A cross-linguistic comparison of phonological awareness and word recognition

Phonological awareness is one of the critical skills in the acquisition of reading in an alphabetic orthography. The development of phonological awareness was compared across Turkish and English-speaking kindergarten and first-grade children (n = 138). The Turkish-speakers were more proficient in both handling of the syllables and deleting final phonemes of words. These patterns were related to the characteristics of the respective spoken languages (such as the saliency of the syllable, familiarity of the nonword patterns, importance of onset or final phoneme deletion, importance of vowel harmony) and the development of phonological awareness was discussed as a function of the characteristics of spoken language, orthography and literacy instruction.     

Classification Consistency and Accuracy With Atypical Score Distributions

The current study aims to evaluate the performance of three non-IRT procedures (i.e., normal approximation, Livingston-Lewis, and compound multinomial) for estimating classification indices when the observed score distribution shows atypical patterns: (a) bimodality, (b) structural (i.e., systematic) bumpiness, or (c) structural zeros (i.e., no frequencies). Under a bimodal distribution, the normal approximation procedure produced substantially large bias. For a distribution with structural bumpiness, the compound multinomial procedure tended to introduce larger bias. Under a distribution with structural zeroes, the relative performance of selected estimation procedures depended on cut score location and the sample-size conditions. In general, the differences in estimation errors among the three procedures were not substantially large.     

Role of Oxidative Stress in Various Stages of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, proliferative skin disease characterized by pathological skin lesions due to various exogenous and endogenous factors. It is associated with a number of biochemical and immunological disturbances. Recently, it has been suggested that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and compromised function of antioxidant system may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study, 90 psoriasis patients were selected. Disease severity was assessed by psoriasis area severity index score and grouped as mild, moderate and severe (each group consists of 30 subjects) and compared with 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant status were investigated in these groups/subjects. As compared to controls, we found severitywise significantly increased serum malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products with decrease in erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity and total antioxidant status in patients with psoriasis suggesting worsening of the disease. It seems to be linked with the enhancement of Reactive Oxygen Species production and decreased antioxidant potential in psoriasis.     

环渤海盐碱地台田季节性脱盐效率与生产效益分析

环渤海滨海地区淡水资源缺乏,季节性旱、涝与盐碱、地下潜水矿质化共生,是该地区农业生产极不稳定的主要原因。本文选择东营地区台田-浅池与黄骅重盐碱地实验台田-浅池为研究对象,采用野外实验与调查问卷相结合的方式,对比分析了两地台田-浅池模式脱盐效率和生产效益。结果表明气候季节性变化导致盐荒地表层盐量变化大,严重影响作物生长发育。台田减轻或遏制了季节性雨热条件变化下的剧烈反盐,耕层全年脱盐效率达58.8%,其中东营沙性土质台田耕层年平均脱盐效率为79.7%,种植棉花产量4500kg/hm2,与传统利用模式相比增加50%;黄骅台田耕层年平均脱盐效率为37.9%,种植棉花产量3000kg/hm2。台田浅池模式能起到降盐、稳盐及抗洪调蓄水源的作用,利于环渤海盐碱地粮食产量稳定和土地高效生产。本文研究结果可为环渤海重盐碱地土壤改造、粮食增产、土地综合利用提供重要参考。     

Dynamic mental models in learning science: The importance of constructing derivational linkages among models

We present a theory of learning in science based on students deriving conceptual linkages among multiple models which represent physical phenomena at different levels of abstraction. The models vary in the primitive objects and interactions they incorporate and in the reasoning processes that are used in running them. Students derive linkages among models by running a model (embodied in an interactive computer simulation) and reflecting on its emergent behaviors. The emergent properties they identify in turn become the primitive elements of the more abstract, derived model. We describe and illustrate derivational links among three models for basic electricity: a particle model, an aggregate model, and an algebraic model. We then present results of an instructional experiment in which we compared high school students who were exposed to these model derivations with those who were not. In all other respects, both groups of students received identical instruction. The results demonstrate the importance of enabling students to construct derivational linkages among models, both with respect to their understanding of circuit theory and their ability to solve qualitative and quantitative circuit problems. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 806–836, 1999     

ALPSP出版创新奖述评

【目的】 探讨数字环境下国际出版领域的新变化,探寻科技期刊的未来发展趋势。【方法】 对学术与专业学会出版者协会2014—2016年出版创新提名及获奖项目中与科技期刊相关的项目进行案例分析,归纳总结出版类项目的发展特征。【结果】 数字环境下科技期刊的内容组织、呈现、存储和获取方式等均发生了变化,科技期刊要考虑提供的内容符合“开放、链接、语义、标准、共享、交流”等网络运行环境的要求。【结论】 “互联网+”环境下科技期刊需要重新确立定位及功能,最大化地利用数字出版优势,为用户带来最佳使用体验。     

The Factors Related to Preschool Children and Their Mothers on Children’s Intuitional Mathematics Abilities

The aim of this study is to assess the factors that are related to preschool children and their mothers on children’s’ intuitional mathematics abilities. Results of the study showed that there were significant differences in children’s intuitional mathematics abilities when children are given the opportunity to think intuitionally and to make estimations, and when their mothers believe in the importance of providing such opportunities in the home setting. Children who tended to think fast and to examine details of objects had significantly higher scores. Also, the working mothers aimed to give opportunities to their children more often than non-working mothers. The mothers whose children received preschool education tended to give more opportunities to their children to think intuitionally and to make estimations. When incorrect intuitional answers or estimations were made by children, lower-educated mothers tended to scold their children much more than higher educated mothers. Mothers having at least a university degree explained more often to the children why they were in error than did the less-educated mothers.     

Assessing students’ critical thinking performance: Urging for measurements using multi-response format

The current paper discusses ambiguities in critical thinking assessment. The paper first reviews the components of critical thinking. It then discusses the features and issues of commonly used critical thinking tests and to what extend they are made compatible to the conceptualization of critical thinking. The paper argues that critical thinking tests utilizing a single multiple-choice response format measures only recognition or level of knowledge, and do not adequately capture the dispositional characteristics of test-takers. Multiple-choice response format does not reveal test-takers’ underlying reasoning for choosing a particular answer, nor does it reflect test-takers’ ability to think critically under unprompted situations. Whereas measurement that allows for responses in both multiple-choice and open-ended format makes it possible to assess individuals’ spontaneous application of thinking skills on top of their ability to recognize a correct response. Assessment consists of multi-response format should be pursued for effective evaluation of students’ critical thinking performance.     

Effortful Control, Surgency, and reading skills in middle childhood

We examined the associations between components of temperament and children’s word and pseudo-word reading skills, in a school-age sample using a within-family internal-replication design. We estimated the statistical prediction of word and pseudo-word reading in separate regression equations that included the main effects of, and two-way interaction between, Surgency and Effortful Control. Children with better Effortful Control scores showed better reading skills. Surgency was unrelated to reading skills, but moderated the effect of Effortful Control. The positive association between reading skills and Effortful Control was present only for children who were low in Surgency. Thus, reading achievement in school-age children is optimized by strong Effortful Control, but these processes may be disrupted for those children who are high in Surgency.