Intensive phonological rehabilitation of anomia in four individuals with aphasia

The purpose of this paper is to present data from 4 individuals who participated in a 60-hour phonological rehabilitation trial for word retrieval deficits.  The treatment is based on the notion that phonological representations are distributed across acoustic, semantic, orthographic and articulatory motor representations.  So, through the application of a multi-modality (orthographic, acoustic, tactile, visual, articulatory motor) treatment, phonemes and phoneme sequences will be reinstantiated in the neural network resulting in improved activation of lexical-semantic knowledge and word retrieval abilities.  Results showed treatment effects in all 4 individuals and generalization to untrained stimuli in 2 individuals

Phonomotor versus semantic feature analysis treatment for anomia in 58 persons with aphasia : a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE : The ultimate goal of anomia treatment should be to achieve gains in exemplars trained in the therapy session, as well as generalization to untrained exemplars and contexts. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of phonomotor treatment, a treatment focusing on enhancement of phonological sequence knowledge, against semantic feature analysis (SFA), a lexical-semantic therapy that focuses on enhancement of semantic knowledge and is well known and commonly used to treat anomia in aphasia. METHOD : In a between-groups randomized controlled trial, 58 persons with aphasia characterized by anomia and phonological dysfunction were randomized to receive 56–60 hr of intensively delivered treatment over 6 weeks with testing pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3 months posttreatment termination. RESULTS : There was no significant between-groups difference on the primary outcome measure (untrained nouns phonologically and semantically unrelated to each treatment) at 3 months posttreatment. Significant within-group immediately posttreatment acquisition effects for confrontation naming and response latency were observed for both groups. Treatment-specific generalization effects for confrontation naming were observed for both groups immediately and 3 months posttreatment; a significant decrease in response latency was observed at both time points for the SFA group only. Finally, significant within-group differences on the Comprehensive Aphasia Test–Disability Questionnaire (Swinburn, Porter, & Howard, 2004) were observed both immediately and 3 months posttreatment for the SFA group, and significant within-group differences on the Functional Outcome Questionnaire (Glueckauf et al., 2003) were found for both treatment groups 3 months posttreatment. DISCUSSION : Our results are consistent with those of prior studies that have shown that SFA treatment and phonomotor treatment generalize to untrained words that share features (semantic or phonological sequence, respectively) with the training set. However, they show that there is no significant generalization to untrained words that do not share semantic features or phonological sequence features.Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Merit Review Grant C6572R.https://pubs.asha.org/journal/jslhrhj2020Speech-Language Pathology and Audiolog

Using Radiological Data to Estimate Ischemic Stroke Severity

Background Risk-adjusted poststroke mortality has been proposed for use as a measure of stroke care quality. Although valid measures of stroke severity (e.g., the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS]) are not typically available in administrative datasets, radiology reports are often available within electronic health records. We sought to examine whether admission head computed tomography data could be used to estimate stroke severity. Materials and Methods Using chart review data from a cohort of acute ischemic stroke patients (1998-2003), we developed a radiographic measure ([BIS]) of stroke severity in a two-third development set and assessed in a one-third validation set. The retrospective NIHSS was dichotomized as mild/moderate (<10) and severe (≥10). We compared the association of this radiographic score with NIHSS and in-hospital mortality at the patient level. Results Among 1348 stroke patients, 86.5% had abnormal findings on initial head computed tomography. The c-statistic for the BIS for modeling severe stroke (development, .581; validation, .579) and in-hospital mortality (development, .623; validation, .678) were generated. Conclusions Although the c-statistics were only moderate, the BIS provided significant risk stratification information with a 2-variable score. Until administrative data routinely includes a valid measure of stroke severity, radiographic data may provide information for use in risk adjustment

What Can We Learn About Leptoquarks At LEP200?

We investigate the discovery potential for first generation leptoquarks at the LEP200 $e^+e^-$ collider. We consider direct leptoquark searches using single leptoquark production via resolved photon contributions which offers a much higher kinematic limit than the more commonly considered leptoquark pair production process. Depending on the coupling strength of the leptoquark, search limits can be obtained to within a few GeV of $\sqrt{s}$. We also consider LQ limits that can be obtained from t-channel interferences effects in $e^+e^- \to hadrons$.Comment: Latex file uses revtex version 3, epsfig, and rotate, 5 postscript figures are attache

Protocol for the Locomotor Experience Applied Post-stroke (LEAPS) trial: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Locomotor training using body weight support and a treadmill as a therapeutic modality for rehabilitation of walking post-stroke is being rapidly adopted into clinical practice. There is an urgent need for a well-designed trial to determine the effectiveness of this intervention.</p> <p>The objective of the Locomotor Experience Applied Post-Stroke (LEAPS) trial is to determine if there is a difference in the proportion of participants who recover walking ability at one year post-stroke when randomized to a specialized locomotor training program (LTP), conducted at 2- or 6-months post-stroke, or those randomized to a home based non-specific, low intensity exercise intervention (HEP) provided 2 months post-stroke. We will determine if the timing of LTP delivery affects gait speed at 1 year and whether initial impairment severity interacts with the timing of LTP. The effect of number of treatment sessions will be determined by changes in gait speed taken pre-treatment and post-12, -24, and -36 sessions.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>We will recruit 400 adults with moderate or severe walking limitations within 30 days of stroke onset. At two months post stroke, participants are stratified by locomotor impairment severity as determined by overground walking speed and randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) LTP-Early; (b) LTP-Late or (c) Home Exercise Program -Early. The LTP program includes body weight support on a treadmill and overground training. The LTP and HEP interventions are delivered for 36 sessions over 12 weeks.</p> <p>Primary outcome measure include successful walking recovery defined as the achievement of a 0.4 m/s gait speed or greater by persons with initial severe gait impairment or the achievement of a 0.8 m/s gait speed or greater by persons with initial moderate gait impairment.</p> <p>LEAPS is powered to detect a 20% difference in the proportion of participants achieving successful locomotor recovery between the LTP groups and the HEP group, and a 0.1 m/s mean difference in gait speed change between the two LTP groups.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The goal of this single-blinded, phase III randomized clinical trial is to provide evidence to guide post-stroke walking recovery programs.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NCT00243919.</p

