 is attributed to the valence states 11B2, 11B1 and 11A1. Most of the bands in the 60,000–95,000cm−1 region are fitted to Rydberg series of ns, np and nd type converging to the first four ionization potentials 11.320, 11.357, 12.152 and 12.271eV of CH2Cl2 arising from excitation of an electron from one of the four outermost Cl non-bonding orbitals (2b1, 3b2, 1a2 and 4a1). Vertical excited states of CH2Cl2 calculated using TDDFT are correlated with experimentally observed electronic states based on the symmetries of the initial and final MOs involved in a transition. A few Rydberg transitions viz. 2b1→5s, 4p, 5p, 6p; 3b2→4p, 5p; 1a2→4p are accompanied by vibronic features. Observed vibronic bands are assigned mainly to the CCl symmetric stretch (ν3′) mode with smaller contributions from the CH symmetric stretch (ν1′), CH2 bend (ν2′) and CH2 wag (ν8′) modes. Assignments are corroborated by comparison with the VUV absorption spectrum of the deuterated isotopologue CD2Cl2, reported here for the first time. The high underlying intensities seen in several sub-regions are explained by valence or valence–Rydberg mixed type transitions predicted with high oscillator strengths by the TDDFT calculations.

Toxicity and bioaccumulation of sediment-associated silver nanoparticles in the estuarine polychaete, Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor

In this study, the toxicities of sediment-associated silver added to sediment as commercially available silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 20 and 80nm) and aqueous Ag (AgNO3) to the estuarine polychaete, Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor, were investigated for both individual and subcellular endpoints after 10 d of exposure. Both Ag NP types were characterized in parallel to the toxicity studies and found to be polydispersed and overlapping in size. Burrowing activity decreased (marginally) with increasing Ag concentration and depended on the form of Ag added to sediment. All worms accumulated Ag regardless of the form in which it was added to the sediment, and worm size (expressed as dry weight) was found to significantly affect bioaccumulation such that smaller worms accumulated more Ag per body weight than larger worms. Lysosomal membrane permeability (neutral red retention time, NRRT) and DNA damage (comet assay tail moment and tail DNA intensity %) of Nereis coelomocytes increased in a concentration-dependent manner in all three Ag treatments. Ag NP treatments were more toxic than aqueous Ag for all toxicity endpoints, even though bioaccumulation did not differ significantly among Ag forms. No significant difference in toxicity was observed between the two Ag NP treatments which was attributed to their overlap in particle size.

Simultaneous patterning of two different types of nanoparticles into alternating domains of a striped array of a polymer blend in a single spin-casting step

A fast and convenient method is developed for simultaneously patterning inorganic nanoparticles with different optical, electronic or magnetic functionality to specific surface regions, by spin-casting onto microcontact printed substrates blend solutions in which the two nanoparticle types are functionalized with surface polymer brush layers of different surface energies. The process is based on phase separation of different nanoparticles based on their immiscible brush layers during spin-casting, with the underlying surface energy heterogeneity of the patterned substrate directing the different NP types to domains of different surface energies. Here, we specifically demonstrate the simultaneous localization of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs), addressed with a surface layer of polystyrene (PS), and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), addressed with a surface layer of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), onto the non-polar and polar surface domains, respectively, of hydrophilic glass patterned with hydrophobic octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) stripe arrays with micron-scale periodicities. In order to prevent gelation of solvent-swollen polymer-brush coated NPs during spin casting, which effects strong kinetic constraints on phase separation and localization, PS, PMMA or PS/PMMA homopolymer blends of sufficiently high Mw were added to the NP blends to increase the free volume between approaching NPs. The process parameters were fine-tuned to obtain control over defects in the obtained patterns.

Synthetic double sampling np control chart for attributes

The quality of a product, based on the number of non-conforming items can be controlled using the np chart. This paper proposes a synthetic double sampling (DS) np chart which comprises two sub-charts, i.e. the DS np and conforming run length (CRL) sub-charts. For the zero-state case, the synthetic DS np chart surpasses its standard counterpart, i.e. the synthetic np and the basic DS np chart, and other np type charts like the standard np, combined synthetic and np (Syn-np), variable sample size (VSS) np, exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) np and cumulative sum (CUSUM) np charts, for detecting increases in the fraction of non-conforming items p, for most shift sizes. The synthetic DS np chart also performs reasonably well in the steady-state case in comparison with other charts mentioned above. Thus, among the competing charts, the synthetic DS np chart stands out as one of the best charts.

Detecting the oxidative reactivity of nanoparticles: a new protocol for reducing artifacts.

Understanding the oxidative reactivity of nanoparticles (NPs; <100 nm) could substantially contribute to explaining their toxicity. We attempted to refine the use of 2′7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH) to characterize NP generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several fluorescent probes have been applied to testing oxidative reactivity, but despite DCFH being one of the most popular for the detection of ROS, when it has been applied to NPs there have been an unexplainably wide variability in results. Without a uniform methodology, validating even robust results is impossible. This study, therefore, identified sources of conflicting results and investigated ways of reducing occurrence of artificial results. Existing techniques were tested and combined (using their most desirable features) to form a more reliable method for the measurement of NP reactivity in aqueous dispersions. We also investigated suitable sample ranges necessary to determine generation of ROS. Specifically, ultrafiltration and time-resolved scan absorbance spectra were used to study possible optical interference when using high sample concentrations. Robust results were achieved at a 5 µM DCFH working solution with 0.5 unit/mL horseradish peroxidase (HRP) dissolved in ethanol. Sonication in DCFH-HRP working solution provided more stable data with a relatively clean background. Optimal particle concentration depends on the type of NP and in general was in the µg/mL range. Major reasons for previously reported conflicting results due to interference were different experimental approaches and NP sample concentrations. The protocol presented here could form the basis of a standardized method for applying DCFH to detect generation of ROS by NPs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11051-014-2493-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Electronic state spectroscopy of diiodomethane (CH₂I₂): experimental and computational studies in the 30,000-95,000 cm⁻¹ region.

