Ab INITIO CALCULATION OF ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF BERYLLIUM CHALCOGENIDES (BeS, BeSe, AND BeTe) UNDER THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE

There are several methods for materials simulation. Ab initio or first principles methods are used to solve the quantum mechanical equation which govern the behavior of a system. Ab initio calculation of the optical and electronic properties of solids is fundamental in solid state physics. APW+lo is used to examine different properties of BeS, BeSe and BeTe. Beryllium compounds show different features in structure under different pressures, and they also show a phase transition from Zinc blende to Hexagonal transitions in II-VI semiconductors. Little is known about the ground state properties of Beryllium Chalcogenides. The aim of this work is to examine the electronical and optical properties of these materials, with the emphasis on their dependence on hydrostatic pressure. First, we calculated the electronic properties such as band structure, charge density, density of state, and the contours of these materials, second we examined their optical properties such as refractive index, the dielectric function (both real and imaginary), and the coefficient of absorption under normal and transient pressure. Two packages: the Wien97 and the Wien2k, are used in our simulation

The Determinants of Entrepreneurial Success of Home-Based Entrepreneurs (HBEs) in Oman

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of technological factor on the Success of home-based enterprises; to analyze the impact of marketing factor on the Success of home-based enterprises and to analyze the impact of environment factor on the Success of home-based enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: A structured questionnaire was provided to 208 participants for data collection selected on a stratified random sampling basis. The entrepreneurs from North Al Batinah region in Oman including housewives and entrepreneurs operating from home were used for the study.  The data was analyzed using SPSS. Findings: The study revealed that there was an association between Environmental Factors, Marketing Factors, and the Success of home-based entrepreneurs.  Environmental Factors and Marketing Factors had an impact on the Success of home-based entrepreneurs. But Technological factors - have not influenced the Success of home-based entrepreneurs.  Limitations/Research implications:  The paper will help home-based entrepreneurs to understand that the business from home as it is a form of local business entity necessary for community development and there is an incentive for small and medium business entities to educate the business process for the sustainability of their business. Social Implications: Government should encourage home-based businesses as they are considered as the legitimate form of HBEs for the sake of community development. Government should support in channelizing the promotion and selling business products for the home-based businesses. Government should motivate the HBEs towards educating the business process for the sustainability of their businesses. Originality/Value: This is the first kind of its study dealing with the factors related to home-based entrepreneurs impacting the success of home-based entrepreneurs. Keywords: Technological Factors, Marketing Factors, Environment Factors, Success of Home-based Business Factors, Barriers of Home-Based Entrepreneurs

Qatar - Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health in Pandemics (Q-LAMP)

Aims: QLAMP aims to identify risk factors and resilience factors for symptoms of psychiatric illness during the pandemic. Study strengths include the 1-year longitudinal design and the use of standardised instruments already available in English and Arabic. The results will increase understanding of the impact of the pandemic on mental health for better support of the population during the pandemic and in future epidemics. Until an effective vaccine is available or herd immunity is achieved, countries are likely to encounter repeated ‘waves’ of infection. The identification of at-risk groups for mental illness will inform the planning and delivery of individualized treatment including primary prevention. Methodology: Longitudinal online survey; SMS-based recruitment and social media platforms advertisements e.g. Facebook, Instagram; Online consent; Completion time for questionnaires: approx. 20 to 30 minute; Baseline questionnaire with follow up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months; Study completion date: Sept. 2021. Inclusion Criteria: Currently living in Qatar; Qatar residents: citizens and expatriates; Age 18 years; Read Arabic or English (questionnaire and consent form available in both languages). Instruments: Sociodemographic questionnaire including personal and family experience of COVID-19 infection; Standard instruments to assess psychiatric morbidity including depression, anxiety and PTSD; Research team-designed instruments to assess social impact of pandemic; Standard questionnaires to assess resilience, personality, loneliness, religious beliefs and social networks. Results: The analysis was based on 181 observations. Approximately, 3.5% of the sample was from the sms-recruitment method. The sample of completed surveys consisted of 65.0% females and 35.0% males. Qatari respondents comprised 27.0% of the total sample, while 52% of the sample were married, 25% had Grade 12 or lower level of educational attainment, and 46.0% were unemployed. Covid-19 appears to have affected different aspects of people’s lives from personal health to living arrangements, employment, and health of family and friends. Approximately, 41% to 55% of those who responded to the survey perceived changes in their stress levels, mental health, and loneliness to be worse than before the pandemic. Additionally, the wide-availability of information about the pandemic on the internet and social media was perceived as source of pandemic-related worries among members of the public. Conclusions: The continued provision of mental health service and educational campaigns about effective stress and mental health management is warranted

Effects of collaborative learning on the achievement of students with different learning styles at Qatar University

