Experience and auditory-visual equivalence in pattern classification: Native speakers of Cantonese versus native speakers of English.

Assessed the role of experience in auditory pattern classification by replicating with native speakers of Cantonese T. M. Williams and L. S. Aiken's (1977) study of auditory–visual equivalence that was conducted with native English speakers. In Cantonese, both the pitch and content of word carry meaning. 72 2nd and 6th graders and 36 adult Ss had to state whether pairs of auditory and visual patterns came from the same prototype class. As hypothesized, Cantonese-speaking Ss were more accurate than English-speaking Ss at classifying auditory patterns, but not differentially accurate at classifying visual patterns. The finding that even the Cantonese Ss were more accurate at classifying visual than auditory patterns lends weight to the theory that vision is the most adept modality for dealing with spatial information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Foreperiod duration, range, and ordering effects on acoustic LRT in normal speakers

One quantitative measure of vocal motor control is phonation onset latency relative to presentation of an external stimulus in a reaction time task. However, variables within the design of reaction time experiments can affect laryngeal reaction time (LRT) values. The present study examines effects of foreperiod characteristics on LRT for normal speakers. Foreperiod is the interval between presentation of warning and response cues. LRT was affected by absolute foreperiod duration, by the average foreperiod duration of a block of trials, and by the ordering and range of foreperiods within a block of trials. Results are discussed with respect to foreperiod effects on the subjective expectancy and objective probability of occurrence of the response cue and on the timing of neurophysiologic processes. Control of subjective effects is critical to assessment of neurophysiologic constraints on LRT.     

Confusions in recognizing phonemes spoken by esophageal speakers: II. Vowels and diphthongs

A methodology was developed to determine the patterns of phonemic errors that listeners would make in receiving the vowels and dipthongs of monosyllables spoken by esophageal speakers. Analyses of the features preserved in the errors were performed. The identified phonemic error patterns and the features found to be poorly preserved in the errors were used to structure multiple-choice intelligibility practice materials for esophageal speakers.     

Depressed and normal individuals differ both in selection and in perceived tonal quality of positive-negative messages.

Twenty college undergraduates (10 depressed, 10 nondepressed, in terms of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III—R) chose freely from a positive or negative tape-recorded message. They also rated the tonal quality of each tape. The nondepressed group selected the positive message more often than the negative message. However, the depressed group showed no difference in tape preference. The nondepressed individuals rated the negative tape as inferior in tonal quality, whereas no difference in tonal quality was reported by the depressed individuals. Results appear to support a response set not only toward positive cognitions among nondepressed individuals, which is absent among depressed individuals, but also toward perceived tonal quality differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coexistent Hirschsprung's disease and esophageal achalasia in male siblings

Achalasia of the esophagus developed in two male siblings soon after birth, and they were successfully treated by surgery. Persistent signs resulted in the later diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease. One required subtotal colectomy and ileoanal anastomosis, and the other is managing well on conservative treatment. Genetic analysis of the genes encoding the RET protooncogene, endothelin-3, and the endothelin-3 receptor did not show any defect. Familial achalasia of the esophagus in combination with Hirschsprung's disease has never been reported.     

Perception of maternal child-rearing attitudes by schizophrenic males, their normal male siblings, and normal males whose siblings are normal.

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that a group of normal male siblings of schizophrenics (N-Sc) will agree with a group of male schizophrenic siblings (Sc-N) in their perception of their mothers' child-rearing attitudes and will perceive these attitudes as being more deviant (undesirable) than a group of normal males whose siblings are all normal (N-N). Perception was measured on a child-study questionnaire which Ss were instructed to answer as they thought their mothers would have when Ss were growing up. The results were that the normal siblings of schizophrenics perceive their mothers' attitudes as being more martyred and subtly dominating than do normal siblings of normals (p = .05). There were no other significant differences, although the trend was toward perception of maternal attitudes as least deviant by the N-N group, most deviant by the N-Sc group, and in-between by the Sc-N group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Direct measurement of subglottic pressure and laryngeal resistance in normal subjects and in spasmodic dysphonia

This study tested the accuracy of indirect methods of measurement of laryngeal airway resistance in normal subjects and in spasmodic dysphonia (SD). The indirect method assumes that subglottic air pressure remains constant during the voiced segment of a syllable. In this study subglottic air pressure was directly measured via puncture of the cricothyroid membrane in seven normal subjects and seven subjects with SD. The true laryngeal airway resistance was calculated and compared with airway resistance measured using indirect techniques based on intraoral air pressure. In five of the seven normal subjects, subglottic air pressure did not remain constant during the voiced segment. As a result, the error produced using indirect method of calculating average laryngeal resistance for the normal subjects varied from -44% to +50%. For SD subjects the error ranged from -49% to +22%. In general, the indirect technique overestimated laryngeal airway resistance in normal subjects and underestimated the resistance in subjects with SD.     

