bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chain Dynamics of Polymers with Highly Flexible Side Groups
Authors: Riande Evaristo , Díaz‐Calleja Ricardo
Published: April 2006

Summary: The relaxation behaviour of poly(5‐acryloxy‐5‐methyl‐2,3‐dioxacyclohexne), poly(2,3‐dichlorobenzyl methacrylate) and poly(3‐chlorobenzyl methacrylate) was thoroughly studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy with the aim of investigating how the chemical structure affects the response of polymers to electric perturbation fields over a wide temperature window. Retardation spectra calculated from dielectric isotherms utilizing linear programming regularization parameter techniques were used to deconvolute strongly overlapped absorptions. Special attention is paid to both the splitting region and the fitting of the Williams ansatz to the experimental results. Attempts are made to explain the molecular origin of the relaxations observed in the retardation spectra of the polymers.
Models for the Dynamics of Hyperbranched Macromolecules
Authors: Blumen Alexander , Jurjiu Aurel , Koslowski Th. , Friedrich Ch.
Published: April 2006

Summary: We focus on the motion of hyperbranched macromolecules in solution, paying particular attention to the relation between underlying topological structure and dynamics; we consider especially the mechanical moduli. Under the prominent representatives of hyperbranched polymers are both regular structures (such as the dendrimers) as well as disordered structures (such as irregular Cayley‐trees). Evidently, batch‐prepared hyperbranched macromolecules are closer to the latter. In order to theoretically determine their mechanical moduli we employ the method of generalized Gaussian structures (GGS), which allows us to study the situation including or excluding the hydrodynamic interactions (HI). Disordered hyperbranched structures display a complex dynamics; here we recall several analytical and numerical schemes for determining it and compare our theoretical results to the experimental data.
Influence of the Non‐Perfect Step Input Concentration at the Feed Side of the Membrane Surface on the Diffusion Coefficient Evaluation
Authors: Cermakova Jirina , Fialova Katerina , Petrychkovych Roman , Kudrna Vladimir , Uchytil Petr
Published: April 2006

Summary: Vapor diffusion coefficients in polymeric membranes were evaluated from dynamic permeation experiments. A membrane separated the diffusion cell into two parts – upstream and downstream. At the start of the experiment the concentration change in the upstream part (feed side) was made by substituting the input stream of pure nitrogen by the stream of permeant vapors. The solution of the Fick's second law with the step input concentration function is used for the evaluation of diffusion coefficients. The realization of the step input function can be difficult and its imperfection can negatively influence the evaluation process. This contribution deals with the description of the experimentally obtained input function and the study of its influence on evaluated values of diffusion coefficients. The mathematical model, which includes the non‐perfect step input concentration function and the transport through a polymer was developed. The results of this study enable the estimation of diffusion coefficient evaluation errors as dependence on the experimental arrangements and on the membrane transport properties.

Diffusion apparatus for measurement of the steady‐state permeation process.

magnified image

Diffusion apparatus for measurement of the steady‐state permeation process.
Surface and Interface Spectroscopy of High Explosives and Binders: HMX and Estane
Authors: Kim Hackjin , Lagutchev Alexei , Dlott Dana D.
Published: April 2006

Vibrational sum‐frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) is used to characterize the surfaces of β‐HMX single crystals and Estane polymer binder, as well as the HMX‐Estane interface. SFG is a nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy that selectively probes vibrational transitions at surfaces and interfaces. On the HMX {011} surface, both CH‐ and NO2‐stretching transitions are observed. Compared to bulk HMX, the surface transitions are blueshifted and the splittings are larger. This effect is explained by surface HMX molecules having partially buried and partially free CH2 and NO2 groups. Estane is a diblock copolymer with both soft and hard segments. Comparison of Estane spectra with polymers having only the soft unit and with polymers having predominantly hard units indicate there is a preference for the hard unit on the surface. SFG spectra of the HMX‐Estane interface show smaller splittings of the HMX CH‐stretch transitions than at the HMX‐air interface, because the partially free surface groups are buried in Estane.
Current imaging in quantum point contacts
Authors: Cresti Alessandro
Published: April 2006

The experimental imaging of microscopic currents in two‐dimensional electron gas based systems has been recently realized exploiting an ingenious use of scanning microscope tips. By means of the Keldysh Green's function formalism in a tight‐binding framework, I study the electron transport in a model quantum point contact device, obtaining detailed maps of the local current distribution. The results are then compared with those obtained by a direct simulation of the experimental process, i.e. introducing a suitable external potential to reproduce the effect of the coupled microscopic tip on the overall conductance and the electron flow. The analysis of the differences between the two calculations helps to interpret the experimental maps and sheds light on the interference effects of the tip. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Momentum and industry growth
Authors: Safieddine Assem , Sonti Ramana
Published: April 2006

