bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Speech Synthesis Using Damped Sinusoids
Authors: Hillenbrand James M. , Houde Robert A.
Published: April 2006

A speech synthesizer was developed that operates by summing exponentially damped sinusoids at frequencies and amplitudes corresponding to peaks derived from the spectrum envelope of the speech signal. The spectrum analysis begins with the calculation of a smoothed Fourier spectrum. A masking threshold is then computed for each frame as the running average of spectral amplitudes over an 800-Hz window. In a rough simulation of lateral suppression, the running average is then subtracted from the smoothed spectrum (with negative spectral values set to zero), producing a masked spectrum. The signal is resynthesized by summing exponentially damped sinusoids at frequencies corresponding to peaks in the masked spectra. If a periodicity measure indicates that a given analysis frame is voiced, the damped sinusoids are pulsed at a rate corresponding to the measured fundamental period. For unvoiced speech, the damped sinusoids are pulsed on and off at random intervals. A perceptual evaluation of speech produced by the damped sinewave synthesizer showed excellent sentence intelligibility, excellent intelligibility for vowels in /hVd/ syllables, and fair intelligibility for consonants in CV nonsense syllables.
Lexical Diversity in the Spontaneous Speech of Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Owen Amanda J. , Leonard Laurence B.
Published: April 2006

The lexical diversity of children with specific language impairment (SLI) (ages 3 years 7 months to 7 years 3 months) was compared to that of normally developing same-age peers and younger normally developing children matched according to mean length of utterance in words (MLUw). Lexical diversity was calculated from spontaneous speech samples using D, a measure that uses repeated calculations of type-token ratio (TTR) to estimate how TTR changes as the speech samples increase in size. When D computations were based on 250-word samples, developmental differences were apparent. For both children with SLI and typically developing children, older subgroups showed higher D scores than younger subgroups, and subgroups with higher MLUws showed higher D scores than subgroups with lower MLUws. Children with SLI did not differ from same-age peers. At lower MLUw levels, children with SLI showed higher D scores than younger typically developing children matched for MLUw. The developmental sensitivity of D notwithstanding, comparisons using 100-utterance samples, in which the number of lexical tokens varied as a function of the children's MLUws, and comparisons between 250- and 500-word samples revealed the possible influence of sample size on this measure. However, analysis of the effect sizes using smaller and larger samples revealed that D is not affected by sample size to the degree seen for more traditional measures of lexical diversity.
Discourse Comprehension Test Performance of Elders With Dementia of the Alzheimer Type
Authors: Welland Richard J. , Lubinski Rosemary , Higginbotham D. Jeffery
Published: April 2006

Spoken language comprehension, including comprehension for inferential material in narrative discourse, is diminished in dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). There are, however, no empirical data concerning comprehension by adults with DAT of main ideas versus details in narratives. Evidence from other groups with and without brain damage has shown that comprehension for main ideas is relatively better than for details and that comprehension for stated material is relatively better than comprehension for inferential material. Participants in the present investigation were 24 older adults, 8 with early-stage DAT (EDAT), 8 with middle-stage DAT (MDAT), and 8 with no brain damage (NBD). Selected narratives and associated sets of yes-no questions from the Discourse Comprehension Test (DCT) (Brookshire and Nicholas, 1993) were presented on videotape. Participants with EDAT and MDAT had significantly poorer overall comprehension of DCT narratives than did those in the NBD group (p<.0001), but they did not differ significantly from each other. Responses to DCT narratives by participants in the NBD, EDAT, and MDAT groups followed the same pattern of relatively better comprehension for main ideas than for details and relatively better comprehension for stated than for implied information. Working memory and episodic memory were shown to be significantly associated with DCT overall scores. Together, these findings suggest that although overall narrative comprehension is diminished in those with DAT, individuals appear to retain a mental representation for narratives that facilitates better comprehension of main ideas than of details as well as better comprehension of stated information than of implied information. This interpretation is consistent with schema-based accounts of narrative comprehension.
Auditory Temporal Processing in Children With Specific Reading Disability With and Without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Breier Joshua I. , Fletcher Jack M. , Foorman Barbara R. , Klaas Patricia , Gray Lincoln C.
Published: April 2006

The auditory temporal deficit hypothesis predicts that children with specific reading disability (RD) will exhibit a deficit in the perception of auditory temporal cues in nonspeech stimuli. Tasks assessing perception of auditory temporal and nontemporal cues were administered to children with (a) RD without attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (RD/no-ADHD,
n
=40), (b) ADHD alone (ADHD/no-RD,
n
=33), (c) RD and ADHD (RD/ADHD,
n
=36), and (d) no impairment (NI,
n
=41). The presence of RD was associated with a specific deficit in detection of a tone onset time asynchrony, but no reduction in performance on other tasks assessing perception of temporal or nontemporal acoustic cues. The presence of ADHD was associated with a general reduction in performance across tasks. The pattern of results did not indicate a pervasive deficit in auditory temporal function in children with RD, but did suggest a possible sensitivity to backward masking in this group. Results also indicated that the comorbid presence of ADHD is a significant factor in the performance of children with RD on psychoacoustic tasks.
Anticipatory Coarticulation in Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Tjaden Kris
Published: April 2006

