Voice onset time and formant onset frequencies in Arabic stuttered speech

Neuromuscular models of stuttering consider that making transitions between phones results in inappropriate temporal arrangements of articulators in people who stutter (PWS). Using this framework, the current study examined the acoustic productions of two fine-grained phonetic features: voice onset time (VOT) and second formant (F2). The hypotheses were that PWS should differ from fluent persons (FP) in VOT duration and F2 onset frequency as a result of the transition deficit for environments with complex phonetic features such as Arabic emphatics. Ten adolescent PWS and 10 adolescent FPs participated in the study. They read and memorized four monosyllabic plain-emphatic words silently. Data were analyzed by Repeated Measures ANOVAs. The positive and negative VOT durations of/t/vs./tˁ/and/d/vs./dˁ/and F2 onset frequency were measured acoustically. Results showed that stuttering was significantly affected by emphatic consonants. PWS had atypical VOT durations and F2 values. Findings are consistent with the atypicality of VOT and F2 reported for English-speaking PWS. This atypicality is realized differently in Arabic depending on the articulatory complexity and cognitive load of the sound

Development of Voice Onset Time in Arabic

The research investigated development of voice onset time (VOT) contrasts in children who spoke Jordanian Arabic. The factors investigated were: (1) the age at which VOT contrast is acquired; and (2) the role of place of articulation and emphasis on VOT development. One hundred and twenty children (60 males, 60 females; age range 2;0–7;11) produced word-initial plosives. Linear Mixed Model (LMM), Bonferroni post hoc and t test analyses were conducted on the data. Results revealed that age, place of articulation, and emphasis had significant effects on VOT. In addition, Arabic appeared to follow the general trend of VOT development reported for other voicing languages

Synthesis of N-benzothiazole derivative imide on polymeric chain, have possible biological activity

In this reserch Some new substituted and unsubstituted poly imides compounds. were synthesized by reaction of acrylol chloride with different amides (aliphatic and aromatic) in a suitable solvent in the presence amount triethyl amine (Et3N) with heating. The Structure confirmation of all polymers were confirmed using FT-IR,1H-NMR,13C-NMR and UV spectroscopy. Thermal analysis (TG) for some polymers showed their thermal stabilities. Other physical properties including softening points, melting point and solubility of the polymers were also measure

A retrospective study of high mobility group protein I(Y) as progression marker for prostate cancer determined by in situ hybridization.

In a previous study using RNA in situ hybridisation (RISH), we found a significant correlation between high mobility group protein I/Y, [HMG-I(Y)] mRNA expression and tumour stage and grade in prostate cancer patients, suggesting that HMG-I(Y) might be a potential prognostic marker in prostate cancer. However, our clinical follow-up was limited because cryopreserved material was used. Assessing the potential prognostic value of this molecule is of importance because the clinical course of prostate cancer patients remains unpredictable. Here we describe our results on paraffin-embedded archival material from a group of 102 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. These were evaluated for the presence of HMG-I(Y) using RISH, and a follow-up of 12-92 months (average 53 months) was available. In 2 of 14 prostate cancers in which the predominant histological pattern was of Gleason grade 1-2, a high HMG-I(Y) expression was observed, whereas in 19 of 23 Gleason grade 3, and 34 of 35 Gleason grade 4-5 tumours, high HMG-I(Y) mRNA levels were detected (chi-square = 38.78, P < 0.0001). Moreover, of tumours that expressed high HMG-I(Y) levels, 25% were organ confined (T1-2), in contrast to 74.5% of the invading tumours (T3, chi-square = 15.8, P < 0.001). Furthermore, 87% of recurrent tumours showed high HMG-I(Y) expression. However, a multivariate regression analysis including Gleason grade, clinical tumour stage, HMG-I(Y) expression and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels showed Gleason grade as the most accurate predictor of progression. High HMG-I(Y) levels measured by RISH were indicative of a worse prognosis, albeit that additional value over the more subjective grading methods was not evident

p16 mutations/deletions are not frequent events in prostate cancer.

Cyclin-dependent kinase-4 inhibitor gene (p16INK4) has recently been mapped to chromosome 9p21. Homozygous deletions of this gene have been found at high frequency in cell lines derived from different types of tumours. These findings suggested therefore, that p16INK4 is a tumour-suppressor gene involved in a wide variety of human cancers. To investigate the frequency of p16INK mutations/deletions in prostate cancer, we screened 20 primary prostate tumours and four established cell lines by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis for exon 1 and exon 2. In contrast to most previous reports, no homozygous deletions were found in prostate cancer cell lines, but one cell line (DU145) has revealed to a mutation at codon 76. Only two SSCP shifts were detected in primary tumours: one of them corresponds to a mutation at codon 55 and the other one probably corresponds to a polymorphism. These data suggest that mutation of the p16INK4 gene is not a frequent genetic alteration implicated in prostate cancer development

