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Articles 1 - 30 of 183
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The Health Effects Of Vitamin D And Probiotic Co-Supplementation: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Myriam Abboud, Rana Rizk, Fatme Alanouti, Dimitrios Papandreou, Suzan Haidar, Nadine Mahboub
The Health Effects Of Vitamin D And Probiotic Co-Supplementation: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Myriam Abboud, Rana Rizk, Fatme Alanouti, Dimitrios Papandreou, Suzan Haidar, Nadine Mahboub
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Evidence of synergic health effects of co-supplementation with vitamin D and probiotics is emerging. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses PRISMA statement, scientific databases and the grey literature were searched, and a narrative review and risk of bias assessment were conducted. Seven randomized controlled trials were included, which had low risk of bias. Six studies were double-blind, and once single-blind, extended over 6-12 weeks, and included 50-105 participants. Conditions explored included schizophrenia, gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, osteopenia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and infantile colic. Supplementation frequency was daily …
The Continuous Intention To Use E-Learning, From Two Different Perspectives, Rana Saeed Al-Maroof, Khadija Alhumaid, Said Salloum
The Continuous Intention To Use E-Learning, From Two Different Perspectives, Rana Saeed Al-Maroof, Khadija Alhumaid, Said Salloum
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During the recent vast growth of digitalization, e-learning methods have become the most influential phenomenon at higher educational institutions. E-learning adoption has proved able to shift educational circumstances from the traditional face-to-face teaching environment to a flexible and sharable type of education. An online survey was conducted, consisting of 30 teachers and 342 students in one of the universities in the United Arab Emirates. The results show that teachers’ and students’ perceived technology self-efficacy (TSE), ease of use (PEOU), and usefulness (PU) are the main factors directly affecting the continuous intention to use technology. Instructors’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) …
Exploring Bem’S Self Perception Theory In Educational Context, Laila Mohebi, Fatima Bailey
Exploring Bem’S Self Perception Theory In Educational Context, Laila Mohebi, Fatima Bailey
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© 2020 Laila Mohebi, Fatima Bailey. This study offers a synthesis of critical elements of Bem´s self-perception theory in an educational context. Ultimately people understand their beliefs, attitudes and perceptions by understanding their own behaviour and the circumstances behind it. Thus, Bem’s theory is integral in gaining a better understanding of pre-service teachers’ perceptions regarding their TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge) dispositions and capabilities. This study explores various experiments. It highlights applications of the theory to the field of education and field experience. It provides a comparative analysis of cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory, as both are valuable …
Suppression Of Micat In Mouse Small Intestinal Myocytes By General Anaesthetic Ketamine And Its Recovery By Trpc4 Agonist (-)-Englerin A, Mariia I. Melnyk, Dariia O. Dryn, Lina T. Al Kury, Dmytro O. Dziuba, Alexander V. Zholos
Suppression Of Micat In Mouse Small Intestinal Myocytes By General Anaesthetic Ketamine And Its Recovery By Trpc4 Agonist (-)-Englerin A, Mariia I. Melnyk, Dariia O. Dryn, Lina T. Al Kury, Dmytro O. Dziuba, Alexander V. Zholos
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© Copyright © 2020 Melnyk, Dryn, Kury, Dziuba and Zholos. A better understanding of the negative impact of general anesthetics on gastrointestinal motility requires thorough knowledge of their molecular targets. In this respect the muscarinic cationic current (mICAT carried mainly via TRPC4 channels) that initiates cholinergic excitation-contraction coupling in the gut is of special interest. Here we aimed to characterize the effects of one of the most commonly used “dissociative anesthetics”, ketamine, on mICAT. Patch-clamp and tensiometry techniques were used to investigate the mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of ketamine on mICAT in single mouse ileal myocytes, as well as …
