Analyzing thermoregulation processes in early school-age girls and boys through thermography

Abstract The research assessed thermoregulation processes in early school-age children. Thermal maps of the subjects’ bodies were compared before and after general physical exercise and after post-exercise restitution to establish differences between the sexes. The research involved 40 students aged 7, including 20 boys. The subjects participated in interval training which maintained the pulse at 60–80% HRmax. Measurements of body surface temperatures were taken in 12 fields with ThermoVision FLIR SYSTEM T335 camera before exercise, immediately after exercise and after 15 min of restitution. Statistical analysis was based on the Shapiro–Wilk test to verify the normality of variables, multivariate analysis of variance, Student’s t test for independent samples and Duncan’s post hoc test. The level of statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Analysis of the results showed a difference in the distribution of surface body temperatures in boys and girls depending on the studied area. The highest values were recorded in the trunk area, and the lowest in the lower-limb area. Statistical analysis demonstrated that in both groups there was a statistically significant decrease in post-exercise temperatures. The results revealed greater efficiency of thermoregulation processes during restitution in girls, because the values obtained in all measurement fields in Test 3 were higher than the pre-exercise values. In Tests 2 and 3, differences between the sexes were reported mainly in the upper-limb area.

Download Full-text

The Efficacy of an Explicit Intervention Approach to Improve Past Tense Marking for Early School-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00132 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Samuel D. Calder ◽

Mary Claessen ◽

Susan Ebbels ◽

Suze Leitão

Keyword(s):

Language Disorder ◽

Control Measures ◽

School Age Children ◽

Past Tense ◽

School Age ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Standardized Measures ◽

Early School ◽

Early School Age

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a theoretically motivated explicit intervention approach to improve regular past tense marking for early school-age children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Method Twenty-one children with DLD (ages 5;9–6;9 [years;months]) were included in a crossover randomized controlled trial (intervention, n = 10; waiting control, n = 11). Intervention included once-weekly sessions over 10 weeks using the SHAPE CODING system, in combination with a systematic cueing hierarchy to teach past tense marking. Once the first group completed intervention, the waiting control group crossed over to the intervention condition. The primary outcome was criterion-referenced measures of past tense marking with standardized measures of expressive and receptive grammar as the secondary outcome. Ancillary analyses on extension and behavioral control measures of morphosyntax were also conducted. Results There was a significant Time × Group interaction ( p < .001) with a significant difference in pre–post intervention improvement in favor of the intervention group ( p < .001, d = 3.03). Further analysis once both groups had received the intervention revealed no improvement for either group on past tense production during the 5-week pre-intervention period, significant improvement pre–post intervention ( p < . 001, d = 1.22), with gains maintained for 5 weeks postintervention. No significant differences were found on pre- to postintervention standardized measures of grammar, or on extension or control measures. Conclusions The efficacy of the theoretically motivated explicit grammar intervention was demonstrated. Results contribute to the evidence base supporting this intervention to improve past tense production in early school-age children with DLD, suggesting it is a viable option for clinicians to select when treating morphosyntactic difficulties for this population. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13345202

Download Full-text