Cognitive Science

P2X receptors are ligand-gated ion channels which are activated by excitatory neurotransmitter ATP. Despite considerable evidence of signaling by extracellular nucleotides in other sensory systems, P2X receptors in the visual system have only rarely been studied, and almost nothing is known about their functional significance in the retina. To determine whether ATP plays a role in the modulation of vertical retinal signal pathways, we examined the expression of P2X receptor mRNA in freshly isolated bipolar cells of the rat retina Ž . Brown Norway, P25 using the single-cell RT-PCR technique. Positive amplification signals were found in about 33% of the bipolar cells for P2X , P2X and P2X but not for P2X mRNA. We conclude that at least a subpopulation of bipolar cells in the rat retina 3 4 5 7 expresses ionotropic P2 receptors of the P2X type and that these possibly exert a neuromodulatory influence on information processing in the retina.

P2X receptors are ligand-gated ion channels activated by adenosine triphosphate and expressed in a broad variety of tissues. The present study demonstrates the expression of various types of purinergic P2X receptors in identified retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of the adult rat retina. Single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (SC-RT-PCR) resulted in a positive amplification signal for all P2X receptor subunit mRNAs examined (P2X , P2X ). Immunohistochemistry with P2X receptor subunit-specific antibodies showed 3 -5 7 3,4 a labelling of neurons in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer. Our data suggest that extracellular ATP acts directly on RGCs via several types of P2X receptors and may provide neuromodulatory influences on information processing in the retina.

P2X receptors are ligand-gated ion channels activated by ATP. They are expressed in a broad variety of tissues. To date, eight P2X Ž . receptor subunits P2X -P2X , P2XM have been cloned. In spite of the considerable evidence of signaling by extracellular nucleotides 1 7 in other sensory systems, only few studies have been undertaken in the retina. In earlier studies, we have demonstrated that there is mRNA expression of the P2X and P2X subunits in the rat retina. In the present study, molecular biological methods were used to 2 -5 7 Ž . Ž . investigate expression of P2X receptor mRNA in freshly isolated Muller cells MCs of the adult rat retina Brown Norway . A total of 36 MCs was analyzed, employing the single-cell RT-PCR. A positive amplification signal of 11r14 for P2X -mRNA, 5r10 for 3 P2X -mRNA, 3r10 for P2X -mRNA and 0r8 for P2X -mRNA was revealed. Additionally, the astroglial identity of the cells under 4 5 7 Ž . studied was confirmed in 10 cases by simultaneous amplification of RT-PCR products of glutamine synthetase GS -and P2X-mRNA. We conclude that MCs of rat retina express ionotropic P2 receptors, which, in addition to other functions, may play a key role within the recently described long range calcium signaling and the fast direct glia-neuron interactions in the rat retina.

This paper describes a wheelchair for physically disabled people developed within the UMIDAM I Project. A dependent-user recognition voice system and ultrasonic and infrared sensor systems has been integrated in this wheelchair. In this way we have obtained a wheelchair which can be driven with using voice commands and with the possibility of avoiding obstacles and downstairs or hole detection. The wheelchair has also been developed to allow autonomous driving (for example, following walls). The project, in which two prototypes have been produced, has been carried out totally in the Electronics Department of the University of Alcalfi (Spain). It has been financed by the ONCE 2. Electronic system configuration, a sensor system, a mechanical model, control (low level control, control by voice commands), voice recognition and autonomous control are considered. The results of the experiments carried out on the two prototypes are also given.

IntroductionBi-directional brain-computer interfaces (BD-BCI) to restore movement and sensation must achieve concurrent operation of recording and decoding of motor commands from the brain and stimulating the brain with somatosensory feedback.MethodsA custom programmable direct cortical stimulator (DCS) capable of eliciting artificial sensorimotor response was integrated into an embedded BCI system to form a safe, independent, wireless, and battery powered testbed to explore BD-BCI concepts at a low cost. The BD-BCI stimulator output was tested in phantom brain tissue by assessing its ability to deliver electrical stimulation equivalent to an FDA-approved commercial electrical cortical stimulator. Subsequently, the stimulator was tested in an epilepsy patient with subcortical electrocorticographic (ECoG) implants covering the sensorimotor cortex to assess its ability to elicit equivalent responses as the FDA-approved counterpart. Additional safety features (impedance monitoring, art...