The Significance Of The Black Sea Countries Of The Three Seas Initiative Relations With The United Arab Emirates, Adam Krzymowski
The Significance Of The Black Sea Countries Of The Three Seas Initiative Relations With The United Arab Emirates, Adam Krzymowski
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: The Black Sea region has strategic geopolitical importance where the routes of Europe, the Caucasus, Asia, and the Middle East intersect. Ensuring stability and security in the Black Sea area is essential for emerging new security architecture. In search of balance, the challenges are met by the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) and the deepening of strategic relations with the United Arab Emirates. The UAE, anchored in the Euro-Atlantic partnership and with extensive influence, emerges as an interesting strategic partner. When analysing the Three Seas Initiative, it should be noted that the United States of America joined the implementation of …
Linear And Decoupled Decoders For Dual-Polarized Antenna-Based Mimo Systems, Sara Shakil Qureshi, Sajid Ali, Syed Ali Hassan
Linear And Decoupled Decoders For Dual-Polarized Antenna-Based Mimo Systems, Sara Shakil Qureshi, Sajid Ali, Syed Ali Hassan
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Quaternion orthogonal designs (QODs) have been used to design STBCs that provide improved performance in terms of various design parameters. In this paper, we show that all QODs obtained from generic iterative construction techniques based on the Adams-Lax-Phillips approach have linear and decoupled decoders which significantly reduce the computational complexity at the receiver. Our result is based on the quaternionic description of communication channels among dual-polarized antennas. Another contribution of this work is the linear and decoupled decoder for quasi-orthogonal codes for non-square as well as square designs. The proposed solution …
Improving Binary Classification Using Filtering Based On K-Nn Proximity Graphs, Maher Ala’Raj, Munir Majdalawieh, Maysam F. Abbod
Improving Binary Classification Using Filtering Based On K-Nn Proximity Graphs, Maher Ala’Raj, Munir Majdalawieh, Maysam F. Abbod
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© 2020, The Author(s). One of the ways of increasing recognition ability in classification problem is removing outlier entries as well as redundant and unnecessary features from training set. Filtering and feature selection can have large impact on classifier accuracy and area under the curve (AUC), as noisy data can confuse classifier and lead it to catch wrong patterns in training data. The common approach in data filtering is using proximity graphs. However, the problem of the optimal filtering parameters selection is still insufficiently researched. In this paper filtering procedure based on k-nearest neighbours proximity graph was used. Filtering parameters …
Sufi Islamic Discourse In Africa: From The Greatest Jihad To The Establishment Of The African Caliphate, Hamdy A. Hassan
Sufi Islamic Discourse In Africa: From The Greatest Jihad To The Establishment Of The African Caliphate, Hamdy A. Hassan
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© 2020 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. In the nineteenth century, African Muslim societies were marked by the emergence of a reformist Sufi Islamic discourse aimed at changing and moving away from traditional Islamic practices. Although this discourse was influenced, to some extent, by external sources of inspiration, it was linked to the local African context. This study demonstrates that the reformist discourse of major Sufi figures such as Sheikh Amadu Bamba in Senegal and Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio in Nigeria reflects a number of common features of Islamic reform in Africa, yet their reform programs were shaped …
A Set Theory Based Similarity Measure For Text Clustering And Classification, Ali A. Amer, Hassan I. Abdalla
A Set Theory Based Similarity Measure For Text Clustering And Classification, Ali A. Amer, Hassan I. Abdalla
