Assessment of the speech disfluencies severity in preschool children with stuttering using sentence modeling and sentence imitation tasks

زمینه و هدف: عوامل زبانشناختی می توانند باعث کاهش یا تشدید ناروانی های گفتاری در کودکان گردند. یکی از این عوامل، نوع تکالیف زبانی است که به کودک ارائه می شود. در این مطالعه، تأثیر دو نوع تکلیف زبانی تقلید جمله و جمله سازی الگویی بر روی شدت ناروانی های گفتار در کودکان پیش دبستانی دارای لکنت خفیف و متوسط بررسی شده است. روش بررسی: این پژوهش توصیفی- تحلیلی مقطعی، بر روی 58 کودک دارای لکنت (29 نفر لکنت خفیف و 29 نفر لکنت متوسط) و 58 کودک دارای گفتار روان با دامنه سنی 6-4 سال انجام شد. شدت ناروانی گفتار توسط دو آزمون مجزا (تقلید جمله و جمله سازی الگویی) سنجیده شد و نتایج دو آزمون با هم مقایسه شد. یافته ها: شدت لکنت در دو تکلیف تقلید جمله و جمله سازی الگویی در پسران دارای لکنت متوسط به ترتیب 26/1±79/23 و 87/1±00/29 و در دختران دارای لکنت متوسط، به ترتیب 93/1±27/25 و 32/2±18/33 بود. در هر دو جنس کودکان دارای لکنت خفیف و همچنین کودکان غیر لکنتی، نمره شدت ناروانی های گفتار بین دو تکلیف تفاوت معنی دار نداشت. نتیجه گیری: در کودکان پیش دبستانی دارای لکنت خفیف و کودکان غیر لکنتی همتا، اجرای تکالیف تقلید جمله و جمله سازی الگویی باعث افزایش شدت لکنت نمی شود؛ اما در کودکان پیش دبستانی مبتلا به لکنت متوسط، اجرای تکلیف جمله سازی الگویی باعث تشدید نمره شدت لکنت می شود. پیشنهاد می شود گفتار درمانگران جهت طراحی تکالیف زبانی با سطوح دشواری متفاوت برای کودکان دارای لکنت از نتایج این تحقیق استفاده کنند

Investigating the possibility of chemi-mechanical pulping of bagasse

Chemi-mechanical pulping was evaluated as a potential way to prepare sugarcane bagasse fibers for papermaking. Cellulose, lignin, ash, and extractives soluble in alcohol-acetone were measured as 55.75%, 20.5%, 1.85%, and 3.25%, respectively. Fiber length, diameter, lumen cavity, and cell wall thickness were measured as 1.59 mm, 20.96, 9.72, and 5.64 µm. The chemi-mechanical pulping conditions were selected as follows: three charging levels of 10, 15, and 20% sodium sulphite, and three pulping times of 20, 30, and 40 minutes after reaching the pulping temperature. Pulping temperature was held constant at 165 C. Different pulping conditions resulted in pulp yields between 65.38 and 84.28%. The highest yield (84.28%) was obtained using a treatment combination of 20 minutes pulping time and 10% sodium sulphite. The lowest yield (65.38%) was related to 40 minutes pulping time and 20% sodium sulphite. Pulps were refined to 300 ± 25 mL CSF, 60 gm-2 handsheets were made, and then strength indices and optical properties of the handsheets were measured. The results showed that 20% sodium sulphite, 40 minutes pulping time, at 165 ºC can be considered as the optimum pulping conditions for bagasse CMP pulping. Tensile, tear, and burst strength indices, as well as the opacity of this pulp were measured as 39.59 Nmg-1, 6.66 mNm2g-1, 2.1 KPa m2g-1, and 95.35%, respectively

Attentional Demands of Breathing Pattern Control and biochemical metabolic outcomes in Normal Subjects

