bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Rat Platelet Aggregation by Urtica dioica Leaves Extracts
Authors: El Haouari Mohammed , Bnouham Mohamed , Bendahou Mourad , Aziz Mohammed , Ziyyat Abderrahim , Legssyer Abdelkhaleq , Mekhfi Hassane
Published: April 2006

Platelet hyperactivity plays an important role in arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of different extracts of Urtica dioica leaves on platelet aggregation. Rat platelets were prepared and incubated in vitro with different concentrations of the tested extracts and aggregation was induced by different agonists including thrombin (0.5 U/mL), ADP (10 µm), epinephrine (100 µm) and collagen (5 mg/mL). The crude aqueous extract inhibited thrombin‐induced platelet aggregation in a dose‐dependent manner. At 1 mg/mL, the percent inhibition was 17.1 ± 4.2%. Soxhlet extraction of the plant leaves with different successive solvents showed that the ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most antiaggregant effect with an inhibition of 76.8 ± 6.1% at 1 mg/mL. Flavonoids isolated from the plant leaves, produced a strong inhibitory effect on thrombin‐induced platelet aggregation with an IC50 of 0.25 ± 0.05 and 0.40 ± 0.04 mg/mL for genins and heterosidic flavonoids, respectively. Flavonoids also markedly inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP, collagen and epinephrine. It is concluded that Urtica dioica has an antiplatelet action in which flavonoids are mainly implicated. These results support the traditional use of Urtica dioica in the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CONSISTENCY OF COUPLE DECLARATION ABOUT USING FAMILY PLANNING METHODS IN TURKEY
Authors: AKIN LEVENT , OZAYDIN NILUFER
Published: April 2006

The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of spouses’ declarations about contraceptive use and child desire in Turkey. Husbands eligible for the study were currently married to eligible women, i.e. those who generally lived in the same household or who stayed in the household the night before the interview. Husband questionnaires were completed by 1971 men. It was found that 88·9% of the couples had not talked about family planning with each other in the last two months. The percentage of answers on current contraceptive use for all methods that were consistent for husbands and wives was 70·2%. The consistency among partners who stated they would like to have children in the future was found to be 94·8%, and that among partners who were planning to use a contraceptive method was found to be 88·3%.
Gandhi, ‘Truth’ and Translatability
Authors: MAJEED JAVED
Published: April 2006

This essay considers the role of translatability in Gandhi's project of ‘Truth’. I will argue that translation as a category and a mode of thinking grounds what Gandhi's autobiography refers to as ‘the Story of My Experiments with Truth.’
SYMPOSIUM ON GLOBALIZATION AND JUSTICE: INTRODUCTION
Authors: PEFFER RODNEY G.
Published: April 2006

For over half a century in more than a dozen books and 600 philosophical articles Kai Nielsen has developed and defended a radically egalitarian theory of social justice as well as a political vision demanding a democratic, humane form of socialism and, on an international level, a federative world socialist government embodying these values. In Globalization and Justice Nielsen applies his acute analytical abilities and his substantive theories and views to the present ongoing reality of corporate, capitalist globalization, arguing that this sort of globalization is unjust in that it further disadvantages the developing world. He then argues for an alternative sort of globalization, a process that he believes could and should have, as its end goal, a democratic and humane socialist government and society on a world-wide scale. Along the way he compares his theory and vision to those of such other major contemporary thinkers as John Rawls, Jürgen Habermas, G.A. Cohen, and Richard Rorty representing, respectively, liberal egalitarianism, critical theory, analytical Marxism (at least formerly), and post-modern eclecticism.
Holocene sea surface conditions in the western North Atlantic: Spatial and temporal heterogeneities
Authors: Solignac Sandrine , Giraudeau Jacques , de Vernal Anne
Published: April 2006

Holocene records of sea surface conditions in the western Nordic seas were obtained from quantitative reconstructions based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. Two sediment cores from the east Greenland and the north Iceland shelves provide a detailed account of the long‐ and short‐term dynamics of the opposing flows of Arctic versus Atlantic waters. Both marker species and quantitative reconstructions depict an overall trend toward warmer winter temperatures, saltier surface waters, and decreased sea ice extent. The latter is supported by a close relationship between relative abundances of an Atlantic dinocyst species, Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus, and ice‐rafted debris (IRD) records. We propose that the late Holocene increased IRD delivery in the Denmark Strait region was primarily induced by a combination of less extensive sea ice cover under increased Atlantic water inflow and sustained iceberg calving tied to the readvance of the Greenland ice sheet. Our records thus suggest diminishing polar water supplies throughout the Holocene, although the timing of regime changes differs between the western and eastern sides of the Denmark Strait. Finally, comparison of our records with a core from southern Greenland points to very heterogeneous sea surface conditions in the western North Atlantic, which could be explained by the decoupled dynamics of the two Irminger Current branches. Similarities between the southern Greenland marine record and a continental record nearby suggest a close coupling with atmospheric processes, reminiscent of a North Atlantic Oscillation–like climate pattern.
Prologue: Recent Advances in Phonological Theory and Treatment
Authors: Barlow Jessica A.
Published: April 2006

