Development and Evaluation of a Computer-Animated Tutor for Vocabulary and Language Learning in Children with Autism

Using our theoretical framework of multimodal processing, we developed and evaluated a computer-animated tutor, Baldi, to teach vocabulary and grammar for children with autism. Baldi was implemented in a Language Wizard/Player, which allows easy creation and presentation of a language lesson involving the association of pictures and spoken words. The lesson plan includes both the identification of pictures and the production of spoken words. In Experiment 1, eight children were given initial assessment tests, tutorials, and reassessment tests 30 days following mastery of the vocabulary items. All of the students learned a significant number of new words and grammar. A second within-subject design with six children followed a multiple baseline design and documented that the program was responsible for the learning and generalization of new words. The research indicates that children with autism are capable of learning new language within an automated program centered around a computer-animated agent, multimedia, and active participation and can transfer and use the language in a natural, untrained environment.     

Brief report: increasing communication skills for an elementary-aged student with autism using the Picture Exchange Communication System

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on the spontaneous communication skills of a 6-year-old girl with autism across her home and school environments. The effects of the PECS were also examined for social interaction. Results indicated increases in spontaneous language (i.e., requests and comments) including use of the icons and verbalizations across those settings in which PECS was implemented. Intelligible verbalizations increased in two of three settings, and changes in peer social interaction were noted in one of the two school settings.     

Picture storybooks and starting school

This paper reports an investigation of children's picture storybooks about school. Previous research has indicated that parents and educators choose to read books about school to children as a way of helping children become familiar with school expectations. Drawing on over 100 children's picture storybooks, the content (text and illustrations) of these books has been analysed according to categories established through the Starting School Research Project, enabling a comparison of the issues raised by children and the issues addressed in picture storybooks.     

基于DICOM标准的医学图像存储与访问的研究

本文详细介绍了基于DICOM标准的医学图像文件格式和数据元素结构,介绍了我们在Windows环境下利用C 研制实现了一个基于DICOM标准的医学图像存储与访问系统,描述了系统中医学图像的存储结构与读写算法,该方案在一个实用的口腔数字影像系统中通过了验证。     

医学生英语词汇搭配水平探析

本文对北京某大学的一二年级567名医学生进行调查发现,医学生在对不同类型的英语词汇搭配和不同共现频率的词汇搭配方面各有特点。被调查的567名医学生在总分为100分的词汇搭配测试卷中平均得分只有46.06分,大大低于同期对于词汇量的测试成绩。学生的成绩在不同类别的词汇搭配中表现显著不同:第一类搭配“动词+名词/代词”成绩显著好于其他类别;最难掌握的是第四类搭配“名词1+of+名词2”。对于高共现频率的词汇搭配,学生们的成绩普遍较好。本次调查结果显示:将英语作为第二语言医学生英语学习者需要非常注意学习第四类的搭配,对于第二类搭配“形容词/名词+名词”和第三类搭配“名词+动词”,也需要引起足够的重视。     

IT services in a completely digitized radiological department: value and benefit of an in-house departmental IT group

To analyze the benefit of a departmental IT group in comparison to support by hospital IT groups or system manufacturers in a completely digitized radiological department. The departmental IT group comprises a fulltime IT specialist, two student assistants and four clinical employees participating 1 day/week. For 18 months IT problems were quantified and specified according to urgency, responsibility and affected system by use of an intranet-based reporting system. For each IT service provider the performance and duration of problem solution was evaluated. In 18 months 3,234 IT problems emerged. 88.7% were solved by the departmental IT group. In 474 cases (14.7%) a solution within 2 h was required. The departmental IT group solved 35.8% within 30 min, system manufacturers needed 18 h 38 min in mean. The departmental IT group solved 90.2% of the problems within a time limit. System manufacturers met the limit in 60.1% with a mean duration of 7 days 21 h. In 6.7% of the cases, support by system manufacturers was indispensable. A considerable proportion of IT problems in completely digitized radiological departments can be solved by a departmental IT group, providing a fast and cost-efficient first-level IT support with effective prevention of major breaks in the workflow. In a small number of cases support by system manufacturers remains necessary.This work was orally presented on ECR 2004 in Vienna.     

Motor function at school age in children with a preschool diagnosis of developmental language impairment

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate fine motor (FM) and gross motor (GM) function shortly after school entry in children with a preschool diagnosis of developmental language impairment (DLI). STUDY DESIGN: A cohort of children (n = 70) diagnosed at pre-school age with DLI was reevaluated in elementary school. Language, cognitive, and motor outcomes were assessed through the use of the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI). Language was further assessed through the use of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Peabody Picture Vocabulary, and Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Tests. Performance below -1.5 SD of the normative mean on any test was considered to represent impairment. RESULTS: Forty-three children (mean age, 7.4 +/- 0.7 years) underwent reassessment at a mean of 3.8 +/- 0.7 years after initial preschool assessment. Mean scores for BDI motor domains (FM, 78.3 +/- 11.4; GM, 84.9 +/- 13.3) fell below normative values. Twenty-two children (52%) had motor impairment (FM, 17 of 42; GM, 15 of 42); 35 of 43 (81%) continued to have language impairment. BDI communication raw scores correlated most strongly with FM (rho = 0.73, P < .001) and GM (rho = 0.58, P = .003) raw scores but showed only moderate correlations with cognitive raw scores (rho = 0.41, P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired motor function is an important comorbidity in DLI. Factors critical to motor performance may also contribute to language deficits in DLI.     

Prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage by indomethacin in male preterm infants

Our multicenter Indomethacin Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) Prevention Trial demonstrated a reduction of IVH in preterm infants. Analysis of our cohort by sex showed indomethacin halved the incidence of IVH, eliminated parenchymal hemorrhage, and was associated with higher verbal scores at 3 to 8 years in boys.     

Startle reflex modulation, affective ratings and autonomic reactivity in incarcerated Spanish psychopaths

Startle probe modulation during affective picture viewing was assessed in a Spanish prison population. As for North American inmates, psychopaths failed to display normal blink potentiation during unpleasant slides even though their evaluative judgments and autonomic reaction to affective stimuli paralleled those of other inmate and noninmate participants. The results suggest that diminished defense activation characterizes psychopaths despite cultural differences.     

Free sialic acid storage (Salla) disease in Sweden

The first 23 patients diagnosed with Salla disease in Sweden are presented. A high incidence of the "Finnish" R39C mutation, together with genealogical data, indicates that a large proportion of the mutations are of Finnish origin. All patients had pathologically high levels of free sialic acid in urine and in fibroblasts. The clinical picture confirms what has already been reported from Finland, with early psychomotor retardation, ataxia and speech problems. One-third of the patients had epilepsy. Conclusions: Salla disease is more common in Sweden than supposed. A large proportion of the mutated alleles seem to be of Finnish origin. The clinical picture is the same as that reported from Finland.