A cross-linguistic approach to treating speech sound disorders in bilingual children.

The present study explores generalisation of production skills across languages when treating speech sound disorders in bilingual children. Early work suggests that treating shared sounds across languages may facilitate cross-linguistic generalisation. Thus, selecting shared sounds across languages as targets may have clinical advantages. In this study, we asked if cross-linguistic generalisation can be facilitated for targets using shared sounds in bilingual children with phonological delays from Spanish (L1) into English (L2) when treating only the L1. Two Spanish-English bilingual children between the ages of 5;0-5;3 with speech sound disorders participated in an intervention with shared sounds as targets. Each child received two sessions per week of therapy that included both linguistically-based and motor-based approaches. Accuracy of targets was assessed within and across languages using a single-subject case design. Results show increased accuracy of targets and generalisation of sounds across languages when treatment was administered only in the L1. Specific growth varied per target and child. The implications affect how we select treatment targets in bilingual children. Future studies should explore additional ways to select targets to increase generalisation of skills and replicate with additional participants.

Isolation and Antifouling Activity of Azulene Derivatives from the Antarctic Gorgonian Acanthogorgia laxa.

Three azulenoid sesquiterpenes (1 - 3) were isolated from the Antarctic gorgonian Acanthogorgia laxa collected by bottom trawls at -343 m. Besides linderazulene (1), and the known ketolactone 2, a new brominated C16 linderazulene derivative (3) was also identified. This compound has an extra carbon atom at C(7) of the linderazulene framework. The antifouling activity of compounds 1 and 2 was assayed in the laboratory with Artemia salina larvae, and also in field tests, by incorporation in soluble-matrix experimental antifouling paints. The results obtained after a 45 days field trial of the paints, showed that compounds 1 and 2 displayed good antifouling potencies against a wide array of organisms. Compound 3, a benzylic bromide, was unstable and for this reason was not submitted to bioassays. Two known cembranolides: pukalide and epoxypukalide, were also identified as minor components of the extract.

Growth of the tropical zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) on reefs in northeastern Brazil.

In Brazilian reefs, zoanthids, especially Palythoa caribaeorum are fundamental for structuring the local benthic community. The objective of this study was to determine the growth rate of P. caribaeorum, and to assess the influence of the site (different beaches), season (dry and wet), location (intertidal or infralittoral zones), and human pressure associated with tourism. For one year we monitored the cover of P. caribaeorum in transects and focused on 20 colonies. We cut off a square (100 cm2) from the central part of the colony and monitored the bare area for four months in each season. The average growth rates varied from 0.015 and 0.021 cm.day(-1). The rate was homogeneous in all localities, and there was no influence from colony site, location, or touristic visitation, showing that the growth velocity may be an intrinsic characteristic of the species, with a strong genetic component. The growth rate of P. caribaeorum differed among months, and peaked in the first month after injury. The average cover varied from 6.2 to 22.9% and was lower on the reef visited by tourists. The present study corroborates the hypothesis that P. caribaeorum is important for coastal reef dynamics due to its fast and continuous growth.

Ethically Responsible Participant Selection in Research: A Viewpoint.

PURPOSE: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the profession of speech and hearing sciences. However, there exist significant discrepancies between the demographics of our members and the populations served. These discrepancies extend to the participants included within our research publications. This article addresses participant selection when conducting research investigations. First, we draw attention to standards of conduct that are present within and outside the field. Second, we highlight inequities that exist. We explore a case study as an example. Finally, we offer suggestions to help rectify the problem. CONCLUSIONS: Inequities at the level of participants' selection result in discrepant access to clinical services and evidence-based research for multilingual individuals; neurodiverse individuals; and Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. ASHA and researchers alike can show commitment to DEI by addressing this problem from multiple approaches.

Spanish-Speaking Mothers' Experiences of School-Based Speech Therapy.