Each of the articles in this forum considers how phonology interacts with other aspects of language and language learning. The contributors show that this interaction plays a major role in a child’s learning of language, whether through typical routes, as evidenced by the normally developing child, or through clinical intervention. These interactions are apparent in both typical and atypical language learning, with the development of the lexicon being closely tied to the development of phonological representations (or URs). The correctness of these URs, as determined from morphophonemic alternations, plays a major role in accounting for children’s production patterns and determining what a child "knows" about the target sound system. Finally, the interaction between morphosyntax and phonology can be observed in language learning even when it occurs as a result of clinical intervention. It is hoped that this clinical forum will be informative and enlightening for researchers and clinical professionals.
Aspects of Stop Consonant Production by Pediatric Users of Cochlear Implants
Authors: Chin Steven B.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:Data and analyses are reported for stop consonant production by 12 children who have used cochlear implants for at least 5 years, focusing on variation within and between individual phonological systems.

Method:Participants were 6 oral communication users and 6 total communication users. Productions of single words were analyzed for stop inventories, phonotactic constraints, and morphophonemic alternations. Variation was further analyzed within optimality theory.

Results:Children’s inventories differed from English mainly in having additional, non-English stops. Total communication users had fewer ambient stops and more nonambient ones than did oral communication users. Control over English allophonic and neutralization rules varied among children. Phonological variation could be accounted for by positing unique underlying representations and different constraint rankings within optimality theory.

Clinical Implications:Atypical speech by children with cochlear implants involves both articulation and phonological organization. Although children vary considerably, characteristic patterns emerge. An understanding of these patterns is useful for identifying areas of difficulty and formulating intervention programs.
Partner Influences on the Social Pretend Play of Children With Language Impairments
Authors: DeKroon Debbie M. A. , Kyte Christiane S. , Johnson Carla J.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study examined the social pretend play and conversational behaviors of children with language impairment (LI) in dyadic interactions with peers.

Method:
The participants (aged 4;3 [years;months] to 6;2) were 3 boys with LI and 4 with typical language development (LN). In this multiple embedded case study, hypotheses regarding the sophistication of verbal interaction and social pretend play were developed and tested with respect to two cases. Each case consisted of five interactions—four involving a child with LI in dyadic play with peers (2 LI, 2 LN), and the last involving the 2 LN peers. The dyad types for each case were LI, mixed, and LN. Within each case, LI dyads were expected to perform less well than mixed dyads, who were, in turn, expected to perform less well than the LN dyad on measures of verbal interaction and social pretend play. Also, greater conversational success was expected in social pretend play than in other forms of play for all dyads.

Results:
For both cases, the results for verbal sophistication generally conformed to expectations for the dyad types. In contrast, social pretend play behaviors were inconsistent with expectations across dyads and cases. In all dyads, social pretend play yielded greater conversational success than other forms of play. The quality of play varied as a function of partner characteristics, such as responsiveness, theme knowledge, verbal skill, and adaptability.

Clinical Implications:
Clinicians are cautioned to ensure that evaluations of play in children with LI encompass multiple aspects of both play and conversation, as well as observation of children with multiple partners. Likewise, in planning interventions, it may be important to address both play and verbal behaviors and to incorporate opportunities for interaction with multiple partners.
Assessing and Managing Medically Fragile Children
Authors: Woodnorth Geralyn Harvey
Published: April 2006

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in premature births. Children born prematurely often present with complex medical conditions; some require a tracheostomy. Although many children with tracheostomies require assistance to achieve effective communication, speech-language pathologists may have limited information with respect to the medical issues and communication needs of this population. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, a review of basic information on tracheostomy and ventilatory support in the pediatric population is provided. Second, information on the assessment of communication skills and intervention specific to voice for the child with a tracheostomy is detailed. Two case studies are presented. The case studies illustrate the diversity and medical complexity common to this population and provide practical information for the clinician working with a child with a tracheostomy.
Narration Abilities of Children With Language-Learning Disabilities in Response to Oral and Written Stimuli
Authors: Wright Heather Harris , Newhoff Marilyn
Published: April 2006

