ABSTRACT
Neuropsychological profiles of kindergarten children who were reading fluently with understanding were compared with those of both chronological age controls and reading level controls. Finger tapping, dichotic listening, and nonverbal intersensory tasks succeeded in differentiating the two kindergarten groups, but not the kindergarten readers and the older reading level controls. Correlations among the measures were significant only for the young fluent readers, with greater bilaterality of both fine motor and linguistic functions being associated with better intersensory skills, indicating qualitative differences in central nervous system organization. Neuropsychological predisposition to early acquisition of reading is suggested.
Subject(s)
Dominance, Cerebral , Reading , Auditory Perception , Child , Child, Preschool , Dichotic Listening Tests , Female , Humans , Male , Motor Skills , Size Perception , Speech Perception/physiology , Time Perception , Visual PerceptionABSTRACT
A method for cooling dairy cattle based on repeated wetting to attain maximal water trapping in the coat, followed by its rapid evaporation by using forced ventilation has been examined. Effects examined include duration of wetting, duration of cooling, and density of the animals in the holding area. The coat was wetted by inverted static sprinklers. Also examined was the extent to which the diurnal increase in rectal temperature can be prevented. The maximal decrement of temperature was attained at 30 min after cessation of cooling in all trials. Wetting the coat for 10 s was less effective than for 20 or 30 s; the latter did not differ in their effects. Cooling animals for 15, 30, and 45 min produced decrements in temperature of .6, .7, and 1.0 degrees C, respectively. Maintaining animals at a density of 1.9 m2/cow in the holding area reduced to about half the decrement as compared with a density of 3.5 m2/cow. When cows were cooled 5 times per day for 30 min, temperatures were maintained within 38.2 to 38.9 degrees C during the day, which were significantly lower than for those not cooled.
Subject(s)
Body Temperature Regulation , Cattle/physiology , Stress, Physiological/veterinary , Ventilation , Animals , Female , Hot Temperature/adverse effects , Housing, Animal , WaterABSTRACT
The common co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders and academic problems makes it important for child psychiatrists to have a general understanding of learning disabilities. The authors review past and present conceptual models of learning disabilities and set out brief guidelines for comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis of learning problems. In addition, general issues of remediation, educational placement, and future research priorities are discussed.
Subject(s)
Learning Disabilities/diagnosis , Achievement , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diagnosis, Differential , Education, Special , Humans , Learning Disabilities/etiology , Neurocognitive Disorders/diagnosis , Psychological Tests , Referral and Consultation , Remedial TeachingABSTRACT
Upper limit of thermal stability and subsequent rise of thermoregulatory functions as affected by forced ventilation were examined. Rectal temperature, respiratory frequency, ear skin temperature, body weight, and milk yield were recorded biweekly July to March over 2 yr for 170 Israeli-Holstein cows (305-day milk yield 9000 kg/cow) at air temperatures 10 to 36 degrees C. Cows were in an open shelter. One side was force ventilated over 2.5 m along the stanchions (air velocity 1.5 to 3 m/s) from 0500 to 2200 h. Control side mean air velocity was .5 m/s. Within the 10 to 24 degrees C range, rectal temperature was not affected by air temperature or forced ventilation but increased by .02 degrees C/kg fat-corrected milk in animals producing above 24 kg/day. Between 26 and 36 degrees C rectal temperature increased with air temperature in both groups; rate of rise was halved by forced ventilation. In this range of air temperature, rectal temperature increased with rising milk yield, as in the lower air temperature range, in both high-producing and lower-producing cows in forced ventilation. Body weight or parity did not have significant effects. Mean ear skin temperature was higher for control animals, but its rate of increase with air temperature was similar in both groups. Forced ventilation reduced mean respiratory rate. An upper critical temperature is 25 to 26 degrees C and is independent of milk yield or acclimatizational state of cows exposed to the natural sequence of climate.
