Observations on the relationship between verbal explicit and implicit memory and neuronal density in the left and right hippocampus in temporal lobectomy patients.

The relationship between neuronal density and verbal memory in left and right hippocampal subfields was investigated in patients who underwent surgery for alleviation of temporal lobe epilepsy. The surgery consisted of unilateral partial removal of the hippocampus along with the anterior temporal lobe and amygdala. Study 1 looked at post-surgical explicit versus implicit verbal memory for lists of words while Study 2 looked at pre- and post-surgical explicit memory for word pairs. Left subfield CA1 appeared to be the most consistently involved in explicit and implicit memory. The results of the two studies confirm presence of hemispheric asymmetry in verbal memory. The notion that hippocampal control of memory is most apparent in post-surgical performance is discussed

Social change and marriage structure in Nigeria

Marriage as a social institution has undergone changes in structure in contemporary Nigeria. Whether in simple or complex societies, social change is a universal phenomenon. In most cultural groups in indigenous Nigeria, marriage is usually an arrangement between two individuals. As a result there is pressure on the spouses to make the marriage a success bearing in mind the fact that any problem will usually affect both families and strain the otherwise cordial relationship between them. Again, polygyny commonly known as polygamy is the most practiced marriage system. However, the marriage structure in Nigeria today has not been the same. It is found in the name of modernization or civilization that a girl and a boy may decide to marry away from their parents’ place of residence and without their consent. Monogamous marriage is now increasingly encouraged and practiced. The paper thus examines the extent of social change in the Nigerian marriage structure

Pro: Can neuropathology really confirm the exact diagnosis?

Recent advances in the clinical diagnostic instruments for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in neuroimaging may cast doubt in the minds of some practitioners about the continued need for neuropathology to provide the ultimate diagnosis. Certainly the majority of cases of AD can be clinically correctly diagnosed by experienced clinicians but many cases are given this label by less experienced practitioners. Even after the most thorough work-up, a few cases of confidently diagnosed AD turn out to be something else when microscopy of the brain is undertaken. Even for neuropathologists, however, it can be difficult to correctly assign cognitive decline to the various pathological processes that can be found together in an older brain. We need further clinicopathogical study to enlighten us about, for example, the contribution of commonly found cerebrovascular disease to dementia. Human studies are also needed to explore the changes in pathology that new treatments for AD may produce

Size of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in schizophrenia

Background Meta-analyses of hippocampal size have indicated thatthis structure is smaller in schizophrenia.This could reflect a reductioninthe size of constituent neurons or a reduced number of neurons. Aims To measure the size of hippocampalpyramidalneuronsinthe hippocampalpyramidalneurons inthe brains of peoplewith andwithout schizophrenia. Method Pyramidalneuron size in hippocampal subfieldswas estimated stereologically fromsections taken at 5mmintervals throughoutthewhole length of right and left hippocampi from andleft the brains of13 peoplewith schizophrenia and16 controls.Resultswere assessed using repeated-measures analysis of covariance looking for amain effectof diagnosis and gender, andinteractions of and interactions thesewith side. Results Wewere unable to detect significantdifferences related to diagnosis, gender or side for any hippocampal subfield for this series of cases. Conclusions For this series of brains, hippocampal cell size is unchangedin schizophrenia

Nigeria’s Communication Policy and News Determination

National communication policy is not a very popular area of discourse or research among mass communication scholars in Nigeria. Indeed some of them are hardly aware of its existence but it is there and affects overall government attitude and actions toward the mass media. This discursive paper examines the concept of news and the factors that affect its determination. However, its major focus is on how Nigeria’s national communication policy seeks to influence what is disseminated as news by the country’s mass media. It argues that the policy document as it affects news determination is unnecessary and that it should be reviewed to focus on other critical areas that directly affect journalism practice in Nigeria such as the protection of journalists from exploitative media owners so that the country can have a more vibrant and robust mass media industry. Keywords: News, Journalism, Communication Policy, Governmen

Collection and direct amplification methods using the GlobalFiler™ kit for DNA recovered from common pipe bomb substrates

