Neural phoneme discrimination in variable speech in newborns - Associations with dyslexia risk and later language skills.

A crucial skill in infant language acquisition is learning of the native language phonemes. This requires the ability to group complex sounds into distinct auditory categories based on their shared features. Problems in phonetic learning have been suggested to underlie language learning difficulties in dyslexia, a developmental reading-skill deficit. We investigated auditory abilities important for language acquisition in newborns with or without a familial risk for dyslexia with electrophysiological mismatch responses (MMRs). We presented vowel changes in a sequence of acoustically varying vowels, requiring grouping of the stimuli to two phoneme categories. The vowel changes elicited an MMR which was significantly diminished in infants whose parents had the most severe dyslexia in our sample. Phoneme-MMR amplitude and its hemispheric lateralization were associated with language test outcomes assessed at 28 months, an age at which it becomes possible to behaviourally test children and several standardized tests are available. In addition, statistically significant MMRs to violations of a complex sound-order rule were only found in infants without dyslexia risk, but these results are very preliminary due to small sample size. The results demonstrate the relevance of the newborn infants' readiness for phonetic learning for their emerging language skills. Phoneme extraction difficulties in infants at familial risk may contribute to the phonological deficits observed in dyslexia.

Event-related potentials to pitch and rise time change in children with reading disabilities and typically reading children.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether children with reading disabilities (RD) process rise time and pitch changes differently to control children as a function of the interval between two tones. METHODS: Children participated in passive oddball event-related potential (ERP) measurements using paired stimuli. Mismatch negativity (MMN), P3a and late discriminative negativity (LDN) responses to rise time and pitch changes were examined. RESULTS: Control children produced larger responses than children with RD to pitch change in the P3a component but only when the sounds in the pair were close to each other. Compared to children with RD, MMN was smaller and LDN larger in control children in response to rise time change when the sounds in the pair were further apart. The non-overlap in ERP measures between the groups was 40-50%. CONCLUSIONS: Problems in rapid processing of pitch change were reflected in a component associated with attention switching while amplitude envelope processing problems were reflected in components associated with stimulus detection or discrimination. SIGNIFICANCE: Children with RD process both rise time and pitch changes differently from control children thus providing evidence for the nature of amplitude envelope processing and rapid auditory processing deficits in dyslexia.

N1 and P2 components of auditory event-related potentials in children with and without reading disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of within stimulus presentation rate and rise time on basic auditory processing were investigated in children with reading disabilities and typically reading children. METHODS: Children with reading disabilities (RD; N=19) and control children (N=20) were studied using event-related potentials (ERPs). Paired stimuli were used with two different within-pair-intervals (WPI; 10 and 255 ms) and two different rise times (10 and 130 ms). Each stimulus was presented with equal probability and long between-pair inter-stimulus intervals (1-5s). The study focused on N1 and P2 components. RESULTS: The P2 responses to the first tone in the pair showed differences between children with RD and control children. Also, children with RD had larger N1 response than control children to stimuli with short WPI and long rise time. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for basic auditory processing abnormalities in children with RD. This processing difference could be related to extraction of stimulus features from sounds or to attentional mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show support for behavioral findings that children with RD and control children process rise times differently. More than half of children with RD showed atypical auditory processing.

Thalami and corona radiata in juvenile NCL (CLN3): a voxel-based morphometric study.

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3) is characterized by progressive cerebral atrophy. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the three-dimensional magnetic resonance (3D-MR) images of patients with CLN3 using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to achieve a detailed understanding of the affected brain regions. T1-weighted 3D-MR images of 15 patients with CLN3 (age range: 12-25 years, mean age 17.6 years) and 15 age- and sex-matched controls were analyzed using VBM. VBM showed strikingly focal alterations in the brains of CLN3 patients: the gray matter volume was significantly decreased in the dorsomedial part of the thalami of CLN3 patients. In addition, the volume of the white matter was significantly decreased in the corona radiata, containing cortical efferents and afferents in the transition between the internal capsule and the subcortical white matter. These data suggest that the dorsomedial part of the thalamus and the corona radiata may have a central, previously unrecognized role in the pathogenesis of CLN3.

Trends in work disability with mental diagnoses among social workers in Finland and Sweden in 2005-2012.

