Effect of Modality on Transfer of Linguistic Stimuli from Short-Term to Long Term Memory: Evidence on Immediate and Delayed Recall

Memory is considered as an important cognitive domain found to be important in our daily-walks of life. Short term and long term memory are considered as the main variants under memory. The information in short term memory is prone to be transferred to the long term memory through attention, practice, rehearsal. The current study aims to investigate the effect of modality on transfer of linguistic stimuli from short to long term memory. 20 neuro-typical Tamil speaking participants were recruited for the study. The participants were divided into two groups based on random sampling. Auditory task was administered on the first group where the participants were presented with sentences and were asked to remember the key/content word. While auditory plus visual task was administered on the second group of participants. Recall of key/content words was tested at the level of immediate and delayed recall conditions. On immediate recall condition, there was no difference between the two groups but on delayed recall condition, modality of stimulus presentation had a significant role as the group presented with auditory stimulus performed well compared to the group presented with auditory plus visual modalitie

Role of Semantic Teaching in the Acquisition of New Words

Fast mapping refers to the acquisition of new words in children just by the virtue of mere exposure. With a minimal exposure the words are imbibed. This study was carried with the aim of comparing the fast mapping and slow mapping in typically developing children. A total of 20 children in the age range of 5-6 years were considered for the study and the participants were divided into two groups on random basis. Fast mapping and slow mapping methods were used to train the first and group respectively. In fast mapping, the participants were exposed to the label of the target word for 5 times. In slow mapping method, the semantic features related to the target word was taught to the participants. The number of words learnt by group 1 and group 2 children was computed on immediate naming task and delayed naming. Statistically there was no significant difference between number of words learnt on fast mapping and slow mapping as observed on Mann-Whitney U test. While there was significant difference between the two methods on delayed naming as proven by the same statistic. More number of words learnt through slow mapping suggested that it was effective in evoking learning

Is Bilingualism a boon or bane for children with Communication Disorders?

Journal of Child Language Acquisition and Development - JCLA

Special Educators’ Experience Teaching during the Pandemic: A Retrospective Study

With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in teaching children with special needs has taken place. The purpose of this descriptive research study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on teacher relationships with special needs kids during the mandated school closures in March 2020. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out through google form questionnaire. A total of forty special educators participated in the study. The challenges faced by special educators were documented through five sections: Demographic details, Online Teaching, Access to Resources, Individualized Educational Plan and Parental Satisfaction. During the Covid pandemic, more than 90% of teachers switched to an online way of service delivery. Special educators agree that online resources should be used properly, and that parents should be able to organize material for online education. They agreed that acquiring and exchanging information on Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), establishing IEP direction, planning and drafting IEPs for online classrooms, and implementing and reviewing IEPs were all tough. Parents’ satisfaction with online education and interest in online programs were lower than in-person teaching, according to the study. Special educators were constantly seeking to adapt to the present instructional requirements. Culturally relevant resources, guidelines for implementing the Individualized Educational Plan, and a family-centered approach are all needed

Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of diabetic foot ulcers: a systematic review

Diabetic foot ulcers lead to substantial morbidity and impair quality of life with high treatment costs and enormous economic losses. Diabetic foot ulcers readily become chronic; all too often these wounds do not heal primarily. Treatment of chronic wounds should be essentially directed against the main etiologic factors responsible for the wound. There are different treatment approaches for wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. If treatment is based on the pathological cause, it may give better results and it must be cost effective too. Hydrogel dressing, platelet rich plasma, placenta extract gel, vacuum dressing are newer modalities in diabetic foot management

Treatment Approaches for Word Retrieval Deficits in Persons with Aphasia: Recent Advances

Word retrieval deficit is found to be one of the most persistent symptoms reported among the constellation of symptoms exhibited by persons with aphasia (PWAs). This deficit restraints the persons with aphasia to perform with ease across day-to-day conversations. As a consequence, PWAs fail to communicate their desired ideas or thoughts. Word retrieval is an intricate process as it entails various levels of processing. In addition, word retrieval breakdown can occur at multiple levels (semantic level or lexical-semantic level, or phonological level). Thus, there is a need for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to treat this deficit through effective treatment approaches. In recent decades, semantic feature analysis, verb network strengthening treatment, and phonological component analysis have received greater focus and importance in treating word retrieval deficits. Many studies confirmed that the use of these treatment approaches on PWAs possesses a pivotal role in remediating word retrieval deficits

Optimization of process parameters of cryogenic treatment on Al/Al2O3 MMCs by Taguchi method for tensile strength

Engineering materials are given different types of treatment to impart desired properties to the materials to make them suitable for the intended application. The conventional method is heat treatment. It is being followed by many centuries but the treatment of materials below the room temperature is altogether a new concept to enhance the material properties. When the materials are subjected to deep freezing up to -1960C the change in the morphology results in the stability of microstructure & dimensions. Many researchers have proved the usefulness of cryogenic treatment on ferrous materials. But a very little amount of work has been found in the area of nonferrous materials. Taguchi approach was applied to optimize the process parameters of cryogenic treatment on Al6061-Al2O3 MMCs. The results were experimentally validated. It is found that, the Taguchi approach can be used as an effective tool in optimizing the process variables to minimise the laborious effort in conduction of experiments

Microbial colonization influences early B-lineage development in the gut lamina propria

