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The interpretation of the 'E' in EMI/EME (English as a medium of instruction/education) or the kind of English that should be implemented and used is a debatable subject within the field (e.g., Smit, 2010; Jenkins, 2014; Iino & Murata 2016, 2018; Macaro et al., 2018). Within the field of English as a lingua franca (ELF), it has always been questioned why standard native English is considered the only legitimate and acceptable use of English that students should follow in EMI/EME in the higher education sector. This offered the starting point of this study, which investigates the presentation of English in EMI/EME and students' experiences, attitudes and perceptions of English in a very under-researched context within the field of ELF by conducting two case studies in a selected university in Saudi Arabia. In order to do so, the research adopted Spolsky's (2004, 2009) framework of language policy, which covers three levels, language management, practice and ideology, as well as Shohamy's (2006) interpretation of mechanisms in language policy. The research adopted a qualitative approach and employed three methods in the study: document analysis of national and institutional documents, and semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students on two different EMI/EME programmes. The research findings illustrate a strong attachment to standard native English and raises issues related to the awareness and legitimisation of other English varieties within the levels of national and institutional documents. The findings suggest that the participants of the two case studies had different experiences in terms of English language expectations on their EMI/EME programmes. The findings from the engineering school revealed an orientation towards intelligibility and successful learning and communication, whereas the findings from the medical school suggested an explicit orientation towards standard native English with contextual factors related to miscommunication and medical errors. The findings also demonstrate conflict, doubt, uncertainty and deviations that appeared in the participants' attitudes and perceptions of the use of English, either in EMI/EME or the social use of English, which suggests a struggle between what students think to be 'proper' English and that which they believe to be effective and intelligible. The study therefore contributes to the field of ELF as well as providing a platform for Saudi students' attitudes and perceptions of English to be taken as a reference in language planning.

Cloud computing is a dynamic field of research, as the latest advances in the cloud computing applications have led to development of a plethora of cloud services in the areas of software, hardware, storage, internet of things connected to the cloud, and 5G supported by the cloud networks. Due to ever increasing developments and the subsequent emergence of a wide range of cloud services, a cloud market was created with cloud providers and customers seeking to buy the cloud services. With the expansion of the cloud market and the presence of a virtual environment in which cloud services are provided and managed, the face to-face meetings between customers and cloud providers is almost impossible, and the negotiation over the cloud services using the state-of-the-art autonomous negotiation agents has been theorized and researched by several researchers in the field of cloud computing, however, the solutions offered by literature are less applicable in the real-time cloud market with the evolving nature of services and customers' requirements. Therefore, this study aimed to develop the solutions addressing issues in relation to negotiation of cloud services leading to the development of a service-level agreement (SLA), and monitoring of the terms and conditions specified in the SLA. We proposed the autonomous service-level framework supported by the autonomous agents for negotiating over the cloud services on behalf of the cloud providers and customers. The proposed framework contained gathering, filtering, negotiation and SLA monitoring functions, which enhanced its applicability in the real-time cloud market environment. Gathering and filtering stages facilitated the effectiveness of the negotiation phase based on the requirements of customers and cloud services available in the cloud market. The negotiation phase was executed by the selection of autonomous agents, leading to the creation of an SLA with metrics agreed upon between the cloud provider and the customer. Autonomous agents improved the efficiency of negotiation over multiple issues by creating the SLA within a short time and benefiting both parties involved in the negation phase. Rubinstein's Alternating Offers Protocol was found to be effective in drafting the automated SLA solutions in the challenging environment of the cloud market. We also aimed to apply various autonomous agents to build the new algorithms which can be used to create novel negotiation strategies for addressing the issues in SLAs in cloud computing. The monitoring approach based on the CloudSim tool was found to be an effective strategy for detecting violations against the SLA, which can be an important contribution to building effective monitoring solutions for improving the quality of services in the cloud market.

A systematic review on the identification of the barriers and facilitators of wearing a sports mouthguard among children. For this, A systematic search was done from different databases following PRISMA guidelines. The six different databases including (Ovid MEDLINE, Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Embase, Embase Classic, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched, including the search terms related to the topic. 1470 records were identified, 36 studies were included in this systematic review. The data was collected using a modified data extraction form. The barriers and facilitators found were put into five sociological levels of influence based on the Theoretical Domains Framework domains (individual, interpersonal, organisational, community, and public policy). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to measure the risk of bias in the included studies. The discovered barriers and facilitators were classified into seven TDF domains, including knowledge, beliefs about consequences, intentions, memory, attention and decision process, environmental context and resources, social influence, and emotions.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a rare mucocutaneous immunobullous disorder associated with significant morbidity. Early diagnosis is paramount to reduce scarring complications and to optimise therapy. Preliminary work in our laboratory has demonstrated the potential benefit of saliva as an alternative to serum for diagnosis. However, the relationship between target antigens and clinical phenotypes is unclear. Identification of patients at higher clinical risk might be improved through identification of potential biomarkers. Aims: To investigate 1) the association of clinical phenotypes with specific target antigens and epitopes in MMP that may explain the spectrum of clinical presentation and disease severity. 2) serum and salivary biomarkers in the analysis of disease activity and therapeutic responses in MMP. 3) the diagnostic and disease-monitoring capacity of saliva in MMP. Methodology: Sera were collected from 117 MMP patients, 50 healthy controls (HC) and 16 disease controls (DC). Matched whole saliva samples were collected from 63/117 MMP patients. Parotid saliva was taken from 16 MMP patients, 11 DC and 4 HC. Basement membrane zone autoantibody binding patterns were noted. Reactivity with laminin 332 (L332) and bullous pemphigoid antigen 2 (BP180) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Disease severity was assessed using the Guy's Oral Disease Severity Score (ODSS). Sequential samples were analysed over 9 months in 11 MMP patients. A detailed clinical presentation and severity scoring was undertaken and correlated with immunopathological findings. Results: Among the MMP patients (n=117), 101 were biopsied with 95/101 (94%) showing positive DIF. IIF was performed on 112 patients and 54 (48.2%) were positive on salt split skin (SSS), of these 50 (92.5%) were epidermal and only 4 (7.4%) showed dermal binding pattern on SSS. Serum IgG antibodies to BP180 NC16a polypeptide were detected in 29/55(52.7%) MMP patients and serum IgA in 10/55(18%) whereas salivary IgG and IgA antibodies were present in 12/28(42.8%) and 9/28 (32%), respectively. Serum IgG antibodies to selected peptides from BP180 midportion were detected in 26/55 (47.2%) MMP and serum IgA in 17/55(31%) while salivary IgG and IgA were in 14/28 (50%) and 7 /28(25%), respectively. Serum IgG to the C-terminal (4575 epitope) and adjacent peptides was present in 15 /55 (27.2%) patients and IgA in 12(21.8%); salivary IgG was in 11/28 (39.2%) and salivary IgA in 5(17.8%) and 40% of MMP were negative to NC16a but positive to either midportion or the C-terminal region of BP180. Combined use of serum and saliva increased detection of specific antibodies by 39% for NC16a and by 28% for 4575 domains. Antibodies to Laminin 332 were detected in 48/117(41%) MMP patient sera.; IgG 40/117 (34%), IgA 11/117 (9.4%) and both 3/117 (2.5%). In whole saliva samples, IgG to L332 was detected in 13/63 (20.6%), IgA 17/63 (26.9%), both 5/63(8%) and in parotid saliva secretory IgA antibodies in 8/16 (50%). Combined use of serum and saliva increased detection of specific antibodies by 27%. A significant association was found between serum IgA antibodies against L332 and the presence of ocular lesions (χ2 = 6.56 p = 0.038). There was a positive relation between the titre of IgG antibody in serum and ODSS in MMP (Spearman r =0.26 p = < 0.01). Sequential samples showed that there was a positive correlation between the titre of serum IgG antibody to L332 and ODSS at baseline (Spearman r =0.63 p = <0.04), but neither serum IgA nor saliva IgA and/or IgG anti-L332 antibodies were found to be a significantly correlated with the ODSS. Mean serum and salivary IgG and IgA anti-L332 antibody titres showed statistically significant decreases over the 9-month period (p = <0.01). Conclusion: Our data has showed that 1) demonstration of a relationship between serum and saliva L332 or BP180 specific antibodies in defined clinical subgroups and oral disease severity. 2 ) the presence of serum and salivary IgG and IgA antibodies to L332 in a predominantly epidermal binding cohort of MMP patients. 3) the novel finding of salivary IgG and secretory IgA antibodies to L332 and/or BP180 and when combined results with serum increase diagnostic sensitivity. 4) the novel epitopes within the BP180 which can recognise both antibody isotypes . 5) preliminary evidence to support the potential association between L332 reactive patients and an underlying malignancy. These new findings demonstrate that serum and salivary IgG and IgA antibodies to the multiple extracellular epitopes of BP180 and L332 may be useful in the diagnosis of MMP, and that saliva is useful for diagnosing and monitoring MMP and furthering the understanding of disease pathogenesis.