Use of total myorelaxation for placing a laryngeal mask and further artificial lung ventilation

The specific features of placing a laryngeal mask (LM) under total myoplegia were studied. The first attempt at placing LM was successful in 98.7% of cases. A pressor response to LM appeared as increases in heart rate by 5.6% with combined intravenous ketamine anesthesia used during laparoscopic cholecystectomies (Group 1), by 10.2% at saphenectomies (Group 2), and by 6.7% with barbiturates. When diprivan was used, changes were absent in Group 1, there were increases in mean blood pressure and heart rate by 10 and 6.6%, respectively, in Group 2. The response to tracheal intubation was significant under all types of anesthesia. Regurgitation and aspiration were absent in all groups. The use of total myoplegia to place LM allows different current anesthetics to be used in the optimal doses and the procedure for placing LM to be greatly simplified.     

The relationship between stature, growth, and short-term changes in height and weight in normal prepubertal children

Electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) can elicit reflex responses in the cricothyroid (CT) and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles. We made bilateral recordings of the responses evoked in these muscles in piglets by the stimulation of either the right or the left superior laryngeal nerve (SLN). The stimulus intensity was gradually increased to study the "persistence" of the responses. We observed a direct, ipsilateral response in the CT muscle, and reflex, ipsilateral and crossed responses in both CT and TA muscles. The ipsilateral or contralateral responses obtained in TA muscles, following stimulation of the left SLN, were significantly delayed in comparison with those evoked by stimulation of the right SLN. This delay cannot be explained by the difference in length between the right and the left recurrent laryngeal nerves, but rather by an asymmetry in the sensory afferent pathway. The functional significance of this observation remains to be determined.     

粤方言与闽、客方言进行体标记的类型异同

广东粤语、闽语、客家方言进行体标记之间有比较密切的接触关系,都有"副词+动词"这一类型,粤方言进行体标记的类型较其他两种方言丰富,它有"动词+体助词"或两种方式兼用的表现方式;客家梅县话的进行体标记兼有"副词+动词"、"动词+体助词"两种类型;潮州话进行体标记最为单一,仅采用"副词+动词"的表现形式.考察三者之间的异同,有助于完善方言语法系统的建立,也为南方方言同类型的专题研究提供一定的参考价值.     

The draining fantasy in male schizophrenics and in normal Sambia males.

Demonstrates that the draining fantasy (DF, the association of semen with milk and the fear of being drained of this "semen/milk" during intercourse) exists both in some male schizophrenics and in normal men of the Sambia tribe in New Guinea. The multiple causes of the DF are elucidated. For male schizophrenics, the DF is traced to oral trauma and fixation, impaired self-other boundaries, and sexually-tinged narcissism. For Sambia males, the DF is traced to an oral fixation stemming from early overgratification and to desires and fears of being re-engulfed by the mother. The DF among the Sambia is also fueled by male narcissism and castration fears. Although the Sambia occupy a higher developmental level than schizophrenics (roughly narcissistic to oedipal, as compared to early oral to narcissistic, respectively), there is sufficient overlap between the groups to account for manifestations of the DF. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceiving musical stability: The effect of tonal structure, rhythm, and musical expertise.

The goal of this study was to investigate several factors that determine musical stability in unaccompanied tonal melodies. Following M. R. Jones's (1987) theory of dynamic attending, the author assumed that strongly accented tones act as stable melodic reference points. Three main results were observed: (a) tonal structure, rhythm, and melodic factors (i.e., pitch skips or change in melodic contour) all contributed to defining the stability experienced on the melodic tones; (b) a linear combination of 5 melodic and rhythmic features provided a good fit to the stability ratings; and (c) some of these features contributed differently, depending on the extent of musical expertise of the participants. The results are interpreted within C. L. Krumhansl's (1990) model of tonal perception and Jones's theory of dynamic attending. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WAIS and MMPI correlates of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychology Battery in normal male subjects

Two groups, each consisting of 24 normal young men, were given the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychology Battery and additional tests of intellectual and personality functioning, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, and the Cornell Medical Index. The test (and subtest) scores were intercorrelated. No significant correlations were found between any of the personality tests and any of the subtests of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychology Battery. Most of the WAIS measures likewise failed to correlate with the Halstead-Reitan measures in the two samples. The exceptions were the Digit Span and Block Design subtests and the Performance Scale IG score on the WAIS which did correlate with some of the subtests from the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychology Battery. The findings with normal subjects reported in this paper, in contrast with findings with psychopathological and brain-damaged groups of subjects reported by others, indicate that for Ss in the top half of the population in education and WAIS FSIQ, individual differences in scores on the WAIS, the MMPI, TMAS, and CMI do not materially influence performance on the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychology Battery Measures.     

