Investigating the effectiveness of idiom intervention for 9–16‐year‐olds with developmental language disorder

BACKGROUND: Idiom skills are essential for children to access age-appropriate media, curriculum resources and teaching. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) require support to develop the ability to understand and define idioms. However, research investigating one-to-one and classroom-based idiom skill intervention for children with DLD is limited. AIMS: To investigate the effectiveness of one-to-one speech and language therapist (SLT) and classroom-based interventions to develop and maintain progress of the idiom skills of 9-16-year-olds with DLD. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Forty-nine 9-16-year-olds from a specialist school for children with DLD received 20 intervention sessions to develop idiom skills during two school terms. Following a baseline period, 24 participants (aged 11-16) received ten 30-min one-to-one SLT intervention sessions once per week for the first term and classroom-based intervention for the second term. A total of 25 participants (aged 9-16) received the same intervention in the reverse order. Classroom-based intervention was delivered collaboratively by English teachers and SLTs during English lessons. All participants were assessed on their ability to identify, interpret, explain and use idioms 3 months before, directly before and after each intervention and 3 months post-intervention, using a bespoke assessment including 48 idioms randomly assigned to three sets: one-to-one intervention, classroom-based intervention and control idioms. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Participants made significantly more progress during the intervention blocks than during the baseline period (block 1: d = 1.91; block 2: d = 1.01) and post-intervention levels were maintained 3 months post-intervention. Idiom skills showed significant progress when targeted through both one-to-one (d = 2.18) and classroom-based intervention (d = 0.91) but one-to-one intervention was significantly more effective than classroom-based intervention (d = 0.63). Examination of the specific idiom skills targeted revealed that although idiom identification and interpretation skills did not progress significantly more during intervention blocks than the baseline period, idiom explanation (block 1: d = 1.02; block 2: d = 0.97); and use did (block 1: d = 0.94; block 2: d = 0.81). One-to-one intervention was more effective than classroom-based intervention for developing idiom explanation (d = 1.32) and use (d = 0.65). Progress on control items was not significantly different during intervention blocks than during the baseline period overall or for any of the individual idiom skills. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Both one-to-one SLT and classroom-based intervention are effective (although one-to-one is more effective) for teaching and maintaining idiom skills, particularly explanation and use. This means that SLTs and English teachers can help children to develop idiom skills which may enable better access to the curriculum and popular media

Dietary (1,3/1,6)-β-d-glucan decreases transforming growth factor β expression in the lung of the neonatal piglet

Identification and characterization of compounds that enhance the growth, development, and health of infants who are not breastfed continues to be a goal for nutritional science. This study explored the effects of one dietary component, (1,3/1,6)-. β-. d-glucan (Wellmune WGP), on lung immune development in the neonatal piglet. The hypothesis was that supplementation with WGP, a pathogen-associated molecular pattern, would enhance pathogen-responsive elements of the immune system, for instance, by increasing the size of the cytotoxic T-cell population or the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Piglets were fed a control formula or formula plus WGP at 1.8, 18, or 90 mg/kg body weight per day. Serum, thoracic lymph nodes (TLNs), mediastinal lymph nodes, and lung were collected at days 7 or 21. Immune parameters including tissue messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and T-cell phenotypes were analyzed. Normal developmental changes were observed, with a decrease in T-helper cells and an increase in cytotoxic T cells in both TLN and mediastinal lymph node, but there was no effect of WGP. Dietary WGP reduced the mRNA expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) β2 and tended to reduce the mRNA expression of TGF-. β1 in lung tissue. With the exception of reducing TGF-. β mRNA in the lung and tending to decrease the ratio of T helper to cytotoxic T cell in the TLN, dietary WGP did not affect lung-associated adaptive immunity in piglets. © 2013 Elsevier Inc

Dietary (1,3/1,6)-β-d-glucan decreases transforming growth factor β expression in the lung of the neonatal piglet

Identification and characterization of compounds that enhance the growth, development, and health of infants who are not breastfed continues to be a goal for nutritional science. This study explored the effects of one dietary component, (1,3/1,6)-. β-. d-glucan (Wellmune WGP), on lung immune development in the neonatal piglet. The hypothesis was that supplementation with WGP, a pathogen-associated molecular pattern, would enhance pathogen-responsive elements of the immune system, for instance, by increasing the size of the cytotoxic T-cell population or the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Piglets were fed a control formula or formula plus WGP at 1.8, 18, or 90 mg/kg body weight per day. Serum, thoracic lymph nodes (TLNs), mediastinal lymph nodes, and lung were collected at days 7 or 21. Immune parameters including tissue messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and T-cell phenotypes were analyzed. Normal developmental changes were observed, with a decrease in T-helper cells and an increase in cytotoxic T cells in both TLN and mediastinal lymph node, but there was no effect of WGP. Dietary WGP reduced the mRNA expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) β2 and tended to reduce the mRNA expression of TGF-. β1 in lung tissue. With the exception of reducing TGF-. β mRNA in the lung and tending to decrease the ratio of T helper to cytotoxic T cell in the TLN, dietary WGP did not affect lung-associated adaptive immunity in piglets. © 2013 Elsevier Inc

Intestinal and systemic immune development and response to vaccination are unaffected by dietary (1,3/1,6)-β-D-glucan supplementation in neonatal piglets

Infants are susceptible to infections in early life and must rely on their innate immune system for protection. β-Glucans potentiate immune responses. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of purified yeast (1,3/1,6)-β-D- glucan (Wellmune WGP, here referred to as WGP) on the development of the gastrointestinal tract and the intestinal and systemic immune systems in neonatal piglets. Piglets were fed formula containing 0 (control), 1.8, 18, or 90 mg WGP/kg body weight (BW) and were vaccinated against human influenza. Piglets were euthanized at 7 or 21 days of age. Piglet weight and small intestinal length and weight were unaffected by dietary WGP. In addition, WGP did not affect ileal crypt depth, villus height, or ascending colon cuff depth. Immune parameters not affected by WGP supplementation included T cell phenotypes, cytokine gene expression, and cell proliferation. However, vaccination and developmental effects were seen. Overall, the doses of 1.8, 18, and 90 mg/kg BW of dietary WGP had no effect on intestinal or immune development and did not improve the antibody response to vaccination in neonatal piglets. Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved

Establishing Phenotypic Features Associated with Morbidity in Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Infection

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HT). Although it is widely believed that virus infection and host immune response are involved in the pathogenic mechanisms, the role of the immune system in the development and/or maintenance of HT remains unknown. We performed an analysis of the peripheral blood leukocyte phenotype for two different subcohorts of HTLV-1-infected individuals to verify the existence of similar immunological alterations, possible laboratory markers for HT. The leukocyte population balance, the activation status of the T lymphocytes, and the cellular migratory potential of T lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils were evaluated in the peripheral blood of HTLV-1-infected individuals classified as asymptomatic individuals, oligosymptomatic individuals, and individuals with HT. Data analysis demonstrated that a decreased percentage of B cells, resulting in an increased T cell/B cell ratio and an increase in the CD8(+) HLA-DR(+) T lymphocytes, exclusively in the HT group could be identified in both subcohorts, suggesting its possible use as a potential immunological marker for HT for use in the laboratory. Moreover, analysis of likelihood ratios showed that if an HTLV-1-infected individual demonstrated B-cell percentages lower than 7.0%, a T cell/B cell ratio higher than 11, or a percentage of CD8(+) HLA-DR(+) T lymphocytes higher than 70.0%, this individual would have, respectively, a 12-, 13-, or 22-times-greater chance of belonging to the HT group. Based on these data, we propose that the T cell/B cell ratios and percentages of circulating B cells and activated CD8(+) T lymphocytes in HTLV-1-infected patients are important immunological indicators which could help clinicians monitor HTLV-1 infection and differentiate the HT group from the asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic groups