The comparative effect of group dynamic assessment (GDA) and computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) on Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners’ speaking complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF)

This study attempted to check the impact of two dynamic assessment (DA) models on speaking CAF. DA, as opposed to static assessment, is conceived as an interactive approach to assessment that integrates teaching and testing into a unified instructional engagement. To achieve the goals of this research, a convenience sample of 90 upper-intermediate male EFL learners that were randomly assigned into GDA, a C-DA, and a non-DA control group participated in the study. Before carrying out the treatment, a speaking pretest was administered to all three groups and their CAF scores were collected. Following that, the treatment using the aforementioned DA and non-DA conventional models was completed in 16 sessions. To check the impact of the treatment, a speaking post-test was given to the groups at the end of the study. Data analysis using ANOVA showed that C-DA and G-DA could significantly increase speaking CAF than the conventional non-DA instruction with C-DA being significantly better than G-DA. The results of this research propose that implementing DA, especially C-DA by the teachers, can enhance the speaking CAF of the L2 learners.

Deep Learning-Based Post-Processing of Real-Time MRI to Assess and Quantify Dynamic Wrist Movement in Health and Disease

While morphologic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of ligamentous wrist injuries, it is merely static and incapable of diagnosing dynamic wrist instability. Based on real-time MRI and algorithm-based image post-processing in terms of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), this study aims to develop and validate an automatic technique to quantify wrist movement. A total of 56 bilateral wrists (28 healthy volunteers) were imaged during continuous and alternating maximum ulnar and radial abduction. Following CNN-based automatic segmentations of carpal bone contours, scapholunate and lunotriquetral gap widths were quantified based on dedicated algorithms and as a function of wrist position. Automatic segmentations were in excellent agreement with manual reference segmentations performed by two radiologists as indicated by Dice similarity coefficients of 0.96 ± 0.02 and consistent and unskewed Bland–Altman plots. Clinical applicability of the framework was assessed in a patient with diagnosed scapholunate ligament injury. Considerable increases in scapholunate gap widths across the range-of-motion were found. In conclusion, the combination of real-time wrist MRI and the present framework provides a powerful diagnostic tool for dynamic assessment of wrist function and, if confirmed in clinical trials, dynamic carpal instability that may elude static assessment using clinical-standard imaging modalities.

Dynamic Cytosolic Ca2+ and Force Responses to Muscarinic Stimulation in Airway Smooth Muscle

During agonist stimulation of airway smooth muscle (ASM), agonists such as ACh induce a transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt), which leads to a contractile response (excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling). Previously, the sensitivity of the contractile response of ASM to elevated [Ca2+]cyt (Ca2+ sensitivity) was assessed as the ratio of maximum force to maximum [Ca2+]cyt. However, this static assessment of Ca2+ sensitivity overlooks the dynamic nature of E-C coupling in ASM. In this study, we simultaneously measured [Ca2+]cyt and isometric force responses to three concentrations of ACh (1, 2.6 and 10 μM). Both maximum [Ca2+]cyt and maximum force responses were ACh concentration-dependent, but force increased disproportionately, thereby increasing static Ca2+ sensitivity. The dynamic properties of E-C coupling were assessed in several ways. The temporal delay between the onset of ACh-induced [Ca2+]cyt and onset force responses was not affected by ACh concentration. The rates of rise of the ACh-induced [Ca2+]cyt and force responses increased with increasing ACh concentration. The integral of the phase-loop plot of [Ca2+]cyt and force from onset to steady-state also increased with increasing ACh concentration, whereas the rate of relaxation remained unchanged. Although these results suggest an ACh concentration-dependent increase in the rate of cross-bridge recruitment and in the rate of rise of [Ca2+]cyt, the extent of regulatory myosin light chain (rMLC20) phosphorylation was not dependent on ACh concentration. We conclude that the dynamic properties of [Ca2+]cyt and force responses in ASM are dependent on ACh concentration but reflect more than changes in the extent of rMLC20 phosphorylation.

STATIC AND DYNAMIC COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS

The results of an adequate assessment of the socio-economic state and directions of development of any region are necessary for both regional and federal authorities. The choice of a right strategy for improving the quality and standard of living of the population of a given region depends on this assessment. The authors propose a new approach to obtaining a static and dynamic picture of the results of the implementation of socio-economic policy in a region, which directly affects the quality and standard of living of its population. Widely used approaches based on the calculation of one integral indicator or on the comparison of particular indicators of the quality and standard of living of region’s population do not allow us to obtain a consistent and objective picture of the socio-economic development. The proposed approach is based on the analysis of the trajectory of “movement” of a region in space of two coordinates that objectively reflect the quality and standard of living of population. An indicator “average per capita income of the population” is selected to assess the standard of living, and an indicator “life expectancy at birth” is selected to assess the quality of life. Static assessment allows to get a picture of a location of regions in the space of these two selected coordinates and to get a basis for conducting an interregional comparison, as well as to assess the quality and standard of living of the population of a region in comparison with average Russian values. Dynamic assessment allows to obtain information about changes in the level and quality of life of the population of a region over a selected time period, analyze positive and negative trends in certain areas of the constructed trajectory, assess the consequences of decisions taken by the authorities of this region in the implementation of tasks for condition improvement. The proposed approach allows us to obtain consistent results that enable us to assess the achieved level of implementation of the socio-economic policy in a region in comparison to other regions, as well as during a selected time interval.