Posttreatment changes in male and female patients: a comparative study

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the posttreatment changes in patients with Class II, Division 1 malocclusions who were treated with either extraction or nonextraction express similar trends in the male and female patients. The material for this investigation was obtained from the records available in the Graduate Orthodontic Clinic at the University of Iowa. Ninety-one patients were treated for their Class II, Division 1 malocclusions, 44 subjects (21 males and 23 females) had four first premolar extractions and 47 subjects (20 males and 27 females) were treated with nonextraction. Matched normal subjects included 20 male and 15 female subjects for whom complete sets of data were available for the period of this study. None of these subjects had undergone orthodontic therapy. Thirty-nine cephalometric anteroposterior and vertical skeletal, dental, and soft tissue linear and angular measurements were derived. Twenty-four dental arch parameters were evaluated and included: overbite, overjet, maxillary and mandibular arch lengths, and arch widths, as well as tooth size-arch length discrepancies. Student t tests were used to compare male and female subjects for the following parameters: (1) absolute dimensions recorded before treatment, after treatment, and at retention; (2) the incremental changes between the various stages; (3) the relative posttreatment changes. The level of significance was predetermined at p < 0.05. From the current findings the following can be concluded: (1) There were significant differences in the size as well as the incremental changes of the various cephalometric dentofacial parameters between normal male and female subjects. (2) There were significant differences in the absolute posttreatment cephalometric changes between male and female subjects, particularly in linear dimensions. Similar, but less frequent, findings were observed in the relative posttreatment changes. (3) Significant differences in the posttreatment dental arch changes between male and female subjects were the least frequent. (4) Male and female subjects expressed similar statistical trends in the direction of posttreatment changes. Therefore clinicians should not expect to observe significant differences in the posttreatment trends on the basis of the gender of the patient. On the other hand, the changes in linear dimensions are larger in male than female subjects. Therefore, for a more accurate interpretation of growth and/or treatment changes, it is advisable to independently analyze data on male and female subjects.     

DYS19 and amelogenin in artificial blood stains with defined amounts of male and female cells

The sensitivity of the DYS19 and the amelogenin STR systems for amplifying Y-specific fragments was assayed using artificial bloodstains with varying amounts of male and female (non-template) DNA in different ratios. The study confirmed the high sensitivity of both systems in detecting male-specific PCR fragments in stains containing 10-25 template molecules even in the presence of large amounts of female DNA in the mixture by silver-stain detection. However, blood mixtures which contain less than 10% male cells could be reliably typed only when at least 100 template molecules were present in the artificial bloodstain, due to increasing amounts of hemoglobin from the female blood which is a PCR inhibitor.     

Monitoring normal and aberrant electrocardiographic activity from an endotracheal tube: comparison of the surface, esophageal, and tracheal electrocardiograms

Cancer is a major cause of mortality in developing countries, accounting for 13 percent of the annual deaths in adults. As the population increases and ages, the number of new cases of cancer is expected to increase dramatically. This article presents epidemiologic information on the principal cancers in developing countries and outlines the increasing challenge for the control of cancer in developing countries.     

Age-related changes in morphology and secretory responses of male rat lacrimal gland

This study investigates the differences in the outward appearance and morphology of lacrimal glands, the morphology within the lacrimal acinar cells and the secretion of protein from acinar cells of young (3-5 months) and aged (20 and 24 months) male rats. The appearance of the glands, as seen by the naked eye, differed between the three age-groups. The lacrimal gland of young animals was a smooth pink tissue, while the tissue from aged animals appeared lobular and white in colour, thought to result from infiltration of fatty/connective tissue. Glands from 24 month old animals had a more pronounced lobular appearance than the glands from 20 month old animals. Light microscopy studies revealed that as the animals aged there was evidence of progressive morphological changes. These changes included thickening of the connective tissue sheath, chronic inflammation with increased infiltration by mast cells, patchy destruction of ductal and vascular tissues, enlargement of lacrimal ducts, luminal swelling of the acini, and changes in acinar type. Electron microscopy (EM) studies revealed the presence of 3 types of acini in the rat lacrimal gland: acini which contained only protein secretory granules (serous acini), acini which contained protein and mucous secretory granules (seromucous acini), and acini which contained only mucous secretory granules (mucous acini). In young glands the majority of acini were serous with a few seromucous acini and even fewer mucous acini. In aged glands there were significant reductions in serous acini (ANOVA; P < 0.01) when compared to the young glands. In 20-month-old glands, there were marked increases in the percentage occurrence of seromucous acini, while in 24 month old glands, there were large increases in the relative number of mucous acini. Qualitative EM studies demonstrated that the typical acini from young glands contained numerous protein secretory granules. Ageing was associated with a progressive loss of protein (serous) secretory granules. Furthermore, marked changes and patchy destruction of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were observed in acini of glands from aged rats when compared to acini of glands from young rats. Measurement of total protein output from acini revealed a significant (Student's t-test, P < 0.05) decrease in protein secretion from aged glands compared to glands from young animals. These results suggest that not only is there considerable structural damage, chronic inflammation and mast cell infiltration to the lacrimal gland with ageing, but also possible redifferentiation of acini from serous to seromucous and then to mucous acini. Furthermore, the results also suggest a reduction or an inability of the acini to synthesise and to secrete protein from glands of aged animals compared to glands of young rats. All of these changes appear to occur more rapidly as the rats mature between 20 and 24 months. These findings provide a morphological basis to explain the phenomenon of reduced tear/protein secretion with ageing.     