Research investigating coarticulatory patterns in dysarthria has the potential to provide insight regarding deficits in the organizational coherence of phonetic events that may underlie deviant perceptual characteristics. The current study investigated anticipatory coarticulation for 17 speakers with multiple sclerosis (MS), 12 speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 29 healthy control speakers. V1-C-V2 sequences were used to investigate intersyllabic vowel to vowel effects (V2 to V1 effects), intersyllabic consonant to vowel effects (C to V1 effects), and intrasyllabic vowel to consonant effects (V2 to C effects). Second formant frequencies and first moment coefficients were used to infer coarticulation. In general, patterns of intersyllabic and intrasyllabic coarticulation were similar for speakers with MS, speakers with PD, and healthy control speakers. It therefore appears unlikely that coarticulatory patterns for speakers diagnosed with MS or PD strongly contribute to deviant perceptual characteristics, at least for the current group of speakers, most of whom were mildly to moderately impaired. Anticipatory vowel effects in /k/+vowel sequences, however, tended to be reduced for speakers with MS and speakers with PD when data for these 2 speaker groups were pooled and compared to control speakers. These results were not attributable to group differences in speech rate or articulatory scaling, defined as the extent of articulatory movements, and further suggest that coarticulatory deficits are not unique to particular neurological diagnoses or dysarthrias. Potential explanations for the /k/+vowel results include difficulties with anterior—posterior tongue positioning and the competing influences of minimizing articulatory effort and maintaining sufficient perceptual contrast. Despite this subtle difference in coarticulation between disordered speakers and healthy control speakers, the overall results suggest that anticipatory coarticulation for speakers with MS and speakers with PD is preserved.
Speech Intelligibility in Severe Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Bender Brenda K. , Cannito Michael P. , Murry Thomas , Woodson Gayle E.
Published: April 2006

This study compared speech intelligibility in nondisabled speakers and speakers with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) before and after botulinum toxin (Botox) injection. Standard speech samples were obtained from 10 speakers diagnosed with severe ADSD prior to and 1 month following Botox injection, as well as from 10 age- and gender-matched healthy adults. This yielded 3 speaking conditions: pre-Botox injection, post-Botox injection, and normal control. Thirty phrases were extracted from the speech samples and arranged in a counterbalanced listening experiment. Thirty students, reporting little experience with distorted speech, served as listeners. Each listener's response was scored for words correctly identified using a liberal scoring criterion yielding a percentage of words correctly identified for each speaker. The results indicated that the speakers with ADSD were significantly more intelligible in the post-Botox condition than in the pre-Botox condition. The results also indicated that healthy speakers were significantly more intelligible than the speakers in both the preand post-Botox conditions. In general, these results indicated that intelligibility is affected in severe ADSD and that the use of Botox injection in ADSD improves intelligibility scores. However, the results also indicated that the use of Botox injection does not result in speech intelligibility similar to that of normal, non-ADSD speakers.
The Effect of Jaw Position on Measures of Tongue Strength and Endurance
Authors: Solomon Nancy Pearl , Munson Benjamin
Published: April 2006

Assessment of tongue strength and endurance is common in research and clinical contexts. It is unclear whether the results reveal discrete function by the tongue or combined abilities of the tongue and jaw. One way to isolate the movement of the tongue is to constrain the jaw kinematically by using a bite block. In this study, 10 neurologically normal young adults performed tongue strength and endurance tasks without a bite block ("jaw-free") and with bite blocks of various heights (2, 5, 10, and 15 mm for strength; 5 mm for endurance). Data signals included tongue pressure exerted on an air-filled bulb, surface electromyography (SEMG) from the superior tongue blade, and SEMG from 1 masseter. On average, tongue strength (pressure in kPa) was greatest with no bite block and generally decreased as bite blocks increased in height. Pairwise analyses revealed statistically significant differences for all but 3 comparisons (jaw-free to 2 mm, 2 to 5 mm, and 5 to 10 mm). After removing outlying data from 1 participant, tongue endurance at 50% of tongue strength was significantly greater without a bite block than with one. SEMG data did not differ significantly for the strength task across bite block conditions, but inspection of the individual data revealed a tendency for masseter activity to be lower when the jaw was unconstrained. These results suggest that maximal tongue strength and endurance are best assessed with an unconstrained mandible or with a very small bite block.
Effects of Age and Hearing Loss on Gap Detection and the Precedence Effect
Authors: Roberts Richard A. , Lister Jennifer J.
Published: April 2006

