bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An H‐shaped polymer bonding β‐cyclodextrin at branch points: Synthesis and influences of attached β‐cyclodextrins on physical properties
Authors: Mu Cheng‐Guang , Fan Xiao‐Dong , Tian Wei , Bai Yang , Yang Zhen , Yao Hao , Chen Heng
Published: December 2012

We report on the synthesis of an H‐shaped polymer bonding β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) at branch points and influences of attached β‐CD on physical properties. First, a poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)‐based functional macroinitiator bearing two azidos and four chlorines at chain‐ends (PEG‐2N3(‐4Cl)) was prepared via terminal modification reactions. Then, PEG‐2N3(‐4Cl) was applied to initiate the atom transfer radical polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide, leading to the synthesis of an H‐shaped block polymer with PEG as the central chain and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) as side‐arms (PEG‐2N3(‐4PNIPAM)). Azido groups were at the branch points of the polymer. Finally, the click reaction between PEG‐2N3(‐4PNIPAM) and alkynyl monosubstituted β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) afforded another H‐shaped polymer with two β‐CDs bonding at the polymer branch points (PEG‐2CD(‐4PNIPAM)). The glass transition temperature (Tg) and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the H‐shaped polymer increased after the attachment of β‐CD. The self‐assembly and thermal responsive behaviors, as well as the encapsulation behaviors of PEG‐2CD(‐4PNIPAM) were also altered. When temperature was below the LCSTs, PEG‐2N3(‐2PNIPAM) dissolved in water molecularly, whereas PEG‐2CD(‐4PNIPAM) could self‐assemble into nano‐sized micelles. After the LCST transitions, PEG‐2N3(‐4PNIPAM) aggregated into micron‐sized unstable particles, whereas PEG‐2CD(‐4PNIPAM) transformed into PNIPAM‐cored nanomicelles. Besides, PEG‐2CD(‐4PNIPAM) can encapsulate doxorubicin below its LCST due to the formation of micelles. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
The potential of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for the identification of biogroups of Cronobacter sakazakii
Authors: Karamonová Ludmila , Junková Petra , Mihalová Denisa , Javůrková Barbora , Fukal Ladislav , Rauch Pavel , Blažková Martina
Published: December 2012

RATIONALE

The bacterial genus Cronobacter was established quite recently, in 2008. Therefore, its systematic classification is still in progress as well as the risk assessment of Cronobacter strains. The possibility of rapid identification within the biogroup level has an essential epidemiological significance. We examined the potential of mass spectrometry to accomplish this task on species Cronobacter sakazakii comprising eight different biogroups.

METHODS

Members of all Cronobacter sakazakii biogroups were characterized by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) using intact cells. Analyses were performed on a Biflex IV MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometer in the range of 2000 to 20 000 Da in linear mode with an accelerated voltage of 19 kV.

RESULTS

Optimal conditions for a proper identification of biogroups, such as suitable cultivation media or growth time of bacteria, were investigated. The biomarker patterns characterizing each of the Cronobacter sakazakii biogroups were obtained. The established identification protocol was applied to ten previously non‐identified strains and their biogroups were successfully determined.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented work is the first report of successful and rapid bacterial biogroup taxonomy classification using MALDI‐TOF‐MS that could substitute demanding biochemical testing. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of modified Doehlert‐type experimental design in optimization of a hybrid electrospray ionization ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry technique for glutathione determination
Authors: Zachariadis George A. , Rosenberg Erwin
Published: December 2012

RATIONALE

The capabilities of modified non‐spherical Doehlert‐type experimental designs to optimize the performance of a hybrid mass spectrometer were investigated in this paper for the first time. The optimization process was completed in three successive steps with groups of variables avoiding any univariable approach. Glutathione (GSH, reduced) was selected as a very interesting analyte since it is considered to be one of the most abundant tripeptides in human organism and its action against xenobiotics and oxidative radicals is well known.

METHODS

In particular, a tandem technique based on sequential ion management by an ion trap followed by a time‐of‐flight mass analyzer (ITTOFMS) was introduced commercially in recent years and investigated for glutathione determination. Glutathione was injected in a stream of a typical mobile phase used in liquid chromatography (LC) and analyzed after electrospray ionization (ESI) in tandem MS.