When analyzing DNA from exploded pipe bombs, quantities are often in trace amounts, making DNA typing extremely difficult. Amplifying minute amounts of DNA can cause stochastic effects resulting in partial or uninterpretable profiles. Therefore, the initial DNA collection from “touch” evidence must be optimized to maximize the amount of DNA available for analysis. This proof-of-concept study evaluated two different swab types with two direct amplification strategies to identify the most effective method for recovering DNA from common pipe bomb substrates. PVC and steel pipes, electrical tape, and copper wire spiked with epithelial cells were swabbed with cotton or microFLOQ® Direct Swabs and amplified directly or via a pre-treatment prior to STR amplification. Not only was the microFLOQ® Direct Swab protocol the quickest method with the least risk of contamination, but in combination with direct amplification, the microFLOQ® Direct Swabs also generated the most complete STR profiles

Observation Research: A Methodological Discourse in Communication Research

Qualitative observation as a research technique has not been very popular among most mass communication researchers in Africa and other developing countries. This explains why there are few studies based on this technique among scholars from this region. Against this background, this expository paper explains the concept of observation research method; distinguishes qualitative from other types of observation research; explains the distinguishing characteristics of participant and non-participant observation, the key questions that guide observation research as well as the procedure for conducting observation research. Furthermore, it explains the various approaches to interpreting data obtained from observation research. The major conclusion brawn from this study is that the ability of the researcher to utilize this technique depends on this capacity to identify appropriate research problems that are better investigated through this research technique. Keywords: Observation,   Research, Qualitative, Participant and Non Participant

Rapid neuroinflammatory changes in human acute intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the commonest form of hemorrhagic stroke and is associated with a poor prognosis. Neurosurgical removal of intracerebral hematoma has limited benefit and no pharmacotherapies are available. In acute ICH, primary tissue damage is followed by secondary pathology, where the cellular and neuroinflammatory changes are poorly understood. Methods We studied histological changes in postmortem tissue from a cohort of spontaneous supra‐tentorial primary ICH cases (n = 27) with survival of 1–12 days, compared to a matched control group (n = 16) examined in corresponding regions. Hematoxylin–eosin and microglial (Iba1) immunolabelled sections were assessed at 0–2, 3–5, and 7–12 days post‐ICH. Results Peri‐hematoma, the observed ICH‐related changes include edema, tissue neutrophils and macrophages from day 1. Ischemic neurons and swollen endothelial cells were common at day 1 and universal after day 5, as were intramural erythrocytes within small vessel walls. Activated microglia were evident at day 1 post‐ICH. There was a significant increase in Iba1 positive area fraction at 0–2 (threefold), 3–5 (fourfold), and 7–12 days post ICH (ninefold) relative to controls. Giant microglia were detected peri‐hematoma from day 5 and consistently 7–12 days post‐ICH. Interpretation Our data indicate that neuroinflammatory processes commence from day 1 post‐ICH with changing microglial size and morphology following ICH and up to day 12. From day 5 some microglia exhibit a novel multiply nucleated morphology, which may be related to changing phagocytic function. Understanding the time course of neuroinflammatory changes, post‐ICH may reveal novel targets for therapy and brain restoration

The Impact of International Broadcasting On Africa

This study examined the impact of global broadcasting on Africa. The survey research method was applied to collect data with the structured questionnaire as the research instrument. 150 respondents who were purposively selected from Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt were administered the questionnaire online through the surveymonkey.com website. However, 110 respondents properly completed and submitted their questionnaires representing 73 percent response rate. Findings revealed that Cable News Network (CNN) is the preferred global TV news channel of 41 percent of the respondents followed by Al Jezeera (32 percent), China Central Television (18 per cent) and BBC World (9 percent). This is consistent with the 2012 European Media Survey (EMS) report which declared CNN as the undisputed No 1 news brand in Africa. Findings further revealed that global TV news channels carried mostly negative stories about Africa as indicated by 86 percent of the respondents. Furthermore, 60 percent of the respondents indicated that this pattern of coverage not only gave the continent a negative perception but worsened her economic woes. The study concluded that decades after the New World Information and Communication Order debate was rested, negative coverage of the continent persists in the powerful global TV news channels. It then recommended that global TV channels still need to do more to improve on their coverage of Africa by focusing less on negative reports from the continent. It further recommended that stakeholders in the region need to take more practical steps to tell their own stories to the outside world. Key words Global television    International communication   Coverage   News   channel