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This longitudinal, mixed-methods study reports on the development and implementation of an early phonological awareness screening and intervention program for struggling emergent readers in a French immersion school in Manitoba. The program was created by a professional learning community made up of the school administrator, teachers, and clinical support staff. This paper describes the process of developing the phonological awareness program and the intervention itself. Forty-two children participated in the phonological awareness intervention that lasted 10 weeks. The intervention was given in English in kindergarten. Significant gains were found in the phonological awareness skills of the children who participated in the intervention. Results also indicated that children's phonological awareness skills in English predicted their French reading levels in Grade 1. In addition, we provide insight into the roles played by key members of the school's PLC through qualitative analysis of a series of semi-structured interviews. The work of the school's professional learning community offers a model that may be implemented by other school teams to promote equity and accessibility for all learners in FI programs.

French immersion (FI) programs are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse as a result of growing migration to Canada. In the present mixed-methods study, I explore the perspectives and ideologies of teachers, principals, and central office staff in eight school divisions in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta with respect to refugee-background students in FI programs. Through the triangulation of survey responses (N=126) and interviews (N=40), I examine perspectives pertaining to four themes: 1) suitability of FI for refugee-background students; 2) language learning; 3) challenges facing refugee-background students; and 4) supports and resources in FI programs. Adopting the theoretical perspective of sociolinguistics for change, I discuss three underlying ideologies shaping the perspectives of FI educators across the Canadian Prairies: 1) English-first ideologies; 2) deficit ideologies; and 3) ideological tensions between inclusion and support.

Language immersion programs seek to develop multilingual, multiliterate individuals able to engage with academic content. Studies of immersion students' language development provide details regarding language proficiency and accuracy, yet they generally do not address how features of written, academic language, for example, syntactic and lexical complexity, develop. To this end, this study seeks to understand if and how the syntactic complexity of written texts produced by middle school Spanish immersion students differs across grades. It examines discipline-related, persuasive texts written by 186 Grade 6-8 Spanish immersion students from five programs, analyzing syntactic complexity at the phrasal, clausal, and supraclausal levels and considering both length-based and subordination measures. Findings suggest that syntactic complexity does not change significantly in middle school for immersion students unlike findings with nonimmersion students. Explanations for and implications of the findings are explored.

In October 2023, a new deaf student, "Zuri," showed up in my second grade classroom. This often happens. Parents move into and out of the district for work, and it is common to get a new student in the middle of the year without warning. Zuri's eyes were wide when she came into the classroom, and she looked scared. Who were all these hearing children, and what were they doing? Who were these hearing adults, and what were they saying? Was she doing the right thing? She froze.

Rich oral language practices, including the opportunity and ability to participate in cognitively and linguistically challenging extended discourse, are foundational to early literacy development. To meet children's needs in their first exposure to the languages of schooling, educators may engage students in extended discourse multilingually. The current study focuses on student-centered translanguaging conversations to examine strategies that preschool teachers employ to support young children's emerging bilingual and biliteracy development in a Mandarin immersion preschool serving primarily non-heritage learners of Mandarin in the United States. Findings indicate that, despite the school's Mandarin-only policy, teachers engaged in covert translanguaging practices to extend and deepen discourse. Specifically, teachers used 13 discourse strategies across two critical areas of schooling: translanguaging for (1) socializing students not just into the Mandarin language but into the norms of schooling; and (2) focusing not just on Mandarin language but also on content area learning. The study concludes with implications for schools and teachers.