Older listeners with normal-hearing sensitivity and impaired-hearing sensitivity often demonstrate poorer-than-normal performance on tasks of speech understanding in noise and reverberation. Deficits in temporal resolution and in the precedence effect may underlie this difficulty. Temporal resolution is often studied by means of a gap-detection paradigm. This task is similar to binaural fusion paradigms used to measure the precedence effect. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if within-channel (measured with monotic and diotic gap detection) or across-channel (measured with dichotic gap detection) temporal resolution is related to fusion (measured with lag-burst thresholds; LBTs) under dichotic, anechoic, and reverberant conditions. Gap-detection thresholds (GDTs) and LBTs were measured by means of noise-burst stimuli for 3 groups of listeners: young adults with normal-hearing sensitivity (YNH), older adults with normal-hearing sensitivity (ONH), and older adults with impaired-hearing sensitivity (OIH). The GDTs indicated that across-channel temporal resolution is poorer than within-channel temporal resolution and that the effects of age and hearing loss are dependent on condition. Results for the fusion task indicated higher LBTs in reverberation than for the dichotic and anechoic conditions, regardless of group, and no effect of age or hearing loss for the nonreverberant conditions. However, higher LBTs were observed in the reverberant condition for the ONH listeners. Further, there was a correlation between across-channel temporal resolution and fusion in reverberation. Gap detection and fusion may not necessarily reflect the same underlying processes; however, across-channel gap detection may influence fusion under certain conditions (i.e., in reverberation).
The Distinctness of Speakers' /s/—/∫/ Contrast Is Related to Their Auditory Discrimination and Use of an Articulatory Saturation Effect
Authors: Perkell Joseph S. , Matthies Melanie L. , Tiede Mark , Lane Harlan , Zandipour Majid , Marrone Nicole , Stockmann Ellen , Guenther Frank H.
Published: April 2006

This study examines individual differences in producing the sibilant contrast in American English and the relation of those differences to 2 speaker characteristics: (a) use of a quantal biomechanical effect (called a "saturation effect") in producing the sibilants and (b) performance on a test of sibilant discrimination. Twenty participants produced the sibilants /s/ and /∫/ in normal-, clear-, and fast-speaking conditions. The degree to which the participants used a saturation effect in producing /s/ and /∫/ was assessed with a custom-made sensor that measured contact of the underside of the tongue tip with the lower alveolar ridge; such contact normally occurs during the production of /s/ but not /∫/. The acuteness of the participants' discrimination of the sibilant contrast was measured using the ABX paradigm and synthesized sibilants. Differences among speakers in the degree of acoustic contrast between /s/ and /∫/ that they produced proved related to differences among them in their use of contact contrastively and in their discriminative performance. The most distinct sibilant productions were obtained from participants who used contact in producing /s/ but not /∫/ and who had high discrimination scores. The participants who did not use contact differentially when producing the 2 sibilants and who also discriminated the synthetic sibilants less well produced the least distinct sibilant contrasts. Intermediate degrees of sibilant contrast were found with participants who used contact differentially or discriminated well. These findings are compatible with a model of speech motor planning in which goals for phonemic speech movements are in somatosensory and auditory spaces.
Knowledge of Constraints on Compounding in Children and Adolescents With Williams Syndrome
Authors: Zukowski Andrea
Published: April 2006

This study examines knowledge of a constraint on the form of synthetic noun-noun compounds in a group of 12 children and adolescents with Williams syndrome (WS; age 8–16 years). The constraint blocks regular plurals from appearing inside compounds (e.g.,
ferrets breeder
) while allowing irregular plurals in the same environment (e.g.,
mice breeder
). In an elicited production task, the WS group showed a strong asymmetry in rates of plurals inside compounds, allowing irregulars liberally but almost never allowing regulars. This demonstrates that people with WS are capable of acquiring and applying combinatorial knowledge that requires the suppression of productive morphological rules, contrary to some recent proposals. These results are compared with other studies of compounding, and the implications of these results for theories of the WS grammatical profile are discussed.
Articulatory Complexity, Ambient Frequency, and Functional Load as Predictors of Consonant Development in Children
Authors: Stokes Stephanie F. , Surendran Dinoj
Published: April 2006

The notion of a universal pattern of phonological development, rooted in basic physiological constraints, is controversial, with some researchers arguing for a strong environmental (ambient language) influence on phonological development or an interaction of both physiological constraints and ambient language effects. This research examines the relative value of articulatory complexity, ambient frequency, and functional load as predictors of consonant development in children. Three languages are investigated: Cantonese, American English, and Dutch. Regression analyses revealed that functional load accounted for 55% of the variance in age of emergence of consonants in 7 English-speaking children (8–25 months), while frequency of consonants in the ambient language accounted for 63% of the variance in age of emergence of consonants in 51 Cantonese-speaking children (15–30 months). Articulatory complexity accounted for 40% of the accuracy of production of consonants in 40 English-speaking children (25 months), and frequency accounted for 43% of the variance in accuracy of production of consonants in 5 Dutch-speaking children (24 months). Given cross-linguistic differences, further research is required.
Sex-Related Acoustic Changes in Voiceless English Fricatives
Authors: Fox Robert Allen , Nissen Shawn L.
Published: April 2006