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine story retelling and inference abilities in children with language-learning disabilities (LLD). There were 10 children in the LLD group and 20 who showed normal acquisition of language, 10 of whom were matched for chronological age (NACA) and 10 of whom were matched for language ability (NALA) to an LLD child. Stimuli were both orally presented (Heard Condition) and read silently (Read Condition) by the participants. Four stories were presented in each of these conditions. After each story, participants completed two tasks: retelling the story and answering questions that were either factual or that required inferencing. Generally, results indicated that children with LLD and NALA retold stories and drew inferences more poorly than NACA children regardless of stimulus presentation mode; children with LLD drew inferences best with orally presented stimuli; and children with NACA and NALA drew inferences best with stimuli presented in writing. A number of possible explanations for the differences between groups are discussed, including working memory and attending to relevant information in text, both of which are skills needed for reading comprehension. These children's difficulties in making inferences were attributed to impairments in cognitive functions. Clinically, then, teaching children with LLD to make inferences from both text and oral narratives would address impaired cognitive functions and reading comprehension abilities.
Phonological Assessment as an Integral Part of Language Assessment
Authors: Hoffman Paul R. , Norris Janet A.
Published: April 2006

Research indicates that preschool children presenting delayed phonological development are also likely to show delayed development of morphology, syntax, and discourse structure. Moreover, a child's phonological performance is typically better when labeling pictures and speaking individual words than when organizing syntactically more complex utterances as parts of narratives or when speaking in conversations. Such findings motivate us to assess children's speech sound development as an integral part of their abilities to organize language within realistic communication situations. To this end, we engage the preschool child in play and storybook topics that represent every day events. We use oral language scaffolding techniques to prompt the child to talk about sequences of acts within these events. We then describe the child's ability to (a) organize their discourse structure with respect to temporal, causal, and intentional links; (b) express semantic complexity; and (c) utilize conventions of syntax, morphology, and phonology. Our analysis ends with intervention goals that integrate all of these aspects of language.
The Effect of Clinical Experience on Cue Trading for the /r-w/ Contrast
Authors: Wolfe Virginia , Martin David , Borton Thomas , Youngblood Heather Conner
Published: April 2006

Although the ability of clinicians to perceptually process speech sound productions is a key ingredient in the evaluation and remediation of articulatory disorders, very little attention has been given to this important skill. This study explored the potential of a perceptual task, known as cue trading, to assess perceptual skill among students with varying clinical experience. A cue-trading paradigm for the /r-w/ contrast was used in which a temporal-spectral cue on F2 was balanced against a spectral cue on F3. Results indicated a trading relationship for all students. However, students without clinical experience demonstrated reduced sensitivity to the acoustic cues for /w/ and identification functions that were less clearly separated compared to students with clinical experience. Furthermore, the magnitude of the difference between functions (the trading relationship) was significantly smaller for students without practicum experience: They showed weaker phonetic percepts for /r/ and /w/ than did the students with practicum experience. Preliminary results suggest that a task based on cue trading could be useful in assessing perceptual sensitivity to the acoustic cues representative of misarticulated /r/.
Effects of Voicing and Syntactic Complexity on Sign Expression in Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Erickson Molly L.
Published: April 2006

Clients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) tend to exhibit inter- and intraclient variability of signs and symptoms. This variability may result in inaccurate assessment of severity. Accurate assessment of severity requires knowledge concerning the factors that affect the expression of ADSD signs and symptoms. This study examined ADSD sign expression as a function of voicing and syntactic complexity. Fifteen ADSD participants and 15 control participants completed a task consisting of 30 sentences. ADSD signs were significantly more frequent in predominantly voiced sentences than in predominantly voiceless sentences, regardless of level of syntactic complexity. Center-embedded sentences comprising predominantly voiced consonants were found to evoke the greatest number of ADSD signs. These results have important implications for the assessment of ADSD.
The Influence of Multiple Presentations on Judgments of Children's Phonetic Accuracy
Authors: Munson Benjamin , Brinkman Kayla N.
Published: April 2006

Two experiments examined whether listening to multiple presentations of recorded speech stimuli influences the reliability and accuracy of judgments of children's speech production accuracy. In Experiment 1, 10 listeners phonetically transcribed words produced by children with phonological impairments after a single presentation and after the word was played 7 times. Inter- and intratranscriber reliability in the single- and multiple-presentation conditions did not differ significantly. In Experiment 2, 18 listeners provided binary correct/incorrect judgments of /s/ accuracy in single- and multiple-presentation conditions. There was no systematic effect of presentation condition on either accuracy or intrarater reliability. However, greater interrater reliability was noted in the multiple-presentation condition, particularly for tokens of /s/ that were incorrect or acoustically intermediate between an incorrect and a correct /s/. Taken together, the results suggest that multiple presentations have no measurable effect on the accuracy and intrarater reliability of judgments of children's phonetic accuracy, but that they do have a small effect on interrater reliability. Clinical implications are discussed.
Conductive Hearing Loss in Individuals with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
Authors: Levy Charles E. , Lash Albert T. , Janoff Hal B. , Kaplan Frederick S.
Published: April 2006

