scholarly journals Reductions in prefrontal activation predict off-topic utterances during speech production

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Hoffman

AbstractThe ability to speak coherently is essential for effective communication but declines with age: older people more frequently produce tangential, off-topic speech. Little is known, however, about the neural systems that support coherence in speech production. Here, fMRI was used to investigate extended speech production in healthy older adults. Computational linguistic analyses were used to quantify the coherence of utterances produced in the scanner, allowing identification of the neural correlates of coherence for the first time. Highly coherent speech production was associated with increased activity in bilateral inferior prefrontal cortex (BA45), an area implicated in selection of task-relevant knowledge from semantic memory, and in bilateral rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (BA10), implicated more generally in planning of complex goal-directed behaviours. These findings demonstrate that neural activity during spontaneous speech production can be predicted from formal analysis of speech content, and that multiple prefrontal systems contribute to coherence in speech.

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-63
Author(s):  
S. A. Karpukhin

The article considers the competition of verbal aspects from a new perspective. Instead of employing the traditional method of demonstrating this phenomenon — an empirical replacement of the aspect of a verb in a phrase with the opposite — the author examines Dostoevsky’s choice between the variants found in different manuscripts of the same text. For the first time, based on a two-component theory of the semantic invariant of a verb type, the aspectual meaning of the selection of a verb aspect is revealed and, as a result of contextual analysis, an artistic interpretation of the selected type is proposed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
E. A. Dolmatov ◽  
R. B. Borzayev ◽  
A. N. Shaipov

The results of the study of the duration of the juvenile period of indigenous Chechen willow leaf pear genotypes (Pyrus salicifolia Pall.) are given in connection with the acceleration of the breeding process and the use of selected forms in pear breeding for high precocity. The studies were carried out in 2016-2019 at OOO “Orchards of Chechnya” in accordance with the Agreement on creative cooperation with the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding. The work was carried out in accordance with generally accepted programs and methods. The objects of the study were one-year and two-year-old pear seedlings obtained from sowing seeds of selected dwarf and low-growing local Chechen forms of willow pear (P. salicifolia Pall.), laying fruit buds on annual growths and seedlings of Caucasian pear (P. caucasica Fed.), 20 500 pcs. of each specie. The aim of the research was to study the potential of precocity of willow pear seedlings and to reveal of selected forms with the greatest degree of this trait. Stratified seeds were sown in the sowing department of the OOO “Orchards of Chechnya” production nursery in April, 2017. The seedlings were grown according to the common technology in dryland conditions on the plot with chestnut soil. The first fl owering of plants was noted in the spring, 2019. As a result of the research, for the first time on a large number of the experimental material it was found that in the off spring of the indigenous Chechen willow leaf pear genotypes, the selection of a little more than 2% of seedlings with a very short juvenile period (2 years) was possible. They are of great interest in accelerating the breeding process and in the selection of new pear varieties with high precocity. 20 willow leaf pear genotypes were selected for the further use in breeding for high precocity and as sources of the trait of short juvenile period.


1998 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 100-105
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Norton ◽  
Mark H. Jones

The Open University is the UK's foremost distance teaching university. For over twenty five years we have been presenting courses to students spanning a wide range of degree level and vocational subjects. Since we have no pre-requisites for entry, a major component of our course profile is a selection of foundation courses comprising one each in the Arts, Social Science, Mathematics, Technology and Science faculties. The Science Faculty's foundation course is currently undergoing a substantial revision. The new course, entitled “S103: Discovering Science”, will be presented to students for the first time in 1998.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 794
Author(s):  
Luca M. Scolari ◽  
Robert D. Hancock ◽  
Pete E. Hedley ◽  
Jenny Morris ◽  
Kay Smith ◽  
...  