PURPOSE: Spanish-speaking families are a growing population that speech-language pathologists must be prepared to work with. To provide culturally responsive intervention, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must understand the perspectives of Spanish-speaking caregivers when providing intervention. These values and experiences may differ from those of monolingual, mainstream culture. Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these experiences is also important. In this qualitative study, we explore the experiences of Spanish-speaking mothers whose children have received school-based speech-language intervention and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: We interviewed five Spanish-speaking mothers who were identified as having bilingual children who had or were currently receiving speech therapy, all through the public school system. The mothers participated in a semistructured interview to share their experiences with their children receiving intervention. We analyzed the transcripts through interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify salient themes among participants. All research team members reviewed and agreed upon themes to ensure credibility. RESULTS: The findings revealed six group experiential themes: (a) lack of services and frustration with and barriers to accessing services, (b) greater improvements in English compared with Spanish, (c) bilingual speech therapy has positive effects on children and Spanish-speaking mothers, (d) family involvement in speech therapy is highly important, (e) family stress related to speech difficulties, and (f) pandemic negatively impacted children's socialization and learning. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in the context of equity. Through understanding the experiences of Spanish-speaking mothers, SLPs can work to ensure service levels comparable with those of monolingual children and support bilingual acquisition.

Hydrocarbon composition of oils spilt on the Brazilian coast in 2019 and 2022.

The chemical composition of spilt oils from events that took place on the north-eastern coast of Brazil in 2019 and 2022 was investigated to better understand their sources, and post-spill processes. Oils from both events originated from different sources, based on their fingerprints, hydrocarbons composition and specific biomarkers, such as the C23 tricyclic terpane and oleanane. Despite the differences, the source rocks share similarities in paleoenvironments and depositional conditions and both oils suffered little weathering, mainly due to evaporation and dissolution. Our findings for 2019 spilt oil reinforce that it is a mixed product, enriched both in lighter n-alkanes and 25-norhopanes. Differently, the 2022 samples exhibited characteristics of a non-processed crude oil that originated from a paraffinic deposit in storage tanks. The molecular composition and diagnostic ratios reported for samples from these spill events help to establish baselines for ongoing monitoring of oil spills in marine ecosystems.

A Complexity Approach to Promoting Within- and Cross-Language Generalization in Bilingual Children With Phonological Delays.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of generalization when treating complex targets with shared sounds in Spanish for a 5-year-old Spanish-English bilingual child with a phonological delay. METHOD: Two complex clusters (/fl/ and /fɾ/) and one additional target (/l/) were chosen for treatment. Intervention sessions were held in Spanish over the course of 1 year on a weekly basis. The accuracy of the treated and untreated targets was monitored using a single-subject case design and was assessed using visual analysis. RESULTS: The accuracy of the production of treated targets increased upon administering the intervention. Accuracy also increased for untreated /fl/ targets in Spanish and English, /l/ in English, and untreated /fɾ/ clusters in Spanish. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that choosing complex targets consisting of shared sounds helps promote the generalization of skills within and across languages. Future studies should examine the outcomes of selecting additional forms of complex targets for bilingual children.

Prey selectivity of the octocoral Carijoa riisei at Pernambuco, Brazil.

This study was designed to evaluate prey selection (type and size) by the octocoral Carijoa riisei at Porto de Galinhas beach, Northeast Brazil, relating prey availability in plankton with the content inside polyps. Diatoms and cyanophytes were the predominant items found in both polyp gastric cavity and plankton. A correlation between prey abundance in the plankton and in the gastric cavity of C. riisei polyps was observed. Mastogloia sp. showed the highest positive electivity index (0.99). Benthonic items were found, with 0.51% of total consumed preys. The size amplitude of prey items in the plankton was similar to those found inside the polyps, although the mean prey size in the polyps (112.7 µm) was significantly lower than the value found in the plankton (240.5 µm). Thus, the study indicates some size selectivity in this species or at least size limitation. From the results, we concluded that the octocoral C. riisei is an opportunistic polyphagous species in the Brazilian northeast coast, showing suspensivorous passive filtering feeding habit with a preference for small prey items and evidencing its important ecological role in the reefal ecosystem as responsible for bidirectional energy transference between pelagic zones and the benthos.

Neospongodes atlantica, a potential case of an early biological introduction in the Southwestern Atlantic.