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a very rare genetic disorder that is characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification of soft tissues and congenital malformation of the great toes. Although previous case studies have reported hearing loss in individuals with FOP, there have been no large-scale studies regarding the nature or cause of the hearing loss. Here, we report the findings of a two-part study. In Part I, we report the findings of a postal survey regarding hearing loss that was sent to 102 individuals with FOP. In Part II, we report the findings of on-site hearing evaluations of eight individuals with FOP. The findings of both studies indicate that individuals with FOP are at risk for hearing loss and that the type of loss is predominantly conductive in nature, similar to that seen in individuals who have otosclerosis.
Computer-Automated Clinical Technique for Tinnitus Quantification
Authors: Henry James A. , Fausti Stephen A. , Flick Christopher L. , Helt Wendy J. , Ellingson Roger M.
Published: April 2006

This study addresses the need for uniformity in techniques for clinical quantification of tinnitus. Because automation can be an effective means to achieve standardization, this laboratory is developing techniques to perform computer-automated tinnitus testing. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining reliable tinnitus measures using a fully automated system. A computer-controlled psychoacoustical system was developed to quantify tinnitus loudness and pitch using a tone-matching technique. Hearing thresholds were also obtained as part of the procedure. The system generated test stimuli and simultaneously controlled a notebook computer positioned in the sound chamber facing the patient. The notebook computer displayed instructions for responding and relayed response choices through on-screen "buttons" that the patient touched with a pen device. Twenty individuals with tinnitus were evaluated with the technique over two sessions, and responses were analyzed for test-retest reliability. Analyses revealed good reliability of thresholds, loudness matches, and pitch matches. These results demonstrate that use of a fully automated system to obtain reliable measurements of tinnitus loudness and pitch is feasible for clinical application.
Behavioral Auditory Assessment of Young Infants
Authors: Hicks Candace Bourland , Tharpe Anne Marie , Ashmead Daniel H.
Published: April 2006

The determination of auditory thresholds by means of behavioral techniques in young infants can be difficult. This could be the result of limitations in methodology, a lack of observable auditory responsiveness, or both. In the current study, 2- and 4-month old infants were tested under enhanced conditions for obtaining behavioral responses (i.e., salient auditory stimuli, reduced visual distractions, reinforced correct responses). A two-interval, forced-choice task with four intensity levels was used. Although a behavioral threshold was obtained for the 4-month-olds, threshold determination for the 2-month-olds remained elusive. In light of the current findings and previous studies of visual acuity of infants, these results suggest a lack of behavioral responsiveness to auditory stimuli for the younger infants rather than methodological limitations. With infants in the 2-month-old age range, clinical audiologists should expect few behavioral responses to auditory stimuli at intensity levels below those that elicit startle responses.
The Human Auditory Brainstem Response to High Click Rates
Authors: Burkard Robert F. , Sims Donald
Published: April 2006

In 1999 J. Walton, M. Orlando, & R. Burkard (
Hearing Research, 127
, 86–94) investigated aging effects on auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave V latency using a tone-on-toneburst forward-masking paradigm. They found that at short forward-masking intervals, wave V latency shift was greater in normal-hearing older adults than in normal-hearing young adults for moderate level, high-frequency toneburst maskers and probes. It was not possible to evaluate wave I latency because stimulation and recording procedures did not produce a consistently observable wave I. In order to optimize the recording of wave I, the present study used a high-level (115 dB pSPL) click stimulus, combined with a tympanic membrane inverting electrode, and investigated the latencies and amplitudes of waves I and V across click rate. Young adults had hearing thresholds within normal limits, whereas older adults had normal hearing or mild threshold elevation. All data were collected and analyzed with a Nicolet Bravo. Using conventional recording procedures, ABRs were obtained at click rates of 11, 25, 50, and 75 Hz. Using maximum length sequences (MLSs), ABRs were obtained at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 Hz. Results across age groups were very similar. With increasing click rate, peak latencies increased, the I–V interval increased and peak amplitudes decreased. The most notable difference between age groups was that wave I amplitude was substantially smaller in the older subjects. It appears that changes in the ABR with increasing rate are remarkably similar in young and older adults when audiometric thresholds are normal or near-normal in both age groups.
A Parental Questionnaire to Evaluate Children's Auditory Behavior in Everyday Life (ABEL)
Authors: Purdy Suzanne C. , Farrington Denise R. , Moran Carolyn A. , Chard Linda L. , Hodgson Shirley-Anne
Published: April 2006

