The effect of stuttering on communication: A preliminary investigation

This paper describes a study in which Systemic Functional Linguistics was applied to describe how people who stutter use language. The aim of the study was to determine and describe any differences in language use between a group of 10 adults who stutter and 10 matched normally‐fluent speakers. In addition to formal linguistic analyses, analyses drawn from Systemic Functional Linguistics were used to further investigate the expression of both syntactic and semantic complexity. The findings from this study replicated previous findings of Packman et al. in which they found that the language used by people who stutter was significantly less complex than the control group. Another major finding was that adults who stuttered used the linguistic resource of modality significantly less than the normally‐fluent matched peers. The implications these strategies have on communication and social participation will be discussed.     

Enhanced T-ray signal classification using wavelet preprocessing

This study demonstrates the application of one-dimensional discrete wavelet transforms in the classification of T-ray pulsed signals. Fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) are used as a feature extraction tool and a Mahalanobis distance classifier is employed for classification. Soft threshold wavelet shrinkage de-noising is used and plays an important role in de-noising and reconstruction of T-ray pulsed signals. An iterative algorithm is applied to obtain three optimal frequency components and to achieve preferred classification performance.     

Is gentamicin safe and effective for severe community-acquired pneumonia? An 8-year retrospective cohort study

Gram-negative bacilli are the causative organisms in a significant proportion of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical guidelines recommend broad-spectrum antimicrobials for empirical treatment despite alarming global trends in antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of gentamicin, an aminoglycoside with potent bactericidal activity, for empirical Gram-negative coverage of severe CAP in patients admitted to the ICU. A retrospective cohort study was performed at a university teaching hospital where the severe CAP guideline recommends penicillin, azithromycin and gentamicin as empirical cover. Ceftriaxone plus azithromycin is used as an alternative. Adults with radiologically-confirmed severe CAP were included, comparing those who received gentamicin in the first 72?h of admission with those who did not. Participants were identified using ICD-10 codes for bacterial pneumonia and data manually extracted from electronic medical records. Of 148 patients admitted with severe pneumonia, 117 were given at least one dose of gentamicin whereas the remaining 31 were not. The two groups were well matched in terms of demographics, co-morbidities and disease severity. There were no significant differences between the gentamicin and no-gentamicin groups in the incidence of acute kidney injury [60/117 (51%) vs. 16/31 (52%), respectively], hospital mortality [20/117 (17%) vs. 7/31 (23%)] and secondary outcomes including relapse and length of hospital stay. In conclusion, gentamicin is safe and has similar outcomes to alternative Gram-negative antimicrobial regimens for empirical coverage in severe CAP patients admitted to the ICU.     

Regulation of the Human Fc-Neonatal Receptor alpha-Chain Gene <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">FCGRT</Emphasis> by MicroRNA-3181

Purpose

FCGRT encodes the alpha-chain component of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). FcRn is critical for the trafficking of endogenous and exogenous IgG molecules and albumin in various tissues. Few regulators of FcRn expression have been identified. We investigated the epigenetic regulation of FcRn by two microRNAs (hsa-miR-3181 and hsa-miR-3136-3p) acting on FCGRT.

Methods

The binding of candidate microRNAs to the 3′-untranslated region of FCGRT was evaluated using luciferase reporter constructs in CHO cells. The effect of microRNAs on FCGRT mRNA and FcRn protein expression was evaluated using specific microRNA mimics and inhibitor transfections in A549, HEK293 and HepG2 cells.

Results

Hsa-miR-3181 mimic reduced luciferase reporter activity by 70.1% (10 nM, P <?0.0001). In A549, HEK293 and HepG2 cells, hsa-miR-3181 decreased FCGRT mRNA expression (48.6%, 51.3% and 43.5% respectively, 25 nM, P <?0.05). The hsa-miR-3181 mimic decreased the expression of FcRn protein by 40% after 48 h (25 nM, P <?0.001). The mature form of hsa-miR-3181 was detected in samples of human liver.

Conclusions

These data suggest that hsa-miR-3181 is an epigenetic regulator of FCGRT expression. The identification of this regulator of FCGRT may provide insights into a potential determinant of interindividual variability in FcRn expression.

     

Realistic Food-Based Approaches Alone May Not Ensure Dietary Adequacy for Women and Young Children in South-East Asia

Objectives Micronutrient deficiencies, in southeast Asia (SE Asia), remain a public health challenge. We evaluated whether promoting the consumption of locally available nutritious foods, which is a low-risk micronutrient intervention, alone can ensure dietary adequacy, for women of reproductive age and 6–23 m old children. Methods Representative dietary data from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam were analysed using linear programming analysis to identify nutrients that are likely low in personal food environments (problem nutrients), and to formulate food-based recommendations (FBRs) for three to six target populations per country. Results The number of problem nutrients ranged from zero for 12–23 m olds in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to six for pregnant women in Cambodia. The FBRs selected for each target population, if adopted, would ensure a low percentage of the population was at risk of inadequate intakes for five to ten micronutrients, depending on the country and target population. Of the 11 micronutrients modelled, requirements for iron, calcium and folate were most difficult to meet (≥ 10 of the 24 target populations), using FBRs alone. The number of individual FBRs selected per set, for each target population, ranged from three to eight; and often included meat, fish or eggs, liver/organ meats, vegetables and fruits. Conclusions for practice Intervention strategies need to increase access to nutritious foods, including products fortified with micronutrients, in SE Asia, when aiming to ensure dietary adequacy for most individuals in the population.

     

Eco-maps: facilitating insight in learning-disabled sex offenders

The assessment of risk in relation to men who have learning disabilities and who sexually offend can be difficult as innovative means for eliciting information or presenting it to them require careful consideration. A risk assessment model has been designed which introduces an interactive tool called an 'eco-map' as a means of gathering important information from the offender as well as presenting the identified risks. The author explores the use and development of the eco-map from its crude beginnings to its use in practice. The tool enables offenders to rationalize and understand the often complicated concepts which contribute to their behaviour and allows them to be actively involved in the risk assessment process.