RESULTS

The three main steps of the LC/MS system, namely the LC mobile phase, the ESI interface and the MS analyzer, were independently optimized in terms of maximum sensitivity. In this context quadratic models were found and their prediction power was evaluated. A calibration study was performed at default and optimum conditions in order to quantitatively estimate the sensitivity enhancement of the employed technique for this analyte. Satisfactory precision (RSD 5.7%) and detectability (LOD 0.07 µmol L–1) were achieved.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlighted the possibilities offered by the employment of multifactorial optimization towards the improvement of performance of tandem mass spectrometry techniques. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Re: Factors affecting feasibility and quality of second‐trimester ultrasound scans in obese pregnant women. F. Fuchs, M. Houllier, A. Voulgaropoulos, J.‐M. Levaillant, C. Colmant, J. Bouyer, M.‐V. Senat. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013; 41: 40–46
Authors: Thornburg L. L.
Published: December 2012

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013:41:40–46
Fuel cells and their components based on microsystem technology
Authors: Tanaka Shuji
Published: December 2012

This paper briefly reviews a variety of microdevices for miniaturized fuel‐cell applications. Research and development in this field have been activated since late 1990s, when portable information devices, for example, laptop computers and cellular phones, were getting popular, but battery life was quite limited. To date, different types of micro‐fuel cell, micro‐fuel reformers, fuel handling microfluidic devices, and so on were developed, and some of them were installed and used in prototyped miniaturized fuel‐cell systems. In this paper, selected examples are introduced, and problems/challenges as well as achievements are summarized.

This article is categorized under:

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Science and Materials

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Systems and Infrastructure
Micellization of Some Bile Salts in Binary Aqueous Solvent Mixtures
Authors: Bharadwaj Shweta , Sar Santosh Kumar
Published: December 2012

The micellization behavior of bile salts—sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate was studied in aqueous methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol mixtures (10–20 % v/v) over a temperature range (300–320 K) by surface tension and conductivity methods. Critical micelle concentration, extent of counter ion binding (α), interfacial property (Amin, ζmax, π‐CMC, ) and thermodynamic parameters (, , ) for the micellization process are reported and discussed.
The Relationship Between the Structure and Properties of Amino Acid Surfactants Based on Glycine and Serine
Authors: Qiao Weihong , Qiao Yangyang
Published: December 2012

Two series of surfactants based on glycine and serine were synthesized with aproic acid, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid and hexadecanoic acid. All the surfactants were characterized by MS and 1H NMR, the structures of the synthesized surfactants are correct and the signals in MS and 1H NMR can be explained. The reaction conditions, surface properties and foam properties were studied. For the two series of surfactants, critical micelle concentration (CMC) and γCMC (surface tension at CMC) decrease and surface activity is enhanced as the length of carbon chain increases. The surfactants with tetradecanoyl and hexadecanoyl groups show a good foaming property and especially, the long‐chain acyl‐serine performs better. These are all related to the hydromethyl group in the serine.
Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of GABAergic cells in the dorsal raphe nucleus
Authors: Gocho Yoshihiro , Sakai Atsushi , Yanagawa Yuchio , Suzuki Hidenori , Saitow Fumihito
Published: December 2012

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the origin of the central serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] system and plays an important role in the regulation of many physiological functions such as sleep/arousal, food intake and mood. In order to understand the regulatory mechanisms of 5-HT system, characterization of the types of neurons is necessary. We performed electrophysiological recordings in acute slices of glutamate decarboxylase 67–green fluorescent protein knock-in mice. We utilized this mouse to identify visually GABAergic cells. Especially, we examined postsynaptic responses mediated by 5-HT receptors between GABAergic and serotonergic cells in the DRN. Various current responses were elicited by 5-HT and 5-HT1A or 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonists in GABAergic cells. These results suggested that multiple 5-HT receptor subtypes overlap on GABAergic cells, and their combination might control 5-HT cells. Understanding the postsynaptic 5-HT feedback mechanisms may help to elucidate the 5-HT neurotransmitter system and develop novel therapeutic approaches.
A water‐soluble selenoxide reagent as a useful probe for the reactivity and folding of polythiol peptides
Authors: Arai Kenta , Noguchi Masato , Singh Beena G. , Priyadarsini K. Indira , Fujio Katsuhiko , Kubo Yurika , Takayama Kyoko , Ando Setsuko , Iwaoka Michio
Published: December 2012

A water‐soluble selenoxide (DHSox) having a five‐membered ring structure enables rapid and selective conversion of cysteinyl SH groups in a polypeptide chain into SS bonds in a wide pH and temperature range. It was previously demonstrated that the second‐order rate constants for the SS formation with DHSox would be proportional to the number of the free SH groups present in the substrate if there is no steric congestion around the SH groups. In the present study, kinetics of the SS formation with DHSox was extensively studied at pH 4–10 and 25 °C by using reduced ribonuclease A, recombinant hirudin variant (CX‐397), insulin A‐ and B‐chains, and relaxin A‐chain, which have two to eight cysteine residues, as polythiol substrates. The obtained rate constants showed stochastic SS formation behaviors under most conditions. However, the rate constants for CX‐397 at pH 8.0 and 10.0 were not proportional to the number of the free SH groups, suggesting that the SS intermediate ensembles possess densely packed structures under weakly basic conditions. The high two‐electron redox potential of DHSox (375 mV at 25 °C) compared to l‐cystine supported the high ability of DHSox for SS formation in a polypeptide chain. Interestingly, the rate constants of the SS formation jumped up at a pH around the pK
a value of the cysteinyl SH groups. The SS formation velocity was slightly decreased by addition of a denaturant due probably to the interaction between the denaturant and the peptide. The stochastic behaviors as well as the absolute values of the second‐order rate constants in comparison to dithiothreitol (DTTred) are useful to probe the chemical reactivity and conformation, hence the folding, of polypeptide chains.
Shigella Strains Are Not Clones of Escherichia Coli but Sister Species in the Genus Escherichia
Authors: Zuo Guanghong , Xu Zhao , Hao Bailin
Published: December 2012

