The relationship between leadership, organisational commitment and turnover in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

The Saudi Arabian banking sector in 2004 comprised eleven banks serving the population. There were 1,216 branches and 4,104 automatic teller machines (ATMs) across the country. The employee number was 31,589 in 2005 (SAMA, 2016). The sector witnessed significant growth since the beginning of 2005, including more than fourteen new international and local banks, and it is still increasing. The number of commercial bank branches increased to reach 2,044, with more than 18,089 ATMs in 2017 (SAMA, 2017). The number of employees in the banking sector rose in 2016 to 49,335 employees (SAMA, 2016). The Kingdom’s regulatory agency, Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) has taken note of the dramatic growth in this sector and the accompanying high demand for more skilled banking employees. In 2008, it established several programmes to encourage new university graduates who would have improved skills for the sector. SAMA also developed programmes targeting women, especially to develop the required skills (SAMA, 2009). In 2012, the number of programmes reached a hundred and sixty, specifically designed to address a range of banking needs (SAMA, 2013). The concern emanating from the highest level in the sector shows the importance of retaining bank employees in order to continue its development. This is the main mission of leaders and human resource departments in any industry. The leaders in this sector endeavour to maintain and improve their employees’ skills and performance through different methods, such as increasing wages and enhancing employee commitment to their particular organisations. The thesis explores whether selected leadership behaviours (including idealised influence attributes, idealised influence behaviour, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, individualised consideration, contingent reward, passive management by exception and active management by exception) affect specific organisational commitment factors (affective, continuance and normative commitment) and employee turnover, in the banking sector in Saudi Arabia. The thesis objective was to explore the relationships between leadership behaviours, organisational commitment, and employee intention to turnover in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. This thesis goes beyond earlier literature focusing on the effectiveness of transformational leadership, by directly addressing the relationship between leadership behaviour, organisational commitment and turnover. In addition, the moderating mechanisms of organisational commitment and demographic characteristics on the relationships between leadership behaviour and turnover, which have not yet been examined in the literature, are explored. The research data were collected in three phases: a pre-test, followed by a pilot study, and then the collection of data for the main study. After satisfying the validity and reliability of the survey (Cronbach's Alpha ranged between .86 to .63), it was distributed via an online link “http://www.qualtrics.com” to the population target. The Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority distributed the surveys using a systematic sampling design to all the Saudis banks. A total of 438 returned surveys were collected. Three major instruments were utilised to gather the survey data. They were the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1997), the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (Meyer & Allen, 1991, 1997), and the Global Measure of Job Embeddedness (Crossley et al., 2007, 2011). These instruments all employ self-reported measures. The data were obtained by means of a survey with responses from four hundred and thirty-eight respondents. The statistical package for social sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics 23) computer software program was used to conduct the data analysis, and statistical analyses were conducted using correlation, multiple regression analyses, and structural equation modelling. The findings from testing the hypotheses are presented, which include the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. The moderating effect of organisational commitment between leadership behaviour and turnover is also presented, as are the findings from the testing of the moderating effect of the demographic characteristics between leadership behaviour and turnover. The major finding here is that tenure and occupational category moderate the relationship between leadership behaviour and turnover in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. The relationship between leadership behaviours and intention to turnover were also investigated, and the two main hypotheses were tested to provide an answer to the first objective. Based on the findings, the study could not identify a significant relationship between leadership behaviour and organisational commitment in the banking sector. The research finding revealed that there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership behaviour and intention to turnover. The data supported the hypothesis that transactional behaviour affects intention to turnover significantly. In addition, the relationship between organisational commitment and intention to turnover was investigated in this thesis. The data show a positive significant relationship between organisational commitment and intention to turnover. The second objective of the research was to explore whether organisational commitment moderates the relationship between leadership behaviour and the intention to turnover in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. The data suggested that organisational commitment does moderate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviour and intention to turnover in the banking sector. In fact, there are complex factors which may play a major role in employee turnover. These factors need to be considered in the assessment of turnover in the banking sector, and other sectors, depending on their context and employee requirements. It seems that most of the recently-established banks in Saudi Arabia are international banks, and this situation could affect the retention of their employees. In addition, the size of the new banks are small compared to that of the existing banks. This thesis advances and extends the body of literature addressing leadership behaviour, organisational commitment and turnover. Its main contribution involves developing a better understanding of the leadership perspective. This was achieved through a comprehensive analysis of the relationships among the variables of each factor in leadership behaviour, organisational commitment and turnover intention. The findings suggest strategies for improving the skills of leaders, especially as they relate to how they direct, motivate, and improve the capacity of their workers to maximise their efforts in the organisation. This greater understanding of these relationships offers, in general, wide-ranging insights into several aspects of the leadership behaviours of Saudi Arabian employees in the banking sector. Such knowledge enhances the selective behaviour of leaders in many organisations, especially in understanding and adopting leadership behaviours that are appropriate for performing their roles as leaders. Furthermore, the findings may help to reduce turnover, because banking leaders will have an understanding of the mediating factors that impact upon the relationships between leadership behaviours and turnover. More broadly, the significant contribution of the thesis is explained in more detail within three perspectives: the practical perspective, the theoretical perspective, and methodological implications. Some recommendations for Human Resource Management professionals and leaders are included at the end of the thesis. The limitations on and implications for further research and practice of the findings are presented and discussed

