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Background: The soluble isoform of FcɛRI, the high‐affinity IgE receptor (sFcεRI), is a protein of the IgE network with poorly defined functions. Objective: To define cellular sources and signals that result in the production of human sFcεRI and study its in vivo functions. Methods: FcεRI‐transfected human cell lines (MelJuso), human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (moDCs), and murine bone marrow‐derived mast cells (MC) were stimulated by FcεRI cross‐linking and release of sFcεRI was analyzed (ELISA, Western Blot). Lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 1 degranulation assays and human basophil activation tests (BATs) were used to study IgE‐dependent activation. Recombinant sFcεRI (rsFcεRI) was used to assess its role in murine models of anaphylaxis with WT (wild‐type) and IgE−/− (IgE‐deficient) mice. Results: Antigen‐specific cross‐linking of IgE‐loaded FcɛRI on MelJuso cells that express the trimeric or tetrameric receptor isoform induced the production of sFcεRI. Using MCs and moDCs, we confirmed that IgE/FcɛRI activation induces sFcɛRI release. We demonstrated that generation of sFcɛRI requires Src phosphorylation and endo/lysosomal acidification. In experimental mouse models, sFcɛRI diminishes the severity of IgE‐mediated anaphylaxis. BATs confirmed that, comparable to the anti‐IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab, sFcɛRI is an inhibitor of the human innate IgE effector axis, implying that sFcɛRI and omalizumab potentially inhibit each other in vivo. Conclusion: sFcɛRI is produced after antigen‐specific IgE/FcɛRI‐mediated activation signals and functions as an endogenous inhibitor of IgE loading to FcɛRI and IgE‐mediated activation. Our results imply, therefore, that sFcɛRI contributes to a negative regulatory feedback loop that aims at preventing overshooting responses after IgE‐mediated immune activation. The soluble isoform of FcεRI, sFcεRI is released after antigen‐specific cross‐linking on monocyte‐derived dendritic cells and murine bone marrow‐derived mast cells, where Src phosphorylation and endo/lysosomal acidification are key events. Comparable to omalizumab, sFcεRI prevents IgE binding and activation on human basophils in vitro. In experimental mouse models, sFcεRI diminishes severity of IgE‐mediated anaphylaxis and decreases surface IgE on basophils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To monitor the trends in prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) by birthweight in Europe, 1980 to 2003.Method: Data were collated from 20 population-based registers contributing to the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe database. Trend analyses were conducted in four birthweight groups: <1000g (extremely low birthweight [ELBW]); 1000 to 1499g (very low birthweight [VLBW]); 1500 to 2499g (moderately low birthweight [MLBW]); and >2499g (normal birthweight [NBW]).Results: The overall prevalence of CP decreased from 1.90 to 1.77 per 1000 live births, p<0.001, with a mean annual fall of 0.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.3% to -1.0%). Prevalence in NBW children showed a non-significant trend from 1.17 to 0.89 per 1000 live births (p=0.22). Prevalence in MLBW children decreased from 8.5 to 6.2 per 1000 live births (p<0.001), but not linearly. Prevalence in VLBW children also declined from 70.9 to 35.9 per 1000 live births (p<0.001) with a mean annual fall of 3.4% (95% CI -2.4% to -4.3%). Prevalence in ELBW children remained stable, at a mean rate of 42.4 per 1000 live births.Interpretation: The decline in prevalence of CP in children of VLBW continues, and confirms that previously reported. For the first time, there is also a significant decline among those of MLBW, resulting in a significant overall decrease in the prevalence of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Speech and language therapy for young children who have motor disorders targets both the children themselves and their parents. Therapy for parents often involves training about communication and how to foster children's development. It Takes Two to Talk – The Hanen Program® for Parents has become popular in the UK, but has not been specifically evaluated for this client group. This study, which was part of a larger investigation of the acceptability and potential effects of the programme on the communication patterns of mothers and their young children with motor disorders, investigated therapists' experiences of providing the training in the National Health Service (NHS) and their views on its effectiveness. Methods Four focus groups, which involved 16 speech and language therapists who provide It Takes Two to Talk in NHS Trusts in England, were analysed using qualitative methods. Results The themes indicated that therapists perceived the training programme to be effective in helping parents to develop a facilitative communication style. Therapists reported secondary outcomes of positive changes in parents' confidence and in relationships between parents and their children and between parents and therapists. Barriers to the provision and success of the programme were thought to relate to resources, parents' apprehensions about the programme's content and delivery and support from key stakeholders. Barriers were seen to be minimized in services where other members of the healthcare teams actively supported the training programme and where the intervention was integrated as part of a care pathway. Conclusions The information from this study may assist service providers in the marketing, planning and delivery of new intervention methods, to ensure that they are seen as valuable and acceptable by parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. People who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) vary widely in their skills and communication needs. Interventions have been developed to meet different needs, but have met with varied success. Attempts to discover why interventions succeed or fail are hindered by the lack of detailed description of the research participants and the environments in which they communicate. This paper reviews the information commonly given about AAC research participants and presents guidelines for the description of people who use AAC, their conversation partners and their communicative environments. Method. Electronic databases were searched for AAC intervention research reports published between 1990 and 2004. Data on research participants and their communication environments were extracted from reviewed papers. Information given in published papers and variables known to affect communication were presented to an expert group. A modified Nominal Group technique was used to decide what information should be reported in AAC intervention research. Results. Guidelines for participant description that link with the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health were developed from the results of the nominal group. Conclusions. Detailed information is needed to demonstrate efficacy of AAC interventions. Guidelines for participant description are presented and discussion of their utility is now needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with cerebral palsy and severe speech disorders have been described as passive communicators, whose conversation partners control and dominate interaction. This paper studies the effects of speech