The electronic absorption spectrum of diiodomethane in the 30,000-95,000 cm(-1) region is investigated using synchrotron radiation; the spectrum in the 50,000-66,500 cm(-1) region is reported for the first time. The absorption bands in the 30,000-50,000 cm(-1) region are attributed to valence transitions, while the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrum (50,000-95,000 cm(-1)) is dominated by several Rydberg series converging to the first four ionization potentials of CH2I2 at 9.46, 9.76, 10.21, and 10.56 eV corresponding to the removal of an electron from the outermost 3b2, 2b1, 1a2, and 4a1 non-bonding orbitals, respectively. Rydberg series of ns, np, and nd type converging to each of the four ionization potentials are assigned based on a quantum defect analysis. Time dependent density functional theory calculations of excited states support the analysis and help in interpretation of the Rydberg and valence nature of observed transitions. Density functional theory calculations of the neutral and ionic ground state geometries and vibrational frequencies are used to assign the observed vibronic structure. Vibronic features accompanying the Rydberg series are mainly due to excitation of the C-I symmetric stretch (ν3) and CH2 wag (ν8) modes, with smaller contributions from the C-H symmetric stretch (ν1). UV absorption bands are assigned to low lying valence states 1(1)B2, 1(1)B1, 2(1)A1, 3(1)A1, 2(1)B1, and 2(1)B2 and the unusually high underlying intensity in parts of the VUV spectrum is attributed to valence states with high oscillator strength. This is the first report of a comprehensive Rydberg series and vibronic analysis of the VUV absorption spectrum of CH2I2 in the 50,000-85,000 cm(-1) region. The VUV absorption spectrum of CD2I2 which serves to verify and consolidate spectral assignments is also reported here for the first time.

Gene expression profiles reveal distinct immunological responses of cobalt and cerium dioxide nanoparticles in two in vitro lung epithelial cell models

Fragmentary knowledge exists on cellular signaling responses underlying possible adverse health effects of CoO- and CeO2-nanoparticles (NP)s after inhalation.We aimed to perform a time kinetic study of gene expression profiles induced by these NPs in alveolar A549 and bronchial BEAS-2B epithelial cells, and investigated possible immune system modulation. The kinetics of the cell responses induced by the NPs were different between the lung epithelial models. Both CoO- and CeO2-NP exposure induced mainly downregulation of gene transcription. BEAS-2B cells were found to be more sensitive, as they showed a higher number of differentially expressed transcripts (DET) at a 10-fold lower NP-concentration than A549 cells. Hierarchical clustering of all DET indicated that the transcriptional responses were heterogeneous among the two cell types and two NPs. Between 1% and 14% DET encoding markers involved in immune processes were observed.The transcriptional impact of the metal oxide NPs appeared to be cell-dependent, both at the general and immune response level, whereas each lung epithelial cell model responded differently to the two NP types. Thus, the study provides gene expression markers and immune processes involved in CoO- and CeO2-NP-induced toxicity, and demonstrates the usefulness of comprehensive–omics studies to differentiate between NP responses.

Histological Characteristics of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: Recent 10-Year Experience of a Single Center in Daegu, Korea

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) has various histological patterns and the immunologic characteristics differ between eastern and western patients. This study assessed the histological pattern of Korean NPs and determined whether Korean NP patterns have become westernized. Three hundred forty-nine CRSwNP patients were enrolled in this study in 2001 (n = 107), 2006 (n = 111), and 2011 (n = 131). Histological type was categorized as eosinophilic, neutrophilic, seromucinous gland hyperplasia, and stromal atypia types. Medical records were reviewed for their atopic status, olfactory function, and computed tomography (CT) score. The eosinophilic type was significantly increased in 2011 (62.6%) when compared with 2001 (52.3%) and 2006 (47.7%). The incidence of atopic NPs was significantly higher in 2006 (18.9%) and 2011 (21.5%) than in 2001 (14.0%). Although atopic status and CT score were not significantly different among three NP types, anosmia was more common in eosinophilic NPs. The prevalence of NPs with atopy and eosinophilic NPs has continuously increased in Korea, indicative that the sinonasal disease pattern is becoming similar with western countries.

Variation between singular and plural subject-verb agreement in German: A usage-based approach

AbstractAt first glance, subject-verb-agreement seems to be straightforward in German: In the case of simplex NPs, the subject always agrees with the verb syntactically in person and number. However, with coordinated NPs in subject position, there is considerable variation in usage. If both conjuncts are singular NPs, the verb may display singular agreement - as would be expected, since coordinated structures inherit their syntactic properties from their individual components - but much more frequently, the verb displays plural agreement. On the basis of the LIMAS-corpus, a one-million-word corpus of written German, I will show that there is systematic variation between the two options. Among the determining factors are the position of the verb (preceding or following the subject), the type of NP (pronoun, proper name, lexical NP) and the internal syntactic structure of the subject (coordination of full NPs vs. coordination of partial NPs sharing a determiner, and definiteness vs. indefiniteness of the coordinated parts of the subject). I will discuss the results from the perspective of usage-based approaches and argue for an integration of semantic, pragmatic, and frequency factors in any theoretical approach to grammar.