Objective: Immersion in water during labor could reduce pain and use of epidural anesthesia during childbirth. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of immersion in water during labor on the use of epidural anesthesia in a midwife care setting., Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study of all women who gave birth in the physiological ward of Saint-Étienne University Hospital between October 2020 and December 2022., Results: The study did not find difference between immersion group and control group concerning the use of epidural anesthesia (P=0.49). The immersion group counted more women with a duration of labor greater than 6hours than in the control group. The multivariate analysis adjusted for parity and duration of labor did not find difference between both groups [OR 0.58; 95% CI (0.30; 1.09)]., Conclusion: Even if it does not seem to modify the use of epidurals, immersion in water does not seem to increase maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It represents a therapeutic alternative with reasonable cost to offer for pregnant women who wish to give birth without epidural anesthesia., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Motivation to learn languages strongly correlates with language achievement, and the school context has a great influence on the motivation of young learners (YLs). A key rationale for the implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programs, therefore, was pupil motivation. Very few studies have measured motivation in this context, especially in primary schools. Even fewer have done so in bilingual areas, where the continuation of widespread use of the regional language often depends on its presence in the school system and where CLIL reduces this presence. To address these gaps, motivation towards the foreign language (FL), English, and the regional language, Basque, was measured in 399 YLs of English (aged 10-12 years) in Basque immersion schools. The learners were divided into a CLIL group (n = 230), with English as a foreign language (EFL) and CLIL lessons, and a non-CLIL group (n = 169), which received only EFL lessons. Results showed that the CLIL learners had a more positive attitude towards English and a slightly lower motivation towards Basque. This suggests that increasing the amount of exposure to the foreign language (FL) via CLIL lessons improves the motivation towards English but could decrease the instrumental motivation towards the regional language.

Elitism has been an issue in Canadian French immersion since its inception. This study examines how two racially diverse Ontarian school boards and Ontario French immersion policy, curricula, and other related documents construct and support an elite student within the immersion program. The elite student who emerged from immersion documents is a White, middle-class, English, established resident, mirroring the current demographics of the program. A middle-class bias emerged within the documents due to an assumed wealth, and lack of financial assistance, transportation and promotional materials. The program locations themselves favoured the middle-class. The curricula demonstrated a Eurocentric focus and colonial lens. In the documents of this study, it was assumed that parents had functional knowledge of English and French. Program entry-points favoured established residents over newcomers. Given its evident elitism, there has been a shift toward inclusion, particularly for students with special education needs and English language learners. However, this inclusion has yet to be critically enacted.

Purpose: Cold water immersion (CWI) is the most effective treatment for exertional heat stroke (EHS). However, knowledge on core temperature response during CWI treatment and the relation with patient characteristics (i.e., sex, anthropometrics) is limited. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the core temperature response (in °C) during CWI treatment of recreational athletes participating in large running events and investigate the impact of sex and anthropometric characteristics on the cooling rate (in °C·min -1 )., Methods: This observational study includes 57 athletes ( n = 22 females; 39%) who suffered from EHS during an exercise event in the Netherlands. After admission to the medical facilities, a rectal temperature ( Trec ) probe was inserted and all clothing was removed before immersion in an ice bath (6.4 ± 1.6°C). Rectal temperature was continuously measured throughout treatment, and treatment was continued until Trec ≤ 38.9°C or based on the decision of the emergency physician., Results: Initial Trec did not differ between males (41.3 ± 0.9°C) and females (41.2 ± 0.8°C, P = 0.83). A nonlinear response to CWI was observed, with the decrease in Trec beginning after 6 min of CWI. The decrease in Trec did not differ between both sexes (p time*sex = 0.96). The cooling rate did not differ between males (0.21 ± 0.15°C·min -1 ) and females (0.19 ± 0.08°C·min -1 , P = 0.55), and was not related to body mass, body surface area and body surface area to mass ratio (all P values >0.05)., Conclusions: We demonstrated that the cooling rate during CWI did not differ between men and women suffering from EHS, and that the Trec response to CWI is nonlinear and not dependent on anthropometric characteristics. This suggests that no sex differentiation is needed in the EHS treatment guidelines and confirms the necessity to continuously monitor Trec during treatment., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Sports Medicine.)