Directional detection as a strategy to discover Galactic Dark Matter

Directional detection of Galactic Dark Matter is a promising search strategy for discriminating genuine WIMP events from background ones. Technical progress on gaseous detectors and read-outs has permitted the design and construction of competitive experiments. However, to take full advantage of this powerful detection method, one need to be able to extract information from an observed recoil map to identify a WIMP signal. We present a comprehensive formalism, using a map-based likelihood method allowing to recover the main incoming direction of the signal and its significance, thus proving its galactic origin. This is a blind analysis intended to be used on any directional data. Constraints are deduced in the ($\sigma_n, m_\chi$) plane and systematic studies are presented in order to show that, using this analysis tool, unambiguous dark matter detection can be achieved on a large range of exposures and background levels.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures Final version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Insomnia Symptoms for Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Background: Insomnia symptoms are a common form of sleep difficulty among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) affecting sleep quality and health outcomes. Several interventional approaches have been used to improve sleep outcomes in people with T2D. Nonpharmacological approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), show promising results regarding safety and sustainability of improvements, although CBT-I has not been examined in people with T2D. Promoting sleep for people with insomnia and T2D could improve insomnia severity and diabetes outcomes. Objective: The objective of this study is to establish a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effect of 6 sessions of CBT-I on insomnia severity (primary outcome), sleep variability, and other health-related outcomes in individuals with T2D and insomnia symptoms. Methods: This RCT will use random mixed block size randomization with stratification to assign 28 participants with T2D and insomnia symptoms to either a CBT-I group or a health education group. Outcomes including insomnia severity; sleep variability; diabetes self-care behavior (DSCB); glycemic control (A1c); glucose level; sleep quality; daytime sleepiness; and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain will be gathered before and after the 6-week intervention. Chi-square and independent t tests will be used to test for between-group differences at baseline. Independent t tests will be used to examine the effect of the CBT-I intervention on change score means for insomnia severity, sleep variability, DSCB, A1c, fatigue, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and severity of depression, anxiety, and pain. For all analyses, alpha level will be set at .05. Results: This study recruitment began in February 2019 and was completed in September 2019. Conclusions: The intervention, including 6 sessions of CBT-I, will provide insight about its effect in improving insomnia symptoms, sleep variability, fatigue, and diabetes-related health outcomes in people with T2D and those with insomnia symptoms when compared with control

Mobile ad hoc network testbed using mobile robot technology

MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network) researchers have shown increased interest in using mobile robot technology for their testbed platforms. Thus, the main motivation of this paper is to review various robot-based MANET testbeds that have been developed in previously reported research. Additionally, suggestions to heighten mobility mechanisms by using mobile robots to be more practical, easy and inexpensive are also included in this paper, as we unveils ToMRobot, a low-cost MANET robot created from an ordinary remote control car that is capable of performing a real system MANET testbed with the addition of only a few low-cost electronic components. Despite greatly reduced costs, the ToMRobot does not sacrifice any of the necessary MANET basic structures and will still be easily customizable and upgradeable through the use of open hardware technology like Cubieboard2 and Arduino, as its robot controller. This paper will also include guidelines to enable technically limited MANET researchers to design and develop the ToMRobot. It is hoped that this paper achieves its two pronged objectives namely (i) to facilitate other MANET researchers by providing them with a source of reference that eases their decision making for selecting the best and most suitable MANET mobile robots for real mobility in their MANET testbeds (ii) to provide MANET researchers with a prospect of building their own MANET robots that can be applied in their own MANET testbed in the future

Chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles differentially alleviate salinity stress in Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants

Salinity stress can significantly cause negative impacts on the physiological and biochemical traits of plants and, consequently, a reduction in the yield productivity of crops. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of chitosan (Cs) and chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) to mitigate salinity stress (i.e., 25, 50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl) and improve pigment fractions, carbohydrates content, ions content, proline, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage content, and the antioxidant system of Phaseolus vulgaris L. grown in clay–sandy soil. Methacrylic acid was used to synthesize CsNPs, with an average size of 40 ± 2 nm. Salinity stress negatively affected yield traits, pigment fractions, and carbohydrate content. However, in plants grown under salt stress, the application of either Cs or CsNPs significantly improved yield, pigment fractions, carbohydrate content, proline, and the antioxidant system, while these treatments reduced hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage. The positive effects of CsNPs were shown to be more beneficial than Cs when applied exogenously to plants grown under salt stress. In this context, it could be concluded that CsNPs could be used to mitigate salt stress effects on Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants grown in saline soils

Leaf anatomy explains the strength of C4 activity within the grass species Alloteropsis semialata

C4 photosynthesis results from anatomical and biochemical characteristics that together concentrate CO2 around ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), increasing productivity in warm conditions. This complex trait evolved through the gradual accumulation of components, and particular species possess only some of these, resulting in weak C4 activity. The consequences of adding C4 components have been modelled and investigated through comparative approaches, but the intraspecific dynamics responsible for strengthening the C4 pathway remain largely unexplored. Here, we evaluate the link between anatomical variation and C4 activity, focusing on populations of the photosynthetically diverse grass Alloteropsis semialata that fix various proportions of carbon via the C4 cycle. The carbon isotope ratios in these populations range from values typical of C3 to those typical of C4 plants. This variation is statistically explained by a combination of leaf anatomical traits linked to the preponderance of bundle sheath tissue. We hypothesize that increased investment in bundle sheath boosts the strength of the intercellular C4 pump and shifts the balance of carbon acquisition towards the C4 cycle. Carbon isotope ratios indicating a stronger C4 pathway are associated with warmer, drier environments, suggesting that incremental anatomical alterations can lead to the emergence of C4 physiology during local adaptation within metapopulations

Dark Matter in 3D

We discuss the relevance of directional detection experiments in the post-discovery era and propose a method to extract the local dark matter phase space distribution from directional data. The first feature of this method is a parameterization of the dark matter distribution function in terms of integrals of motion, which can be analytically extended to infer properties of the global distribution if certain equilibrium conditions hold. The second feature of our method is a decomposition of the distribution function in moments of a model independent basis, with minimal reliance on the ansatz for its functional form. We illustrate our method using the Via Lactea II N-body simulation as well as an analytical model for the dark matter halo. We conclude that O(1000) events are necessary to measure deviations from the Standard Halo Model and constrain or measure the presence of anisotropies.Comment: 36 pages, 13 figure