This investigation is a comprehensive acoustic study of 4 voiceless fricatives (/f θ s ∫/) in English produced by adults and pre- and postpubescent children aged 6–14 years. Vowel duration, amplitude, and several different spectral measures (including spectral tilt and spectral moments) were examined. Of specific interest was the pattern of normal development of the acoustic properties of fricatives and the nature of sex-specific patterns of fricative articulation in prepubescent children. Little evidence of amplitude or duration differences was found between speakers that was related to sex of the speaker. However, significant sex-specific differences in fricative articulation were found in all groups of speakers—even in the youngest children (ages 6–7 years)—although there was an indication that some of the acoustic differences between females and males is reduced or absent in the youngest children. Results from discriminant analysis demonstrated that a discriminant function based on the adult male tokens was generally better at classifying fricatives produced by male speakers than female speakers, regardless of age. This showed that sex-related differences (presumably a function of sex-linked vocal tract variation) were present even in the youngest speaker group. However, the classification accuracy of the female model showed a steady improvement with the increased age of the female speakers and may provide support for the claim that sex-related developmental differences may just be emerging in the youngest age group.
Exploring the Processing Continuum of Single-Word Comprehension in Aphasia
Authors: Moineau Suzanne , Dronkers Nina F. , Bates Elizabeth
Published: April 2006

This study investigated the vulnerability of lexical processing in individuals with aphasia. Though classical teaching of aphasia syndromes holds that people with Broca's aphasia have intact comprehension at the single-word level, the nature and extent of this purported sparing were explored under suboptimal processing conditions. A combination of acoustic distortions (low-pass filtering and time compression) was used to probe for "break points" in lexical comprehension in a group of individuals with aphasia. Results suggest that accurate and efficient lexical processing is vulnerable to suboptimal listening climates, and that processing under these conditions reveals the continuous nature of the impairment of linguistic behaviors observed in individuals with aphasia.
Utility of Clinical Swallowing Examination Measures for Detecting Aspiration Post-Stroke
Authors: McCullough G. H. , Rosenbek J. C. , Wertz R. T. , McCoy S. , Mann G. , McCullough K.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the utility of clinical swallowing examination (CSE) measures for detecting aspiration as defined by videofluoroscopic swallowing examination (VFSE). This study, involving 165 participants, is a follow-up to a previously published investigation of 60 participants. Findings are compared with that investigation as well as with other research on CSEs. The results suggest that clinicians can make an accurate judgment of the occurrence of aspiration in most poststroke patients. However, ruling out aspiration when it is absent appears more problematic. More work needs to be done if data collected from noninstrumented examinations are to be strongly predictive of the presence and absence of aspiration on VFSE. At present, there are no data to suggest that CSEs can be used to quantify aspiration or make adequate recommendations regarding patient care.
Control of Voice-Onset Time in the Absence of Hearing
Authors: Lane Harlan , Perkell Joseph S.
Published: April 2006

The relation between partial or absent hearing and control of the voicing contrast has long been of interest to investigators, in part because speakers who are born deaf characteristically have great difficulty mastering the contrast and in part for the light it can cast on the role of hearing in the acquisition and maintenance of phonological contrasts in general. One of the phonetic characteristics that distinguish voiced from voiceless plosives in English (p/b, t/d, k/g) is voice onset time (VOT): the interval from plosive release to the onset of voicing of the following vowel. This article first reviews research on VOT anomalies in the speech production of prelingually and postlingually deaf speakers. Then it turns to studies of the mechanisms in speech breathing, phonation and articulation that underlie those anomalies. In both populations of speakers, there is a tendency for the difference between voiced and voiceless VOT to be reduced, to the point for many speakers that there is in effect a substitution of the voiced for the voiceless cognate. The separation of the cognate VOTs can be enhanced when some hearing is restored with a cochlear implant. Both populations also present anomalies in speech breathing that can hinder the development of intraoral pressures and transglottal pressure drops that are required for the production of the VOT contrast. Its successful management further requires critical timing among phonatory and articulatory gestures, most of which are not visible, rendering the VOT contrast a particular challenge in the absence of hearing.
The Onset of Tense Marking in Children at Risk for Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Hadley Pamela A. , Short Heather
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate measures reflecting the onset of tense marking for children between the ages of 2;0 (years;months) and 3;0.

Method:
The validity of 4 cumulative measures of tense marker emergence and productivity was evaluated relative to existing measures of early grammatical development in a sample of 20 children followed longitudinally. Fourteen children were at risk for specific language impairment (AR-SLI group), and 6 children had low average language abilities (LA group).

Results:
All measures of onset were highly correlated with the traditional measures; however, children's progress toward mastery of grammatical tense marking was best explained by the productivity of their tense marking systems. Finally, the onset measures imposing productivity requirements best differentiated children in the LA group from those in the AR-SLI group.

Conclusions:
The clinical implications for using the late onset of tense marking to improve the early identification of SLI are discussed.
Nonword Repetition and Language Development in 4-Year-Old Children With and Without a History of Early Language Delay
Authors: Thal Donna J. , Miller Scott , Carlson Janna , Vega Martha Moreno
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study examined the usefulness of the Nonword Repetition Test (NRT; C. Dollaghan & T. F. Campbell, 1998) with 4-year-old children and the relationship among the NRT, language, and other aspects of mental processing.

