Young children’s family history of stuttering and their articulation, language and attentional abilities: An exploratory study

Purpose—The purpose of this study was to determine whether young children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) with a positive versus negative family history of stuttering differ in articulation, language and attentional abilities and family histories of articulation, language and attention related disorders. Method—Participants were 25 young CWS and 50 young CWNS. All 75 participants’ caregivers consistently reported a positive or negative family history of stuttering across three consecutive time points that were about 8 months apart for a total of approximately 16 months. Each participant’s family history focused on the same, relatively limited number of generations (i.e., participants’ parents & siblings). Children’s family history of stuttering as well as articulation, language, and attention related disorders was obtained from one or two caregivers during an extensive interview. Children’s speech and language abilities were measured using four standardized articulation and language tests and their attentional abilities were measured using caregiver reports of temperament. Results—Findings indicated that (1) most caregivers (81.5% or 75 out 92) were consistent in their reporting of positive or negative history of stuttering; (2) CWNS with a positive family history of stuttering, compared to those with a negative family history of stuttering, were more likely to have reported a positive family history of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and (3) CWNS with a positive family history of stuttering had lower language scores than those with a negative family history of stuttering. However, there were no such significant differences in family histories of ADHD and language scores for CWS with a positive versus negative family history of stuttering. In addition, although 24% of CWS versus 12% of CWNS’s caregivers reported a positive family history of stuttering, inferential analyses indicated no significant differences between CWS and CWNS in relative proportions of family histories of stuttering. Conclusions—Finding that a relatively high proportion (i.e., 81.5%) of caregivers consistently reported a positive or negative family history of stuttering across three consecutive time points should provide some degree of assurance to those who collect such caregiver reports. Based on such consistent caregiver reports, linguistic as well as attentional vulnerabilities appear associated with a positive family history of stuttering, a finding that must await further empirical study for confirmation or refutation

Autonomic nervous system activity of preschool-age children who stutter.

Purpose—The purpose of this study was to investigate potential differences in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity to emotional stimuli between preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS). Methods—Participants were 20 preschool-age CWS (15 male) and 21 preschool-age CWNS (11 male). Participants were exposed to two emotion-inducing video clips (negative and positive) with neutral clips used to establish pre-and post-arousal baselines, and followed by age-appropriate speaking tasks. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) – often used as an index of parasympathetic activity – and skin conductance level (SCL) – often used as an index of sympathetic activity – were measured while participants listened to/watched the audio-video clip presentation and performed a speaking task. Results—CWS, compared to CWNS, displayed lower amplitude RSA at baseline and higher SCL during a speaking task following the positive, compared to the negative, condition. During speaking, only CWS had a significant positive relation between RSA and SCL. Conclusion—Present findings suggest that preschool-age CWS, when compared to their normally fluent peers, have a physiological state that is characterized by a greater vulnerability to emotional reactivity (i.e., lower RSA indexing less parasympathetic tone) and a greater mobilization of resources in support of emotional reactivity (i.e., higher SCL indexing more sympathetic activity) during positive conditions. Thus, while reducing stuttering to a pure physiological process is unwarranted, the present findings suggest that parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity is involved

Оценка подлинности и стабильности производственных и контрольных штаммов - возбудителей актуальных инфекций бактериальной этиологии

The paper presents the results of identification of a spectrum of biochemical activity and certification of 140 bacterial strains of I-II risk level deposited in the State collection of pathogenic microorganisms of Scientific centre for expert evaluation of medicinal products of the Ministry of health of the Russian Federation. Causative agents of meningitis, dysentery, salmonellosis and other acute gastrointestinal, pyoinflammatory infections, including nosocomial, and other epidemiologically significant infections which can be applied for manufacturing and an quality assessment medicinal and diagnostic preparations, including vaccines, toxoids, therapeutic and prophylactic bacteriophages, antimicrobic drugs, diagnostic serum, test system, nutrient media were evaluated. Correction of a taxonomic nomenclature of collection strains according to requirements of Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology (2nd ed) was provided. A possibility of selection of the analogs of cultures of the microorganisms deposited in national collections of other countries and applied by production and quality control of immunobiological medicines and also for quality assessment of laboratory researches is proved. Stability of pivotal phenotypic properties and lack of dissociation master-seed and test strains is confirmed at freeze-drying for over 40 years.Проведено определение спектра биохимической активности и паспортизация 140 коллекционных штаммов бактерий III-IV групп патогенности, депонированных в Государственной коллекции патогенных микроорганизмов ФГБУ «НЦЭСМП» Минздрава России, возбудителей менингита, дизентерии, сальмонеллеза и других острых кишечных инфекций, гнойно-воспалительных, в том числе нозокомиальных, и других эпидемиологически значимых инфекций, которые могут применяться для производства и оценки качества лекарственных и диагностических препаратов, в том числе вакцин, анатоксинов, лечебно-профилактических бактериофагов, антимикробных препаратов, сывороток диагностических, диагностикумов эритроцитарных, тест-систем, наборов реагентов для биохимической идентификации патогенных микроорганизмов, дифференциально-дагностических и селективных питательных сред. Выполнена коррекция таксономической номенлатуры коллекционных штаммов в соответствии со Вторым изданием систематики бактерий Берджи (Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. 2nd ed). Получена возможность подбора аналогов культур микроорганизмов, депонированных в национальных коллекциях других стран и применяемых при производстве и контроле качества иммунобиологических лекарственных препаратов, а также для оценки качества лабораторных исследований. Подтверждена стабильность ключевых фенотипических свойств и отсутствие диссоциации производственных и тест-штаммов при хранении в лиофилизированном состоянии на протяжении свыше 40 лет

Comparative analysis of stillbirth rates in the Russian Federation in 2010 and 2012

The paper comparatively analyzes the Federal State Statistics Service’s (Posstat) data on stillbirth rates in the Russian Federation and its federal districts in 2010 and 2012. It is established that there is a preponderance of an antenatal component in the pattern of stillbirth in all the districts. According to the Rosstat data, the most common cause of stillbirth is fetal hypoxia that amounted to 74,6% and 73,9% of the total stillbirths in 2010 and 2012, respectively. The increase in the total stillbirth rates in 2012, by considering the fetal deaths occurring in earlier stages (at 22 to 28 weeks’ gestation), was attended by a decline in the proportion of stillbirths due to hypoxia and by a rise in the proportion of congenital malformations as a cause of death

Authentification and stability assessment of master-seed and control strains of pathogenic bacteria-causative agents of actual infections

The paper presents the results of identification of a spectrum of biochemical activity and certification of 140 bacterial strains of I-II risk level deposited in the State collection of pathogenic microorganisms of Scientific centre for expert evaluation of medicinal products of the Ministry of health of the Russian Federation. Causative agents of meningitis, dysentery, salmonellosis and other acute gastrointestinal, pyoinflammatory infections, including nosocomial, and other epidemiologically significant infections which can be applied for manufacturing and an quality assessment medicinal and diagnostic preparations, including vaccines, toxoids, therapeutic and prophylactic bacteriophages, antimicrobic drugs, diagnostic serum, test system, nutrient media were evaluated. Correction of a taxonomic nomenclature of collection strains according to requirements of Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology (2nd ed) was provided. A possibility of selection of the analogs of cultures of the microorganisms deposited in national collections of other countries and applied by production and quality control of immunobiological medicines and also for quality assessment of laboratory researches is proved. Stability of pivotal phenotypic properties and lack of dissociation master-seed and test strains is confirmed at freeze-drying for over 40 years