The long way to bilingualism: the peculiar case of multilingual South Tyrol

In the present contribution we discuss the challenges and the results of learning a second language in South Tyrol, the multilingual border region in northern Italy where the autochthonous German- and Ladinspeaking communities have cohabited with the Italian-speaking community since the end of the First World War. The picture resulting from the data collected in the Kolipsi project (Eurac/DiScoF), an extensive linguistic and psychosocial investigation about South Tyrolean secondary school pupils now in its second edition, gives precious inputs to all entities that intervene in the process of attitude formation and change, ranging from the family environment to politics.En el presente trabajo, debatimos los retos y los resultados del proceso de aprendizaje de segundas lenguas en el Tirol del Sur, la región fronteriza multilingüe del norte de Italia donde las comunidades autóctonas hablantes de alemán y ladino han convivido con la comunidad italohablante desde el fin de la Primera Guerra Mundial. La imagen resultante de los datos recogidos en el proyecto Kolipsi (Eurac/DiScoF), una investigación abarcadora tanto lingüística como psicosocial sobre alumnado de secundaria del Tirol del Sur, proporciona información muy valiosa a todas las entidades que intervienen en el proceso de la formación y el cambio de las actitudes, desde el entorno familiar hasta el ámbito de la política

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives and reports on six research projects split into three sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 NS13126-07)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07047-05)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 2 T32 NS07047-06)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS 77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS1284606)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NS07099)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS14092-04)Gallaudet College SubcontractKarmazin Foundation through the Council for the Arts at M.I.T.National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 R01 NS1691701A1)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS11080-06)National Institutes of Health (Grant GM-21189

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on ten research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS0704)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS80-06369)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS11153)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 P01 NS14092)Karmazin Foundation through the Council for the Arts at MITNational Institutes of Health (Fellowship 5 F32 NS06386)National Science Foundation (Fellowship SP179-14913)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS11080

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on seven research projects split into three sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 PO1 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS18682)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07047)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 F33 NS07202-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS16917)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092-05)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS 77 21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS11080)National Institutes of Health (Grant GM-21189

Properties of sympathetic neuron responses to cerebral ischemia and to systemic hypoxia or hypercapnia which suggest mediation by central chemosensitive mechanisms

This thesis concerns the possible existence of central nervous system (CNS) chemosensitive mechanisms influencing sympathetic activity. The thesis is based on observations of sympathetic neuron and cardiovascular responses to CNS ischemia, systemic hypoxia and systemic hypercapnia. Investigation of the pressor response to cerebral ischemia in the cat indicates that it is mediated by superficial regions of the ventral medulla also involved in the pressor response to central hypercapnia. Experiments concerning the sympathetic response to systemic hypoxia in the CNS-intact sino-aortic denervated cat revealed a two-component response of the firing rates of single sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN), the mass activity of the cervical sympathetic trunk, and the neurogenic component of hindlink vascular resistance (N-HLVR). The response consisted of: (i) an increase of all three variables during extreme hypoxia, and (ii) a decrease during moderate hypoxia. The hypoxic sympatho-depression resulted from loss of central respiratory input to SPNs as well as of respiration-independent input. The hypoxic sympatho-excitation involved only the latter input. Investigation of the sympathetic response to systemic hypercapnia in the acute C$sb1$ spinal cat demonstrated a direct relationship between SPN firing rate or N-HLVR and arterial PCO$sb2$ between normocapnia and severe hypercapnia. N-HLVR also increased in this preparation during systemic hypoxia

Sex‐Specific Cerebral Blood Flow Alterations in Youth Operated for Congenital Heart Disease

Background Lower cerebral blood flow (CBF) has previously been documented preoperatively in neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, it remains unclear if these CBF deficits persist over the life span of CHD survivors following heart surgery. When exploring this question, it is critical to consider the sex differences in CBF that emerge during adolescence. Therefore, this study aimed to compare global and regional CBF between postpubertal youth with CHD and healthy peers and examine if such alterations are related to sex. Methods and Results Youth aged 16 to 24 years who underwent open heart surgery for complex CHD during infancy and age‐ and sex‐matched controls completed brain magnetic resonance imaging, including T1‐weighted and pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling acquisitions. Global gray matter CBF and regional CBF in 9 bilateral gray matter regions were quantified for each participant. Compared with female controls (N=27), female participants with CHD (N=25) presented with lower global and regional CBF. In contrast, there were no differences in CBF between male controls (N=18) and males with CHD (N=17). Concurrently, female controls had higher global and regional CBF compared with male controls, with no differences in CBF between female and male participants with CHD. CBF was lower in individuals with a Fontan circulation. Conclusions This study provides evidence of altered CBF in postpubertal female participants with CHD despite undergoing surgical intervention during infancy. Alterations to CBF could have implications for later cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and cerebrovascular disease in women with CHD