Exploring the Impact of Service-Learning on Literacy Teachers' Self-Reported Empathy

Although (1) literacy teacher education research and professional practice standards highlight the significance of empathy as a central tenant of teachers' professional dispositions, and (2) developing deeper and more empathetic understanding of others is a frequently cited rationale for utilizing service-learning as a critical pedagogy for in-service and pre-service teacher preparation, little quantitative research exists measuring in-service teachers' empathy or empathy development. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how a course-embedded, self-selected, and community-based service-learning experience effected participating literacy teachers' self-reported empathy. While participants scores increased in the pre-post condition, results of a paired sample t-test indicated no significant difference in teachers' self-reported empathy across the pre-post condition. Implications for practice and program administration as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Abstract Contract Synthesis and Verification in the Symbolic 𝕂 Framework

In this article, we propose a symbolic technique that can be used for automatically inferring software contracts from programs that are written in a non-trivial fragment of C, called KERNELC, that supports pointer-based structures and heap manipulation. Starting from the semantic definition of KERNELC in the 𝕂 semantic framework, we enrich the symbolic execution facilities recently provided by 𝕂 with novel capabilities for contract synthesis that are based on abstract subsumption. Roughly speaking, we define an abstract symbolic technique that axiomatically explains the execution of any (modifier) C function by using other (observer) routines in the same program. We implemented our technique in the automated tool KINDSPEC 2.1, which generates logical axioms that express pre- and post-condition assertions which define the precise input/output behavior of the C routines. Thanks to the integrated support for symbolic execution and deductive verification provided by 𝕂, some synthesized axioms that cannot be guaranteed to be correct by construction due to abstraction can finally be verified in our setting with little effort.

The Effect of Virtual Reality Guided Meditation for Chronic Pain on Brain Activity Using EEG (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown some evidence of efficacy in the management of chronic pain. More recently virtual reality (VR) guided meditation has been used as a technique to assist MBSR. A number of studies have also explored changes in the brain during mindfulness meditation practices, but not with use of electroencephalograph (EEG) during VR guided meditation. OBJECTIVE This pilot study explored the potential for recording and analyzing EEG during VR-experiences, and how the power of EEG wave forms, topographic mapping and coherence measures altered during a VR-guided meditation experience in participants with chronic pain associated with a cancer diagnosis METHODS Ten adult cancer chronic pain patients underwent an experimental VR-guided meditation experience whilst EEG signals were recorded during the session using a BioSemi ActiveTwo system with 64 channels in a standard 10-20 configuration. The experimental EEG recording session consisted of a resting condition (pre), three VR-guided meditation conditions (med), and a final rest condition (post) and lasted for approximately one hour in total for each participant. The EEG data collected was preprocessed to remove noise and artifacts. Power spectral density (PSD) was computed over the 50 conditions utilizing the Fast Fourier Transform method, and a topographic analysis, including coherence exploration, was undertaken. Additionally, exploratory statistical analysis for possible correlations between pain scores and EEG signal power were undertaken. RESULTS The greatest power variations between the resting and meditation conditions straddled the conventional frequency bands and had distinct onset and offset boundaries. Power in the 6-11 Hz range exhibited a difference between the Pre and Med conditions and the Post condition. In the 11-21 Hz range, power in the Pre condition was lower than Med and Post. In the 21-55 Hz range, the Med condition had the highest power level, while the Post condition had the lowest. Topographically, several peak channels emerged in the data (FCz, Oz, POz, CP5 and CP6. Coherence variations arose between the three peak channel pairs of interest (FCz and POz, FCz and Oz, CP5 and CP6). A repeated measures correlation analysis, for pain and EEG power for FCz, CP5 and CP6 showed a P-value close to 0.05 all in the 11-21 Hz frequency ranges. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study on the effect of VR-guided meditation, demonstrates the feasibility of EEG recording and subsequent data processing/analysis during VR meditative experiences. Alterations in power and coherence, mainly in 6-11 Hz and 11-21 Hz alpha-theta bandwidths were identified. Topographically, a relative decrease in the 21-55 Hz (gamma bandwidth) in the Post condition compared to the Pre condition occurred in the central-parietal regions accompanied by a change in coherence. These findings suggest that distinct altered neurophysiological brain’s signals during VR-guided meditation are detectable. CLINICALTRIAL clinicaltrials.gov: NCT 02995434

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Physical Activity in a Sample of Greek Adults