Aims Social workers report high levels of stress and have an increased risk for hospitalisation with mental diagnoses. However, it is not known whether the risk of work disability with mental diagnoses is higher among social workers compared with other human service professionals. We analysed trends in work disability (sickness absence and disability pension) with mental diagnoses and return to work (RTW) in 2005-2012 among social workers in Finland and Sweden, comparing with such trends in preschool teachers, special education teachers and psychologists. METHODS: Records of work disability (>14 days) with mental diagnoses (ICD-10 codes F00-F99) from nationwide health registers were linked to two prospective cohort projects: the Finnish Public Sector study, years 2005-2011 and the Insurance Medicine All Sweden database, years 2005-2012. The Finnish sample comprised 4849 employees and the Swedish 119 219 employees covering four occupations: social workers (Finland 1155/Sweden 23 704), preschool teachers (2419/74 785), special education teachers (832/14 004) and psychologists (443/6726). The reference occupations were comparable regarding educational level. Risk of work disability was analysed with negative binomial regression and RTW with Cox proportional hazards. RESULTS: Social workers in Finland and Sweden had a higher risk of work disability with mental diagnoses compared with preschool teachers and special education teachers (rate ratios (RR) 1.43-1.91), after adjustment for age and sex. In Sweden, but not in Finland, social workers also had higher work disability risk than psychologists (RR 1.52; 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.81). In Sweden, in the final model special education teachers had a 9% higher probability RTW than social workers. In Sweden, in the final model the risks for work disability with depression diagnoses and stress-related disorder diagnoses were similar to the risk with all mental diagnoses (RR 1.40-1.77), and the probability of RTW was 6% higher in preschool teachers after work disability with depression diagnoses and 9% higher in special education teachers after work disability with stress-related disorder diagnoses compared with social workers. CONCLUSION: Social workers appear to be at a greater risk of work disability with mental diagnoses compared with other human service professionals in Finland and Sweden. It remains to be studied whether the higher risk is due to selection of vulnerable employees to social work or the effect of work-related stress in social work. Further studies should focus on these mechanisms and the risk of work disability with mental diagnoses among human service professionals.

Detection of sound rise time by adults with dyslexia.

Low sensitivity to amplitude modulated (AM) sounds is reported to be associated with dyslexia. An important aspect of amplitude modulation cycles are the rise and fall times within the sound. In this study, simplified stimuli equivalent to just one cycle were used and sensitivity to varying rise times was explored. Adult participants with dyslexia or compensated dyslexia and a control group performed a detection task with sound pairs of different rise times. Results showed that the participants with dyslexia differed from the control group in rise time detection and a correlation was found between rise time detection and reading and phonological skills. A subgroup of participants with lower sensitivity to rise time detection characterized by low accuracy in syllable-level phonological skills was found within the dyslexic group. Short stimuli containing only one rise time produced associations with phonological skills and reading, even in a language where the perception of rise time contrasts are not crucial for the signaling of phonemic contrast.

Recessive and dominant genes interfere with the vascular transport of Potato virus A in diploid potatoes.

Resistance to Potato virus A (PVA) was examined in a diploid cross involving Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena as a resistance source. Hypersensitive resistance (HR) to PVA cosegregated with extreme resistance (ER) to Potato virus Y conferred by the dominant gene Ry(adg) on chromosome XI. Hence, HR to PVA was controlled by a novel, dominant resistance gene closely linked to Ry(adg), or Ry(adg) recognized both viruses but conferred a different type of resistance to each virus. The HR prevented systemic infection with PVA following mechanical inoculation but not following graft inoculation. Another, recessive gene, ra, that may be linked or even allelic with Ry(adg) fully blocked vascular transport of PVA in graft-inoculated plants. Hence, a possibility exists that the genes for the three types of resistance to potyviruses may reside at the same, resistance gene-rich chromosome region syntenic in solanaceous species and might be related. The gene ra acted against all of the three PVA strains tested and, therefore, the avirulence determinants could not be mapped. However, also, PVA strain-specific resistance was found in the progeny. It was overcome by mutations introduced into the viral genome-linked protein and the helper component proteinase and/or the coat protein.

Antidepressant treatment of depression in the Finnish general population.

OBJECTIVE: Antidepressant use has increased in the last decade, but whether depression continues to be undertreated is unknown. The authors investigated the prevalence of antidepressant treatment and its predictors in a recent general population sample of depressed subjects. METHOD: As part of the Finnish Health Care Survey, in 1996 a representative sample of Finns (N=5,993) aged 15-75 years underwent a standardized face-to-face interview that used the DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episode. RESULTS: Only 13% of subjects with a major depressive episode during the preceding 12 months (70 of 557) reported current use of an antidepressant. In logistic regression models, use of psychiatric services for depression, regular use of any other medication, more than 1 month of sick leave, and smoking were associated with antidepressant treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Most depressed subjects in 1996 in Finland were not receiving antidepressant treatment despite the several-fold increase in antidepressant use in the 1990s.