Perfluorodecalin and bone regeneration

Perfluorodecalin (PFD) is a chemically and biologically inert biomaterial and, as many perfluorocarbons, is also hydrophobic, radiopaque and has a high solute capacity for gases such as oxygen. In this article we have demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo, that PFD may significantly enhance bone regeneration. Firstly, the potential benefit of PFD was demonstrated by prolonging the survival of bone marrow cells cultured in anaerobic conditions. These findings translated in vivo, where PFD incorporated into bone-marrow-loaded 3D-printed scaffolds substantially improved their capacity to regenerate bone. Secondly, in addition to biological applications, we have also shown that PFD improves the radiopacity of bone regeneration biomaterials, a key feature required for the visualisation of biomaterials during and after surgical implantation. Finally, we have shown how the extreme hydrophobicity of PFD enables the fabrication of highly cohesive self-setting injectable biomaterials for bone regeneration. In conclusion, perfluorocarbons would appear to be highly beneficial additives to a number of regenerative biomaterials, especially those for bone regeneration

A Comparison Study in the Management of Ectopic Pregnancy between State of Qatar and Kingdom of Bahrain

Ectopic pregnancy is of increasing concern to gynecologists since it is a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in reproductive age women. It occurs when the conceptus implants in an abnormal position other than the uterus. Although the incidence of ectopic pregnancy during the 20 years studied increased five-folds, the risk of death from ectopic pregnancy declined by 90%. This decline might be related to the increase awareness of this condition that accompanied improved diagnostic technology and thus improved management and care. However, ectopic pregnancy remains the leading cause of maternal mortality in first trimenster. This study was to evaluate the management of ectopic pregnancy in the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain in a time period from January I, 2000 to August 31, 2003. Statistical analysis showed high incidence of ectopic pregnancy with increase in age and abortion. Etiological factors including contraceptive usage, infertility treatment and previous ectopic pregnancy were shown to increases ectopic pregnancy rates. In the Kingdom of Bahrain, management of ectopic pregnancy was carried by surgical salpingectomy and Laparoctomy and to a lesser extend medical Methotrexate management was also carried on. While in the State of Qatar it was the opposite as Methotrexate was mainly used rather than the surgical treatment. It is recommended that further investigations are needed to enhance this data and to prove the benefits of medical management over the surgical management.qscienc

Culpability, blame, and stigma after pregnancy loss in Qatar

Background: Following a miscarriage many women report feeling guilty and culpable for what has happened particularly when aspects of societal blame and stigma are involved. This research investigated the impact of cultural context on the experience of miscarriage. In particular, it focused on how elements of stigma and blame are linked to notions of miscarriage etiology and risk among Qatari women. Methods: The research used an ethnographic approach. The data was collected over 18 months of fieldwork in Qatar, using semi-structured face to face interviews, and participant observation. A purposive sample of 40 women (primary participants) who had recently miscarried, participated in the study. Potential subjects were initially identified in the Women’s Hospital and were consented, and then interviewed in Arabic either in the hospital or at their preferred location. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and translated into English. Additional key interviews were performed with 20 secondary participants related to the miscarriage cohort including family members and husbands. Inductive thematic analysis of content was performed manually to extract themes. Results: Two main themes emerged from the material looking specifically at miscarriage aftermaths: rhetorics of blame, self-blame and feelings of guilt; and miscarriage attitudes. Overall society is sympathetic and miscarriage is seen as normal and not particularly worrying, but understood to be upsetting to women. However, findings suggest there is some ambivalence around blame, culpability and stigma applied to miscarriage; some participants perceived miscarriage as a relatively normal and common event, whereas, others felt that miscarriage is resounding stigma and shame. Conclusion: Miscarriage aftermaths are embedded in social, cultural and religious frameworks in relation to notions of risk and causation. Attention should be paid to ensure women and those around them are given appropriate and robust information about miscarriage causation to deflect discourses of blame that may be employed and reduce harm to women who suffer miscarriage

Calm Vessels: Cultural Expectations of Pregnant Women in Qatar

This article explores emerging themes from the first stage of ethnographic research investigating pregnancy and loss in Qatar. Issues around the development of foetal personhood, the medical management of the pregnant body and the social role of the pregnant woman are explored. Findings suggest that Qatari women are expected to be calm vessels for their growing baby and should avoid certain foods and behaviours. These ideas of risk avoidance are linked to indigenous knowledge around a mother’s influence on a child’s health and traits. Motherhood holds a particularly important place in Qatari culture and in Islam, and women are ultimately responsible for protecting and promoting fertility and for producing healthy children