Understanding laterality disorders and the left-right organizer: Insights from zebrafish

Vital internal organs display a left-right (LR) asymmetric arrangement that is established during embryonic development. Disruption of this LR asymmetry-or laterality-can result in congenital organ malformations. Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a complete concordant reversal of internal organs that results in a low occurrence of clinical consequences. Situs ambiguous, which gives rise to Heterotaxy syndrome (HTX), is characterized by discordant development and arrangement of organs that is associated with a wide range of birth defects. The leading cause of health problems in HTX patients is a congenital heart malformation. Mutations identified in patients with laterality disorders implicate motile cilia in establishing LR asymmetry. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SIT and HTX are not fully understood. In several vertebrates, including mouse, frog and zebrafish, motile cilia located in a "left-right organizer" (LRO) trigger conserved signaling pathways that guide asymmetric organ development. Perturbation of LRO formation and/or function in animal models recapitulates organ malformations observed in SIT and HTX patients. This provides an opportunity to use these models to investigate the embryological origins of laterality disorders. The zebrafish embryo has emerged as an important model for investigating the earliest steps of LRO development. Here, we discuss clinical characteristics of human laterality disorders, and highlight experimental results from zebrafish that provide insights into LRO biology and advance our understanding of human laterality disorders.

Discovery and fine mapping of Rph28: a new gene conferring resistance to Puccinia hordei from wild barley

A new gene Rph28 conferring resistance to barley leaf rust was discovered and fine-mapped on chromosome 5H from wild barley. Leaf rust is a highly destructive disease of barley caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia hordei. Genetic resistance is considered to be the most effective, economical and eco-friendly approach to minimize losses caused by this disease. A study was undertaken to characterize and fine map a seedling resistance gene identified in a Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum-derived barley line, HEB-04-101, that is broadly effective against a diverse set of Australian P. hordei pathotypes. Genetic analysis of an F₃ population derived from a cross between HEB-04-101 and the H. vulgare cultivar Flagship (seedling susceptible) confirmed the presence of a single dominant gene for resistance in HEB-04-101. Selective genotyping was performed on representative plants from non-segregating homozygous resistant and homozygous susceptible F₃ families using the targeted genotyping-by-sequencing (tGBS) assay. Putatively linked SNP markers with complete fixation were identified on the long arm of chromosome 5H spanning a physical interval between 622 and 669 Mb based on the 2017 Morex barley reference genome assembly. Several CAPS (cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences) markers were designed from the pseudomolecule sequence of the Morex assembly (v1.0 and v2.0), and 16 polymorphic markers were able to delineate the RphHEB locus to a 0.05 cM genetic interval spanning 98.6 kb. Based on its effectiveness and wild origin, RphHEB is distinct from all other designated Rph genes located on chromosome 5H and therefore the new locus symbol Rph28 is recommended for RphHEB in accordance with the rules and cataloguing system of barley gene nomenclature.

Identification of New QTL Contributing to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) Resistance in Wheat

Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is a major virus disease which dramatically reduces wheat yield. Introducing BYD resistance genes into commercial varieties has been proven to be effective in reducing damage caused by barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). However, only one major resistance gene is readily deployable for breeding; Bdv2 derived from Thinopyrum intermedium is deployed as a chromosomal translocation. In this study, a double haploid (DH) population was developed from a cross between XuBYDV (introduced from China showing very good resistance to BYD) and H-120 (a BYD-sensitive Chinese accession), and was used to identify QTL for BYD resistance. The population was genotyped using an Infinium iSelect bead chip array targeting 90K gene-based SNPs. The disease resistance of DH lines inoculated with BYDV was assessed at the heading stage. The infections were assessed by tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA). Three new QTL were identified on chromosomes 5A, 6A, and 7A for both symptom and TBIA, with all three resistance alleles being inherited from XuBYDV. Some DH lines with the resistance alleles from all three QTL showed high level resistance to BYD. These new QTL will be useful in breeding programs for pyramiding BYD resistance genes.

Systematic review: is ingestion of paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs associated with exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease?