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© 2020, The Author(s). Similarity measures have long been utilized in information retrieval and machine learning domains for multi-purposes including text retrieval, text clustering, text summarization, plagiarism detection, and several other text-processing applications. However, the problem with these measures is that, until recently, there has never been one single measure recorded to be highly effective and efficient at the same time. Thus, the quest for an efficient and effective similarity measure is still an open-ended challenge. This study, in consequence, introduces a new highly-effective and time-efficient similarity measure for text clustering and classification. Furthermore, the study aims to provide a …
Digital Transformation In Higher Education: A Framework For Maturity Assessment, Adam Marks, Maytha Al-Ali, Reem Atassi, Abedallah Zaid Abualkishik, Yacine Rezgui
Digital Transformation In Higher Education: A Framework For Maturity Assessment, Adam Marks, Maytha Al-Ali, Reem Atassi, Abedallah Zaid Abualkishik, Yacine Rezgui
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© 2020 Science and Information Organization. All rights reserved. —Literature in digital transformation maturity is scarce. Digital transformation in higher education, especially after COVID-19 is seen as inevitable. This research explores digital transformation maturity and challenges within Higher Education. The significance of this study stems from the role digital transformation plays in today’s knowledge economy. This study proposes a new framework based on Deloitte’s 2019 digital transformation assessment framework with Petkovic 2014 mega and major higher education process mapping. The study triangulates the findings of multiple research instruments, including survey, interviews, case study, and direct observation. The research findings show …
Integrated Structural And Functional Analysis Of The Protective Effects Of Kinetin Against Oxidative Stress In Mammalian Cellular Systems, Muhammad Naseem, Eman M. Othman, Moustafa Fathy, Jibran Iqbal, Fares M. Howari, Fatima A. Alremeithi, Geema Kodandaraman, Helga Stopper, Elena Bencurova, Dimitrios Vlachakis, Thomas Dandekar
Integrated Structural And Functional Analysis Of The Protective Effects Of Kinetin Against Oxidative Stress In Mammalian Cellular Systems, Muhammad Naseem, Eman M. Othman, Moustafa Fathy, Jibran Iqbal, Fares M. Howari, Fatima A. Alremeithi, Geema Kodandaraman, Helga Stopper, Elena Bencurova, Dimitrios Vlachakis, Thomas Dandekar
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© 2020, The Author(s). Metabolism and signaling of cytokinins was first established in plants, followed by cytokinin discoveries in all kingdoms of life. However, understanding of their role in mammalian cells is still scarce. Kinetin is a cytokinin that mitigates the effects of oxidative stress in mammalian cells. The effective concentrations of exogenously applied kinetin in invoking various cellular responses are not well standardized. Likewise, the metabolism of kinetin and its cellular targets within the mammalian cells are still not well studied. Applying vitality tests as well as comet assays under normal and hyper-oxidative states, our analysis suggests that kinetin …
Fractional Nonlinear Volterra–Fredholm Integral Equations Involving Atangana–Baleanu Fractional Derivative: Framelet Applications, Mutaz Mohammad, Alexander Trounev
Fractional Nonlinear Volterra–Fredholm Integral Equations Involving Atangana–Baleanu Fractional Derivative: Framelet Applications, Mutaz Mohammad, Alexander Trounev
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© 2020, The Author(s). In this work, we propose a framelet method based on B-spline functions for solving nonlinear Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential equations and by involving Atangana–Baleanu fractional derivative, which can provide a reliable numerical approximation. The framelet systems are generated using the set of B-splines with high vanishing moments. We provide some numerical and graphical evidences to show the efficiency of the proposed method. The obtained numerical results of the proposed method compared with those obtained from CAS wavelets show a great agreement with the exact solution. We confirm that the method achieves accurate, efficient, and robust measurement.
