Divergent paths to martyrdom and significance among suicide attackers

This research used open source information to investigate the motivational backgrounds of 219 suicide attackers from various regions of the world. We inquired as to whether the attackers exhibited evidence for significance quest as a motive for their actions, and whether the eradication of significance loss and/or the aspiration for significance gain systematically differed according to attackers’ demographics. It was found that the specific nature of the significance quest motive varied in accordance with attackers’ gender, age, and education. Whereas Arab-Palestinians, males, younger attackers, and more educated attackers seem to have been motivated primarily by the possibility of significance gain, women, older attackers, those with little education, and those hailing from other regions seem to have been motivated primarily by the eradication of significance loss. Analyses also suggested that the stronger an attacker’s significance quest motive, the greater the effectiveness of their attack, as measured by the number of casualties. Methodological limitations of the present study were discussed, and the possible directions for further research were indicated

Harnessing mobile technology for classroom learning

Educational institutions are reluctant adopt mobile computing and Wireless technologies. This is because this technology remains relatively expensive compared to traditional computing technologies, mobile devices are inherently personal and can be difficult to use as a teaching tool to groups of learners, and Short Message Services and Multimedia Message Services (SMS/MMS) are expensive and limited in functional scope despite their popularity amongst young people. In this paper, we describe a component of a prototype learning environment named Quest where we propose anew way of harnessing mobile technology for learning that negates these drawbacks. In Quest we have demonstrated that the information gathering capabilities of mobile phones can be harnessed to aid learners research

Transdisciplinarity seen through Information, Communication, Computation, (Inter-)Action and Cognition

Similar to oil that acted as a basic raw material and key driving force of industrial society, information acts as a raw material and principal mover of knowledge society in the knowledge production, propagation and application. New developments in information processing and information communication technologies allow increasingly complex and accurate descriptions, representations and models, which are often multi-parameter, multi-perspective, multi-level and multidimensional. This leads to the necessity of collaborative work between different domains with corresponding specialist competences, sciences and research traditions. We present several major transdisciplinary unification projects for information and knowledge, which proceed on the descriptive, logical and the level of generative mechanisms. Parallel process of boundary crossing and transdisciplinary activity is going on in the applied domains. Technological artifacts are becoming increasingly complex and their design is strongly user-centered, which brings in not only the function and various technological qualities but also other aspects including esthetic, user experience, ethics and sustainability with social and environmental dimensions. When integrating knowledge from a variety of fields, with contributions from different groups of stakeholders, numerous challenges are met in establishing common view and common course of action. In this context, information is our environment, and informational ecology determines both epistemology and spaces for action. We present some insights into the current state of the art of transdisciplinary theory and practice of information studies and informatics. We depict different facets of transdisciplinarity as we see it from our different research fields that include information studies, computability, human-computer interaction, multi-operating-systems environments and philosophy.Comment: Chapter in a forthcoming book: Information Studies and the Quest for Transdisciplinarity - Forthcoming book in World Scientific. Mark Burgin and Wolfgang Hofkirchner, Editor

Predictive Relations Between Quest For Significance And Social Media Addiction Of Adults

The aim of this study was to analyse quest for significance of adults according to their demographic features and to determine predictive relations between quest for significance and social media addiction of adults. The data of the study were collected from a total of 556 participants, 188 men and 368 women aged 18 and over. Participants were recruited by utilizing convenience sampling technique, and correlational survey method of quantitative research models was adopted within this study. Quest for Significance Scale, Social Media Addiction Scale and Personal Information Form were used as data collection tools. The data from assessment tools were analysed using the T-test, and multi-group comparisons were made using ANOVA (one-way analysis of variance). The relation between the points acquired from assessment tools was calculated using Pearson's Moments Multiplication Correlation Coefficient. Predictive relations between quest for significance and social media addiction was analysed using simple linear regression model. Significant difference was determined in quest for significance of adults as a result of the study considering age level, marital status, time spent on social media, the reason for using social media and whether using social media has any impact on sleeping pattern. On the other hand, no significant difference was determined in quest for significance of adults in terms of gender, income and educational background. A moderate positive correlation between quest for significance and social media addiction of adults was determined

IN-SILICO APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE CLINICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR PEDIATRIC UNITS

There is an observed serious challenge to the provision and management of pediatric healthcare and facilities in most African countries. This has probably contributed to the high mortality rates recorded among African children. It is thus imperative to evaluate all possible approaches to the development of the appropriate manage of the problem. In-silico approaches to information management of pediatrics sections of hospitals could for example help reduce mortality rates among children. This study was aimed at developing a prototype clinic information system for keeping track of infants’ clinical records, diagnosis of their various ailments, proffering possible solutions and their respective responses to drug treatments. Research focus was on the pediatric sections of some hospitals located in southwestern part of Nigeria, particularly sections in care of the children between the ages of 5 and 9 years. A monthly or annual report generated from this system will assist in making proper recommendation to research institutions on ways of improving chemotherapeutic management of common diseases of infants and to governmental agencies on the need for more funding to support in this quest. C#.Net was the programming language used for the implementation of the system, while SQL server 2008 was used to provide the database support. It is hoped that the developed system will help in the reduction of infant mortality rates in hospitals were it is implemented

Web quest method in online teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language in higher educational institutions

Introduction. The research is topical due to the need to find effective methods of teaching Ukrainian to foreign students. The development of information technology urged the development of communicative competencies in foreign students. So, the web quest method is becoming increasingly popular in the study of foreign languages in higher educational institutions around the world. This method is an effective tool that allows a full involvement of foreign students in learning Ukrainian as a foreign language. Methods: testing students for the level of proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language, statistical and mathematical processing of results using Pearson’s formulas. Results: The results of the study showed the high efficiency of the web quest method in the experimental group in comparison with traditional teaching methods. According to all the criteria studied, the students of the experimental group showed higher results than the students of the control group, which proves the effectiveness of this method. Namely, the indicator of lexical skills of the experimental group with the excellent grade exceeds the indicator of the control group by 10.2%. The indicator of grammar skills of the experimental group with the excellent grade exceeds the indicator if the control group by 7.7%. And the indicator of phonetic skills of the experimental group with the excellent grade exceeds the indicator of the control group by 8.4%. There were 55.74% of foreign students who showed a high level of information search and analysis skills. Conclusion: The study notes the high efficiency of using the web quest method in the development of various communicative competencies in foreign students. Therefore, the expediency of using the web quest method in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language to foreign students has been established. Prospects: further research will be aimed at studying the effectiveness of web quests for the development of professional communicative competencies for other subjects