In this paper, we find that individual stock momentum varies almost monotonically with industry growth. Firms in the highest industry growth quintile have significantly higher momentum compared to those in the lowest growth quintile. We find that the above‐average growth group within each quintile has significantly higher momentum profits than the below‐average group. Further, momentum profits of the highest industry growth quintile are always higher than those for the universe of firms, suggesting an economic benefit to stratifying firms based on industry growth and relative company growth intra‐industry, while following a momentum investment strategy.
THE COLLAPSE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY: LESSONS FROM ECONOMICS, AND HISTORY
Authors: Kufuor Kofi Oteng
Published: April 2006

KUFUOR, KOFI OTENG, The collapse of the Organization of African Unity: Lessons from economics and history, Journal of African Law, 49, 2 (2005): 132–144

This paper argues that the analytical tools of the New Institutional Economics (NIE) School provide fruitful lines of inquiry into the decision to replace the Organization of African Unity with the African Union. The application of two NIE methodologies, economics and history, do explain why the OAU had failed to play a meaningful role in African affairs. Relying on economic tools, the paper explores issues relating to monitoring of the members' commitments, the provision of public goods, decision-making, and membership of the OAU. Historical approaches seek to explain why the OAU remained as Africa's paramount regional organization for four decades despite the obvious flaws in the OAU's design and the consequent inefficiencies these flaws produced.
Has Pandora's Box Been Closed? The Decisions on the Legality of Use of Force Cases in Relation to the Status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) within the United Nations
Authors: VITUCCI MARIA CHIARA
Published: April 2006

In its judgments on the preliminary objections in the Legality of Use of Force cases, the Court held that the FRY was not a UN member in the period between 1992 and 2000. This finding is controversial, at odds with previous decisions of the Court, and has indeed attracted criticism from various judges. This article proposes a different construction of the question of the FRY's membership within the UN and reviews arguments that allow doubts to be cast on the reasoning of the Court. Because of the link between UN membership and the FRY's participation in the Genocide Convention, the Court's finding in the Legality of Use of Force cases may have some implications for two sets of proceedings still pending before the Court (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia v. Serbia and Montenegro). In the former case, an interpretation of the extent of the res judicata principle may allow the Court not to reopen the issue of jurisdiction, already decided in 1996 on the basis of Article IX of the Genocide Convention. In the latter case, various options might allow the FRY to be regarded as a party to the Genocide Convention.
Forced Labour in Brazil: International Criminal Law as the Ultima Ratio Modality of Human Rights Protection
Authors: BISCHOFF JAMES L.
Published: April 2006

Notwithstanding estimates that 12.3 million persons today are subjected to conditions analogous to slavery, public international lawyers have almost completely ignored slavery and related institutions in recent decades. This article explores the phenomenon of forced labour in the Amazon, where anywhere between 25,000 and 100,000 people are compelled through trickery and coercion to work in subhuman conditions. After outlining the legal regime governing slavery-related practices, the author examines why the Brazilian government has failed in its efforts to secure compliance within its own borders of its obligations under anti-slavery and human rights conventions. The author then argues that holding the Brazilian state responsible and assessing monetary damages is not in fact the most effective and fair way to secure the human rights of the victims of forced labour, and that international criminal sanctions for the individual perpetrators – including prosecution in the ICC for crimes against humanity – is a viable and preferable alternative.
Convergence of financial systems: towards an evolutionary perspective
Authors: HÖLZL WERNER
Published: April 2006

This paper provides an evolutionary perspective on financial systems based on complex systems theory. This perspective is used to organize the discussion about the convergence and non-convergence of financial systems. Based on a notion of financial systems as configuration of complementary elements, it is suggested that the convergence of financial systems is best conceptualized as a path-dependent process of institutional change and innovation. The implication of the evolutionary perspective on the dynamics of financial systems is that neither convergence theories using a simple evolutionary argument of survival of the fittest nor divergence theories related to strong complementarities can provide much guidance for analyzing institutional transformations of financial systems.
Grundlegende Persönlichkeitsmerkmale und individuelle Stressverarbeitungsstrategien als Determinanten der Mobbing-Betroffenheit
Authors: Rammsayer Thomas , Stahl Jutta , Schmiga Kathrin
Published: April 2006

