Secretome Profiling Of Periodontal Ligament From Deciduous And Permanent Teeth Reveals A Distinct Expression Pattern Of Laminin Chains

It has been suggested that there are histological and functional distinctions between the periodontal ligament (PDL) of deciduous (DecPDL) and permanent (PermPDL) teeth. Thus, we hypothesized that DecPDL and PermPDL display differences in the constitutive expression of genes/proteins involved with PDL homeostasis. Primary PDL cell cultures were obtained for DecPDL (n = 3) and PermPDL (n = 3) to allow us to perform label-free quantitative secretome analysis. Although a highly similar profile was found between DecPDL and PermPDL cells, comparative secretome analysis evidenced that one of the most stickling differences involved cell adhesion molecules, including laminin subunit gamma 1 (LAMC1) and beta 2 (LAMB2). Next, total RNA and protein extracts were obtained from fresh PDL tissues of deciduous (n = 6) and permanent (n = 6) teeth, and Western blotting and qPCR analysis were used to validate our in vitro findings. Western blot analysis confirmed that LAMC1 was increased in DecPDL fresh tissues (p< 0.05). Furthermore, qPCR data analysis revealed that mRNA levels for laminin subunit beta 1 (LAMB1), beta 3 (LAMB3), LAMC1, and gamma 2 (LAMC2) were higher in DecPDL fresh tissues, whereas transcripts for LAMB2 were increased in PermPDL (p< 0.05). In conclusion, the differential expression of laminin chains in DecPDL and PermPDL suggests an involvement of laminin-dependent pathways in the control of physiological differences between them.1

The Social Costs in Communication Hiccups Between Native and Nonnative Speakers

It is well-established that native speakers perceive nonnative speakers with strong foreign accents, compared with those with a more nativelike accent, as less intelligent and competent, less ambitious and dependable as coworkers, and less comfortable around native speakers. But little is known about how nonnative speakers themselves are affected when communication hiccups—often due to incorrect or accented pronunciations—occur in their conversations with native speakers. In this experiment, mispronunciations of an English word were elicited from native Chinese speakers in phone conversations via the Internet with an American English speaker, who then either asked for clarification of the word or showed no confusion about the word but asked about something else. Chinese speakers’ reactions were measured using a combination of self-reports, facial affective coding, and skin-conductance responses. When the American asked for clarification—compared with when he did not—Chinese speakers were left feeling more anxious, embarrassed, and unsure of their English abilities, as well as feeling less positive about the American, finding him less attractive socially and their conversation with him less enjoyable.postprin