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn this research, collaborative learning techniques were designed to examine their influence on the achievement of students with different learning styles at Qatar University (QU). One important issue was whether collaborative learning in a blended learning environment had a major impact on students' achievements and skills irrespective of their learning styles. Furthermore, this research investigated other learning styles to show the importance of collaborative learning on students’ achievements and skills. Qatar University has chosen as a case study; research was conducted on 81 students, aged between 19 and 22. The students, who were on a research methods course, were divided into three different branches where each branch contained the same number of students: the control group (C), the first experimental group (E1) and the second experimental group (E2). In the control group, each student worked separately. The first experimental group was divided into small groups of students who each had a different learning style. The second experimental group was also divided into four groups with the students in each group having the same learning style. The two experimental groups followed the course through collaborative learning, as well as traditional learning. The students were asked to fill in a pre-questionnaire three times in order to distinguish their learning styles, and some of them were eliminated from the analysis process due to instability in their learning style across the three responses. The final sample comprised of 45 students in the control group (C), 44 in experimental group (E1) and 46 in experimental group (E2). Finally, equal numbers represented by the first 27 scores from each group were analysed in order to get more accurate results through comparing symmetric groups in terms of the numbers of students in each group. Subsequently, interviews were carried out with seventy-one (71) students from all three groups; 20 students (28.2%) from the control group (C), 25 students (35.2%) from the first experimental group (E1), and 26 students (36.6%) from the second experimental group (E2), to support the study results. Data were analysed using SPSS. The study analysis involved first establishing whether the data followed a normal distribution. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare students' achievements due to learning style and Independent Sample T-tests were utilised to discover if statistical evidence was significantly different. The findings revealed that collaborative learning had no beneficial effect on the students' exercises and poster skills or in their scores for the midterm exam. However, collaborative learning had a significant effect on the students' proposal writing scores. Other than that, collaborative learning had no effect on exam results including pre-test, post-test, midterm or final exam. Furthermore, the findings confirmed that there were significant differences in the post-test, midterm and final exam scores of students who undertook collaborative learning with the same learning style in a blended learning environment due to their learning style, with the converging learning style being associated with significantly higher scores. Thus, there was an effect on the post-test, midterm and final exam scores of students engaged in collaborative learning with the same learning style in a blended learning environment which was due to their learning style. On the other hand, differences in learning style had no significant effect on the achievements of collaborative learners in the exercises, proposal writing and poster task, or in the pre-exam. Also, results confirmed that in the control group, there was a significant difference in the students' pre-test, midterm and final exam scores in a blended learning environment due to learning style where collaborative learning did not occur. This difference was due to the learning style, with the assimilating learning style showing the best results. However, there was no significant difference in the students' scores for their exercises, proposal and poster skills or for their post-test in a blended learning environment due to learning style where collaborative learning did not occur. Regarding the first experimental group (E1), learning style had no significant effect on the students' skills and achievements (scores for the exercises, proposal and poster task, and for the pre-test, post-test, midterm and final exam) in a blended learning environment where collaborative learning occurred. The researcher recommends that e-learning centres be established in Qatar universities, distributed in specific centres in colleges, and that educationists who are specialised and qualified in collaborative learning styles be provided so that instruction on this type of learning is based on correct educational roots using precise scientific techniques

Embolization of middle meningeal artery in chronic subdural haematoma: Scientometrics analysis

Background:  Embolization of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) is a non-invasive procedure that is used as an alternative to surgical drainage in the treatment of subdural hematoma. The aim of our study is to represent the top-cited articles discussing the embolization of the MMA in treating chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). Methods: Scopus database was used in June 2022 to search for the top 50 cited articles related to the embolization of the MMA in cSDH. Articles were assessed using bibliometric parameters, H-indices, impact factor, number of citations per article, and article type. The data was statically analyzed by using SPSS 23 along with Microsoft Excel. Results: Among the top 50 cited articles, the highest citation was 95 (article entitled “Middle meningeal artery embolization for chronic subdural hematoma”). The most productive year was 2020 with 13 articles, followed by 2021 with 11 articles. The United States of America (USA) contributed to 24 articles with 9 neurosurgical institutes.  Most articles were case reports and case series (48%). Conclusion: This study collected the top 50 cited articles about embolization of the MMA in cSDH which can be used as a resource for clinicians in their practice and helps them to find the gap in the knowledge about this topic

A Deformed Wave Equation and Huygens’ Principle

We consider a deformed wave equation where the Laplacian operator has been replaced by a differential-difference operator. We prove that this equation does not satisfy Huygens’ principle. Our approach is based on the representation theory of the Lie algebra s l ( 2 , R )

Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Padlet as an Educational Tool for an Academic Engagement: Qualitative Study

This research study aimed at investigating the undergraduate students’ perceptions of the opportunities and challenges of utilizing Padlet and its effects on academic engagement. The research followed a qualitative approach. Fifteen students from Qatar University's Research Methods course were intentionally chosen to demonstrate the diversity of specialization (humanitarian, scientific) and academic stage (first year - fourth year). Three semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the research data that analyzed according to thematic analysis strategies. The researchers used two strategies for achieving trustworthiness in this study research. The findings of this research revealed that the participants were enthusiastic about their experience with Padlet. They mentioned various advantages related to academic engagement such as enhancing active learning. The participants highlighted the role of Padlet in enhancing critical thinking skills. Further, the provided feedback via Padlet was constructive. Despite the advantages, the participant also noted some difficulties encountered when using Padlet. Recommendations for higher education institutions and future ramifications were considered