Zusammenfassung. Verschiedene Befunde weisen darauf hin, dass Mobbing-Betroffene sich in verschiedenen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen und allgemeinen Stressverarbeitungsstrategien von Nicht-Betroffenen zu unterscheiden scheinen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde überprüft, ob grundlegende Persönlichkeitsdimensionen, wie sie vom Fünf-Faktoren-Modell der Persönlichkeit postuliert werden, und habituelle Stressverarbeitungsweisen die Wahrscheinlichkeit, zum Mobbing-Opfer zu werden, beeinflussen können. An der Untersuchung nahmen 147 Mobbing-Betroffene und 162 Nicht-Betroffene teil. Multiple Regressionsanalysen belegten, dass die Persönlichkeitsdimension Offenheit für Erfahrung einen Varianzanteil von 5.7 % und der Einsatz von so genannten Negativ-Strategien der Stressverarbeitung einen Varianzanteil von 4.7 % der Gesamtvarianz für Mobbing-Betroffenheit erklären. Als bester Prädiktor für die Intensität des von Mobbing-Betroffenen erlebten subjektiven Leidensdrucks erwies sich - mit einem aufgeklärten Varianzanteil von 7.5 % - die Häufigkeit, mit der nicht-adaptive Negativ-Strategien zur Stressbewältigung eingesetzt wurden. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass Programme zur Mobbing-Prävention und zur psychotherapeutischen Behandlung von Mobbing-Betroffenen insbesondere die Vermittlung angemessener Stressverarbeitungsstrategien bei sozialen Konflikten am Arbeitsplatz berücksichtigen sollten.
Personalrekrutierungim Internet
Authors: Konradt Udo , Rack Oliver
Published: April 2006

Zusammenfassung. In einer experimentellen Studie wurde die Wirkung der Qualität unternehmenseigener Recruiting-Sites auf die Arbeitgeberattraktivität als zentraler Faktor der Bewerbungsbereitschaft untersucht. Studierende besuchten unternehmenseigene Recruiting-Sites und beurteilten deren Qualität (u. a. Inhalt, Benutzerfreundlichkeit, Layout und Interaktion) sowie die Arbeitgeberattraktivität (Beschäftigungsintentionen und Empfehlungsintentionen). Wie vorhergesagt, waren die Arbeitgeberattraktivität und die Erwartungen an die Website-Qualität positiv korreliert. Ferner wies die erlebte Websitequalität der E-Recruiting-Sites einen Einfluss auf die Veränderung der Arbeitgeberattraktivität auf, wobei den Aspekten des Inhalts und des Layouts das größte Gewicht zukam. Zur Erklärung des Unterschieds zwischen erwarteter und erlebter Website-Qualität erwies sich das Assimilationsmodell als geeignet. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund des Personalmarketing-Prozesses diskutiert.
Three‐dimensional instantaneous mantle flow induced by subduction
Authors: Piromallo C. , Becker T. W. , Funiciello F. , Faccenna C.
Published: April 2006

We conduct three‐dimensional subduction experiments by a finite element approach to study flow around slabs, which are prescribed based on a transient stage of upper mantle subduction from a laboratory model. Instantaneous velocity field solutions are examined, focusing on the toroidal vs. poloidal components as a function of boundary conditions, plate width, and viscosity contrast between slab and mantle. We show how the slab‐to‐mantle viscosity ratio determines the strength of toroidal flow, and find that the toroidal flow component peaks for slab/mantle viscosity ratios ∼100, independent of slab width or geometry.
A power line as a tunable ULF‐wave radiator: Properties of artificial signal at distances of 200 to 1000 km
Authors: Ermakova E. N. , Kotik D. S. , Polyakov S. V. , Bösinger T. , Sobchakov L. A.
Published: April 2006

A power line of 108 km length in the Kola Peninsula, Russia, was fed by a tunable AC current in the upper ULF and lower ELF frequency band. Its magnetic signature was received by the Finnish chain of pulsation magnetometers at distances from 200 to 1000 km from the source. Amplitudes and polarization properties were analyzed as a function of frequency, distance, line‐of‐sight angle, and local time. Some evidence was obtained that, beside the geological structure underneath the radiator, also different ionospheric conditions affect the received signal properties in a systematic way. The efficiency of the power line as an ULF‐wave radiator proved to exceed largely those typically obtained in similar experiments based on modulation of ionospheric currents by powerful HF heating.
Dynamic effects of a step‐wise increase in thermal conductivity and viscosity in the lowermost mantle
Authors: Naliboff John B. , Kellogg Louise H.
Published: April 2006

We present numerical models of mantle convection incorporating changes in viscosity and thermal conductivity at depth. Increasing the viscosity and/or thermal conductivity by a factor of 5 at depths below 2000 km increases the size and stability of thermal upwellings. Decreasing the thermal conductivity beneath 2000 km, in contrast, has comparatively little effect on thermal upwellings. Increases in viscosity and/or thermal conductivity close to a factor of 5 beneath 2000 km may tend to counteract the tendency of the post‐perovskite phase transition to decrease the size and stability of thermal upwellings. We also find that varying viscosity and thermal conductivity beneath 2000 km affects basal heat fluxes and mantle geotherms, which should have strong implications for the stability of the post‐perovskite phase change near the core‐mantle boundary (CMB).
Emotion Regulation in Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Fujiki Martin , Brinton Bonnie , Clarke Diane
Published: April 2006

Purpose
: The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine if emotion regulation warrants investigation as a factor influencing social outcomes in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Emotion regulation was evaluated in children with SLI and their typically developing peers.

