Effects Of Length, Complexity, And Grammatical Correctness On Stuttering In Spanish-Speaking Preschool Children

Purpose: To explore the effects of utterance length, syntactic complexity, and grammatical correctness on stuttering in the spontaneous speech of young, monolingual Spanish-speaking children. Method: Spontaneous speech samples of 11 monolingual Spanish-speaking children who stuttered, ages 35 to 70 months, were examined. Mean number of syllables, total number of clauses, utterance complexity (i.e., containing no clauses, simple clauses, or subordinate and/or conjoined clauses), and grammatical correctness (i.e., the presence or absence of morphological and syntactical errors) in stuttered and fluent utterances were compared. Results: Findings revealed that stuttered utterances in Spanish tended to be longer and more often grammatically incorrect, and contain more clauses, including more subordinate and/or conjoined clauses. However, when controlling for the interrelatedness of syllable number and clause number and complexity, only utterance length and grammatical incorrectness were significant predictors of stuttering in the spontaneous speech of these Spanish-speaking children. Use of complex utterances did not appear to contribute to the prediction of stuttering when controlling for utterance length. Conclusions: Results from the present study were consistent with many earlier reports of English-speaking children. Both length and grammatical factors appear to affect stuttering in Spanish-speaking children. Grammatical errors, however, served as the greatest predictor of stuttering.Communication Sciences and Disorder

Review of nanomaterials in dentistry: interactions with the oral microenvironment, clinical applications, hazards, and benefits.

Interest in the use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) as either nanomedicines or dental materials/devices in clinical dentistry is growing. This review aims to detail the ultrafine structure, chemical composition, and reactivity of dental tissues in the context of interactions with ENMs, including the saliva, pellicle layer, and oral biofilm; then describes the applications of ENMs in dentistry in context with beneficial clinical outcomes versus potential risks. The flow rate and quality of saliva are likely to influence the behavior of ENMs in the oral cavity, but how the protein corona formed on the ENMs will alter bioavailability, or interact with the structure and proteins of the pellicle layer, as well as microbes in the biofilm, remains unclear. The tooth enamel is a dense crystalline structure that is likely to act as a barrier to ENM penetration, but underlying dentinal tubules are not. Consequently, ENMs may be used to strengthen dentine or regenerate pulp tissue. ENMs have dental applications as antibacterials for infection control, as nanofillers to improve the mechanical and bioactive properties of restoration materials, and as novel coatings on dental implants. Dentifrices and some related personal care products are already available for oral health applications. Overall, the clinical benefits generally outweigh the hazards of using ENMs in the oral cavity, and the latter should not prevent the responsible innovation of nanotechnology in dentistry. However, the clinical safety regulations for dental materials have not been specifically updated for ENMs, and some guidance on occupational health for practitioners is also needed. Knowledge gaps for future research include the formation of protein corona in the oral cavity, ENM diffusion through clinically relevant biofilms, and mechanistic investigations on how ENMs strengthen the tooth structure

Gene-enhanced tissue engineering for dental hard tissue regeneration: (2) dentin-pulp and periodontal regeneration

Potential applications for gene-based tissue engineering therapies in the oral and maxillofacial complex include the delivery of growth factors for periodontal regeneration, pulp capping/dentin regeneration, and bone grafting of large osseous defects in dental and craniofacial reconstruction. Part 1 reviewed the principals of gene-enhanced tissue engineering and the techniques of introducing DNA into cells. This manuscript will review recent advances in gene-based therapies for dental hard tissue regeneration, specifically as it pertains to dentin regeneration/pulp capping and periodontal regeneration

IL-10R Blockade during Chronic Schistosomiasis Mansoni Results in the Loss of B Cells from the Liver and the Development of Severe Pulmonary Disease

In schistosomiasis patients, parasite eggs trapped in hepatic sinusoids become foci for CD4+ T cell-orchestrated granulomatous cellular infiltrates. Since the immune response is unable to clear the infection, the liver is subjected to ongoing cycles of focal inflammation and healing that lead to vascular obstruction and tissue fibrosis. This is mitigated by regulatory mechanisms that develop over time and which minimize the inflammatory response to newly deposited eggs. Exploring changes in the hepatic inflammatory infiltrate over time in infected mice, we found an accumulation of schistosome egg antigen-specific IgG1-secreting plasma cells during chronic infection. This population was significantly diminished by blockade of the receptor for IL-10, a cytokine implicated in plasma cell development. Strikingly, IL-10R blockade precipitated the development of portal hypertension and the accumulation of parasite eggs in the lungs and heart. This did not reflect more aggressive Th2 cell responsiveness, increased hepatic fibrosis, or the emergence of Th1 or Th17 responses. Rather, a role for antibody in the prevention of severe disease was suggested by the finding that pulmonary involvement was also apparent in mice unable to secrete class switched antibody. A major effect of anti-IL-10R treatment was the loss of a myeloid population that stained positively for surface IgG1, and which exhibited characteristics of regulatory/anti-inflammatory macrophages. This finding suggests that antibody may promote protective effects within the liver through local interactions with macrophages. In summary, our data describe a role for IL-10-dependent B cell responses in the regulation of tissue damage during a chronic helminth infection