Shigella species and Escherichia coli are closely related organisms. Early phenotyping experiments and several recent molecular studies put Shigella within the species E. coli. However, the whole-genome-based, alignment-free and parameter-free CVTree approach shows convincingly that four established Shigella species, Shigella boydii, Shigella sonnei, Shigella felxneri and Shigella dysenteriae, are distinct from E. coli strains, and form sister species to E. coli within the genus Escherichia. In view of the overall success and high resolution power of the CVTree approach, this result should be taken seriously. We hope that the present report may promote further in-depth study of the Shigella-E. coli relationship.
Ethyl pyruvate protects against lipopolysaccharide‐induced white matter injury in the developing rat brain
Authors: Yingyan Wang , Ping Yin , Shanying Huang , Jiwen Wang , Ruopeng Sun
Published: December 2012

The neuroprotective effects of ethyl pyruvate (EP) have been proved in several brain injury models, yet very little is known about its action on neonatal white matter injury. To investigate the effect of EP on white matte damage, a stereotactic intracerebral injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg) was performed on postnatal day 5 Sprague–Dawley rat pups, and EP was administrated intraperitoneally at a dose of 40 mg/kg immediately, 1 h and 12 h after LPS exposure. Significantly, treatment with EP reduced LPS‐induced ventricle dilation, loss of O4+ and O1+ oligodendrocytes, apoptosis of oligodendrocytes, and hypomyelination. The protective effect of EP was associated with suppressed inflammatory responses, indicated by the inhibition of activation of microglia and astrocytes, as well as the decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1beta (IL‐1β) in rat brains. Also, EP prevented the elevation of cleaved caspase‐3 in periventricular white matter tissue after LPS insult. Taken together, these results suggest that EP confers potent protection against LPS‐induced white matter injury via its anti‐inflammatory and anti‐apoptotic properties.
A composite risk assessment model to screen for gestational diabetes mellitus among Mediterranean women
Authors: Savona‐Ventura Charles , Vassallo Josanne , Marre Michel , Karamanos Basil G.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To determine whether clinical risk assessment for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may preclude the need for universal screening with an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in situations of economic restraint.

Methods

Women with either GDM (n = 119) or normal glucose tolerance (n = 1249) were recruited from centers among 11 Mediterranean countries between August 1, 2010, and May 31, 2011. Outcome measures included anthropomorphic and biological data, obstetric outcomes, and infant outcomes.

Results

Significant risk factors for GDM included maternal age of 30 years or more; elevated body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters); elevated diastolic blood pressure; previous history of macrosomia; and family history of diabetes mellitus. These factors each had high specificity but low sensitivity for predicting GDM; however, when used in combination, sensitivity increased but specificity fell. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) level had high sensitivity (73.9%) and specificity (90.2%) for predicting GDM. Sensitivity was further increased by combining FBG measurement with maternal age and BMI (96.6%).

Conclusion

Use of a composite model to prescreen women for GDM risk may reduce the need for universal screening with the OGTT among centers facing health‐cost pressures.
Compliance with follow‐up in an inner‐city population treated with intramuscular methotrexate for suspected ectopic pregnancy
Authors: Dueñas‐Garcia Omar F. , Young Constance , Mikhail Magdy , Salafia Carolyn
Published: December 2012

Objective

To evaluate compliance with follow‐up among inner‐city patients with ectopic pregnancy treated with methotrexate, in addition to assessing outcome.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of all patients evaluated for first‐trimester bleeding and diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, New York, USA, from October 2007 to March 2011. Compliance and complications were evaluated for all patients who received medical treatment with methotrexate.

Results

Ninety‐nine patients with hemodynamically stable ectopic pregnancies were identified. Therapy with methotrexate was effective in 87 (87.9%) cases. Only 10 (10.1%) patients were fully compliant during follow‐up after methotrexate administration. There were no differences according to ethnicity. Number of follow‐up visits after treatment significantly affected compliance.