Vibrotactile positional therapy (PT) is a relatively new treatment for positional obstructive sleep apnoea (POSA). It uses vibrotactile stimulus to encourage the sleeper to change position when supine. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the efficacy of vibrotactile PT as a clinical treatment for patients with POSA. To achieve this, different experimental approaches were used, including a systematic review and meta-analysis, a clinical trial, and a physiological study. The systematic review was carried out to evaluate the effect of vibrotactile PT on apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI), percentage of time spent in supine (%Tsupine), and patient-centred outcomes in patients with POSA compared to baseline. The results showed that vibrotactile PT was effective in reducing both AHI and %Tsupine. Although the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire minimally improved, these changes did not reach clinically important differences; however, limited data were found on quality of life (SF-36) vitality score. A prospective, three-month, multicentre, randomised, parallel, double-blind trial (The POSA Trial, ISRCTN51740863) was developed to investigate the effect of vibrotactile PT on AHI, quality of life and daytime functioning at follow-up, adjusted for the baseline, in patients with POSA compared to sham-vibrotactile PT. Baseline data (AHI, quality of life and daytime functioning) obtained from the participants recruited at the Royal Brompton Hospital are presented in the thesis. The mean baseline AHI for RBH participants was in the mild OSA category compared to the patients in the systematic review; however, a higher baseline %Tsupine was found. The baseline patient-centred outcomes were also comparable to those found in the systematic review. A physiological study in healthy participants (n=27) was carried out to investigate the effect of vibrotactile stimulus on arousability from sleep. A novel analysis method was developed to measure arousability. This included the duration from the vibrotactile stimulus to the position change using polysomnography. The results of this study showed heterogenous arousability responses to the vibrotactile stimulus with different phenotypes. Compared to males, healthy females took longer to respond to the vibrotactile stimulus and, therefore, were more resilient to arousability. In summary, the findings of this thesis have shown that vibrotactile PT devices are effective in treating patients with POSA. However, limited data on sensitive patient-centred outcomes exist. The POSA trial will provide data to address this evidence gap. Furthermore, the physiological findings in people without OSA showed that males are more arousable than females. This information may be of value when considering personalisation of clinical treatment. Future research of POSA will need to consider the arousability phenotype when planning treatment options.

This work focuses on investigating the structural and electronic properties of ReS2, a layered semiconducting member of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) family, which is distinguished by its high in-plane anisotropy. The structural and electronic properties of layered materials ReS2 have been probed at the nanometre scale by employing low temperature ultra high vacuum (LT-UHV) scanning probe techniques including: Non contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). By performing both STM and NC-AFM, we were able to distinguish the non-equivalent chalcogen atoms as well as identify the b-axis (or Re-chain direction); and it was possible to assess the structural and/or electronic contribution of each of the S and Re sublattices to the features in images recorded using both techniques as they result from different phenomena. Analysis shows that, as opposed to STM, the NC-AFM images show a clear transition with the imaging parameters that allows the Re-sublattice contribution to be measured or "picked up" more readily. We believe that this is the first NC-AFM study performed on ReS2. The ability of the NC-AFM technique to reveal information from subsurface atomic layers can be exploited further, in the imaging of subsurface defects. The STM/STS measurements reveal the effect of defects in ReS2 on the electronic structure of the material. Localized defects, associated with S monovacancies, as well as local density of states (LDOS) disturbances extending over several nm in lateral size and associated with subsurface, intercalated dopants, have been identified, as well as their signature density of states spectra, leading to localized, in-gap states. These in-gap states significantly reduce the energy gap in the vicinity of these defects, leading to electronic perturbations across the ReS2 surface. Finally, a separate study was done to probe the anisotropic transport in few-layer ReS2 by localised current injection and conductance measurements using mobile scanning probe microscopy (SPM) probes. The angle-dependent conductance measurements on a 4-layer mechanically exfoliated ReS2 flake show strong angle-dependence over a narrow angle range around the b-axis of the material: this is consistent with the existence of localised structural anisotropy. To reach this conclusion, finite element analysis of transport through ReS2 films of different geometries was performed; and a detailed understanding of the current-voltage characteristics acquired via two-local probe measurements and the nature of the contact junctions achieved with this method was necessary. This study proposes methods to improve the large in-built transport anisotropy in multi-layer ReS2 films by introducing structural inhomogeneity into the system.

This thesis considers the local linear convective stability behaviour of non-Newtonian boundary-layer flows over rotating disks and the effects of surface roughness. A non-Newtonian fluid is modelled via the Carreau model, which represents a type of generalised Newtonian fluid. Using the Carreau model for a range of shear-thinning and shear-thickening fluids, we determine, for the first time, steady-flow profiles under the partial-slip model for surface roughness. The partial-slip approach of Miklavčič & Wang is modified in such a way that the viscosity is no longer constant and depends on the shear rate. The non-linear ordinary differential equations are reduced via the introduction of a suitable similarity solution. The stability equations are solved to obtain the disturbance eigenfunctions and to plot curves showing neutral stability using the Chebyshev collocation method. The stability of a non-Newtonian boundary-layer flows is investigated with different boundary conditions: the no-slip boundary conditions and the partial-slip. Thereby the neutral curves for the convective instabilities associated with the boundary-layer flow due to a rotating disk can be determined over a broad range of parameter values. The subsequent linear stability analyses of these flows indicate that isotropic and azimuthally anisotropic surface roughness leads to the stabilisation of both shear-thinning and -thickening fluids. This is evident in the behaviour of the critical Reynolds number and growth rates of both Type I (inviscid cross flow) and Type II (viscous streamline curvature) modes of instability. The underlying physical mechanisms are clarified using an integral energy equation.

The principal aim of this Ph.D. thesis was to develop new enhancing substrates for use in Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for the rapid detection of live bacteria by analysis of the headspace above bacterial cultures. It is knownt hat in-situ SERS can be used to detect vapour phase dimethyl disulphide (DMDS), which is a metabolic product of live bacteria. The test experiments in this thesis were carried out in a model system which was the headspace above DMDS solutions. The measurements actually detect the characteristic bands from chemisorbed methyl sulphide which is created by dissociation of adsorbed DMDS on the surface of Ag and Au nanoparticles. A variety of enhancing substrates were used, the first were arrays of Ag and Au nanoparticles which were deposited on a glass substrate from a layer of nanoparticles trapped at a liquid/liquid interface (a so-called metal-like liquid film or MeLLF). These were contrasted with surface-exposed nanoparticle sheets (SENS) where a layer of particles was fixed to a polymer backing. These films showed the expected rise in signal over a timescale of minutes although the rate of adsorption was faster than previously observed. The general observation has been that Ag films give larger signals but slower responses while Au films respond more rapidly but give lower signal intensities. In order to enhance the performance of AgSENS, two different general approaches were applied. The first approach was to deposit an Au layer on the AgSENS in an attempt to increase the rate of chemisorption while retaining the enhancement of the underlying silver substrate. Both sputtering and Galvanic replacement was attempted but neither gave the hoped-for increase. The second approach was to prepare different Ag nanoparticles whose performance has been claimed to be superior to those used in the original studies. For this approach, Ag nanoparticles were prepared using ethylene glycol rather than traditional citrate reduction, along with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The product nanowires gave very good SERS results. Further studies showed that it was the PVP that improved the rate of adsorption rather than particle shape and the best results for all substrates were obtained by treating a standard AgSENS with PVP at a moderate concentration to introduce a functional surface layer.The second aspect of this work centred on applying the PVP-treated silver substrate with significantly enhanced performance for the detection of DMDS above live E. coli bacteria. The effects of the concentration of the bacteria, as measured by the optical density (O.D.) of the bacteria and PVP on the intensity of methyl sulphide band were investigated and data showing rapid detection of antibiotic action by Gentamicin was obtained. Studies were carried out using both the previously established method where colonies are grown on agar and then transferred to the broth for further growth and on direct measurement of the headspace above colonies being cultured on agar in petri dishes. The time-limiting step for the detection of antibiotic susceptibility using conventional methods is waiting for the colonies to grow sufficiently large that the effect of the treatment can be determined. In the current work it was found that detection time could be reduced to as little as15 minutes. This is a significant improvement and the fact that automated detection could be implemented rapidly and without the need for expert human operators to analyze and interpret the culture results means this is a very promising approach. A second use for SERS in studies of bacteria is to directly analyse the compounds present in, or excreted from, bacteria. This has been pursued for many years with the objective of using the characteristic spectra to identify the species and/or strain of bacteria in the sample. In the current study, the work was concerned with identifying the origin of the bands in a large dataset of SERS spectra of > 100 bacteria which were collected by a previous PhD student in the QUB. The work centred on identifying a puzzling band at 1050 cm-1 that appears in the SERS spectra of whole bacteria and has previously been misinterpreted as being due to a component of the bacteria. The current study identified the source as nitrate ions that are present in the enhancing colloid due to the use of silver nitrate in the preparation. Further work on identifying features arising from artefacts and comparing spectra of possible components to spectra of bacteria allowed other major components within the spectra to be identified.

The aim of this thesis is to examine whether the Corporate Governance (CG) structure in potential investee companies in Saudi Arabia has an impact on major shareholders choices of shares. Scholars argue that good CG practices provide investors with more confidence to invest their wealth in capital markets especially in developing countries (McKinsey, 2000). Saudi Arabia embraces unique cultural, economic, social, religious settings and is characterised with a prevalent presence of major shareholders in the capital market that is accompanied by allegedly weak legal settings, which was observed after the infamous collapse of the Saudi capital market in February 2006 (Ramady, 2010; Al-Nodel and Hussainey, 2010; Al-Matari, Al-Swidi and Fadzil, 2012). In order to investigate the impact of corporate governance on major shareholdings in the Saudi capital market, a full review of the CG evolution in Saudi Arabia is presented and two sets of questions are identified to achieve the objectives of this thesis. To address the research questions, this thesis employs triangulation (i.e., mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative) and embraces agency theory as main theoretical framework. The quantitative assessment is performed using a panel data analysis of 97 non-financial listed companies in the Saudi capital market over the period from 2013 to 2017 (485 observations). The qualitative assessment is performed by conducting semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants of different categories of major shareholders within the Saudi capital market. Overall, the regression analysis has shown that total major shareholdings have a significant negative relationship with CG score. Some interviewees expressed similar views toward such mechanisms as they are believed to be responsible for the limitation of their power over investee firms. The results of regression analysis to each category of major shareholders have revealed that the only categories that are significantly related to CG is wealthy families (negative) and wealthy individuals (positive), which is also supported by the findings of the qualitative assessment. The qualitative assessment of the rest of major shareholders categories have provided mixed results concerning CG preferences. Few interviewees believe that some parts of CG structure of investee firms play a role during the decision-making of their investments. On the other hand, most interviewees have revealed that CG in general is not taken into consideration when making investment decisions. This explains the insignificant relationship between CG and most categories of major shareholders revealed by the regression analysis.