The Auditory Behavior in Everyday Life (ABEL) questionnaire was developed to assess parental perceptions of their children's auditory behavior. The original 49-item questionnaire was intended to assess auditory communication, environmental awareness, functional independence, and social/communication skills. Our goal was to capture some of the changes in children's everyday auditory behavior in a reliable and easily quantifiable manner. Parents of 28 children aged 4 to 14 years with varying degrees of hearing loss (mild-profound) completed the questionnaire. The results were used to examine the reliability and factor structure of the questionnaire. Eleven items had poor item-total correlations. After these items were removed, the questionnaire had an overall reliability of 0.94 (Cronbach's alpha), and three factors accounted for 20.5% of the variance in the data. In a pilot investigation of the ABEL to determine its appropriateness for children with cochlear implants, questionnaires were also given to a separate group of parents of seven children aged 3 to 12 years who were about to receive a cochlear implant. Questionnaire and speech perception results were obtained preimplant and at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months. Complete (6 visits) or nearcomplete (4 visits) results were obtained for four children. There were significant improvements over time for both speech perception and questionnaire ratings and there was significant agreement between the two measures. Overall the results indicate excellent reliability and validity of the ABEL questionnaire. Our intent was to develop a simple, quick tool for parents to rate children's auditory skills in everyday life. A shorter questionnaire can be achieved by eliminating items with the poorest reliability and factor loadings. The resultant 24-item ABEL questionnaire has an excellent overall reliability of 0.95. The items fall within three factors, "Aural-oral," "Auditory Awareness," and "Social/Conversational Skills." Children's auditory behavior can be assessed using an overall rating or separately for the three factors. Further research is needed to evaluate this short version of the questionnaire in children wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants.
The AuD Degree Program at Central Michigan University
Authors: Church Gerald T.
Published: April 2006

Central Michigan University’s on-campus AuD program admitted its first class of students in 1994. The article discusses its prerequisites, its faculty and staff, and its unique aspects. In addition, CMU’s pioneering Web-based AuD program, specifically designed for clinicians with at least 5 years of professional experience, is described.
Wanted
Authors: Helfer Thomas M. , Lee Robyn B. , Maris Dorina C. , Shields Anne R.
Published: April 2006

The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH, 2000) has presented principles and guidelines for universal newborn hearing screening and early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI). The guidelines describe the need for a national data set for early hearing detection and intervention. The guidelines fail to provide the specific constructs for such a data set. To the authors’ knowledge, no nationally proposed uniform data structure exists to capture EHDI services’ outcome metrics.

This article presents a proposed newborn hearing screening and EHDI data model. This model was developed to record EHDI outcomes data from Military Health System birthing centers. The data are to be collected for tracking implementation of Healthy People 2010 goals related to newborn hearing screening and EHDI programs within the Military Health System.

In this article, the authors use the T. Helfer, A. Shields, and K. Gates (2000) methods to model a uniform structure for collection of newborn hearing screening and EHDI data. They also discuss expansion of the data model for application to public health reporting of EHDI outcomes in the civilian sector to include integration of Census Bureau demographic data and geographic information system data to further enhance the research value of these EHDI outcomes data. They offer the data model with the intention of supporting national research efforts for studying the efficacy of EHDI programs and to help establish a national evidence-based practice database for such programs.
Audiological Assessment, Rehabilitation, and Spatial Hearing Considerations Associated With Visual Impairment in Adults
Authors: Blumsack Judith T.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness and interest among audiologists regarding the needs of adults who have both hearing loss and visual impairment, particularly people who are blind and travel independently. Case history, audiometric testing, and rehabilitation issues are considered, and extensive discussion of spatial hearing research as it relates to orientation and mobility is provided.
Effects of Economy and FDA Intervention on the Hearing Aid Industry
Authors: Amlani Amyn M. , Silva Dakshina G. De
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the economy and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) intervention on the hearing aid industry.

Method:
A 3-stage least squares regression technique was used to analyze the hearing aid market.

Results:
Our results show that, while recessionary periods reduced both demand and supply, the demand side of the hearing aid industry is significantly more responsive to changes in the economy. Further, the demand function within the hearing aid industry is inelastic. Finally, negative media coverage from nationally televised reports during the FDA’s intervention between the 2nd quarter of 1993 and the 3rd quarter of 1994 did not significantly affect the market demand of hearing aids.

