Linguistic complexity in test items may jeopardize the validity of interpreting English language learners' (ELLs') test scores as measures of their content knowledge in mathematics and science. Although previous studies have demonstrated the effect of linguistic complexity on ELL performance, few examined individual linguistic features. Particularly, little is known about features operating at the level of the item as a whole, rather than the word or sentence level. This study identified 13 linguistic features likely to impact ELL performance on 162 Grade 5 multiple-choice science items from a large-scale science assessment. After analyzing the frequency and distribution of features, we correlated their presence with items' Differential Item Functioning (DIF) values disfavoring ELLs. Three features were positively correlated at a significant level with DIF disfavoring ELLs, and two features were negatively correlated at a significant level with DIF disfavoring ELLs. The results indicate that certain individual linguistic features may differentially impact ELL performance.
Current understanding of how culture relates to the development of children's genderrelated peer preferences is limited. To investigate the role of societal acceptance of gender nonconformity, this study compared children from China and Thailand. Unlike China and other cultures where the conceptualization of gender as binary is broadly accepted, individuals who identify as a nonbinary "third" sex/gender have been highly visible and tolerated in Thai society for at least several decades. Chinese and Thai 4-to 9-year-olds (N = 458) viewed vignettes of four hypothetical peers who varied on gender (i.e., boy vs. girl) and gender-typed toy play behavior (i.e., masculine vs. feminine), and were asked to give a friendship preference rating for each peer. Chinese, compared with Thai, children evidenced gender-related peer preferences that emerged earlier, remained more stable across age groups, and were relatively more biased against gender-nonconforming behavior. The only cultural similarity was in children's preference for peers who were of the same gender and/or displayed same-gender-typed behavior. Thus, while preference for peers who are of the same gender and/or display same-gender-typed behavior is common among children across cultures, the developmental onset and course of these preferences vary by culture. Moreover, societal acceptance of gender nonconformity might be key to limiting children's bias against gender-nonconforming peers.
Acupuncture is an efficient therapy method originated in ancient China, the study of which based on ZHENG classification is a systematic research on understanding its complexity. The system perspective is contributed to understand the essence of phenomena, and, as the coming of the system biology era, broader technology platforms such as omics technologies were established for the objective study of traditional chinese medicine (TCM). Omics technologies could dynamically determine molecular components of various levels, which could achieve a systematic understanding of acupuncture by finding out the relationships of various response parts. After reviewing the literature of acupuncture studied by omics approaches, the following points were found. Firstly, with the help of omics approaches, acupuncture was found to be able to treat diseases by regulating the neuroendocrine immune (NEI) network and the change of which could reflect the global effect of acupuncture. Secondly, the global effect of acupuncture could reflect ZHENG information at certain structure and function levels, which might reveal the mechanism of Meridian and Acupoint Specificity. Furthermore, based on comprehensive ZHENG classification, omics researches could help us understand the action characteristics of acupoints and the molecular mechanisms of their synergistic effect.
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