Soft corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) are discreet components in the Southwestern Atlantic reef communities. In Brazil, the native octocoral shallow-reef fauna is mostly represented by gorgonians. Consequently, except for the nephtheid Neospongodes atlantica, most of the known soft corals from this region are considered non-indigenous. Hitherto, the monotypic genus Neospongodes, which was proposed in the early 1900s, has been considered to be endemic to the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Herein, based on in situ records, we show that N. atlantica is a substrate generalist that has been probably expanding its distribution by dominating extensive shallow and mesophotic sandy and reef bottoms, generally outcompeting other reef benthic organisms, including Brazilian endemic species. Based on previously unidentified museum specimens, new records, and a broad literature review, we provide the most comprehensive modelling of the potential distribution of this species in the Southwestern Atlantic. Based on molecular inference supported by in-depth morphological analysis, the probable non-indigenous and, therefore, ancient introduction of N. atlantica in Brazilian waters is discussed. Finally, these results support that Neospongodes and the Indo-Pacific Stereonephthya are synonyms, which led us to propose the latter as taxonomically invalid.

The Prevalence of Suicidal Behaviour in Fibromyalgia Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition associated with chronic pain in muscles and soft tissues. Extant literature has demonstrated an association between FM, mood symptoms and suicidal behaviour. This systematic review aims to synthesize available literature assessing the prevalence of suicidality in FM populations and qualitatively review the included articles. METHODS: PsycINFO, Google Scholar and PubMed databases were systematically searched for studies published from database inception to 15 February 2020. Studies were included that assessed FM as a primary or co-primary disease condition, as well as an assessment of suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideations (SI), suicide attempts (SA) and death by suicide (SC)). The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: 699 unique articles were reviewed for eligibility. Data were derived from nine studies (cross-sectional: k = 5; retrospective cohort: k = 4) that assessed suicidal behaviour in FM participants (SI: k = 5, SC: k = 3, SA: k = 3). Four studies assessing SI found elevated rates of SI among FM participants. Three studies found elevated risk for SC and three studies found increased SA in FM participants relative to the general population. In two studies, this association was no longer significant after adjusting for depression and other psychiatric comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings suggest that FM is associated with significantly higher risks for SI, SA and SC compared to the general population. There may be unique risk factors underlying suicidal behaviour in FM patients and the interaction between FM and other known risk factors (i.e., mental illness) require further investigation.

Dolabellane Diterpenoids from the South Atlantic Gorgonian Convexella magelhaenica.

Two new dolabellane diterpenoids (1 and 2) were isolated from a small sample of the deep water gorgonian octocoral Convexella magelhaenica collected as a nontarget by-catch by dredging (-93 m) in commercial Patagonian scallop fishing grounds in the South Atlantic. The structures of the new compounds, which are major metabolites in the extract, were established by spectroscopic techniques and chemical transformations. Both compounds were cytotoxic against a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line at micromolar concentrations.

Black Corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the Southwestern Atlantic.

Black corals (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia) occur in all oceans of the globe, especially at depths greater than 50 m. However, their richness is underestimated due to the scarcity of studies on this group, especially in deep waters. The south Atlantic is one of the most depauperate regions in terms of our knowledge of antipatharians. Herein, we report 34 antipatharian species for the Southwestern Atlantic. Additionally, based on the examination of museum specimens, three species are new records in the Atlantic (Parantipathes laricides; Stichopathes paucispina and S. spiessi); and 17 had their distribution expanded, representing six families (Antipathidae, Cladopathidae, Leiopathidae, Myriopathidae, Schizopathidae and Stylopathidae). Additionally, the richness, distribution and associations of antipatharians are briefly discussed. An artificial key to South Atlantic antipatharians is included.

The Transcriptome of the Zoanthid Protopalythoa variabilis (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) Predicts a Basal Repertoire of Toxin-like and Venom-Auxiliary Polypeptides.

