Towards a theory of diagnosis in second and foreign language assessment:insights from professional practice across diverse fields

Diagnostic language assessment has received increased research interest in recent years, with particular attention on methods through which diagnostic information can be gleaned from standardized proficiency tests. However, diagnostic procedures in the broader sense have been inadequately theorized to date, with the result that there is still little agreement on precisely what diagnosis in second and foreign language learning actually entails. In order to address this problem, this article investigated how diagnosis is theorized and carried out in a diverse range of professions with a view to finding commonalities that can be applied to the context of language assessment. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from the fields of car mechanics, IT systems support, medicine, psychology and education. Data were then coded, yielding five macro-categories that fit the entire data set: (i) definitions of diagnosis, (ii) means of diagnosis, (iii) key players, (iv) diagnostic procedures, (v) treatment/follow-up. Based on findings within these categories, a set of five tentative principles of diagnostic language assessment is drawn-up, as well as a list of implications for future research

Children's consent and the zone of parental discretion

This paper briefly reviews highlights from decades of debates in medicine, law, bioethics, psychology and social research about children’s and parents’ views and consent to medical treatment and research. There appears to have been a rise and later a fall in respect for children’s views, illustrated among many examples by a recent book on the zone of parental discretion, which is reviewed. A return to greater respect for children’s views and consent is advocated

THE CONTRIBUTION OF ELBOW EXTENSION TO WRIST SPEED IN CRICKET FAST BOWLERS

The purpose of this modelling study was to assess the sensitivity of wrist joint speed to systematic manipulations of empirical elbow joint flexion-extension kinematic profiles. The joint kinematic profiles of 12 cricket fast bowlers were entered into a Forward Kinematic Model and the elbow joint kinematic profiles were subsequently amplified to elicit wrist speed changes. An amplification factor of zero decreased wrist speed by a mean of 8.6% (± 6.9%), whereas an amplification factor of two increased speed by a mean of 8.8% (± 7.1%). An opposite relationship was found for two participants who extended the elbow joint prior to release and it is proposed that an internally rotated humerus will displace the wrist joint posteriorly when the elbow joint is extending

Application of the penalty coupling method for the analysis of blood vessels

Due to the significant health and economic impact of blood vessel diseases on modern society, its analysis is becoming of increasing importance for the medical sciences. The complexity of the vascular system, its dynamics and material characteristics all make it an ideal candidate for analysis through fluid structure interaction (FSI) simulations. FSI is a relatively new approach in numerical analysis and enables the multi-physical analysis of problems, yielding a higher accuracy of results than could be possible when using a single physics code to analyse the same category of problems. This paper introduces the concepts behind the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation using the penalty coupling method. It moves on to present a validation case and compares it to available simulation results from the literature using a different FSI method. Results were found to correspond well to the comparison case as well as basic theory

Water use and water availability constraints to decarbonised electricity systems

Analysis of numerous low carbon electricity strategies have been shown to have very divergent water requirements, normally needed for cooling of thermoelectric power stations. Our regional river-basin scale analysis of water use for future UK electricity strategies shows that, whilst in the majority of cases freshwater use is expected to decline, pathways with high levels of carbon capture and storage (CCS) will result in significantly elevated and concentrated water demands in a few key river basins. Furthermore, these growing demands are compared to both current water availability, and our expected regional water availability under the impacts of climate change. We identify key freshwater constraints to electricity strategies with high levels of CCS and show how these risks may be mitigated with higher levels of hybrid cooling and alternative cooling water sources

Quasi-static characterisation and impact testing of auxetic foam for sports safety applications

This study compared low strain rate material properties and impact force attenuation of auxetic foam and the conventional open-cell polyurethane counterpart. This furthers our knowledge with regards to how best to apply these highly conformable and breathable auxetic foams to protective sports equipment. Cubes of auxetic foam measuring 150 x 150 x 150 mm were fabricated using a thermo-mechanical conversion process. Quasi-static compression confirmed the converted foam to be auxetic, prior to being sliced into 20 mm thick cuboid samples for further testing. Density, Poisson’s ratio and the stress-strain curve were all found to be dependent on the position of each cuboid from within the cube. Impact tests with a hemispherical drop hammer were performed for energies up to 6 J, on foams covered with a polypropylene sheet between 1 and 2 mm thick. Auxetic samples reduced peak force by ~10 times in comparison to the conventional foam. This work has shown further potential for auxetic foam to be applied to protective equipment, while identifying that improved fabrication methods are required

