Disentangling the impact of semantic and formal factors in the acquisition of number inflections: Noun, adjective and verb agreement in written French

In written French, the acquisition of the nominal plural (-s) occurs earlier and faster than the acquisition of the verbal plural (-nt) (Totereau, Thevenin & Fayol, 1997, Learning to Spell). The reasons for this difference are not well known. The objective of the present research is to test two alternative hypotheses, which may provide an account of this difference by exploiting a particularity of written French: The agreement of adjectives. According to the first hypothesis, the nominal plural is acquired before the verbal plural because it is semantically grounded, unlike the latter. According to the second, the early emergence of noun agreements is due to the fact that -s occurs more consistently than -nt. These two hypotheses lead to different predictions, that can be tested empirically, with regard to the agreement of adjectives. These predictions were studied in three experiments using sentences recall or completion tasks presented to children from 7 to 10 years old. The results confirm the semantic hypothesis but reveal an impact of consistency on performance.     

The acquisition of subject-verb agreement in written French: From novices to experts' errors

Recent studies have shown that many subject-verb agreement errors consist of making the verb agree with the immediately preceding noun, as in The smell of the rubbish-bins are foul. Assuming that it is the automaticity of the agreement operation which is responsible for these attraction errors in expert writers, the present studies aimed at demonstrating the gradual automatization of this operation in young writers by examining developmental changes in the occurrence of agreement errors. In three experiments we found that subjects' performance moves from systematic errors in number agreement in young children (e.g., no use of plural marks) to attraction errors in fifth graders and older adults through an intermediate phase characterized by an attention-demanding and easily disrupted computation of verb agreement displayed by some second graders. Attraction errors are a byproduct of the automatization of the implementation of the agreement process.     

An examination of slo-pitch pitching trajectories

Many slo-pitch coaches and players believe that generating spin on a ball can affect its trajectory. The influence of air resistance on a ball that is thrown at a moderate speed and spin is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of spin on the ball's trajectory in slo-pitch pitching using both experimental results and ball flight simulations. Fourteen pitchers participated in the study, each of whom threw five backspin and topspin pitches each. Data were collected using standard three-dimensional videography. The horizontal velocity, vertical velocity, angular velocity, release height, and horizontal displacement of the backspin pitches were significantly higher than those of the topspin pitches. The ball flight simulations were developed to examine the influence of the ball spin, and it was concluded that the spin of the ball had a significant effect on the ball's vertical and horizontal displacements. Furthermore, our results suggest that a backspin pitch that reaches the maximum height allowable and lands in the front edge of the strike zone has the steepest slope. The present results add to our understanding of projectile motion and aerodynamics.     

Changes in University Governance in France and in Italy

Tertiary Education and Management - The transformation of higher education systems under the pressure of new needs required by the “society of knowledge” in France and Italy has had a...     

Learner engagement in MOOCs: Scale development and validation

The purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of conceptualising and measuring learner engagement in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The paper develops and validates a MOOC engagement scale (MES) to measure learner engagement. The initial questionnaire items of the scale were developed by reviewing existing related literature and validated student engagement constructs. This was followed by a modified scale development process, including two focus group interviews (n = 10), an exploratory survey (n = 12), an expert review (n = 10), a pilot survey (n = 15), an item purification study (n = 590) and a construct validation study (n = 303). The final version of the scale is made up of four dimensions: behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and social engagement. The paper concludes with recommendations for how the MES can be used to assess the pattern of engagement in MOOCs and to investigate the relationship between learner engagement and other important MOOC teaching and learning factors.     

The Systemist Emergentist View of Mahner and Bunge on ‘Species as Individuals’: What Use for Science and Education?

The Bungian philosophical system, with its constant focus on the demarcation between concepts and coherent material systems, is particularly helpful for introducing scientists and students to the ontology of biological systems. We illustrate this with the case of the debate about species as individuals, largely a concern for philosophers of biology rather than biologists themselves, but potentially confusing for the latter when engaging in philosophical reflection about their conceptions and practice. Bunge attains his goal of writing efficiently for readers outside the philosophical academic microcosm, and the Bungian system is worth more promotion for a large audience, particularly for introducing notions of modern systemist emergentist philosophy in biological scientific training.     

Biomechanical analysis of circles on pommel horse

The aim of this study was to analyse the principal mechanics of circles. Seventeen university male gymnasts performed circles on an instrumented pommel horse model that enabled the pommel reaction forces to be recorded at 1000 Hz with two force plates. The circles were also videotaped using two digital video cameras operating at 60 frames per second. During circles, the vertical component of the reaction forces peaked in the double-hand support phases. Changes in the velocity of the centre of mass corresponded to the change in the tangential components of horizontal reaction forces. The velocity of the centre of mass had its peaks in the single-hand support phases and its local minimums in the double-hand support phases. The velocity of the ankles and that of the centre of mass of the head and trunk were minimal in the single-hand support phases and were maximal in the double-hand support phases. These results suggest that the circles were composed of vertical movements and two kinds of rotations: rotation of the centre of mass and rotation of the body itself about the centre of mass. These two kinds of rotations, which influence the legs' rotational velocity, are phase dependent. To further our understanding of circles, research on circles in different orientations on the pommel horse will be beneficial.     

Impact of Overt and Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Exercise Tolerance: A Systematic Review

Purpose: This systematic review describes the state of the art of the impact of hypothyroidism on exercise tolerance and physical performance capacity in untreated and treated patients with hypothyroidism. Method: A systematic computer-aided search was conducted using biomedical databases. Relevant studies in English, German, and Dutch, published from the earliest date of each database up to December 2012, were identified. Results: Out of 116 studies, a total of 38 studies with 1,379 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies emphasize the multifactorial causes of exercise intolerance in untreated patients by the impact of limitations in different functional systems, with cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and cellular metabolic systems acting in concert. Moreover, the studies affirm that exercise intolerance in patients is not always reversible during adequate hormone replacement therapy. As a consequence, despite a defined euthyroid status, there remains a significant group of treated patients with persistent complaints related to exercise intolerance who are suffering from limitations in daily and sport activities, as well as an impaired quality of life. An explanation for this phenomenon is lacking. Only 2 studies investigated the effects of a physical training program, and they showed inconsistent effects on the performance capacity in untreated patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Conclusions: A limited body of knowledge exists concerning exercise tolerance in treated patients with hypothyroidism, and there is an insufficient amount of quantitative studies on the effects of a physical training program. To enhance exercise and sports participation for this specific group, more research in this forgotten area is warranted.