Mapping therapy for sentence production impairments in nonfluent aphasia

This study investigated a new treatment in which sentence production abilities were trained in a small group of individuals and nonfluent aphasia. It was based upon a mapping therapy approach which holds that sentence production and comprehension impairments are due to difficulties in mapping between the meaning form (thematic roles) and the syntactic form of sentences. We trained production of both canonical and noncanonical reversible sentences.Three patients received treatment and two served as control participants. Patients who received treatment demonstrated acquisition of all trained sentence structures. They also demonstrated across-task generalisation of treated and some untreated sentence structures on two tasks of constrained sentence production, and showed some improvements on a narrative task. One control participant improved on some of these measures and the other did not. There was no noted improvement in sentence comprehension abilities following treatment. Results are discussed with reference to the heterogeneity of underlying impairments in sentence production impairments in nonfluent patients, and the possible mechanisms by which improvement in sentence production might have been achieved in treatment.

‘Pre-plan mapping’, networks, capital resources and community strategies in England

In this working paper we discuss current attempts to engage communities in planning policy formulation in the UK. In particular we focus on the preparation of Community Strategies (CS) in England to inform local public policy and the wider proposals recently published by the UK government to move towards enhanced community engagement in planning (DTLR, 2001). We discuss how such strategies could be operationalised with a conceptual framework developed following ideas derived from ANT (cf. Murdoch, 1997, 1998; Selman, 2000; Parker & Wragg, 1999; Callon, 1986, 1998) and the ‘capitals’ literature (Lin, 2002; Fine, 2001; Selman, 2000; Putnam, 1993). We see this as an expression of neo-pragmatic planning theory, (Hoch, 1996; Stein & Harper, 2000) to develop a form of ‘pre-plan mapping’.

Mapping of domains on HIV envelope protein mediating association with calnexin and protein-disulfide isomerase.

The cell catalysts calnexin (CNX) and protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) cooperate in establishing the disulfide bonding of the HIV envelope (Env) glycoprotein. Following HIV binding to lymphocytes, cell-surface PDI also reduces Env to induce the fusogenic conformation. We sought to define the contact points between Env and these catalysts to illustrate their potential as therapeutic targets. In lysates of Env-expressing cells, 15% of the gp160 precursor, but not gp120, coprecipitated with CNX, whereas only 0.25% of gp160 and gp120 coprecipitated with PDI. Under in vitro conditions, which mimic the Env/PDI interaction during virus/cell contact, PDI readily associated with Env. The domains of Env interacting in cellulo with CNX or in vitro with PDI were then determined using anti-Env antibodies whose binding site was occluded by CNX or PDI. Antibodies against domains V1/V2, C2, and the C terminus of V3 did not bind CNX-associated Env, whereas those against C1, V1/V2, and the CD4-binding domain did not react with PDI-associated Env. In addition, a mixture of the latter antibodies interfered with PDI-mediated Env reduction. Thus, Env interacts with intracellular CNX and extracellular PDI via discrete, largely nonoverlapping, regions. The sites of interaction explain the mode of action of compounds that target these two catalysts and may enable the design of further new competitive agents.

Optical genetic mapping defines regions of chromosomal variation in serovars of S. enterica subsp enterica of concern for human and animal health

Infections involving Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars have serious animal and human health implications; causing gastroenteritis in humans and clinical symptoms, such as diarrhoea and abortion, in livestock. In this study an optical genetic mapping technique was used to screen 20 field isolate strains from four serovars implicated in disease outbreaks. The technique was able to distinguish between the serovars and the available sequenced strains and group them in agreement with similar data from microarrays and PFGE. The optical maps revealed variation in genome maps associated with antimicrobial resistance and prophage content in S. Typhimurium, and separated the S. Newport strains into two clear geographical lineages defined by the presence of prophage sequences. The technique was also able to detect novel insertions that may have had effects on the central metabolism of some strains. Overall optical mapping allowed a greater level of differentiation of genomic content and spatial information than more traditional typing methods.

System dynamics mapping of acute patient flows

Department of Health staff wished to use systems modelling to discuss acute patient flows with groups of NHS staff. The aim was to assess the usefulness of system dynamics (SD) in a healthcare context and to elicit proposals concerning ways of improving patient experience. Since time restrictions excluded simulation modelling, a hybrid approach using stock/flow symbols from SD was created. Initial interviews and hospital site visits generated a series of stock/flow maps. A ‘Conceptual Framework’ was then created to introduce the mapping symbols and to generate a series of questions about different patient paths and what might speed or slow patient flows. These materials formed the centre of three workshops for NHS staff. The participants were able to propose ideas for improving patient flows and the elicited data was subsequently employed to create a finalized suite of maps of a general acute hospital. The maps and ideas were communicated back to the Department of Health and subsequently assisted the work of the Modernization Agency.