Method
: Teachers were asked to rate the emotion regulation behaviors of 41 children with SLI and 41 typical peers using the "Emotion Regulation Checklist" (ERC, Shields & Cicchetti, 1997; 1998). Children were sampled from two age levels (6–9 years and 10–13 years). At each age level, equal numbers of boys and girls were sampled.

Results
: As a group, children with SLI received significantly lower ratings than typical children. In addition, girls produced higher scores than boys. None of the other interactions was significant. Scores on the two subscales of the ERC, labeled as lability/negativity and emotion regulation, were then examined to further delineate performance. Boys with SLI had notably lower ratings than all the other groups on the emotion regulation subscale.

Clinical Implications
: Emotion regulation warrants further research to determine if it is associated with specific social outcomes in children with SLI.
Vocal Development in Young Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Ertmer David J. , Young Nancy , Grohne Kristine , Mellon Jennifer A. , Johnson Claire , Corbett Kristin , Saindon Kathy
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This article describes prelinguistic vocal development in 2 prelingually deaf children who received multichannel cochlear implants at 10 and 28 months of age, respectively.

Methods:
Vocalizations were recorded in half-hour mother- child interactions before and after implantation and then classified into three levels of development: precanonical, canonical, and postcanonical.

Results:
One child made rapid progress in vocal development after her implant was activated. The other child showed slower progress with continued dominance of precanonical vocalizations throughout the first year of implant experience. Increases in vowel, diphthong, and consonant diversity; the establishment of canonical vocalizations; and the emergence of postcanonical forms were found to be indicators of progress in vocal development.

Clinical Implications:
Observed differences in the rate and completeness of vocal development between the 2 children suggest that some young implant recipients may need specialized intervention strategies to stimulate speech development. The rationale and procedures for implementing Short Periods of Prelinguistic Input (SPPI), a potentially useful approach for stimulating vocal development, are presented.
Communication Intervention for Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Ertmer David J. , Leonard Jeanette S. , Pachuilo Michael L.
Published: April 2006

This article describes the intervention programs attended and progress made by 2 children who exhibited considerable differences in benefit from their cochlear implants. The children differed in many ways, including age at onset of deafness, preimplantation communications skills, age at implantation, the amount and types of intervention services received, and the rate at which they developed oral communication skills. Their intervention programs employed both analytical and synthetic auditory training and emphasized the development of speech production and language skills. These case studies help to illustrate the range of outcomes among cochlear implant recipients and the adaptability needed to design and implement individualized intervention programs.
Responsiveness of Child Care Providers in Interactions With Toddlers and Preschoolers
Authors: Girolametto Luigi , Weitzman Elaine
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This exploratory study investigated the responsive language input of 26 child care providers to young children enrolled in community child care centers.

Method:
Three subtypes of responsive interaction strategies were rated and compared across two age groups (toddlers, preschoolers) and two naturalistic contexts (book reading, play dough activity). The toddlers were between 17 and 33 months of age and the preschoolers were between 30 and 53 months of age. Caregiver-child interactions were rated using the Teacher Interaction and Language Rating Scale (Girolametto, Weitzman, & Greenberg, 2000) to provide information about the frequency of responsive language strategies.

Results:
Caregivers used similar levels of child-centered and interaction-promoting strategies with both age groups, but used more labelling with toddlers and more topic extensions with preschoolers. The context of the interaction exerted a systematic influence on the caregivers' use of responsive strategies, with the play dough activity providing the most responsive input overall. There was a strong positive relationship between all three subtypes of caregivers' responsiveness and variation in the preschoolers' language productivity. In contrast, only interaction-promoting strategies were positively related to measures of the toddlers' language productivity.

Clinical Implications:
The results of this study suggest that caregivers' responsiveness in group interactions is highly dependent on the context of the interaction and, to a lesser extent, on the language abilities of the children. Future research is required to determine if inservice training can enhance levels of responsiveness and accelerate language learning in young children in group care.
Alternative Assessment of Language and Literacy in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations
Authors: Laing Sandra P. , Kamhi Alan
Published: April 2006

Over- and underdiagnosis of language and literacy problems are common with low-socioeconomic status ethnically and racially diverse children. In recent years, a number of alternative assessment procedures have been developed that reduce some of the biases inherent in norm-referenced standardized tests. Problems and recent solutions to the use of norm-referenced testing will be discussed, with a focus on processing-dependent and dynamic assessment procedures.
Cultural Knowledge in African American Children
Authors: Bradford Angela C. , Harris Joyce L.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study sought to determine whether typically developing African American children’s culturally based mainstream and ethnocultural knowledge increased between grades four and six. Because a lack of mainstream cultural knowledge has been implicated in reduced reading comprehension among many African American children, this study also investigated the degree to which ethnocultural and mainstream cultural knowledge differed.