Objective: Warm water immersion during labour provides women with analgesia and comfort. This cohort study aimed to establish among women using intrapartum water immersion analgesia, without antenatal or intrapartum risk factors, whether waterbirth is as safe for them and their babies as leaving the water before birth., Design: Cohort study with non-inferiority design., Setting: Twenty-six UK NHS maternity services., Sample: A total of 73 229 women without antenatal or intrapartum risk factors, using intrapartum water immersion, between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2022. The analysis excluded 12 827 (17.5%) women who received obstetric or anaesthetic interventions before birth., Methods: Non-inferiority analysis of retrospective and prospective data captured in NHS maternity and neonatal information systems., Main Outcome Measures: Maternal primary outcome: obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) by parity; neonatal composite primary outcome: fetal or neonatal death, neonatal unit admission with respiratory support or administration of antibiotics within 48 hours of birth., Results: Rates of the primary outcomes were no higher among waterbirths compared with births out of water: rates of OASI among nulliparous women (waterbirth: 730/15 176 [4.8%] versus births out of water: 641/12 210 [5.3%]; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.97, one-sided 95% CI, -∞ to 1.08); rates of OASI among parous women (waterbirth: 269/24 451 [1.1%] versus births out of water 144/8565 [1.7%]; aOR 0.64, one-sided 95% CI -∞ to 0.78) and rates of the composite adverse outcome among babies (waterbirth 263/9868 [2.7%] versus births out of water 224/5078 [4.4%]; aOR 0.65, one-sided 95% CI -∞ to 0.79)., Conclusion: Among women using water immersion during labour, remaining in the pool and giving birth in water was not associated with an increase in the incidence of adverse primary maternal or neonatal outcomes., (© 2024 The Author(s). BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Most research on virtual reality (VR) for learning has focused on young populations in formal learning contexts. Little research has been conducted on how adults engage in informal learning using VR. This study examined adults' informal learning experiences in high-immersion VR, focusing on the aspects of VR they enjoyed and the challenges they encountered. Furthermore, the study investigated how external, hard scaffolding influenced the participants' cognitive load and learning in VR. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from pre- and post-surveys and post-intervention interviews. Participants found the storytelling aspect of the VR experience particularly enjoyable. They encountered several unique challenges during the VR intervention, including navigation confusion and self-directed exploration without instructor guidance. Surprisingly, the scaffolding did not have a statistically significant impact on the participants' cognitive load and learning. However, qualitative data analysis provided new insights that explain the unexpected findings.

This study explores how a long-running, special education teacher education-focused international immersion experience has grown over time to include robust international exchange between home and host institutions and how participation influenced past participants' professional practice. This research fills a gap in the research linking special education teacher preparation and international immersion experiences by focusing on a twenty-year-old immersion program which places preservice special education teachers in Scotland for a five-week experience including a homestay, school-based practicum, and travel. Researchers included two groups for this multiple case study design: Scottish school partners and preservice U.S. teacher participants. Interviews and reflections from each group were analyzed using the Relational-Cultural Theory framework to understand how this program grew and led to mutually beneficial partner and participant exchanges. Findings indicate that trusting relationships emanating from long-term interactions are key for meaningful exchange and that participation in the 2019 program influenced current teachers' professional decisions and trajectory.