Conclusions:
The demand for hearing aids increases in a flourishing economy and decreases during periods of recession. The negative media campaign from the FDA’s intervention between the 2nd quarter of 1993 and the 3rd quarter of 1994 had essentially little effect on the end user. The repercussions of the FDA’s intervention have resulted, however, in a reduction in the market supply of hearing aids and an increase in their cost due to manufacturer-sponsored clinical trials.
What Is Stuttering?
Authors: Yairi Ehud , Watkins Ruth , Ambrose Nicoline , Paden Elaine
Published: April 2006

When it comes to stuttering, one must be very careful of a priori assumptions they may have formed about the nature of the disorder and its associated behaviors. A broad understanding and thorough familiarity with the evidence are essential to averting misinterpretations, such as those made by Wingate, concerning the bases of terminology (SLD) and category (part-word repetitions) selections. We understand Wingate’s impression regarding the primary role of syllable repetitions, given that typically they are the most common component in the disfluent speech behavior of those who stutter and that in many children they are the dominant disfluency type. Indeed, some children display few monosyllabic whole-word repetitions. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the monosyllabic whole-word repetitions, especially in very young children, are not a valid reflection of stuttering.

As we have shown, Wingate’s argument can be contested in several ways. Because some fundamental measures of accuracy, validity, and internal consistency, as well as reliance on published data, are essential for credibility, we believe that his letter represents a
harsh violation
of these principles. Wingate has offered an opinion, but that is the limit to the nature of his remarks. His points are merely opinions because he has not considered all the evidence and has not acknowledged all the facts regarding the nature of speech and its identification. Wingate frequently makes sweeping statements (e.g., there are "…clear-cut differences that exist between monosyllabic word repetitions and stutters" [Wingate, 2001, p. 383]) without any substantiation from the research literature and appears to be oblivious to progress in the field. His last paragraph, which completely distorts our record of research, is scientifically dangerous. Although we appreciate his previous contributions to the field, regrettably, as we have stated earlier, his letter fails to meet acceptable scientific standards. We respectfully suggest that Wingate’s call for honestly employed scientific methods in stuttering research be directed at his own writing.

Finally, our large longitudinal study on persistency and recovery in stuttering, as reported in the series of publications (e.g., Yairi & Ambrose, 1999), arbitrarily selected by Wingate for attack as a means to expose his opinion about the "real thing," has been repeatedly and rigorously reviewed by various panels of the National Institutes of Health, the agency supporting this work, and by the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including
JSLHR
. Having been found to be of sound quality, our ongoing project has been repeatedly approved, and its findings reported in many peer-reviewed publications. We take this record as an indication that many scholars in the field evaluate our research as meritorious.
Direct Magnitude Estimation and Interval Scaling of Hypernasality
Authors: Whitehill Tara L. , Lee Alice S. Y. , Chun Joyce C.
Published: April 2006

Hypernasality is most commonly assessed using equal-appearing interval (EAI) scaling. Recently, the validity of EAI scaling for the evaluation of hypernasality has been questioned. The issue of validity rests on the psychophysical nature of the dimension to be rated. The purpose of this study was to compare EAI scaling with direct magnitude estimation (DME), in order to determine whether EAI scaling is a valid procedure for the evaluation of hypernasality. Connected speech samples from 20 individuals with repaired cleft palate and hypernasality were used. Twenty listeners undertook the listening tasks, which included EAI scaling, DME with modulus (DME-M), and DME without modulus (DME-WM). The results showed a curvilinear relationship between EAI and DME-M and between EAI and DME-WM, suggesting that EAI may not be a valid method for the evaluation of hypernasality; DME is recommended.
Judgments of Idiom Familiarity and Transparency
Authors: Nippold Marilyn A. , Taylor Catherine L.
Published: April 2006

Idioms (e.g.,
go by the book, keep a straight face
) are figurative expressions that frequently occur in the English language. Given the pervasiveness of these expressions, it is important that young people can understand their meanings. Developmental studies have shown that idioms that are higher in familiarity and transparency (e.g.,
blow off some steam
) are generally easier for children and adolescents to understand than those that are less familiar and more opaque (e.g.,
pull up one's socks
). In those studies, judgments of idiom familiarity and transparency were based on the perceptions of individuals who were older than the study participants. In the present study, 11-year-old children (
n
=50) and 16-year-old adolescents (
n
=50) were asked to judge the familiarity and transparency of a set of 20 idioms. Their comprehension of the same expressions was also examined. The results indicated that the children were less familiar with the idioms and had greater difficulty comprehending them than did the adolescents. However, the children's transparency judgments did not differ from those of the adolescents. For the children, the easiest idioms were also more familiar and transparent than the most difficult expressions. For the adolescents, the easiest idioms were more transparent than the most difficult ones, but the two types did not differ in familiarity. Suggestions are offered for conducting future studies of the development of idiom understanding in youth.
Responding to Joint Attention and Language Development
Authors: Delgado Christine E. F. , Mundy Peter , Crowson Mary , Markus Jessica , Yale Marygrace , Schwartz Heidi
Published: April 2006