‘Crumbly’ fruit is a developmental disorder in raspberry that results in malformed and unsaleable fruits. For the first time, we define two distinct crumbly phenotypes as part of this work. A consistent crumbly fruit phenotype affecting the majority of fruits every season, which we refer to as crumbly fruit disorder (CFD) and a second phenotype where symptoms vary across seasons as malformed fruit disorder (MFD). Here, segregation of crumbly fruit of the MFD phenotype was examined in a full-sib family and three QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) were identified on a high density GbS (Genotype by Sequencing) linkage map. This included a new QTL and more accurate location of two previously identified QTLs. A microarray experiment using normal and crumbly fruit at three different developmental stages identified several genes that were differentially expressed between the crumbly and non-crumbly phenotypes within the three QTL. Analysis of gene function highlighted the importance of processes that compromise ovule fertilization as triggers of crumbly fruit. These candidate genes provided insights regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the genetic control of crumbly fruit in red raspberry. This study will contribute to new breeding strategies and diagnostics through the selection of molecular markers associated with the crumbly trait.


2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (02) ◽  
pp. 373-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Tuddenham ◽  
Cathy Turner ◽  
Ben Lavender ◽  
Stuart Lavery ◽  
Katerina Michaelides

SummaryHaemophilia A is an X-linked, recessive, inherited bleeding disorder which affects 1 in 5000 males born worldwide. It is caused by mutations in the FactorVIII (F8) gene on chromosome Xq28. We describe for the first time two mutation specific, single cell protocols for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of haemophilia A that enable the selection of both male and female unaffected embryos. This approach offers an alternative to sexing, frequently used for X-linked disorders, that results in the discarding of all male embryos including the 50% that would have been normal. Two families witha history of severe haemophilia A requested carrier diagnosis and subsequently proceeded to PGD. The mutation in family1 isa single nucleotide substitution c. 5953C>T, R1966X in exon 18 and in family 2, c. 5122C>T, R1689C in exon 14 of the F8 gene. Amplification efficiency was compared between distilled water and SDS/proteinase K cell lysis (98.0%, 96/98 and 80%, 112/140 respectively) using 238 single lymphocytes. Blastomeres from spare IVF cleavage-stage embryos donated for research showed amplification efficiencies of 83.3% (45/54) for the R1966X and 92.9% (13/14) for the R1689C mutations. The rate of allele dropout (ADO) on heterozygous lymphocytes was 1.1% (1/93) for R1966X and 5.94% (6/101) for R1689C mutations. A single PGD treatment cycle for family1 resulted in two embryos for transfer but these failed to implant. However, with family 2, two embryos were transferred to the uterus on day 4 resulting in a successful singleton pregnancy and subsequent live birth of a normal non-carrier female.


The Analyst ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 142 (21) ◽  
pp. 4030-4038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Hirose ◽  
Maho Tsuchida ◽  
Hinako Asakura ◽  
Koji Wakui ◽  
Keitaro Yoshimoto ◽  
...  

A single-round DNA aptamer selection for mammalian cells was successfully achieved for the first time using a capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based methodology.


2018 ◽  
Vol 293 (44) ◽  
pp. 16984-16993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Cordshagen ◽  
Wiebke Busch ◽  
Michael Winklhofer ◽  
Hans Gerd Nothwang ◽  
Anna-Maria Hartmann

The pivotal role of K+-Cl− cotransporter 2 (KCC2) in inhibitory neurotransmission and severe human diseases fosters interest in understanding posttranslational regulatory mechanisms such as (de)phosphorylation. Here, the regulatory role of the five bona fide phosphosites Ser31, Thr34, Ser932, Thr999, and Thr1008 was investigated by the use of alanine and aspartate mutants. Tl+-based flux analyses in HEK-293 cells demonstrated increased transport activity for S932D (mimicking phosphorylation) and T1008A (mimicking dephosphorylation), albeit to a different extent. Increased activity was due to changes in intrinsic activity, as it was not caused by increased cell-surface abundance. Substitutions of Ser31, Thr34, or Thr999 had no effect. Additionally, we show that the indirect actions of the known KCC2 activators staurosporine and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) involved multiple phosphosites. S31D, T34A, S932A/D, T999A, or T1008A/D abrogated staurosporine mediated stimulation, and S31A, T34D, or S932D abolished NEM-mediated stimulation. This demonstrates for the first time differential effects of staurosporine and NEM on KCC2. In addition, the staurosporine-mediated effects involved both KCC2 phosphorylation and dephosphorylation with Ser932 and Thr1008 being bona fide target sites. In summary, our data reveal a complex phosphoregulation of KCC2 that provides the transporter with a toolbox for graded activity and integration of different signaling pathways.


