Cross-linguistic adaptations of The Comprehensive Aphasia Test: Challenges and solutions

Comparative research on aphasia and aphasia rehabilitation is challenged by the lack of comparable assessment tools across different languages. In English, a large array of tools is available, while in most other languages, the selection is more limited. Importantly, assessment tools are often simple translations and do not take into consideration specific linguistic and psycholinguistic parameters of the target languages. As a first step in meeting the needs for comparable assessment tools, the Comprehensive Aphasia Test is currently being adapted into a number of languages spoken in Europe. In this article, some key challenges encountered in the adaptation process and the solutions to ensure that the resulting assessment tools are linguistically and culturally equivalent, are proposed. Specifically, we focus on challenges and solutions related to the use of imageability, frequency, word length, spelling-to-sound regularity and sentence length and complexity as underlying properties in the selection of the testing material

Noun and verb knowledge in monolingual preschool children across 17 languages: Data from cross-linguistic lexical tasks (LITMUS-CLT)

This article investigates the cross-linguistic comparability of the newly developed lexical assessment tool Cross-linguistic Lexical Tasks (LITMUS-CLT). LITMUS-CLT is a part the Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) battery (Armon-Lotem, de Jong & Meir, 2015). Here we analyse results on receptive and expressive word knowledge tasks for nouns and verbs across 17 languages from eight different language families: Baltic (Lithuanian), Bantu (isiXhosa), Finnic (Finnish), Germanic (Afrikaans, British English, South African English, German, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Swedish), Romance (Catalan, Italian), Semitic (Hebrew), Slavic (Polish, Serbian, Slovak) and Turkic (Turkish). The participants were 639 monolingual children aged 3;0-6;11 living in 15 different countries. Differences in vocabulary size were small between 16 of the languages; but isiXhosa-speaking children knew significantly fewer words than speakers of the other languages. There was a robust effect of word class: accuracy was higher for nouns than verbs. Furthermore, comprehension was more advanced than production. Results are discussed in the context of cross-linguistic comparisons of lexical development in monolingual and bilingual populations

Imageability ratings across languages

Imageability is a psycholinguistic variable that indicates how well a word gives rise to a mental image or sensory experience. Imageability ratings are used extensively in psycholinguistic, neuropsychological, and aphasiological studies. However, little formal knowledge exists about whether and how these ratings are associated between and within languages. Fifteen imageability databases were cross-correlated using nonparametric statistics. Some of these corresponded to unpublished data collected within a European research network-the Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists (COST IS1208). All but four of the correlations were significant. The average strength of the correlations (rho = .68) and the variance explained (R (2) = 46%) were moderate. This implies that factors other than imageability may explain 54% of the results. Imageability ratings often correlate across languages. Different possibly interacting factors may explain the moderate strength and variance explained in the correlations: (1) linguistic and cultural factors; (2) intrinsic differences between the databases; (3) range effects; (4) small numbers of words in each database, equivalent words, and participants; and (5) mean age of the participants. The results suggest that imageability ratings may be used cross-linguistically. However, further understanding of the factors explaining the variance in the correlations will be needed before research and practical recommendations can be made

Cardiac Nitric Oxide Synthases and Na+/K+-ATPase in the Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Induced by Dihydrotestosterone

Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) and Na+/K+-ATPase are enzymes essential for regular functioning of the heart. Since both enzymes are under insulin and androgen regulation and since insulin action and androgen level were disturbed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we hypothesized that cardiac nitric oxide (NO) production and sodium/potassium transport would be deteriorated in PCOS. To test our hypothesis we introduced animal model of PCOS based on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment of female Wistar rats and analyzed protein expression, phosphorylation or subcellular localization of endothelial NOS (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and alpha subunits of Na+/K+-ATPase in the heart. Obtained results indicate that DHT treatment significantly decreased cardiac eNOS protein level and activating phosphorylation at serine 1177, while inhibitory phosphorylation at threonine 495 was increased. In contrast to expression of eNOS, iNOS protein level in the heart of DHT-treated rats was significantly elevated. Furthermore, cardiac protein level of alpha 1 subunit of the ATPase, as well as its plasma membrane content, were decreased in rats with PCOS. In line with this, alpha 2 subunit protein level in fraction of plasma membranes was also significantly below control level. In conclusion, DHT treatment impaired effectiveness of NOSs and Na+/K+-ATPase in the female rat heart. Regarding the importance of NO production and sodium/potassium transport in the cardiac contraction and blood flow regulation, it implicates strong consequences of PCOS for heart functioning.Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia {[}III41009