Method:
The NRT was administered to 64 children at 4 years of age; 44 had a history of typical language development (HTD), and 20 had a history of language delay (HLD) at 16 months of age. Study 1 compared methods of scoring phoneme errors to determine whether the NRT was appropriate for this age group. Study 2 examined whether the NRT differentiated HTD from HLD. Study 3 examined the relations among scores on the NRT and standardized tests of language and mental processing.

Results:
The NRT was found to be appropriate for 4-year-old children. Although all children had normal language abilities at the time of the study, the NRT (and several aspects of language and mental processing) differentiated between HTD and HLD. Relations among the NRT and other measures of language and mental processing were different from those previously reported, an unexpected finding that is inconsistent with traditional accounts of working memory and its relation to language development. Potential explanations are explored, and some directions for future research are suggested.
Phase-integral calculation of the phase of the regular Coulomb wave function FL(η,ρ)
Authors: Yngve Staffan
Published: April 2006

The phase of the regular Coulomb wave function FL(η,ρ) is calculated by means of the phase-integral approximation of arbitrary order with a convenient choice of the base function. The result agrees with the most accurate asymptotic expansion of the exact expression, argΓ(L+1+iη), for the phase, truncated at an arbitrary order of approximation. It is seldom the case that the phase-integral expression for a physical quantity can be obtained in an arbitrary order of the approximation, and it is remarkable that in the present case this expression is the same as that obtained from the most accurate asymptotic formula for the quantity in question.
Lateral quantum dots in Si∕SiGe realized by a Schottky split-gate technique
Authors: Berer T. , Pachinger D. , Pillwein G. , Mühlberger M. , Lichtenberger H. , Brunthaler G. , Schäffler F.
Published: April 2006

Lateral quantum dots are formed in the two-dimensional electron gases of a high-mobility Si∕SiGe heterostructures by means of split Schottky gates. Palladium gates, defined by e-beam lithography and lift-off, show Schottky barriers with very well controlled leakage currents. At low temperatures we observe Coulomb-blockade and stability diamonds on lateral quantum dots containing a total charge of about 25 electrons. The experiments demonstrate that, in contrast to recent reports, Schottky gates are a feasible approach for the fabrication and integration of single electron transistors in the strained Si∕SiGe heterosystem.
Expression of and secretion through the Aeromonas salmonicida type III secretion system
Authors: Ebanks Roger O. , Knickle Leah C. , Goguen Michel , Boyd Jessica M. , Pinto Devanand M. , Reith Michael , Ross Neil W.
Published: April 2006

Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is the aetiological agent of furunculosis, a disease of farmed and wild salmonids. The type III secretion system (TTSS) is one of the primary virulence factors in A. salmonicida. Using a combination of differential proteomic analysis and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, it is shown that A. salmonicida A449 induces the expression of TTSS proteins at 28 °C, but not at its more natural growth temperature of 17 °C. More modest increases in expression occur at 24 °C. This temperature-induced up-regulation of the TTSS in A. salmonicida A449 occurs within 30 min of a growth temperature increase from 16 to 28 °C. Growth conditions such as low-iron, low pH, low calcium, growth within the peritoneal cavity of salmon and growth to high cell densities do not induce the expression of the TTSS in A. salmonicida A449. The only other known growth condition that induces expression of the TTSS is growth of the bacterium at 16 °C in salt concentrations ranging from 0·19 to 0·38 M NaCl. It is also shown that growth at 28 °C followed by exposure to low calcium results in the secretion of one of the TTSS effector proteins. This study presents a simple in vitro model for the expression of TTSS proteins in A. salmonicida.
CREB transcription factor modulates Bcl2 transcription in response to C5a in HL‐60‐derived neutrophils
Authors: Perianayagam M. C. , Madias N. E. , Pereira B. J. G. , Jaber B. L.
Published: April 2006

Background  Complement fragment C5a and neutrophils have been implicated in the pathogenesis of renal disease and C5a has also been shown to delay apoptosis of human neutrophils via a transcription‐independent pathway. However, transcription‐dependent pathways have not been well described. The present study examined whether activation of HL‐60‐derived neutrophils by C5a modulates the transcription of two members of the Bcl2 family, Bax (pro‐apoptotic) and Bcl2 (anti‐apoptotic) molecules, and whether the cAMP‐response element‐binding protein (CREB) transcription factor mediates these effects through the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt and extra‐cellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signalling pathways.

Materials and methods  The human promyelocytic leukaemia HL‐60 cell line was differentiated into neutrophils using 1·25% DMSO. Differentiated cells were incubated with recombinant human C5a for 30–120 min with, or without, pretreatment with wortmannin or PD98059. The cells were lysed and quantified for gene‐specific Bax and Bcl2 mRNA. In separate experiments, cells were incubated with C5a for 5–30 min with, or without, pretreatment with wortmannin, PD98059, or alkaline phosphatase. Cells were then lysed and immunoblotted using antihuman phospho‐CREB (Ser133) antibody. Apoptosis was assessed by measuring active caspase‐3 in differentiated HL‐60 cells.