Aging is associated with changes in allopregnanolone concentrations in brain, endocrine glands and serum in male rats

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that results in ketosis. It has been in use for nearly 70 years. Several modifications of the diet's original form, including the medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) diet, have been made in an attempt to overcome the obstacles of compliance and acceptance, which have been critical factors in determining its success. The practical guide for caregivers that is presented here uses elements of both the original ketogenic diet and the MCT diet, with added ideas. Our modified diet has been in use for more than 3 years at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Babies and Children's Hospital of New York. The majority of parents and children find our diet more acceptable and/or more user friendly than other types of ketogenic diets. Thus, compliance is better. The variety of foods offered is greater and provides a more normal diet than the other types of ketogenic diets. In addition, the calculations for nutritionists are easier, and parents are able to adjust the diet without the fear that their child will lose ketones.     

Cyclic changes of vasculature and vascular phenotypes in normal human ovaries

In order to study alterations of angiogenesis and blood vessel regression through ovarian cycle in human ovaries we quantitatively examined vascularity in various stages in 24 normal human ovaries. Vascular density (VD; vessel numbers/10(-7) m2) and endothelial area of each vessel (EA; 10(-12) m2/vessel) were evaluated using immunohistochemistry of CD34 and CAS 200 image analysis system. Small-sized vessels were sporadically observed in stroma adjacent to primordial or primary follicles (6.73 +/- 1.83 for VD and 113.58 +/- 21.80 for EA). Formation of capillary network was observed in the theca layer of preantral follicles (PA; 15.28 +/- 2.77 for VD and 113.58 +/- 21.80 for EA), and higher density of the capillary network was detected in non-dominant follicles in follicular phase (ND-F) and dominant follicles (DF; 29.33 +/- 3.84 for VD and 179.69 +/- 41.25 for EA). Dense capillary network was still present in non-dominant follicles in luteal phase (ND-L) and atretic follicles (AF; 26.88 +/- 3.36 for VD and 110.88 +/- 50.53 for EA). After ovulation, developing capillaries were also observed in the luteinized granulosa layers in early corpus luteum (21.95 +/- 2.06 for VD and 167.08 +/- 29.59 for EA). Vessel density markedly increased in mid corpus luteum, reached plateau in late corpus luteum (60.85 +/- 5.92 for VD and 70.99 +/- 15.57 for EA) and remained constant during degenerating corpora lutea. Vascular endothelial growth factor was immunohistochemically observed in the theca cells in PA, ND-F, DF and ND-L in follicular stages, and functioning corpora lutea. Immunoreactivity of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was detected only in post-capillary venules in early degenerating corpora lutea. These findings suggest that ovarian angiogenesis is a requirement for the early stages of folliculogenesis and luteal growth, and also plays an important role in the process of follicular atresia and luteal regression.     

Developmental changes in intestinal globule leukocytes of normal rats

The relationship between sex hormone concentrations and female genital swelling during the menstrual cycle in the monogamous gibbon was comparable with that of polygamous female primates, such as the chimpanzee, which live in multimale groups and have larger swellings. The data, therefore, support the hypothesis proposed by C. R. Carpenter more than 50 years ago, that the gibbon's genital swelling, like that of other female primates, reflects basic physiological processes associated with progress of the menstrual cycle. Genital swelling increased during the follicular phase with increasing concentrations of oestradiol and oestrone glucuronide, reached maximal swelling in association with the mid-cycle peaks in the oestrogens and LH and began detumescence with the initial increases in progesterone during the luteal phase. The data also suggest that the menstrual cycle of the gibbon is shorter than previously reported, since cycles of 19-22 days exhibited hormone patterns that are consistent with ovulation. The genital swelling of the female gibbon is a useful marker for monitoring progress of the menstrual cycle and the presumptive time of ovulation.