Polycystic ovary syndrome: A contemporary clinical approach

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a frequent endocrine disease in women during the reproductive period. It is considered a complex metabolic disorder with long-term metabolic, as well as reproductive consequences. Main pathophysiological pathways are related to the increased androgen levels and insulin resistance. Nowadays, genetic origins of PCOS are acknowledged, with numerous genes involved in the pathogenesis of hyperandrogenemia, insulin resistance, inflammation, and disturbed folliculogenesis. Rotterdam diagnostic criteria are most widely accepted and four PCOS phenotypes have been recognized. Metabolic abnormalities are more common in phenotypes 1 and 2. Women with classic PCOS are more obese and typically have the central type of obesity, more prevalently displaying dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome that could be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications during life. Heterogeneity of phenotypes demands an individualized approach in the treatment of women with PCOS. Metabolic therapies involve a lifestyle intervention followed by the introduction of insulin sensitizers including metformin and inositols, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), as recently sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The addition of an insulin sensitizer to the standard infertility therapy such as clomiphene citrate improves ovulation and pregnancy rates. Our current review analyzes the contemporary knowledge of PCOS etiology and etiopathogenesis, its cardiometabolic risks and their outcomes, as well as therapeutic advances for women with PCOS. © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers

Cross-linguistic adaptations of The Comprehensive Aphasia Test: Challenges and solutions

Comparative research on aphasia and aphasia rehabilitation is challenged by the lack of comparable assessment tools across different languages. In English, a large array of tools is available, while in most other languages, the selection is more limited. Importantly, assessment tools are often simple translations and do not take into consideration specific linguistic and psycholinguistic parameters of the target languages. As a first step in meeting the needs for comparable assessment tools, the Comprehensive Aphasia Test is currently being adapted into a number of languages spoken in Europe. In this article, some key challenges encountered in the adaptation process and the solutions to ensure that the resulting assessment tools are linguistically and culturally equivalent, are proposed. Specifically, we focus on challenges and solutions related to the use of imageability, frequency, word length, spelling-to-sound regularity and sentence length and complexity as underlying properties in the selection of the testing material. ©, Published with license by Taylor & Francis. © Valantis Fyndanis, Marianne Lind, Spyridoula Varlokosta, Maria Kambanaros, Efstathia Soroli, Klaudia Ceder, Kleanthes K. Grohmann, Adrià, Rofes, Hanne Gram Simonsen, Jovana Bjekić, Anna Gavarró, Jelena Kuvač Kraljević, Silvia Martínez-Ferreiro, Amaia Munarriz, Marie Pourquie, Jasmina Vuksanovií, Lilla Zakarićs, David Howard

The association of hs-CRP and fibrinogen with anthropometric and lipid parameters in non-obese adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome

The aim of the study was to evaluate high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and fibrinogen in non-obese normoinsulinemic adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and their relationship with anthropometric and lipid parameters. The study comprised a total of 26 adolescent girls newly diagnosed with PCOS and 12 healthy controls with regular ovulatory menstrual cycles. The concentration of hs-CRP, fibrinogen, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical and hormonal testing were assessed. PCOS adolescent girls had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP and fibrinogen compared to healthy controls. In univariate regression analysis, statistically significant associations of hs-CRP and fibrinogen levels of PCOS patients have been shown with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, while hs-CRP levels were also associated with cholesterol and LDL. In the multivariate regression model, we found that hs-CRP levels were predicted by BMI (β=0.541, p<0.001) and LDL (β=0.507, p=0.014), while fibrinogen levels were predicted by BMI (β=0.449, p=0.004). We have shown an association of proinflammatory indices hs-CRP and fibrinogen with anthropometric and lipid parameters of adolescent women with PCOS. The inflammatory markers might be useful in monitoring normal-weight adolescent women with PCOS in an effort to timely prevent unfavorable changes in body mass and lipid profile. © 2018 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston