Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Journal of Information Technology Education Computer Technology Awareness by Elementary School Teachers: a Case Study from Turkey

Executive Summary In this study, teachers' perspectives, their awareness level of specific technologies and the roles this technology plays in education are researched. Technical problems that inhibited the use of computers in their schools are also identified. Data was elicited from a sample of 252 teachers who were working in basic education schools in Trabzon, Turkey. The results revealed that many teachers were not computer users. Many teachers lacked a functional computer literacy foundation upon which to build new technology and skills. Analysis of teachers' knowledge of computer technologies revealed low levels of technical knowledge, as well as some interesting perceptions of the role of some specific computer-related items. For most teachers, the use of computers and related technologies had not been a routine part of their own educational environment. This study showed that gender, years of teaching, and school status have a significant relationship to familiarity with computer technologies in Turkey. Lack of hardware, lack of knowledge and skills about using computers, lack of training or insufficient training opportunities, and crowded classrooms were determined as the most important problems that basic education schools face in Turkey. Data suggest that elementary school teachers in Turkey need to be increasingly encouraged to explore the emerging technologies for teaching. The results of this study can be used in the educational systems of newly developing countries to overcome the difficulties mentioned in Turkey's case.
Bowling Online, Not Alone: Online Social Capital and Political Participation in Singapore

Since gaining independence in 1965, the Singapore government has relentlessly pursued economic growth and prosperity, while at the same time exercising tight political controls, which has largely eroded traditional political participation among the citizens (George, 2003; Rodan, 1998). In the economic domain, Singapore’s performance has indeed been very impressive; the country was recently ranked as the second in the world regarding the Global Potential Competitiveness and rated as the Most Competitive Asian Economy, among numerous other accolades (Economic Development Board, 2007). At the same time, its democratic record has been less than stellar, earning Singapore a ‘‘partly free’’ rating in the Freedom in the World report (Freedom House, 2007) and a ‘‘noticeable problems’’ label regarding the state of media freedoms (Reporters Without Borders, 2007). Not surprisingly, several studies and reports have indicated high levels of political apathy in Singaporeans (e.g. Chan & Wong, 2001; Veloo, 2002; Yap, 2000). However, since Singapore has universal suffrage and all citizens over 21 are required to vote by law, this apathy has not been reflected in the election turnout rates. In recent years, researchers have suggested that the Internet may play an important role in reviving and rejuvenating civic and political participation in Singapore (George & Yee, 2007; Kluver & Soon, 2004; Tan, 2003; Yeo, 2003). Given Singapore’s estimated 90 percent literacy rate for above 15-year olds (U.S. Department of State, 2007) and highly developed information infrastructure with 99% connectivity (IDA, 2007), it can be argued that its populace is in a good position to take advantage of the new forms of social connectivity. Singapore’s
Adherence to the DASH Diet Is Inversely Associated With Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study

OBJECTIVE The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been widely promoted; however, little is known about its impact on type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated the association of the DASH diet with incidence of type 2 diabetes among 862 participants of the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) who completed a 1-year food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Type 2 diabetes odds ratios (ORs) were estimated at tertiles of the DASH score. RESULTS An inverse association was observed in whites (tertile 2 vs. tertile 1, OR 0.66 [95% CI 0.29–1.48]) that became significant for the most extreme contrast (tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, 0.31 [0.13–0.75]), with adjustment for covariates. No association was observed in blacks or Hispanics (tertile 2 vs. tertile 1, 1.16 [0.61–2.18 ]; tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, 1.34 [0.70–2.58 ]). CONCLUSIONS Adherence to the DASH dietary pattern, which is rich in vegetables, fruit, and low-fat dairy products, may have the potential to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Impaction bone grafting with freeze-dried irradiated bone. Part II. Changes in stiffness and compactness of morselized graftsExperiments in cadavers

In the technique of impaction bone grafting, implant stability depends on the mechanical properties of the impacted morselized grafts. Although the procedure is usually performed with fresh-frozen femoral heads, there is still some concern about their supply and safety. Bone processing is a potential solution, but the mechanical properties of this material during and after impaction need to be determined. We used 6 osteoarthrotic femoral heads to prepare two paired batches of morselized bone. One batch was morselized and frozen. The other batch was chemically treated, morselized, freeze-dried and then gamma-irradiated. We impacted 18 samples from each batch in a contained cylinder. Freeze-dried bone grafts were tested after 30 minutes of rehydration. The changes in the compactness and stiffness of the material were monitored during the impaction. The compaction of the freeze-dried bone was faster than that of their fresh-frozen control. The maximal stiffness reached by both materials was the same (55 MPa), but the freeze-dried grafts required three to four times fewer impactions to achieve that stiffness. After 3, 10 and 50 impactions the freeze-dried bone was stiffer than the fresh-frozen bone. As it is easier to impact, the freeze-dried bone may be mechanically more efficient than the fresh-frozen bone in surgical conditions. Moreover, the processed bone meets the highest safety standards, as regards the risk of disease transmission.
On anonymizing query logs via token-based hashing