Global epidemiology and clinical outcomes of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and associated carbapenemases (POP): a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is a global threat, but the distribution and clinical significance of carbapenemases are unclear. The aim of this study was to define characteristics and outcomes of CRPA infections and the global frequency and clinical impact of carbapenemases harboured by CRPA. METHODS: We conducted an observational, prospective cohort study of CRPA isolated from bloodstream, respiratory, urine, or wound cultures of patients at 44 hospitals (10 countries) between Dec 1, 2018, and Nov 30, 2019. Clinical data were abstracted from health records and CRPA isolates were whole-genome sequenced. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality from the day the index culture was collected. We compared outcomes of patients with CRPA infections by infection type and across geographic regions and performed an inverse probability weighted analysis to assess the association between carbapenemase production and 30-day mortality. FINDINGS: We enrolled 972 patients (USA n=527, China n=171, south and central America n=127, Middle East n=91, Australia and Singapore n=56), of whom 581 (60%) had CRPA infections. 30-day mortality differed by infection type (bloodstream 21 [30%] of 69, respiratory 69 [19%] of 358, wound nine [14%] of 66, urine six [7%] of 88; p=0·0012) and geographical region (Middle East 15 [29%] of 52, south and central America 20 [27%] of 73, USA 60 [19%] of 308, Australia and Singapore three [11%] of 28, China seven [6%] of 120; p=0·0002). Prevalence of carbapenemase genes among CRPA isolates also varied by region (south and central America 88 [69%] of 127, Australia and Singapore 32 [57%] of 56, China 54 [32%] of 171, Middle East 27 [30%] of 91, USA ten [2%] of 527; p\u3c0·0001). KPC-2 (n=103 [49%]) and VIM-2 (n=75 [36%]) were the most common carbapenemases in 211 carbapenemase-producing isolates. After excluding USA patients, because few US isolates had carbapenemases, patients with carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections had higher 30-day mortality than those with non-carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections in both unadjusted (26 [22%] of 120 vs 19 [12%] of 153; difference 9%, 95% CI 3-16) and adjusted (difference 7%, 95% CI 1-14) analyses. INTERPRETATION: The emergence of different carbapenemases among CRPA isolates in different geographical regions and the increased mortality associated with carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections highlight the therapeutic challenges posed by these organisms. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health

Epidemiología mundial y resultados clínicos de Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistente a carbapenemes y carbapenemasas asociadas (POP): un estudio prospectivo de cohortes

Antecedentes: La Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistente a los carbapenemes (CRPA) es una amenaza mundial, pero la distribución y la importancia clínica de las carbapenemasas no están claras. El objetivo de este estudio fue definir las características y los resultados de las infecciones por CRPA, así como la frecuencia global y el impacto clínico de las carbapenemasas albergadas por CRPA. Métodos: Llevamos a cabo un estudio de cohortes observacional y prospectivo de CRPA aislados de cultivos de torrente sanguíneo, respiratorio, orina o heridas de pacientes en 44 hospitales (10 países) entre el 1 de diciembre de 2018 y el 30 de noviembre de 2019. Los datos clínicos se extrajeron de los registros de salud y los aislados de CRPA se secuenciaron en todo el genoma. El resultado primario fue la mortalidad a 30 días a partir del día en que se recolectó el cultivo índice. Se compararon los resultados de los pacientes con infecciones por CRPA por tipo de infección y entre regiones geográficas y se realizó un análisis ponderado de probabilidad inversa para evaluar la asociación entre la producción de carbapenemasas y la mortalidad a 30 días. Resultados: Se incluyeron 972 pacientes (EE.UU. n=527, China n=171, América del Sur y Central n=127, Oriente Medio n=91, Australia y Singapur n=56), de los cuales 581 (60%) tenían infecciones por CRPA. La mortalidad a los 30 días difería según el tipo de infección (torrente sanguíneo 21 [30%] de 69, respiratoria 69 [19%] de 358, herida nueve [14%] de 66, orina seis [7%] de 88; p=0-0012) y la región geográfica (Oriente Medio 15 [29%] de 52, América del Sur y Central 20 [27%] de 73, EE.UU. 60 [19%] de 308, Australia y Singapur tres [11%] de 28, China siete [6%] de 120; p=0-0002). La prevalencia de genes carbapenemasa entre los aislados CRPA también varió según la región (América del Sur y Central 88 [69%] de 127, Australia y Singapur 32 [57%] de 56, China 54 [32%] de 171, Oriente Medio 27 [30%] de 91, EE.UU. diez [2%] de 527; p<0-0001). KPC-2 (n=103 [49%]) y VIM-2 (n=75 [36%]) fueron las carbapenemasas más comunes en 211 aislados productores de carbapenemasas. Después de excluir a los pacientes de EE.UU., porque pocos aislados de EE.UU. tenían carbapenemasas, los pacientes con infecciones por CRPA productoras de carbapenemasas tuvieron una mayor mortalidad a los 30 días que aquellos con infecciones por CRPA no productoras de carbapenemasas, tanto en los análisis no ajustados (26 [22%] de 120 frente a 19 [12%] de 153; diferencia 9%, IC 95% 3-16) como ajustados (diferencia 7%, IC 95% 1-14). Interpretación: La aparición de diferentes carbapenemasas entre los aislados de CRPA en diferentes regiones geográficas y el aumento de la mortalidad asociada a las infecciones por CRPA productores de carbapenemasas ponen de manifiesto los retos terapéuticos que plantean estos organismos. Financiación: Institutos Nacionales de Salud.Background: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is a global threat, but the distribution and clinical significance of carbapenemases are unclear. The aim of this study was to define characteristics and outcomes of CRPA infections and the global frequency and clinical impact of carbapenemases harboured by CRPA. Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective cohort study of CRPA isolated from bloodstream, respiratory, urine, or wound cultures of patients at 44 hospitals (10 countries) between Dec 1, 2018, and Nov 30, 2019. Clinical data were abstracted from health records and CRPA isolates were whole-genome sequenced. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality from the day the index culture was collected. We compared outcomes of patients with CRPA infections by infection type and across geographic regions and performed an inverse probability weighted analysis to assess the association between carbapenemase production and 30-day mortality. Findings: We enrolled 972 patients (USA n=527, China n=171, south and central America n=127, Middle East n=91, Australia and Singapore n=56), of whom 581 (60%) had CRPA infections. 30-day mortality differed by infection type (bloodstream 21 [30%] of 69, respiratory 69 [19%] of 358, wound nine [14%] of 66, urine six [7%] of 88; p=0·0012) and geographical region (Middle East 15 [29%] of 52, south and central America 20 [27%] of 73, USA 60 [19%] of 308, Australia and Singapore three [11%] of 28, China seven [6%] of 120; p=0·0002). Prevalence of carbapenemase genes among CRPA isolates also varied by region (south and central America 88 [69%] of 127, Australia and Singapore 32 [57%] of 56, China 54 [32%] of 171, Middle East 27 [30%] of 91, USA ten [2%] of 527; p<0·0001). KPC-2 (n=103 [49%]) and VIM-2 (n=75 [36%]) were the most common carbapenemases in 211 carbapenemase-producing isolates. After excluding USA patients, because few US isolates had carbapenemases, patients with carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections had higher 30-day mortality than those with non-carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections in both unadjusted (26 [22%] of 120 vs 19 [12%] of 153; difference 9%, 95% CI 3–16) and adjusted (difference 7%, 95% CI 1–14) analyses. Interpretation: The emergence of different carbapenemases among CRPA isolates in different geographical regions and the increased mortality associated with carbapenemase-producing CRPA infections highlight the therapeutic challenges posed by these organisms. Funding: National Institutes of Health