Brain Substrates Explain Differences In The Adoption And Degree Of Financial Digitalization, Santiago Carbo-Valverde, Juan A. Lacomba-Arias, Francisco M. Lagos-García, Francisco Rodriguez-Fernandez, Juan Verdejo-Román
Brain Substrates Explain Differences In The Adoption And Degree Of Financial Digitalization, Santiago Carbo-Valverde, Juan A. Lacomba-Arias, Francisco M. Lagos-García, Francisco Rodriguez-Fernandez, Juan Verdejo-Román
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© 2020, The Author(s). This study analyzes neural responses connected to trust and risk to explain financial digitalization decisions. It shows that brain responses distinctively inform differences in the adoption of digital financial channels that are not shown by any other sociodemographic or behavioral indicators. From a methodological standpoint, the study explores if usage patterns of digital financial channels and instruments are associated with psychological and biological indicators; it uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether financial digitalization decisions are linked to the evoked brain response to the safety associated with video images of financial transactions through digitalized …
Prescribing Laughter To Ameliorate Mental Health, Sleep, And Wellbeing In University Students: A Protocol For A Feasibility Study Of A Randomised Controlled Trial, Freda N. Gonot-Schoupinsky, Gulcan Garip, David Sheffield, Omar M. Omar, Teresa Arora
Prescribing Laughter To Ameliorate Mental Health, Sleep, And Wellbeing In University Students: A Protocol For A Feasibility Study Of A Randomised Controlled Trial, Freda N. Gonot-Schoupinsky, Gulcan Garip, David Sheffield, Omar M. Omar, Teresa Arora
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© 2020 Objectives: This research is the first study to investigate the potential effects of a laughter prescription on both psychological health and objective sleep parameters in university students. The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility of prescribing laughter to inform a larger randomised controlled trial. Secondary objectives are to assess if a two-week laughter prescription improves subjective and objective sleep outcomes, wellbeing, and/or psychological health outcomes. Trial design: To assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial for laughter prescription in relation to sleep, psychological health, and wellbeing. Forty university students will be recruited and randomised to one …
Editorial: Investigating The Impact Of Current Issues On Leisure, Tourism, And Hospitality In Psychological Science, Anestis K. Fotiadis, Chris A. Vasilliadis, Tzung-Cheng Huan
Editorial: Investigating The Impact Of Current Issues On Leisure, Tourism, And Hospitality In Psychological Science, Anestis K. Fotiadis, Chris A. Vasilliadis, Tzung-Cheng Huan
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No abstract provided.
Spillover Effects Between Greece And Cyprus: A Dcc Model On The Interdependence Of Small Economies, Aristeidis Samitas, Elias Kampouris, Stathis Polyzos, Anastasia Ef Spyridou
Spillover Effects Between Greece And Cyprus: A Dcc Model On The Interdependence Of Small Economies, Aristeidis Samitas, Elias Kampouris, Stathis Polyzos, Anastasia Ef Spyridou
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© The author(s) 2020. This paper discusses the volatility spillovers between the Greek debt crisis and the Cypriot financial crisis. Cyprus was in the spotlight of financial markets due to significant problems stemming from the banking sector, which were dealt with by EU regulators with a bail-in on bank deposits. The current analysis aims to shed light on the reasons behind implementing this novel approach to bank distress. The study uses a Dynamic Conditional Correlation model on the returns of the stock markets of the two countries, which shows strong spillover effects during the period leading up to the 2013 …
Judging Students' Understanding: The Idea Of Concept-Based Curriculum, Khadija Farhan Alhumaid
Judging Students' Understanding: The Idea Of Concept-Based Curriculum, Khadija Farhan Alhumaid
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Purpose of the study: This study aims to identify the method of applying the Concept-Based Curriculum, and to explain the strategies and requirements for its application by educators and teachers.; Methodology: Review and comparison different method that have been mentioned in the previous researches.; Results: The study deduces that focusing on the breadth of learning, as opposed to the depth, is vital in ensuring that knowledge is effectively organized for easier transferability into other contexts.; Applications of this study: The results of this study may help instructors to determine the range of potential benefits of using Concept-Based Curriculum to improve …