Results  C5a inhibited caspase‐3 activation in HL‐60‐derived neutrophils (P = 0·003). C5a significantly increased the expression of Bcl2 mRNA (P = 0·028), which was time‐dependent, peaking at 30 min, and was abrogated in the presence of either wortmannin or PD98059 (both P = 0·028). The C5a had no impact on Bax mRNA expression. The Bax : Bcl2 mRNA ratio markedly decreased at 30 min (P = 0·028). Time‐dependent effect of C5a on CREB phosphorylation was demonstrable and rapid, peaking at 5 min, and was abrogated by either wortmannin or PD98059 (both P = 0·028). Phosphorylation of CREB, but not of Akt and ERK, was inhibited by alkaline phosphatase (P = 0·028). The effect of C5a on Bcl2 mRNA expression was abrogated by alkaline phosphatase (P = 0·028). The Bax : Bcl2 mRNA ratio markedly increased in the presence of alkaline phosphatase (P = 0·046).

Conclusions  This study demonstrates that C5a induces Bcl2 mRNA transcription in HL‐60‐derived neutrophils, which is mediated in part by CREB through the convergence of the PI3K/Akt and ERK‐signalling pathways.
Hormone replacement therapy: an example of McKinlay's theory on the seven stages of medical innovation
Authors: Wright Jane
Published: April 2006

Aim and objectives.  The aim of this paper is to explain the history and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using McKinlay's theory of medical innovation. The paper will examine why a drug, HRT, was prescribed for mainly healthy women. It reflects on the controversies surrounding HRT and examines some of the possible reasons why, despite an almost complete lack of verifiable research, HRT became one of the most widely prescribed drugs of our time.

Background.  Twenty‐four years ago McKinlay published From ‘Promising Report’ to ‘Standard Procedure’: Seven Stages in the Career of a Medical Innovation. McKinlay argued that many, if not most, innovations in medicine undergo a process of which assessment of effectiveness is only a late stage placing many patients at risk of receiving treatments which are useless or malign.

Conclusion.  This paper argues that HRT was a medical innovation whose ‘career’ followed the seven stages describes by McKinlay. This suggests that the Nursing and Medical professions continue to accept innovation uncritically.

Relevance to clinical practice.  This paper underlines the importance of critically assessing the research‐based evidence for altering practice and introducing new treatments. It suggests that Nurse Prescribers and other clinicians question the assumed scientific basis of new innovations in clinical practice.
Issues in designing and interpreting clinical trials of treatments for chronic hepatitis C
Authors: O'Brien C.
Published: April 2006

Summary.  Many of the major advances in treating patients for chronic hepatitis C have been made based on the results of randomized, double‐blind, controlled clinical trials. However, given the large number of hepatitis C medications in development, physicians need to understand the unique elements and types of clinical trials in order to make accurate comparisons of differing drug efficacy claims. Clinicians also need to be aware of the various factors that can influence the outcomes and interpretations of these trials, irrespective of the intervention under study. For example, similar trials conducted in the United States and Europe may have different outcomes simply because the study populations differ. Thus, both trial design and patient population are important considerations in the design and analysis of clinical trials for patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Anaesthetic considerations in a patient with right heart thrombi‐in‐transit
Authors: Rastogi S. , Abraham M. , Geelani M. A. , Trehan V. , Nagesh A.
Published: April 2006

This is a case report of a patient with underlying pulmonary thromboembolism who was diagnosed as having a large, mobile right heart thrombi while undergoing treatment with low‐molecular weight heparin. She underwent emergency embolectomy with exploration of the right heart under a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Soon after induction of anaesthesia, the patient had an episode of severe hypotension, which responded to inotropes. Large, serpiginous thrombi were found in the right atrium extending into the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries, which were evacuated. She was weaned off CPB on inotropic support and was extubated uneventfully on the 4th POD. Postoperatively, she was started on anticoagulant therapy and also underwent placement of a Greenfield inferior vena caval (IVC) filter to prevent further thromboembolic episodes.
Litterfall of epiphytic macrolichens in Nothofagus forests of northern Patagonia, Argentina: Relation to stand age and precipitation
Authors: CALDIZ MAYRA S. , BRUNET JÖRG
Published: April 2006

