Sprachkompetenz als Prädiktor mathematischer Kompetenzentwicklung von Kindern deutscher und nicht-deutscher Familiensprache

Das Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrages bestand darin, anhand der längsschnittlich angelegten Studie Erhebungen zum Lese- und Mathematikverständnis-Entwicklungen in den Jahrgangsstufen 4 bis 6 in Berlin (ELEMENT) den Einfluss von Lesekompetenz auf die Kompetenzentwicklung in Mathematik bei Schülerinnen und Schülern von der 4. bis zur 6. Jahrgangsstufe (N = 3 169) zu analysieren. Darüber hinaus wurde untersucht, ob Kinder nicht-deutscher Familiensprache unter Kontrolle des sozioökonomischen Status (SES) und der allgemeinen kognitiven Grundfähigkeiten geringere Lernzuwächse in Mathematik erzielen als Kinder deutscher Familiensprache. Der Entwicklungsverlauf der Mathematikkompetenz wurde dabei anhand eines Wachstumskurvenmodells analysiert. Erwartungskonform zeigte sich, dass die Lesekompetenz, auch unter Kontrolle des SES und der allgemeinen kognitiven Grundfähigkeiten, nicht nur signifikant mit der mathematischen Ausgangskompetenz zusammenhing, sondern darüber hinaus auch einen signifikanten Beitrag zur Vorhersage der mathematischen Lernzuwachsraten aller Schülerinnen und Schüler leistete. Obwohl die bestehenden Kompetenzunterschiede in Mathematik zwischen Kindern nicht-deutscher Familiensprache und deutscher Familiensprache größtenteils auf die Lesekompetenz zurückführbar waren, vergrößerten sich die Disparitäten zwischen Kindern deutscher und Kindern nicht-deutscher Familiensprache nicht. (DIPF/Orig.)The aim of the present study was to investigate whether reading comprehension predicts learning gains in mathematics from the fourth to the sixth grade. The study also examined whether second-language learners show smaller learning gains in mathematics than students whose first language is German when socioeconomic status and basic cognitive abilities are controlled for. Learning gains in mathematics (N = 3,169) were modeled using a latent growth model. The findings indicate that the reading comprehension of children predicts not only their mathematical competence in Grade 4, but also their learning gains in mathematics from Grades 4 to 6. Further analyses revealed that differences in mathematical competence between second-language learners and students whose first language is German disappear when controlling for reading comprehension. However, no differences were found in mathematical learning gains between second-language learners and students whose first language is German. (DIPF/Orig.

The Trouble With Big Data

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Trinity College Dublin, DARIAH-EU and the European Commission. This book explores the challenges society faces with big data, through the lens of culture rather than social, political or economic trends, as demonstrated in the words we use, the values that underpin our interactions, and the biases and assumptions that drive us. Focusing on areas such as data and language, data and sensemaking, data and power, data and invisibility, and big data aggregation, it demonstrates that humanities research, focussing on cultural rather than social, political or economic frames of reference for viewing technology, resists mass datafication for a reason, and that those very reasons can be instructive for the critical observation of big data research and innovation

The relationship between theory of mind and mental rotation ability in preschool aged children

This study investigates the relationship between two tasks of perspective taking, the social perspective taking ability, namely theory of mind, and the spatial one, namely mental rotation, in preschool aged children. Both abilities develop during preschool age (Frick et al., 2013; Wellmann et al., 2001). We investigated 83 children aged between three and four years regarding their theory of mind and mental rotation ability. A significant correlation between both tasks was found for those children, who were able to solve the mental rotation task. This relation was no longer significant when analyzing the two age groups separately. Due to the small sample size as well as the performance in the mental rotation test more research is needed to investigate this relationship and its role in development

Investigating Cognitive Performance Deficits in Male and Female Soccer Players after a 4-week Heading- Training Programme: A Controlled Study

This experimental study with a controlled pre-test and post-test group design investigated the possible effects of four sessions of heading training on cognitive performance. A total of 118 participants (mean age of 22.25 years) were assigned to one of the three following groups: a heading-training group, a passing-training group and a waiting control group. The participants completed a cognitive test battery of attention (D2-test), working memory (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, PASAT-2) and visual spatial intelligence (Mental Rotation Test) tests before, immediately after the second training session and one week after the fourth training session. There were no between-group differences in cognitive performance after the second or the fourth heading training sessions. However, within the heading-training group, women complained more of headaches than men after the fourth training session. These results build on the results from the study of Rieder and Jansen (2011) that showed no neuropsychological consequences after one heading session, showing no cumulative effects of repeat heading

