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JAMA Network Open Apr 2020Children born preterm are at an elevated risk of academic underachievement. However, the extent to which performance across domain-specific subskills in reading and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Children born preterm are at an elevated risk of academic underachievement. However, the extent to which performance across domain-specific subskills in reading and mathematics is associated with preterm birth remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of academic outcomes of school-aged children born preterm, compared with children born at term, appraising evidence for higher- and lower-order subskills in reading and mathematics.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature electronic databases from January 1, 1980, to July 30, 2018, were searched for population, exposure, and outcome terms such as child (population), preterm birth (exposure), and education* (outcome).
STUDY SELECTION
Peer-reviewed English-language publications that included preterm-born children and a comparison group of term-born children aged 5 to 18 years and born during or after 1980 and that reported outcomes on standardized assessments from cohort or cross-sectional studies were screened. Of the 9833 articles screened, 33 unique studies met the inclusion criteria.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Data were analyzed from August 1 to September 29, 2018. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Two reviewers independently screened the databases and extracted sample characteristics and outcomes scores. Pooled mean differences (MDs) were analyzed using random-effects models.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Performance on standardized assessment of higher-order subskills of reading comprehension and applied mathematics problems; lower-order reading subskills of decoding, pseudoword decoding, and word identification; and lower-order mathematics subskills of knowledge, calculation, and fluency.
RESULTS
Outcomes data were extracted for 4006 preterm and 3317 term-born children, totaling 7323 participants from 33 unique studies. Relative to children born at term, children born preterm scored significantly lower in reading comprehension (mean difference [MD], -7.96; 95% CI, -12.15 to -3.76; I2 = 81%) and applied mathematical problems (MD, -11.41; 95% CI, -17.57 to -5.26; I2 = 91%) assessments. Across the assessments of lower-order skills, children born preterm scored significantly lower than their term-born peers in calculation (MD, -10.57; 95% CI, -15.62 to -5.52; I2 = 92%), decoding (MD, -10.18; 95% CI, -16.83 to -3.53; I2 = 71%), mathematical knowledge (MD, -9.88; 95% CI, -11.68 to -8.08; I2 = 62%), word identification (MD, -7.44; 95% CI, -9.08 to -5.80; I2 = 69%), and mathematical fluency (MD, -6.89; 95% CI, -13.54 to -0.23; I2 = 72%). The associations remained unchanged after sensitivity analyses for reducing heterogeneity.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
These findings provide evidence that preterm birth is associated with academic underperformance in aggregate measures of reading and mathematics, as well as a variety of related subskills.
Topics: Academic Success; Adolescent; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Comprehension; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Management; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematics; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Premature Birth; Reading
PubMed: 32242904
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2027 -
Mathematical Biosciences Dec 2013
Topics: Mathematics
PubMed: 23900060
DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2013.07.015 -
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Oct 2022According to the Pathways to Mathematics model [LeFevre et al. (2010), Child Development, Vol. 81, pp. 1753-1767], children's cognitive skills in three...
According to the Pathways to Mathematics model [LeFevre et al. (2010), Child Development, Vol. 81, pp. 1753-1767], children's cognitive skills in three domains-linguistic, attentional, and quantitative-predict concurrent and future mathematics achievement. We extended this model to include an additional cognitive skill, patterning, as measured by a non-numeric repeating patterning task. Chilean children who attended schools of low or high socioeconomic status (N = 98; 54% girls) completed cognitive measures in kindergarten (M = 71 months) and numeracy and mathematics outcomes 1 year later in Grade 1. Patterning and the original three pathways were correlated with the outcomes. Using Bayesian regressions, after including the original pathways and mother's education, we found that patterning skills predicted additional variability in applied problem solving and arithmetic fluency, but not number ordering, in Grade 1. Similarly, patterning skills were included in the best model for applied problem solving and arithmetic fluency, but not for number ordering, in Grade 1. In accord with the hypotheses of the original Pathways to Mathematics model, patterning varied in its unique and relative contributions to later mathematical performance, depending on the demands of the tasks. We conclude that patterning is a useful addition to the Pathways to Mathematics model, providing further insights into the range of cognitive precursors that are related to children's mathematical development.
Topics: Bayes Theorem; Child; Cognition; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematics; Problem Solving
PubMed: 35714384
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105478 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2022Hodge theory reveals the deep intrinsic relations of differential forms and provides a bridge between differential geometry, algebraic topology, and functional analysis....
