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The practice of using race or ethnicity in medicine to explain differences between individuals is being called into question because it may contribute to biased medical care and research that perpetuates health disparities and structural racism. A commonly cited example is the use of race or ethnicity in the interpretation of pulmonary function test (PFT) results, yet the perspectives of practicing pulmonologists and physiologists are missing from this discussion. This discussion has global relevance for increasingly multicultural communities in which the range of values that represent normal lung function is uncertain. We review the underlying sources of differences in lung function, including those that may be captured by race or ethnicity, and demonstrate how the current practice of PFT measurement and interpretation is imperfect in its ability to describe accurately the relationship between function and health outcomes. We summarize the arguments against using race-specific equations as well as address concerns about removing race from the interpretation of PFT results. Further, we outline knowledge gaps and critical questions that need to be answered to change the current approach of including race or ethnicity in PFT results interpretation thoughtfully. Finally, we propose changes in interpretation strategies and future research to reduce health disparities.

Children with asthma face serious mental health risk, but the pathways remain unclear. This study aimed to examine bullying victimisation and perpetration in children with asthma and a comparison sample without a chronic health condition, and the role of bullying in moderating psychosocial adjustment outcomes for those with asthma. A sample of children with (n = 24) and without asthma (n = 39), and their parents, were recruited from hospital clinics. Parents rated children's psychosocial adjustment; children provided self-report of bullying victimisation and perpetration; from which co-occurring bully/victim status was derived. No differences in mean perpetration or victimisation were found, but children with asthma were more likely to be bully/victims (involved both as target and perpetrator), compared to those without asthma. Children with asthma who were victims of bullying had greater peer problems and overall adjustment problems; bully/victims did not show this pattern. Children with asthma may be more likely to be bully/victims, and those who are victims of bullying may be at elevated risk for psychosocial adjustment problems and require particular support in this area from school counsellors and psychologists.

Background: Spirometry is the most common pulmonary function test. It is widely used in the assessment of lung function to provide objective information used in the diagnosis of lung diseases and monitoring lung health. In 2005, the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society jointly adopted technical standards for conducting spirometry. Improvements in instrumentation and computational capabilities, together with new research studies and enhanced quality assurance approaches, have led to the need to update the 2005 technical standards for spirometry to take full advantage of current technical capabilities.Methods: This spirometry technical standards document was developed by an international joint task force, appointed by the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, with expertise in conducting and analyzing pulmonary function tests, laboratory quality assurance, and developing international standards. A comprehensive review of published evidence was performed. A patient survey was developed to capture patients experiences.Results: Revisions to the 2005 technical standards for spirometry were made, including the addition of factors that were not previously considered. Evidence to support the revisions was cited when applicable. The experience and expertise of task force members were used to develop recommended best practices.Conclusions: Standards and consensus recommendations are presented for manufacturers, clinicians, operators, and researchers with the aims of increasing the accuracy, precision, and quality of spirometric measurements and improving the patient experience. A comprehensive guide to aid in the implementation of these standards was developed as an online supplement.

This article investigates how group speaking test candidates manage group talk during assessed, time-limited tasks. Drawing on recorded and transcribed data, it explores how higher-scoring learners manage spoken assessment tasks through their talk, moving conversations on or slowing them down in order to perform and complete the tasks' requirements in a timely way. These data are contrasted with the ways in which lower-scoring test candidates attempt to organize and manage assessed group talk. While the data and findings from this particular study can be used to teach students about, and prepare them for, multi-person discussions and, more specifically, task-oriented and time-limited group speaking tests, we also suggest that our awareness-raising investigatory approach, if brought into the classroom, offers learners (and teachers) a way of uncovering some of what "actually" occurs during talk, illuminating the 'invisible rules' that guide how participants engage in and manage interaction.

There are numerous reference equations available for the single-breath transfer factor of the lung for carbon monoxide (T LCO); however, it is not always clear which reference set should be used in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to develop the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) all-age reference values for T LCOData from 19 centres in 14 countries were collected to define T LCO reference values. Similar to the GLI spirometry project, reference values were derived using the LMS (lambda, mu, sigma) method and the GAMLSS (generalised additive models for location, scale and shape) programme in R.12 660 T LCO measurements from asymptomatic, lifetime nonsmokers were submitted; 85% of the submitted data were from Caucasians. All data were uncorrected for haemoglobin concentration. Following adjustments for elevation above sea level, gas concentration and assumptions used for calculating the anatomic dead space volume, there was a high degree of overlap between the datasets. Reference values for Caucasians aged 5-85 years were derived for T LCO, transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide and alveolar volume.This is the largest collection of normative T LCO data, and the first global reference values available for T LCO.

Practitioner research is in progress at a Further Education college to improve the motivation of vocational students for numeracy and problem solving. A framework proposed by Tang, Sui, & Wang (2003) has been adapted for use in courses. Five levels are identified for embedding numeracy applications and modelling into vocational studies: Extension; Special Subject; Investigation Report; Paper Discussion; and Mini Scientific Research. These levels represent a progression from applications set by the teacher, through increasing student involvement in the solution of real world problems, to totally independent project work. Case studies are presented of the incorporation of the five levels of application in engineering, construction, computing, and environmental science courses. In addition to student motivation, teaching staff observed that improvements have occurred in: use of specialised mathematical vocabulary; the combined use of numerical and algebraic methods in problem solving; and abstract reasoning, and a deeper level of understanding of the mathematics used in problem solving. A difficulty which has not yet been fully resolved is the reconciliation of a problem solving and project based approach to numeracy, and the requirement by some Examination Board numeracy syllabuses to assess specific mathematical methods.