In this paper we study the privacy preservation properties of aspecific technique for query log anonymization: token-based hashing. In this approach, each query is tokenized, and then a secure hash function is applied to each token. We show that statistical techniques may be applied to partially compromise the anonymization. We then analyze the specific risks that arise from these partial compromises, focused on revelation of identity from unambiguous names, addresses, and so forth, and the revelation of facts associated with an identity that are deemed to be highly sensitive. Our goal in this work is two fold: to show that token-based hashing is unsuitable for anonymization, and to present a concrete analysis of specific techniques that may be effective in breaching privacy, against which other anonymization schemes should be measured.
Sexual dimorphism in cortisol secretion starts after age 10 in healthy children: urinary cortisol metabolite excretion rates during growth.

Detailed data on the physiological pattern of adrenocortical activity during normal growth are lacking. An established method to determine adrenocortical glucocorticoid secretion is the measurement of 24-h excretion rates of major urinary cortisol metabolites (C21). To test the hypothesis that the frequently reported higher cortisol secretion in men than in women develops during puberty, we examined C21 together with excretions of combined urinary free and conjugated cortisol (F(comb)) in 400 healthy boys and girls aged 3-18 yr using GC-MS. Daily excretion rates of C21, F(comb), and body surface area (BSA)-corrected F(comb) significantly increased with age in both sexes. In contrast, C21/BSA (microgxm(-2). day(-1)) declined from the age of 3-4 yr to 7-8 yr in boys and girls (P < 0.01; e.g., in boys: from 3,991 +/- 1,167 to 3,193 +/- 804), then increased in both sexes, and finally became discordant after the age of 11-12 yr with a further rise in males only (17- to 18-yr-olds: boys, 5,275 +/- 1,414; girls 3,939 +/- 1,586, P < 0.01). This pattern was associated with the occurrence of a lower index for 5alpha-reductase activity (allotetrahydrocortisol/tetrahydrocortisol) in females compared with males. Our results demonstrate dynamic changes in adrenocortical activity in healthy children resulting in an emerging sexual dimorphism in cortisol secretion after age 11. The latter can be explained, at least partly, by diverging 5alpha-reductase activities in boys and girls. F(comb), a frequently analyzed GC-MS parameter, proved not to reflect dynamic changes in cortisol secretion. In conclusion, the varying metabolic need for cortisol during normal growth may have implications for future improvements in glucocorticoid replacement therapy.
System versus traditional approach in road traffic injury prevention: a call for action

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major public health problem worldwide, especially in low- and middle income countries (LMICs) and require concerted efforts for effective and sustainable prevention. A variety of measures need to be considered when planning activities1-2Moreover stakeholders’ perceptions,3-4approach and the kind of preventive activities are crucial.2,6On the whole, there are two different approaches in RTI prevention: the individual approach and the system approach.2 In the individual approach, usually there is a tendency for practitioners and researchers to identify only one or a few elements, which usually can be found in many LMICs.2Traditionally, in such countries many studies have focused on human errors, poor vehicles design and the road environment rather than focusing on the reason for injury outcome.6In many LMICs, the majority of preventive activities target road-user behaviors, which are usually tackled by means of education and enforcement.2,4Hence the primary responsibility is assigned to the road user. However, while safe road-user behavior is one important component, changing such behavior should not simply be focused on education and enforcement.2,3Studies on public education efficiency have revealed that a decrease in collisions due to such campaigns can be occurred only if they clearly focus on specific forms of behavior, like seat belt use or helmet wearing.4 In contrast, a system approach tends to be mainly directed toward the crashworthiness of the road transport system.2,5For example, Sweden has been rather successful in this area and one major national policy is a long-term vision for road safety, “Vision Zero”. It was a revolutionary way of thinking about traffic user safety that helped Sweden to significantly reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries due to road traffic crashes. This is a road safety policy that puts the protection of the most vulnerable road-users at its centre.6The system designer has the primary responsibility and as a result changes within the environment are given more emphasis than human factors.5The road transport system should be able to consider human failings and absorb errors in the road transport system, in order to avoid serious RTIs and deaths. It is interesting to note that the “Vision Zero” is not just applicable to high-income countries and it could be transferred to low- and middle-income countries. Accordingly, in such countries, if the inherent safety of the system (road and vehicle safety design) cannot be changed, then the only way to reduce RTIs is to lower speeds, as a means of speed management. The basic principles of Vision Zero can be used in any type of road transport system, at any stage of development.6
Localized Innovation, Localized Diffusion and the Environment: An Analysis of CO2 Emission Reductions by Passenger Cars, 2000-2007