Conclusion

Improvements in selection criteria for therapy and simplification of follow‐up for patients with medically managed ectopic pregnancy are required.
Glucose abnormalities in hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Huang Jee‐Fu , Yu Ming‐Lung , Dai Chia‐Yen , Chuang Wan‐Long
Published: December 2012

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the most important causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and has a tremendous impact on public health worldwide. HCV is both hepatotropic and lymphotropic. Replication of HCV in diseased extrahepatic organs and tissues may either trigger latent autoimmunity or induce autoimmune disorders. In addition to established liver injury, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important feature of extrahepatic metabolic disorders which is attributed to HCV infection. It also has some impact on the disease activity, disease course, clinical outcomes, and treatment efficacy of antiviral therapy. Previous experimental and clinical findings have highly suggested that HCV per se is diabetogenic. The cause–effect interaction between a common endocrine disorder and an infectious disease is an important issue to elucidate. Although the precise mechanisms whereby HCV infection leads to insulin resistance (IR) and glucose abnormalities are not entirely clear, it differs from the usual pathogenesis of T2DM in those with non‐HCV liver diseases. This review initially highlights epidemiological and pathophysiological studies addressing the mutual link between chronic HCV infection (CHC) and T2DM. The characteristics of glucose abnormalities in this special population are depicted from the current evidence. The mutual roles of IR and CHC with respect to the prediction of treatment efficacy, how treatment response affects IR, and the role of pancreatic beta cell function in the entire suite are discussed. With the rapid progression of antiviral therapy for CHC in the past decade, we have also listed some points of future perspective in this issue.
Lethal Brain Edema, Shock, and Coagulopathy After Scorpion Envenomation
Authors: Cavari Yuval , Lazar Isaac , Shelef Ilan , Sofer Shaul
Published: December 2012

We report the case of a 2-year-old Bedouin boy in whom developed severe and unusual complications after being stung, most probably, by the yellow scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus. Five hours after arrival to the emergency department, the boy had multisystem organ failure involving the central nervous system (seizure activity followed by coma with dilated, nonreactive pupils, and severe brain edema), shock (noncardiogenic), disseminated intravascular coagulation, renal failure, hepatic failure, and watery diarrhea, causing his death. In view of the relevant literature, we discuss the pathophysiologic events ultimately leading to his death.
Impact of Language Abilities on Exact and Approximate Number Skills Development: Evidence From Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Nys Julie , Content Alain , Leybaert Jacqueline
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Counting and exact arithmetic rely on language-based representations, whereas number comparison and approximate arithmetic involve approximate quantity-based representations that are available early in life, before the first stages of language acquisition. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of language abilities on the later development of exact and approximate number skills.

Method

Twenty-eight 7- to 14-year-old children with specific language impairment (SLI) completed exact and approximate number tasks involving quantities presented symbolically and nonsymbolically. They were compared with age-matched (AM) and vocabulary-matched (VM) children.

Results

In the exact arithmetic task, the accuracy of children with SLI was lower than that of AM and VM controls and related to phonological measures. In the symbolic approximate tasks, children with SLI were less accurate than AM controls, but the difference vanished when their cognitive skills were considered or when they were compared with younger VM controls. In the nonsymbolic approximate tasks, children with SLI did not differ significantly from controls. Further, accuracy in the approximate number tasks was unrelated to language measures.

Conclusions

Language impairment is related to reduced exact arithmetic skills, whereas it does not intrinsically affect the development of approximate number skills in children with SLI.
Phonetically Trained and Untrained Adults' Transcription of Place of Articulation for Intervocalic Lingual Stops With Intermediate Acoustic Cues
Authors: Mayo Catherine , Gibbon Fiona , Clark Robert A. J.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors aimed to investigate how listener training and the presence of intermediate acoustic cues influence transcription variability for conflicting cue speech stimuli.

Method

Twenty listeners with training in transcribing disordered speech, and 26 untrained listeners, were asked to make forced-choice labeling decisions for synthetic vowel–consonant–vowel (VCV) sequences “a doe” (/ədo/) and “a go” (/əgo/). Both the VC and CV transitions in these stimuli ranged through intermediate positions, from appropriate for /d/ to appropriate for /g/.

Results

Both trained and untrained listeners gave more weight to the CV transitions than to the VC transitions. However, listener behavior was not uniform: The results showed a high level of inter- and intratranscriber inconsistency, with untrained listeners showing a nonsignificant tendency to be more influenced than trained listeners by CV transitions.

Conclusions

Listeners do not assign consistent categorical labels to the type of intermediate, conflicting transitional cues that were present in the stimuli used in the current study and that are also present in disordered articulations. Although listener inconsistency in assigning labels to intermediate productions is not increased as a result of phonetic training, neither is it reduced by such training.
Gaze Patterns and Audiovisual Speech Enhancement
Authors: Yi Astrid , Wong Willy , Eizenman Moshe
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors sought to quantify the relationships between speech intelligibility (perception) and gaze patterns under different auditory–visual conditions.