Objectives: To evaluate the suitability of the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI)‐2012 other/mixed and GLI‐2022 global reference equations for evaluating the respiratory capacity of First Nations Australians. Design, setting: Cross‐sectional study; analysis of spirometry data collected by three prospective studies in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia between March 2015 and December 2022. Participants: Opportunistically recruited First Nations participants in the Indigenous Respiratory Reference Values study (Queensland, Northern Territory; age, 3–25 years; 18 March 2015 – 24 November 2017), the Healthy Indigenous Lung Function Testing in Adults study (Queensland, Northern Territory; 18 years or older; 14 August 2019 – 15 December 2022) and the Many Healthy Lungs study (Western Australia; five years or older; 10 October 2018 – 7 November 2021). Main outcome measures: Goodness of fit to spirometry data for each GLI reference equation, based on mean Z‐score and its standard deviation, and proportions of participants with respiratory parameter values within 1.64 Z‐scores of the mean value. Results: Acceptable and repeatable forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) values were available for 2700 First Nations participants in the three trials; 1467 were classified as healthy and included in our analysis (1062 children, 405 adults). Their median age was 12 years (interquartile range, 9–19 years; range, 3–91 years), 768 (52%) were female, and 1013 were tested in rural or remote areas (69%). Acceptable and repeatable forced vital capacity (FVC) values were available for 1294 of the healthy participants (88%). The GLI‐2012 other/mixed and GLI‐2022 global equations provided good fits to the spirometry data; the race‐neutral GLI‐2022 global equation better accounted for the influence of ageing on FEV1 and FVC, and of height on FVC. Using the GLI‐2012 other/mixed reference equation and after adjusting for age, sex, and height, mean FEV1 (estimated difference, –0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.46 to –0.22) and FVC Z‐scores (estimated difference, –0.45; 95% CI, –0.59 to –0.32) were lower for rural or remote than for urban participants, but their mean FEV1/FVC Z‐score was higher (estimated difference, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03–0.25). Conclusion: The normal spirometry values of healthy First Nations Australians may be substantially higher than previously reported. Until more spirometry data are available for people in urban areas, the race‐neutral GLI‐2022 global or the GLI‐2012 other/mixed reference equations can be used when assessing the respiratory function of First Nations Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported in this paper investigated foundation phase teacher provision by the public universities in South Africa, with a view to carefully and accurately determine the extent to which foundation phase teacher provision matched national as well as provincial needs. The study draws on data obtained through a survey of teacher provision at the public higher education institutions (HEIs), conducted by the national Department of Education (DoE) in 2009, as well as from data relating to teacher education qualifications and programmes in the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS). The study confirmed perceptions that the number of new foundation phase teachers being produced by the public higher education institutions (HEIs) falls short of national and provincial needs, and that the provision of African language foundation phase teachers is particularly problematic, especially in the context of mother-tongue instruction in the early years.

This article identifies patterns and trends within "Key Concepts in ELT", both since the inception of the feature in ELT Journal in 1993 and during the 17 years of the current editorship. After outlining the aims of the series, the article identifies key themes that have emerged over time, exploring the links between "Key Concepts" pieces and the trends and developments in ELT more generally. It finds that although earlier articles tended to focus on "teaching", "learning", and "language", more recent pieces have examined issues surrounding "teachers", "learners", and the "social context" of ELT. The article then considers the "reach", readership, and potential relevance of "Key Concepts" to debates and practices within ELT, drawing upon publisher records of ELT Journal's most accessed articles online and most cited articles, and concludes with a discussion of possible future directions for the series.

Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students' own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students' own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students' own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students' own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of "optimal" in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers' and students' attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice.

Uysal's article provides a research agenda for IELTS and lists numerous issues concerning the test's reliability and validity. She asks useful questions, but her analysis ignores the uncertainties inherent in all language test development and the wider social and political context of international high-stakes language testing. In this response, I suggest there is ample evidence that, in the normal course of its test development and review processes, IELTS is aware of and addressing problematic issues in its testing as they arise. However, I also argue that to address some of the issues arising from Uysal's discussion, we need to take a broader perspective and examine the social, economic, and political dimensions of international high-stakes English language testing.

This article examines a small-scale ethnographic survey of a single classroom. Drawing on the collected data, the discussion focuses on some of the problems encountered whilst collecting and interpreting data through self-report diaries. Amongst the issues considered are the perceptions of teachers and learners and their ability to articulate these perceptions, revealing that key assumptions need to be made explicit before appropriate conclusions can be drawn from the data. The article also discusses how variation within the data might be the result of the specific diary approach developed. The article concludes positively, however, suggesting that explicit recognition of these difficulties can still lead to fruitful, localized approaches to the data.

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease in childhood. There has been a significant worldwide effort to develop tools/methods to identify children's risk for asthma as early as possible for preventative and early management strategies. Unfortunately, most childhood asthma prediction tools using conventional statistical models have modest accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictive value. Machine learning is an approach that may improve on conventional models by finding patterns and trends from large and complex datasets. Thus far, few studies have utilized machine learning to predict asthma in children. This review aims to critically assess these studies, describe their limitations, and discuss future directions to move from proof-of-concept to clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unprecedented low levels of genetic variation exist in an Barrow Island population of the black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis (Marsupialia: Macropodidae)) and the species suffers from inbreeding depression in several ways. Levels of genetic variation and fitness in island and mainland populations of the animal have been compared to assess potential negative impact of isolation and small population size. Several other island population of P. lateralis also show extremely low levels of genetic variation. Genetic factors cannot be ruled out as contributors to extinction proneness for small, isolated populations.