Cortical stimulation via electrocorticography (ECoG) may be an effective method for inducing artificial sensation in bi-directional brain-computer interfaces (BD-BCIs). However, strong electrical artifacts caused by electrostimulation may significantly degrade or obscure neural information. A detailed understanding of stimulation artifact propagation through relevant tissues may improve existing artifact suppression techniques or inspire the development of novel artifact mitigation strategies. Our work thus seeks to comprehensively characterize and model the propagation of artifacts in subdural ECoG stimulation. To this end, we collected and analyzed data from eloquent cortex mapping procedures of four subjects with epilepsy who were implanted with subdural ECoG electrodes. From this data, we observed that artifacts exhibited phase-locking and ratcheting characteristics in the time domain across all subjects. In the frequency domain, stimulation caused broadband power increases, as ...

While prior noninvasive (e.g., electroencephalographic) studies suggest that the human primary motor cortex (M1) is active during gait processes, the limitations of noninvasive recordings make it impossible to determine whether M1 is involved in high-level motor control (e.g., obstacle avoidance, walking speed), low-level motor control (e.g., coordinated muscle activation), or only nonmotor processes (e.g., integrating/relaying sensory information). This study represents the first invasive electroneurophysiological characterization of the human leg M1 during walking. Two subjects with an electrocorticographic grid over the interhemispheric M1 area were recruited. Both exhibited generalized γ-band (40-200 Hz) synchronization across M1 during treadmill walking, as well as periodic γ-band changes within each stride (across multiple walking speeds). Additionally, these changes appeared to be of motor, rather than sensory, origin. However, M1 activity during walking shared few features with M1 activity during individual leg muscle movements, and was not highly correlated with lower limb trajectories on a single channel basis. These findings suggest that M1 primarily encodes highlevel gait motor control (i.e., walking duration and speed) instead of the low-level patterns of leg muscle activation or movement trajectories. Therefore, M1 likely interacts with subcortical/spinal networks, which are responsible for low-level motor control, to produce normal human walking.

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Little is known about brain tumors in early infancy. Investigators reviewed the records of 27 patients (12 boys and 15 girls) diagnosed within 120 days of birth. The median age was 66 days (range, 0-110 days) at diagnosis. All patients underwent surgery; 18 received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 3 received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The median follow-up was 2.1 years (range, 0.2-21.6 years). At last encounter, 15 patients were alive, and 11 had no evidence of disease. Ten patients died of progressive disease, and 2 died of treatment-related complications. All survivors experienced late effects, including endocrine, neurologic, and cognitive deficits. Of the 13 patients who completed neurocognitive assessments, 7 had an IQ score less than 70. Children in whom brain tumors arise during early infancy can be cured with conventional therapy; however, contemporary approaches can adversely affect long-term function, and families need to be aware of these effects when making ...

Communication about risk is central to decisions in dementia care. This review synthesises research on risk concepts and communication in dementia. Twelve bibliographic databases and one online search engine were searched up to February 2016. Reference lists of two related literature reviews were used. Thirty-four papers were identified that focused on risk concepts; two papers related to risk communication. Concepts were often socially constructed, and perceptions may differ from actual adverse outcomes. Perceptions of risk and thresholds of risk-tolerance varied between individuals with dementia, carers and professionals. Individuals with dementia were found to behave differently from controls when making decisions involving risk information in experimental settings. Cognitive impairment was also associated with lower health numeracy. These findings highlight the importance of communication between stakeholders when making decisions and of presenting information in an appropriate way to support informed and positive risk taking. Research is required on risk communication in dementia.

Ranking of intuitionsitic fuzzy number plays a vital role in decision making and other intuitionistic fuzzy applications. In this paper, we propose a new ranking method of intuitionistic fuzzy number based on distance measure. We first define a distance measure for interval numbers based on L p metric and further generalize the idea for intuitionistic fuzzy number by forming interval with their respective value and ambiguity indices. Finally, some comparative results are given in tabular form.