Ketamine-based sedation use in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with COVID-19: A multicenter cohort study

Backgrounds: Ketamine possesses analgesia, anti-inflammation, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotection properties. However, the evidence that supports its use in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with COVID-19 is insufficient. The study's goal was to assess ketamine's effectiveness and safety in critically ill, mechanically ventilated (MV) patients with COVID-19. Methods: Adult critically ill patients with COVID-19 were included in a multicenter retrospective-prospective cohort study. Patients admitted between March 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021, to five ICUs in Saudi Arabia were included. Eligible patients who required MV within 24 hours of ICU admission were divided into two sub-cohort groups based on their use of ketamine (Control vs. Ketamine). The primary outcome was the length of stay (LOS) in the hospital. P/F ratio differences, lactic acid normalization, MV duration, and mortality were considered secondary outcomes. Propensity score (PS) matching was used (1:2 ratio) based on the selected criteria. Results: In total, 1,130 patients met the eligibility criteria. Among these, 1036 patients (91.7 %) were in the control group, whereas 94 patients (8.3 %) received ketamine. The total number of patients after PS matching, was 264 patients, including 88 patients (33.3 %) who received ketamine. The ketamine group's LOS was significantly lower (beta coefficient (95 % CI): −0.26 (−0.45, −0.07), P = 0.008). Furthermore, the PaO2/FiO2 ratio significantly improved 24 hours after the start of ketamine treatment compared to the pre-treatment period (6 hours) (124.9 (92.1, 184.5) vs. 106 (73.1, 129.3; P = 0.002). Additionally, the ketamine group had a substantially shorter mean time for lactic acid normalization (beta coefficient (95 % CI): −1.55 (−2.42, −0.69), P 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the duration of MV or mortality. Conclusions: Ketamine-based sedation was associated with lower hospital LOS and faster lactic acid normalization but no mortality benefits in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Thus, larger prospective studies are recommended to assess the safety and effectiveness of ketamine as a sedative in critically ill adult patients