Quality of Life of Children with Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Self‐Reports and Proxy Reports

This study aimed to explore how children with learning disabilities (LD) perceive their quality of life (QoL) and to compare self‐reports and proxy reports regarding their QoL. Children with LD, their typically developing peers, their parents and teachers responded to the child, parent, and teacher forms of KINDL^R Questionnaire for Measuring Health‐Related Quality of Life (Ravens‐Sieberer & Bullinger, 1998). Findings showed that children with LD reported significantly lower QoL scores than those reported by typically developing peers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and t‐test results showed that agreement between child reports and parent‐proxy reports was either low or moderate on each QoL dimension. Findings of the study may be used to raise awareness regarding the social and educational needs of children with LD in Turkey.     

Polynomial based differential quadrature method for numerical solution of nonlinear Burgers' equation

Nonlinear Burgers' equation is solved using polynomial based differential quadrature method (PDQ). Numerical simulations are studied for three well known test problems, namely shock-like solution, travelling wave and sinusoidal disturbance solutions of Burgers' equation. Obtained numerical results of the first and the third test problems are compared with some earlier numerical results. Discrete root mean square error norm and maximum error norm are computed for the first two test problems and a comparison with some earlier works is given.     

Web-Supported Chemistry Education: Design of an Online Tutorial for Learning Molecular Symmetry

This paper describes our use of the ADDIE protocol to design and develop an interactive tutorial for students learning molecular symmetry operations and point groups. The tutorial provides a 3-D environment where students can examine molecules, structures, and symmetry elements. Most such tutorials are connected to courses or instructors in ways that make them difficult for others to use. Our goal was to create a freely available tutorial that would be independent of course, textbook, or instructor but would scaffold student learning of these abstract concepts. A usability study was also conducted in order to assist the designers in creating or improving key features of the tutorial and to determine whether the tutorial would be viewed as valuable to students. We found that students appreciated the features, especially mouse-overs and applets that afforded the opportunity to freely rotate accurate images of molecules.     

Biomechanical analysis of the snatch technique in junior elite female weightlifters

The strength and technical competence of junior female lifters play a decisive role not only for their current but also adulthood performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the three-dimensional kinematics of the snatch technique in junior female weightlifters. Ten elite junior female weightlifters participated in the study. Two cameras operating at 50 fields per second were used to record the lifts. The heaviest successful lifts were selected for the kinematic analysis. The kinematical data were obtained using a motion analysis system. The duration of the first pull was significantly longer than that of the other phases (P < 0.05). Maximum extension angle and velocity of the lower limb joints were significantly greater in the second pull (P < 0.05). The greatest extension angle was found in the knee joint during the first pull, while the greatest extension angle was observed in the hip joint during the second pull (P < 0.05). Maximum extension velocity of the knee and hip joints was significantly greater than that of the ankle in both phases (P < 0.05). In addition, the vertical velocity of the barbell and the absolute and relative power outputs was significantly higher in the second pull than in the first pull (P < 0.05). In the snatch lifting of junior female weightlifters, the angular kinematics of lower limb joints, the linear kinematics and trajectory of the barbell and other energy characteristics are similar to and consistent with the values reported in literature for adult female weightlifters.     

The Impact of STEM Attitude and Thinking Style on Computational Thinking Determined via Structural Equation Modeling

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This study aimed to investigate the relationships among computational thinking (CT) skills, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)...     

