Directed Differentiation of Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Using Rationally Designed Solid State Peptide Materials

Oligodendrocytes are neuroglial cells whose function is to support and myelinate axons in the CNS. Oligodendrocytes have been found to arise from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) during late embryogenesis and early post natal development. A single oligodendrocyte can myelinate as many as 40 or more different axons, wrapping the axon with between 20 and 200 layers of highly modified membrane processes1. The differentiation of OPCs into myelin-synthesizing oligodendrocytes is not well understood, and research suggests that cues for differentiation involve mechanical and chemical signaling from astrocytes and neurons. Many proteins are known to be involved in the migration, proliferation, survival, and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursors, but their specific roles are not well defined or understood. A better understanding of the mechanism through which these proteins affect the differentiation of OPCs will allow us to more effectively differentiate OPCs to oligodendrocytes, allowing us to better assess the potential for using OPCs as a neurological therapy. The cells used in this study are CG4s, a bipotential glial cell line capable of differentiating into oligodendrocytes2. Various peptide materials are being used to enhance differentiation of CG4 OPCs into mature oligodendrocytes with myelinating capabilities as well as to support mature oligodendrocytes in culture for further study.https://preserve.lehigh.edu/undergrad-scholarship-freed-posters/1020/thumbnail.jp

Amplitude Onsets and Spectral Energy in Perceptual Experience

A commentary on A temporal sampling framework for developmental dyslexi

Lexico-semantic and acoustic-phonetic processes in the perception of noise-vocoded speech: implications for cochlear implantation.

Noise-vocoding is a transformation which, when applied to speech, severely reduces spectral resolution and eliminates periodicity, yielding a stimulus that sounds "like a harsh whisper" (Scott et al., 2000, p. 2401). This process simulates a cochlear implant, where the activity of many thousand hair cells in the inner ear is replaced by direct stimulation of the auditory nerve by a small number of tonotopically-arranged electrodes. Although a cochlear implant offers a powerful means of restoring some degree of hearing to profoundly deaf individuals, the outcomes for spoken communication are highly variable (Moore and Shannon, 2009). Some variability may arise from differences in peripheral representation (e.g., the degree of residual nerve survival) but some may reflect differences in higher-order linguistic processing. In order to explore this possibility, we used noise-vocoding to explore speech recognition and perceptual learning in normal-hearing listeners tested across several levels of the linguistic hierarchy: segments (consonants and vowels), single words, and sentences. Listeners improved significantly on all tasks across two test sessions. In the first session, individual differences analyses revealed two independently varying sources of variability: one lexico-semantic in nature and implicating the recognition of words and sentences, and the other an acoustic-phonetic factor associated with words and segments. However, consequent to learning, by the second session there was a more uniform covariance pattern concerning all stimulus types. A further analysis of phonetic feature recognition allowed greater insight into learning-related changes in perception and showed that, surprisingly, participants did not make full use of cues that were preserved in the stimuli (e.g., vowel duration). We discuss these findings in relation cochlear implantation, and suggest auditory training strategies to maximize speech recognition performance in the absence of typical cues

Voluntary and involuntary processes affect the production of verbal and non-verbal signals by the human voice.

AbstractWe argue that a comprehensive model of human vocal behaviour must address both voluntary and involuntary aspects of articulate speech and non-verbal vocalizations. Within this, plasticity of vocal output should be acknowledged and explained as part of the mature speech production system.</jats:p

Voice, personality and Grandma: Mabel Constanduros and The Buggins Family

This article explores the work of Mable Constanduros (1880 1957), who was a prolific writer and actress for radio, film and theatre, specialising in comedy. Her radio series The Buggins Family (over 250 episodes were broadcast by the BBC between 1928 and 1948) was possibly the first situation comedy, but has never been recognised as such. In this article, I recreate scripts, analyse the structure of Constanduros’s most famous Buggins episodes, and evaluate her performance, putting it into context with the wider culture in radio at the time. Frances Gray argues that sitcom is traditionally the preserve of men in her book Women and Laughter (1994), and that until very recently women have been regarded as contributing less to the genre, which could explain the reluctance to give Constanduros her true recognition. It is now commonly acknowledged that women have been victims of sexism in many ways and comedy writing is no exception. The men who were prominent in early radio comedy and drama are well known; the women are far less so. By evaluating The Buggins Family, I hope to make Constanduros more visible, and in doing so add to the body of work that is challenging the male canon

Integrating Reading And Writing Lessons

In American schools reading and Writing are usually taught as separate subjects in the curriculum. This has been a convenient way to organize instruction even though for more than a century educators have advocated their integration. Research and pedagogy on integrating reading and writing (Chomsky, 1970; Loban, 1976; Smith, 1982) suggest the facilitating effects of reading practice upon writing practice, and of writing practice upon reading skills (Applebee, 1977; p. 536). Such proclamations have let to renewed interest and quests on the part of curriculum developers to design instructional programs that highlight relationships between expressive and receptive language skills

Hilda, Mabel and Me

This thesis explores the work of three women practitioners in radio and examines the process of writing radio drama through a mixture of criticism and practice. It analyzes early theories about radio drama and compares them with those of today, in order to ascertain whether the early ideas are still relevant. Starkey points out that radio has been relatively undertheorized (2004: 204), so this evaluation of the practice of writing radio drama adds to knowledge of the medium as a whole. The work focuses on two women practitioners from the past: Hilda Matheson, whose book Broadcasting (1933), was the first single authored text on radio and broadcasting by a woman published in English (Crook 1999: 12) and Mabel Constanduros, who was a prolific writer and actress of the time, specialising in comedy. Matheson s ideas are compared with those of Val Gielgud and other early theorists, which were more accepted at the time. This analysis leads to close examination of a debate at the heart of radio drama, that being whether noises or dialogue are the best method of storytelling. Finally there is a consideration of the author s own writing practice, using three broadcast radio plays, 21 Conversations with a Hairdresser, 15 Ways to Leave Your Lover and Jesus, The Devil and a Kid Called Death. This provides insight into the changing methods of writing for radio. The findings create a story design for writing the Radio 4 Afternoon Drama. Final written drafts are included, along with audio copies of the plays as they were broadcast. Several different types of criticism create the theoretical base, including works on cultural theory, feminist theory and reception theory, as well as texts on radio, screen, play and comedy writing

The West: slowing, but still strong

Federal Reserve District, 12th

Don’t Tap the Keg and Eight Other Essential Rules of Early Career Principals: An Editorial

Principals that are early in their careers have unique challenges to face in order to become successful in their administrative positions. Early career principals, future principals, and those who educate future principals in education administration programs at colleges and universities should be aware of these potential obstacles. This list of nine “essential rules” seeks to challenge new and future principals, as well as those who educate them, to consider some of the unique challenges faced as well as offer insight to effectively overcome them