Preface to Special Topic: Microfluidics in cell biology and tissue engineering

In this special issue of Biomicrofluidics, a wide variety of applications of microfluidics to tissue engineering and cell biology are presented. The articles illustrate the benefits of using microfluidics for controlling the cellular environment in a precise yet high rate manner using minimum reagents. The topic is very timely and takes a stab at portraying a glimpse of what is to come in this exciting and emerging field of research.     

Stop the Pity,Unlock the Potential: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Disability Services: Evaluating and Monitoring Progress

ABSTRACT

The aim of this qualitative study is to evaluate the role of non-governmental organisations in disabilities services. The study group comprised of nine representatives of each of these NGOs. Data obtained by semi-structured interviews were analysed by using the content analysis method on RQDA qualitative data analysis software. Voice of disabled people is represented through non-profit organisations. In enhancing capacity for development, considering the scope of disability (physical, social barriers), societal attitudes, and religious factors’ impact on society attitudes on persons with disabilities that disabled people are sick and helpless and need to be looked after and medical models that consider disabled people as sick patients trying to recover seem to be important. Content analysis was done to evaluate service capacity of Profession NGOs for the disability. This research study revealed that Profession type of non-governmental organisations need awareness on disability. They need in-service training to understand practices for disabled people. Integration of self-help projects, networking mechanism are essential for the development. The method of Sensitivity Training which is one of the most emphasised organisational development techniques comes forward. Expression of this education with the concept of sensitivity comes from recognising and understanding the behaviour of individuals.     

Practical stability in terms of two measures for fractional order dynamic systems in Caputo's sense with initial time difference

The initial time difference practical stability in terms of two measures has been investigated for nonlinear fractional differential equations in Caputo's sense and these properties have been unified with Lyapunov-like functions to establish a comparison result.     

On some difference sequence spaces defined by a sequence of Orlicz functions

INTRODUCTION Let w be the set of all sequences of real or com- plex numbers and R∞, c and c0 be the sequence spaces of bounded, convergent and null sequences x=(xk), respectively. A sequence x∈R∞ is said to be almost convergent (Lorentz, 1948) if all Banach limits of x coincide. Lorentz (1948) proved that 1 c? = ??? x =( xk ) :linm 1n ∑kn= xk s exists, uniformly in s???. Maddox (1967; 1978) has defined x to be strongly almost convergent to a number L if 1 linm 1n ∑k n= xk s? L=0,…     

Effectiveness of Conceptual Change Text-oriented Instruction on Students’ Understanding of Energy in Chemical Reactions

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of conceptual change text instruction (CCT) in the context of energy in chemical reactions. The subjects of the study were 60, 10th grade students at a high school, who were in two different classes and taught by the same teacher. One of the classes was randomly selected as the experimental group in which CCT instruction was applied, and the other as the control group in which traditional teaching method was used. The data were obtained through the use of Energy Concept Test (ECT), the Attitude Scale towards Chemistry (ASC) and Science Process Skill Test (SPST). In order to find out the effect of the conceptual change text on students’ learning of energy concept, independent sample t-tests, ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) and ANOVA (analysis of variance) were used. Results revealed that there was a statistically significant mean difference between the experimental and control group in terms of students’ ECT total mean scores; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group in terms of students’ attitude towards chemistry. These findings suggest that conceptual change text instruction enhances the understanding and achievement.     

How to improve the design of experimental studies in computing education: Evidence from the international assessments

Education and Information Technologies - Cluster randomized trials are frequently used in educational research for methodological reasons. This study aims to improve the efficiency of cluster...     

New School of Mustafa Satı Bey in Istanbul (1915)

This study has two purposes: the first is to present the general condition of public education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by showing the reformation process in educational institutes and teacher training, and the relationship between this process and the New Education movement in the Ottoman Empire; the second is to determine to what extent Mustafa Sat? Bey, often referred to as the Pestalozzi of the Ottoman Empire, contributed to the New Education movement through the analysis of his opinions on education, and his attempts to open a New School. As a result of Mustafa Sat? Bey’s analysis, New Education practices in the Ottoman Empire were stated to be practising a unilateral receiving-and-adapting procedure and the Ottoman Empire was positioned at the periphery in terms of the circulation of the movement. In his New School and in the Teacher Training School, Sat? Bey was concerned with the New Education movement both on an administrative and operative level. However, his practices were not sufficient to create his own theory and examine any other theory. Thus, when evaluated in terms of his contributions to the New Education movement, Sat? Bey is positioned somewhere between practical reformer and practitioner.     

Approximations to the solution of linear Fredholm integrodifferential-difference equation of high order

There are few techniques available to numerically solve linear Fredholm integrodifferential-difference equation of high-order. In this paper we show that the Taylor matrix method is a very effective tool in numerically solving such problems. This method transforms the equation and the given conditions into the matrix equations. By merging these results, a new matrix equation which corresponds to a system of linear algebraic equation is obtained. The solution of this system yields the Taylor coefficients of the solution function. Some numerical results are also given to illustrate the efficiency of the method. Moreover, this method is valid for the differential, difference, differential-difference and Fredholm integral equations. In some numerical examples, MAPLE modules are designed for the purpose of testing and using the method.