We investigate technological change with regard to CO2 emissions by passenger cars, using a Free Disposal Hull methodology to estimate technological frontiers. We have a sample of cars available in the UK market in the period 2000 – 2007. Our results show that the rates of technological change (frontier movement) and diffusion (distance to frontier at the car brand level) differ substantial between segments of the car market. We conclude that successful policies should be aimed at diffusion of best-practice technology, and take account of the different potential for further progress between different segments of the market (e.g., diesel and gasoline engines, and small vs. large engines).
Turned on to learning 2 : active learning in Primary 1

This research briefing gives an account of a research project undertaken by the Learners, Learning and Teaching Network within the Applied Educational Research Scheme (AERS). In an earlier study undertaken by that network (Turned on to Learning 1, AERS Research Briefing 7) we found that teachers thought about engagement in learning in terms of the ways in which children were involved in the teachers' agenda. But for the children it was learning opportunities that involved physical and social actions and interactions and some degree of choice that were engaging. 'Active learning' is a hot topic in primary schools in Scotland. The Curriculum for Excellence explicitly advocates learning through play, investigating and exploring in real and imaginary situations for the early years (Scottish Executive, 2007) and many local authorities are now developing an active learning approach. In this exploratory study we set out to discover what active learning means for children and teachers in the first year of primary school (P1). We wanted to finding out how teachers and school managers interpret active learning and what they expect it to achieve. In addition, we spent time in classrooms to observe the varying interpretations in practice and gathered the views of children and their parents about the experience of being in an active learning environment.
Is Linux Kernel Oops Useful or Not?

Linux kernel oops is invoked when the kernel detects an erroneous state inside itself. It kills an offending process and allows Linux to continue its operation under a compromised reliability. We investigate how reliable Linux is after a kernel oops in this paper. To investigate the reliability after a kernel oops, we analyze the scope of error propagation through an experimental campaign of fault injection in Linux 2.6. 38. The error propagation scope is process-local if an error is confined in the process context that activated it, while the scope is kernel-global if an error propagates to other processes' contexts or global data structures. If the scope is process-local, Linux can be reliable even after a kernel oops. Our findings are twofold. First, the error propagation scope is mostly process-local. Thus, Linux remains consistent after a kernel oops in most cases. Second, Linux stops its execution before accessing inconsistent states when kernel-global errors occur because synchronization primitives prevent the inconsistent states from being accessed by other processes.
Pharmacodynamic considerations in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in infants: challenges and future perspectives

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in infants is a life-threatening disease with a high mortality. It is treated with different drugs that act upon the three different pathways involved in its development. Studies on the drug pharmacodynamics are sparse, however. Areas covered: This review reports a search on the currently available literature in English on drug pharmacodynamics in infants with PH. The search yielded 2499 citations in the EMBASE, MEDLINE, COCHRANE, Web of Science, PubMed Publisher and Google Scholar databases since 1961. Of these, 1691 did not meet the research question. Eventually, 655 articles were of interest, including 44 randomized controlled trials on PH in infants. These articles cover all PH medications used in infancy. Expert opinion: Mortality of PH in infancy has dropped considerably over the past years. iNO is widely used, followed by sildenafil – both orally and intravenously in contrast to the exclusively oral use in adults. In adults, the pharmacodynamic effects of the different medications are tested using the 6-minute walking test, changes in the NYHA classification, or by invasive measurement of pulmonary pressure. Reliable data of pharmacodynamics tested in adequate series or in randomized controlled trials in children are lacking, however, for most of these medications.
Conditioned Head Rotation Reflexes in Infants in the First: Months of Life