Abstract:  The objective of this study was to analyse how stand age and precipitation influence abundance and diversity of epiphytic macrolichens in southern beech Nothofagus forests, estimated by lichen litter sampling. Five sites of Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirbel) Oersted were selected in Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina. At each site, lichen fragments from the forest floor were collected at 12.5 m2 plots in pairs of young and mature N. dombeyi forest. Additionally, two sites with multi‐aged subalpine Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl.) Krasser forest were investigated in a similar manner. Average litterfall biomass per stand varied from less than 1 kg ha−1 in a young low‐precipitation stand to a maximum of 20 kg ha−1 in a mature high‐precipitation stand. In places with higher precipitation, litterfall biomass in N. dombeyi forest was considerably higher in old stands as compared with young ones. In places with less than 2000 mm of precipitation, differences in biomass were less pronounced. Old humid stands contained about twice as many taxa in the litter as old low‐precipitation stands and young stands in general. Mature stands in low‐precipitation sites only contained 17% of the litter biomass as compared with mature stands in high‐precipitation sites. Epiphytic lichen composition changed from predominating fruticose lichens (Usnea spp. and Protousnea spp.) in low‐precipitation stands to Pseudocyphellaria spp., Nephroma spp. and other foliose lichens, in the high‐precipitation stands. There were no clear differences in the proportion of fruticose and foliose lichens between young and old stands. Fruticose lichens dominated litter biomass in both N. pumilio sites.
Effects of host plant architecture on colonization by galling insects
Authors: ARAÚJO ANA PAULA ALBANO , DE PAULA JOANA D'ARC , CARNEIRO MARCO ANTONIO ALVES , SCHOEREDER JOSÉ HENRIQUE
Published: April 2006

Abstract:  To study the abundance and occurrence of herbivore insects on plants it is important to consider plant characteristics that may control the insects. In this study the following hypotheses were tested: (i) an increase of plant architecture increases species richness and abundance of gall‐inducing insects and (ii) plant architecture increases gall survival and decreases parasitism. Two hundred and forty plants of Baccharis pseudomyriocephala Teodoro (Asteraceae) were sampled, estimating the number of shoots, branches and their biomass. Species richness and abundance of galling insects were estimated per module, and mortality of the galls was assessed. Plant architecture influenced positively species richness, abundance and survival of galls. However, mortality of galling insects by parasitoids was low (13.26%) and was not affected by plant architecture, thus suggesting that other plant characteristics (a bottom‐up pressure) might influence gall‐inducing insect communities more than parasitism (a top‐down pressure). The opposite effect of herbivore insects on plant characteristics must also be considered, and such effects may only be assessed through manipulative experiments.
Stream salinization is associated with reduced taxonomic, but not functional diversity in a riparian plant community
Authors: DOUPÉ ROBERT G. , LYMBERY ALAN J. , PETTIT NEIL E.
Published: April 2006

Abstract  Dryland salinity presents an overwhelming threat to terrestrial and aquatic habitats in Australia, and yet there remains very little empirical evidence of the impacts of secondary salinization on the biodiversity of riparian communities. Here we describe the response of a riparian plant community to stream and soil salinization, 25 years after the experimental clearing of a catchment in south‐western Australia. Riparian plant species diversity was inversely related to soil salinity, and plant species composition was significantly altered by increased soil salinity. Despite the evidence for an impact of salinization on the taxonomic diversity and composition of the riparian plant community, there was little evidence for any effect of salinization on functional group diversity, or on ecological functioning, as measured by the percentage of above‐ground plant cover.
Endoluminal formalin application for haemorrhagic radiation proctitis
Authors: Vyas F. L. , Mathai V. , Selvamani B. , John S. , Banerjee Jesudason S. R.
Published: April 2006

Background  Radiation proctitis is a common complication following radiation therapy for pelvic malignancies. This is associated with significant morbidity which adversely affects the quality of life. Local application of formalin has been used effectively in the treatment of radiation proctitis.

Methodology  Thirty patients with haemorrhagic radiation proctitis who underwent endoluminal application of 4% formalin between January 1998 to October 2002 were followed up prospectively to assess the efficacy of the treatment.

Results  The follow up ranged from 5 to 36 months (mean 18.1 months). Nineteen (63.3%) patients had complete response to formalin application while 7 (23.3%) patients had partial response. There were 4 (13.3%) failures. No procedure related complication was observed.

Conclusion  Local application of formalin is a simple, safe, inexpensive and fairly effective outpatient treatment modality for chronic radiation proctitis.
THE TWO CULTURES: CONNOISSEURSHIP AND CIVIC HONOURS
Authors: MA JOHN
Published: April 2006

The political culture of the Hellenistic poleis put great importance on honours for benefactors; hence the development of a particular genre of public sculpture, the honorific portrait, usually a life‐size bronze statue. At first sight, this genre has nothing to do with the replication of ancient Greek masterpieces. Yet there are intersections between honorific statuary and replication: honorific statues of famous and, perhaps, not so famous men were replicated; honorific statuary borrowed from the resources offered by type and replication, for its own purposes. Replication meant different things in different contexts; yet the two cultures, arthistorical connoisseurship and civic political culture, did not exist in isolation, but each derived meaning from each other's existence and functioning.
Recognizing the Face of Johnny, Suzy, and Me: Insensitivity to the Spacing Among Features at 4 Years of Age
Authors: Mondloch Catherine J. , Leis Anishka , Maurer Daphne
Published: April 2006