The Development of a Standardized Assessment of Phonology in Aphasia

The long-term goal of this research is to develop a valid and reliable impairment level measure of phonology in aphasia. The short-term goal, and focus of this abstract, is to present data collected from individuals with aphasia for 3 domains (or subtests) of this assessment: reading, repetition and perception. From the perspective of Item response theory (IRT), procedures will be presented on the development of the item bank. Results pertaining to the psychometric properties of the items when tested on individuals with aphasia show a reasonable fit to the Rasch model. Further research will validate and refine existing items

Nomenclature of allergic diseases and hypersensitivity reactions: Adapted to modern needs: An EAACI position paper

The exponential growth of precision diagnostic tools, including omic technologies, molecular diagnostics, sophisticated genetic and epigenetic editing, imaging and nano-technologies and patient access to extensive health care, has resulted in vast amounts of unbiased data enabling in-depth disease characterization. New disease endotypes have been identified for various allergic diseases and triggered the gradual transition from a disease description focused on symptoms to identifying biomarkers and intricate pathogenetic and metabolic pathways. Consequently, the current disease taxonomy has to be revised for better categorization. This European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Position Paper responds to this challenge and provides a modern nomenclature for allergic diseases, which respects the earlier classifications back to the early 20th century. Hypersensitivity reactions originally described by Gell and Coombs have been extended into nine different types comprising antibody- (I-III), cell-mediated (IVa-c), tissue-driven mechanisms (V-VI) and direct response to chemicals (VII). Types I-III are linked to classical and newly described clinical conditions. Type IVa-c are specified and detailed according to the current understanding of T1, T2 and T3 responses. Types V-VI involve epithelial barrier defects and metabolic-induced immune dysregulation, while direct cellular and inflammatory responses to chemicals are covered in type VII. It is notable that several combinations of mixed types may appear in the clinical setting. The clinical relevance of the current approach for allergy practice will be conferred in another article that will follow this year, aiming at showing the relevance in clinical practice where various endotypes can overlap and evolve over the lifetime

Closing the gap between science and management of cold-water refuges in rivers and streams

Human activities and climate change threaten coldwater organisms in freshwater eco-systems by causing rivers and streams to warm, increasing the intensity and frequency of warm temperature events, and reducing thermal heterogeneity. Cold-water refuges are discrete patches of relatively cool water that are used by coldwater organisms for thermal relief and short-term survival. Globally, cohesive management approaches are needed that consider interlinked physical, biological, and social factors of cold-water refuges. We review current understanding of cold-water refuges, identify gaps between science and management, and evaluate policies aimed at protecting thermally sensitive species. Existing policies include designating cold-water habitats, restricting fishing during warm periods, and implementing threshold temperature standards or guidelines. However, these policies are rare and uncoordinated across spatial scales and often do not consider input from Indigenous peoples. We propose that cold-water refuges be managed as dis-tinct operational landscape units, which provide a social and ecological context that is relevant at the watershed scale. These operational landscape units provide the founda-tion for an integrated framework that links science and management by (1) mapping and characterizing cold-water refuges to prioritize management and conservation actions, (2) leveraging existing and new policies, (3) improving coordination across jurisdictions, and (4) implementing adaptive management practices across scales. Our findings show that while there are many opportunities for scientific advancement, the current state of the sciences is sufficient to inform policy and management. Our proposed framework pro-vides a path forward for managing and protecting cold-water refuges using existing and new policies to protect coldwater organisms in the face of global change. behavioral thermoregulation, climate change adaptation, lotic ecosystem management, refugia, salmonids, temperature, thermal heterogeneity, thermal refugespublishedVersio

Determination of Leptoquark Properties in Polarized eγe\gamma Collisions

We study leptoquark production using polarized $e\gamma$ colliders for the center of mass energies $\sqrt s=500$~GeV and 1~TeV. We show that using polarization asymmetries the ten different types of leptoquarks listed by Buchm\"uller, R\"uckl and Wyler can be distinquished from one another for leptoquark masses essentially up to the kinematic limit of the respective colliders. Thus, if a leptoquark were discovered an $e\gamma$ collider could play a crucial role in determining its origins.Comment: 10 pages (plus 10 postscript figures submitted separately), OCIP/C 94-

Resolved Photon Contributions to Leptoquark Production in e+e−e^+ e^- and eγe\gamma Collision

We calculate the resolved photon contribution to leptoquark production at $e\gamma$ colliders for the center of mass energies $\sqrt s=500$~GeV and 1~TeV. We also calculate the resolved photon contribution to leptoquark production at $e^+ e^-$ colliders for the center of mass energies $\sqrt{s} = 1$~and~2~TeV. In both cases we find that these contributions are considerably larger than the standard contributions considered in the literature.Comment: 9 pages (5 postscript figures in separate uuencoded file), OCIP/C 93-1