Method:
Fifty-eight African American children in grades four, five, and six responded to the Test of Core Knowledge (Bradford & Harris, 2000), a divergent task that required free associations about topics drawn from both mainstream and African American history, arts, and news events. Responses were audiotape-recorded, orthographically transcribed, and analyzed for accuracy and quantity of information.

Results:
Participants’ knowledge of both mainstream and African American cultural items increased significantly between grades four and five and their knowledge of history, news events, and African American arts increased significantly between grades four and six. Additionally, significant differences were found between grades five and six for mainstream and African American news events.

Clinical Implications:
This sample of African American children demonstrated mainstream cultural knowledge that often surpassed ethnocultural knowledge. Such broadbased mainstream cultural knowledge meets academic expectations and can be used to facilitate further development of language and reading comprehension skills. However, this finding also suggests the need for future investigations of the relationship between mainstream cultural knowledge and literacy, bicultural knowledge in African American children from lower socioeconomic status and/or more ethnocentric backgrounds, and bicultural knowledge in those children who have language and reading comprehension deficits.
Facilitating Peer-Group Entry in Kindergartners With Impairments in Social Communication
Authors: Beilinson Jill Selber , Olswang Lesley B.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This series of case studies examined the efficacy of intervention designed to teach peer-group entry skills to kindergartners with social interaction and communication deficits.

Method:
The participants were 3 kindergartners at the University of Washington Experimental Educational Unit (EEU) who were selected because of difficulty with peer-group entry and cooperative play as compared to other children in the classroom. The intervention program included direct treatment of the children by the primary researcher and teachers in the classroom. The intervention was modeled on research describing a sequential peer-entry hierarchy that incorporated the children moving from low-risk strategies to high-risk strategies. Specifically, the treatment focused on teaching the children to use props to facilitate the production of high-risk verbal statements.

Results:
Results demonstrated increases in (a) children’s use of props and verbal statements to enter peer groups, (b) cooperative play, and (c) time spent interacting with peers. Results also indicated that following treatment, the children’s behaviors more closely resembled those of their comparison peers.

Clinical Implications:
Results are encouraging for suggesting strategies for working with kindergartners who exhibit social communication interaction problems. The data indicate that a combined speech-language pathologist/teacher intervention using modeling and prompting with visual stimuli may be successful in teaching children to use props and specific verbal statements as a means of entering peer groups and engaging in cooperative play.
Toward Functional Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Students With Autism
Authors: Mirenda Pat
Published: April 2006

Many individuals with autism are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, either to supplement (i.e., augment) their existing speech or to act as their primary (i.e., alternative) method of expressive communication. The purpose of this article is to summarize research and directions for future research with regard to two questions related to the delivery of AAC supports to these individuals: (a) What AAC modality is preferable to use? and (b) What do we know about the use of voice output communication aids with people with autism?
Speech-Language Pathologists’ Opinions on Communication Disorders and Violence
Authors: Sanger Dixie , Moore-Brown Barbara J. , Montgomery Judy , Hellerich Susan
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study investigated the opinions of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding their role, education, and training in serving students with communication disorders who have been involved in violence.

Method:
A survey consisting of 26 items was given to 598 SLPs from eight states representing geographic regions of the United States.

Results:
Participants acknowledged that violence is an increasing concern. They also recognized the valuable role they have in planning prevention programs and serving on multidisciplinary teams. In contrast, SLPs’ opinions suggested that they did not feel well trained to deal with violence, nor did they feel that the role of communication in violence was understood by SLPs or educators. Comparisons between SLPs from different school and nonschool settings on their education and training and their role in serving this population were not significant. Participants with violence education and training responded significantly more favorably than those without such education and training on planning prevention programs; contributing important information to multidisciplinary teams in planning programs; and the impact of intervention on academics, behavior, and social interactions. Statistically significant findings indicated that both groups disagreed on understanding the role of communication in violence and being trained to provide services. However, findings need to be interpreted cautiously because both groups’ means fell within the same categories of agreement/disagreement, and actual differences between groups were small. Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that education and training are prevalent concerns of SLPs. Their written feedback suggested that SLPs provide critical information as we plan for this population.

Clinical Implications:
Additional education and training are needed in areas such as the role of the SLP in communication and violence, intervention that addresses behavior management, and multicultural issues.
Computer-Supported Phonological Awareness Intervention for Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Segers Eliane , Verhoeven Ludo
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI) could develop phonological awareness skills through computer intervention and whether speech manipulation (i.e., slowing speech rate and enhancing transitions) in instruction produced additional learning.

Method:
The effects of a computer-supported phonological awareness program on a variety of items, including word analysis, syllable analysis, rhyme, phoneme analysis, syllable synthesis, and phoneme synthesis, were tested following a pretest-posttest 1-posttest 2 design. Twenty-four kindergarten children with SLI in the Netherlands received 3.5 hr of phonological awareness intervention via a computer program using either normal speech (12 children) or manipulated speech (12 children). A control group of 12 kindergarten children with SLI played computer vocabulary games.

Results:
The results showed positive effects of the intervention for the normal speech group. Eighteen weeks later, the effect size was still substantial; however, no additional effects of speech manipulation were found.

Clinical Implications:
The results suggest that kindergarten children with SLI benefit from computer intervention for phonological awareness skills.
Treating Voice Disorders in the School-Based Setting
Authors: Ruddy Bari Hoffman , Sapienza Christine M.
Published: April 2006

The role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) has developed considerably over the last 10 years given the medical and technological advances in life-sustaining procedures. Over time, children born with congenital, surgical, or "medically fragile" conditions have become mainstreamed into regular school-based settings, thus extending the
traditional
role of the SLP and multidisciplinary team. Understanding the impact of these voice disorders on the child’s educational performance has been a struggle for many clinicians because the eligibility decisions for students in school-based settings must be made within the framework of federal legislation and regulations governing the provision of services for students with disabilities. This article discusses how to identify children with voice disorders under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition, the role of the SLP in assigning priority in various voice management scenarios, and how models of therapy can be incorporated in the school-based setting.
Phonological Skills in Predominantly English-Speaking, Predominantly Spanish-Speaking, and Spanish-English Bilingual Children
Authors: Goldstein Brian A. , Fabiano Leah , Washington Patricia Swasey
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
There is a paucity of information detailing the phonological skills of Spanish-English bilingual children and comparing that information to information concerning the phonological skills of predominantly English-speaking (PE) and predominantly Spanish-speaking (PS) children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between amount of output (i.e., percentage of time each language was spoken) in each language and phonological skills in Spanish-English bilingual children and PE and PS children.

Method:
Fifteen typically developing children, ranging in age from 5;0 (years;months) to 5;5 (mean=5;2), participated in the study. The participants consisted of 5 PE speakers, 5 PS speakers, and 5 bilingual (Spanish-English) speakers. A single-word assessment was used to gather information on phonological skills (consonant accuracy, type and frequency of substitutions, frequency of occurrence of phonological patterns [e.g., cluster reduction], accuracy of syllable types [e.g., CV, CVC, CCV, etc.]), and type and rate of cross-linguistic effects.

Results:
The results indicated that there was no significant correlation between amount of output in each language and phonological skills either in the Spanish skills of PS children and Spanish-English bilingual speakers or in the English skills of PE children and Spanish-English bilingual speakers. In addition, there was no significant difference in segmental accuracy, syllabic accuracy, or percentage of occurrence of phonological patterns between either the Spanish skills of PS children and Spanish-English bilingual speakers or the English skills of PE children and Spanish-English bilingual speakers. Finally, the children showed a limited number of cross-linguistic effects.

Clinical Implications:
Results from this study indicate no link between parent estimates of language output and phonological skill and demonstrate that Spanish-English bilingual children will have commensurate, although not identical, phonological skills as compared to age-matched PS and PE children.
The Relationship Between Phonological Awareness and Reading
Authors: Hogan Tiffany P. , Catts Hugh W. , Little Todd D.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use phonological awareness assessments in many ways. This study examines the usefulness of these assessments in kindergarten and 2nd grade.

Method:
Measures of phonological awareness and letter identification were administered in kindergarten, and measures of phonological awareness, phonetic decoding (i.e., nonword reading), and word reading were administered in 2nd and 4th grades to a sample of 570 children participating in a longitudinal study of reading and language impairments.

Results:
A path analysis indicated that kindergarten measures of phonological awareness and letter identification provided information to the prediction of 2nd-grade reading. In 2nd grade, measures of reading offered information to the prediction of 4th-grade reading. Additionally, a reciprocal relationship was found between phonological awareness and word reading, with kindergarten phonological awareness predicting 2nd-grade word reading and, conversely, 2nd-grade word reading predicting 4th-grade phonological awareness.