This study examined the importance of target location (within vs. outside the visual field) on the relation between responding to joint attention and subsequent language development in 47 normally developing infants. The results supported a developmental progression in the infants' ability to locate targets from within to outside the visual field. In addition, individual differences in 15-month-old infants' ability to correctly locate targets outside the visual field was a unique predictor of expressive language at 24 months. Infants' ability to locate targets outside the visual field may demonstrate increasing capacities for attention regulation, representational thinking, and social cognition that may facilitate language learning. The implications of this study are discussed with regard to the usefulness of measures of responding to joint attention for identifying early language and developmental delays.
Changes in Hearing-Aid Benefit Following 1 or 2 Years of Hearing-Aid Use by Older Adults
Authors: Humes Larry E. , Wilson Dana L. , Barlow Nancy N. , Garner Carolyn
Published: April 2006

This study reports the results of a large number of hearing-aid benefit measures obtained from 134 elderly hearing-aid wearers during the first year of hearing-aid usage. Benefit measures were obtained after 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year of hearing-aid use by all participants. In addition, follow-up measurements of hearing-aid benefit were performed on 49 of these same hearing-aid wearers following 2 years of hearing-aid use. All participants in this study were fit binaurally with identical full-concha in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids that used linear Class-D amplifiers with output-limiting compression. Benefit measures included several objective tests of speech recognition, as well as the subjective self-report scales of the Hearing Aid Performance Inventory (HAPI; B. E. Walden, M. E. Demorest, & E. L. Hepler) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE; I. Ventry & B. Weinstein, 1982). Although group means changed only slightly over time for all of the benefit measures, significant differences were observed for some of the benefit measures, especially among the subjective, self-report measures of benefit. In almost all of the cases exhibiting significant changes, performance was significantly worse (less benefit) at both the 6-month and 1-year post-fit interval compared to the measurements at 1 month post-fit. In general, the individual data from the 134 participants who were represented in the 1-year data set were consistent with the trends in the group data described above. Regarding longer term changes in benefit following 2 years of hearing-aid use, minimal changes were again observed. In all, there was little evidence for acclimatization of hearing-aid benefit in this study in either the group or the individual data.
A Comparison of Learning Curves in Natural and Synthesized Speech Comprehension
Authors: Reynolds Mary E. , Isaacs-Duvall Charlene , Haddox Michelle Lynn
Published: April 2006

This study examined the effect of listening practice on the ability of young adults to comprehend natural speech and DECtalk synthesized speech by having them perform a sentence verification task over a 5-day period. Results showed that response latencies of participants shortened in a similar fashion to sentences presented in both types of speech across the 5-day period, with latencies remaining significantly longer in response to DECtalk than to natural speech across the days. These results suggest that high-quality synthesized speech, such as DECtalk, can be useful in many human factors applications.
Influence of Hearing Loss on the Perceptual Strategies of Children and Adults
Authors: Pittman Andrea L. , Stelmachowicz Patricia G. , Lewis Dawna E. , Hoover Brenda M.
Published: April 2006

To accommodate growing vocabularies, young children are thought to modify their perceptual weights as they gain experience with speech and language. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the perceptual weights of children and adults with hearing loss differ from those of their normal-hearing counterparts. Adults and children with normal hearing and with hearing loss served as participants. Fricative and vowel segments within consonant-vowel-consonant stimuli were presented at randomly selected levels under two conditions: unaltered and with the formant transition removed. Overall performance for each group was calculated as a function of segment level. Perceptual weights were also calculated for each group using point-biserial correlation coefficients that relate the level of each segment to performance. Results revealed child-adult differences in overall performance and also revealed an effect of hearing loss. Despite these performance differences, the pattern of perceptual weights was similar across all four groups for most conditions.
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia During Speech Production
Authors: Reilly Kevin J. , Moore Christopher A.
Published: April 2006

The amplitude of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was investigated during a reading aloud task to determine whether alterations in respiratory control during speech production affect the amplitude of RSA. Changes in RSA amplitude associated with speech were evaluated by comparing RSA amplitudes during reading aloud with those obtained during rest breathing. A third condition, silent reading, was included to control for potentially confounding effects of cardiovascular responses to cognitive processes involved in the process of reading. Calibrated respiratory kinematics, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and speech audio signals were recorded from 18 adults (9 men, 9 women) during 5-min trials of each condition. The results indicated that the increases in respiratory duration, lung volume, and inspiratory velocity associated with reading aloud were accompanied by similar increases in the amplitude of RSA. This finding provides support for the premise that sensorimotor pathways mediating metabolic respiration are actively modulated during speech production.
Quantitative and Graphic Acoustic Analysis of Phonatory Modulations
Authors: Buder Eugene H. , Strand Edythe A.
Published: April 2006