EMD in periodontal regenerative surgery modulates cytokine profiles: A randomised controlled clinical trial

The enamel matrix derivative (EMD) contains hundreds of peptides in different levels of proteolytic processing that may provide a range of biological effects of importance in wound healing. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of EMD and its fractions on the cytokine profiles from human gingival fibroblasts in vitro and in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in a randomized controlled split-mouth clinical study (n = 12). Levels of cytokines in cell culture medium and in GCF were measured by Luminex over a 2-week period. In the clinical study, levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were increased, whereas the levels of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) were reduced. The in vitro study showed that EMD and its high and low molecular weight fractions reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to untreated cells. EMD had an effect on levels of cytokines related to fibroplasia, angiogenesis, inflammation and chemotaxis both in vitro and in vivo, however, the anti-inflammatory effect induced by EMD observed in the in vitro study could not be confirmed clinically

Regulation of Cementoblast Gene Expression by Inorganic Phosphate In Vitro

Examination of mutant and knockout phenotypes with altered phosphate/pyrophosphate distribution has demonstrated that cementum, the mineralized tissue that sheathes the tooth root, is very sensitive to local levels of phosphate and pyrophosphate. The aim of this study was to examine the potential regulation of cementoblast cell behavior by inorganic phosphate (P i ). Immortalized murine cementoblasts were treated with P i in vitro , and effects on gene expression (by quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) and cell proliferation (by hemacytometer count) were observed. Dose-response (0.1–10 mM) and time-course (1–48 hours) assays were performed, as well as studies including the Na-P i uptake inhibitor phosphonoformic acid. Real-time RT-PCR indicated regulation by phosphate of several genes associated with differentiation/mineralization. A dose of 5 mM P i upregulated genes including the SIBLING family genes osteopontin ( Opn , >300% of control) and dentin matrix protein-1 ( Dmp-1 , >3,000% of control). Another SIBLING family member, bone sialoprotein ( Bsp ), was downregulated, as were osteocalcin ( Ocn ) and type I collagen ( Col1 ). Time-course experiments indicated that these genes responded within 6–24 hours. Time-course experiments also indicated rapid regulation (by 6 hours) of genes concerned with phosphate/pyrophosphate homeostasis, including the mouse progressive ankylosis gene ( Ank ), plasma cell membrane glycoprotein-1 ( Pc-1 ), tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase ( Tnap ), and the Pit1 Na-P i cotransporter. Phosphate effects on cementoblasts were further shown to be uptake-dependent and proliferation-independent. These data suggest regulation by phosphate of multiple genes in cementoblasts in vitro . During formation, phosphate and pyrophosphate may be important regulators of cementoblast functions including maturation and regulation of matrix mineralization.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/48015/1/223_2005_Article_184.pd

Measuring stuttering in preschool-aged children across different languages: An international study

© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel. Background/Aims: Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are working in linguistically diverse communities and have to identify and measure stuttering in a language other than their own. The aim of the present study was to extend our understanding of how well SLPs can measure stuttering in other languages and to encourage collaboration between SLPs across cultures. Methods: Speech samples consisted of seven preschool-Aged children each speaking one of the following languages: Danish, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, and Persian (Farsi). The judges were classified in seven groups of SLPs (n = 170) each speaking one of the seven languages of the children and two more English-speaking groups. Each judge rated the severity of stuttering in each child using a 10-point scale. The study was conducted over the Internet. Results: Overall, the judges' proficiency in a child's language was not systematically related to the variability and agreement of the severity ratings, accounting for maximally 4.6% of the variance. Conclusion: SLPs should not be overly concerned about the appropriateness of their severity ratings if they feel less proficient in the native language of the stuttering children. It may also be encouraging for beginning clinicians that the severity ratings were not systematically related to professional experience