Clinical Implications:
Phonological awareness assessment provides information about reading in kindergarten but loses its predictive power at 2nd grade. At that time, phonological awareness and word reading become so highly correlated that phonological awareness does not add information to the prediction of 4th-grade reading.
Facilitating Phoneme Awareness Development in 3- and 4-Year-Old Children With Speech Impairment
Authors: Gillon Gail T.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study investigated the phonological awareness and early literacy development of 12 children who presented at 3 years of age with moderate or severe speech impairment. The children’s response to early intervention that included specific activities to facilitate phoneme awareness and letter knowledge, in addition to improving speech intelligibility, was examined.

Method:
Using a 3-year longitudinal design, the children’s development in phonological awareness was monitored and compared to that of a group of 19 children without speech impairment. During the monitoring period from 3 to 5 years of age, the children with speech impairment received, on average, 25.5 intervention sessions. At 6 years of age, the children’s performance on phonological awareness, reading, and spelling measures was also compared to that of the 19 children without impairment as well as to a matched control group of children with speech impairment who had not received any specific instruction in phonological awareness.

Results:
The results indicated that (a) phoneme awareness can be stimulated in children with speech impairment as young as 3 and 4 years of age, (b) facilitating phoneme awareness development can be achieved concurrently with improvement in speech intelligibility, and (c) enhancing phoneme awareness and letter knowledge during the preschool years is associated with successful early reading and spelling experiences for children with speech impairment.

Clinical Implications:
The data provide evidence to support the clinical practice of integrating activities to develop phoneme awareness and letter knowledge into therapy for 3- and 4-year-old children with moderate or severe speech impairment.
Normal Acquisition of Consonant Clusters
Authors: McLeod Sharynne , Doorn Jan van , Reed Vicki A.
Published: April 2006

Children’s acquisition of adult-like speech production has fascinated speech-language pathologists for over a century, and data gained from associated research have informed every aspect of speech-language pathology practice. The acquisition of the consonant cluster has received little attention during this time, even though the consonant cluster is a common feature of speech, its acquisition is one of the most protracted of all aspects of children’s speech development, and the production of consonant clusters is one of the most common difficulties for children with speech impairment. This paper reviews the literature from the past 70 years to describe children’s normal acquisition of consonant clusters. Articulatory, phonological, linguistic, and acoustic approaches to the development of consonant clusters are reviewed. Data from English are supplemented with examples from other languages. Consideration of the information on consonant cluster development revealed 10 aspects of normal development that can be used in speech-language pathologists’ assessment and analysis of children’s speech.
A Description of Phonetic, Acoustic, and Physiological Changes Associated With Improved Intelligibility in a Speaker With Spastic Dysarthria
Authors: Roy Nelson , Leeper Herbert A. , Blomgren Michael , Cameron Rosalea M.
Published: April 2006

Spastic dysarthria is a motor speech disorder produced by bilateral damage to the direct (pyramidal) and indirect (extrapyramidal) activation pathways of the central nervous system. This case report describes the recovery of an individual with severe spastic dysarthria and illustrates the close relationship between intelligibility measures and acoustic and physiological parameters. Detailed phonetic feature analyses combined with acoustic and physiological information helped to clarify (a) the loci of the intelligibility deficit, (b) the features of deviant speech whose improvement would lead to the greatest gains with treatment, and (c) the changes contributing to improvement in intelligibility observed over a 30-month treatment/recovery period. Though auditory-perceptual analysis remains the foundation of day-to-day dysarthria assessment, this case illustrates the potential for instrumental assessment to (a) supplement perceptual assessment techniques, (b) parse speech subsystem deficits, and (c) track the effects of interventions.
Use of Storybook Reading to Increase Print Awareness in At-Risk Children
Authors: Justice Laura M. , Ezell Helen K.
Published: April 2006

This study evaluated the impact of participation in book-reading sessions with aprint focuson print awareness in preschool children from low- income households. A book-reading intervention was conducted for 30 children enrolled in Head Start. Children were matched on chronological age and then randomly placed into an experimental or control group. Pretest measures of children's print awareness were administered. Subsequently, children in both groups participated in 24 small-group reading sessions over an 8-week period. Children in the experimental group participated in shared reading sessions that included a print focus. As an alternate condition, control-group children participated in shared reading sessions with a picture focus. Posttesting indicated that children who participated in print- focus reading sessions outperformed their control- group peers on three measures of print awareness (Words in Print, Print Recognition, and Alphabet Knowledge) and in terms of overall performance. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Typical and Atypical Language Development in Infants and Toddlers Adopted From Eastern Europe
Authors: Glennen Sharon , Masters M. Gay
Published: April 2006

