Burnout and humor relationship among university lecturers

This research is aimed to identify the relationship between burnout and the variables of lecturers' humor styles, demographic information, occupational conditions, and ability to cope with humor in general. The effects of these variables in relation to burnout prediction were also investigated. Two hundred eighty-three full-time lecturers working at Ccedil;ukurova University, Turkey, participated in this study. Data was collected through the "Maslach Burnout Inventory," "Humor Styles Questionnaire," "Coping Humor Scale" and "Demographic Information and Occupational Conditions Questionnaire." The results revealed that in terms of age, younger lecturers experience much more burnout, and female lecturers experience more emotional exhaustion than do males. In addition, a significantly negative or low relationship was found between the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, coping humor scale, affiliative humor, and self-enhancing humor, while there existed a positive but low relationship between the three dimensions of burnout, aggressive humor, and self-defeating humor. Thus, the results suggest that academic status may account for a considerable difference between the dimension scores of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Furthermore, the regression analysis indicates that occupational variables and humor are important predictors of the dimensions of burnout. © Walter de Gruyter 2007

Predictors of primary school teachers’ organizational commitment and detecting teachers’ organizational commitment, occupational commitment and intent to leave levels [Sınıf öğretmenlerinin mesleki bağlılık, işten ayrılma niyeti ve bazı sosyo-demografik özelliklerinin örgütsel bağlılığı yordama düzeylerinin incelenmesi]

The goal of this research is twofold. Firstly, describing primary school teachers' organizatinal commitment, occupational commitment and intent to leave levels than the second part is detecting teachers' predictors of organizational commitment. For this goals we questionnaired 712 primary school teacher in Şanlıurfa province in 2011-2012 education year. In order to meausurin gteachers' organizational commitment levels; Meyer, AllenandSmith's (1993) Organizational Commitment Scale, for ocupationoal commitment Blau 's (1985a) Occupational Commitment Scale and for intent to leave Cammann et al.'s (1979) Intent to Leave Scale(in the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire) were used. The results indicated that primary schoolt eachers' affective commitment is at the middle level, continuance commitment and normative commitment are at the low level. However teachers' occupational commitment and inten to leave are at the low level, too. At the same time we found that occupational commitment and seniority are the best predictors of affective commitment; only intent to leave is the best predictor of continuance commitment; occupational commitment, intent to leave and gender are the best predictors of normative commitment. © 2017, Ankara University. All rights reserved

An investigation of university students’ critical thinking disposition and perceived problem solving skills

Problem Statement: Research studies related to developing critical thinking and problem solving as cognitive thinking skills are increasing in Turkey; however, the affective side of the issue is still being neglected. Critical thinking dispositions and perceived problem solving skills are important factors for determining educational needs of students. Purpose of Study: The main purpose of this study was to determine the differences in university students’ critical thinking disposition and perceived problem solving skills based on gender, grade level, and field of study. The relationship between critical thinking disposition and problem solving skills was also examined. Methods: This research was conducted at a university setting in Turkey. Participants consisted of 353 volunteer students from various departments. Facione and Facione’s (1996) “California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory” and Heppner and Petersen’s (1982) “Problem Solving Inventory” were used to gather the data. A Personal Information Form was developed to collect data on students’ demographics. A Pearson productmoment correlations and multivariate test (MANOVA) was used with a .05 significance level to analyze the data. Findings and Results: The result of this study indicates that a better disposition towards critical thinking was associated with greater problem solving skills. We found that gender was not a significant variable related to critical thinking disposition or to perceived problem solving skills. The students’ field of study was related to critical thinking dispositions but it was not related to perceived problem solving skills; social science students had higher levels of these variables compared to science students. Grade level was significantly related to both problem solving and critical thinking dispositions. This result indicates that the students’ levels of problem solving skills and critical thinking dispositions increase as they continue in their college education. Instructional programs for supporting critical thinking and problem solving skill, without neglecting the affective side of these concepts, must be incorporated into college curricula. Conclusions: Problem solving skills are related to critical thinking dispositions. A university education is positively correlated with perceived problem solving skills as well as critical thinking dispositions. Field of study is another factor that determins critical thinking disposition levels. In addition, the interaction between gender and field of study was positively related to problem solving skills. Recommendations: Increasing activities which develop critical thinking and problem solving skills through counseling services and integrating these activities into the instructional program would help students in their development of these skills. © 2009, Ani Publishing. All rights reserved

An investigation of prospective teachers' educating-teaching self- efficacy in terms of various variables [Ögretmen adaylari{dotless}ni{dotless}n egitme-ögretme özyetkinlik düzeylerinin bazi{dotless} degişkenler açi{dotless}si{dotless}ndan İncelenmesi]

This study aims to identify whether prospective teachers' educating-teaching self-efficacy differs depending on the factors of gender, grade level, type of high school graduated, academic achievement, departments they attend, whether they chose these departments purposefully and their reasons for choosing the profession. The participants are 501 volunteer prospective teachers, 327 females and 174 males, attending Education Faculty (Departments of Classroom Teaching, Preschool teaching, Science Teaching and Social Sciences Teaching) at Çukurova University during 2010-2011 academic year. The data were collected through "Educating-Teaching Selfefficacy Scale" developed by Kan (2007) and Personal Information form developed by the researchers. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, t-test, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests. In addition, means, standard deviations and frequency values were computed. In conclusion, data collected from educating-teaching self-efficacy scale and its subscales revealed statistically significant differences depending on grade level, whether they chose these departments purposefully, their reasons for choosing the profession and departments they attend