Protopalythoa is a zoanthid that, together with thousands of predominantly marine species, such as hydra, jellyfish, and sea anemones, composes the oldest eumetazoan phylum, i.e., the Cnidaria. Some of these species, such as sea wasps and sea anemones, are highly venomous organisms that can produce deadly toxins for preying, for defense or for territorial disputes. Despite the fact that hundreds of organic and polypeptide toxins have been characterized from sea anemones and jellyfish, practically nothing is known about the toxin repertoire in zoanthids. Here, based on a transcriptome analysis of the zoanthid Protopalythoa variabilis, numerous predicted polypeptides with canonical venom protein features are identified. These polypeptides comprise putative proteins from different toxin families: neurotoxic peptides, hemostatic and hemorrhagic toxins, membrane-active (pore-forming) proteins, protease inhibitors, mixed-function venom enzymes, and venom auxiliary proteins. The synthesis and functional analysis of two of these predicted toxin products, one related to the ShK/Aurelin family and the other to a recently discovered anthozoan toxin, displayed potent in vivo neurotoxicity that impaired swimming in larval zebrafish. Altogether, the complex array of venom-related transcripts that are identified in P. variabilis, some of which are first reported in Cnidaria, provides novel insight into the toxin distribution among species and might contribute to the understanding of composition and evolution of venom polypeptides in toxiferous animals.

Deep-water octocorals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) from Brazil: Family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883.

Current knowledge about the Brazilian deep-water octocoral fauna remains scarce, fragmented, and mostly based on unpublished, regional scale surveys. The present work provides the first comprehensive study of the family Chrysogorgidae Verrill, 1883 in Brazil, based on morphological analysis of specimens collected in the last decade and those currently placed in museums. Members of this family are common mainly at great depths and remarkable for the iridescent aspect of their colonies. In Brazil, to the present, only four species were reported: Chrysogorgia elegans (Verrill, 1883), Chrysogorgia multiflora Deichmann, 1936, Stephanogorgia rattoi Castro, Medeiros & Loiola, 2010 and Trichogorgia brasiliensis Castro, Medeiros & Loiola, 2010-the last two are shallow-water species. In this study, three new deep-water species are described, Chrysogorgia tuberculata, Chrysogorgia upsilonia and Radicipes kopelatos, and a new record to Brazil is reported, Chrysogorgia fewkesii Verrill, 1883, as well as latitudinal expansions in distributions of Chrysogorgia elegans and Chrysogorgia multiflora are presented.

Chemical and biological aspects of octocorals from the Brazilian coast

This review explores the chemical and biological aspects/results reported in the literature of the octocoral species collected at the Brazilian Coast. This article summarizes the biological activities (including pharmacological, antifouling and others related to chemical ecology) for the compounds and/or extracts described elsewhere. Data and references of compounds isolated from species belonging to the same genus, which have not been investigated in Brazil yet, are presented, emphasizing the importance for research in this area.

Dissociative experiences in children with abuse histories: a replication in Puerto Rico.

This study examined the use of a Spanish version of the Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC) in Puerto Rico. The CDC was administered to the primary caretakers of three groups of children: 31 with documented abuse histories, 30 with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 33 with no abuse or psychiatric record. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of the CDC and revealed that Puerto Rican children with abuse histories showed significantly higher levels of dissociation than the children in the other two groups. Moreover, more than half of the abused children had a score above the usual cut-off point of 12 in the CDC, while only a handful of the ADHD children and none in the control group evidenced such a pattern. The results also showed that there were significant correlations between the CDC and the duration of the abusive experiences. Implications of our findings and subsequent clinical recommendations are offered.

Avaliação da atividade antiinflamatória e analgésica do extrato bruto hidroalcoólico do zoantídeo Palythoa caribaeorum (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) / Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the crude hydroalcoholic extract of the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860)

O presente trabalho representa a primeira análise das atividades analgésica e antiinflamatória do extrato bruto hidroalcoólico do zoantídeo Palythoa caribaeorum. Foram realizados os testes de Writhing induzido por ácido acético (1 por cento, 10 mL.kg-1 i.p.) e da chapa quente em camundongos para avaliar o efeito analgésico; e o teste de edema de pata de rata induzido por carragenina para avaliar a atividade antiinflamatória. As análises evidenciaram atividade analgésica no teste de Writhing no grupo tratado com 200 mg.kg-1 v.o. de extrato, com uma inibição de 47,22 por cento do número de contorções abdominais ("Writhings"), revelando atividade estatisticamente significativa.

This work represents the first pharmacological analysis on the crude hydroalcoholic extract of Palythoa caribaeorum. The analgesic activity was assayed in acetic acid-induced writhing test and with the hot-plate test with mice; while the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in the rat. The analysis suggested an analgesic activity in the Writhing test on the group treated with the crude extract (200 mg.kg-1 v.o.) with an abdominal contortionÆs inhibition of 47,22 percent.