Ranking of intuitionsitic fuzzy number plays a vital role in decision making and other intuitionistic fuzzy applications. In this paper, we propose a new ranking method of intuitionistic fuzzy number based on distance measure. We first define a distance measure for interval numbers based on L p metric and further generalize the idea for intuitionistic fuzzy number by forming interval with their respective value and ambiguity indices. Finally, some comparative results are given in tabular form.

Dystrophin is an important protein within the central nervous system. The absence of dystrophin, characterizing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is associated with brain related comorbidities such as neurodevelopmental (e.g., cognitive and behavioural) deficits and epilepsy. Especially mutations in the downstream part of the DMD gene affecting the dystrophin isoforms Dp140 and Dp71 are found to be associated with cognitive deficits. However, the function of Dp140 is currently not well understood and its expression pattern has previously been implicated to be developmentally regulated. Therefore, we evaluated Dp140 and Dp71 expression in human hippocampi in relation to cognitive functioning in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and post-mortem controls. Hippocampal samples obtained as part of epilepsy surgery were quantitatively analyzed by Western blot and correlations with neuropsychological test results (i.e., memory and intelligence) were examined. First, we demonstrated that the expression of Dp140 does not appear to differ across different ages throughout adulthood. Second, we identified an inverse correlation between memory loss (i.e., verbal and visual memory), but not intelligence (i.e., neither verbal nor performance), and hippocampal Dp140 expression. Finally, patients with TLE appeared to have similar Dp140 expression levels compared to post-mortem controls without neurological disease. Dp140 may thus have a function in normal cognitive (i.e., episodic memory) processes.

ObjectivesConsidering the adverse outcomes of COVID‐19, it is essential to provide adequate support and care for people with dementia and informal carers. Technology can reduce the distress associated with social distancing rules and the decreased access to in‐person services. This study aimed to explore the use of technology and its perceived effects across different settings and countries.MethodsThe sample was composed of 127 informal carers and 15 people with dementia from the UK, Italy, Australia and Poland. Semi‐structured interviews explored participants' experiences of using technology and their perceived effects. Transcripts were analysed by researchers in each country using an inductive approach.ResultsThree overarching themes were developed: (1) Technology kept us alive during COVID‐19; (2) Remote care was anything but easy; (3) Perceived technology limitations. Many similarities emerged between countries supporting the role of technology for being socially engaged, ha...

Background:Emerging evidence describes impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon people living with dementia and their informal carers, however without evidence-based global comparisons to date. The aim of this international study was to explore and compare the impact of COVID-19 and associated public health restrictions on the lives of people living with dementia and informal carers and access to dementia care across five countries.Methods:People with dementia and informal carers from the UK, Australia, Italy, India, and Poland participated in remote semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about their experiences of the pandemic and how restrictions have impacted on their lives and care. Transcripts were analysed by researchers in each country using thematic analysis, then combined across sites.Results:Fifteen people living with dementia and 111 informal carers participated across the five countries. Four themes emerged: (1) Limited access and support; (2) Technology and is...

ObjectivesLimited research has shown that people with dementia (PwD) from lower socio‐economic backgrounds can face difficulties in accessing the right care at the right time. This study examined whether socio‐economic status (SES) and rural versus urban living location are associated with the time between diagnosis and care home admission in PwD living in Wales, UK.Methods/DesignThis study linked routine health data and an e‐cohort of PwD who have been admitted into a care home between 2000 and 2018 living in Wales. Survival analysis explored the effects of SES, living location, living situation, and frailty on the time between diagnosis and care home admission.ResultsIn 34,514 PwD, the average time between diagnosis and care home admission was 1.5 (±1.4) years. Cox regression analysis showed that increased age, living alone, frailty, and living in less disadvantaged neighbourhoods were associated with faster rate to care home admission. Living in rural regions predicted a slower r...