It is well known that physical inactivity increases the risk of global death; however, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown strategy on physical activity (PA) remains unclear. This study compared PA—i.e., daily occupation, transportation to and from daily occupation, leisure time activities, and regular sporting activities—prior (PRE) and during (POST) the on-going COVID-19 outbreak in the Greece lockdown environment. A Greek version of the web-based Active-Q questionnaire was used to access PA. The questionnaire was filled out twice (once each for the PRE and POST conditions) by 8495 participants (age = 37.2 ± 0.2 years (95% confidence interval (CI), 36.9–37.5); males = 38.3% (95%CI, 36.7–40.0); females = 61.7% (95%CI, 60.4–63.0). The relative frequency of overall sporting activities, which, prior to lockdown, occurred at least once per month, and overall participation in competitive sports was significantly reduced (8.6% (95%CI, 7.9–9.3) and 84.7% (95%CI, 82.9–86.6) respectively). With the exception of overall leisure time activities, which were significantly increased in the POST condition, daily occupational, transportation, and sporting activities significant reduced (p < 0.05). Overall PA was reduced in all genders, age, body mass index (BMI) and PA level subgroups in the POST condition, and an interaction between the males and High PA subgroups was observed. The change in overall PA (from PRE to POST conditions) was −16.3% (95%CI, −17.3 to −15.4), while in daily occupational, transportation, and sporting activities, it was −52.9% (95%CI, −54.8–51.0), −41.1% (95%CI, −42.8–39.5) and −23.9% (95%CI, −25.1–22.8), respectively. Thus, the lockdown period is highly associated with a negative change in overall PA. During lockdown, inactivity increased dramatically, with males and the high PA population affected significantly more. The decline in PA is a great concern due to possible long-term consequences on public health and healthcare system.

PENILAIAN USER EXPERIENCE FIORI BUSSIM MENGGUNAKAN USER EXPERIENCE QUESTIONAIRE (UEQ) DAN PENGARUHNYA TERHADAP PEMAHAMAN PEMBELAJARAN MATAKULIAH SERTIFIKASI SAP

Penelitian ini menggunakan User Experience Questionaire (UEQ) dalam menilai pengalaman pengguna dari FIORI Bussim dan dilanjutkan dengan menilai pengaruh dari pengalaman penggunaan FIORI Bussim itu sendiri terhadap tingkat pemahaman dari mahasiswa/i dalam memahami proses bisnis yang terintegrasi dengan perangkat lunak SAP (System Application and Product in Data Processing) pada mahasiswa. Secara rinci, kegiatan penelitian akan dilaksanakan dalam beberapa tahapan yaitu mengevaluasi kembali dan menetapkan perumusan masalah yang akan diselesaikan, melakukan studi literatur, pengumpulan data, penilaian dan konstruksi kuesioner untuk menilai pengalaman penggunaan FIORI Bussim dan pengaruhnya terhadap tingkat pemahaman penggunaan oleh pengguna yang dapat disebut sebagai tahapan post-condition, melakukan analisis dan pengujian dan mengambil kesimpulan. Hasil pengujian pada penelitian ini menggunakan User Experience Questionaire (UEQ) pada SAP-GUI (Graphical User Interface) dan FIORI Bussim dengan jumlah responden yang terlibat pada pengujian adalah sebanyak 132 orang mahasiswa yang menunjukkan hasil bahwa nilai pengalaman penggunaan FIORI Bussim lebih baik daripada SAP-GUI. Selanjutnya, nilai pengujian pada penelitian ini terhadap domain pemahaman yang dilihat dari beberapa domain yaitu domain kognitif, afektif dan psikomotorik menunjukkan bahwa lebih banyak responden yang mengalami penurunan dibandingkan peningkatan positif. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa pengalaman penggunaan yang lebih baik dari FIORI Bussim ternyata tidak serta merta membuat tingkat pemahaman terhadap proses bisnis dalam SAP menjadi lebih baik.

