Regularity effects and the phonological deficit model of reading disabilities: A meta-analytic review.

This article presents a meta-analysis of spelling-to-sound regularity effects in individuals with reading disabilities and reading-level comparison groups. The phonological-deficit model of reading disabilities, coupled with the classic dual-route model of word recognition, has led to two predictions: (a) a specific deficit in the pseudoword reading of those with reading disabilities and (b) an absent or reduced regularity effect for those with reading disabilities relative to reading-level controls. Previous reviews confirm the first prediction. The present meta-analysis tested the second prediction. There was a clear effect of word regularity for individuals with reading disabilities, the magnitude of which did not differ from the word regularity effect for reading-level controls. The authors explore how the contradictory support for these 2 predictions is inconsistent with classic dual-route models of word reading and how connectionist models are consistent with the empirical findings on reading disability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of tonic vestibular input for postural control in rats

Removal of a vestibular organ deprives the ipsilateral vestibular nuclei of tonic excitatory inflow from vestibular afferents, and thus evokes a central asymmetry, that is imbalance between tonic activity of the left and right vestibular nuclear complexes. In the present study, the effect of the central asymmetry upon a function of different motor systems was investigated in the freely behaving rats subjected to unilateral or bilateral labyrinthectomy (UL or BL). In four sets of experiments the following results have been obtained. 1. Seven UL-evoked symptoms (which reflect impairment of different motor systems) were qualitatively characterized. The short-lasting symptoms were: (1) body twisting, (2) rolling, (3, 4) extension of the fore- and hindlimb contralateral to UL, and (5) circling. These symptoms disappeared in a fixed order during recovery from anesthesia. During of expression of the symptoms was very short (< 1 hour) with the Halothan anesthesia and much longer (approximately 8 hours) with the chloral hydrate anesthesia. The long-lasting symptoms were (6) spontaneous ocular nystagmus, that persisted for 3 days after UL, and (7) head roll tilt, that persisted for at least several weeks after UL. 2. In BL-animals, stimulation of one of the 8th nerves was performed (by means of an implanted electrode; pulses 0.3 ms, 50 Hz, current up to 400 microA). By increasing gradually the strength of the stimulating current, we could evoke all the UL-symptoms but generally in the order (7-->1) which was the reverse as compared to the order of disappearance of the corresponding symptoms during recovery after UL (1-->7). These findings suggest that different symptoms need different levels of the central asymmetry for their appearance, and these levels also determine the order of disappearance of the symptoms during recovery from UL. 3. In UL-animals, by stimulating the 8th nerve on UL-side with a properly adjusted current (200-400 microA) we could immediately abolish all the symptoms except (6), which was, however, considerably reduced. This finding suggests that stimulation of the 8th nerve in UL-rats restores the central symmetry, which results in a concerted disappearance of almost all symptoms. In addition to the intermediate effects, stimulation of the 8th nerve in UL-animals resulted in a long-lasting effect, that is a reduction of the head roll tilt which persisted for at least 10 days after stimulation. 4. In BL-animals bilateral stimulation of the 8th nerve resulted in restoration of the muscular tone, and in considerable improvement of the control of the head position.     

Calculation of Reactive-evaporation Rates of Chromia

A methodology is developed to calculate Cr-evaporation rates from Cr₂O₃ with a flat planar geometry. Variables include temperature, total pressure, gas velocity, and gas composition. The methodology was applied to solid-oxide, fuel-cell conditions for metallic interconnects and to advanced-steam turbines conditions. The high velocities and pressures of the advanced steam turbine led to evaporation predictions as high as 5.18 × 10⁻⁸ kg/m²/s of CrO₂(OH)₂(g) at 760 °C and 34.5 MPa. This is equivalent to 0.080 mm per year of solid Cr loss. Chromium evaporation is expected to be an important oxidation mechanism with the types of nickel-base alloys proposed for use above 650 °C in advanced-steam boilers and turbines. It is shown that laboratory experiments, with much lower steam velocities and usually much lower total pressure than found in advanced steam turbines, would best reproduce chromium-evaporation behavior with atmospheres that approach either O₂ + H₂O or air + H₂O with 57% H₂O.     

An examination of depression in the spouses of stroke patients.

Examined the prevalence and correlates of depression in the spouses (SPs [mean age 61.8 yrs]) of 41 stroke patients (SPTs [mean age 65.6 yrs]). SPs reported their own mood on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and rated their partners' (the SPTs') mood using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). A clinician evaluated the SPTs' mood using the HRSD and their cognitive/language and physical impairments using a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results indicated that 44% of the SPs were depressed. SP depression was not correlated with the severity of the SPTs' physical, cognitive, or language impairments. However, the SPs' perception of the SPTs' mood was a better predictor of the SPs' mood than was the clinicians' evaluation of the SPTs' mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Animal rights: A rejoinder.

Responds to the comments by A. N. Rowan (see record 2009-05603-006) on the current author's original discussion regarding animal rights (see record 2009-05603-005). In his original paper, Gallup maintains that there are no inherent rights; they are inventions of the human mind. Thus, animals only have rights if we say the do. Rowan, however, asserts there is more universal agreement as to why some beings have certain rights (e.g. the right to life, or the weaker right not to be caused unnecessary suffering) than Gallup credits. Here, Gallup suggests that Rowan has sidestepped the issue. If rights (be they human or otherwise) are something other than an invention of the human mind, then what are they, what form do they take, from whence do they come, and how are we to identify them? Contrary to what Rowan implies, Gallup says his intention was not to take a stand on whether or not animals have rights. To reiterate, says Gallup, animals only have rights to the extent that we say they do. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term memory loss in senescent rats: Neuropsychological analysis of interference and context effects.

Four experiments were reported in which normal, senescent (25–27 months) and young adult (6 months) rats were tested for recall of a passive avoidance response 1 hr or several weeks after conditioning. There were no age differences at the 1-hr test, but a decrement was observed in old rats tested under standard conditions after long delays. The age-related impairment was exaggerated when additional approach training was administered in an identical apparatus between avoidance conditioning and testing. When the approach training was administered in an apparatus that contrasted markedly from the original, no age differences were observed. It was concluded that increased susceptibility to interference and contextual factors contributed to rapid forgetting in old rats, a pattern very similar to that observed previously in young adult rats with selective lesions to the hippocampus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diffuse specular sea scatter in the near field

The far-field theory of Beckmann and Spizzichino (1963) is modified to produce a theory for diffuse scatter in the near field which can be applied to the analysis of multipath effects over a rough sea.     

A micro-kernel for concurrency in C

A micro-kernel that supports concurrent execution of C procedures within a single user process is described. A micro-kernel provides only four primitives, which have been used to build a number of higher-level abstractions, including support for distributed processing. The micro-kernel differs from other efforts in that it is small and efficient, it is written entirely as a non-privileged user program, and it provides fine-grained unpredictable interleaving of execution.