Energy cost minimization in left ventricular ejection: an optimal control model.

A new optimization model for explaining the observed left ventricular ejection patterns is presented. In the system model, arterial load is described by a modified windkessel load. The ejection pattern for a given cardiac output with fixed stroke volume and duration of ejection is predicted by minimizing a criterion that describes the total ventricular O2 consumption. The ejection patterns of the model closely resemble the observed ejection patterns. Also, the model predictions for changes in the values of the system parameters are qualitatively correct. The results strongly suggest that the control of ejection pattern satisfies the principle of energy cost minimization.

Cigarette smoking, alcohol intoxication and major depressive episode in a representative population sample.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the associations of cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication with major depressive episode. DESIGN: Major depressive episode during the past 12 months was assessed in a national representative cross sectional study using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). SUBJECTS: A random sample of 5993 non-institutionalised Finnish people aged 15-75 years was interviewed as a part of the 1996 Finnish Health Care Survey. RESULTS: In logistic regression models the factors associated with major depressive episode in the past 12 months were smoking 10 or more cigarettes daily (odds ratio (OR) 2.26; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 1.68, 3.04) and alcohol intoxication at least once a week (OR 2.99; 95%CI 1.70, 5.25). Their effects were independent of each other, and remained significant even after adjusting for other major risk factors (marital status, education, unemployment and chronic diseases). The attributable proportion (a measure of the impact of the risk factors of the disease on the population) for daily smoking of 10 or more cigarettes was 0.15, and for alcohol intoxication at least once a week 0.04. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication seem to be important risk factors for major depressive episode. In this population the impact of smoking was greater.

Optimal stroke volume in left-ventricular ejection.

Previous papers related to the recent concept of matching between the ventricle and arterial load have only dealt with the optimization of arterial load. Thus, stroke volumes predicted by the suggested models for an optimal arterial load have only been analyzed. In this paper, optimal value of stroke volume ejected against a given arterial load was studied, i.e., left-ventricular function was described by an optimization model. In the model, end-diastolic volume (Ved), the linear end-systolic pressure-volume relation, heart rate, and ejection time are given and arterial load is described by the three-element wind-kessel model. The cost function of the model takes into account two optimality criteria for ventricular function: energy economy and efficient response to an increase in Ved. The observed stroke volumes of isolated canine hearts (data from the literature) could be predicted quite accurately by the model. It was concluded that the left-ventricular response to a change in arterial load and Ved can be explained by an optimization model when contractility and heart rate are kept constant. The results also strongly suggest that energy economy and efficiency are essential features of left-ventricular function.

Determination of NH(3) in pyrolysis gases by ammonia selective electrode.

The suitability of ion-selective electrode for the determination of ammonia in pyrolysis gases of fossil fuels was studied. The ammonia was absorbed into acidic solution and two kinds of determination methods were carried out. The ammonia was either measured directly from the acid solution, or ammonia was first released into the gas phase and then determined (air gap method) by the ammonia selective electrode. The electrode functioned well in both cases, but the linear calibration range was rather narrow, slightly more than one tenfold. The quantitative detection limit in the water phase was 5 x 10(-6)M (0.085 ppm) NH(3) and in gas phase operation solutions above 5 x 10(-4)M (8.5 ppm) NH(3) it was possible to measure quantitatively. The applications were carried out with Finnish energy peat samples and a coal sample.

Effect of heavy weekend drinking on urinary dolichol levels.

The effect of acute heavy alcohol consumption on urinary dolichol levels was studied in 10 healthy volunteers during 2 separate weekends (48 hr). During one of the weekends the subjects received alcohol 5.5 g of per kg body weight in 4 different sessions. The other weekend was otherwise identical, but no alcohol was served. During the weekend when the subjects consumed alcohol, urinary dolichol levels began to rise significantly on the second day of the experiment reaching more than double of the baseline values 42 hours after the beginning of the experiment. During the control weekend, no such increase in urinary dolichol levels was observed. Thus, heavy drinking lasting more than one day is capable of increasing urinary dolichol levels.

Infant brain responses associated with reading-related skills before school and at school age.

