Relatively effortless listening promotes understanding and recall of medical instructions in older adults

Communication success under adverse conditions requires efficient and effective recruitment of both bottom-up (sensori-perceptual) and top-down (cognitive-linguistic) resources to decode the intended auditory-verbal message. Employing these limited capacity resources has been shown to vary across the lifespan, with evidence indicating that younger adults out-perform older adults for both comprehension and memory of the message. This study examined how sources of interference arising from the speaker (message spoken with conversational vs. clear speech technique), the listener (hearing-listening and cognitive-linguistic factors), and the environment (in competing speech babble noise vs. quiet) interact and influence learning and memory performance using more ecologically valid methods than has been done previously. The results suggest that when older adults listened to complex medical prescription instructions with “clear speech,” (presented at audible levels through insertion earphones) their learning efficiency, immediate, and delayed memory performance improved relative to their performance when they listened with a normal conversational speech rate (presented at audible levels in sound field). This better learning and memory performance for clear speech listening was maintained even in the presence of speech babble noise. The finding that there was the largest learning-practice effect on 2nd trial performance in the conversational speech when the clear speech listening condition was first is suggestive of greater experience-dependent perceptual learning or adaptation to the speaker's speech and voice pattern in clear speech. This suggests that experience-dependent perceptual learning plays a role in facilitating the language processing and comprehension of a message and subsequent memory encoding

Relationship between dynamical heterogeneities and stretched exponential relaxation

We identify the dynamical heterogeneities as an essential prerequisite for stretched exponential relaxation in dynamically frustrated systems. This heterogeneity takes the form of ordered domains of finite but diverging lifetime for particles in atomic or molecular systems, or spin states in magnetic materials. At the onset of the dynamical heterogeneity, the distribution of time intervals spent in such domains or traps becomes stretched exponential at long time. We rigorously show that once this is the case, the autocorrelation function of the renewal process formed by these time intervals is also stretched exponential at long time.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Sex segregation and young adults\u27 gender-typed attitudes about occupations

The present study examined the relation between the prevalence of sex segregation, or the division of men and women within social interactions, and young adults\u27 gender-typed attitudes. Specifically, gender-typed attitudes about the occupations that are preferred for the self and viewed as appropriate for others were investigated. The objectives of the current study were partially based on the suggestion that gender-typed attitudes may be a consequence, as well as a cause, of sex segregation (McHale, Kim, Whiteman, & Crouter, 2004). The gender-typed personality traits of expressivity (i.e., traits typically associated with femininity; e.g., being emotional) and instrumentality (i.e., traits typically associated with masculinity; e.g., being assertive) were examined as mediators of the relation between sex segregation and gender-typed attitudes about occupations. Activity preferences, or the activities that individuals choose to engage in, was also investigated as a mediator of the relation between sex segregation and gender-typed attitudes about occupations. Participants were 284 young adult college students between 18 to 23 years who completed questionnaires for the study online. The results indicated that men and women have more same-sex friends than other-sex friends. The frequency of sex segregation was found to be partially dependent on factors such as sex and context of the interaction (i.e., school vs. hanging out ). Furthermore, men and women were found to have gender-typed attitudes about occupations viewed as appropriate for the self and for others. Overall, sex segregation was not found to be related to gender-typed attitudes about occupations. Reasons for these findings are discussed. Additionally, the potential consequences of the findings are discussed in relation to the continuing sex segregation that is observed within many occupations

The demography of Atlantic brant (Branta bernicla hrota)