This study examined students' and English language instructors' attitudes towards using social media technologies to support English language learning and teaching at the University of Bisha, Blagran campuses, College of Science and Arts in Saudi Arabia. While this phenomenon has been researched for many years, relatively little is known about the role of social media technologies to support English language learning from both the students' and English instructors' lenses; or, about the factors that may influence the use of these technological tools, and the conditions required for the successful use of these tools. Through a review of the current empirical and theoretical literature, this research aims to provide a clear understanding for the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia of some potential roles that social media technologies could play in enhancing the English language learning environment within the kingdom. The participants in this study were English language undergraduate students, along with their English language instructors. Mixed methods were used to gather the data (survey, focus groups, interviews). Two hundred and twenty-two students completed the survey (101 male and 121 female). Forty students (20 male and 20 female) participated in the focus groups. The survey and focus groups were used convergently to provide a rich understanding of the students' attitudes. Semi-structured interviews were used with the English language instructors, a total of eighteen (8 male- 10 female), to examine their attitudes in-depth and allow them to reveal their stances on using such technological tools in supporting English language teaching. The findings from the survey indicated that the students showed positive attitudes to use social media technologies to support English language learning with a mean (M=4.09, SD =.93). There was a significant difference between male and female students' attitudes in using social media technologies to support English language learning. Females mean scores were all higher than males and exhibited less dispersion as illustrated by the standard deviations. The difference in overall mean scores by gender was significant (p<0.05). Also, YouTube was the most social media technologies used by the students to support their English language learning. All the suggested predictors, including Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Subjective Norms, and Gender were significant determinants of the students' attitudes. Also, overall the students stated that social media technologies could be useful tools in supporting their English language learning. These technological tools could be seen as a reference tool to familiarise the students with new vocabulary and English varieties. Also, the students stated that using these technological tools to support English learning could make the language learning process more comfortable and enjoyable because it can suit different language learning preferences and reduce classroom anxiety. The students also stated that using social media allowed them to socialise and speak English with people around the world. As far as the instructors' responses are concerned, their overall attitudes were positive. They stated that social media are familiar tools to the students, can make learning English more comfortable, and could create an enjoyable learning environment. However, some potential concerns were raised, such as losing control of the classes, cultural norms effect, language complexity, and a possible negative impact on learning motivation. The majority of the instructors agreed that technology competence could be an obstacle facing some instructors in terms of using social media technologies to support their English language teaching. They also agreed that they often lack administrative support and the college's infrastructure administration could be barriers to adopting social media technologies. Future suggestions included using social media technologies as supportive or scaffolding tools in English learning and the integration of some activities from social media into the English curriculum were made by the instructors for successful adoption of social media to support English language teaching. Some tentative implications might be drawn from this study. It provided a rich insight into the use of social media technologies to support English language learning and teaching via student and teacher lenses. These insights have practical benefits for educational administrators and instructors in Saudi Arabia. However, more research on exploring students' and instructors' attitudes is needed with a greater consideration of the impact of gender and age differences.

As Environmental Education (EE) is one of the most important subjects in the field of education that need further investigation, the current study explores one issue related to EE Teachers' beliefs about EE are the subject addressed in this research, with a focus on four different variables related to their beliefs about: their understanding of EE, their experiences with EE, EE as offered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the ideal EE program. Many studies have confirmed the role EE plays in developing students' cognitive skills, critical thinking, awareness, and motivation towards maintaining the environment (Osman & Meerah, 2010; Al-Otaibi, 2014; Volk & Cheak, 2003; Powers, 2004; Eames & Birdsall, 2019). Therefore, it seems to be important to explore what teachers think about EE as an academic content in many subjects taught in Saudi elementary schools. To analyze the answers to the main question raised in this dissertation (MRQ) and the four sub-research questions (SRQ1, SRQ2, SRQ3, and SRQ4) related to its four variables, a questionnaire was first developed. The questionnaire was used to collect data from male teachers of boys' elementary schools in Qurtuba district, Riyadh, KSA. In the analysis of the data descriptive statistics were used, and the data are analyzed numerically using SPSS. The data was analyzed through the calculation of percentages, means, and standard deviations as well as through thematic analysis for the open-ended questions. The analysis reveals that teachers have different beliefs depending on the variable and the question proposed. However, they in general strongly agreed about their beliefs about an ideal EE with both a high percentage (94.1%) and mean (M = 1.61). Teachers also agreed that they believed they understand EE, with a general mean of (M= 1.75). While they also mostly agreed about their beliefs about their experience with EE, the mean here decreased to (M= 2.14). The mean of their beliefs about EE as offered in KSA education was (M =2.15). At the same time, the open-ended questions reveal that teachers have more than one answer for any of the four questions. This shows the different options they suggest for an EE to be ideal, effective, and vital in the KSA educational system. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient test reveals that there was only one strong positive correlation, between teachers' beliefs about their experiences with EE and teachers' beliefs about an ideal EE: (r = +0.96) a very high degree, especially compared to the lack of correlation between other variables, where the degrees range from (r = -0.02), (r = -0.07), (r = -0.19), (r = -0.23) to (r = -0.41); these degrees are all low negative. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Background: Pulmonary hypertension is a common and serious complication of COPD. Studies suggest that hypoxia and cigarette smoke (CS) can cause vascular remodelling in COPD as a result of cell proliferation; however, the underlying cause is not fully understood. In addition, it is suggested that the use of e-cig may lead to vascular diseases, but no data are available on what effect e-cig may have on dysfunction of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Thus, we hypothesise that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and hypoxia can induce imbalanced vasoactive gene expression and mediator release, and then contribute to cell proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore, e-cig vapour extract with and without nicotine (ECVE-/+n) may have similar effects as CSE. Methods: Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR were used to assess the protein and mRNA expression of vasoactive genes, respectively. ELISA was used to assess the prostanoids and endothelin production. Nitric oxide levels were assessed by nitrate/nitrite assay. WST-1 and CCK-8 assays were used to assess cell proliferation. Results: We found that CSE induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and thromboxane synthase (TXAS) and reduced prostaglandin (PG) I synthase at mRNA levels in PASMCs and PAECs. CSE treatment reduced PGI synthase protein expression and PGI2 production in PASMCs (but not in PAECs). Interestingly, CSE had the ability to reduce and increase microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) protein expression/PGE2 production in PASMCs and PAECs, respectively. Despite the undetected TXAS protein expression, CSE increased thromboxane A2 (TXA2) production in both cell types, likely as a result of the increased COX-2 protein expression. Although hypoxia induced COX-2 mRNA expression in PASMCs (but in PAECs), it had no effect on the mRNA levels of PGIS and TXAS in both cell types. We also demonstrated that hypoxia induced TXA2, PGE2, and PGI2 production as a result of the upregulated TXAS and COX-2 and unchanged PGIS protein expression in PASMCs. Interestingly, hypoxia had no effect on the protein expression of TXAS and COX-2 and the production of PGI2 and PGE2 in PAECs, but it induced the production of TXA2. Both CSE and hypoxia had no effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA expression, but reduced eNOS protein expression/nitric oxide production in PAECs. Although hypoxia failed to affect mRNA endothelin-1 levels and endothelin production in both cell types, CSE increased mRNA endothelin-1 levels and reduced endothelin production in PAECs (but not in PASMCs). Intriguingly, hypoxia did not enhance CSE-induced effects and ECVE+/-n had no similar effects as CSE. The results also showed CSE-induced proliferation of both cell types and hypoxia-induced proliferation of PASMCs were inhibited by the stable PGI2 analogue, selective COX-2 inhibitor and TXA2 receptor antagonist and nitric oxide donor (but not by mPGES-1 inhibitor and ET-A and ET-B receptor antagonist), whereas hypoxia-induced PAEC proliferation was only reduced by nitric oxide donor. Although hypoxia failed to cause apoptosis, CSE induced apoptosis only in PAECs and this was unlikely mediated by altered release of vasoactive mediators. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CSE (but not ECVE+/-n) and hypoxia to a lesser extent can induce imbalanced vasoactive gene expression and mediator release; however, it is unlikely that hypoxia can further amplify CSE-induced effects. The CSE- and hypoxia-induced imbalanced release of vasoactive mediators (particularly prostanoids (e.g. TXA2) and nitric oxide) may be critically involved in the contribution to vascular remodelling via the induction of cell proliferation. These data provide new insights into our understanding of CS- and hypoxia-induced vascular remodelling and may represent a potential therapeutic target for pulmonary hypertension in COPD.

Macrophages play a crucial role in inflammatory conditions by producing a range of pro-inflammatory molecules, including cytokines, nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several studies have demonstrated the physiological and inflammatory responses of macrophages to different stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the Gram-negative-derived bacterial cell wall component. However, research is lacking on the metabolic responses of macrophages to these stimuli. Recently, the involvement of metabolic pathways in the regulation of LPS signalling and macrophage activation has become a focus of research in inflammation. The aim of the present study was to assess and characterise cytokine production and the metabolic profiles of THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophage cells following stimulation with LPS, alone or in combination with different natural products. Some of these natural products, such as melittin and eicosanoids, were considered to act as vaccine adjuvants and to enhance the LPS-stimulated release of cytokines and inflammatory metabolite signalling, while others, such as propolis and gypenoside (Gyp), were suggested to antagonise LPS action, thereby modulating immune responses. Macrophages were therefore viewed as having the potential to undergo different reprogrammed pathways once activated by LPS. In this study, THP-1 cells were differentiated using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 48 hours and then rested for 24 hours by replacing the PMA-containing culture medium with normal medium. The cells were then treated with LPS alone, a natural product alone or a combination of the natural product and LPS for another 24 hours. The THP-1 macrophages were then evaluated for the release of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the cytokines interleukin-1Î2 (IL-1Î2), IL-6 and IL-10 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. The cells were extracted and their metabolites were characterised by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). LPS treatment of THP-1 cells mainly increased glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway and decreased the TCA cycle activity. Several biomarker metabolites were altered significantly by LPS, including NADPH, glutathione, oxidised glutathione, L-citrulline, L-arginine, L-ornithine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and urate. The addition of melittin enhanced the LPS effects on the cellular metabolome and cytokine secretion. Several fatty acids, including arachidonic acid, were substantially affected by melittin. Similar responses were found for eicosenoid compounds, which were able to stimulate the immune response and enhance the LPS inflammatory activities. By contrast, propolis (samples obtained from different geographic regions) and Gyp were able to trigger anti-inflammatory actions and inhibit the LPS-induced cytokine release, while also antagonising LPS effects on the cellular metabolome. These findings point to a need to evaluate the possible anti-inflammatory actions of some reported natural products as a strategy for identifying new therapies and confirming the targeted pathways and/or metabolites affected by inflammatory conditions. Understanding the metabolic pathways in reprogrammed macrophages is critical for planning further investigations of immune adjuvants for vaccines. The immunomodulatory effects observed in THP-1 cells highlight the potential use of natural products in clinical therapies.

The photostability data of chemical species is usually described based upon models using equations applicable to standard zero-, first- or second-order kinetics (classical thermal order kinetics) and other such models. These thermal order kinetic models have certain limitations, however, regarding parameter representation of the photoreaction and the reproducibility of associated results. The other models available in the literature use approximation and expansion methods to solve the photochemical rate law but are unfortunately unable to provide robust models to describe the photochemical reaction itself. This research resolves many of the drawbacks typically encountered within the photokinetics domain by improving upon an existing model and designing new models that describe photochemical reactions in solution. These models are the Φ- and n-order kinetics. The former reduces the number of elucidation method steps whilst the latter is designed to describe photochemical reactions under irradiation by polychromatic light for three chosen AB reaction systems. In the development of the above-mentioned methodologies, this research selects species based on their photochemical reaction mechanisms to study their photodegradation, starting from a simple to a complex mechanism. These compounds are: C-DAE for unimolecular AB 〖(1Φ)〗_(ε_(B=0) ), nifedipine and dacarbazine for unimolecular AB〖(1Φ)〗_(ε_(B≠0) ), and the stilbenoids group, axibinib and O-DAE for photoreversible AB (2Φ) reactions. The results obtained in this research show that the Φ-order kinetics approach offers a good description of the photodegradation of these species under continuous monochromatic irradiation. It has been established that both the forward (Φ(A→B)) and reverse (Φ(B→A)) quantum yields increased with increasing irradiation wavelength according to a sigmoid pattern. Additionally, this study presents a methodology to calculate the β factor, which is used to obtain the photoreactivity of the species, in a method that offers a much simpler and faster approach to this determination than traditional methods. The stilbenoids group shows higher photoreactivity than the other species studied according to the β factor ranking scale. Other methods were designed to overcome the drawbacks to describing a photochemical reaction under irradiation by polychromatic light. The validity of the new mathematical models (Φ- and n-order) were verified using simulation studies through numerical integration methods (NIMs) to generate simulated cases for each photochemical reaction system considered. In addition, the Φ- and n-order models were examined and validated using experimental HPLC and spectrophotometry photodegradation data obtained for different species under irradiation by polychromatic light. Results obtained in this study confirm the model’s predictions, as both photoreaction rate constant and initial reaction velocity (υ(0)) were observed to remain constant with variable initial concentrations of the species considered. Furthermore, actinometric methods were developed and applied to study the photochemical reaction of species in solution under irradiation by monochromatic and polychromatic light. The former and latter were developed to determine the light intensity of unknown light sources. Monochromatic light has a much smaller wavelength distribution than polychromatic, which are determined based on the associated β factors. The results show that each method can be used independently to quantify the light intensities from different light sources.

This thesis contributes to research in learner corpora by offering a novel approach to their analysis. Specifically, it uses the concepts in the Pattern Dictionary of English Verbs (PDEV), that is, corpus pattern analysis (CPA), to describe selected learner corpora. The thesis analyses and compares the use of 16 verbs in two sections of the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE; ICLE-Swedish and ICLE-Chinese) and in the native-speaker Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOCNESS) using the descriptions of those verbs presented in PDEV. The thesis demonstrates that the concepts in PDEV can be used successfully to describe the association between the patterns and meanings of verbs in both learner and native-speaker corpora to a degree that is not possible with other models. It argues that teachers can use PDEV to identify divergent patterns of verbs produced by their learners, and thus employ it as a tool for raising learners' awareness, in the classroom, of conventional and divergent verb patterns. In addition, verb patterns that are under- or over-represented in the learner corpora when compared with the native-speaker corpus are identified and reasons for these phenomena are offered. Overall, the thesis concludes that the approach to verb patterning articulated in corpus pattern analysis is of value to teachers and learners because of the detailed attention it pays to meaning, but that some adjustments to PDEV will need to be made for it to be maximally useful to learners.

This thesis investigates variation in the emotion perception (EP) and the perceived emotional intensity of six emotions in the Arabic and English languages for 609 participants, consisting of 205 Arabic-English bilinguals, 71 Arabic monolinguals, and 333 English monolinguals. Independent variables include the status of language (monolinguals versus bilinguals), psychological variables (trait emotional intelligence-TEI), linguistic proficiency, socio-biographical variables (age, gender, and education level), linguistic profile variables (age and contexts of L2 acquisition, frequency of language use, and residence in English-speaking countries-ESCs), in-group advantage, and bicultural identity orientations. This study adopts an acculturation perspective to explore the relationship between bicultural identities and the EP of bilinguals who live in ESCs. The stimuli used to depict the emotions were 12 short audio-visual video clips: six in Arabic and six in English. A mixed methods approach was utilised. The quantitative study was based on data obtained from web-based questionnaires that were translated into Arabic and English. The qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with seven Arabic-English bilinguals about their opinions towards emotion perception in the L1 and L2 and the challenges they face in interpreting emotions. The findings showed that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in EP in English but did not perform better than Arabic monolinguals in EP in Arabic. The bilingual group also outperformed monolingual groups at the TEI level, suggesting a significant (but small) bilingual advantage in the psychological and emotional domains. TEI, as well as linguistic proficiency scores, was significantly correlated with the EP scores of the bilinguals and English monolinguals. The socio-biographical and linguistic profile variables and bicultural identity were also linked to the EP scores. Monolinguals were able to easily identify emotions in their L1, adding evidence to the claim that language and culture play a fundamental role in emotion construction.

There are significant attempts to embrace technology within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. However, the fast-technological advancements in recent years have made it difficult for businesses in the AEC industry to stay updated with the latest technology. Moreover, it is well known that the AEC industry is arguably behind other industries with respect to sustainability, quality, efficiency, and productivity. Adoption of Information Technology (IT) in other industries has increased efficiency and productivity when compared to the AEC industry. Additionally, IT benefits owners, developers, architects, engineers and other stakeholders in retrieving required information and identifies office dimensions by providing virtual scenes of sites etc. The AEC industry's acceptance of IT is limited however, causing a problem well-documented by many researchers in the field. Furthermore, though not evident from recent research due to the lack of such in the area, the available academic research shows that IT acceptance in the Saudi Arabian AEC industry in particular, is limited when compared to other AEC industries in more developed countries. Therefore, the aim of the current research is to develop a technology acceptance framework for the Saudi Arabian AEC industry to understand why it is behind in regards to IT acceptance. To do so, qualitative interviews with professional members of the AEC industry from Saudi Arabia were conducted. Their feedback supported the research's understanding concerning IT use, stakeholder behaviour, and IT perception within the industry's companies. Hence, the results helped highlight possible factors that may impact upon IT acceptance in the selected AEC case environment. Results from the interviews and adoption of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the foundation of this research formed a proposal of factors that should be considered with regards to IT use within the Saudi Arabian AEC industry as there may be possible further influential factors to the UTAUT: Anxiety, culture at the individual level, stakeholder role, size of the company, information type and computer self-efficacy. Furthermore, to validate the proposed framework (AEC acceptance framework), the research adopted an expanded UTAUT model and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques were used to assess the model quantitively. The analysis results showed that both professionals' behavioural intentions and attitudes towards using IT are affected by performance expectancy, social influence, anxiety and self-efficacy. Additionally, power distance, long-term orientation, masculinity / femininity, gender and company size moderated the effect of the influence of those factors. Hence, this research's main contribution is the AEC technology framework which explains the factors that affect information technology acceptance in the Saudi Arabian AEC industry.