AIM

To examine the published evidence on the association between paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and relapse in inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS

Medline searches were performed till June 2004 and Embase till April 2003. Abstracts published in Gut and Gastroenterology from 1999 to 2004 were hand-searched. Twenty-nine relevant abstracts and papers were identified.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients with relapse of inflammatory bowel disease following exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been described in case-reports. Four patients were re-exposed to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and relapsed again. Two had relapsed after taking a cyclo-oxygenase 2 inhibitor. One study described increased inflammatory activity and clinical relapse in some patients after challenge with naproxen or nabumetone. Fifteen epidemiological studies were identified. All had small sample sizes and many had methodological problems. Six studies found evidence for an association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and relapse of inflammatory bowel disease, but the association was significant in only two. Three studies suggested a relationship between paracetamol use and exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may precipitate a relapse in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This may be an idiosyncratic reaction. The published evidence does not support the view that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are important in inducing relapse of inflammatory bowel disease. There is weak evidence that paracetamol may be more important.

Activated eosinophils upregulate the metastasis suppressor molecule E-cadherin on prostate tumor cells

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) play an important role in cancer metastasis by facilitating attachment to vascular endothelia, invasion and spread into secondary tissue sites. We have shown that activated eosinophils (EosA) inhibited the growth of prostate cancer (Pca) cells in vitro. In the present study, we examined the ability of EosA 24 hr conditioned supernatants (EosAcs) to modulate the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, ELAM-1, E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression on human Pca cell lines, Du-145 and PC-3 by flow cytometry. TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-12 were also evaluated. ICAM-1, expressed on PC-3 and DU 145 cells, was enhanced by TNF-alpha and IL-10. ELAM-1 was present on DU 145 cells but absent on PC-3. TNF-alpha and IL-10 enhanced ELAM-1 on DU 145, but EosA 24 hr supematants failed to do so. All three cytokines, namely IL-10, IL-12 and TNF-alpha-induced ELAM-1 on PC-3 tumor cells. Although VCAM-1 was absent on DU 145 and PC-3 cells, it was expressed on DU-145 cells after exposure to EosA: tumor cell co-cultures, and was expressed on PC-3 following exposure to IL-10 and IL-12. N-cadherin and E-cadherin were both expressed on DU-145. While N-cadherin was expressed on PC-3 cells, E-cadherin was not. N-cadherin was enhanced on DU-145 and PC-3 cells following exposure to EosA co-culture and upregulated on PC-3 by IL-10 and EosA 24 hr supernatants, but decreased by IL-12. E-cadherin was up-regulated on DU 145 cells following co-culture with EosA and was induced on PC-3 by IL-10 and IL-12, but not by EosA co-culture and 24 hr supematants. In conclusion, inflammatory and non-inflammatory cytokines modulate CAM expression on Pca cells; EosA and EosA 24 hr supernatants also exerted modulatory activity of CAM expression. Most significantly, the metastasis suppressor molecule, E-cadherin was enhanced on DU 145 cells by EosA and induced on PC-3 by IL-10 and IL-12 both of which are produced by EosA. This suggests potential use of these cytokines in immunotherapeutic strategies for prostate cancer and its metastasis.

Eosinophils in a tri-cell multicellular tumor spheroid (MTS)/endothelium complex

Eosinophils have been found in infiltrates of many different cancers. It is still unclear as to whether they are passive bystanders in the cellular milieu or active cellular agents in host responses. Thus their harmful or helpful nature remains equivocal. We have developed an in vitro tri-cell model of eosinophils, MCF-7 breast tumor cell spheroids and HUVEC endothelial cells to examine the binding and association of eosinophils with both the tumor and the endothelia and the ensuing action of the tumor. Eosinophils bound very rapidly to the tumor spheroid and remained tightly bound throughout the 24 hr culture period. Histological staining of the tri-cell complex revealed highly granulated eosinophils as well as large amounts of degranulated protein diffused throughout the spheroid. IL-5 treatment of eosinophil: MTS complexes resulted in destruction of the tumor cells, particularly those which had grown out from the spheroid onto the endothelial cells. Eosinophils, pretreated with IL-5 before interaction with the tumor or endothelial cells, bound aggressively to the endothelial cells, thereby preventing tumor attachment. This eosinophil tri-cell tumor model system mimics clinical observations with regards to binding to epithelial and endothelial cells, dispersal of granular proteins throughout the tumor and also tumor destruction. Because it closely mirrors in vivo cellular interactions, it allows one to study more closely the mechanism(s) of eosinophil killing, the modulation of eosinophil activity and the testing of therapeutic interventions. The accommodation of the model to tumor invasion, using metastatic tumor cells and extracellular matrices such as matrigel, will help to elucidate a role for eosinophils (and their mediators) in cancer invasion and metastasis.