Method

Eleven subjects listened to low-context sentences spoken by a single talker while viewing the face of one or more talkers on a computer display. Subjects either maintained their gaze at a specific distance (0°, 2.5°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) from the center of the talker's mouth (CTM) or moved their eyes freely on the computer display. Eye movements were monitored with an eye-tracking system, and speech intelligibility was evaluated by the mean percentage of correctly perceived words.

Results

With a single talker and a fixed point of gaze, speech intelligibility was similar for all fixations within 10° of the CTM. With visual cues from two talker faces and a speech signal from one of the talkers, speech intelligibility was similar to that of a single talker for fixations within 2.5° of the CTM. With natural viewing of a single talker, gaze strategy changed with speech-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For low speech-SNR, a strategy that brought the point of gaze directly to within 2.5° of the CTM was used in approximately 80% of trials, whereas in high speech-SNR it was used in only approximately 50% of trials.

Conclusions

With natural viewing of a single talker and high speech-SNR, subjects can shift their gaze between points on the talker's face without compromising speech intelligibility. With low-speech SNR, subjects change their gaze patterns to fixate primarily on points that are in close proximity to the talker's mouth. The latter strategy is essential to optimize speech intelligibility in situations where there are simultaneous visual cues from multiple talkers (i.e., when some of the visual cues are distracters).
Intervention Efficacy and Intensity for Children With Speech Sound Disorder
Authors: Allen Melissa M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Clinicians do not have an evidence base they can use to recommend optimum intervention intensity for preschool children who present with speech sound disorder (SSD). This study examined the effect of dose frequency on phonological performance and the efficacy of the multiple oppositions approach.

Method

Fifty-four preschool children with SSD were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions. Two intervention conditions received the multiple oppositions approach either 3 times per week for 8 weeks (P3) or once weekly for 24 weeks (P1). A control (C) condition received a storybook intervention. Percentage of consonants correct (PCC) was evaluated at 8 weeks and after 24 sessions. PCC gain was examined after a 6-week maintenance period.

Results

The P3 condition had a significantly better phonological outcome than the P1 and C conditions at 8 weeks and than the P1 condition after 24 weeks. There were no significant differences between the P1 and C conditions. There was no significant difference between the P1 and P3 conditions in PCC gain during the maintenance period.

Conclusion

Preschool children with SSD who received the multiple oppositions approach made significantly greater gains when they were provided with a more intensive dose frequency and when cumulative intervention intensity was held constant.
Vocalization Development in Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Plumb Allison M. , Wetherby Amy M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors aimed to examine the vocalizations of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the second year of life and their relationship to other areas of development.

Method

Vocalizations were examined in 125 children between ages 18 and 24 months: 50 later diagnosed with ASD, 25 with developmental delays (DD) in which ASD was ruled out, and 50 with typical development (TD). Precise measures of vocalizations were obtained through coding of video-recorded behavior samples from the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (Wetherby & Prizant, 2002b).

Results

The ASD group used a significantly lower proportion of vocalizations with speech sounds and a significantly higher proportion of atypical vocalizations than children with TD. The ASD group used a significantly higher proportion of distress vocalizations than the TD and DD groups. For the ASD group, the frequency of vocalizations with speech sounds correlated significantly with developmental levels both concurrently and predictively. In the ASD group, communicative vocalizations late in the second year were found to uniquely predict expressive language outcome at age 3 years above noncommunicative vocalizations.

Conclusions

Further examination of distress vocalizations as a potential early indicator of ASD is recommended. In addition, the importance of early communicative vocalizations for later language development is highlighted.
Gesturing by Speakers With Aphasia: How Does It Compare?
Authors: Mol Lisette , Krahmer Emiel , van de Sandt-Koenderman Mieke
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To study the independence of gesture and verbal language production. The authors assessed whether gesture can be semantically compensatory in cases of verbal language impairment and whether speakers with aphasia and control participants use similar depiction techniques in gesture.

Method

The informativeness of gesture was assessed in 3 forced-choice studies, in which raters assessed the topic of the speaker's message in video clips of 13 speakers with moderate aphasia and 12 speakers with severe aphasia, who were performing a communication test (the Scenario Test). Both groups were compared and contrasted with 17 control participants, who either were or were not allowed to communicate verbally. In addition, the representation techniques used in gesture were analyzed.

Results

Gestures produced by speakers with more severe aphasia were less informative than those by speakers with moderate aphasia, yet they were not necessarily uninformative. Speakers with more severe aphasia also tended to use fewer representation techniques (mostly relying on outlining gestures) in co-speech gesture than control participants, who were asked to use gesture instead of speech. It is important to note that limb apraxia may be a mediating factor here.