Objective: Normal breathing is essential for adjustment of natural metabolism of human body. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the control of breathing pattern in normal subjects both at rest and during cognitive loading. Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 24 healthy subjects (14 males, 10 females) were selected by simple and convenient sampling. Spirometry data including inspiration and expiration times, total time of respiration, tidal volume, minute ventilation, respiratory rate, inspiratory-total time ratio, and capnography data containing end tidal CO2 were obtained from all participants in two conditions: with or without cognitive loading. Results: Mean of end tidal CO2 in expiration, inspiration times and total duration of respiration in rest condition was significantly larger than those of during cognitive loading. There was also a medium direct correlation between tidal volume, inspiration and expiration times, total duration of respiration and inspiratory-total time ratio and end tidal CO2. Conclusion: Cognitive loading has an inevitable effect on breathing pattern. There is also good correlation between breathing pattern and biochemical breathing of metabolic outcomes

Screening for the next generation heavy metal hyperaccumulators for dryland decontamination

Heavy metal removal by plants bears a great potential to decontaminate soils. A major challenge remains to find plant species that accumulate heavy metal, harbor a sufficient biomass and grow in the desired environmental conditions. Here we present candidate plants for phytoremediation in arid climates. We sampled sixteen dominant plants from mining area naturally polluted with high Pb-Zn and Cd concentration. Plants were assessed for their ability to accumulate Zn, Pb and Cd and six species were selected on the base of their heavy metal concentration in shoots and leaves, enrichment coefficient and translocation factor. Out of all the tested species in field study, Alcea aucheri was the most promising one which accumulated over than 460 and 4089 ??g/g Pb in the roots and shoots, respectively. We confirmed this ability with a greenhouse experiment on soil spiked with different Pb and Cd concentrations. Concentration of Pb and Cd in aerial parts of A. aucheri were more than 1700 and 345 ??g/g in 2400 and 200 mg/kg Pb and Cd soil treatment respectively. We propose that A. aucheri as model hyperaccumulator able to live in adverse condition, producing high biomass, and supersede heavy metal accumulation reported to other plants, making of this species one of the best Pb hyperaccumulator reported to date

A Comparison of Clinic Care and Home Care Regarding Costs of Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background: The problems associated with cerebral palsy and their socio-economic burden impose a large pressure on families with children suffering from cerebral palsy. This study aimed to compare clinic care and home care regarding costs of treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 56 children with cerebral palsy. Data were collected by direct costs through medical and non-medical checklists and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and T-test. Results: The cost of home care was less than clinic care (P>0.01). Price differences in home and clinic care was significant in all types of cerebral palsy. In both groups of the children, the highest average fee belonged to those who were not covered by any insurance. The average cost of care in clinic was 8,543,000 Rials while it was 5,497,000 Rials for home care. The average total cost of care was 19,786,000 Rials at home and 27,980,000 Rials at the clinic (P>0.05). Conclusion: The cost of clinic care was higher than home care. Therefore, home care is recommended as the appropriate and more cost-effective strategy for children with cerebral palsy. Considering the Problems of home care, it is essential to facilitate implementation of this strategy by improving insurance coverage and informing families with cerebral palsy children

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Study of the Median Septum of Juglans regia in Wistar Rats

Purpose: Median septum of Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae ) with anti - diabetic effects has been used in Iranian traditional medicine. The present study estimates both oral acute and subchronic toxicities. Methods: In the oral acute toxicity study, female Wistar rats were treated with doses of 10, 100, 1000, 1600 , 2900 and 5000 mg/ kg of the Juglans regia septum of methanol extract (JRSME), and were monitored for 14 days. In subchronic study, JRSME was administered by gavage at dose of 1000 mg/kg daily in Wistar rats for 28 days. Antioxidant status and biochemical examinations were fulfilled, and the vital organs were subjected to pathological analyses. Results: The extract did not produce any toxic signs or deaths; the medium lethal dose must be higher than 5000 mg/kg. In subchronic study, No significant morpholo gical and histopathological changes were observed in the studied tissues. There was a significant increase in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level in treated group compared to control after 4 weeks of JRSME intake. The treatment of rats resulted in a signific ant reduction of serum urea level (p<0.05), kidney’s xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) activity (p<0.001) and elevation of aldehyde oxidase (AO) activity (p<0.05) in kidney. In the treated group, the mean diameter of glomerulus and proximal urine tube epitheliu m stature was slightly greater than control group. A significant increase in serum MDA level is subject for further studies. Conclusion: This study showed that the extract has no acute or subacute adverse effects with dose of 1000 mg/kg. The administratio n of JRSME may improve kidney structure and function and help in treatment of some chronic diseases