Alteration of cingulate long-term plasticity and behavioral sensitization to inflammation by environmental enrichment

Exposure to an enriched environment (EE) has been shown to induce cortical plasticity. Considerable amount of research is focused on the effects of EE in the hippocampus; however, effects of EE on other brain regions and the mechanisms involved are not well known. To investigate this, we induced cortical plasticity by placing mice in an EE for one month and measured the effects of EE in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, we show that EE enhanced the expression of the plasticity gene, egr-1, in the ACC of EE animals accompanied by enhanced cingulate long-term potentiation (LTP) and decreased cingulate long-term depression (LTD). The increased NMDA receptor NR2B/NR2A subunits current ratio is associated with the plasticity seen in the ACC while total protein levels remain unchanged. Furthermore, behavioral experiments show that these mice exposed to EE demonstrate enhanced responses to acute and long-term inflammation. Our findings suggest that exposure to EE alters physiological properties within the ACC which results in enhanced responses to inflammation.     

Direct and indirect effects of multilingualism on novel language learning: An integrative review

Accumulated recent research suggests that prior knowledge of multiple languages leads to advantages in learning additional languages. In the current article, we review studies examining potential differences between monolingual and multilingual speakers in novel language learning in an effort to uncover the cognitive mechanisms that underlie such differences. We examine the multilingual advantage in children and adults, across a wide array of languages and learner populations. The majority of this literature focused on vocabulary learning, but studies that address phonology, grammar, and literacy learning are also discussed to provide a comprehensive picture of the way in which multilingualism affects novel language learning. Our synthesis indicates two avenues to the multilingual advantage including direct transfer of prior knowledge and prior skills as well as indirect influences that result from multilingual background and include more general changes to the cognitive-linguistic system. Finally, we highlight topics that are in need of future systematic research.     

The temperature dependence of the optical dispersion parameters in Si and Ge

Abstract

In Si and Ge, the optical dispersion parameters (single-oscillator energy E_o , dispersion energy E_d and bond energy gap E_g developed by Wemple and DiDomenico, and Phillips) have been analysed in the temperature range 100-300 K using data obtained by Icenogle et al. E_o and E_g exhibit a very small temperature dependence in both materials. The thermal coefficients of the dispersion energy, dE_d/dT, have opposite signs (Si, –41·9 × 10^?4eVK^?1; Ge, +37·7 × 10^?4eVK^?1).     

关于中日大学生精制化活动的比较研究

本研究以中日两国大学生为对象,针对精制化的有关问题进行了跨文化的比较研究。研究表明中国大学生在精制化三个因子的得分显著高于日本大学生;中国大学生的精制化活动表现出性别差异,其中女生比男生的精制化活动更为积极,但日本的大学生却无此种性别差异的表现。     

关于日中大学生记忆活动的比较研究

本研究以日中两国的大学生为调查对象,比较了记忆尺度的下位尺度得分。主要结果如下：(1)日本大学生比中国大学生检索失败的机会多;(2)与日本大学生相比中国大学生善于利用内在记忆策略;(3)与中国大学生相比日本大学生善于利用外在记忆策略;（4)对记忆的自信。日中两国大学生未见差别。