Conclusions

These results suggest that in aphasia, gesture tends to degrade with verbal language. This may imply that the processes underlying verbal language and co-speech gesture production, although partly separate, are closely linked.
Investigating the Relationship Between Nonword Repetition Performance and Syllabic Structure in Typical and Atypical Language Development
Authors: Tamburelli Marco , Jones Gary
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors examined the role of syllabic structure in nonword repetition performance in typically developing (TD) children and children with specific language impairment (SLI).

Method

Eighteen children with SLI (5;7–6;7 [years;months]) and 18 TD children matched for chronological age were tested on their ability to repeat phonemes in different positions within syllable structure (onset, nucleus, coda). The test involved 2 separate nonword repetition tasks differing in lexicality (high vs. low). High-lexicality nonwords contained subparts that are morphemes of the language (i.e., subparts were “lexical”), whereas nonlexical nonwords did not.

Results

Repetition performance across the 3 syllabic positions showed a significant effect for both populations and on both tasks. However, although on the high-lexicality task the direction of the effect revealed the onset as the most error-prone constituent (onset > coda > nucleus), on the low-lexicality task, it was the coda that attracted most errors (coda > onset > nucleus).

Conclusions

Results suggest that the procedures involved in computing syllabic structure are qualitatively similar in the 2 populations. We take these results to support the view that different syllabic positions involve different levels of phonological complexity and that tests that control for lexicality are crucial in illuminating these differences.
Age-Related Changes to Spectral Voice Characteristics Affect Judgments of Prosodic, Segmental, and Talker Attributes for Child and Adult Speech
Authors: Dilley Laura C. , Wieland Elizabeth A. , Gamache Jessica L. , McAuley J. Devin , Redford Melissa A.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

As children mature, changes in voice spectral characteristics co-vary with changes in speech, language, and behavior. In this study, spectral characteristics were manipulated to alter the perceived ages of talkers' voices while leaving critical acoustic–prosodic correlates intact, to determine whether perceived age differences were associated with differences in judgments of prosodic, segmental, and talker attributes.

Method

Speech was modified by lowering formants and fundamental frequency, for 5-year-old children’s utterances, or raising them, for adult caregivers' utterances. Next, participants differing in awareness of the manipulation (Experiment 1A) or amount of speech-language training (Experiment 1B) made judgments of prosodic, segmental, and talker attributes. Experiment 2 investigated the effects of spectral modification on intelligibility. Finally, in Experiment 3, trained analysts used formal prosody coding to assess prosodic characteristics of spectrally modified and unmodified speech.

Results

Differences in perceived age were associated with differences in ratings of speech rate, fluency, intelligibility, likeability, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and speech-language disorder/delay; effects of training and awareness of the manipulation on ratings were limited. There were no significant effects of the manipulation on intelligibility or formally coded prosody judgments.

Conclusion

Age-related voice characteristics can greatly affect judgments of speech and talker characteristics, raising cautionary notes for developmental research and clinical work.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6170393
Beyond Decoding: Adults With Dyslexia Have Trouble Forming Unified Lexical Representations Across Pseudoword Learning Episodes
Authors: Howland Karole A. , Liederman Jacqueline
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To examine how adults with dyslexia versus adults with typical reading form lexical representations during pseudoword learning.

Method

Twenty adults with dyslexia and 20 adults with typical reading learned meanings, spellings, and pronunciations of 16 pictured pseudowords, (half with regular and half with irregular grapheme-phoneme correspondences) presented first in 1 modality (spoken or written) and then the 2nd modality. Dependent measures included picture naming and identification, episodic recognition, a rhyme task, and a categorization task.

Results

Adults with dyslexia learned pseudowords more slowly than those with typical reading and were disproportionately poor in learning irregularly spelled pseudowords after changing from written to spoken modality. Adults with dyslexia recognized fewer pseudoword forms than adults with typical reading and verified fewer pseudoword rhymes. Adults with typical reading were more accurate with categorizing regular versus irregular pseudowords. Adults with dyslexia did not show this regularity advantage.

Conclusions

Adults with dyslexia, compared with adults with typical reading, failed to (a) encode and retrieve detailed information about pseudoword forms, (b) efficiently form cross-modal associations between written and spoken encounters with pseudowords, and (c) effectively modify their representations following the change in modality. The authors discuss implications relative to common theories of dyslexia.
Lexical Development in Korean: Vocabulary Size, Lexical Composition, and Late Talking
Authors: Rescorla Leslie , Lee Youn Min Cathy , Oh Kyung Ja , Kim Young Ah
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors aimed to compare vocabulary size, lexical composition, and late talking in large samples of Korean and U.S. children ages 18–35 months.

Method

Data for 2,191 Korean children (211 children recruited “offline” through preschools, and 1,980 recruited “online” via the Internet) and 274 U.S. children were obtained using the Language Development Survey (LDS).

