Influence of L2 proficiency on kinematic duration of single words: Real and novel word production by Bengali-English speakers

The study explored the influence of second language proficiency on the kinematic duration of single words. Participants produced real and novel words with variable stress targets (e.g., trochaic and iambic) embedded in first language (L1) and second language (L2) sentence frames. Participants were monolingual English speakers (n=10) and Bengali-English bilinguals with early exposure to English (n=10) and late exposure to English (n=10). Bengali was the L1 and English was the L2 for all 20 bilingual participants. Duration of lip movements for the target real and novel words was analysed. Results suggest that kinematic duration of single words was not influenced by speakers' L2 proficiency. However, L2 proficiency influenced foreign accent ratings for the real words, but not the novel words. Kinematic duration and perception of accent were not correlated, which might imply that accent reduction might not always be a direct consequence of shorter word duration.     

儿童术中低体温列线图预测模型构建

目的 建立儿童术中低体温列线图预测模型,为术中儿童低体温评估与预防提供参考.方法 选取接受手术治疗的1086例患儿,在医院病历系统中收集相关资料.采用x 2检验、秩和检验和logistic回归分析确定影响因素,利用R软件绘制儿童术中低体温列线图预测模型.结果 儿童术中低体温发生率为17.31％;年龄、术前体温≤36.9...     

不同时长的束缚应激致雌雄大鼠的抑郁样行为改变

目的探讨不同束缚时长的慢性束缚应激对雌雄SD大鼠抑郁样行为的影响,为慢性束缚应激模型中实验动物性别和实验时长的选择提供依据。方法对SD大鼠(雌雄各半)每天束缚10 h和14 h,连续束缚28 d建立慢性束缚应激模型。采用体重监测、糖水偏爱实验、自主活动实验、新奇事物实验等实验方法,观察不同束缚时长的慢性束缚应激对雌雄SD大鼠所致的抑郁样行为。结果 14 h/28 d CRS组雌雄大鼠的运动时间和中央区活动时间减少、糖水偏爱指数降低、对新奇事物探索潜伏期增多、探索时间和次数减少,这些实验结果与对照组相比均有显著差异。而10 h/28 d CRS组雌雄大鼠与对照组相比以上实验结果仅个别指标有显著性差异。在雌雄鼠比较中,14 h/28 d CRS雄性组的糖水偏爱指数显著减少,对应的雌性大鼠却未显著减少。10 h/28 d CRS雄性组在中央区运动时间比对照组少、对新事物探索潜伏期明显延长、探索时间缩短,而对应雌性大鼠无显著性差异。结论14 h/28 d CRS雌雄鼠在糖水偏爱实验、自主活动实验、新奇事物实验均显著表现出抑郁样行为。而10 h/28 d CRS仅雄性组表现出一定的抑郁样行为的趋势。慢性束缚应激更易致雄性大鼠产生抑郁样行为。     

Variables Associated With Breastfeeding Duration

Objective: To identify the variables associated with breastfeeding duration.
Data Sources: The health science reference databases of CINAHL, PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Study Selection: Meta-analyses, Cochrane reviews, literature reviews, and quantitative and qualitative studies published in English from 1998 through 2008.
Data Extraction: Data included all variables, both positive and negative, that were found to influence the outcome of breastfeeding duration.
Data Synthesis: Demographic factors that influence breastfeeding duration are race, age, marital status, education, socioeconomics, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children status. Biological variables consisted of insufficient milk supply, infant health problems, maternal obesity, and the physical challenges of breastfeeding, maternal smoking, parity, and method of delivery. Social variables included paid work, family support, and professional support. Maternal intention, interest, and confidence in breastfeeding were psychological variables.
Conclusion: Human lactation is a complex phenomena and the duration of breastfeeding is influenced by many demographic, physical, social, and psychological variables.     