The RAG1/RAG2 endonuclease ("RAG") initiates the V(D)J recombination reaction that assembles Ig heavy (IgH) and light (IgL) chain variable region exons from germline gene segments to generate primary antibody repertoires1. IgH V(D)J assembly occurs in progenitor (pro-) B cells followed by that of IgL in precursor (pre-) B cells. Expression of IgH μ and IgL (Igκ or Igλ) chains generates IgM, which is expressed on immature B cells as the B cell antigen-binding receptor ("BCR"). Rag expression can continue in immature B cells2, allowing continued Igκ V(D)J recombination that replaces the initial VκJκ exon with one that generates a new specificity3–5. This “receptor editing” process, which also can lead to Igλ V(D)J recombination and expression3,6,7, provides a mechanism whereby antigen-encounter at the Rag-expressing immature B cell stage helps shape pre-immune BCR repertoires. As the major site of post-natal B cell development, the bone marrow is the principal location of primary Ig repertoire diversification in mice. Here, we report that early B cell development also occurs within the mouse intestinal lamina propria (LP), where the associated V(D)J recombination/receptor editing processes modulate primary LP Ig repertoires. At weanling age in normally housed mice, the LP contains a population of Rag-expressing B lineage cells that harbor intermediates indicative of ongoing V(D)J recombination and which contain cells with pro-B, pre-B, and editing phenotypes. Consistent with LP-specific receptor editing, Rag-expressing LP B-lineage cells have similar VH repertoires, but significantly different Vκ repertoires, compared to those of Rag2-expressing BM counterparts. Moreover, colonization of germ-free mice leads to an increased ratio of Igλ-expressing versus Igκ-expressing B cells specifically in the LP. We conclude that B cell development occurs in the intestinal mucosa, where it is regulated by extra-cellular signals from commensal microbes that influence gut Ig repertoires

Nipocalimab, an anti-FcRn monoclonal antibody, in participants with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate response or intolerance to anti-TNF therapy: results from the phase 2a IRIS-RA study

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nipocalimab in participants with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 antitumour necrosis factor agent. Methods: In this phase 2a study, participants with RA seropositive for anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) or rheumatoid factors were randomised 3:2 to nipocalimab (15 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks) or placebo from Weeks 0 to 10. Efficacy endpoints (primary endpoint: change from baseline in Disease Activity Score 28 using C reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) at Week 12) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed through Week 12. Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were assessed through Week 18. Results: 53 participants were enrolled (nipocalimab/placebo, n=33/20). Although the primary endpoint did not reach statistical significance for nipocalimab versus placebo, a numerically higher change from baseline in DAS28-CRP at Week 12 was observed (least squares mean (95% CI): –1.03 (–1.66 to –0.40) vs –0.58 (–1.24 to 0.07)), with numerically higher improvements in all secondary efficacy outcomes and PROs. Serious adverse events were reported in three participants (burn infection, infusion-related reaction and deep vein thrombosis). Nipocalimab significantly and reversibly reduced serum immunoglobulin G, ACPA and circulating immune complex levels but not serum inflammatory markers, including CRP. ACPA reduction was associated with DAS28-CRP remission and 50% response rate in American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria; participants with a higher baseline ACPA had greater clinical improvement. Conclusions: Despite not achieving statistical significance in the primary endpoint, nipocalimab showed consistent, numerical efficacy benefits in participants with moderate to severe active RA, with greater benefit observed for participants with a higher baseline ACPA. Trial registration number: NCT04991753

Investigating Mechanisms of DNA Double Strand Break Joining of Switch Regions During IgH Class Switch Recombination

During B cell development, RAG endonuclease cleaves immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) V, D, and J gene segments and orchestrates their fusion as deletional events that assemble a V(D)J exon in the same transcriptional orientation as adjacent Cμ constant region exons. In mice, six additional sets of constant region exons (CHs) lie 100–200 kilobases downstream in the same transcriptional orientation as V(D)J and Cμ exons. Long repetitive switch (S) regions precede Cμ and downstream CHs. In mature B cells, class switch recombination (CSR) generates different antibody classes by replacing Cμ with a downstream CH. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates CSR by promoting deoxycytidine deamination lesions within Sμ and a downstream acceptor S-region; these lesions are converted into DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by general DNA repair factors which are then joined by end-joining pathways. Productive CSR must occur in a deletional orientation by joining the upstream end of an Sμ DSB to the downstream end of an acceptor S-region DSB. However, the relative frequency of deletional to inversional CSR junctions has not been measured. Thus, whether orientation-specific joining is a programmed mechanistic feature of CSR as it is for V(D)J recombination and, if so, how this is achieved is unknown. To address this question, we adapt high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing (HTGTS) into a highly sensitive DSB end-joining assay and apply it to endogenous AID-initiated S-region in mouse B cells. We show that CSR is programmed to occur in a productive deletional orientation and does so via an unprecedented mechanism that involves in cis IgH organizational features in combination with frequent S-region DSBs initiated by AID. We further implicate ATM-kinase-dependent DSB-response (DSBR) factors including histone variant H2AX, 53BP1 and its associated effector protein Rif1 in enforcing this mechanism. We go on to use HTGTS to study influence of different DSBR factor deficiencies on the structure of CSR junctions between AID-initiated DSBs in the 5' portion of the donor Sμ region to those across the length of downstream acceptor S regions. Based on analyses of thousands of switch junctions, we find that absence of DSBR factors leads to varying increases in micro-homology (MH)-mediated junctions, with 53BP1-deficiency having the greatest increase. However, while translocation junctions between Cas-9/gRNA-induced DSB in c-myc to AID-initiated S region DSBs in ATM- or 53BP1-deficient B cells show similar biases in MH-usage to those observed in the context CSR junctions, translocation junctions to other general DSBs genome-wide had no MH-usage increase in ATM-deficient cells and only a modest increase in 53BP1-deficient cells. We discuss these findings with respect to potential roles of AID-initiated DSBs in S regions to be especially prone to MH-usage potentially due to their increased resection along with their highly repetitive nature that provides abundant micro-homologous sequence.Medical Science