Results

Mean vocabulary size was slightly larger in the offline than the online group, but the groups were acquiring almost identical words. Mean vocabulary size did not differ by country; girls and older children had larger vocabularies in both countries. The Korean–U.S.
Q
correlations for percentage use of LDS words (.53 and .56) indicated considerable concordance across countries in lexical composition. Noun dominance was as large in Korean lexicons as in U.S. lexicons. About half of the most commonly reported words for the Korean and U.S. children were identical. Lexicons of late talkers resembled those of typically developing younger children in the same sample.

Conclusions

Despite linguistic and discourse differences between Korean and English, LDS findings indicated considerable cross-linguistic similarity with respect to vocabulary size, lexical composition, and late talking.
Tongue–Palate Contact Pressure, Oral Air Pressure, and Acoustics of Clear Speech
Authors: Searl Jeff , Evitts Paul M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

The authors compared articulatory contact pressure (ACP), oral air pressure (Po), and speech acoustics for conversational versus clear speech. They also assessed the relationship of these measures to listener perception.

Method

Twelve adults with normal speech produced monosyllables in a phrase using conversational and clear speech. Target phonemes were /t, d, s, z, l, n/. ACP was measured at a point of articulatory contact; Po was sensed by a catheter open in the posterior oral cavity.

Results

ACP was increased to a greater extent in clear speech for /t, d, z/. Po was increased to a greater extent for /t, d/. Acoustic changes also occurred in terms of segment durations, speaking rate, and CV dB ratio. Regression analysis indicated that segment duration was the strongest predictor of listener ratings of speech clarity, followed by an index of articulatory effort and speaking rate.

Conclusion

Articulatory effort, as indexed by ACP, Po, and CV dB ratio, was increased to varying degrees depending on the consonant. Greatest changes occurred for /t, d/. Durational measures at both the segment and the phrase level were also important for predicting listener ratings of speech clarity.
Variability in Classroom Social Communication: Performance of Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Typically Developing Peers
Authors: Kjellmer Liselotte , Olswang Lesley B.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors examined how variability in classroom social communication performance differed between children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and pair-matched, typically developing peers.

Method

Twelve pairs of children were observed in their classrooms, 40 min per day (20 min per child) for 4 days over a 2-week period. Coders documented classroom social communication during situations of Cooperation and following School Rules by recording performance on handheld computers using the Social Communication Coding System (SCCS). The SCCS consists of 6 behavioral dimensions (prosocial/engaged, passive/disengaged, irrelevant, hostile/coercive, assertive, and adult seeking). The frequency of occurrence and duration of each dimension were recorded. These measures were then used to examine variability in performance within and across days (changeability and stability, respectively).

Results

Independent of classroom situation, children with FASD were more variable than their typically developing peers in terms of changing behavioral dimensions more often (changeability) and varying their behavior more from day to day (stability).

Conclusions

Documenting performance variability may provide a clearer understanding of the classroom social communication difficulties of the child with mild FASD.
Enduring Advantages of Early Cochlear Implantation for Spoken Language Development
Authors: Geers Ann E. , Nicholas Johanna G.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this article, the authors sought to determine whether the precise age of implantation (AOI) remains an important predictor of spoken language outcomes in later childhood for those who received a cochlear implant (CI) between 12 and 38 months of age. Relative advantages of receiving a bilateral CI after age 4.5 years, better pre-CI-aided hearing, and longer CI experience were also examined.

Method

Sixty children participated in a prospective longitudinal study of outcomes at 4.5 and 10.5 years of age. Twenty-nine children received a sequential second CI. Test scores were compared with normative samples of hearing age mates, and predictors of outcomes were identified.

Results

Standard scores on language tests at 10.5 years of age remained significantly correlated with age of first cochlear implantation. Scores were not associated with receipt of a second, sequentially acquired CI. Significantly higher scores were achieved for vocabulary as compared with overall language, a finding not evident when the children were tested at younger ages.

Conclusion

Age-appropriate spoken language skills continued to be more likely with younger AOI, even after an average of 8.6 years of additional CI use. Receipt of a second implant between ages 4 and 10 years and longer duration of device use did not provide significant added benefit.
Profiles of Verbal Working Memory Growth Predict Speech and Language Development in Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Kronenberger William G. , Pisoni David B. , Harris Michael S. , Hoen Helena M. , Xu Huiping , Miyamoto Richard T.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) skills predict speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants (CIs) even after conventional demographic, device, and medical factors are taken into account. However, prior research has focused on single end point outcomes as opposed to the longitudinal process of development of verbal STM/WM and speech-language skills. In this study, the authors investigated relations between profiles of verbal STM/WM development and speech-language development over time.

Method

Profiles of verbal STM/WM development were identified through the use of group-based trajectory analysis of repeated digit span measures over at least a 2-year time period in a sample of 66 children (ages 6–16 years) with CIs. Subjects also completed repeated assessments of speech and language skills during the same time period.