There has been a rapid increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in our educational system. This descriptive, comparative, and correlational study investigated the use of AI-powered tools and examined 86 teachers' efficiency and 274 students' performance in a private Catholic school in Bacolod City, Philippines. The researcher developed a researcher-made questionnaire to gather the data. Major findings revealed that teachers used AI less frequently, often used it for tutoring, with ChatGPT being a popular choice. Students, on the other hand, reported using AI weekly, primarily for tutoring. While AI integration seemed to enhance teacher efficiency, male teachers perceived themselves as more efficient than females. Generally, the results show that AI contributes to an efficient teaching process with a mean score of 3.60, verbally interpreted as somewhat efficient. The results revealed that AI had a significant improvement on both male and female students. Interestingly, no significant differences were found in teacher efficiency and student performance when grouped according to sex using Mann-Whitney U-test. Using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, the data revealed no correlation between the student performance in AI and the teachers' efficiency in AI. In light of these findings, the study recommends implementing programs and training to help teachers use AI more effectively and engage students. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to address any barriers educators may face in adopting AI, create supportive environments with equitable access to AI resources, and implement strategies to address potential gender biases in AI adoption.

The article deals with the personal main features and mechanisms for psychological health development. Personal psychological health is regarded as a cumulative phenomenon and a part of two categoric concepts, such as Personality Psychology and Health Psychology. They are two fundamental notions viewed for the development prospects of Psychology as a scientific and practical subject. A student age is a shift in focus on addressing towards psychological health issues. It is taken into consideration that various factors influence student health. They are a way/standard of living, hereditary background, the environment (natural and social), health care quality provided, etc. The reality that a psychologist has to face at university is an adaptive health level of student psychological health. The characteristics of this level are individual features of social maladjustment. The authors define the main indicators of young people‟s psychological health via an anthropological approach. The...

Early maladaptive schemas (EMS), illness representations, and coping are associated with clinical outcomes of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the pathways that link these factors are largely unknown. The present prospective study aimed at investigating the possible mediating role of illness representations and coping in the associations among schema domains, symptom severity, and suicide risk in MDD. Participants were 135 patients diagnosed with MDD, aged 48.13 ± 14.12 (84.4% females). The Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 was used to measure schema domains at baseline. Illness representations and coping were measured at approximately five months later (mean = 5.04 ± 1.16 months) with the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Mental Health and the Brief COPE Inventory, respectively. MDD outcomes were measured about 10 months after the baseline assessment (mean = 9.44 ± 2.36 months) with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Risk Assessment Suicidality Scale....

Background Social media use has vastly increased during the past few years, especially among young adults. Studies examining the relationship of social media use with mental health have yielded mixed findings. Additionally, such studies are extremely limited in Greece. The present study aimed to investigate the association between social media use, depressive symptoms and self-esteem among Greek young adults. Method A total of 654 individuals (50.5% male) aged 18-30 years (Μ = 23.62, SD = 2.71) completed self-reported questionnaires regarding social media use, depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Results Increased daily use of YouTube (more than five hours) showed a significant association with higher depressive symptomatology, b = 2.99, 95% CI [.78, 5.20], p = .008, while daily use of Facebook between two and five hours was related to significantly higher self-esteem, b = 1.61, 95% CI [.78, 2.44], p < .001, after adjusting for participants’ gender, age, educational level and emp...

Early-life exposures are critical for later child cognitive development. McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were used to assess cognitive development of 700 preschoolers (Mage  = 4.2 years), derived from the "Rhea" birth cohort, in Greece. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on prospectively collected exposure data. Six components were extracted; five of them were associated with child cognition. Higher parental social status, preschool attendance and less TV watching, nonsmoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and parental involvement in child life were protective factors of child cognition at 4 years. Increased child birth order was negatively associated with child cognition. Offspring's size at birth was not associated with any cognitive outcome. These findings reveal the importance of early-life exposures to child cognitive development.

a b s t r a c t Studies on determinants affecting child development are still limited in Greece. The aim of the present study was to describe the socio-demographic characteristics associated with neurodevelopment in infants aged 18 months in the Mother-Child Cohort (Rhea Study) in Crete, Greece. A total of 599 (72.9%) mothers agreed to participate in the neurodevelopment protocol and 612 infants (586 singletons and 26 twins) were assessed by means of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd edition). The present analysis includes 605 infants. Multivariable linear regression models were implemented to examine the associations between the Bayley-III standardised scores and different parental and infant characteristics, also adjusting for quality of assessment. Girls were found to have better neurodevelopmental outcomes in cognitive, receptive and expressive communication, fine motor and social-emotional development. Maternal higher education was positively associated to almost all aspects of infant neurodevelopment assessed. Increasing number of older siblings was negatively associated with cognitive development, communication skills and gross motor development. Our results, also, suggest a positive effect of maternal employment on infants' receptive and expressive communication, and gross motor scores. The results of the present study suggest that in the population on Crete social and environmental factors contributed more to infants' neurodevelopment at 18 months than biological factors.