Four‐year‐olds were tested for their ability to use differences in the spacing among features to recognize familiar faces. They were given a storybook depicting multiple views of 2 children. They returned to the laboratory 2 weeks later and used a “magic wand” to play a computer game that tested their ability to recognize the familiarized faces and their own face based on the spacing of features. Children performed at chance levels. Follow‐up studies confirmed that they had attended to internal facial features and validated the stimuli. The results contrast with studies showing some sensitivity to the spacing of features in infants and preschool children; multiple mechanisms of face processing may make use of spatial relations and develop at different rates.
The role of odour and visual cues in the pan‐trap catching of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae)
Authors: Laubertie E.A. , Wratten S.D. , Sedcole J.R.
Published: April 2006

Coloured pan traps are frequently used to attract and catch insects, such as in the monitoring of populations of beneficial insects in classical or conservation biological control. They are also used in the evaluation of the recovery of insect populations after disturbance and in many other situations where an estimate of relative insect numbers is required. However, the fact that traps may be visible to the insects over a considerable distance can influence the interpretation of catch data. This difficulty may arise, for example, if traps along a transect can attract insects from some or all of the other transect positions. This study compared the effect of different coloured traps on attraction and catch of hoverflies. The hypothesis was that completely yellow traps would attract hoverflies from a distance, while traps that were green outside and yellow inside would catch fewer flies because only those from above or near the trap can see the yellow stimulus. A subsidiary hypothesis was that rose water would enhance hoverfly capture rates. For the two main hoverfly species captured, Melanostoma fasciatum (Macquart) and Melangyna novaezelandiae (Macquart), significantly more individuals were caught in completely yellow traps than in yellow and green or in completely green traps. Moreover, the addition of rose water increased the number of hoverflies caught significantly. It is suggested that if a measure of hoverfly numbers relating to a particular distance along a transect is required, consideration should be given to the ability of hoverflies to see yellow traps from a distance. The use of traps that are green outside would more accurately reflect the local abundance of hoverflies. If higher trap catches of hoverflies are needed for statistical purposes, rose water can enhance catches.
N2 Annealing Effect on Thermal Ta2O5 Layers on Si Studied by XPS
Authors: Atanassova E. , Tyuliev G. , Paskaleva A. , Spassov D. , Kostov K.
Published: April 2006

The effect of nitrogen annealing at 1123 K for 30 min on the structural characteristics of thin (15 nm) Ta2O5 layers on Si was examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that the stoichiometric Ta2O5 detected at the surface of as-deposited films is reduced to suboxides at the interface with Si. Si-O bonds in the form of SiO2 exist in a small quantity through the whole thickness of the films. The existence of excess Si was established in the interfacial transition region. The annealing improves the stoichiometry and microstructure of both the bulk oxide and the interfacial region, which manifests as a reduced amount of suboxides. The interfacial region is a composite oxide of suboxides of Ta and Si before and after N2 treatment but the annealing process reduces the excess Si and decreases the width of the interface. Thus, a trend to more abrupt interface is observed.
Analysis of Grain Screenings by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Authors: Jiang Guilin , Husseini Ghaleb A. , Baxter Larry L. , Linford Matthew R.
Published: April 2006

Determining the chemical structure and composition of biomass fuels using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can provide fundamental knowledge of their structures that is useful in understanding and predicting their combustion behavior. Grain screenings are an example of an agricultural residue (byproduct of food and feed production) of potential interest for biomass combustion. The XPS spectra of grain screenings provide both its elemental composition and indications of its bonding. Traditional fuel analyses of this fuel are also provided. These include: ultimate analysis — the elemental composition of the overall fuel (C, H, N, S, and O); chlorine analysis — reported here as part of the ultimate analysis but formally a separate procedure; proximate analysis — the proximate composition of the fuel (moisture, fixed carbon, volatiles, and ash); heating value — the specific heat of combustion; ash chemistry analysis — an elemental analysis of the ash content, expressed as oxides (which does not imply that they occur as oxides in the fuel). These data are summarized with the XPS spectra.
Analysis of Shea Nut Shells by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Authors: Jiang Guilin , Husseini Ghaleb A. , Baxter Larry L. , Linford Matthew R.
Published: April 2006

Determining the chemical structure and composition of biomass fuels using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can provide fundamental knowledge of their structures that is useful in understanding and predicting their combustion behavior. Shea nut shells are an example of an agricultural residue (byproduct of food and feed production) of potential interest for biomass combustion. The XPS spectra of shea nut shells provide both its elemental composition and indications of its bonding. Traditional fuel analyses of this fuel are also provided. These include: ultimate analysis — the elemental composition of the overall fuel (C, H, N, S, and O); chlorine analysis — reported here as part of the ultimate analysis but formally a separate procedure; proximate analysis — the proximate composition of the fuel (moisture, fixed carbon, volatiles, and ash); heating value — the specific heat of combustion; ash chemistry analysis — an elemental analysis of the ash content, expressed as oxides (which does not imply that they occur as oxides in the fuel). These data are summarized with the XPS spectra.