To tell or not to tell: barriers and facilitators in family communication about genetic risk

Communication about genetic risk in families is an important issue for genetic counsellors. The objective of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators in family communication about genetic risk. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with patients in the Northeast of Scotland who had attended genetic counselling for risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Huntington's disease, and with some spouses/partners. The interviews confirmed that the issue of disclosure was a problem for some, and that there were generic communication issues common to both groups. Telling family members about genetic risk was generally seen as a family responsibility and family structures, dynamics and 'rules' influenced disclosure decisions. A sense of responsibility towards younger generations was also important. The level of certainty felt by a person in relation to his or her own risk estimate also influenced what he or she could tell other family members. Communication within a family about genetic risk is a complex issue and is influenced by both pre-existing familial and cultural factors and individuals' responses to risk information. If genetic counsellors understood how these factors operate in individual families they might be able to identify effective strategies to promote considered decisions and prevent unnecessary emotional distress.

Interstitial nephritis, hepatic failure, and systemic eosinophilia after minocycline treatment

This report describes a 15-year-old white boy who presented with fever, back pain, a disseminated exanthematous rash, renal failure, and hepatopathy 3 weeks after the initiation of oral minocycline therapy for facial acne. Marked peripheral and urine eosinophilia were noted. A bone marrow aspiration showed more than 50% eosinophils without any evidence of malignancy, and a simultaneous kidney biopsy showed acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). The patient's symptoms and laboratory findings improved after high-dose steroid therapy was initiated, worsened when it was withheld, and improved again after it was reinitiated in view of the biopsy findings. The patient recovered completely, and steroids were tapered to discontinuation over 3 months. Over a year later, the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured for 2 weeks in the presence or absence of minocycline ex vivo, and minocycline was found to induce the emergence of CD4(+) cells after 1 week in culture. In conclusion, this article shows for the first time several new aspects of minocycline-induced morbidity: renal and hepatic failure can occur together, and AIN and elevated blood eosinophil counts can be accompanied by marked bone marrow eosinophilia, suggesting a systemic allergic response as the underlying pathomechanism. Furthermore, the initial phase of such a response appears to involve CD4(+) T cells detectable ex vivo. Lastly, high-dose treatment with corticosteroids appears to be beneficial in this setting.

Daclizumab (Zenapax) inhibits early interleukin-2 receptor signal transduction events

Daclizumab, a humanized antibody against the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (R) alpha-chain, is a promising new immunosuppressant in transplantation. As its exact mechanism of action has remained unclear, we examined its short-term effects on primary human T lymphocytes expressing the high-affinity IL-2R. Daclizumab exposure for 20 min neither affected T cell viability nor their surface expression of the IL-2R alpha-, beta-, or gamma-chains. However, after IL-2 stimulation (200 U/ml, 20 min), immunoblots of cell lysates demonstrated attenuation of the IL-2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of 65-75 kDa proteins by Daclizumab, but not by isotype controls. Since this is the molecular weight of the IL-2R beta- and gamma-chains, which are both tyrosine-phosphorylated by IL-2, we next examined the effect of Daclizumab on their IL-2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. In immunoblots of IL-2R beta- and gamma-chain-immunoprecipitates the tyrosine phosphorylation of both chains by IL-2, but not by IL-15, was attenuated in the presence of Daclizumab. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that Daclizumab inhibited the IL-2-induced association of these chains, a prerequisite for their mutual tyrosine phosphorylation. Lastly, we demonstrated that Daclizumab inhibits the receptor-downstream induction of the IL-2-activated DNA-binding protein STAT5 in gel shift assays. We conclude that Daclizumab directly and specifically interferes with IL-2 signaling at the receptor level by inhibiting the association and subsequent phosphorylation of the IL-2R beta- and gamma-chains induced by ligand binding. Under our experimental conditions, Daclizumab had no effects on cell viability, and it did not modulate the surface expression of the IL-2R alpha-, beta-, or gamma-chains.