Anatomy, magnetic resonance and arthroscopy of the popliteal hiatus of the knee: normal aspect and pathological conditions

The popliteal hiatus is a complex region, formed by the confluence of various structures connecting the meniscus, popliteal tendon, tibia and fibula. The main structures that can be found are the three popliteomeniscal fascicles (anterior, postero-inferior and postero-superior), the lateral and posterior meniscotibial ligaments, the popliteofibular ligament and the meniscofibular fascicle. These structures can be identified in most cases using magnetic resonance imaging, and their ‘static’ assessment can be performed. Arthroscopic assessment is useful in identifying and testing ‘dynamically’ the integrity of the structures around the popliteal hiatus. Injuries or abnormalities of the popliteal hiatus and its structures could result in meniscal hypermobility and subluxation; however, these injuries are often unrecognized. Possible abnormalities in this region, apart from the well-known bucket-handle meniscal tear, are the Wrisberg Type III discoid meniscus, and meniscal fascicles tears. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:941-954. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200089

Analysis of staged treatment and some socio-hygienic and biological factors for the onset and course of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer

In a social-hygienic study, some factors influencing the occurrence and dynamics of the course of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer in 379 patients were studied. The results of the data show that the complete staged treatment (polyclinic, hospital, sanatorium) is not carried out for all patients (24.3%) for the entire study period. In the first year of the disease, it was carried out in only 6.8% of patients. To determine the strength of the influence of some socio-hygienic and biological factors on the dynamics of the course of peptic ulcer disease, we used the method of analysis of variance. The analysis of the dynamics of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer with the calculation of a static assessment, which reliability is quite convincing, made it possible to conclude with maximum reliability that the dynamics of the disease, in addition to surgical treatment 45.1% (with complications in the form), is most strongly influenced by the nutrition factor 8.5% ... The effect of other factors is approximately the same: material housing conditions 6.6%, the psychological factor 6.5% and working conditions 4.5%.

DYNAMICS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE NON-BEAM FRAMES IN CASE OF DAMAGE TO SLABS PUNCHING

An approach to the assessment of dynamic effects for reinforced concrete non-beam frames of structures under combined emergency actions is considered. Primary impacts imply an excess of operational loads, which causes damage to the slab-column junction from punching to the onset of a secondary impacts. Secondary impacts include considering the removal of any column from the design model over a finite time. The analysis of dynamic effects based on two approaches: the first is based on the energy method of G.A. Geniev and assumes a quasi-static assessment of the stress-strain state of the damaged system; the second is the analysis of the transient dynamic process taking into account physical and geometric nonlinearity. An approximate approach to modeling the damage of a reinforced concrete slab from punching is proposed and further prospects for its improvement are considered. The degree of danger at emergency impacts for structures pre-damaged by punching, as well as the influence of these damages on the survivability of frames under these effects, has been established. An example of assessing survivability on a model of an underground parking frame in the presence of damage from punching for one of the column-slab joints is considered.

The Significance of Non-traditional and Alternative Assessment in English Language Teaching: Evidence From Literature

Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning in educational organizations that requires teachers to prepare tests in order to evaluate their learners’ performance. In language teaching contexts, traditional assessment often evaluates learners’ knowledge of previously learned language items. It is a mandatory process that determines the progress of language learners and the effectiveness of teaching/learning materials. This theoretical article reviews the literature on the notion of traditional assessment or static assessment which has certain shortcomings. Owing to the various drawbacks of static assessment, the review of related literature on the topic highlights and proposes alternative assessment methods, such as authentic assessment, dynamic assessment, peer assessment, and self-assessment. In contrast to traditional assessment, these different forms of alternative assessment share a common purpose that is to provide language learners with an opportunity to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and set their future learning goals. The most common of the assessment methods that encourage learners' reflection were peer assessment and self-assessment which involve learners to assess their own progress as well as engage with peers in classrooms to give each other feedback on their language learning tasks assigned by teachers. The studies reviewed in this article illustrate that alternative assessment methods in the form of peer and self-assessment have a positive influence on the language learners' performance and their learning outcomes.

Predicting Response to Vocabulary Intervention Using Dynamic Assessment

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how well students' response to a morphological vocabulary intervention can be predicted before the start of the intervention from traditional static assessments and to determine whether a dynamic assessment with graduated prompts improves the prediction. Method A planned secondary analysis of a randomized trial of a morphological vocabulary intervention for fifth-grade students with limited vocabulary was conducted. Response to this intervention was examined for 111 participants based on their development in definitions of morphologically transparent words from pretest to posttest. Traditional static measures of vocabulary, knowledge of morphology, and morphological analysis as well as a dynamic assessment of morphological analysis were evaluated as predictors of students' response to intervention. Results The static pretest measures predicted more than half of the overall variance in students' response to intervention and provided a good classification of students with subsequent poor or good response to intervention. The single best static predictor was the static assessment of morphological analysis. Furthermore, the dynamic assessment added significantly to the prediction of the overall variance in students' response to intervention and to the correct early classification of students as poor or good responders. Conclusions The results suggest that an acceptable level of prediction of students' response to morphological vocabulary intervention can be obtained by means of a couple of static morphological measures. This study also provides evidence for the added predictive value of a dynamic assessment of morphological analysis.