INTRODUCTION: In Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia, we have investigated neurocognitive processes related to phonology and other risk factors of later reading problems. Here we review studies in which we have investigated whether dyslexic children with familial risk background would show atypical auditory/speech processing at birth, at six months and later before school and at school age as measured by brain event-related potentials (ERPs), and how infant ERPs are related to later pre-reading cognitive skills and literacy outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One half of the children came from families with at least one dyslexic parent (the at-risk group), while the other half belonged to the control group without any familial background of dyslexia. RESULTS: Early ERPs were correlated to kindergarten age phonological processing and letter-naming skills as well as phoneme duration perception, reading and writing skills at school age. The correlations were, in general, more consistent among at-risk children. Those at-risk children who became poor readers also differed from typical readers in the infant ERP measures at the group level. ERPs measured before school and at the 3rd grade also differed between dyslexic and typical readers. Further, speech perception at behavioural level differed between dyslexic and typical readers, but not in all dyslexic readers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest persisting developmental differences in the organization of the neural networks sub-serving auditory and speech perception, with cascading effects on later reading related skills, in children with familial background for dyslexia. However, atypical auditory/speech processing is not likely a sufficient reason by itself for dyslexia but rather one endophenotype or risk factor.

Gastrointestinal complaints among subjects with depressive symptoms in the general population.

BACKGROUND: Patients with depression have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) more often than do nondepressed patients, but the comorbidity of depression and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in the general population has received little study. AIM: To study the co-occurrence of depressive and GI symptoms in a general population sample and to assess the rate of health-care utilization particularly for GI reasons among subjects with depressive symptoms. METHODS: A questionnaire containing the Finnish version of the Beck Depression Inventory Short Form and questions covering GI symptoms according to Rome II criteria was mailed to 5000 randomly selected adults. RESULTS: Response rate was 73%. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 17% (95% CI: 15.7-18.2). Frequent abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, dyspepsia or IBS were present in 54% of those with depressive symptoms and in 29% of nondepressed controls (P < 0.0001). Of those with depressive symptoms, 24% had visited a physician at least once because of abdominal symptoms during the previous year, compared to 13% of controls (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are prevalent in the general population. They are associated with a high rate of GI symptoms, leading to increased use of health-care services and work absenteeism because of abdominal complaints.

Use of health services for major depressive and anxiety disorders in Finland.

Factors associated with people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) or anxiety disorders seeking or receiving treatment are not well known. In the Health 2000 Study, a representative sample (n=6005) of Finland's general adult (> or =30 years) population was interviewed with the M-CIDI for mental disorders and health service use for mental problems during the last 12 months. Predictors for service use among those with DSM-IV MDD (n=298) or anxiety disorders (n=242) were assessed. Of subjects with MDD, anxiety disorders, or both, 34%, 36%, and 59% used health services, respectively. Greater severity and perceived disability, psychiatric comorbidity, and living alone predicted health care use for MDD subjects, and greater perceived disability, psychiatric comorbidity, younger age, and parent's psychiatric problems for anxiety disorder subjects. The use of specialist-level mental health services was predicted by psychiatric comorbidity, but not characteristics of the disorders per se. Perceived disability and comorbidity are factors influencing the use of mental health services by both anxiety disorder and MDD subjects. However, still only approximately one-half of those suffering from even severe and comorbid disorders use health services for them.

Classification of plant somatic embryos by computer vision.

This article deals with the automation of the process of somatic embryogenesis for the propagation of plants. An important problem is the monitoring of the embryo production process in order to decide the time to start harvesting embryos for further processing. The classification algorithm development for somatic embryos of birch (Betula pendula Roth) showed that automated recognition of embryos at different developmental stages is possible. No globular stage embryos were classified to be heart or torpedo stage and no heart or torpedo stage embryos were classified to be at globular stage. Heart and torpedo stage embryos were classified into three developmental classes by a new index that describes the relation of embryo breadth to the length of the root. The probability of classifying a nonembryo as an embryo was less than 1%, and 14% of the object classified as embryos by a human expert were discarded by the algorithm. A computer vision system suitable for automated monitoring of samples from the bioreactor was constructed.

The 12-month prevalence and risk factors for major depressive episode in Finland: representative sample of 5993 adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the 12-month prevalence of major depressive episode and its risk factors in a representative nationwide sample. METHOD: A random sample of non-institutionalized Finnish individuals aged 15-75 years (N = 5993) was interviewed in 1996. Major depressive episode during the last 12 months was assessed using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). RESULTS: The population prevalence of major depressive episode was 9.3% [95% CI 8.5,10.0], and the age-adjusted prevalences for females and males were 10.9% [95% CI 9.7,12.0] and 7.2 [95% CI 6.2,8.2], respectively. In logistic regression analyses the factors associated with major depressive episode after adjustment for age were urban residency, smoking, alcohol intoxication and chronic medical conditions. In addition, being single and obese were found to be risk factors for males. CONCLUSION: The female to male risk ratio for major depressive episode was smaller than in many previous studies. The sex-specific risk factor associations warrant further investigation into sex differences in depression.