The association between osteopenia and periodontal attachment loss in older women

BACKGROUND

Recent research suggests that osteopenia may be a predisposing factor for periodontal tissue destruction. If so, then a relationship should exist between measures of systemic bone mineral density and periodontal tissue destruction. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between systemic bone mineral density and the clinical signs of periodontal tissue destruction in a large population of elderly dentate women.

METHODS

A total of 292 dentate women (average age 75.5 years) were randomly selected for a cross-sectional periodontal substudy from participants at the Pittsburgh Field Center of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), a prospective study of a cohort of elderly women (age > or =65 years at baseline) to determine risk factors for fractures. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using single photon absorptiometry (radius, calcaneus) and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (hip, spine). Oral health examinations, including periodontal probings and an assessment of bleeding on probing, were made using an NIDR probe at 3 buccal sites of all teeth. Multiple regression models were used to assess the association between bone mineral density and measures of periodontal disease status while controlling for potential confounders. Periodontal status variables examined included: average loss of periodontal attachment (LOA); number of sites with at least 4 mm LOA; number of sites with at least 6 mm LOA; number of sites with bleeding on probing; and deepest probing depth per person.

RESULTS

This study found no statistically significant association between the 5 indicators of periodontal disease and measures of systemic BMD at 8 anatomic sites after controlling for age, smoking, and number of remaining natural teeth. Some suggestive findings support a weak association between generalized osteopenia and periodontal disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic osteopenia is, at best, only a weak risk factor for periodontal disease in older non-black women.

Feature analysis of segmental errors in children with phonological disorders

There has been a longstanding controversy about the existence, nature, and differentiation of developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), leading to numerous investigations of characteristics that define this articulatory disorder. An analysis of substitutions relative to target sounds led Thoonen, Maassen, Gabreëls, and Schreuder (1994) to conclude that children with DAS show a pattern of feature retention in their error productions that contrasted with that of children with normal articulation. This pattern, in which place of articulation was retained in the substituted sound less frequently than manner of production or voicing, was considered by Thoonen et al. to be of diagnostic significance. The current research re-examines this claim by comparing the retention patterns obtained by Thoonen et al. for children suspected of having DAS to patterns for children suspected of having a phonological disorder. An examination of substitutions used by 20 children who were diagnosed with and treated for phonological disorders demonstrated the same pattern of feature retention that was described for children with DAS. The results of this study showed that voicing is maintained most frequently; manner of production is the next most retained feature; and place of articulation is the feature that is retained least often when a substitute is used for a sound that isn't produced correctly. In a second analysis, this pattern of feature retention was compared to children's phonological knowledge as indexed by percent correct underlying representation (PCUR). Contrary to the findings of Thoonen et al., however, the present work found an inverse relationship between retention of place and phonological knowledge. Children with greater phonological knowledge retained place less often than children with more limited phonetic inventories. These patterns of feature retention may be representative of specific development sequences that occur during phonological acquisition.

Dynamic aspects of lower lip movement in parkinsonian and neurologically normal geriatric speakers' production of stress

Lower lip+jaw movement was evaluated for parkinsonian dysarthric and age-matched, neurologically normal speakers during the production of alternating stress contrasts. Discrete measures of movement, including displacement amplitude, peak velocity, the relation of amplitude to peak velocity, and movement durations were compared across groups for stressed and unstressed syllables. Additionally, quantitative (parameter c and the ratio of acceleration to deceleration) and qualitative indices of dynamic characteristics of velocity profiles for lower lip+jaw opening and closing gestures were compared across the subject groups. Within the dysarthric group, the relation between each discrete and dynamic kinematic parameter and the perceived severity of the dysarthria was investigated. The discrete measures confirmed previous findings of reduced displacement and peak velocity for the parkinsonian speakers during opening and closing gestures for both the stressed and unstressed syllables. However, the relation between amplitude and velocity did not differ for the two subject groups for any gesture. Movement durations were equivalent for the two groups during the production of opening gestures, but were significantly shorter for the parkinsonian speakers during closing gestures. Quantitative indices of the velocity profiles also failed to differentiate between the subject groups or between dysarthric speakers as a function of severity. By contrast, the qualitative descriptions of the velocity profiles showed between-speaker differences that were more pronounced for subjects with more severe dysarthria. These qualitative differences were evident in opening gestures toward an unstressed vowel, only.