We consider a spherical swimmer that undergoes helical motion due to the existence of a propulsive torque which is not parallel to a propulsive force that pulls the cell through the fluid. In addition, the cell is bottom-heavy; the centre of gravity is offset from the centre of buoyancy which generates a gravitational torque. In the presence of shear, fluid viscosity generates a further torque. Because cells swim at low Reynolds number, these torques are balanced. This thesis extends the model developed in Bearon (2013) in two distinct directions. Firstly, we consider an extension to the case of a flow where the shear varies with position. We consider a downward flow in a vertical channel. We observe that depending on the parameters, cells may exhibit the classical accumulation towards the centre of the channel or display a new focussing away from the centre. Secondly, we develop the model to describe randomness associated with changes in cell orientation. This is done by developing a Fokker-Planck equation for helical swimmers in terms of Euler angles. The classical Fokker-Planck equation obtained by Pedley and Kessler (1992) is a special case of the equation derived in this thesis. To implement this model numerically as an individual based model, we derive the corresponding stochastic differential equations. The Fokker-Planck equation and stochastic differential equation are extended to examine the spatial-temporal distribution of helical swimmers. We explore in detail how the horizontal distribution of cells in channel flow evolves to an equilibrium state, and how the evolution depends on the model parameters. For non-helical swimmers, we compare the result of the model to the recent experiments of Croze et al (2017).

Over the past five decades, Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, has witnessed many organisational, economic, social and demographic transformations, all of which have contributed to its rapid growth. This growth, which exceeded the city’s plans to meet the needs of a growing population, resulted in many neighbourhoods experiencing limited services and utilities. Along with governmental efforts to manage the spread of residential areas, several agencies accountable for providing residential services have sought to exploit the potential of geospatial technologies as a means for improving the planning, management and decision-making processes needed to address these issues. Government support has provided a major boost towards the improvement of geospatial technology usage in different areas. However, the use of these technologies in the context of residential infrastructure delivery is limited. This research investigates empirically how the implementation of geospatial technologies can be improved in the agencies concerned with the delivery of residential infrastructure, with the aim of developing strategies to enhance the exploitation of the available technologies in support of decision-making. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher carried out an extensive review of the literature, official reports and documentation, and conducted a Delphi study through three successive consultation rounds, involving a set of experts representing all concerned agencies. The results revealed that shortcomings in organisational, technical and human aspects are the primary reasons behind the limited use of geospatial technology tools in the planning process for residential infrastructure delivery. This in turn assisted in the development of consensus-based strategies for addressing these issues. The research contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field of urban studies by offering a better understanding of how the employment of geospatial technology tools could be improved in the context of residential infrastructure delivery in rapidly growing cities in general, and the city of Riyadh in particular. It also offers a practical contribution to decision makers in the agencies concerned with residential infrastructure delivery, who work to improve the activities of these technologies to achieve the best use of their implementation. The research results are expected to help researchers to conduct further studies on the development of the use of geospatial technologies in the context of Saudi Arabia.

The increase in demand for renewable energy sources has been exponential in recent years and is mainly driven by factors that include the growth of greenhouse emissions and the decline in fossil fuel reservoirs. Photovoltaic (PV) energy, one of the more prominent renewable energy sources, produces electricity directly from sunlight, noiselessly and harmlessly to the environment. Additionally, PV energy systems are easy to install and financially supported by many governments, which has helped disseminate PV technology worldwide. The total generated power from PV installations (and the number of installations) has increased more than two-fold during the past 3 years, so that now more than 177 GW of PV-generated power is delivered per year. Researchers have been led to work on the obstacles facing PV systems from different perspectives, including: installation cost, inconsistency, and conversion and interface efficiency. The aim of this thesis is to design a high-efficiency PV inverter system configuration. The contribution to the knowledge in this thesis can be divided into two parts. The first part contains a critical analysis of different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques. The second part provides a detailed design of the inverter system, which consists of a boost converter and a low-frequency H-bridge. Together, the three parts in this contribution present a complete high efficiency PV inverter system. The proposed system maintains high-efficiency energy delivery by reducing the number of high-frequency switches, which waste a significant amount of energy and reduce system efficiency. In order to show the superiority of the proposed configuration, a power loss analysis comparison with the other existing configurations is presented. In addition, different scenarios have been simulated with Matlab/Simulink. The results of these simulations confirm the distinction of the proposed configuration as well as its low-loss, high-efficiency characteristics which is rated at 98.8%.

This study investigates the term, and the poetry of, the Rearguard Poets (saqat al-shuʿaraʾ). It demonstrates through the investigation of both literary and non-literary texts of the Abbasid era that socio-political circumstances were major factors in forming the critical thinking of Abbasid critics as exemplified by al-Asmaʿi. The study argues that the grouping of the rearguard poets (without their consent) indicates that al-Asmaʿi and his fellow critics were interested in the poetry of this group not merely because they found in it the 'purity of the Arabic language' (fasaha) free from linguistic errors or because of the poets' eligibility to be included among the champion poets (fuhūl al-shuʿaraʾ); they were concerned with a much bigger issue: the mission to preserve Arab cultural identity, which those critics felt was being threatened by the changing atmosphere of Abbasid politics, as Chapter One shows. Reverting to the life of the desert and the Bedouin language to create a standard language (ʿArabiyya) marked an important stage in Arabic intellectual life which left its mark on generations of critics and the criteria they used in selecting and judging poetry, as Chapter Two shows. One of the most important features of Bedouin poetry is the predominance of unusual vocabulary (gharib), which served as both a linguistic treasury for philological critics and a foundation for creating a distinctive linguistic identity impregnable to foreigners, as Chapter Three demonstrates. In Chapter Four the norms and values of Bedouin society, which had the tribe at its centre, are analysed using examples of the poetry of the rearguard poets; these are identified with major themes occurring in the poets' panegyrical and satirical poetry. Turning to the inner-self and the persona of the poets themselves in Chapter Five, it becomes clear that although the critics relied on them to provide contemporary examples of Bedouin poetry, the poets for their part were preoccupied by their own interests and were trying to fight for their own causes: for their tribes, for their patrons and for their own concerns as a part of the wider society, which may or may not have intersected with the agendas and concerns of the critical and cultural authorities. Chapter Six examines the stylistic features of the poetry in question, and investigates the influence of Abbasid modern (muhdath) poetry and the refined (badiʿ) style. Examples of Ibn Harma's poetry in particular are thoroughly analysed due to his perceived position as a pioneer poet composing in the new style of the Abbasid era. The study has found that although the creation of the 'rearguard poets' group served the critical authorities' cultural and ideological interests rather than to show the linguistic and artistic value of their poetry, this does not imply that the representation of those poets as providers of good examples of Bedouin poetry in the Abbasid era is invalid. Moreover, the creation of this group was a reaction to the dominance of Persian culture in al-Asmaʿi's time. Furthermore, the poets' language, themes, motifs and imagery served to showcase the interests of early critics and their preferences in poetry despite the lack of compelling evidence that both parties collaborated to promote one unified and clearly stated purpose.

With the excessive referrals of students with learning disabilities in Saudi schools, there is a need for teachers to change the traditional practices of teaching and follow the best inclusive practices provided to those population all over the world. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the teachers' awareness of Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory and its practices with students with learning disabilities. The multiple intelligences theory was used as the theoretical framework, which represents the belief that if instructors can determine the intelligences (e.g., mathematical/logical, intrapersonal, visual/spatial, musical, interpersonal, bodily/kinesthetic, verbal/linguistic, and naturalistic) in their students and then meet those talents, the student will have an effective learning. The convenience sample included 271 male and female teachers of learning disabilities in Jeddah schools who participated in the investigation of MI awareness and practices through online self-report survey. The output data were analyzed through a descriptive and inferential analysis using Pearson correlations. Descriptively, the outcomes of demographic characteristics revealed that male teachers with less than 5 years experiences, bachelor education, age of 25-35 years old and teaching in elementary schools had the highest percentage among all participated teachers. The results showed that the results correspond to somewhat aware for the teachers regarding awareness of MI Theory and the awareness of the theories. The teachers' awareness of MI practice had the highest relationship with the practice of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence and the least relationship with the linguistic intelligence. Recommendations and implications for special education in Saudi Arabia were represented to improve both teachers and students with learning disabilities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In the United Kingdom, the implementation of large-scale Information System (IS) projects has led to multifarious problems over the last few decades, and this seems to be an ongoing situation. As a result, within the public sector organisations, a number of information systems have failed to meet their pre-specified goals in spite of the large amount money and effort spent on IS projects. Information system projects are highly complex and the complexity is varied based on the different aspects involved including technical, organisational, and social, while the traditional concepts have less of an effect when aiming to achieve considerable improvement to cope with the increasing complexity of the situation. This was apparent in the study of two examples of large-scale IS failures in the UK public sector, whereas the attention was on examining discrete elements without considering the potential relationships between the elements. The current study, therefore, proposes a system approach as an alternative to understanding the nature of large-scale IS failures in the UK public sector. The systems approach, as an advanced movement in management science, seeks to identify social context and organizational issues and to use a combination of methodologies, methods, tools, and techniques to help problem solvers better control problematic situations. Thus, the Systems Approach is privileged because it offers a holistic approach to look at the problematic situation rather than being focused solely on a particular aspect instead of the interconnected relationships among its parts. The alternative approach benefits from the new problem solving and practical intervention strategies toward a better understanding of the complexity, diversity, and change of the problematic situations, while providing a comprehensive insight into the real-world problem of IS failure. This extends to identifying the contradictory issues related to power, conflict, and culture affecting the situation. Within the Systems Approach the researcher employed critical pluralism to the current study, which is theoretically built upon a combination of methodologies and methods designed for a particular intervention. Some findings of the research disclose that large-scale IS failure in the UK public sector is treated inadequately, and solutions proposed to reduce the rate of failure ignore this complexity. The findings also reveal that there are four factors affecting large-scale IS failure in the UK public sector: political factors; organisational factors; technical factors; and human factors. The founding related to the methodology, the researcher found that critical pluralism appears able to capture a set of systemic processes: appreciation; analysis; assessment; and action. All these processes were conducted collectively and supported by a particular type of collected data activities in the way of identifying the natures of the IS system and its associated sub-systems. Finally, by conducting a particular Systems Approach technique to assess the IS failure problem in the UK public sector context, it cannot be claimed that the solution is applicable to other situations in another context because the approach itself views any problematic situation as unique and hard to be generalised. Nevertheless, the discovery of such solutions leads to the accumulation of knowledge that contributes to reductions in the rates of IS failure in general.