Hodge theory reveals the deep intrinsic relations of differential forms and provides a bridge between differential geometry, algebraic topology, and functional analysis. Here we use Hodge Laplacian and Hodge decomposition models to analyze biomolecular structures. Different from traditional graph-based methods, biomolecular structures are represented as simplicial complexes, which can be viewed as a generalization of graph models to their higher-dimensional counterparts. Hodge Laplacian matrices at different dimensions can be generated from the simplicial complex. The spectral information of these matrices can be used to study intrinsic topological information of biomolecular structures. Essentially, the number (or multiplicity) of k-th dimensional zero eigenvalues is equivalent to the k-th Betti number, i.e., the number of k-th dimensional homology groups. The associated eigenvectors indicate the homological generators, i.e., circles or holes within the molecular-based simplicial complex. Furthermore, Hodge decomposition-based HodgeRank model is used to characterize the folding or compactness of the molecular structures, in particular, the topological associated domain (TAD) in high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data. Mathematically, molecular structures are represented in simplicial complexes with certain edge flows. The HodgeRank-based average/total inconsistency (AI/TI) is used for the quantitative measurements of the folding or compactness of TADs. This is the first quantitative measurement for TAD regions, as far as we know.
Topics: Chromosomes; Data Analysis; Molecular Structure
PubMed: 35690623
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12877-z -
The British Journal of Educational... Jun 2022Adaptive expertise is a highly valued outcome of mathematics curricula. One aspect of adaptive expertise with rational numbers is adaptive rational number knowledge,...
BACKGROUND
Adaptive expertise is a highly valued outcome of mathematics curricula. One aspect of adaptive expertise with rational numbers is adaptive rational number knowledge, which refers to the ability to integrate knowledge of numerical characteristics and relations in solving novel tasks. Even among students with strong conceptual and procedural knowledge of rational numbers, there are substantial individual differences in adaptive rational number knowledge.
AIMS
We aimed to examine how a wide range of domain-general and mathematically specific skills and knowledge predicted different aspects of rational number knowledge, including procedural, conceptual, and adaptive rational number knowledge.
SAMPLE
173 6 and 7 grade students from a school in the southeastern US (51% female) participated in the study.
METHODS
At three time points across 1.5 years, we measured students' domain-general and domain-specific skills and knowledge. We used multiple hierarchal regression analysis to examine how these predictors related to rational number knowledge at the third time point.
RESULT
Prior knowledge of rational numbers, general mathematical calculation knowledge, and spontaneous focusing on multiplicative relations (SFOR) tendency uniquely predicted adaptive rational number knowledge, after taking into account domain-general and mathematically specific skills and knowledge. Although conceptual knowledge of rational numbers and general mathematical achievement also predicted later conceptual and procedural knowledge of rational numbers, SFOR tendency did not.
CONCLUSION
Results suggest expanding investigations of mathematical development to also explore different features of adaptive expertise as well as spontaneous mathematical focusing tendencies.
Topics: Achievement; Female; Humans; Knowledge; Male; Mathematics; Schools; Students
PubMed: 34747023
DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12471 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2022Fuzzy mathematics-informed methods are beneficial in cases when observations display uncertainty and volatility since it is of vital importance to make predictions about...
Fuzzy mathematics-informed methods are beneficial in cases when observations display uncertainty and volatility since it is of vital importance to make predictions about the future considering the stages of interpreting, planning, and strategy building. It is possible to realize this aim through accurate, reliable, and realistic data and information analysis, emerging from past to present time. The principal expenditures are treated as fuzzy numbers in this article, which includes a blurry categorial prototype with pattern-diverse stipulation and collapse with salvation worth. Multiple parameters such as a shortage, ordering, and degrading cost are not fixed in nature due to uncertainty in the marketplace. Obtaining an accurate estimate of such expenditures is challenging. Accordingly, in this research, we develop an adaptive and integrative economic order quantity model with a fuzzy method and present an appropriate structure to manage such uncertain parameters, boosting the inventory system's exactness, and computing efficiency. The major goal of the study was to assess a set of changes to the company current inventory processes that allowed an achievement in its inventory costs optimization and system development in optimizing inventory costs for better control and monitoring. The approach of graded mean integration is used to determine the most efficient actual solution. The evidence-based model is illustrated with the help of appropriate numerical and sensitivity analysis through the related visual graphical depictions. The proposed method in our study aims at investigating the economic order quantity (EOQ), as the optimal order quantity, which is significant in inventory management to minimize the total costs related to ordering, receiving, and holding inventory in the dynamic domains with nonlinear features of the complex dynamic and nonlinear systems as well as structures.