Results

Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal STM (digit span forward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and language comprehension skills over time. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal WM (digit span backward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and spoken word recognition skills over time.

Conclusion

Different patterns of development of verbal STM/WM capacity predict the dynamic process of development of speech and language skills in this clinical population.
The Effects of Behavioral Speech Therapy on Speech Sound Production With Adults Who Have Cochlear Implants
Authors: Pomaville Frances M. , Kladopoulos Chris N.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this study, the authors examined the treatment efficacy of a behavioral speech therapy protocol for adult cochlear implant recipients.

Method

The authors used a multiple-baseline, across-behaviors and -participants design to examine the effectiveness of a therapy program based on behavioral principles and methods to improve the production of target speech sounds in 3 adults with cochlear implants. The authors included probe items in a baseline protocol to assess generalization of target speech sounds to untrained exemplars. Pretest and posttest scores from the Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale, Third Revision (Arizona–3; Fudala, 2000) and measurement of speech errors during spontaneous speech were compared, providing additional measures of target behavior generalization.

Results

The results of this study provided preliminary evidence supporting the overall effectiveness and efficiency of a behavioral speech therapy program in increasing percent correct speech sound production in adult cochlear implant recipients. The generalization of newly trained speech skills to untrained words and to spontaneous speech was demonstrated.

Conclusion

These preliminary findings support the application of behavioral speech therapy techniques for training speech sound production in adults with cochlear implants. Implications for future research and the development of aural rehabilitation programs for adult cochlear implant recipients are discussed.
Poorer Phonetic Perceivers Show Greater Benefit in Phonetic-Phonological Speech Learning
Authors: Ingvalson Erin M. , Barr Allison M. , Wong Patrick C. M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Previous research has demonstrated that native English speakers can learn lexical tones in word context (pitch-to-word learning), to an extent. However, learning success depends on learners' pre-training sensitivity to pitch patterns. The aim of this study was to determine whether lexical pitch-pattern training given before lexical training could improve learning and whether or not the extent of improvement depends on pre-training pitch-pattern sensitivity.

Method

Learners with high and low pitch-pattern sensitivity were given training on lexical pitch patterns before lexical training.

Results

It was found that such training resulted in better learning than lexical training alone, primarily in learners with low pre-training pitch-pattern sensitivity.

Conclusion

These data support the importance of considering individual aptitudes when developing training and also the notion of phonetic–phonological–lexical continuity in word learning.
Behavioral Stuttering Interventions for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nye Chad , Vanryckeghem Martine , Schwartz Jamie B. , Herder Carl , Turner Herbert M. , Howard Courtney
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral interventions designed to treat stuttering in children.

Method

Studies were included for review if (a) the treatment was a behavioral intervention, (b) participants were between 2 and 18 years old, (c) the design was an experimental or quasi-experimental group design, and (d) the reported outcome measure assessed stuttering.

An electronic search of 8 databases yielded a total of 9 studies, representing 327 treated participants across 7 different intervention types. Data were extracted for participant, treatment, and outcome characteristics as well as for methodological quality.

Results

An analysis of the treatment effects yielded significant positive effects approaching 1
SD
when compared with a nontreatment control group. No significant differences emerged for studies comparing 2 different treatments.

Conclusion

Conclusions drawn from the extant research suggest that data to support the efficacy of behavioral intervention in children exists for a limited number of intervention strategies, based on a meager number of methodologically acceptable studies.
Speechreading Development in Deaf and Hearing Children: Introducing the Test of Child Speechreading
Authors: Kyle Fiona E. , Campbell Ruth , Mohammed Tara , Coleman Mike , MacSweeney Mairéad
Published: December 2012

Purpose

In this article, the authors describe the development of a new instrument, the Test of Child Speechreading (ToCS), which was specifically designed for use with deaf and hearing children. Speechreading is a skill that is required for deaf children to access the language of the hearing community. ToCS is a deaf-friendly, computer-based test that measures child speechreading (silent lipreading) at 3 psycholinguistic levels: (a) Words, (b) Sentences, and (c) Short Stories. The aims of the study were to standardize the ToCS with deaf and hearing children and to investigate the effects of hearing status, age, and linguistic complexity on speechreading ability.

Method

Eighty-six severely and profoundly deaf children and 91 hearing children participated. All children were between the ages of 5 and 14 years. The deaf children were from a range of language and communication backgrounds, and their preferred mode of communication varied.

Results

Speechreading skills significantly improved with age for both groups of children. There was no effect of hearing status on speechreading ability, and children from both groups showed similar performance across all subtests of the ToCS.

Conclusion

The ToCS is a valid and reliable assessment of speechreading ability in school-age children that can be used to measure individual differences in performance in speechreading ability.