Cyber-attacks threaten the security of computer users' information, networks, machines, and privacy. Studies of computer security education, awareness, and training among ordinary computer users, college students, non-IT-oriented user groups, and non-technically trained citizens are limited. Most research has focused on computer security standards and guidelines in organizational contexts. Few studies have analyzed the predictors of college students' adoption of computer security practices. Based on a comprehensive literature review, researchers have relied heavily on well-established behavioral theories, such as the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and protection motivation theory (PMT) to explain the variation in adoption of computer security practices among college students. This dissertation builds on this growing body of scholarship by blending those three into a single conceptual framework with the objective of finding the factors influencing the adoption of computer security practices among college students. This research tested the empirical fit of a model based on the technology acceptance model, theory of planned behavior, and protection motivation theory in explaining the variation in college students' responses to a set of questions on their likelihood of adopting computer security practices. The model included the following independent variables: perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, computer self-efficacy, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and awareness. The demographic variables (age, gender, education level, major, college, and IT experience) were used as control variables moderating the relationship between the cited independent variables and dependent variable. The dependent variable was computer security practices based on a composed scale of four items asking students to what extent they check, verify, or exercise caution in opening emails and attachments. Based on a 301 convenience sample collected at a Midwestern University, the analysis resulted in the significance of perceived vulnerability, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness. This finding suggests that the TAM enjoys empirical support in the study of computer security practices unlike the TPB or PMT. Results of this study should encourage university administrators to create workshops on teaching students the usefulness and ease of adopting computer security practices. Experimental research is highly encouraged because survey research suffers from several weaknesses such as social desirability. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) appear in the brain magnetic resonance imaging scan at early age and become more prevalent at older age. Despite that old age is known as the main risk factor for WMH accumulation, the literature has shown that many vascular risk factors contribute significantly to the existence and progression of WMH. Women were shown to have higher WMH volume compared to men in the literature. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive evidence to address why such pattern is noted. Therefore, this thesis aims to examine sex differences in WMH. Specifically, three studies were conducted: (1) investigating sex differences in the associations between vascular risk factors and WMH, (2) examining the contribution of the hormonal risk factors to WMH and their moderation effects on the associations between vascular risk factors and WMH, and (3) examining sex differences in longitudinal associations between vascular risk factors and WMH, and the effects of WMH progression on cognitive decline. Results showed that the pattern of higher WMH in women compared to men was identified across the studies, however, men had stronger contributions of vascular risk factors, especially obesity measures, to WMH. The second study showed that hypertensive postmenopausal women benefited significantly from using hormone replacement therapy, especially when taken early and for longer duration. Diabetic women and women with increased pulse wave velocity had increased deep WMH when post-menopausal duration was one standard deviation below the mean. In men, smokers with higher testosterone levels had significant increase in WMH. In the third study, significant sex differences were found in the association between WMH progression and cognition. Specifically, increases in periventricular WMH volume over time was associated with greater decline in visuospatial abilities in men, but not in women. In women, but not in men, higher average periventricular WMH volumes across time-points was associated with poorer executive function. The thesis comprehensively examined sex differences in vascular and hormonal risk factors associated with WMH, as well as in cognitive consequences of the progression of WMH. The findings highlight the importance of taking sex differences into consideration clinically and for future clinical research of WMH.

The platinum(IV) prodrug approach is a promising method to develop a replacement for classic platinum-based chemotherapy. The mitochondria-damaging Pt(IV) prodrugs have proven effective against drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells and cancer stem cells, which represent long-standing issues in classic platinum chemotherapy. In this work, we present a comprehensive study on engineering novel amphiphilic Pt(IV) prodrugs as mitochondria-damaging agents. The key findings in this study include: 1). Hydrophobicity of the head group of such prodrugs dictates their cell entry and cytotoxicity; 2). Amphiphilic Pt(IV) prodrugs exhibits superior therapeutic effects compared to cisplatin and overcomes drug resistance in ovarian cancer; 3). Amphiphilic Pt(IV) prodrugs trigger mitochondrial damage.

As Environmental Education (EE) is one of the most important subjects in the field of education that need further investigation, the current study explores one issue related to EE. Teachers’ beliefs about EE are the subject addressed in this research, with a focus on four different variables related to their beliefs about: their understanding of EE, their experiences with EE, EE as offered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the ideal EE program. Many studies have confirmed the role EE plays in developing students’ cognitive skills, critical thinking, awareness, and motivation towards maintaining the environment (Osman & Meerah, 2010; Al-Otaibi, 2014; Volk & Cheak, 2003; Powers, 2004; Eames & Birdsall, 2019). Therefore, it seems to be important to explore what teachers think about EE as an academic content in many subjects taught in Saudi elementary schools. To analyze the answers to the main question raised in this dissertation (MRQ) and the four sub-research questions (SRQ1, SRQ2, SRQ3, and SRQ4) related to its four variables, a questionnaire was first developed. The questionnaire was used to collect data from male teachers of boys’ elementary schools in Qurtuba district, Riyadh, KSA. In the analysis of the data descriptive statistics were used, and the data are analyzed numerically using SPSS.The data was analyzed through the calculation of percentages, means, and standard deviations as well as through thematic analysis for the open-ended questions. The analysis reveals that teachers have different beliefs depending on the variable and the question proposed. However, they in general strongly agreed about their beliefs about an ideal EE with both a high percentage (94.1%) and mean (M = 1.61). Teachers also agreed that they believed they understand EE, with a general mean of (M= 1.75). While they also mostly agreed about their beliefs about their experience with EE, the mean here decreased to (M= 2.14). The mean of their beliefs about EE as offered in KSA education was (M =2.15). At the same time, the open-ended questions reveal that teachers have more than one answer for any of the four questions. This shows the different options they suggest for an EE to be ideal, effective, and vital in the KSA educational system. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient test reveals that there was only one strong positive correlation, between teachers’ beliefs about their experiences with EE and teachers’ beliefs about an ideal EE; (r = +0.96) a very high degree, especially compared to the lack of correlation between other variables, where the degrees range from (r = -0.02), (r = -0.07), (r = -0.19), (r = -0.23) to (r = -0.41); these degrees are all low negative.

The destroying impacts of seismic loads on existing reinforced concrete (RC) multi-story buildings have attracted the consideration of researchers all over the world. This thesis work studies the seismic behaviors of high-rise buildings with different slab systems designed by ACI 318-14. Three RC buildings, Flat Slab, Hollow Block, and Solid Slab Systems, are utilized to study in deep the seismic performance as well as the buildings’ responses of three structural systems. ETABS software is used to create all considered building’s models. Also, these models are analyzed by the Time History method, and the records of earthquakes are selected in two different ground motions: Fling Step and Forward Directivity. Both are classified under near-fault ground motion. Analysis results have been presented in a comparative way. The obtained results of analysis showcase important differences in the dynamic behaviors of each structural systems. Comparison of the results discloses which structural systems are trended to the max-value and which one gets the min-value in terms of Natural Period, Displacement, Drift, Shear, Moments, Torsion, and Acceleration

This study investigates, from a sociolinguistic comparative perspective, the use of compliments by a group of twenty Saudi English speakers, twenty Saudi Arabic speakers and twenty native English speakers. The aim of the research is to identify evidence of the discourse features that suggest that language transfer is occurring. Finally, the research attempts to determine how religiosity affects the form of compliments for Saudi English speakers. A discourse completion test was used comprising six situations to collect data from the participants. The comparative analysis of the compliments from the three groups identified that transfer was not occurring in respect to the use of unbound formulas as this is not a culturally specific semantic form. Transfer was identified as occurring for bound semantic formulas. Two further findings are worthy of mention. The first is that learning English appears to be increasing the assertiveness of Saudi Arabian women as evidenced by a decline in the use of implicit compliments. The second is that there is a decline in the frequency of religious inclusions in the compliments of Saudi English speakers.