Definition of disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis

Two definitions of the “disease duration” of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been used in the literature: (1) duration since first symptoms connected with AS and (2) duration since diagnosis of AS. To investigate how useful these definitions are for research, we reinvestigated the data of four surveys completed by patients with AS in the years since 1996. We found that the majority of the patients remembered the age at first symptoms with an accuracy of ≤1 year, and that the difference between both definitions (the delay in diagnosis) was between 9.8 and 10.4 years on average, with extreme values of more than 30 years being not very seldom. Because the error made using the duration since diagnosis as “disease duration” is much larger than the inaccuracy taken into account using the duration since first symptoms, only the duration since first symptoms connected with AS should be used as definition for the term “disease duration” of AS.     

右室双部位起搏与双室同步起搏的急性血液动力学对比研究

比较右室双部位 (RV Bi)起搏和双室 (BiV)同步起搏对血液动力学的影响 ,并与右室心尖部 (RVA)、右室流出道 (RVOT)、左室基底部 (LVB)起搏相比较 ,明确双部位起搏是否优于单部位起搏。 15例患者中病窦综合征 8例、Ⅲ度房室阻滞 7例。分别行RVA、RVOT、LVB、RV Bi、BiV起搏 (VVI,6 0～ 90次 /分 ) ,测定心输出量 (CO)和心脏指数(CI)、肺毛细血管嵌顿压 (PCWP)和QRS波时限 (QRSd)。结果 :①与RVA起搏相比 ,RVOT、LVB、RV Bi、BiV起搏CI分别增加了 7.5 %、11.3%、15 .5 %和 17.2 % ,PCWP分别降低了 14.9%、10 .3%、2 1.7%和 2 0 .0 % (P均 <0 .0 1)。②RV Bi、BiV起搏较RVOT、LVB起搏的CO、CI增高而PCWP降低 (P均 <0 .0 5 )。③RV Bi与BiV起搏、RVOT与LVB起搏之间CO、CI和PCWP无显著差异。④RVOT、RV Bi、BiV起搏的QRSd(分别为 12 8± 11,111± 16 ,10 3± 13ms)较RVA起搏 (146± 18ms)时显著缩短 (P≤ 0 .0 0 1) ,而LVB起搏 (142± 15ms)与RVOT、RVA起搏时无显著差异。结论 :RV Bi起搏和BiV同步起搏的急性血液动力学效果无明显差异 ,但双部位起搏的效果明显优于单部位起搏 ;双部位起搏的QRSd也比单部位起搏明显缩短     

Effects of neferine on Kv4.3 channels expressed in HEK293 cells and ex vivo electrophysiology of rabbit hearts

Aim:

Neferine is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from seed embryos of Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn), which has a variety of biological activities. In this study we examined the effects of neferine on Kv4.3 channels, a major contributor to the transient outward current (I_to) in rabbit heart, and on ex vivo electrophysiology of rabbit hearts.

Methods:

Whole-cell Kv4.3 currents were recorded in HEK293 cells expressing human cardiac Kv4.3 channels using patch-clamp technique. Arterially perfused wedges of rabbit left ventricles (LV) were prepared, and transmembrane action potentials were simultaneously recorded from epicardial (Epi) and endocardial (Endo) sites with floating microelectrodes together with transmural electrocardiography (ECG).

Results:

Neferine (0.1–100 μmol/L) dose-dependently and reversibly inhibited Kv4.3 currents (the IC₅₀ value was 8.437 μmol/L, and the maximal inhibition at 100 μmol/L was 44.12%). Neferine (10 μmol/L) caused a positive shift of the steady-state activation curve of Kv4.3 currents, and a negative shift of the steady-state inactivation curve. Furthermore, neferine (10 μmol/L) accelerated the inactivation but not the activation of Kv4.3 currents, and markedly slowed the recovery of Kv4.3 currents from inactivation. Neferine-induced blocking of Kv4.3 currents was frequency-dependent. In arterially perfused wedges of rabbit LV, neferine (1, 3, and 10 μmol/L) dose-dependently prolonged the QT intervals and action potential durations (APD) at both Epi and Endo sites, and caused dramatic increase of APD₁₀ at Epi sites.