Plasma irisin is increased following 12 weeks of Nordic walking and associates with glucose homoeostasis in overweight/obese men with impaired glucose regulation

Irisin is a myokine that is thought to be secreted in response to exercise that may help to prevent obesity and maintain normal glucose metabolism. In this study we investigated the associations between irisin and glucose homeostasis in middle-aged, overweight and obese men (n?= 144) with impaired glucose regulation, and the impact of exercise training on these relationships. The participants underwent 12 weeks of resistance or aerobic (Nordic walking) exercise training three times per week, 60 minutes per session. Venous blood (n?=?105) and skeletal muscle samples (n?=?45) were obtained at baseline and post-intervention. Compared to controls, Nordic walking, but not resistance training, increased irisin levels in plasma (9.6?±?4.2%, P?=?0.014; 8.7?± 4.9%, P?=?0.087; respectively) compared to controls. When considering all subjects, baseline irisin correlated positively with atherogenic index of plasma (r?=?0.244, P?=?0.013) and 2-hour insulin levels (r?=?0.214, P?=?0.028), and negatively with age (r?=??0.262, P?=?0.007), adiponectin (r?=??0.240, P?=?0.014) and McAuley index (r?=??0.259, P?=?0.008). Training-induced FNDC5 mRNA changes were negatively correlated with HbA1c (r?=??0.527, P?=?0.030) in the resistance training group and with chemerin in the Nordic walking group (r?=??0.615, P?=?0.033). In conclusion, 12-weeks of Nordic walking was more effective than resistance training in elevating plasma irisin, in middle-aged men with impaired glucose tolerance. Thus, the change in irisin in response to exercise training varied by the type of exercise but showed limited association with improvements in glucose homeostasis.     

Common Molecules: Bringing Research and Teaching Together Through an Online Collection

The World Wide Web contains a number of collections of data files for molecules with limited usability and utility for users. We describe the design of a Common Molecules collection that provides interactive tools for 3-D visualization of molecules. Our organizational design is intuitive and our collection is large, growing, and provides not only structural information, but also historical and/or key information on the properties of the molecules in the collection. The use of the collection by students and the role of students in the development of the collection are also described.     

Why are some universities better? An evaluation in terms of organizational culture and academic performance*

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between organizational culture and academic performance among higher education institutions. The sample was composed of 647 faculty members working in the colleges of education, health, engineering, law, economics, and administrative sciences in four central research universities in Turkey. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was used to describe organizational culture, whereas University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) data were used to investigate academic performance. A multilevel analysis in which one unit of analysis (i.e., faculty member) was nested within another (i.e., college) was performed. The original contribution made to the literature by this research is its examination of the relationships between organizational culture and tangible performance indicators (e.g., the number of academic publications and citations). Results show that three different culture types were observed in the universities: Innovative team culture, competitive culture, and hierarchic culture. Although significant relationships were found between academic performance and both competitive culture and innovative team culture, the sole significant predictor of academic performance was competitive culture. One particularly interesting finding was that whereas competitive culture was effective on quantitative indicators (i.e., number of publications and number of citations), only innovative team culture affected the indicators related to effectiveness (i.e., article impact level and citation impact level).     

Elementary Teachers＇ Perceptions About Implementation of Inclusive Education

The Disabilities Education Act was introduced in June, 1997 in the Turkish Education System. The Act states that schools have a duty to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms. All children with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled children at their own age and have access to the general education curriculum. The philosophy of inclusive education aims at helping all children learn in regular classrooms. Children learn at their own pace and style within a nurturing learning environment because schools are important places for children to develop friendships and learn social skills. Children with and without disabilities learn together and from each other in inclusive classes. On the other hand, when children attend classes that reflect the similarities and differences of people in the real world, they learn to appreciate diversity. The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of teachers about implementation of inclusive education in elementary schools. In order to collect data for this study, a questionnaire which consisted of eight open-ended questions was developed and administered to 66 elementary school teachers. The teachers worked at primary schools and taught 1-5 grades. They were asked to write their opinions and experiences about the implementation of inclusive education in the elementary schools. Primary school teachers generally have a positive attitude about inclusive education and its philosophical and psychological foundation. However, they express that they encounter some difficulties in implementing inclusive classrooms. A crowded classroom is a main obstacle to obtain desired objectives in educational activities. The levels of students＇ disability are related to effectiveness of classroom management. The effectiveness of inclusive education depends on not only the teachers＇ quality but also the school administrators＇. Some superintendents assess the effectiveness of teachers in inclusive and regular classrooms in the same way.