Psychosocial Correlates Of Depression And Anxiety In The United Arab Emirates During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justin Thomas, Mariapaola Barbato, Marina Verlinden, Carl Gaspar, Mona Moussa, Jihane Ghorayeb, Aaina Menon, Maria J. Figueiras, Teresa Arora, Richard P. Bentall
Psychosocial Correlates Of Depression And Anxiety In The United Arab Emirates During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justin Thomas, Mariapaola Barbato, Marina Verlinden, Carl Gaspar, Mona Moussa, Jihane Ghorayeb, Aaina Menon, Maria J. Figueiras, Teresa Arora, Richard P. Bentall
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© Copyright © 2020 Thomas, Barbato, Verlinden, Gaspar, Moussa, Ghorayeb, Menon, Figueiras, Arora and Bentall. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is likely to be significant. Identifying vulnerable groups during the pandemic is essential for targeting psychological support, and in preparation for any second wave or future pandemic. Vulnerable groups are likely to vary across different societies; therefore, research needs to be conducted at a national and international level. This online survey explored generalized anxiety and depression symptoms in a community sample of adults (N = 1,039) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between April 8th and …
صِفة المرأة ودِلالاتها في البِنية الصرفية صيغتا فَعول وفاعل في الشّعر العربيّ أنموذجًا, Loay Omar Badran
صِفة المرأة ودِلالاتها في البِنية الصرفية صيغتا فَعول وفاعل في الشّعر العربيّ أنموذجًا, Loay Omar Badran
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نظرًا لأهمية درس التأنيث في اللغة العربية واتصاله بالعديد من دروس النحو واللغة، تتناول هذه الدراسة الحقول الدلالية للمرأة في بنيتي: فعول وفاعل ودراسة دلالاتهما الجسدية والمعنوية بالأنواع التالية: السلوكيــــة والجسديــــة الثابتة والمتحولة / المتغيـــرة، السلبية منها والإيجابية من خـــلال الخطاب الشعري خلال الحقب المــتعددة، وقد جاء اختيار هاتين الصيغتين؛ لأننا لا نهتدي إلى دلالة صفة هذين الوزنين في أنهما عائدان على مذكر أم مؤنث دون تحديد جنس الموصوف، بيد أن صفات المرأة في البنية الصرفية للوزنين (فعول وفاعل) تمثلت في حقلين دلاليين رئيسيين هما: الجسدي والمعنوي وعليه ذيل البحث بـجداول إحصائية أمـكن البنـــاء عليها للــوصول إلى النتائج والتوصيات المتعلقة …
Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Lipid Profile In Adults With The Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Fatme Alanouti, Myriam Abboud, Dimitrios Papandreou, Nadine Mahboub, Suzan Haidar, Rana Rizk
Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Lipid Profile In Adults With The Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Fatme Alanouti, Myriam Abboud, Dimitrios Papandreou, Nadine Mahboub, Suzan Haidar, Rana Rizk
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, with atherogenic dyslipidemia being a major contributing factor. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to assess whether vitamin D supplementation (VDS) alleviates dyslipidemia in adults with MetS. Scientific databases (PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) and the gray literature were searched for randomized controlled trials of VDS, reporting on blood lipids. A narrative review, meta-analyses, sensitivity analyses, and appraisal of the risk of …
The Development Of Social Preferences, Ramon Cobo–Reyes, Jose J. Dominguez, Fernando García–Quero, Brit Grosskopf, Juan A. Lacomba, Francisco Lagos, Tracy Xiao Liu, Graeme Pearce
The Development Of Social Preferences, Ramon Cobo–Reyes, Jose J. Dominguez, Fernando García–Quero, Brit Grosskopf, Juan A. Lacomba, Francisco Lagos, Tracy Xiao Liu, Graeme Pearce
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This paper examines how social preferences develop with age. This is done using a range of mini-dictator games from which we classify 665 subjects into a variety of behavioural types. We expand on previous developmental studies of pro-sociality and parochialism by analysing individuals aged 9–67, and by employing a cross country study where participants from Spain interact with participants from different ethnic groups (Arab, East Asian, Black and White) belonging to different countries (Morocco, China, Senegal and Spain). We identify a ‘U-shaped’ relationship between age and egalitarianism that had previously gone unnoticed, and appeared linear. An inverse “U-shaped” relationship is …