Acute Effect of the Timing of Resistance Exercise and Nutrient Intake on Muscle Protein Breakdown

Background: Combining resistance exercise (RE) with nutrient intake stimulates muscle protein net balance. However, it is still unclear whether the optimal timing of nutrient intake is before or after RE, especially on muscle protein breakdown (MPB) for an augmented muscle anabolic response. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a substantial mixed meal (i.e., nutrient- and protein-dense whole foods) before or after RE, compared with RE without a meal on the acute response of MPB in a crossover-design study. Methods: Eight healthy young men performed three trials: (1) meal intake before RE (Pre), (2) meal intake after RE (Post), and (3) RE without meal intake (No). Plasma insulin and 3-methylhistidine (3-MH), an MPB marker, were measured. Results: Time course change in plasma insulin level after RE was significantly higher in the Post condition than in the Pre and No conditions. The area under the curve of 3-MH concentration was significantly lower in the Post condition than in the Pre and No conditions. Conclusions: These results suggest that a substantial mixed meal immediately after RE may effectively suppress MPB in the morning.

Different Time Course of Recovery in Achilles Tendon Thickness After Low-Load Resistance Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction

Context: Blood flow restriction research has focused on muscular strength and hypertrophy. Limited data have been reported about the blood flow restriction effect on the tendon. Objective: To analyze and compare the time course of recovery in Achilles tendon thickness after a single bout of low-intensity resistance training (LI-RT) and low-intensity blood flow restriction training (LI-BFRT). Methods: A total of 56 healthy participants (24.60 [4.0] y; 23.65 [3.4] body mass index) were included. The dominant leg was assigned for LI-BFRT using low load (30% 1-repetition maximum) and 30% of the total occlusion pressure (52.21 [17.89] mm Hg) in plantar-flexion exercise (1 × 30 + 3 × 15 repetitions). The nondominant leg was assumed as a control condition. Main Outcome Measure: Sonography images were taken before the intervention, immediately posttraining, and 24 hours after exercise (post-24) for the Achilles tendon thickness. Results: Changes in Achilles tendon thickness for LI-BFRT group were significant post- (−14.5%; P < .05) and post-24 (−9.2%; P < .05). In contrast, LI-RT group showed a transient decrease after exercise (−9.67%; P < .05) followed by a recovery of thickness post-24 (−1.06%; P < .05). Thickness post-24 was different between LI-BFRT versus LI-RT (P < .01). Hedge effect size analysis showed a large effect (g = 0.90) in LI-BFRT pre–post condition and a medium effect (g = 0.57) in post- to post-24. The LI-RT obtained a medium effect (g = 0.53) in pre–post condition and a small effect (g = 0.49) in post- to post-24. Conclusions: This study showed a different time course of the acute response in Achilles tendon thickness between LI-BFRT and LI-RT. This may be associated with intratendinous fluid movement in response to LI-BFRT.

Developing a Noise Awareness Rising Web Application within the “Protect your Ears” Project

Noise from our environment is causing evergreater problems such as hearing loss among the young. In many cases, children may be exposed to harmful noise even in the most common places such as schools and events. For this reason, we developed a web application in the frame the “Protect your Ears” project that aims the teaching of noise awareness. Playing with this web application helps children to be more aware in protecting their hearing. The web application was subjected to a cohort study where a test and control group was separated at an elementary school. The test group was able to use the web application for two weeks during the teaching sessions, while the control group could not. For objective measurement, the pedagogue used questionnaires before and after the examination. Statistical analyses were performed on the values obtained from the questionnaires. At the beginning of the study, we showed that the control and test groups were not heterogeneous at 5% significance level using the Mann Whitney U test. As a result, there was a significant difference between the preand post-condition for the test group using the Wilcoxon test at the 5% significance level compering to a control group. From this results, we can conclude that playing with the web application the children in the test group became more aware of the noise in their surrounding and mastered preventive behavior.

Effects of Interrupting Sitting with Use of a Treadmill Desk Versus Prolonged Sitting on Postural Stability

High amounts of sitting increase the risk of non-communicable disease and mortality. Treadmill desks make it possible to reduce sitting during the desk-based workerʼs day. This study investigated the acute effect on postural stability of interrupting prolonged sitting with an accumulated 2-h of light-intensity treadmill desk walking. Twenty-one sedentary adults participated in this randomized acute crossover trial, with two 6.5 h conditions: 1) uninterrupted sitting and 2) interrupted sitting with accumulated 2 h light-intensity treadmill desk walking. Pre- and post-condition, participants performed four postural stability tests on a pressure plate (bipedal and unipedal standing stance, eyes open and eyes closed). Anteroposterior center of pressure amplitude showed a significant condition x time interaction in bipedal eyes closed (F(1,20)=4.62, p=0.046) and unipedal eyes open (F(1,20)=9.42, p=0.006) tests, and mediolateral center of pressure amplitude in bipedal eyes closed (F(1,20)=6.12, p=0.023) and bipedal eyes open (F(1,12)=5.55, p=0.029) tests. In the significant interactions, amplitude increased pre to post condition in the uninterrupted sitting condition. The accumulated 2 h light-intensity treadmill desk walking ameliorated the negative effect of 6.5 h prolonged sitting on postural sway, supporting workplace treadmill desk use.