Large format AlInAs-InGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetector focal plane array for midwavelength infrared thermal imaging

We report the first large format (640 x 512) AlInAs-InGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array (FPA), and investigate the characteristics of AlInAs-InGaAs QWIPs both at pixel and FPA level. The measurements on the detectors fabricated with molecular beam epitaxy grown epilayer structure including 30 InGaAs quantum wells (26 A thick, N-D = 2 x 10(18) cm(-3)) yielded very promising characteristics. The detectors with lambda(p) = 4.2 mu m and Delta lambda/lambda(p) = 25% displayed a background-limited performance temperature as high as 105 K with f/2 aperture. The noise equivalent temperature difference of the FPA is as low as 23 mK (f/1.5) at 105-K sensor temperature with 99.6% operability. These results are comparable to the best results reported for AlGaAs-InGaAs midwavelength infrared QWIPs showing the promise of this material system for completely lattice-matched multiband QWIP FPAs

Relationship between Obsessive Beliefs and Symptoms in Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Misinterpretation of intrusive thoughts because of obsessive beliefs has been thought to be important in the development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. In current study, (I) the difference between OCD patients and healthy controls in regard of obsessive beliefs and (II) the relation of obsesive beliefs with the prevelance and severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms was investigated. METHODS: The current study included 47 OCD patients and 44 healthy controls who have same properties with regard to age, sex and duration of education. All subjects were applied to Obsessive Beliefs Scale, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. OCD patients were applied to Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale as well as the other scales. RESULTS: In analyses by controlling depression and anxiety scores, OCD patients had significantly higher scores than controls, with regard to all subscales of Obsessive Beliefs Scale. Also, prevalence of obsessive compulsive symptoms other than cleaning were correlated with obsessive beliefs about "responsibility and threat estimation" and "perfectionism and need for certainty". Hovewer, there was no correlation in between severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms and subscale scores of Obsessive Beliefs Scale. CONCLUSION: Excluding the effects of depression and anxiety, generally the results suggests that obsessive beliefs have an important role for development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. Future studies of seperated OCD subgroup with regard to obsessive compulsive symptoms will be helpful in determinig the difference among these subgroups in regard of obsessive beliefs

Demonstration and performance assessment of large format InP-InGaAsP quantum-well infrared photodetector focal plane array

There have been various studies showing that InP-InGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are potential alternatives to AlGaAs-GaAs QWIPs in the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) band, especially for applications requiring high responsivity. Being on InP substrate, this material system also offers lattice matched mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR)/LWIR dual band QWIP stack when it is used with the AlInAs-InGaAs system. It is desirable to extend the cut-off wavelength of Inp based LWIR QWIPs to similar to 9 mu m, which can be accomplished by replacing the QW material with InGaAsP. In this paper, we report the first InP-InGaAsP QWIP focal plane array (FPA). The 640 x 512 FPA displayed remarkably low noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) with very short integration times'(46 mK at 66 K with T-int = 440 mu s and f/1.5 optics). The results show that these QWIPs can be operated with high responsivity (> 1 A/W) while offering bias adjustable gain in a wide range where the detectivity is almost constant at a reasonably high level

Light color changes the density and height of synapses in an area of the brain essential for learning

The effects of pre and post-passive avoidance training, and exposure to different wavelengths of light on numerical synapse density and the mean projected synapse height in the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) of the chick brain were investigated. Synaptic counts and the mean projected synapse height measurements were done using a 3-dimensional stereological probe, the disector, which requires no assumptions about size, shape, and orientation of synapses. It was found that there was a significant increase in the density of synapses in the left IMHV of chicks in white, yellow and red light illuminations respectively. However, the mean projected height of synapses in these chicks was significantly increased in the right IMHV under white, yellow, green but not red light illumination conditions. These results suggest that numerical and structural modification of synapses may depend on wavelengths of white, yellow, red and green lights. © 2010 OMU All rights reserved

Light color changes the density and height of synapses in an area of the brain essential for learning

The effects of pre and post-passive avoidance training, and exposure to different wavelengths of light on numerical synapse density and the mean projected synapse height in the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) of the chick brain were investigated. Synaptic counts and the mean projected synapse height measurements were done using a 3-dimensional stereological probe, the disector, which requires no assumptions about size, shape, and orientation of synapses. It was found that there was a significant increase in the density of synapses in the left IMHV of chicks in white, yellow and red light illuminations respectively. However, the mean projected height of synapses in these chicks was significantly increased in the right IMHV under white, yellow, green but not red light illumination conditions. These results suggest that numerical and structural modification of synapses may depend on wavelengths of white, yellow, red and green lights. © 2010 OMU All rights reserved

Mega-dose lorazepam addiction and withdrawal symptoms

The fact that health policies in developing countries make easy to get drugs, which should only be used under control, might result in dependence problems despite initial treatment purposes for drug intake. Benzodiazepines are drugs that have been widely prescribed and have been classified as controlled drugs. In this work, a case is described who began to use lorazepam, developed tolerance and dependence to mega-dose of drug because of easy access to drug. The patient has used lorazepam approximately for six months as he gradually increased dose to 220 mg/day. His efforts to drop the drug was unsuccessful and subsequently he applied to emergency service because of disturbing withdrawal symptoms. He showed initial withdrawal symptoms of severe restlessness, hyperpnoea, sweating, headache, anxiety, irritability which were succesfully controlled in the second day. Seizure or any other life threatening adverse effect were not observed during treatment. The health policies in developing countries should be arranged strictly to control access to controlled drugs even by prescribed patients in order to avoid development of addiction in such cases