Vocabulary is important for some, but not all reading skills

Although there is evidence for a close link between the development of oral vocabulary and reading comprehension, less clear is whether oral vocabulary skills relate to the development of word-level reading skills. This study investigated vocabulary and literacy in 81 children of 8-10 years. In regression analyses, vocabulary accounted for unique variance in exception word reading and reading comprehension, but not text reading accuracy, decoding and regular word reading. Consistent with these data, children with poor reading comprehension exhibited oral vocabulary weaknesses and read fewer exception words correctly. These findings demonstrate that oral vocabulary is associated with some, but not all reading skills. Results are discussed in terms of current models of reading development

Genes, Cognition, and Communication: Insights from Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Twin and family studies have demonstrated that most cognitive traits are moderately to highly heritable. Neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyslexia, autism, and specific language impairment (SLI) also show strong genetic influence. Nevertheless, it has proved difficult for researchers to identify genes that would explain substantial amounts of variance in cognitive traits or disorders. Although this observation may seem paradoxical, it fits with a multifactorial model of how complex human traits are influenced by numerous genes that interact with one another, and with the environment, to produce a specific phenotype. Such a model can also explain why genetic influences on cognition have not vanished in the course of human evolution. Recent linkage and association studies of SLI and dyslexia are reviewed to illustrate these points. The role of nonheritable genetic mutations (sporadic copy number variants) in causing autism is also discussed. Finally, research on phenotypic correlates of allelic variation in the genes ASPM and microcephalin is considered; initial interest in these as genes for brain size or intelligence has been dampened by a failure to find phenotypic differences in people with different versions of these genes. There is a current vogue for investigators to include measures of allelic variants in studies of cognition and cognitive disorders. It is important to be aware that the effect sizes associated with these variants are typically small and hard to detect without extremely large sample sizes

Protein Expression of Steroid Receptors in Macaca mulatta endometriotic Lesions

Endometriosis is pathologically defined as the presence of endometrial tissue in ectopic locations. Currently, there are no specific, non-invasive biomarkers and no cure for endometriosis. Non-human primates (NHP), including Macaca mulatta (rhesus macaques), have been highlighted as appropriate models to study endometriosis due to genetic, physiological, and anatomical similarities to humans. Research shows endometriosis might be associated with molecular deviations in human peritoneal endometriosis, such as increased levels of estrogen receptors and decreased levels of progesterone receptors. The aim of this study is to determine protein expression of steroid receptors in five endometriotic lesions of rhesus macaques. We propose that lesions of rhesus macaques will express elevated estrogen receptors and diminished progesterone receptors, similar to human endometriotic lesions. Endometriotic lesions of rhesus macaques were obtained at time of surgery from different locations, and steroid receptor expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. This study was able to determine the expression of steroid receptors in endometriotic lesions of rhesus macaques; however the results were not able to support our hypothesis. Results did not observe significant differences between estrogen and progesterone receptor protein expressions in glandular and stromal compartments of the endometriotic lesions. Still, this animal model represents a valuable tool to study endometriosis since they do develop spontaneous endometriosis. Future studies should match the location of lesions and classify the severity of endometriosis in the rhesus macaques

Analisi del trend di mortalità durante la venuta e la causa di contagio di pollame in allevamento sull‘azienda agricola Lieskovec (Repubblica Slovacca) dal 2006 al 2010