Pengurusan Sumbangan Kepada Mangsa Banjir: Penentuan Keperluan Asas Berasaskan Indeks Syariah Malaysia

Flood occured in the end of the year 2014 was known as the ’yellow flood’. The flood caused home and district damaged and also the community area as well. Management of flood is categorized into threee phases, namely the pre condition before flood, the condition during the flood occurs and the post condition after flood occured. However, the issues arose of inaccuracy in determining the collection and distribution of goods donated to the flood victims. It happened between the flood victims themselves and between certain party. Thus, the objectives of this study is to discuss the concept of Indeks Syariah Malaysia and its contribution management approach based on Indeks Syariah Malaysia. The study will evaluate the types of contribution needed according to necessity. A mixed method approach were taken a qualitative and a quantitative via observation, interviews and questionnaires. Furthermore, the documentation reviews using the inductive method through manuals and report management before, during and after the floods. The study found that eight types of emergency kits should be given to the flood victims during the floods which are prayer kit, food kit, health kit, clothing kit, educational kit, shelter kit and storage kit. The study also found that the contribution management of the flood victims needed a specific guideline based on Indeks Syariah Malaysia for the purpose of determining the basic needs and the types of contributions in accordance its priority. The determination of basic needs is very important for creating emergency kits that can produce a guideline to governments, NGOs and volunteers parties in helping flood victims. Further studies related to the determination of basic needs before and after the flood occured is needed to ensure that the victims obtain an assistance as needed. Keywords: Management, Contribution, Requirements, flood, flood victims, Malaysia Shariah Index. Abstrak Bah banjir yang berlaku pada penghujung 2014 dikenali sebagai bah kuning. Bah banjir tersebut mengakibatkan keadaan rumah, kawasan dan sekitar daerah rosak akibat kesan kedatangan banjir tersebut. Pengurusan banjir dikategorikan dengan tiga keadaan iaitu sebelum, semasa dan selepas. Isu ketidaktepatan dalam penentuan kutipan dan agihan barangan sumbangan kepada mangsa banjir sering ditimbulkan oleh mangsa banjir dan pihak-pihak tertentu. Justeru, objektif kajian ini membincangkan konsep Indeks Syariah Malaysia (ISM) dan pendekatan pengurusan sumbangan kepada mangsa banjir berasaskan ISM. Kajian ini juga akan menilai jenis- jenis sumbangan yang diperlukan oleh mangsa banjir semasa berlaku banjir di samping penentuan keperluan asas berasaskan keutamaan. Reka bentuk kajian ini adalah secara kualititatif dan kuantitatif iaitu menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian dan temubual serta soal selidik termasuk juga kajian secara dokumentasi yang menggunakan kaedah induktif dengan merujuk manual dan laporan pengurusan sebelum, semasa dan selepas bencana banjir. Hasil kajian mendapati tujuh jenis kit kecemasan yang perlu diberikan kepada mangsa banjir semasa banjir iaitu kit ibadah, kit makanan, kit kesihatan, kit pakaian, kit pendidikan, kit penempatan dan kit simpanan barang berharga. Hasil kajian juga mendapati pengurusan sumbangan mangsa banjir semasa berlaku banjir memerlukan satu garis panduan yang khusus berasaskan ISM bagi tujuan penentuan keperluan asas dan jenis-jenis sumbangan mengikut keutamaan. Penentuan keperluan asas ini amat penting bagi mewujudkan kit-kit kecemasan yang boleh menjadi garis panduan kepada kerajaan, NGO-NGO dan pihak-pihak sukarelawan dalam membantu mangsa banjir. Kajian lanjutan berkaitan penentuan keperluan asas sebelum dan selepas banjir diperlukan bagi memastikan mangsa banjir mendapat bantuan sebagaimana yang diperlukan. Kata kunci: Pengurusan, Sumbangan, Keperluan, Banjir, Mangsa banjir, Indeks Syariah Malaysia.