Eating Habits And Lifestyle During Covid-19 Lockdown In The United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Tareq M. Osaili, Maysm N. Mohamad, Amina Al Marzouqi, Amjad H. Jarrar, Dima O.Abu Jamous, Emmanuella Magriplis, Habiba I. Ali, Haleama Al Sabbah, Hayder Hasan, Latifa M.R. Almarzooqi, Lily Stojanovska, Mona Hashim, Reyad R.Shaker Obaid, Sheima T. Saleh, Ayesha S.Al Dhaheri
Eating Habits And Lifestyle During Covid-19 Lockdown In The United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Tareq M. Osaili, Maysm N. Mohamad, Amina Al Marzouqi, Amjad H. Jarrar, Dima O.Abu Jamous, Emmanuella Magriplis, Habiba I. Ali, Haleama Al Sabbah, Hayder Hasan, Latifa M.R. Almarzooqi, Lily Stojanovska, Mona Hashim, Reyad R.Shaker Obaid, Sheima T. Saleh, Ayesha S.Al Dhaheri
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross-sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of …
The Arabic Version Of The Personality Inventory For The Dsm-5 (Pid-5) In A Clinical Sample Of United Arab Emirates (Uae) Nationals, Olga Coelho, Rute Pires, Ana Sousa Ferreira, Bruno Gonçalves, Samia A. Alkhoori, Mohamed A. Sayed, Amany Elrasheed, Sara Belhoul, Maryam Aljassmi, Joana Stocker
The Arabic Version Of The Personality Inventory For The Dsm-5 (Pid-5) In A Clinical Sample Of United Arab Emirates (Uae) Nationals, Olga Coelho, Rute Pires, Ana Sousa Ferreira, Bruno Gonçalves, Samia A. Alkhoori, Mohamed A. Sayed, Amany Elrasheed, Sara Belhoul, Maryam Aljassmi, Joana Stocker
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Objectives: We aimed to test the potential of the Arabic version of the PID-5 to distinguish between clinical and non-clinical participants, as well as to examine its convergent validity and factor structure in an Emirati clinical sample. Methods: The Arabic version of the PID-5 was administered to a clinical sample comprised of 156 participants (Mage = 31.38, SD = 8.99, 37.8% male, 62.2% female) and a community sample also comprised of 156 participants (Mage = 31.43, SD = 9.52, 37.2% male, 62.8% female). We addressed the descriptive measures, internal consistency, mean rank scores differences, convergent validity with SCL-90-R, and PID-5's …
On The Significance Of Students’ Appraisals Of Their Language Learning Experiences At University: A Phenomenological Approach, Amir Kaviani
On The Significance Of Students’ Appraisals Of Their Language Learning Experiences At University: A Phenomenological Approach, Amir Kaviani
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© 2020 Amir Kaviani. This study focusses on students’ appraisals of their language learning experiences at university. Forty students in the third and final academic English course at a university in the UAE participated in the study. The participants completed a written survey which was developed based on Scherer’s (1987, 2001, 2011, 2013) framework of appraisals, i.e. pleasantness, novelty, goal-conduciveness, coping potential and self-compatibility checks. The analysis of the qualitative data indicates that almost all of the participants evaluate their language learning experiences positively and consider the programme to be of great value in enabling them to achieve their academic …
Poor Sleep Efficiency And Daytime Napping Are Risk Factors Of Depersonalization Disorder In Female University Students, Teresa Arora, Eman Alhelali, Ian Grey
Poor Sleep Efficiency And Daytime Napping Are Risk Factors Of Depersonalization Disorder In Female University Students, Teresa Arora, Eman Alhelali, Ian Grey
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© 2020 The Author(s) Objectives: Depersonalization is characterized by feelings of detachment from reality and has been associated with anxiety and depression, both of which have a bi-directional relationship with sleep. To date, few studies have directly examined the potential relationship between sleep and depersonalization, which was the primary objective of our study. Design/methods: A cross-sectional study of female, Emirati, university students (n = 100) was conducted. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Additionally, 36 of the 100 participants wore wrist actigraphy for two consecutive …
Skeletal Muscle And The Maintenance Of Vitamin D Status, Mark S. Rybchyn, Myriam Abboud, David A. Puglisi, Clare Gordon-Thomson, Tara C. Brennan-Speranza, Rebecca S. Mason, David R. Fraser