The influence of transport distance and temperature on the dead on arrival and condemnation causes of broiler chickens from a small farm Lieskovec (Slovak Republic) in the period 2006-2010 was evaluated. The results showed significant increase in dead on arrival and condemnation percentage in relation to the transport distance and season. The average percentage of the dead on arrival throughout the whole period was 0.209% (0.031 to 0.702%) and the average percentage of condemnation was 0.524% (0.041 to 1.422). The most common causes of condemnation were cyanosis, birds slaughtered in agony, breaking of the legs and wings and cachexy.Sažetak Istraživan je utjecaj trajanja transporta i temperature u transportu na uzroke uginuća i procjenu bolesnih stanja tovnih pilića s male farme Lieskovec (Republika Slovačka) u razdoblju od 2006. do 2010. godine. Rezultati su pokazali značajan porast uginuća i postotak bolesti ovisno o vremenu transporta i godišnjem dobu. Prosječan postotak uginulih pilića pri istovaru u klaoničkom objektu tijekom istraživanog perioda je iznosio 0,209% (0,031 do 0,702%) a znakovi bolesnih stanja uočeni su u 0,524% slučajeva (0,041 do 1,422). Uzroci su bili cijanoza, lom nogu i krila, kaheksija, te je zamijećeno iskrvarenje pilića u agoniji.Zusammenfassung Es wurde der Einfluss von Transportentfernung und Temperatur auf die Kadaver beim Ankommen und Verseuchungsursache von Masthühnern auf der kleinen Farm Lieskovac (Republik Slowakei) in der Zeitspanne vom 2006 – 2010 untersucht. Die Resultate zeig- ten einen bedeutenden Aufstieg des Verendens beim Ankommen und Erhöhung des Verseuchungsprozentes in Bezug auf die Trans- portentfernung und Jahreszeit. Der durchschnittliche Prozent des Verendens beim Akommen betrug während der ganzen Periode 0.209 % (0.031 bis 0.702 %) und der durchschnittliche Verseuchungsprozent betrug 0.524 % (0.041 bis 1.422). Die häufigsten Ursachen dafür waren: Zyanose, Hühner geschlachtet in Agonie, Bruch der Beine und der Flügel, allgemeine Schwäche.Sommario In quest‘articolo è stato ricercato l‘influsso della distanza di trasporto e della temperatura agli addomi nel momento di venuta, e la causa di contagio di pollame in allevamento dalla piccola azienda d‘allevamento Lieskovec (nella Repubblica Slovacca) tra gli anni 2006 e 2010. I risultati hanno dimostrato una notevole crescita di mortalità fino al momento di venuta e la crescita della percentuale di contagio rispetto alla distanza del trasporto e della stagione. La percentuale in media di polli morti fino all‘arrivo durante tutto il periodo faceva lo 0.209% (dallo 0.031 allo 0.702%) e la percentuale in media di contagio faceva lo 0.524% (dallo 0.041 allo 1.422). I motivi che più spesso si ripetevano erano: la cianosi, i polli macellati nell’agonia, le fratture delle gambe e delle ali di polli e la loro debolezza in generale

Drug Use in Food Animals

Publication provides information on the safe use of drugs and antibiotics in food animals

Utah Alert: West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus (WNV) has killed thousands of crows and caused human and equine deaths in North America since it first appeared in New York City in 1999. It has been detected in 144 species of birds, 22 species of mosquitoes, as well as in horses, bats, cats, rabbits and other animals. Birds carry the virus and mosquitoes spread it to other birds, animals or humans. Animals, other than horses and birds, rarely show any illness from the infection

Drug Residues and Food Safety

Publication discusses drug residues in food animal products and food safety concerning drug residues

Auditory Deficit as a Consequence Rather than Endophenotype of Specific Language Impairment: Electrophysiological Evidence

Are developmental language disorders caused by poor auditory discrimination? This is a popular theory, but behavioural evidence has been inconclusive. Here we studied children with specific language impairment, measuring the brain's electrophysiological response to sounds in a passive paradigm. We focused on the T-complex, an event-related peak that has different origins and developmental course from the well-known vertex response.We analysed auditory event-related potentials to tones and syllables from 16 children and 16 adolescents with specific language impairment who were compared with 32 typically-developing controls, matched for gender, IQ and age.We replicated prior findings of significant reduction in Ta amplitude for both children and adolescents with specific language impairment, which was particularly marked for syllables. The topography of the T-complex to syllables indicated a less focal response in those with language impairments. To distinguish causal models, we considered correlations between size of the Ta response and measures of language and literacy in parents as well as children. The best-fitting model was one in which auditory deficit was a consequence rather than a cause of difficulties in phonological processing.The T-complex to syllables has abnormal size and topography in children with specific language impairment, but this is more likely to be a consequence rather than a cause of difficulties in phonological processing