A method is presented for analyzing phonatory instabilities that occur as modulations of fundamental frequency (f
0
) and sound pressure level (SPL) on the order of 0.2 to 20 cycles per second. Such long-term phonatory instabilities, including but not limited to traditional notions of tremor, are distinct from cycle-to-cycle perturbation such as jitter or shimmer. For each of the 2 parameters (f
0
, in Hz, and SPL, in dB), 3 frequency domains are proposed: (a) flutter (10–20 Hz), (b) tremor (2–10 Hz), and (c) wow (0.2–2.0 Hz), yielding 6 types of instability. Analyses were implemented using fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) with domain-specific analysis parameters. Outputs include a graphic display in the form of a set of low-frequency spectrograms (the “modulogram”) and quantitative measures of the frequencies, magnitudes, durations, and sinusoidal form of the instabilities. An index of a given instability is developed by combining its duration and average modulation magnitude into a single quantity. Performance of the algorithms was assessed by analyzing test signals with known degrees of modulation, and a range of applications was reviewed to provide a rationale for use of modulograms in phonatory assessment.
Children's Consonant Inventories After Extended Cochlear Implant Use
Authors: Chin Steven B.
Published: April 2006

Qualitative descriptions of the consonant inventories of 12 children who have used cochlear implants for at least 5 years are provided, together with description of sound correspondences between children's systems and the ambient language (English). Productions of English words were elicited in a picture-naming task, and a consonant inventory for each child was determined. Results showed that the consonant inventories of children who use cochlear implants are not simply subsets of the inventory of the ambient language, but rather unique sets of segments that may include consonants not in the ambient inventory. Comparison of the inventories of oral communication users and total communication users revealed qualitative differences between the 2 groups, based on the presence or absence of both English and non-English sound segments. Inventories of oral communication users tended to contain more English segments (e.g., alveolar fricatives, velar stops, velar nasals) than did the inventories of total communication users. Conversely, specific non-English segments, such as uvular stops, tended to occur in the inventories of total communication users more than in inventories of oral communication users. Therefore, a complete understanding of the phonological systems of children who use cochlear implants depends on full accounts of their segment inventories. Such understanding may affect decisions regarding habilitation procedures, insofar as successful acquisition of a linguistic system involves not only the inclusion of all ambient sound segments, but also the exclusion of all nonambient ones.
Comparison of Transducers and Intraoral Placement Options for Measuring Lingua-Palatal Contact Pressure During Speech
Authors: Searl Jeffrey P.
Published: April 2006

Two studies were completed that focused on instrumentation and procedural issues associated with measurement of lingua-palatal contact pressure (LPCP) during speech. In the first experiment, physical features and response characteristics of 2 miniature pressure transducers (Entran EPI-BO and Precision Measurement 60S) were evaluated to identify a transducer suitable for measuring LPCP during speech. The 2 transducers were comparable in terms of physical dimensions and most response characteristics. However, the Entran device was less affected by air temperature fluctuations, making it the more attractive option for speech LPCP measurement. In a second experiment, 3 methods of placing the Entran device in the mouth were compared. The 3 adhesion methods evaluated were (a) taping a transducer to the hard palate, (b) surface mounting on a mold of the palate, and (c) flush mounting on a mold of the palate. Directly taping the transducer to the alveolar ridge was the least acceptable option, as it resulted in changes in other aspects of speech production (consonant duration and centroid frequency of the burst/frication) suggesting that articulation was unduly altered. Direct taping was also rated as least acceptable by the speakers. Surface and flush mounting resulted in fewer changes in speech aerodynamic and acoustic parameters of /t/ and/s/ compared to the tape condition. Listener ratings also indicated less articulatory disturbance in the surface and flush mounting conditions compared to the tape condition. Surface mounting was technically easier than flush mounting and it allows for rapid repositioning of the transducer if needed.
Development and Testing of a Portable Vocal Accumulator
Authors: Cheyne Harold A. , Hanson Helen M. , Genereux Ronald P. , Stevens Kenneth N. , Hillman Robert E.
Published: April 2006

This research note describes the design and testing of a device for unobtrusive, long-term ambulatory monitoring of voice use, named the Portable Vocal Accumulator (PVA). The PVA contains a digital signal processor for analyzing input from a neck-placed miniature accelerometer. During its development, accelerometer recordings were obtained from 99 participants with normal or dysphonic voices. The recordings were used to (a) test the specifications and capabilities of the PVA for monitoring normal and dysphonic voices and (b) explore potentially useful displays for the large quantity of data generated by long-term monitoring. The current prototype PVA is pocket-sized (12 x 8.5 x 2 cm), lightweight (200 g), and capable of sampling 11 hr of voice-use data, including estimates of fundamental frequency, sound pressure level, and phonation duration.