Introduction: We studied field rewarming using a typical winter sleeping bag versus two heated hypothermia wrap systems in a semi-realistic lab simulation., Methods: 10 participants (8 M, 2 F) were cooled to 36.1°C core temperature through 10.5-11.5°C water immersion, then performed 60 min of passive rewarming in 0°C air. The rewarming methods tested were: 1) a -9°C rated mummy-style Sleeping Bag; 2) Doctor Down Rescue Wrap; and 3) Thermal Yielding Vascular Airway Capsule (TYVAC) system; the latter two methods included vapor barriers and two heating pads. Rectal and skin temperatures, along with metabolic heat production calculated via indirect calorimetry, were measured throughout rewarming., Results: One male participant was removed from analysis due to lack of sufficient cooling. Rectal temperature decreased in the remaining participants by ∼1.1-1.2°C to 36.1°C during the initial immersion phase. Over the 60 min of rewarming, rectal temperature changes were Δ0.0 ± 0.6°C in a sleeping bag, Δ+0.2 ± 0.3°C in Doctor Down, and Δ+0.2 ± 0.3°C in TYVAC, with no significant differences across methods. Mean skin temperatures, metabolic heat production, and perceptual measures were also similar across methods with no method×time interactions., Conclusions: After 60 min of passive rewarming in cold conditions, all three rewarming methods were able to stall continued core cooling to levels at or slightly above post-immersion temperatures. With no differences in any physiological measures, it appears that all three rewarming methods are equally viable options for wilderness responders, and the choice should come down to environmetal conditions, availability, convenience, and ergonomics rather than rewarming efficacy.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by endothelial dysfunction, leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Emerging evidence suggest that HWI may favourably improve vascular function but data are limited in individual with T2DM. The aim was to investigate whether repeated hot water immersion (HWI) improved macrovascular, microvascular and central haemodynamic function in individuals with T2DM. Fourteen individuals completed a pre-post experimental study where participants were assessed pre- and post-8-10 × 1 h HWI sessions (40 °C water) undertaken within a 14-day period. During HWIs, body position was adjusted to clamp rectal temperature at 38.5-39.0 °C for the duration of the immersion. Stroke volume index (SVi), cardiac index (Q˙ i), resting heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and cutaneous microvascular endothelial function (via transdermal iontophoresis) and plasma [nitrate] and [nitrite] (NOX; via ozone chemiluminescence) were assessed pre- and post HWI. Neither brachial FMD measures of macrovascular endothelial function (p = 0.43) or forearm microvascular function (ACh max, p = 0.63; ACh area under curve (AUC), p = 0.63; insulin max, p = 0.51; insulin AUC, p = 0.86) or NOX (p = 0.38) were changed. Q˙ i (p < 0.01), SVi (p < 0.02) and resting HR (p < 0.01) were all significantly reduced following the 10-days HWI intervention. SBP was reduced (p = 0.03), whereas DBP was unchanged (p = 0.56). HWI may represent an appropriate intervention to improve Q˙ I, SVi and BP in individuals with T2DM, but not macrovascular endothelial or cutaneous microvascular function., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study is to examine the professional development (PD) needs of Chinese dual language immersion program (DLI) educators, particularly the PD supports these teachers receive. This instrumental case study examined the professional learning of four Chinese language DLI teachers through semi-structured interviews and observations of classroom teaching and PD trainings. Findings suggest the Utah DLI model indelibly shapes teachers' work and learning as teachers. Chinese DLI teachers also identify needs that are particular to their teaching role like adapting/translating resources; however, the findings also confirm other scholarship indicating Chinese DLI teachers' particular needs are not well supported. PD received by participants was general in nature, rather than differentiated for Chinese DLI teachers' needs.

(1) Background: The recovery method is important and decisive in the training system. This study aimed to assess the effects of various post-training recovery methods on muscle damage and strength indicators in Paralympic powerlifting athletes. (2) Methods: A crossover study was conducted involving eleven male athletes (25.4 ± 3.3 years, 70.3 ± 12.1 kg). Muscle damage was assessed using blood biochemical markers (cytokines IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) and isometric force indicators, including the maximum isometric force (MIF), time to MIF, and Rate of Force Development. The following assessments were performed before, immediately after, and at 24 and 48 h after the recovery protocol: (a) passive recovery (RP) or (b) cold-water immersion (CWI). (3) Results: The main results indicated that maximum isometric force (MIF) significantly improved after 48 h of CWI application ( p < 0.05; for all comparison). The analysis of biochemical markers did not yield significant differences between the recovery methods at different time points ( p > 0.05). For IL-6, there were significant differences between CWI before (2.29 ± 1.08, 95% CI 1.57-3.01) and CWI 2 h later (2 h) (4.59 ± 2.96, 95% CI 2.60-6.57; p = 0.045), and between CWI 15 min later (15 min) (4.14 ± 2.24, 95% CI 2.63-5.64) and CWI 48 h later (48 h) (2.33 ± 1.25, 95% CI 1.49-3.17; p = 0.034). There were differences between CWI 2 h (4.14 ± 2.24, 95% CI 2.63-5.64) and CWI 48 h later (2.33 ± 1.25, 95% CI 1.49-3.17; p = 0.035; F = 9.202; η 2 p = 0.479; high effect). (4) Conclusions: CWI significantly improved the post-resistance training muscle damage and strength in Paralympic powerlifting athletes.

