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N-ε-Carboxymethyllysine (CML) is formed during glycation reactions (synonym, Maillard reaction). CML is degraded by the human colonic microbiota, but nothing is known about the formation of particular metabolites. In the present study, six probiotic E. coli strains were incubated with CML in the presence or absence of oxygen in either minimal or nutrientrich medium. CML was degraded by all strains only in the presence of oxygen. HPLC-MS/MS was applied for identification of metabolites of CML. For the first time, three bacterial metabolites of CML have been identified, namely Ncarboxymethylcadaverine (CM-CAD), N-carboxymethylaminopentanoic acid (CM-APA), and the N-carboxymethyl-Δ 1piperideinium ion. During 48 h of incubation of CML with five different E. coli strains in minimal medium in the presence of oxygen, 37−66% of CML was degraded, while CM-CAD (1.5−8.4% of the initial CML dose) and CM-APA (0.04−0.11% of the initial CML dose) were formed linearly. Formation of the metabolites is enhanced when dipeptide-bound CML is applied, indicating that transport phenomena may play an important role in the "handling" of the compound by microorganisms.

After a brief introduction to Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT), its behavioral diagnostic symptom complex and a summary of communicative implications, we present data from two conversations involving participants with and without DAT. We discuss the concept of "order" in conversation, and the central importance of interactional monitoring. Conversational success and problems in interactions with persons with DAT are seen as emergent from situationally embedded conversations in the presence of cognitive and linguistic impairments on the part of the person with DAT, and of contextually situated communicative impairment resulting therefrom.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the experiences of people with Parkinson's disease and their close communication partners regarding disease-related communicative changes and participation in everyday conversations. Materials and methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with six dyads consisting of a person with Parkinson's disease and a close communication partner. The interview material was analysed through thematic analysis. Results: The main theme was the experiences of barriers and facilitators for participation in conversations. Subthemes were experiences related to changes in voice and articulation, language and cognition, body language and facial expressions, fatigue, self-image, communicative initiative, and familiarity with conversation partner. The results show individual variation. A change observed in almost all dyads was the person with Parkinson's disease participating less in conversations. Conclusions: Assessment and interventions should be based on a broad perspective on communication, and individuals' priorities should be foregrounded in intervention planning. Both the person with Parkinson's disease and communication partners need to make adjustments for communication to work. Therefore, close communication partners should be included in assessment and intervention of communication in Parkinson's disease from an early stage. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Interventions targeting communication in Parkinson's disease should be individually tailored and be based on a holistic perspective on communication.Communicative functions and participation should be assessed already at an early stage of the disease in order to minimize and slow down adverse effects, and to enable the development of effective, personalized strategies. Since changes in communicative abilities might affect self-perception and self-confidence, these aspects need to be taken into account when assessing and planning interventions targeting communication. Close communication partners should be included early in both assessment and intervention.

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This article reports on a study into the acquisition of Welsh and English phonology in Welsh -English bilingual children. It concentrates on the acquisition of the rhotic consonants, that is the trilled -r of Welsh and the approximant-r of English. The trilled -r shows differential patterns of acquisition depending on the age and language dominance of the subjects. It also demonstrates a wide range of substitutions, and it is argued that some of these may be due to influence from English, while others seem to be used because of their acoustic similarity to the target. Much less variation is found with the substitutions used for approximantr, and it is shown that, again, there is an acoustic reason for the choice of the commonest of them. While the two sounds clearly are different, neither the trill nor the approximant demonstrate 100% accurate usage even in the oldest age group of subjects (4;6 -5;0) (although the approximant does approach 90% ). Therefore, they belong to the group of consonants acquired last in their respective languages.

Social isolation is a key concern for individuals with dementia in long-term care. A possible solution is to promote social interaction between residents. A first step toward facilitating positive relationships between residents with dementia is to understand the mechanisms behind their interactions with each other, and also how their relationships with each other are built through such interactions. Drawing on casual conversations between residents in a special care unit for dementia, this paper uses systemic functional linguistics to examine how people with dementia use language to enact and construct their role-relations with each other. Results suggest people with dementia are able and willing conversationalists. However, factors such as the extent of communication breakdown and compatibility of the interlocutors may influence whether positive relations develop or not. Casual conversation is suggested to be a promising activity to encourage positive interpersonal processes between individuals with dementia in residential care.