Semantic,syntactic, and phonological processing of written words in adult developmental dyslexic readers: an event-related brain potential study

Background

The present study used event-related brain potentials to investigate semantic, phonological and syntactic processes in adult German dyslexic and normal readers in a word reading task. Pairs of German words were presented one word at a time. Subjects had to perform a semantic judgment task (house – window; are they semantically related?), a rhyme judgment task (house – mouse; do they rhyme?) and a gender judgment task (das – Haus [the – house]; is the gender correct? [in German, house has a neutral gender: das Haus]).

Results

Normal readers responded faster compared to dyslexic readers in all three tasks. Onset latencies of the N400 component were delayed in dyslexic readers in the rhyme judgment and in the gender judgment task, but not in the semantic judgment task. N400 and the anterior negativity peak amplitudes did not differ between the two groups. However, the N400 persisted longer in the dyslexic group in the rhyme judgment and in the semantic judgment tasks.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that dyslexics are phonologically impaired (delayed N400 in the rhyme judgment task) but that they also have difficulties in other, non-phonological aspects of reading (longer response times, longer persistence of the N400). Specifically, semantic and syntactic integration seem to require more effort for dyslexic readers and take longer irrespective of the reading task that has to be performed.

     

Protein tyrosine phosphatase oligomerization studied by a combination of 15N NMR relaxation and 129Xe NMR. Effect of buffer containing arginine and glutamic acid

15N NMR relaxation and 129Xe NMR chemical shift measurements offer complementary information to study weak protein-protein interactions. They have been applied to study the oligomerization equilibrium of a low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase in the presence of 50 mM arginine and 50 mM glutamic acid. These experimental conditions are shown to enhance specific protein-protein interactions while decreasing nonspecific aggregation. In addition, 129Xe NMR chemical shifts become selective reporters of one particular oligomer in the presence of arginine and glutamic acid, indicating that a specific Xe binding site is created in the oligomerization process. It is suggested that the multiple effects of arginine and glutamic acid are related to their effective excluded volume that favors specific protein association and the destabilization of partially unfolded forms that preferentially interact with xenon and are responsible for nonspecific protein aggregation.     

Atomic force microscopy reveals bistable configurations of dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene and their interconversion pathway

We investigated dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene molecules adsorbed on ultrathin layers of NaCl using a combined low-temperature scanning tunneling and atomic force microscope. Two stable configurations exist corresponding to different isomers of free nonplanar molecules. By means of excitations from inelastic electron tunneling we can switch between both configurations. Atomic force microscopy with submolecular resolution allows unambiguous determination of the molecular geometry, and the pathway of the interconversion of the isomers. Our investigations also shed new light on contrast mechanisms in scanning tunneling microscopy.     

The Crystal Structure of MnF3 Revisited

We correct the crystal structure of MnF₃, of which the space group was reported as monoclinic C2/c (no. 15) with a = 8.9202, b = 5.0472, c = 13.4748 Å, β = 92.64°, V = 606.02 ų, Z = 12, mS48, T not given, likely 298 K. In the structure model proposed here, we use a unit cell of one third of the former volume. The ruby red crystals of MnF₃ were synthesized by a high-pressure/high-temperature method, where MnF₄ was used as a starting material. As determined on a single crystal, MnF₃ crystallizes in the monoclinic space group I2/a (no. 15) with a = 5.4964(11), b = 5.0084(10), c = 7.2411(14) Å, β = 93.00(3)°, V = 199.06(7) ų, Z = 4, mS16, T = 183(2) K. The crystal structure of MnF₃ is related by a direct group-subgroup transition to the VF₃ structure-type. We performed quantum chemical calculations on the crystal structure to allow the assignment of bands of the obtained vibrational spectra.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Manganese Tetrafluoride β-MnF4

The crystal structure of β-MnF₄ has finally been elucidated. It crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group R3c, no. 161, hR360, with the lattice parameters a = 19.390(3), c = 12.940(3) Å, V = 4213.3(14) ų, Z = 72, T = 100 K. It is a 4a × 4a superstructure of the VF₃ (FeF₃) structure type. The Mn atoms are coordinated octahedron-like by F atoms, of which two are bound terminal, while the other act as μ-bridging F atoms to other Mn atoms forming a three-dimensional infinite network structure which can be described by the Niggli formula ³_∞[MnF_4/2F_2/1]. Voids on the metal sites, which are occupied in the VF₃ structure, are grouped together in the shape of a “star” with approximate D_3h symmetry. We prepared β-MnF₄ photochemically according to the literature and obtained a phase-pure powder as evidenced by X-ray diffraction at room temperature. The lattice parameters are a = 19.566(3), c = 12.984(2) Å, V = 4304(1) ų. IR and Raman spectra recorded on the powder show that β-MnF₄ has also been obtained free of moisture, HF, and O₂⁺ containing compounds, however MnF₃ is likely present as a magnetic impurity. We observe thermal decomposition of MnF₄ to MnF₂ and not MnF₃.     

Resolving the Unpaired‐Electron Orbital Distribution in a Stable Organic Radical by Kondo Resonance Mapping

The adsorption geometry and the electronic structure of a Blatter radical derivative on a gold surface were investigated by a combination of high‐resolution noncontact atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. While the hybridization with the substrate hinders direct access to the molecular states, we show that the unpaired‐electron orbital can be probed with Ångström resolution by mapping the spatial distribution of the Kondo resonance. The Blatter derivative features a peculiar delocalization of the unpaired‐electron orbital over some but not all moieties of the molecule, such that the Kondo signature can be related to the spatial fingerprint of the orbital. We observe a direct correspondence between these two quantities, including a pronounced nodal plane structure. Finally, we demonstrate that the spatial signature of the Kondo resonance also persists upon noncovalent dimerization of molecules.     

Molecules on insulating films: scanning-tunneling microscopy imaging of individual molecular orbitals

Ultrathin insulating NaCl films have been employed to decouple individual pentacene molecules electronically from the metallic substrate. This allows the inherent electronic structure of the free molecule to be preserved and studied by means of low-temperature scanning-tunneling microscopy. Thereby direct images of the unperturbed molecular orbitals of the individual pentacene molecules are obtained. Elastic scattering quantum chemistry calculations substantiate the experimental findings.