The growing prevalence of heat stroke as a public health issue, exacerbated by climate change and increasing global temperatures, demands an immediate and strategic response to prevent weather-related morbidity and mortality. Heat stroke results from the body's inability to cope with excessive heat, leading to systemic inflammatory responses, cellular apoptosis, and potential multiorgan dysfunction or failure. However, little information explicitly outlines how to perform cold-water immersion in the emergency department (ED), including potential patient selection, how much water or ice to use, target temperatures, when to stop, and complications or challenges with the process. This narrative explores implementing a comprehensive protocol for total-body cold-water immersion developed in an ED setting, a method proven effective in rapidly reducing core body temperatures, with the goal of reducing mortality and morbidity rates associated with heat-related illnesses. The protocol involves immediate temperature assessment, followed by cold-water immersion for patients with altered mental status and core temperatures above 40 °C. Discussion about the development of the process and results from applying the protocol during the summer of 2023, including cooling rates and patient outcomes, is also included. Additionally, the article addresses challenges and lessons learned during the protocol's implementation, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, staff education, and the adaptation of ED infrastructure to support this lifesaving treatment based on its use during the last 3 years. The successful resolution of the presented cases, along with the protocol's potential for widespread adoption, illustrates the critical role of cold-water immersion in enhancing ED responses to heat stroke, offering a blueprint for future research and the development of similar protocols across health care settings. This work contributes to the evolving landscape of emergency medicine and aligns with the global effort to combat the adverse health effects of climate change., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ribosome biogenesis is an important regulator of skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by repeated bouts of resistance exercise (RE). Hot-water immersion (HWI), a widely used post-exercise recovery strategy, activates the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, a key regulator of ribosome biogenesis in skeletal muscle. However, the effect of HWI on skeletal muscle ribosome biogenesis is not well understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of HWI and post-exercise HWI on ribosome biogenesis using a rat RE model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to HWI and non-HWI groups. In both groups, the right leg was isometrically exercised using transcutaneous electrical stimulation, while the left leg was used as an internal non-RE control. Following RE, both limbs were immersed in hot water (41.2 ± 0.03°C) for 20 min under isoflurane anesthesia in the HWI group and the gastrocnemius muscles were sampled at 3- and 24-h post-exercise. HWI significantly increased mTOR signaling and c-Myc mRNA expression, whereas post-exercise HWI significantly increased transcription initiation factor-IA mRNA expression. However, neither HWI nor post-exercise HWI enhanced 45S pre-rRNA expression, ribosomal RNA, or ribosomal protein content. In addition, HWI tended to decrease 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA content, widely used markers of ribosome content. These results suggest that HWI as a post-exercise recovery is not effective in activating ribosome biogenesis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ribosome biogenesis is crucial in resistance exercise (RE)-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. This study examined the effects of hot-water immersion (HWI) on ribosome biogenesis after RE. HWI and post-exercise HWI increased c- Myc and transcription initiation factor-IA mRNA but did not alter ribosomal RNA transcription or ribosomal protein content. HWI tended to decrease 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA. These findings suggest that HWI, as a recovery strategy, does not effectively promote ribosome biogenesis or muscle protein synthesis.

The degree to which international immersion programs affect participants can be influenced by and attributed to their experiences in the host country or community. Embedded critical experiences allow participants to immerse themselves within the breadth and depth of humanity, thus fostering connections and relationships. Further, critical experiences can heighten emotions and disrupt values discourse. A mini-ethnographic case study of 20 Australian pre-service teachers' immersion in Kenya explored the impact of embedded critical experiences on participants' values, emotions, and relationships. Analysis of participants' journals, researcher's field notes and recorded debrief sessions identified key themes: emotions are heightened; values are questioned; relationships build community through positive connections; and relationships and understanding are at the core of teaching. Embedded critical experiences allowed for points of comparison across the data, which illustrated that while the participants valued the immersion for many reasons, the cultural interface of those experiences had the most significant impact.