Animal population dynamics are driven by variation in survival and productivity. Long-lived species such as Arctic-nesting geese often are characterized by high adult survival and low but highly variable annual reproductive success. Productivity is commonly the mechanism for population change in long-lived species, but minor perturbations in survival can strongly influence trajectories. Events and processes during one season of the annual cycle that influence population demography during another period are termed cross-seasonal effects (CSEs) and can be a result of environmental conditions such as temperature or precipitation. Thus, robust conservation planning for animal populations depends on a complete understanding of both survival and productivity across the full annual cycle. My thesis is split into two chapters that describe survival and productivity in Atlantic brant (Branta bernicla hrota), which are an Arctic-nesting goose species that breed in the Foxe Basin of Nunavut, Canada, stage during fall and spring migration in James Bay, and winter on the Atlantic coast primarily in heavily urbanized landscapes of New Jersey and Long Island, New York. In chapter 1, I tested the extent to which environmental conditions at different scales throughout the annual cycle influenced Atlantic brant productivity over the past 44 years using generalized linear mixed models. I modeled the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation Index, temperature and precipitation, and regional snow and ice cover during winter on the Atlantic coast, spring staging areas at James Bay, and breeding areas in the Foxe Basin on the fall Atlantic brant age-ratio. I predicted that harsh conditions would negatively influence productivity throughout the annual cycle, and that the strongest effects would occur during the breeding season. My results suggested CSEs during winter and spring, as well as the conditions during the breeding season explained variation in Atlantic brant productivity over the past 44 years, and conditions during spring had the strongest effect. Favorable spring conditions at all scales (local weather, regional snow and ice cover, and climatic indices) and only higher local temperatures during the breeding season positively influenced Atlantic brant productivity. Notably, I documented contrasting effects of winter regional snow and ice cover and local temperature conditions on productivity, such that lower temperatures positively influenced productivity while increased snow and ice cover negatively influenced productivity. I attributed this to greater levels of anthropogenic disturbance when temperatures were warmer during winter. These results emphasize the importance of evaluating conditions at multiple scales and throughout the annual cycle for greatest understanding of population level processes and to inform prioritization of conservation efforts for Atlantic brant. Future brant research should focus on nutrient dynamics of James Bay staging areas, identifying core breeding areas and quantifying reproductive metrics, and determining wintering habitat and space use. Our approach of evaluating seasonal environmental conditions at various scales can similarly be applied to other species with productivity datasets for holistic perspective of drivers of demography across space and time. In chapter 2, I sought to quantify improvements in survival estimates for Atlantic brant given implementation of a color-marking and resighting program, and addition of a winter operational banding program to supplement the existing summer metal banding program in the Arctic. I used a two-season joint encounter (JE) survival modeling framework which incorporated all existing metal banding and recovery data with color-marking and resighting data to estimate Atlantic brant survival from 2000 to 2021. Then, I used demographic estimates from empirical models to develop a suite of simulations with varied capture and resighting efforts under both a two-season and single-season framework to draw inference on the utility of a winter color-marking and resighting program. I quantified improvements in precision of survival estimates from JE simulations compared to traditional dead-recovery (DR) models under the existing summer metal banding effort. From 2000 to 2021, adult survival during the hunting season and non-hunting season was 0.91 (95 percent Credible Interval [CRI] 0.87, 0.94) and 0.96 (95 percent CRI 0.90, 0.99) respectively and juvenile survival during the hunting season and non-hunting season was 0.89 (95 percent CRI 0.83, 0.94) and 0.70 (95 percent CRI 0.43, 0.92) respectively. Reported mortality probability for metal banded brant was 0.43 (95 percent CRI 0.31, 0.63) and for double color-marked brant was 0.55 (95 percent CRI 0.37, 0.87). The reported mortality probability estimates for brant and two-season simulations were biased high because the data collection framework for Atlantic brant did not provide adequate information for the second season of the model (i.e., marked individuals could not be resighted or recovered in one of two seasons). In the single-season modeling approach, small sample size limited utility of additional resighting data in JE models. Under all simulations, precision in survival estimates was not increased in JE models compared to DR models. I recommend further development of a single-season model that leverages resighting information but is simpler than the two-season framework. As the color-marking and resighting program is still relatively new, I recommend continued color-marking to establish a larger dataset which can be used to quantify band targeting in hunter harvest and explore additional uses of resighting data such as estimation of lifetime reproductive success. Overall, I suggest that practitioners interested in estimating Atlantic brant survival should use single season DR or JE models for continued conservation planning and management of this species.Includes bibliographical references

From Solitary to Solidarity: Belonging, Social Support, and the Problem of Women’s Recidivism

This paper addresses the relation between belonging and social support and recidivism of formerly-incarcerated women by reviewing existing literature on their experience re-entering into society. Drawing on recent evidence, this paper considers that belonging and social support, in the form of frequent, positive interactions, may help formerly-incarcerated women overcome obstacles of successful reintegration. Specifically, the review paper supports a hypothesis that if formerly-incarcerated women have more social support as they re-enter into society, the recidivism rate for this population could decrease. The review also examines how different demographics intersect with the experience of reintegration and addresses gaps in the literature on this topic. The review paper attempts to lead to a greater awareness of this issue and to encourage more research on the specific challenges faced by this population

Promotion of Hendra virus replication by microRNA 146a

Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus in the genus Henipavirus. Thirty-nine outbreaks of Hendra virus have been reported since its initial identification in Queensland, Australia, resulting in seven human infections and four fatalities. Little is known about cellular host factors impacting Hendra virus replication. In this work, we demonstrate that Hendra virus makes use of a microRNA (miRNA) designated miR-146a, an NF-κB-responsive miRNA upregulated by several innate immune ligands, to favor its replication. miR-146a is elevated in the blood of ferrets and horses infected with Hendra virus and is upregulated by Hendra virus in human cells in vitro. Blocking miR-146a reduces Hendra virus replication in vitro, suggesting a role for this miRNA in Hendra virus replication. In silico analysis of miR-146a targets identified ring finger protein (RNF)11, a member of the A20 ubiquitin editing complex that negatively regulates NF-κB activity, as a novel component of Hendra virus replication. RNA interference-mediated silencing of RNF11 promotes Hendra virus replication in vitro, suggesting that increased NF-κB activity aids Hendra virus replication. Furthermore, overexpression of the IκB superrepressor inhibits Hendra virus replication. These studies are the first to demonstrate a host miRNA response to Hendra virus infection and suggest an important role for host miRNAs in Hendra virus disease