intelligibility on interaction between mothers and their children with cerebral palsy to examine if similar patterns of child passivity and adult domination are also observed in dyads in which children are physically dependent but naturally intelligible to their parents. Two groups, each of 20 children who had four-limb cerebral palsy and who differed in their speech intelligibility, participated in the study. Children in Group 1 (whose interaction has been previously reported) were unintelligible to their parents out of context. Children in Group 2 had speech that was understood without situational cues. Children and their mothers were videotaped playing with a set of toys that had been shown to elicit from non-disabled children a full range of the conversational moves and speech acts targeted in the study. Videotaped interaction was transcribed and coded at three levels to show conversation structure, the pragmatic functions expressed and the method of communication used. Percentage distribution of coding categories was compared across groups using coda. Results showed that verbally intelligible children initiated more conversations and used their communication for a wider range of functions than did non-speaking children, for whom more restricted patterns of conversation were noted. Unexpectedly, few differences were observed between the two groups of mothers, who initiated and closed most exchanges. Implications for intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the interaction between mothers and their severely physically disabled children who have motor speech disorders. The study was designed to partially replicate previous investigations, most notably those undertaken by Light et al., to examine if the patterns of conversation previously described were observed in interaction involving children of a wide age range. Twenty children who had four-limb cerebral palsy, with no diagnosed learning difficulties or sensory impairments, and who were between 2 and 10 years of age inclusive participated in the research with their mothers. Children's speech was unintelligible to their parents out of context and most had been provided with aided communication systems. Other carers were excluded from the research due to possible differences in interaction style. Conversation between mothers and children was videotaped in a standard play situation. The toys used to stimulate interaction had been shown to elicit the full range of communication skills targeted in the present study from nondisabled children. Videotaped interaction was coded to show the structure of conversation and the functions used. The mode of communication used by the children was also recorded. In addition, communicative functions were elicited from the children in a semi-scripted conversation with a clinician developed from that used by Light et al. Structural moves and communicative functions used by mothers and children were examined using mean proportions. Sequential analysis of mother-child interaction was also undertaken at both levels to investigate the patterns that recurred in conversation. Results support those obtained in previous studies, showing restricted conversation patterns and high levels of maternal directiveness. Mothers initiated most communicative exchanges, asking many questions and issuing many requests for attention, objects or activities. Children across the age range produced more response moves than any other move type. Their responses contained yes/no answers and acknowledgements, and to a lesser extent provisions of information. When children did produce communicative functions other than simple confirmation, denials and acknowledgements, they were often not fully understood and were followed by requests for clarification by the mothers. Children produced a wider range of communicative functions in the semi-scripted elicitation conversation with the clinician than in conversation with their mothers (z=3.52, p=0.0002). The results obtained support those of previous research and suggest that interaction for children with severe motor and speech impairments becomes 'fossilized', changing little throughout childhood. Findings support the two-pronged approach to intervention for children using augmentative communication systems that is now developing. Intervention should focus not only on the children, teaching them how to use their augmentative systems and to produce a full range of conversation skills, but also should focus on their carers. Training for carers aims to increase their interaction skills, teaching them how to facilitate and expand children's communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of communication skills assessments for two groups of 20 children who had four-limb cerebral palsy. Group 1 children were unintelligible out of context, group 2 children were intelligible to their parents. The pragmatic functions used by children in conversation with their mothers and during a semi-structured communication skills assessment were compared. Children in group 1 produced more functions of communication in the scripted assessment than in conversation with their mothers. No clear difference was observed for children whose speech was intelligible without contextual cues. The implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the cases of chronic motion sickness. Numerous investigators have studied the general problem of motion sickness. Many of these workers have, for obvious reasons, recently directed their efforts toward obtaining an understanding and control of seasickness. On this latter question certain writers have estimated that approximately 40 per cent of a given population would, if at sea, develop seasickness. The procedure utilized was as follows. During the routine neuro-psychiatric and psychological interview each naval recruit, in consecutive order, was queried about any history of motion sickness. This questioning was continued until 100 cases of chronic motion sickness had been clearly identified. All cases showing isolated instances of illness when in motion were excluded from consideration. Thus only those yielding evidence of frequent and relatively severe illness when in some type or types of conveyance are included in this study. In practically all of these 100 cases vomiting and other gastro-intestinal symptoms accompanied the traditional picture of general malaise

This article presents information on a study on a state's contribution to American men of science. This study, based upon a questionnaire mailed to the 24,278 members of the 1922-23 "Who's Who in America," revealed that the majority of these notables of the 1920-30 decade were fathered by minority elements in the nation's population. In fact, seventy percent were fathered by less than seven and a half percent of the nation's men. This report is based upon the contributions of the state of Illinois to the 1927 edition of the Biographical Directory. The method used has been essentially survey in nature. The survey indicates that of the 13,500 men and women scientists included in the volume the state of Illinois has in some way contributed approximately 10 percent of the biographies. The data indicate that 625 men and women scientists were employed within the state in 1927. A total of 557 students received their degrees from institutions within the state. This group comprises approximately four percent of the 13,500 biographies in the 1927 edition.