There are two established ways of looking at a grove of trees and other landscape features. For short I shall label these two ways "remote sensing" and "participant observation" and I take the case of a Mangetti grove in Namibia as an illustration for the more fundamental division between a naturalistic and a constructivist view on nature and landscape. In this contribution I shall suggest the method of "permeability mapping" as one way of dealing with this dichotomy that the overall panel of this workshop seeks to overcome.

Introduction Mental disorders constitute an increasingly important public health problem in the general population. Therefore, investigation of the determinants and state of mental health of those who will be treating patients, that is, future medical doctors, is justified. The paper gives an account of a mental health survey of medical students at a university in Hungary. Methods A representative sample of year I-V students (N = 100) filled an anonymous standardized self-administered questionnaire that included demographic and socioeconomic items, mental well-being characterized by a sense of coherence (SOC) and psychological distress, as well as health behaviour. SOC was measured by the 13-item Antonovsky questionnaire and psychological distress was measured by the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ). Models for estimating mental well-being in relation to various determinants were built by backward stepwise regression. Results Almost one-fifth of the students scored above the strict threshold on the GHQ indicating notable psychological distress. SOC showed significant positive correlation with perceived health and significant negative correlation with psychological distress. SOC and psychological distress were determined by different sets of explanatory variables in the regression models. Psychological distress and the use of sedative without medical prescription are inversely related to SOC; whereas social support and female gender show positive correlation to SOC according to our estimation. SOC, as expected, was a strong explanatory variable for psychological distress, forecasting an improvement in the GHQ score. Conclusion Psychological distress was significantly greater in our sample of Hungarian medical students than in the same age group of the general population. Psychological distress is strongly related to SOC and can be estimated by our proposed models. Both SOC and psychological distress can be used to characterize the mental health of future medical doctors, the improvement of which needs attention even during their training.

The distribution of NADPH-diaphorase (ND) positive elements was analyzed throughout the visual pathway of the tench in normal conditions and after optic nerve transection. In the control retina, ND-labeled elements were observed in the photoreceptor, inner nuclear, outer nuclear and ganglion cell layers. In the optic nerve of control animals, small and numerous ND-positive glial cells that were identified as presumably astrocyte-like cells were observed. In the optic tracts and optic tectum, a different type of ND-positive glial cell was detected. Axotomy induced severe changes in the ND staining pattern in the visual pathway. A decrease in the number of ND-stained cells was detected in the retina. In the optic nerve of lesioned animals, the number of small cells gradually decreased, whereas the number of large cells did not change. Two new ND-positive cell populations were observed after the lesion: microglial-like cells appeared close to the lesioned area from 24 h to 7 days after transection, and astrocyte-like cells were found throughout the optic nerve from 14 days up to at least 120 days. The total number of ND-stained glial cells increased at 30 and 60 days and returned to control parameters at 120 days. In addition, the number of ND-positive cells increased at the same survival times in the optic tracts and in the retinorecipient strata of the optic tectum with respect to control animals. Thus, degenerative / regenerative processes in the fish visual pathway are accompanied by an increase in the number of ND-positive cells. Synthesis of nitric oxide is elicited in microglial-like cells as a response to axon injury, whereas the expression in astrocyte-like cells seems to be associated with both normal processes under physiological conditions and with the regenerative phase after the lesion.

There has been much recent progress in building ontologies and publishing scientific data based on these ontologies. This paper overviews issues and progress in the other half of semantic science: having machine accessible scientific theories that can make predictions on this data and can be used for new cases. This paper presents the grand vision, issues that have arisen in building such systems for the geological domain (minerals exploration and geo-hazards), and sketches the formal foundations that underlie this vision.