The CENDARI White Book of Archives

Over the course of its four year project timeline, the CENDARI project has collected archival descriptions and metadata in various formats from a broad range of cultural heritage institutions. These data were drawn together in a single repository and are being stored there. The repository contains curated data which has been manually established by the CENDARI team as well as data acquired from small, ‘hidden’ archives in spreadsheet format or from big aggregators with advanced data exchange tools in place. While the acquisition and curation of heterogeneous data in a single repository presents a technical challenge in itself, the ingestion of data into the CENDARI repository also opens up the possibility to process and index them through data extraction, entity recognition, semantic enhancement and other transformations. In this way the CENDARI project was able to act as a bridge between cultural heritage institutions and historical researchers, insofar as it drew together holdings from a broad range of institutions and enabled the browsing of this heterogeneous content within a single search space. This paper describes a broad range of ways in which the CENDARI project acquired data from cultural heritage institutions as well as the necessary technical background. In exemplifying diverse data creation or acquisition strategies, multiple formats and technical solutions, assets and drawbacks of a repository, this “White Book” aims at providing guidance and advice as well as best practices for archivists and cultural heritage institutions collaborating or planning to collaborate with infrastructure projects. http://www.cendari.eu/thematic- research-guides/white-book-archives The CENDARI White Book of Archives. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/2262/7568

The Choice of Sports Affects Mental Rotation Performance in Adolescents

This study investigates mental rotation performance of adolescent female dancers and soccer players in object-based and egocentric mental rotation tasks using human body stimuli. 60 young females, 30 soccer players, and 30 dancers (not twosome), completed a chronometric mental rotation task with object-based and egocentric transformation of male and female figures, which were displayed either in front or back view. During their sport-specific activity soccer-players and dancers very often have to adapt their movements to the movement of a partner or opponent, soccer-players especially in front view positions. While for soccer-players reaction time (RT) often is crucial for sporting success, dancers mainly focus on the accuracy of their movements. Therefore, we expect significantly faster RTs for soccer players for front view stimuli but no differences between soccer players and dancers for back view stimuli. The main result was that soccer-players showed a significantly shorter RT than dancers for stimuli presented in front view in object based and egocentric transformation. There was no such difference, when the stimuli were presented in the back view. Contrary to literature we didn't find significantly higher RTs and error rates for stimuli presented in front view compared to back view in general but only for egocentric transformations. The results of this study show that specific sports affect individual aspects of mental rotation performance

Clinical and Demographic Predictors of Interdisciplinary Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program Treatment Response

© 2019 the American Pain Society Patients treated in interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation programs show long-term improvements in symptoms; however, outcomes may vary across heterogenous patient subpopulations. This longitudinal retrospective study characterizes the influence of opioids, mood, patient characteristics, and baseline symptoms on pain and functional impairment (FI) in 1,681 patients 6-months to 12-months post-treatment in an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation program incorporating opioid weaning. Linear mixed models showed immediate and durable treatment benefits with nonuniform worsening at follow up which slowed over time. Latent class growth analysis identified three post-treatment trajectories of pain and FI: mild symptoms and durable benefits, moderate symptoms and durable benefits, and intractable symptoms. A fourth pain trajectory showed immediate post-treatment improvement and worsening at follow up. Whether a patient was weaned from opioids was not predictive of treatment trajectory. Racial ethnic minority status, higher levels of post-treatment depression, and lower perceived treatment response were associated with less resolution (moderate symptoms) or intractable symptoms. Not having a college education was predictive of intractable or worsening pain and a moderate course of FI. Older age and male gender was associated with intractable FI. Treatment outcomes may be improved by the development of targeted interventions for patients at risk of poor recovery and/or deteriorating long-term course. Perspective: This study examined predictors of treatment response in 1,681 patients treated in an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation program incorporating opioid weaning. Opioid weaning did not predict outcome. Higher levels of symptoms, lower levels of education, and being a racial-ethnic minority were associated with a less salubrious long-term treatment response

Focus on changing fire regimes: interactions with climate, ecosystems, and society

Fire is a complex Earth system phenomenon that fundamentally affects vegetation distributions, biogeochemical cycling, climate, and human society across most of Earth’s land surface. Fire regimes are currently changing due to multiple interacting global change drivers, most notably climate change, land use, and direct human influences via ignition and suppression. It is therefore critical to better understand the drivers, patterns, and impacts of these changing fire regimes now and continuing into the future. Our review contributes to this focus issue by synthesizing results from 27 studies covering a broad range of topics. Studies are categorized into (i) Understanding contemporary fire patterns, drivers, and effects; (ii) Human influences on fire regimes; (iii) Changes in historical fire regimes; (iv) Future projections; (v) Novel techniques; and (vi) Reviews. We conclude with a discussion on progress made, major remaining research challenges, and recommended directions

Hyponatremia in a Cold Weather Ultraendurance Race

We assessed the incidence and etiology of hyponatremia in the 100-mile (161 km) Iditasport ultramarathon. Subjects (8 cyclists, 8 runners) were weighed and serum sodium was measured pre- and post-race. Race diets were analyzed to determine fluid and sodium consumption. Subjects were split by post-race serum sodium concentration into hyponatremic and normonatremic groups for statistical analyses. Seven of 16 subjects (44%) were hyponatremic. The hyponatremic group exhibited a significant decrease in serum sodium concentration (137.0 to 132.9 mmol/L, and the normonatremic group experienced a significant decrease in weight (82.1 to 80.2 kg) pre- to post-race. The hypornatremic group drank more friud per hour (0.5 versus 0.4 L/h) and consumed less sodium per hour (235 versus 298 mg/h) compared to the normonatremic group. In conclusion, hyponatremia is common in an ultraendurance race held in the extreme cold, and may be caused by excessive fluid consumption and/or inadequate sodium intake