Spectral analysis of target-appropriate /t/ and /k/ produced by phonologically disordered and normally articulating children

Previous research (Forrest, Weismer, Hodge, Dinnsen and Elbert, 1990) has shown that some phonologically disordered children differentially mark seemingly homophonous phonemes; however, the resulting contrast may be spectrally distinct from that produced by normally articulating children of the same age. In the present investigation possible sources for these differences between normally articulating and phonologically disordered children's productions of target-appropriate phonemes were pursued. Spectral characteristics of seemingly correct productions of /t/ and /k/ in word-initial position were analysed for four normally articulating and seven phonologically disordered children to assess the effect of recency of acquisition, depth of knowledge of the contrast and/or the effect of a phonological disorder on accuracy and variability of production. Results revealed that children who had acquired the velar-alveolar contrast more recently, and who had incomplete knowledge of that contrast, produced target-appropriate /t/ and /k/ differently from their normally articulating peers and other phonologically disordered children with greater knowledge of the contrast. Further, the phonologically disordered children with incomplete knowledge of the velar-alveolar contrast were less variable than the other phonologically disordered or normally articulating children in the spectral characteristics across repeated productions. Analysis of the spectral characteristics of word-initial /t/ and /k/ at a later point in time indicated similarities between all speaker groups in the spectral parameters that distinguished the velar from the alveolar stop. However, the stability of these parameters across repeated productions decreased for the phonologically disordered children with greater knowledge of the contrast. These effects are related to motor skill development and found to be consistent with previously demonstrated patterns of skill acquisition.

Listeners' familiarity and perception of an idiosyncratic phonologic pattern

Idiosyncratic production of [l] for target /j/ (for example, production of the word "less" for "yes") was observed in a phonologically impaired preschooler. Recordings of his apparently homonymous productions of minimal pairs contrasting /j/ and /l/ were presented in random order to the child's mother and to five adult listeners who were unfamiliar with the child. No difference was seen across the listeners in their ability to identify target /l/ words. The child's mother, however, correctly identified /j/ targets more frequently than did unfamiliar listeners suggesting that familiarity enhances one's ability to decode idiosyncratic phonologic error patterns.

Readability of commercial and generic contraceptive instructions

This study describes the readability levels of written instructions for methods of contraception. Materials studied include patient package inserts (PPIs) from commercial manufacturers and generic instructions (GIs) written by staff members in selected health agencies in the community and by health information publishers. Written materials were analyzed using Dale-Chall, Fry, Fog, Flesh, Flesch-Kincaid and SMOG formulas for readability. Readability levels ranged from elementary school (grade 5.5) to college (grade 13.6). Required comprehension levels of the PPIs were higher than those of the GIs for three of the four groups of contraceptives studied (diaphragms, pills, condoms).

Readability of commercial versus generic health instructions for condoms

Despite the fact that condoms are increasingly recommended for the prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and have long been used as a barrier method of contraception, little is known about the readability of the range of materials that have been written exclusively for consumers on how to use a condom. The authors described and compared the reading comprehension levels of condom patient package inserts (PPIs) prepared commercially and those generic instructions (GIs) prepared by health care providers. Fifteen sets of PPIs and 30 sets of GIs were analyzed using six standard readability formulas (Fry, Fog, Dale-Chall, Flesch, Flesch-Kincaid, SMOG). Readability levels of the instructions ranged from grade 6.3 to 13.7. The PPIs required a significantly higher grade level for comprehension (mean 10.32) than the GIs (mean 8.69). This study suggests that instructions prepared by both sources may require a reading level above that of many consumers who need information on how to use a condom.

A study of the vaginal contraceptive sponge used with and without the fertility awareness method

The actual effectiveness rates of natural and barrier methods of family planning are lower than the theoretical ones. If couples accurately defined the limits of the fertile phase and used barriers at that time, then actual effectiveness might increase. A randomized, controlled clinical trial was initiated to determine the effectiveness of the contraceptive sponge used only during the fertile time and to compare this with sponge use at every intercourse. Recruitment problems and discontinuation forced the early termination of this study, but qualitative information about compliance and acceptability was collected. Common sponge problems were reported as were misuses of the sponge, but problems and misuse were not related. Determination of the fertile phase was reportedly easy, but complaints of and discontinuation for inconvenience occurred. For unplanned pregnancies, contraceptive behaviors around the time of conception are presented.