Background: A crucial question when developing reference intervals is whether different subpopulations need their own reference interval or if a single joint reference interval can be used. It is reasonable to use partitioned reference intervals in situations where a single interval results in considerable variation in sensitivity between subpopulations. The aim of partitioning is to harmonize the sensitivity of the reference intervals, i.e., to make the sensitivity similar for all patients, regardless of patient characteristics. Statistical criteria to identify when partitioning is adequate have been developed over the last two decades. These criteria are applicable when considering two subpopulations, but recently a procedure for considering several subpopulations has been developed. When several subpopulations are considered, there is a possibility that some subpopulations could form a group or cluster that could share a common reference interval. However, there is no formal systematic approach to indicate how to divide these subpopulations into clusters. The aim of this study was to suggest such a systematic approach for clustering. Methods: A clustering technique was applied to data including several subpopulations. The technique is based on measuring the distance between separated reference limits and successively pooling subpopulations divided by short distances. A cluster is defined by a group of subpopulations that are close to each other and that differ from subpopulations in another cluster. A cluster recruits new subpopulations as long as the subpopulations can be pooled without violating a partitioning criterion. Conclusions: We have suggested a procedure for partitioning a number of Gaussian (or Gaussian-transformable) subpopulations into clusters. This is the only formalized procedure indicating how to analyze several subpopulations and identify a suitable number of groups and reference intervals. Using a computer program developed for partitioning issues, the approach was easy to adopt.

Detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is mainly based on a rise of cardiac troponin with at least one value above the 99th percentile upper reference limit (99th URL). However, circulating high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) concentrations depend on age, sex and renal function. Using an analytical imprecision-based approach, we aimed to determine age- and sex-specific hs-cTnT 99th URLs for patients without chronic kidney disease (CKD). A 3.8-year retrospective analysis of a hospital laboratory database allowed the selection of adult patients with concomitant plasma hs-cTnT (<300 ng/L) and creatinine concentrations, both assayed twice within 72 h with at least 3 h between measurements. Absence of AMI was assumed when the variation between serial hs-cTnT values was below the adjusted-analytical change limit calculated according to the inverse polynomial regression of analytical imprecision. Specific URLs were determined using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Insti...

Abstract- This paper presents a three-layer model for generation and recognition of attention-drawing behavior. The model enables a robot to recognize people’s attention-drawing behavior as well as to perform attention-drawing behavior to people. It consists of three layers: the PSM (Pointing Space Model), the RTM (Reference Term Model), and the OPM (Object Property Model). The PSM associates the pointing gesture with a reference term, the RTM associates positional relationships with a reference term, and the OPM associates other supplemental verbal cues with a reference term. We implemented the model in a humanoid robot, Robovie, and verified its effectiveness through an experiment. (Object Property)

Regional cerebral blood flow was studied in a patient with Munchausen syndrome using high resolution Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. The scan demonstrated marked hyperperfusion of the right hemithalamus. The cranial CT scan was normal. The abnormal right hemithalamic blood flow is discussed in relation to the hypothesized neuropathy of this disorder.

The classic contrast between Empiricism and Rationalism falls under a new light when we try to build realistic, mechanical interfaces that will assist in language acquisition. The notion of an interface automatically entails the assumption that other mental modules-with other mental purposes-are systematically engaged not only in our model of adult grammar, but possibly with a special role in the acquisition process. Does grammar interact or interface with a General Learning Capacity, familiar from behaviorist and connectionist approaches in the empiricist tradition? A prior question is whether there are any General Learning Capacities? Daily life gives us the impression that we can develop knowledge schemes whose heterogeneity would suggest that such General Abilities exist. Nonetheless one of the lessons of using modes of formal representation for grammatical theory is that abstractions have strong biases that are visible only when abstractly formulated. A second possibility is that the identical ability is independently represented in the brain. We illustrate each of them. First we need to articulate an elementary contrast. The suggestion of an interface with a ''conceptual-intentional system'', for instance, means that our methods for representing actions of all kinds are linked-in