Pole dancing for fitness: The physiological and metabolic demand of a 60-minute class

Nicholas, JC, McDonald, KA, Peeling, P, Jackson, B, Dimmock, JA, Alderson, JA, and Donnelly, CJ. Pole dancing for fitness: The physiological and metabolic demand of a 60-minute class. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2704–2710, 2019—Little is understood about the acute physiological or metabolic demand of pole dancing classes. As such, the aims of this study were to quantify the demands of a standardized recreational pole dancing class, classifying outcomes according to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise-intensity guidelines, and to explore differences in physiological and metabolic measures between skill- and routine-based class components. Fourteen advanced-level amateur female pole dancers completed three 60-minute standardized pole dancing classes. In one class, participants were fitted with a portable metabolic analysis unit. Overall, classes were performed at a mean Vo2 of 16.0 ml·kg−1·min−1, total energy cost (EC) of 281.6 kcal (4.7 kcal·min−1), metabolic equivalent (METs) of 4.6, heart rate of 131 b·min−1, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 6.3/10, and blood lactate of 3.1 mM. When comparing skill- and routine-based components of the class, EC per minute (4.4 vs. 5.3 kcal·min−1), peak Vo2 (21.5 vs. 29.6 ml·kg−1·min−1), METs (4.3 vs. 5.2), and RPE (7.2 vs. 8.4) were all greater in the routine-based component (p \u3c 0.01), indicating that classes with an increased focus on routine-based training, as compared to skill-based training, may benefit those seeking to exercise at a higher intensity level, resulting in greater caloric expenditure. In accordance with ASCM guidelines, an advanced-level 60-minute pole dancing class can be classified as a moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise; when completed for ≥ 30 minutes, ≥ 5 days per week (total ≥ 150 minutes) satisfies the recommended level of exercise for improved health and cardiorespiratory fitness

Pole dancing for fitness: The physiological and metabolic demand of a 60-minute class

Nicholas, JC, McDonald, KA, Peeling, P, Jackson, B, Dimmock, JA, Alderson, JA, and Donnelly, CJ. Pole dancing for fitness: The physiological and metabolic demand of a 60-minute class. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2704–2710, 2019—Little is understood about the acute physiological or metabolic demand of pole dancing classes. As such, the aims of this study were to quantify the demands of a standardized recreational pole dancing class, classifying outcomes according to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise-intensity guidelines, and to explore differences in physiological and metabolic measures between skill- and routine-based class components. Fourteen advanced-level amateur female pole dancers completed three 60-minute standardized pole dancing classes. In one class, participants were fitted with a portable metabolic analysis unit. Overall, classes were performed at a mean Vo2 of 16.0 ml·kg−1·min−1, total energy cost (EC) of 281.6 kcal (4.7 kcal·min−1), metabolic equivalent (METs) of 4.6, heart rate of 131 b·min−1, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 6.3/10, and blood lactate of 3.1 mM. When comparing skill- and routine-based components of the class, EC per minute (4.4 vs. 5.3 kcal·min−1), peak Vo2 (21.5 vs. 29.6 ml·kg−1·min−1), METs (4.3 vs. 5.2), and RPE (7.2 vs. 8.4) were all greater in the routine-based component (p \u3c 0.01), indicating that classes with an increased focus on routine-based training, as compared to skill-based training, may benefit those seeking to exercise at a higher intensity level, resulting in greater caloric expenditure. In accordance with ASCM guidelines, an advanced-level 60-minute pole dancing class can be classified as a moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise; when completed for ≥ 30 minutes, ≥ 5 days per week (total ≥ 150 minutes) satisfies the recommended level of exercise for improved health and cardiorespiratory fitness