Topics: Nonlinear Dynamics; Mathematics; Models, Economic; Uncertainty
PubMed: 37377747
DOI: 10.1155/2022/3881265 -
PloS One 2016To correct the incongruence of document types between the numerator and denominator in the traditional impact factor (IF), we make a corresponding adjustment to its... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
To correct the incongruence of document types between the numerator and denominator in the traditional impact factor (IF), we make a corresponding adjustment to its formula and present five corrective IFs: IFTotal/Total, IFTotal/AREL, IFAR/AR, IFAREL/AR, and IFAREL/AREL. Based on a survey of researchers in the fields of ophthalmology and mathematics, we obtained the real impact ranking of sample journals in the minds of peer experts. The correlations between various IFs and questionnaire score were analyzed to verify their journal evaluation effects. The results show that it is scientific and reasonable to use five corrective IFs for journal evaluation for both ophthalmology and mathematics. For ophthalmology, the journal evaluation effects of the five corrective IFs are superior than those of traditional IF: the corrective effect of IFAR/AR is the best, IFAREL/AR is better than IFTotal/Total, followed by IFTotal/AREL, and IFAREL/AREL. For mathematics, the journal evaluation effect of traditional IF is superior than those of the five corrective IFs: the corrective effect of IFTotal/Total is best, IFAREL/AR is better than IFTotal/AREL and IFAREL/AREL, and the corrective effect of IFAR/AR is the worst. In conclusion, not all disciplinary journal IF need correction. The results in the current paper show that to correct the IF of ophthalmologic journals may be valuable, but it seems to be meaningless for mathematic journals.
Topics: Algorithms; Journal Impact Factor; Mathematics; Ophthalmology; Periodicals as Topic; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
PubMed: 26977697
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151414 -
TheScientificWorldJournal 2014
Topics: Engineering; Hydrodynamics; Mathematics; Nonlinear Dynamics
PubMed: 25587558
DOI: 10.1155/2014/246418 -
CBE Life Sciences Education Mar 2020We describe the development and initial validity assessment of the 20-item BioCalculus Assessment (BCA), with the objective of comparing undergraduate life science...
We describe the development and initial validity assessment of the 20-item BioCalculus Assessment (BCA), with the objective of comparing undergraduate life science students' understanding of calculus concepts in different courses with alternative emphases (with and without focus on biological applications). The development process of the BCA included obtaining input from a large network of scientists and educators as well as students in calculus and biocalculus courses to accumulate evidential support of the instrument's content validity and response processes of test takers. We used the Rasch model to examine the internal structure of scores from students who have experienced calculus instruction in the two methods. The analysis involved three populations (Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Biocalculus) for which the Calc 1 and Calc 2 students were not exposed to calculus concepts in a life science setting, while the Biocalculus students were presented concepts explicitly with a life science emphasis. Overall, our findings indicate that the BCA has reasonable validity properties, providing a diagnostic tool to assess the relative learning success and calculus comprehension of undergraduate biology majors from alternative methods of instruction that do or do not emphasize life science examples.
Topics: Comprehension; Educational Measurement; Humans; Learning; Mathematics; Students; Universities
PubMed: 32058833
DOI: 10.1187/cbe.18-10-0216 -
NTM Mar 2023By taking the work and life of the historian of mathematics Heinrich Wieleitner as an example, this study aims to highlight the many interrelations between the...
By taking the work and life of the historian of mathematics Heinrich Wieleitner as an example, this study aims to highlight the many interrelations between the historiography of mathematics, mathematics education, and science communication in mathematics.By integrating aspects of the history of media, this case study also explores mathematical public relations work in the 20th century and draws attention to the important persons, institutions and contents. The focus is on the Weimar period, in which the self-understanding of mathematics was challenged in different ways by far-reaching cultural debates. The article demonstrates that as a consequence of a changing media landscape, Weimar culture turned out to be a suitable environment for the successful self-presentation of mathematics.
Topics: History, 20th Century; Historiography; Science; Communication; Mathematics; Problem Solving
PubMed: 36790448
DOI: 10.1007/s00048-022-00356-5