Immigrant Parent Perspectives on Involvement in their Child’s Mathematics Learning: Views of East Asian Immigrant Parents in Aotearoa New Zealand

AbstractParental involvement in mathematics learning can positively affect student achievement and wellbeing but is challenging to establish and maintain. Asian immigrants make up around 15% of New Zealand’s population, yet little is known about these parents’ involvement in their child’s schooling. To examine the experiences of parental involvement in their child’s mathematics learning of East Asian parents, data from semi-structured interviews carried out with eleven parents were considered in light of a common parental involvement framework. Parents’ perspectives about the mathematics curriculum were found to come mainly from communication with teachers and observation of their child’s learning. Parents desired improved involvement in their children’s mathematics learning and better communication with their child’s teacher. Implications include that to capitalise on the potential of parental involvement for improving mathematics learning, teachers must prioritise effective communication with parents to enable their involvement

Data_Sheet_1_Associations between risk of Alzheimer's disease and obstructive sleep apnea, intermittent hypoxia, and arousal responses: A pilot study.docx

ObjectivesObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, potential associations among sleep-disordered breathing, hypoxia, and OSA-induced arousal responses should be investigated. This study determined differences in sleep parameters and investigated the relationship between such parameters and the risk of AD.MethodsPatients with suspected OSA were recruited and underwent in-lab polysomnography (PSG). Subsequently, blood samples were collected from participants. Patients' plasma levels of total tau (T-Tau) and amyloid beta-peptide 42 (Aβ42) were measured using an ultrasensitive immunomagnetic reduction assay. Next, the participants were categorized into low- and high-risk groups on the basis of the computed product (Aβ42 × T-Tau, the cutoff for AD risk). PSG parameters were analyzed and compared.ResultsWe included 36 patients in this study, of whom 18 and 18 were assigned to the low- and high-risk groups, respectively. The average apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), apnea, hypopnea index [during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep], and oxygen desaturation index (≥3%, ODI-3%) values of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group. Similarly, the mean arousal index and respiratory arousal index (R-ArI) of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group. Sleep-disordered breathing indices, oxygen desaturation, and arousal responses were significantly associated with an increased risk of AD. Positive associations were observed among the AHI, ODI-3%, R-ArI, and computed product.ConclusionsRecurrent sleep-disordered breathing, intermittent hypoxia, and arousal responses, including those occurring during the NREM stage, were associated with AD risk. However, a longitudinal study should be conducted to investigate the causal relationships among these factors.</p