The Relationship Between Central Auditory Tests and Neurocognitive Domains in Adults Living With HIV

Objective: Tests requiring central auditory processing, such as speech perception-in-noise, are simple, time efficient, and correlate with cognitive processing. These tests may be useful for tracking brain function. Doing this effectively requires information on which tests correlate with overall cognitive function and specific cognitive domains. This study evaluated the relationship between selected central auditory focused tests and cognitive domains in a cohort of normal hearing adults living with HIV and HIV– controls. The long-term aim is determining the relationships between auditory processing and neurocognitive domains and applying this to analyzing cognitive function in HIV and other neurocognitive disorders longitudinally. Method: Subjects were recruited from an ongoing study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Central auditory measures included the Gap Detection Test (Gap), Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), and Triple Digit Test (TDT). Cognitive measures included variables from the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), Cogstate neurocognitive battery, and Kiswahili Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The measures represented three cognitive domains: processing speed, learning, and working memory. Bootstrap resampling was used to calculate the mean and standard deviation of the proportion of variance explained by the individual central auditory tests for each cognitive measure. The association of cognitive measures with central auditory variables taking HIV status and age into account was determined using regression models. Results: Hearing in Noise Tests and TDT were significantly associated with Cogstate learning and working memory tests. Gap was not significantly associated with any cognitive measure with age in the model. TDT explained the largest mean proportion of variance and had the strongest relationship to the MoCA and Cogstate tasks. With age in the model, HIV status did not affect the relationship between central auditory tests and cognitive measures. Age was strongly associated with multiple cognitive tests. Conclusion: Central auditory tests were associated with measures of learning and working memory. Compared to the other central auditory tests, TDT was most strongly related to cognitive function. These findings expand on the association between auditory processing and cognitive domains seen in other studies and support evaluating these tests for tracking brain health in HIV and other neurocognitive disorders

Herbicidal ionic liquids with 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionate anion

W niniejszej pracy opisano metodologię syntezy nowych herbicydowych cieczy jonowych (HILs) z kationem alkilo[2- (2-hydroksyetoksy)etylo]dimetyloamoniowym oraz anionem 2-(2,4-dichlorofenoksy)propionianowym. Dla otrzymanych związków przebadano wpływ długości łańcucha alkilowego w kationie na szereg właściwości fizykochemicznych takich jak gęstość, lepkość, współczynnik refrakcji czy rozpuszczalność. Ponadto, w badaniach szklarniowych na chwastach komosy białej (Chenopodium album L.) oraz chabra bławatka (Centaurea cyanus L.) określono ich aktywność chwastobójczą. Syntezowane ciecze jonowe wykazywały porównywalną lub wyższą aktywnością biologiczną w porównaniu z herbicydem referencyjnym. Zauważono, że długość podstawnika alkilowego w kationie ma wpływ na redukcję świeżej masy roślin. Najwyższą efektywnością charakteryzowały się sole zawierające podstawnik dodecylowy oraz tetradecylowy.Here we present a synthesis methodology of novel herbicidal ionic liquids (HILs) with alkyl[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl]dimethylammonium cation and 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-propionate anion. The effect of the alkyl chain length in the cation on the physicochemical properties such as viscosity, density, refractive index as well as solubility was determined. Additionally, the herbicidal efficacy was tested in greenhouse experiments by using common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) and cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L.) as test plants. The studied HILs exhibited a similar or higher efficacy compared to the reference herbicide. It should be noted that the alkyl chain length in the cation influence on fresh reduction of plants. The salts with dodecyl and tetradecyl substituents were the most effective

Introduction: Dispersed Minorities and Non-Territorial Autonomy

The concept of non-territorial autonomy gives rise to at least two important questions: the range of functional areas over which autonomy extends, and the extent to which this autonomy is indeed non-territorial. A widely used early description significantly labelled this ‘national cultural autonomy’, implying that its focus is mainly on cultural matters, such as language, religion, education and family law. In many of the cases that are commonly cited, ‘autonomy’ may not even extend this far: its most visible expression is the existence of separate electoral registers or quotas for the various groups. Part of the dilemma lies in the difficulty of devolving substantial power on a non-territorial basis: to the extent that devolved institutions are state-like, they ideally require a defined territory. Ethnic groups, however, vary in the extent to which they are territorially concentrated, and therefore in the degree to which any autonomous arrangements for them are territorial or non-territorial. This article explores the dilemma generated by this tension between ethnic geography (pattern of ethnic settlement) and political autonomy (degree of selfrule), and introduces a set of case studies where the relationship between these two features is discussed further: the Ottoman empire and its successor states, the Habsburg monarchy, the Jewish minorities of Europe, interwar Estonia, contemporary Belgium, and two indigenous peoples, the Sa´mi in Norway and the Maori in New Zealand