Conclusion:

Neferine inhibits Kv4.3 channels likely by blocking the open state and inactivating state channels, which contributes to neferine-induced dramatic increase of APD₁₀ at Epi sites of rabbit heart.     

Modulation of cardiac impulse generation and conduction by nifedipine and verapamil analyzed by a refined surface ECG technique in Langendorff perfused guinea pig hearts

Summary Using a modified Langendorff system, a special ECG recording technique and appropriate placement of two silver wire electrodes, early atrial and His bundle activity can be detected continuously from the surface of intact and spontaneously beating guinea pig hearts. This new method was applied to measure the direct and inhibitory effects of nifedipine and verapamil on impulse generation and conduction in isolated and perfused guinea pig hearts. Depression of sinoatrial conduction was the most prominent effect of nifedipine. In all concentrations applied (10^–7 M, 10^–6 M, 10^–5 M) nifedipine predominantly led to sinoatrial blocks of different degrees. Heart rate decreased slightly in a dosedependent manner. PQ and HV duration remained essentially constant. In the highest concentration of nifedipine (10^–5 M), sinus node activity was so depressed that AV dissociation or ventricular rhythm developed. Only in one out of eight experiments with cumulative increase of nifedipine concentrations to 10^–5 M was the AV node affected by nifedipine and a second-degree AV block developed (10^–6 M).Verapamil's inhibitory effects on the rate of impulse initiation in the sinus node were more pronounced than those of nifedipine, but the inhibition of sinoatrial conduction by verapamil was less marked. At 10^–6 M verapamil, the incidence of sinoatrial blocks and of ventricular rhythm was similar to the incidence of first degree AV blocks. PQ time (+14%) but also HV time (+12%) were prolonged under the influence of this concentration of verapamil. At the highest concentration of verapamil (10^–5 M) applied for 10 min, ventricular rhythm developed in five out of eight experiments, as well as one second and two third-degree AV blocks.The results confirm that the simultaneous measurement of sinus node activity of sinoatrial and atrioventricular conduction and of HV duration is feasible with this ECG technique, to evaluate the inhibitory effects of Ca-antagonists on sinus and AV node activity in the intact heart.Research scholarship of the Ministry for Science and ResearchPreliminary results were published at the Jahrestagung der Dt. Gesellschaft für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology)Supported by a grant of the Ministry for Science and Research, Program for the Reduction of Animal Experiments, Austria     

Maternal pre‐pregnancy body mass index is not associated with infant and young child feeding in low‐income Mexican children 1–24 months old

Pre‐pregnancy overweight and obesity is associated with shorter breastfeeding (BF) duration. Whether pre‐pregnancy overweight and obesity is associated with other aspects of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) has not been investigated. We used data from 370 children born January 1999–September 2001 in a semi‐urban community in Morelos, Mexico, where information on how they were fed was available at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. We modified the World Health Organization's dietary diversity indicator to assess the quality of the complementary foods. An index that included BF, quality of complementary foods and other behaviours was constructed to measure IYCF. We used survival analysis to examine the association of pre‐pregnancy body mass index (pBMI) category and BF duration and mixed models for quality of complementary food and IYCF index. Mean maternal pBMI was 24.4 ± 4.1; 31% were overweight, and 9% were obese. pBMI was not associated with BF duration. Quality of complementary food improved over time (6 months, 1.3 ± 1.3; 24 months, 3.8 ± 1.04). Compared with normal‐weight women, overweight and obese women were more likely to feed from more food groups (0.24 ± 0.11 point, P = 0.03), but this did not improve diet diversity from 6 to 24 months. IYCF index decreased throughout follow‐up (1 month, 7.8 ± 2.4; 24 months, 5.5 ± 1.8), and pBMI was not associated with IYCF (?0.11 ± 0.13 point, P = 0.4). We conclude that heavier women were not engaging in IYCF behaviours that were distinct from those of normal‐weight women from 1 to 24 months post‐partum.