Therapy for word-finding in aphasia: working at the syntactic level

Therapy for word finding problems in aphasia has targeted semantic or phonological processing. However, an intermediate syntactic level may exist, and spoken word production in aphasia may be impaired here. We investigated semantic, syntactic, and phonological processing in noun production with two people with aphasia. The data indicate that syntactic processing was impaired for both speakers. We carried out two forms of therapy: phonological and syntactic. For one person both therapies were effective leading to gains in word-finding, but no change in syntactic processing; for the other person word-finding improved, and the syntactic therapy led to improved syntactic knowledge

Zebrafish: An in vivo model for the study of neurological diseases

As the population ages, there is a growing need for effective therapies for the treatment of neurological diseases. A limited number of therapeutics are currently available to improve cognitive function and research is limited by the need for in vivo models. Zebrafish have recently become a focus of neurobehavioral studies since larvae display neuropathological and behavioral phenotypes that are quantifiable and relate to those seen in man. Due to the small size of Zebrafish larvae, assays can be undertaken in 96 well plates and as the larvae can live in as little as 200 μl of fluid, only a few milligrams of compound are needed for screening. Thus in vivo analysis of the effects of compounds can be undertaken at much earlier stages in the drug discovery process. This review will look at the utility of the zebrafish in the study of neurological diseases and its role in improving the throughput of candidate compounds in in vivo screens

Single case studies are a powerful tool for developing, testing and extending theories

Psychology embraces a diverse range of methodologies. However, most rely on averaging group data to draw conclusions. In this Perspective, we argue that single case methodology is a valuable tool for developing and extending psychological theories. We stress the importance of single case and case series research, drawing on classic and contemporary cases in which cognitive and perceptual deficits provide insights into typical cognitive processes in domains such as memory, delusions, reading and face perception. We unpack the key features of single case methodology, describe its strengths, its value in adjudicating between theories, and outline its benefits for a better understanding of deficits and hence more appropriate interventions. The unique insights that single case studies have provided illustrate the value of in-depth investigation within an individual. Single case methodology has an important place in the psychologist’s toolkit and it should be valued as a primary research tool

Therapy for noun syntax in acquired aphasia: effects on confrontation naming, noun syntax, and noun retrieval in connected speech

Assessment and therapy for people with word-finding deficits proceed from an assumption that a semantic representation maps directly onto a phonological form. Recent theories of spoken word production (e.g. Dell et al, 1997; Levelt, et al, 1999) propose however an intermediate syntactic level. If this account is correct it is feasible that deficits may arise in the syntactic level

Therapy for word finding difficulties using phonological and orthographic cues: a clinical application in progress

Semantic therapy for anomia is well established both in research and in clinical practise. Research into phonological therapy is more limited and the results more equivocal. This paper will describe an ongoing clinical study which uses combined phonological and orthographic cues to treat anomia in a case series design. The study includes a single cue and a choice of cue condition, and also assesses the effect of repeated presentation of a picture for naming without cues on word retrieval. The results of therapy for picture naming and for word retrieval in natural conversation will be presented for two participants

Generalisation to untreated items in anomia therapy: links to individuals’ language processing

The aim of therapy for word-retrieval problems with people with aphasia is for carry-over to everyday communication. This may be most likely if the therapy generalises to untreated words . However, Howard (2000) claims there is little convincing evidence for generalisation. He suggests that both ‘semantic’ and ‘phonological’ therapies work by strengthening the links (‘mapping’) between semantic and phonological representations. This paper investigates generalisation to untreated items in anomia therapy by combining data over two recent studies and from the literature

Inhibition of uric acid or IL- 1β ameliorates respiratory syncytial virus immunopathology and development of asthma

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) affects most infants early in life and is associated with increased asthma risk. The specific mechanism remains unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate the role of uric acid (UA) and IL- 1β in RSV immunopathology and asthma predisposition.MethodsTracheal aspirates from human infants with and without RSV were collected and analyzed for pro- IL- 1β mRNA and protein to establish a correlation in human disease. Neonatal mouse models of RSV were employed, wherein mice infected at 6- 7 days of life were analyzed at 8 days postinfection, 5 weeks postinfection, or after a chronic cockroach allergen asthma model. A xanthine oxidase inhibitor or IL- 1 receptor antagonist was administered during RSV infection.ResultsHuman tracheal aspirates from RSV- infected infants showed elevated pro- IL- 1β mRNA and protein. Inhibition of UA or IL- 1β during neonatal murine RSV infection decreased mucus production, reduced cellular infiltrates to the lung (especially ILC2s), and decreased type 2 immune responses. Inhibition of either UA or IL- 1β during RSV infection led to chronic reductions in pulmonary immune cell composition and reduced type 2 immune responses and reduced similar responses after challenge with cockroach antigen.ConclusionsInhibiting UA and IL- 1β during RSV infection ameliorates RSV immunopathology, reduces the consequences of allergen- induced asthma, and presents new therapeutic targets to reduce early- life viral- induced asthma development.Neonatal RSV infection is associated with increases in pulmonary uric acid and IL- 1β and lung immunopathology. XOI or IL- 1RA administration during neonatal RSV infection leads to reduced RSV immunopathology. XOI or IL- 1RA administration during neonatal RSV infection leads to reduced type 2 immune responses during a subsequent model of asthma.Abbreviations: IL- 1RA, IL- 1 receptor antagonist; RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus; XOI, xanthine oxidase inhibitor.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162774/3/all14310.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162774/2/all14310_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162774/1/all14310-sup-0005-TableS1.pd

Radio source-component association for the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey with region-based convolutional neural networks

Large scale structure and cosmolog

Carboxybetaine-modified succinylated chitosan-based beads encourage pancreaticβ-cells (Min-6) to form islet-like spheroids under in vitro conditions

In vitro, β-cells tend to reduce their ability to aggregate into islets and lose insulin-producing ability, likely due to insufficient cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions that are essential for β-cell retention, viability and functionality. In response to these needs, surfaces of succinylated chitosan-based beads (NSC) were modified with zwitterionic carboxy-betaine (CB) moieties, a compa- tible osmolyte known to regulate cellular hydration state, and used to promote the formation of β-cell spheroids using a conventional 2D cell culture technique. The NSC were synthesised by ionic gelation and surface-functionalised with CB using carbodiimide chemistry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic laser scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed as characterisation tools to confirm the successful modification of the succinylated chitosan material into spherical beads with rough surfaces and a diameter of 0.4µm. NSC with and without CB were re-suspended at con-centrations of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 mg/mL in saline medium and tested in vitro with MIN6 murine pancreatic β-cell line. Results showed that a concentration of 0.3 mg/mL, NSC- CB encouraged pancreatic MIN6 cells to proliferate and form spheroids via E-cadherin and Pdx-1 activation within48 h in culture. These spheroids, with a size of approxi- mately 80 µm, exhibited high cell viability and enhanced insulin protein expression and secretion when compared tocells organised by the non-modified beads