Age of cow and age of dam effects on milk production of Hereford cows

Milk production in Hereford cows was studied utilizing 2,487 lactation records on 926 cows. Data were collected over 17 yr (1968 to 1984) from two related herds. Estimates of daily milk yield were obtained at bimonthly intervals by the calf suckling technique. The sum of three monthly measures (TMY), a predicted sum of seven monthly observations (PMY) and 205-d weight of the calf were studied. Year, age of cow, age of dam at cow's birth and calf birth weight affected (P less than .05) all traits. Birth weight affected all measures of milk, with heavier calves obtaining more milk. Age of cow effects were significantly curvilinear, with PMY and TMY increasing for cows from 2 to 5 yr of age, but not differing for cows 6 yr and older. Age of cow effects on 205-d weight were similar to those for milk. As age of cow increased from 2 to 4 yr, 205-d calf weight increased. A leveling off in 205-d weight was observed for calves of cows 5 yr and older. Effects of age of dam of cow also were significant for all milk traits studied. As age of dam increased, PMY and TMY decreased. Highest milk yields were for cows born to and reared by 2-yr-old dams, intermediate milk yields for those by 3- and 4-yr-old dams and lowest yields by daughters of mature dams. Cows born to and reared by older dams produced less milk and weaned lighter calves. There were no interactions between age of cow and age of dam. This suggests a lasting detrimental effect of older cows on lactation yield of daughters. Thus, it appears that age of dam should be considered in evaluation of cow performance.

Evaluation of the clinical performance of three triphasic oral contraceptives: a multicenter, randomized comparative trial

Three hundred thirteen women participated in an open, multicenter comparison of the incidence of intermenstrual bleeding (breakthrough bleeding and or spotting) associated with the use of three triphasic oral contraceptives. Triphasil (n = 107), containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 (n = 97) and Tri-Norinyl (n = 109), both of which contain norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol, were administered over four cycles for a total of 1141 cycles. The total incidence of intermenstrual bleeding was significantly lower with Triphasil (17.2%) than with Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 (39.5%) or Tri-Norinyl (49.0%). The pattern remained the same when findings were analyzed cycle by cycle and for breakthrough bleeding and spotting separately. The incidence of other side effects was comparable for all regimens. Results of this study demonstrate superior cycle control with Triphasil compared with Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 and Tri-Norinyl during the first four cycles of use.

Statistical analysis of word-initial voiceless obstruents: preliminary data

A statistical procedure for classifying word-initial voiceless obstruents is described. The data set to which the analysis was applied consisted of monosyllabic words starting with a voiceless obstruent. Each word was repeated six times in the carrier phrase "I can say again" by each of ten speakers. Fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), using a 20-ms Hamming window, were calculated every 10 ms from the onset of the obstruent through the third cycle of the following vowel. Each FFT was treated as a random probability distribution from which the first four moments (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis) were computed. Moments were calculated from linear and Bark transformed spectra. Data were pooled across vowel contexts for speakers of a given gender and input to a discriminant analysis. Using the moments calculated from the linear spectra, 92% of the voiceless stops were classified correctly when dynamic aspects of the stop were included. Even more important, the model constructed from the males' data correctly classified about 94% of the voiceless stops produced by the female speakers. Classification of the voiceless fricatives when all places of articulation were included in the analysis did not exceed 80% correct when the moments from either the linear or Bark transformed scales were used. However, classification of only the voiceless sibilants was 98% correct when the moments from the Bark transformed spectra were used. As with the stops, the classification model held across gender.

Men's reproductive health services in family planning settings: a pilot study

A 1984 pilot survey of administrators of 35 agencies offering family planning services revealed that all offered counseling/educational services for males, and 89 per cent offered medical/supply services for males. Nevertheless, total utilization of these services is low. Major barriers related to the provision of services to male clients are resource limitations, inadequate training, and negative or ambivalent staff attitudes; these factors may contribute to the discrepancy between service offering and utilization.