Perception of native and non-native phonemic contrasts in children with autistic spectrum disorder: effects of speaker variability.

The current study investigated speech perception in children with ASD by directly comparing discrimination accuracy of phonemic contrasts in the native and non-native languages. The effect of speaker variability on phoneme perception was also examined. We also explored the relation between language impairment and accuracy in phoneme discrimination in children with ASD.

Revisions of clinical protocols using the Plan Do Check Act cycle improved outcomes of extremely preterm infants at 2 years.

Aim: Clinical quality improvement is often cumbersome due to established protocols. We aimed to investigate whether outcomes of preterm infants improve with protocol revisions using iteration cycles.

Methods: Preterm infants born <28 weeks gestation between January 2006 and December 2015 were retrospectively analysed.

Association of erythropoietin resistance and fibroblast growth factor 23 in dialysis patients: Results from the Japanese Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) plays an important role in chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related mineral and bone disorders. High FGF23 levels are associated with increased risk of anaemia in non-haemodialysis CKD patients. FGF23 also negatively regulates erythropoiesis in mice.

Quantitative Aspects of Communicative Impairment Ascertained in a Large National Survey of Japanese Children.

The Japanese version of the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) was rated by caregivers in a large national population sample of 22,871 children aged 3-15 years. The General Communication Composite (GCC) of the CCC-2 exhibited a distribution with a single-factor structure. The GCC distribution between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and language impairment (LI) groups in the general population fit inside a bell curve with significant overlap with the general population, and a continuum was evident between groups.

Theory of mind and language development in Japanese children with hearing loss.

Objective: This study investigates the development of theory of mind (ToM) in Japanese children with hearing loss (HL) and its relationship with language abilities using the data of a large sample size.

Methods: Participants were 369 children with HL, ranging from 4 to 12 years of age. The mean hearing level of the better ear was 100.

Characteristics of communication among Japanese children with autism spectrum disorder: A cluster analysis using the Children's Communication Checklist-2.

Some overlap has been suggested among the subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The Japanese version of the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) is a useful measure for identifying profiles in relation to communication impairments in children with ASD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the CCC-2 could identify subtypes in relation to communication impairments in Japanese children with ASD.

Assessment package for language development in Japanese hearing-impaired children (ALADJIN) as a test battery for the development of practical communication.

Objectives: The measurement of language development in hearing-impaired children is an important step in assessing the appropriateness of an intervention. We proposed a set of language tests (the Assessment Package for Language Development in Japanese Hearing-Impaired Children [ALADJIN]) to evaluate the development of practical communication skills. This package consisted of communication skills (TQAID), comprehensive (PVT-R and SCTAW) and productive vocabulary (WFT), comprehensive and productive syntax (STA), and the STRAW.

Brain-type natriuretic peptide at birth reflects foetal maturation and antenatal stress.

Aim: Antenatal stress, maturation and other foetal conditions affect the postnatal cardiovascular function. Atrial- (ANP) and brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) play important roles in regulating extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure, which may surrogate the foetal cardiovascular condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the dependence of serum ANP and BNP at birth on antenatal variables in high-risk infants.

Retrospective evaluation of treatment outcome in Japanese children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. Part 1: Five-year-olds' index for dental arch relationships.

Objective: To evaluate the dental arch relationships of Japanese children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and to examine the 5-year-olds' index for its validity.

Design: Retrospective study and comparison with previous reports.

Subjects: One hundred thirty-six children with complete UCLP who received primary cheiloplasty and palatoplasty in the Kyushu University Hospital from 1966 to 1999.

A new method for fish leucocyte counting and partial differentiation by flow cytometry.

A simple and rapid method for analysis of fish blood cells is presented. Carp (Cyprinus carpio) blood was diluted 200 times with Hanks' solution containing 1 microg/ml of DiOC6(3) which is a fluorescent, lipophilic dye. After staining for 10 min, the blood cells were measured by a flow cytometer (FACS).