A new experimental system for study of higher nervous function has been tested with 23 normal fullterm infants. This method employs conditioned rotation of the head recorded electro‐mechanically. As compared with conditioned sucking studies, this method has been found advantageous from several points of view. New data on the development and coordination of motor responses in young infants have been obtained. A sufficiently stable conditioned reflex may be achieved at 66 weeks of age, differentiation of two positive stimuli at 3 months and double reversal of this differentiation in the 4th month. The experimental approach described permits study and comparison of two analogous symmetrical heterolateral reflexes and simple analysis of intensity and latency of response as sensitive indicators of cortical functions. It also opens new possibilities for the study of early purposive motor reactions. Since rotation of the head may take on various meaning —food‐seeking, orientation, defense—it is particularly well suited to the study of ontogenetic change of one simple motor act into a complex adaptative mechanism.
Effect of emulsification on the skin permeation and UV protection of catechin

Abstract An anti-aging effect may be obtained by skin application of tea catechins (Camellia sinensis) since they have high ultraviolet (UV)-protection activity. In this study, the skin permeation of catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECg) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was determined and compared, and the effect of emulsification on the skin permeation of C was measured. The UV-protective effect of C was also determined. The in vitro skin permeability of each catechin derivative was determined using side-by-side diffusion of cells. The UV-protective effect of C was determined by applying different concentrations of C to the solution or emulsion on a three-dimensional cultured human skin model or normal human epidermal keratinocytes with UV-irradiation. ECg and EGCg with gallate groups showed lower skin permeability than C, EC and EGC without gallate groups, suggesting that the skin permeability of catechin derivatives may be dependent on the existence of a gallate group. Interestingly, the skin permeation of C was increased by an o/w emulsification. In addition, the C emulsion showed a significantly higher UV-protective effect by C than that with its aqueous solution. These results suggest that the o/w emulsion of catechin derivatives is probably useful as a cosmetic formulation with anti-aging efficacy.
Intuitive Interaction and older people

Older people often struggle with using contemporary products and interfaces. They show slower, less intuitive interaction with more errors. This paper reports on a large project designed to investigate why older people have these difficulties and what strategies could be used to mitigate them. The project team found that older people are less familiar with products that they own than younger ones, while both older and middle aged people are less familiar with products that they do not own than younger ones. Age related cognitive decline is also related to slower and less intuitive performance with contemporary products and interfaces. Therefore, the reasons behind the problems that older people demonstrate with contemporary technologies involve a mix of familiarity and capability. Redundancy applied to an interface in the form of symbols and words is helpful for middle aged and younger old people but the oldest age group performed better with a words only interface. Also, older people showed faster and more intuitive use with a flat interface than a nested one, although there was no difference in errors. Further work is ongoing in order to establish ways in which these findings can be usefully applied in the design process.
Combining Power and Communication Network Simulation for Cost-Effective Smart Grid Analysis

Today's electricity grid is transitioning to a so-called smart grid. The associated challenges and funding initiatives have spurred great efforts from the research community to propose innovative smart grid solutions. To assess the performance of possible solutions, simulation tools offer a cost effective and safe approach. In this paper we will provide a comprehensive overview of various tools and their characteristics, applicable in smart grid research: we will cover both the communication and associated ICT infrastructure, on top of the power grid. First, we discuss the motivation for the development of smart grid simulators, as well as their associated research questions and design challenges. Next, we discuss three types of simulators in the smart grid area: power system simulators, communication network simulators, and combined power and communication simulators. To summarize the findings from this survey, we classify the different simulators according to targeted use cases, simulation model level of detail, and architecture. To conclude, we discuss the use of standards and multi-agent based modeling in smart grid simulation.
The functional anatomy of motor recovery after stroke in humans: A study with positron emission tomography

We have studied regional cerebral blood flow changes in 6 patients after their recovery from a first hemiplegic stroke. All had a single well‐defined hemispheric lesion and at least a brachial monoparesis that subsequently recovered. Each patient had 6 measurements of cerebral blood flow by positron tomography with 2 scans at rest, 2 during movement of fingers of the recovered hand, and 2 during movement of fingers of the normal hand. When the normal fingers were moved, regional cerebral blood flow increased significantly in contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex and in the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere. When the fingers of the recovered hand were moved, significant regional cerebral blood flow increases were observed in both contralateral and ipsilateral primary sensorimotor cortex and in both cerebellar hemispheres. Other regions, namely, insula, inferior parietal, and premotor cortex, were also bilaterally activated with movement of the recovered hand. We have also demonstrated, by using a new technique of image analysis, different functional connections between the thalamic nuclei and specific cortical and cerebellar regions during these movements. Our results suggest that ipsilateral motor pathways may play a role in the recovery of motor function after ischemic stroke.