Author(s):  
Satoshi Tsujimoto ◽  
Mariko Kuwajima ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawaguchi

Abstract. The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) plays a major role in both working memory (WM) and response inhibition (RI), which are fundamental for various cognitive abilities. We explored the relationship between these LPFC functions during childhood development by examining the performance of two groups of children in visuospatial and auditory WM tasks and a go/no-go RI task. In the younger children (59 5- and 6-year-olds), performance on the visuospatial WM task correlated significantly with that in the auditory WM task. Furthermore, accuracy in these tasks correlated significantly with performance on the RI task, particularly in the no-go trials. In contrast, there were no significant correlations among those tasks in older children (92 8- and 9-year-olds). These results suggest that functional neural systems for visuospatial WM, auditory WM, and RI, especially those in the LPFC, become fractionated during childhood, thereby enabling more efficient processing of these critical cognitive functions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 585 ◽  
pp. 323-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. LE BARS ◽  
S. LE DIZÈS ◽  
P. LE GAL

The effects of the Coriolis force on the elliptical instability are studied experimentally in cylindrical and spherical rotating containers placed on a table rotating at a fixed rate $\tilde{\Omega}^G$. For a given set-up, changing the ratio ΩG of global rotation $\tilde{\Omega}^G$ to flow rotation $\tilde{\Omega}^F$ leads to the selection of various unstable modes due to the presence of resonance bands, in close agreement with the normal-mode theory. No instability occurs when ΩG varies between −3/2 and −1/2 typically. On decreasing ΩG toward −1/2, resonance bands are first discretized for ΩG<0 and progressively overlap for −1/2 ≪ ΩG < 0. Simultaneously, the growth rates and wavenumbers of the prevalent stationary unstable mode significantly increase, in quantitative agreement with the viscous short-wavelength analysis. New complex resonances have been observed for the first time for the sphere, in addition to the standard spin-over. We argue that these results have significant implications in geo- and astrophysical contexts.


Ars Adriatica ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Barbara Španjol-Pandelo

Matteo Moronzon, a member of the Venetian family of woodcarvers, was mentioned for the first time in 1407 according to the present known archival documents. Probably after being trained in his father's workshop in Venice, he moved to Zadar with his family – his wife Francisca and sons Pietro and Francesco. In 1418 he undertook the commission of furnishing carved choir stalls for the cathedral of St. Anastasia in Zadar. Various archival documents testify that Matteo lived and worked in Zadar for many years. Therefore it can be assumed that he probably founded his own workshop in Zadar where his son Francesco was trained too. Apart from the attempt to reconstruct Matteo's life and career, the aim of this paper is to interpret one important woodcarving work of art preserved in situ: choir stalls in the former cathedral of Rab, today the arch parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rab. Without doubt Matteo was the master carver in the production of the choir stalls in Zadar. Since he lived in Zadar it was not unusual that he had the main role in carving the stalls. In Zadar the selection of motives is more balanced and there are no significant differences in the modelling of decorative elements. However, the question whether Matteo carved absolutely everything or he had assistants arises. Considering the amount of work that had to be done it must be assumed that he had assistants who participated in work and helped him to shape the stalls. However, in literature Matteo was considered the only and undisputed author of the choir stalls in Zadar, mostly because of the preserved document. The analysis of the choir stalls in Rab by Ivo Petricioli as well as their evident formal and stylistic similarities with the stalls from the cathedral in Zadar have led to the general acceptance of the hypothesis that they were carved at the workshop of Matteo Moronzon. However, a comprehensive comparative analysis that could confirm that hypothesis was still missing. The analysis of the details and the whole led to the overall conclusion that there were a huge number of similarities between the choir stalls in Rab and Zadar. Therefore it was concluded that Matteo was the principal designer of the choir stalls in Rab who also carved the best parts in Rab, while others, less successful parts, were made by his apprentices and assistants who at the time lived on the island of Rab. In this respect, if Matteo was accepted as the author of the choir stalls of the cathedral in Zadar he must also be accepted as the author of the choir stalls from the excathedral in Rab.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document