Skeletal Muscle And The Maintenance Of Vitamin D Status, Mark S. Rybchyn, Myriam Abboud, David A. Puglisi, Clare Gordon-Thomson, Tara C. Brennan-Speranza, Rebecca S. Mason, David R. Fraser
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Vitamin D, unlike the micronutrients, vitamins A, E, and K, is largely obtained not from food, but by the action of solar ultraviolet (UV) light on its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol, in skin. With the decline in UV light intensity in winter, most skin production of vitamin D occurs in summer. Since no defined storage organ or tissue has been found for vitamin D, it has been assumed that an adequate vitamin D status in winter can only be maintained by oral supplementation. Skeletal muscle cells have now been shown to incorporate the …
Perceptions And Misperceptions Of Smartphone Use: Applying The Social Norms Approach, John Mcalaney, Mohamed Basel Almourad, Georgina Powell, Raian Ali
Perceptions And Misperceptions Of Smartphone Use: Applying The Social Norms Approach, John Mcalaney, Mohamed Basel Almourad, Georgina Powell, Raian Ali
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The social norms approach is an established technique to bring about behaviour change through challenging misperceptions of peer behaviour. This approach is limited by a reliance on self-report and a lack of interactivity with the target population. At the same time, excessive use of digital devices, known as digital addiction, has been recognized as an emergent issue. There is potential to apply the social norms approach to digital addiction and, in doing so, address some of the limitations of the social norms field. In this study, we trialled a social norms …
Microbial Communities And Their Predictive Functional Profiles In The Arid Soil Of Saudi Arabia, Munawwar A. Khan, Shams T. Khan
Microbial Communities And Their Predictive Functional Profiles In The Arid Soil Of Saudi Arabia, Munawwar A. Khan, Shams T. Khan
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© 2020 Author(s). Saudi Arabia has the world's fifth-largest desert and is the biggest importer of food and agricultural products. Understanding soil microbial communities is key to improving the agricultural potential of the region. Therefore, soil microbial communities of the semiarid region of Abha, known for agriculture, and arid regions of Hafar Al Batin and Muzahmiya were studied using Illumina sequencing. The results show that the microbial communities of the Saudi desert were characterized by the presence of high numbers of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes. In addition to Sahara desert signature phyla like Gemmatimonadetes, biogeochemically important microorganisms like primary producers, …
Faith-Based Organizations: Humanitarian Mission Or Religious Missionary, Riham Ahmed Khafagy
Faith-Based Organizations: Humanitarian Mission Or Religious Missionary, Riham Ahmed Khafagy
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This paper analyzes Islamic FBOs’ humanitarian approaches, programs, and challenges. Politicalized religious interpretations are also on board to investigate their missionary aspects. I design my argument based on Michael Barnett and Janice Grass Stein’s assumption on the impact of social constructions on establishing sacred and secular concepts and spaces. Thus, I study the UK-based Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) and the Kuwaiti Direct Aid Society (DAS) to examine the influence of their social settings on their humanitarian experiences. My question is “do different social settings shape various humanitarian approach, although of sharing the same religious mission?” I argue that Islamic rules …
Assessing The Groundwater Quality In The Liwa Area, The United Arab Emirates, Alina Barbulescu, Yousef Nazzal, Fares Howari
Assessing The Groundwater Quality In The Liwa Area, The United Arab Emirates, Alina Barbulescu, Yousef Nazzal, Fares Howari
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Last period groundwater quality raises big concerns all over the world since it is a limited source of drinkable water and for agricultural and industrial use. While the suitability of the groundwater of Liwa aquifer (Abu Dhabi Emirate) for agricultural use has been previously partially studied, not all the water parameters have been taken into account. Therefore, in this paper, we propose the study of 42 concentrations series of 19 groundwater parameters. We test the hypothesis that the water parameters series recorded at different locations are similar and group the samples …