In this paper we want to compare the results from monolingual children with object omissions in bilingual children who have acquired two languages simultaneously. Our longitudinal studies of bilingual Dutch±French, German±French, and German±Italian children show that the bilingual children behave like monolingual children regarding the type of object omissions in the Romance languages. They differ from monolingual children with respect to the extent to which object drop is used. At the same time, the children differentiate the two systems they are using. We want to claim that the difference between monolingual and bilingual children concerning object omissions in the Romance languages is due to crosslinguistic in¯uence in bilingual children: the Germanic language in¯uences the Romance language. Crosslinguistic in¯uence occurs once a syntactic construction in language A allows for more than one grammatical analysis from the perspective of child grammar and language B contains positive evidence for one of these possible analyses. The bilingual child is not able to map the universal strategies onto language-speci®c rules as quickly as the monolinguals, since s/he is confronted with a much wider range of language-speci®c syntactic possibilities. One of the possibilities seems to be compatible with a universal strategy. We would like to argue for the existence of crosslinguistic in¯uence, induced by the mapping of universal principles onto language-speci®c principles ± in particular, pragmatic onto syntactic principles. This in¯uence will be de®ned as mapping induced in¯uence. We will account for the object omissions by postulating an empty discourse-connected PRO in pre-S position (Mu Èller, Crysmann, and Kaiser, 1996; Hulk, 1997). Like monolingual children, bilingual children use this possibility until they show evidence of the C-system (the full clause) in its target form.

Lexically linked domains in language allow a speaker to formulate incompatible rules. How should they be represented theoretically? We argue that a speaker has a set of mini-grammars for different domains so that, in effect, every speaker is bilingual. It is argued that Tense or Agreement Checking, V-2 for quotation, and resumptive pronouns, all lead to bilingual representations. In addition, this perspective on Theoretical Bilingualism suggests that optionality and stages in the acquisition of an initial grammar should also be characterized as a form of bilingualism.

This article reviews the history and potential effectiveness of peer support among persons with severe mental illness. Following a historical overview, we describe the three primary forms of peer support that have been developed t o date by and for this population, and examine the existing empirical evidence of the feasibility, effectiveness, and utilization of each of these approaches in contributing t o the recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabiliies. These three forms are (1) naturally occumng mutual support groups, (2) consumer-run senices, and (3) the employment of consumers as providers within clinical and rehabilitative settings. Existing studies of mutual support groups suggest that they may improve symptoms, promote larger social networkr, and enhance quality of life. This research is largely from uncontrolled studies, however, and will need t o be evaluated further using prospective, controlled designs. Consumer-run services and the use of consumers as providers promise t o broaden the access of individuals with psychiatric disabilities t o peer support, but research on these more recent developments is only preliminary and largely limited t o demonstrations of their feasibility. We discuss issues entailed in participating in peer support for this population, and then close with a discussion of the implications for future policy, research, and practice.

Looking for potentially positive outcomes is one way that people cope with stressful events. In two studies, we examined perceived "silver linings" after the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among indirectly affected adults. In Study 1, middle-aged (ages 47-64 years), older (ages 65-89 years), and oldest-old (ages 90-95 years) adults in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS) responded to an open-ended question on perceived silver linings in a longitudinal assessment carried out during the immediate impact (1 to 4 months after landfall) and post-disaster recovery phase (6 to 14 months post-storm). Qualitative grounded theory methods were employed to analyze these narrative data. Team-based coding yielded three core themes: (1) learning experience and better preparedness for future disasters, (2) having improved cities (Baton Rouge and New Orleans), and (3) an increase in "Good Samaritan" acts such as strangers helping one another. Responses were similar across age groups, although older adults were the least likely to report positive outcomes. Study 2 was a conceptual replication using a different sample of adults (ages 31 to 82 years) tested at least five years after the storms. A learning experience and preparedness core theme replicated Study 1's findings while improved social cohesion amongst family and friends emerged as a new core theme in Study 2. These data indicate that identifying lessons learned and potentially positive outcomes are psychological reactions that may facilitate post-disaster coping and foster resilience for indirectly affected adults in the years after disaster.

In two studies, we set out to examine whether the verbal working memory of high and low test-anxious students differed under performance-evaluative threat. In Study 1, 84 schoolchildren completed a backward digit span task under threat or no-threat conditions. In Study 2, 71 schoolchildren completed a backward digit span task in both threat and no-threat conditions. Results showed that the verbal working memory capacity of highly test-anxious students in Study 1 did not change under low or high threat conditions. In Study 2, the verbal working memory capacity of highly test-anxious students decreased under performance-evaluative threat when this condition was taken first but increased when this condition was taken second. To account for the effects of performance-evaluative threat, it is necessary to consider how increased effortful control may compensate for anxiety-induced reduced efficiency when tasks are not timed.

Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) non-selective cation channels are broadly expressed by neurons, glia and the microvasculature of the brain. In neurons and astrocytes, these ion channels are coupled to group I metabotropic glutamate receptors via Gαq-phospholipase C signal transduction. In the mouse cerebellar Purkinje neurons, TRPC channels assembled as tetramers of TRPC3 subunits exclusively mediate this glutamatergic signalling mechanism and regulation of alternative splicing results in dominance of a high Ca 2+ conducting TRPC3c isoform. This regional control of TRPC3 transcript type likely has physiological and pathophysiological sequelae. The current study provides a quantitative comparison of the TRPC3c splice variant and the TRPC3b full-length isoform expression across seven regions of the human brain. This shows that the cerebellum has the highest expression level of both isoforms and that regulation of alternative splicing results in a higher propensity of the TRPC3c isoform in the cerebellum relative to the TRPC3b isoform (in a 1:3 ratio). This compares with the other regions (motor cortex, hippocampus, midbrain subregions, pons and medulla) where the prevalence of TRPC3c relative to TRPC3b is typically less than half as abundant. The finding here of a bias in the high-conductance TRPC3c isoform in the cerebellum is consistent with the enhanced vulnerability of the cerebellum to ischaemic injury.

Peripherin, a type III intermediate filament protein, forms part of the cytoskeleton in a subset of neurons, most of which have peripheral fibre projections. Studies suggest a role for peripherin in axon outgrowth and regeneration, but evidence for this in sensory and brain tissues is limited. The exclusive expression of peripherin in a sub-population of primary auditory neurons, the type II spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) prompted our investigation of the effect of peripherin gene deletion (pphKO) on these neurons. We used confocal immunofluorescence to examine the establishment of the innervation of the cochlear outer hair cells by the type II SGN neurites in vivo and in vitro, in wildtype (WT) and pphKO mice, in the first postnatal week. The distribution of the type II SGN nerve fibres was normal in pphKO cochleae. However, using P1 spiral ganglion explants under culture conditions where the majority of neurites were derived from type II SGN, pphKO resulted in increased numbers of neurites/explant compared WT controls. Type II SGN neurites from pphKO explants extended ~ double the distance of WT neurites, and had reduced complexity based on greater distance between turning points. Addition of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to the culture media increased neurite number in WT and KO explants ~30-fold, but did not affect neurite length or distance between turning. These results indicate that peripherin may interact with other cytoskeletal elements to regulate outgrowth of the peripheral neurites of type II SGN, distinguishing these neurons from the type I SGN innervating the inner hair cells.

L1, a neural cell adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is widely expressed in the nervous system and important in axonal outgrowth, guidance, synapse formation, and signaling. Gene deletion studies emphasize the significance of L1 during development of the central nervous system and L1 is crucial for the topographic targeting of retinal axons. In contrast to the brain and retina, the role of L1 in the inner ear is largely unknown. While previous studies have localized L1 in the developing inner ear of the chicken and mouse, its function during the innervation of the cochlea still remains largely unclear. We therefore investigated the functional role of L1 in the mammalian inner ear. Our aim was to determine whether or not L1 can modulate type I and/or type II spiral ganglion neuron outgrowth using an in vitro alternate choice assay. We found that L1, presented in stripe micropatterns, provide directional cues to neonatal rodent type I but not type II inner ear spiral ganglion neurites. The results suggest that L1 may play a role in axonal pathfinding of type I spiral ganglion dendrites toward their inner hair cell targets, but not of type II toward the outer hair cells.

This article summarizes key findings from our research on Indonesian and Filipino migrant domestic workers in the United Arab Emirates to reflect on their implications for policy. To illustrate the patterns we have observed, the article traces the migration biographies of two women, one from West Java and one from the Philippines, and it then asks what their experiences reveal about the policy landscape. We find, in concert with a large body of literature on social policy for migrants, that in many cases the policies that currently exist—and the gaps in these policies—are themselves central to producing the problems that migrant domestic workers face. Thus, we focus not on what states or international organizations can do in terms of policy improvements per se, but more generally on how the policy context is part and parcel of the broader social world that affects migrant workers’ welfare over the course of their migration biographies.