Longitudinal language development data were collected on 130 infants and toddlers adopted from Eastern Europe. The children were followed by means of parent surveys from the age at adoption up through age 36–40 months. The surveys collected data on expressive vocabulary growth, mean length of the three longest utterances, and development of four bound grammatical morphemes. Additional language data were collected using a modified version of the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale (1990). A multivariate factor analysis found no significant correlation between preadoption medical and developmental risk factors and eventual language development outcomes. The majority of children acquired English using the same developmental trajectories as nonadopted peers. By age 36–40 months, children adopted at younger ages had fully caught up to English language norms. Children adopted at older ages lagged behind, with the length of delay related to age at adoption. On the basis of these data, clinical guidelines are provided for assessing and treating speech and language disorders in internationally adopted children.
Speech-Language Pathologists' Beliefs About Language Assessment of Bilingual/Bicultural Individuals
Authors: Kritikos Effie Papoutsis
Published: April 2006

A survey of speech/language pathologists, in 5 states across the United States was conducted to determine their beliefs about the language assessment of bilingual/bicultural individuals. Most SLPs reported low efficacy in bilingual assessment for both their own skills (personal efficacy) and those of the field in general (general efficacy). SLPs who learned a second language in the context of cultural experience (the CE group) reported more personal efficacy in bilingual assessment than speech-language pathologists who learned a second language via academic study (the AS group), who in turn felt more competent than monolingual SLPs (the M group). Furthermore, the 3 groups of respondents differed in terms of attributions for their low personal efficacy. The M group was most likely to mention their lack of knowledge about bilingual issues, the AS group commented on their less than optimal language proficiency, and the CE group focused on both proficiency and experience as influences. Over half of all participants (52%) reported that bilingual input in a child's environment would influence their interpretation of that child's language assessment results. Most of these participants (40%) reported that they would be more conservative in recommending language therapy for a bilingual than a monolingual child, particularly due to the respondent's own lack of knowledge of bilingual issues. Implications regarding the relations between language learning experiences and beliefs about the assessment of bilingual/bicultural individuals among SLPs are discussed.
Single-Word and Conversational Measures of Word-Finding Proficiency
Authors: Tingley Susan J. , Kyte Christiane S. , Johnson Carla J. , Beitchman Joseph H.
Published: April 2006

Two studies with young adults as participants evaluated the relationship, presumed in the word-finding literature to exist, between slow, inaccurate performances in single-wordnaming and semantic-retrieval tasks and disruptions to conversational fluency. The measures evaluated were the frequency of conversational disruptions and the scores from 3 single-word tasks: total time from the Rapid Automatized Naming task (RAN; M. B. Denckla & R. G. Rudel, 1976), standard score from the Brief Test of the Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding (TAWF; D. J. German, 1990), and total unique words from the Controlled Oral Word Association task (FAS; A. L. Benton & K. Hamsher, 1978). RAN time was the only significant predictor of the frequency of conversational disruptions, although this relationship was weak (
R
2
= .11). In addition, single-word performances did not discriminate between groups of participants with differing levels of conversational fluency. Clinicians are cautioned against identifying word-finding deficits using singleword measures alone. Moreover, the theoretical construct of word-finding difficulties requires additional validation.
Tutorial
Authors: Sigafoos Jeff , Drasgow Erik , Reichle Joe , O’Reilly Mark , Green Vanessa A. , Tait Kathleen
Published: April 2006

Children with severe disabilities typically require systematic instruction to develop their communication abilities. Intervention can begin by teaching functional communication skills related to requesting and rejecting. Although a considerable amount of research has focused on teaching requesting, there is an emerging literature on teaching rejecting. The aim of this tutorial is to review the emerging literature on teaching communicative rejecting to children with severe disabilities. This review considers (a) the definition of communicative rejecting, (b) reasons for teaching communicative rejecting, (c) types of communicative rejecting, and (d) empirically validated strategies for teaching communicative rejecting to children with severe disabilities. The authors include a case study to illustrate the major steps in teaching communicative rejecting to children with severe disabilities.
Self-Monitoring Recall During Two Tasks After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Kennedy Mary R. T.
Published: April 2006

Impaired recall is a common consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Predicting recallduringlearning is a critical part of self-monitoring. Adults with TBI and noninjured controls made recall predictions of noun pairs that varied in prediction timing (immediate, delayed), and predictions of narrative information that varied in salience (main idea and details) and explicitness (stated and implied). For both groups, delayed recall predictions for noun pairs and stated (narrative) information were relatively accurate, whereas immediate recall predictions of noun pairs and delayed predictions of implied information were relatively inaccurate. Both groups were more confident making predictions of stated information than implied information. Neither predictive accuracy nor confidence generalized across tasks. Working memory load across tasks and individual differences are proposed explanations. The lack of generalization highlights the need to train domain or task-specific self-monitoring.