Couple communication and female problem drinking: A behavioral observation study

Couples with alcohol and relationship problems often report poor communication, yet little is known about the communication of maritally distressed couples in which the woman abuses alcohol (MDWA couples). Compared with maritally distressed couples without alcohol problems (MDNA) and couples with neither problem (NDNA), MDWA couples showed a distinctive pattern of negative communication. Similar to MDNA men, MDWA men spoke negatively to their partners but listened positively to their partners much like NDNA men. MDWA women listened negatively, much as MDNA women did, but spoke positively, like NDNA women did. The interactions of MDWA couples can be characterized as a male-demand-female-withdraw pattern, which is a gender reversal of the female-demand-male-withdraw pattern often observed in MDNA couples.

Differential modes of alaryngeal communication and long-term voice outcomes following pharyngolaryngectomy and laryngectomy

Patterns of vocal rehabilitation for 37 pharyngolaryngectomy patients and 55 total laryngectomy patients over a 5-year period were compared. An electrolarynx (EL) was introduced as the initial communication mode immediately after surgery for 98% of patients, with 30% of pharyngolaryngectomy and 74% of laryngectomy patients subsequently developing tracheoesophageal speech (TES) as their primary mode of communication. Follow-up with 14 of 37 pharyngolaryngectomy patients and 36 of 55 laryngectomy patients was conducted 1-6 years following surgery and revealed that 90% of the pharyngolaryngectomy patients maintained the use of TES in the long term compared to 69% of the laryngectomy group. Long-term outcomes relating to communication disability and handicap did not differ significantly between the two surgical groups, however the laryngectomy patients had significantly higher levels of wellbeing. Across the whole group of patients, statistical comparison revealed that patients using TES had significantly lower levels of disability, handicap and distress than EL users. Considering that lower levels of disability, handicap and distress are associated with TES, and the data supports that suitably selected patients can maintain functional TES in the long term, increased application of this form of communication rehabilitation should be encouraged where viable for the pharyngolaryngectomy population. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Recombinant expression of Munc18c in a baculovirus system and interaction with syntaxin4

Two protein families that are critical for vesicle transport are the Syntaxin and Munc18/Sec1. families of proteins. These two molecules form a high affinity complex and play an essential role in vesicle docking and fusion. Munc18c was expressed as an N-terminally His-tagged fusion protein from recombinant baculovirus in Sf9 insect cells. His-tagged Munc18c was purified to homogeneity using both cobalt-chelating affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. With this simple two-step protocol, 3.5 mg of purified Munc18c was obtained from a 1 L culture. Further, the N-terminal His-tag could be removed by thrombin cleavage while the tagged protein was bound to metal affinity resin. Recombinant Munc18c produced in this way is functional, in that it forms a stable complex with the SNARE interacting partner, syntaxin4. Thus we have developed a method for producing and purifying large amounts of functional Munc18c-both tagged and detagged-from a baculovirus expression system. We have also developed a method to purify the Munc18c:syntaxin4 complex. These methods will be employed for future functional and structural studies. Crown copyright (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personal factors, communication and vision predict social participation in older adults

Social isolation is a predictor of morbidity and mortality in older people. Speech pathologists often consider that communication disabilities associated with normal ageing (sensory loss, language and discourse changes) contribute to social isolation. The aims of this study were to describe the functioning of older people using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO, 2001) as a conceptual framework for language and sensory functioning, communicative activity, and social participation, and to explore the relationship between communication (both at an impairment level and an activity level), social participation and personal factors (demographics and emotional health). In a prospective study, 47 women and 28 men aged 62 to 98 years (mean=74 yrs) completed objective and subjective assessments of functioning and participation, and provided personal information. Assessments were individually conducted in a face- to-face interview situation with the primary researcher, who was a speech pathologist. Assessments revealed the sample had predominantly mild hearing and vision impairments, unimpaired naming ability, frequent involvement in a wide range of communication activities, and variable social network size and social activities participation. Social participation was shown to be associated with vision, communication activities, age, education and emotional health. Naming and hearing impairments were not reliable predictors of social participation. It was concluded that professionals interested in maintaining and improving social participation of older people could well consider these predictors in community-directed interventions. Speech pathologists should therefore promote older people's involvement in everyday communicative activities while also limiting the impact of communication-related impairments, so that social participation is maintained in our ageing population.

Quantum computation by communication

We present here a new approach to scalable quantum computing - a 'qubus computer' - which realizes qubit measurement and quantum gates through interacting qubits with a quantum communication bus mode. The qubits could be 'static' matter qubits or 'flying' optical qubits, but the scheme we focus on here is particularly suited to matter qubits. There is no requirement for direct interaction between the qubits. Universal two-qubit quantum gates may be effected by schemes which involve measurement of the bus mode, or by schemes where the bus disentangles automatically and no measurement is needed. In effect, the approach integrates together qubit degrees of freedom for computation with quantum continuous variables for communication and interaction.

Quorum sensing, bacterial communication and new antibiotics [Editorial]

No Abstract

Enhancing Life in the Hyper-surveillance Mini-world of a Space Station: The Role of Situation Awareness, Communication, and Reality TV in the Life of Astronauts

This is the third article of a series entitled Astronauts as Audiences. In this article, we investigate the roles that situation awareness (SA), communications, and reality TV (including media communications) might have on the lives of astronauts in remote space communities. We examined primary data about astronauts’ living and working environments, applicable theories of SA, communications, and reality TV (including media communications). We then surmised that the collective application of these roles might be a means of enhancing the lives of astronauts in remote space communities.

Disability's affect: Or, refugees, communication and community

Cultural theorists have given much attention recently to the notion of 'affect', yet such discussions have not seriously, if at all, raised the question of disability. However we would suggest that disability has very strong relationships with affect. In this paper we argue for the importance of rethinking affect and communication from the perspective of a critical, socio-political account of disability. To illustrate this, we look at affect and disability in two important cases of refugees in Australia.