Finding the solution for PDE-Constrained Optimization Problems can be accomplished in two ways: optimize-then-discretize and discretize-then-optimize. Both techniques lead to either a linear or non-linear system of equations. To obtain the optimal solution (to solve the system of equations), it's more practical to use numerical methods than analytical ones. Numerical methods can be direct or iterative. Generally, direct solvers tend to be more costly than iterative ones in terms of memory utilization and computational time. Moreover, they are less flexible in taking advantage of multiple processors in parallel computers than iterative methods. Preconditioners are essential for the performance of iterative methods. They are beneficial in diminishing the overall computational time as a reduction in iteration counts and ideally their computing cost. Over the past few decades, a stack of preconditioners has been developed. Here, we propose preconditioners that reduce both the number of iterations and the computational time for a specific type of PDE-Constrained Optimization problems, that is optimal control problems. Subsequently, for the sake of clarity, we apply those preconditioners to these problems.

Over the last decade, an extensive body of literature has demonstrated the essential role of formulaic language in learning and teaching a second language (L2) (Martinez & Schmitt, 2012). Educators and policy makers in the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia have expressed their serious concerns about “the low level of achievement in English among students in schools and universities”(Alrashidi & Phan, 2015, p. 38). As a result, most Saudi universities have incorporated Preparatory Year Programs (PYP) to enable students to master crucial academic skills, and to target the English language instruction needs in many disciplines. The present study, therefore, intended to examine academic English-language formulas incorporated into an English Language Teaching (ELT) textbook specifically used to reinforce academic English for many Saudi university students undertaking their preparatory year. In this study, the corpus-driven approach was applied to identify the most frequently occurring 3-, 4-, and 5-word formulas in the textbook whose pragmatic functions were specified on the basis of Simpson-Vlach and Ellis’ taxonomy (2010). In addition, the corpus-based approach was used to compare the extent to which the Academic Formulas List (AFL) (Simpson-Vlach & Ellis, 2010) appeared in the textbook, and the number of times AFL formulas occurred. The major findings showed that the textbook comprised a total of 342 formulas: 217 formulas; 101 formulas; and 24 formulas for the 3-, 4-, and 5-word formulas, respectively. Furthermore, the textbook incorporated only 143 formulas out of 400 AFL formulas. Finally, the majority of the identified formulas functioned as constructing stance expression (46%), followed by referential expressions (36%), and lastly as discourse organizing expressions (18%). The results contribute to an understanding of the input that is provided in an ELT textbook, and to raise the awareness of the importance of formulas inclusion in ELT textbooks. The findings can therefore help L2 instructors, L2 researchers, and especially ELT publishers to not only incorporate academic formulas into ELT textbooks but also to integrate formulas with high utility for L2 learners. This implies that L2 formulas should not be included randomly, but in a way that is consistent with scholarly criteria.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States of America and the entire world and the disease burden is exacerbated due to resistance to drugs that are currently in clinical use. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are highly expressed in cancer cells and HDACs are considered viable targets for drug intervention. HDACs cleave the acetyl groups from acetylated lysine side chains of proteins and modulate crucial cellular processes including gene expression. Four HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have been approved by the US FDA as anticancer drugs for clinical use, but these drugs have numerous side effects due to low selectivity. This study presents an attempt to develop selective HDAC inhibitors using 1-(1H-imidazol-2-yl) ethan-1-one moiety as a novel metal-binding group as possible alternative to current cancer drug treatment options.In this study, molecular modeling studies were carried out using crystal models of two different HDAC isoforms and HDLP to formulate novel HDAC inhibitors that have high selectivity. The designed analogs, 14a-g were synthesized and evaluated for biological activity. The compounds were tested for anti-proliferative activity in the NCI 60 cell lines assay. Compound 14a showed significant cell growth inhibition at 10 µM concentration with 87% mean cell growth inhibition. This compound was further tested in the dose response assay. It showed anti-proliferative activity in micro molar range against most of the cell lines while four leukemia cell lines were sensitive at sub-micro molar concentration of compound. Data from dose response assay showed that the activity improved significantly when a trifluoromethyl group is installed at the para-position of the phenyl ring cap group and with N-methylation of the imidazole ring According to docking studies of all seven compounds 14a-g on HDLP, compounds with N-methyl imidazole rings 14a-d showed flipping of the molecule in the HDAC active site, the acetamide oxygen binding to zinc ion with a high glide score instead of the keto-imidazole moiety. This is an important observation as the methylation at this position may be used to alter and modulate the pharmacokinetic and selectivity properties of the compounds for further development as anticancer agents. Compound 14c showed anti-cancer activity against Hela cells at 10 µM concentration, and anti-inflammatory activity on microglial cells at sub-micro molar concentration. Although the results of the preliminary studies for anti-inflammatory activity were promising, additional biological studies are needed to validate and confirm these results.

This thesis explores, from a Human Resource Management (HRM) perspective, the relationship between perceived Performance Appraisal (PA) effectiveness and employee turnover intention in Saudi banks. There is a growing need for improved performance management processes in Saudi Arabia as the result of regulatory pressures and high levels of employee turnover. The study reported here examined the influence of perceived PA effectiveness on employees who work in the Saudi banking industry. The perceived PA effectiveness has six core elements including; goals, criteria, standards, source, feedback and frequency. This research also focused on assessing the strength of the relationship between the perceived PA effectiveness elements and employee turnover intention. A validated questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 201 employees of three Saudi banks located in Riyadh. The research findings support the hypothesis that the perceived PA effectiveness is negatively correlated with employee turnover intention in the Saudi banking industry. In addition, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analyses also showed that the feedback component of PA significantly predicted employee turnover intention in the Saudi banking industry. Findings from Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis indicated that six components of PA explained 37% of the variation in employees’ turnover intention. These results significantly contribute to broaden the theoretical understanding of the implementation of PA and particularly the nature of its multidimensional structure while at the same time highlighting its role in influencing the issue of employee turnover intention in the Saudi banking industry.

Pseudouridine (¿) is the most abundant modified nucleosides in RNA and the only naturally occurring C-nucleoside. It is enzymatically generated in RNA and has variable functions that are not fully understood. Pseudouridine synthesis is enzyme catalyzed. Defects in these enzymes cause multisystem disorders because of a decrease in pseudouridine formation. On the other hand, it was shown that pseudouridine synthesis is upregulated under stress conditions in constitutive sites and new sites. The goal of this project is to synthesize a suitable radical precursor for pseudouridine to study the effect of oxidative stress on RNA. The data comparison between the effect of oxidative stress on pseudouridine and on other nucleosides possessing C-N glycosyl bonds would give valuable information about the function of pseudouridine.

Most bacteria grow in multicellular communities known as biofilms, which are generally physiologically different from their planktonic counterparts. At the end of the biofilm life-cycle, bacteria disperse as free living single cells in response to environmental stimuli such as nutrient limitation. Carbon starvation has been shown to induce dispersal of biofilms of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It has been shown that cAMP plays a role in mediating biofilm dispersal during glucose starvation. However, the molecular pathway controlling dispersal is not well defined. This dissertation characterises the molecular pathway regulating dispersal of P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms during carbon starvation that involves cAMP signaling. The cAMP/dispersal pathway was investigated in part by studying the starvation dispersal response of different mutants of the cAMP signalling pathway; the adenylate cyclases cyaA, cyaB (which produce cAMP) and the cAMP receptor protein gene (CRP) (cbpA). The results suggest that starvation induced dispersal is partially mediated through a functional CyaA, while the global pool of cAMP, which is largely regulated by CyaB, does not mediate the dispersal response. Further, cbpA encodes a CRP and was not required for the starvation dispersal response. This suggests that cAMP works by means of another, currently unidentified CRP homologue. In addition, the cAMP-CRP regulon has been shown here to play an important role in stress survival of P. aeruginosa, including nutrient and oxidative stress. Carbon starvation impacted the cellular cAMP concentration and expression of two genes encoding for adenylate cyclase proteins; cyaA and cyaB, as well as the CRPs, vfr and cbpA. Carbon starvation supressed the expression of cAMP signaling pathway and effector proteins. The results showed a transient state of decrease in the intracellular cAMP concentration of both adenylate cyclases in P. aeruginosa upon induction of starvation dispersal followed by significant increase. Finally, the role of PA3327 in the starvation dispersal response was investigated. PA3327 encodes a putative non-ribosome peptide synthetase (NRPS). The PA3327 mutant biofilm failed to disperse in response to glucose starvation. In addition, the PA3327 mutant showed significant growth limitation under extreme iron limitation.

This research investigates, from a sociolinguistic perspective, the speech acts of compliments and compliment responses as realized by eighty Saudi students who study English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The speech acts were investigated in the student’s use of English as their second language. It aims to identify the semantic and structural formulas used by the participants to express compliments in English and to respond to compliments. The study also examines the roles of the topic of conversation in the realization of compliments. Furthermore, the study investigates gender differences with regard to the use of compliments and compliment responses. A discourse completion test (DCT) consisting of twelve situations was used to collect data from the participants. The analysis of the responses found that the dominant form of compliments used was unbound semantic formulas that were not influenced by the social relationship between the participants. Topics that are socially delicate result in the use of more implicit compliments than explicit compliments. The religious norms require politeness in the interactions between people, and this is reflected in the prevalence of implicit compliments. There is a wide range of compliments used with no fixed pattern of usage. Compliments tend to be given using adjectives rather than verbs. Gender did not appear to affect the nature of usage of compliments and responses. The research suggests that the cultural influences of the English language and western culture may be influencing how young Saudis use compliments.

Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) are GPCRs that belong to the rhodopsin-like family. Recent studies have demonstrated a role for CB2 in attenuating bone cancer-induced pain, reducing microglial activation in Alzheimer’s disease, and regulating bone mass in osteoporosis. As such, there is an urgent need for the development of new therapeutic agents targeting CB2. However, structure- or fragment-based in silico drug design is hampered by the absence of 3D structural information on CB2, because of its inherent structural complexity. Recently, it has been shown that specific residues of CB2 (in transmembrane helices III, V, VII and extracellular loop 2) play crucial roles in the binding of the vast majority of cannabinoid ligands. In this report, we performed computer modeling along with site-directed mutagenesis studies and the results suggest that four residues that lie within these regions have a novel importance for receptor recognition of compound XIE95-26, a discovered CB2 inverse agonist in our lab, and known cannabinoid ligands CP-55940 (agonist) and SR144528 (inverse agonist). These mutant CB2 receptors were characterized by western blot, and ligand binding studies. Moreover, functional assays were performed for some mutant CB2 receptor to illustrate the role of altered residues in downstream signaling. Next, we’ve taken further steps to provide a genetically modified functional CB2 for biophysical and biochemical studies with the goal of improving the current purification methodology for the production of chimeric CB2 fusion proteins from the baculovirus system. By introducing a fusion protein and rational modifications to the chimeric receptor, investigators endeavoring to purify other GPCRs have overcome the challenge of obtaining sufficient stable protein for structural studies. Thus, different generations of truncated CB2 receptor were obtained to assess any improvements in receptor expression. Receptor expression and ligand binding capacity were assessed as criteria for pilot scale purification and for detergent selection. The best constructs were subjected to the optimal purification scheme using immobilized metal affinity, anti-M2 affinity, and size exclusion chromatography steps. Collectively, results from this study will provide insights into the structure and functional mechanisms of CB2 and facilitate the design of small molecules that influence CB2 signaling behavior.

Formal quality assurance units are crucial to academic institutions. However, standard quality assurance frameworks provided by national accrediting bodies may not be perfectly applicable to all institutions. In particular, online universities operate under meaningfully different conditions than brick-and-mortar institutions. To better understand their situation in relation to quality assurance concerns, a case study on quality assurance in curriculum design at Saudi Electronic University (SEU) was conducted. SEU offers advanced education through distance and blended learning approaches supported by ICT and internet technologies. The study sought to determine the current state of quality assurance at SEU, identify existing challenges for implementation of a quality assurance model, and on this basis propose a quality assurance model for SEU based on the institution s specific needs. It was found in this study that SEU has no formal quality assurance unit. Operations covering aspects of quality assurance have been conducted, but the interviewees considered these inadequate to meet needs. Interviewees acknowledged the importance of developing formal quality assurance at SEU. Administrators emphasised the importance of ensuring that graduates are able to fill the Saudi Arabian job markets needs for local talent in various fields. Among faculty, the main concern was to establish a quality assurance structure ensuring the diverse learning needs of students are met and programme learning outcomes achieved. Based on the data, a quality assurance model was proposed for SEU, integrating elements from Biggs s constructive alignment framework and the RASE model from Churchill et al. (2013) using a curriculum mapping approach. The model achieves the above-identified goal of ensuring that graduates meet market needs while also addressing students own learning needs; to do so, it combines outcomes-based assessment and cyclical feedback. Several challenges to the model s implementation were identified. First, student feedback regarding the quality of their learning experiences is crucially needed. Secondly, faculty awareness of the model and their responsibilities is an important factor to keep curricula up to date and relevant to the needs of their students and also to ensure that monitoring is conducted annually. It is also important for SEU staff to become better trained to conduct quality assurance. Despite these challenges, the model was well received by both administrators and academics at SEU.

Background: Patient simulations have become a basis of training for numerous health care professions. In the field of Respiratory Therapy (RT), it has been proven to influence and motivate the students in proactively participating in learning through the use of clinical demonstrations and technology. However, there remains a limited number of studies that investigate the impact of simulation in RT. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of RT students at an urban university on what they have learned from their patient simulation sessions. METHODS: A self-reporting descriptive survey was used. It was a modification of the Student Satisfaction and Self-confidence in Learning NLN/Laerdal Research tool. The participants included 34 undergraduate and graduate RT students from the Georgia State University. RESULTS: With a response rate of 88.2%, the majority of the RT students were satisfied with their present learning and felt supportive of simulation experience, availability and access to various learning materials and activities, simulation as their motivation, and the way instructors taught the simulation. It also revealed that self-confidence and enthusiasm in learning increased with simulation activities. Majority of RT students perceive simulation education as a helpful and effective teaching method (x̅ 3.13 SD ± 0.73). RT students perceive developing the skills and obtaining the required knowledge from simulation to perform necessary tasks in the clinical setting as the most important clinical benefit they acquire from simulation education (x̅ 3.16, SD ± 0.74). The RT students also believe it is their responsibility to learn what is needed to know from simulation activity and they agree that they know how to get help when they do not understand the concepts covered in the simulation (x̅ 3.53, SD ± .50). CONCLUSION: RT students agree that patient simulations are beneficial and effective as a supportive learning method in their learning. They also agreed that simulation activities increase their self-confidence and enthusiasm in learning, but further research and studies about simulations should be encouraged in order to determine its future importance in preparing future RT professionals in real clinical settings and clinical exploration.

This study examines the multilevel factors (i.e., student’s achievement, Arabic teacher quality measure [ATQM] scores, and rural and urban school) that influence student ratings of teachers (SRT) in Saudi Arabia among third grade high school students (i.e., equivalent to 12th graders in the United States). Rasch Analysis, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, and Analysis of Covariance were used to investigate the following three main objectives: (a) developing and adapting an ATQM, (b) developing a measure of SRT, and (c) examining the relationship between student-, teacher-, and school-level factors on student ratings of teacher on the SRT. Specific to the first objective, a psychometrically sound measure of teacher quality was developed. The results retained a 24-question measure focusing on four domains: (a) Teacher Planning and Preparation, (b) Classroom Environment, (c) Teacher Instruction, and (d) Teacher Professionalism. The second objective, a 25-question SRT measure was examined. The third objective found that a significant relationship between teacher quality scores and SRT scores, with higher teacher quality related to lower student ratings of teacher scores. Additionally significant differences were found between urban schools and rural schools on student ratings of teacher scores, with rural schools having higher SRT scores. Future research should continue to define the network of relationships between pupil-, teacher-, and school-level factors and SRT, and maintain the measures revision and validation process of both the ATQM and the SRT. The findings support administrative demands for more efficient ways to monitor teacher quality, and in turn, meet educational standards and improve school outcomes.

The characteristics of fine aggregates, such as shape, angularity, and surface texture, have been shown to influence the performance of concrete and asphalt mixtures and to play an important role in obtaining valuable properties of early age concrete such as workability, and compatibility. However, the measurement of fine aggregate characteristics is not easy. In the present study, 26 fine aggregates, covering a wide spectrum of mineralogy, were examined using direct and indirect test methods in order to evaluate the shape, angularity, and surface texture, as well as to analyze the gradation. The direct test methods, such as AIMS and Camsizer, which provide a digital image of the aggregates proved to be the best. However, the cost of such systems can limit the use of digital imagining systems in practice. The indirect test methods which provide an estimate of aggregate surface characteristics, such as uncompacted void test, mortar flow test, compressive strength test, and flakiness test gave variable results. The uncompacted void test (Method A) was shown to be the most accurate indirect test method. The Camsizer and the sieve analysis test produced identical gradation analysis results when an adequate sample was used. General correlations were developed between the direct and indirect test methods. The non-approved fine aggregates on the TxDOT’s list were analyzed and compared to those of the approved fine aggregates to see whether they could be successfully used. It was found that both LS-5 and LS-8 had good results—even better than the results of some of the approved fine aggregates. Thus, they could be successfully used.

BACKGROUND: Aerosol therapy using albuterol is one of the most prescribed asthma treatments. The most frequently used methods of aerosol delivery are pneumatic jet nebulizer (JN), pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI), and breath-actuated nebulizer (BAN). Choosing among these devices is usually not based on thorough comparison of efficiency or cost. We compare the efficiency of these three devices using a spontaneously breathing adult model. METHODS: We connected each aerosol generator—JN, BAN, or pMDI with a valved holding chamber (VHC)—to the face of an adult teaching manikin. Below the bifurcation, an elbow adaptor was connected to a corrugated tube and was angled to be at a lower level than the collecting filter to prevent droplets from dripping directly into the collecting filter. From the collecting filter, another corrugated tube was connected to a prevention filter, which was then connected to an adult breathing simulator. Spontaneous breathing parameters were VT 450 mL, RR 20/min, and I: E ratio 1:2. First, we compared JN, BAN (2.5 mg/3 mL), and pMDI (4 puffs); second, we compared JN and BAN 2.5 mg/0.5 mL plus 0.5 mL normal saline. Data were analyzed using spectrophotometry (276 nm). One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-tests were used (p RESULTS: There were no differences in inhaled mass percentage (p=0.172) JN, BAN, and pMDI in the first experiment. Treatment time with BAN was significantly longer (p=0.0001) than with JN or pMDI. In the second experiment, BAN delivered more medication (p=0.004) than jet nebulizer. Treatment time was significantly less with JN (p=0.010). There was no difference in residual volume among JN and BAN in both experiment (p=0.765, p=0.115). CONCLUSIONS: All the devices that were compared using a 3 ml or 4 pMDI puffs delivered comparable amount of medication with no significant difference. However, BAN using 1ml fill volume delivers more drug compared to JN. Additionally, treatment time was longest with BAN. Even with reduction of its filling volume, BAN delivers a higher amount of medication to that of pMDI but was not statistically significant.