Identification of host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii GRA15 (TgGRA15) by yeast two-hybrid system

Background Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, possesses the remarkable ability to co-opt host cell machinery in order to maintain its intracellular survival. This parasite can modulate signaling pathways of its host through the secretion of polymorphic effector proteins localized in the rhoptry and dense granule organelles. One of such effectors is T. gondii type II-specific dense granule protein 15, TgGRA15, which activates NF-κB pathway. The aim of the present study was to identify the host interaction partner proteins of TgGRA15. Methods We screened a yeast two-hybrid mouse cDNA library using TgGRA15 as the bait. TgGRA15 (PRU strain, Type II) was cloned into the pGBKT7 vector and expressed in the Y2HGold yeast strain. Then, the bait protein expression was validated by western blotting analysis, followed by auto-activation and toxicity tests in comparison with control (Y2HGold yeast strain transformed with empty pGBKT7 vector). Results This screening led to the identification of mouse Luzp1 and AW209491 as host binding proteins that interact with TgGRA15. Luzp1 contains three nuclear localizing signals and is involved in regulating a subset of host non-coding RNA genes. Conclusions These findings reveal, for the first time, new host cell proteins interacting with TgGRA15. The identification of these cellular targets and the understanding of their contribution to the host-pathogen interaction may serve as the foundation for novel therapeutic and prevention strategies against T. gondii infection

Phosphatase and tensin homologue: a therapeutic target for SMA

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most common juvenile neurodegenerative diseases, which can be associated with child mortality. SMA is caused by a mutation of ubiquitously expressed gene, Survival Motor Neuron1 (SMN1), leading to reduced SMN protein and the motor neuron death. The disease is incurable and the only therapeutic strategy to follow is to improve the expression of SMN protein levels in motor neurons. Significant numbers of motor neurons in SMA mice and SMA cultures are caspase positive with condensed nuclei, suggesting that these cells are prone to a process of cell death called apoptosis. Searching for other potential molecules or signaling pathways that are neuroprotective for central nervous system (CNS) insults is essential for widening the scope of developmental medicine. PTEN, a Phosphatase and Tensin homologue, is a tumor suppressor, which is widely expressed in CNS. PTEN depletion activates anti-apoptotic factors and it is evident that the pathway plays an important protective role in many neurodegenerative disorders. It functions as a negative regulator of PIP3/AKT pathway and thereby modulates its downstream cellular functions through lipid phosphatase activity. Moreover, previous reports from our group demonstrated that, PTEN depletion using viral vector delivery system in SMN delta7 mice reduces disease pathology, with significant rescue on survival rate and the body weight of the SMA mice. Thus knockdown/depletion/mutation of PTEN and manipulation of PTEN medicated Akt/PKB signaling pathway may represent an important therapeutic strategy to promote motor neuron survival in SMA

Benthic Nutrient Flux in a Small Estuary in Northwestern Florida (USA)

Benthic nutrient fluxes of ammonium (NH4+), nitrite/nitrate (NO2- + NO3-), phosphate (PO4-3), and dissolved silica (DSi) were measured in Escambia Bay, an estuary within the larger Pensacola Bay system of northwestern Florida (USA). Our study occurred during a severe drought which reduced riverine inputs to Escambia Bay. Laboratory incubations of field-collected cores were conducted on 8 dates between June and October 2000 to estimate nutrient flux, and cores were collected from locations exhibiting a range of sediment organic matter content. NH4+ flux ranged from – 48.1 to 110.4 μmol m-2 h-1, but the mean flux was 14.6 μmol m-2 h-1. Dissolved silica (DSi) fluxes were also variable (-109. 3 to 145.3 μmol m-2 h-1), but the mean net flux (9.3 μmol m-2 h-1) was from the sediment to the water column. Bay sediment fluxes for NO2-+ NO3- and PO4-3 were less variable during this period (– 7.93 to 28.73 and – 1.74 to 3.29 μmol m-2 h-1 for NO2-+ NO3- and PO4-3, respectively). Low NH4+ fluxes were similar to published estimates from lagoonal Gulf of Mexico (GOM) estuaries, possibly due to the reduced freshwater input. Diminished regeneration of phosphate relative to inorganic nitrogen observed during the study period was consistent with previous research in Pensacola Bay suggesting phytoplankton phosphorus limitation. Finally, the estimated residence time of Escambia Bay and the mean turnover times for NH4+ and NO2-+ NO3- suggested that benthic flux significantly influenced nitrogen concentrations in overlying water