ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION OBSTACLES IN RESOURCE-DEPENDENT STATES THROUGH THE LENS OF RESOURCE CURSE THEORY: OMAN AS A CASE STUDY

Rationally, it would be expected that the discovery of substantial and lucrative natural resources would provide a pre-industrial state with the opportunity to achieve industrial take-off. However, resource curse theory has challenged this assumption. Instead, oil-dependent states are not able to diversify their economies away from their reliance on natural resource revenues. The Sultanate of Oman has proved to be no exception. The discovery of oil in Oman in 1962 provided its government with the means to establish a massive socio-economic development programme with the aim to eventually reduce the country’s dependency on oil. Decades later, oil export revenues still represent more than 80% of government revenues. The main objective of this research is to try to understand the root cause of Oman’s inability to create a diversified economy, despite the fact that it was among the first countries in the region to adopt an economic diversification strategy. To explore the main reasons behind the unsuccessful economic diversification attempts in Oman, this study analyses in-depth the four aspects of the ‘resource curse’ identified in the literature: economic factors; human resource development; institutional quality; and political/social factors. The thesis is based on a single case study, that of Oman, using two methods of data collection: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The participants’ insights are triangulated with official documents and reports from international organisations. The analysis demonstrates that studying each of the four aspects of the resource curse separately does not provide sufficient explanation for the failure of diversification. As a result, this thesis argues that the interaction of these four factors provides a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Furthermore, the analysis highlights that economic factors and human resource development are negatively affected by the institutional quality and the political/social factors

Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissists Responses to Threats to Self-Esteem: Psychological Withdrawal and Self-Handicapping

Narcissists are very sensitive to criticism due to their vulnerable self-esteem. Previous studies have provided evidence that grandiose narcissists respond to self-esteem threats either aggressively (Bushman & Baumeister, 1998; Twenge & Campbell, 2003) or constructively by exerting more effort and energy in an attempt to compensate for their previous poor performance (Nevicka, Baas, & Ten Velden, 2016). This thesis argues that grandiose and vulnerable narcissists are not expected to react aggressively in organizational contexts because of its detrimental consequences for their organisational development. Instead, this thesis argues that grandiose and vulnerable narcissists are expected to react either passively by engaging in psychological withdrawal and self-handicapping or constructively by hard working. Before addressing the main question of this thesis, that is, how grandiose and vulnerable narcissists react to threats to self-esteem, it was vital to examine critiques of the most widely used measure of narcissism: The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), and to examine its validity in order to determine its suitability to be used for the studies that form this thesis. Thus, study 1 employed Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM) on the responses of 1001 working adults to examine the best model fit of the published six models of NPI. Study 1 results showed that almost all of the models reached the cut-off values for statistical goodness of fit, with the exception of Corry, et al.’s (2008) two factor model, and Kubarych et al.’s (Kubarych, Deary, & Austin, 2004) two factor model. Raskin and Terry’s (1988) seven factor model proved to have the best model fit. But due to the low internal consistency of most of its factors it was decided not to use this measure in the following thesis studies. Study 2 aimed to examine how grandiose and vulnerable narcissists react to self-esteem threats using a vignette experiment method with a sample of 762 working adults. Structural equation modelling analysis on the sample data have shown that both grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism prefer to engage in psychological withdrawal rather than to show positive work behaviours when threated. Study 3 aimed to extend the findings of study 2 by examining whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissists react to self-esteem threats by engaging in behavioural self-handicapping strategies. Using experimental method with a sample of 542 working adults, structural equation modelling results showed that individuals high in grandiose narcissism or vulnerable narcissism tended to engage in self-handicapping behaviour when they were confronted with negative results. One of the explanations of the inconsistent findings of study 2 and 3 with earlier studies can be attributed to the heterogeneity of narcissism. Individuals high in grandiose narcissism experience fluctuations between grandiosity and vulnerability. That is, grandiose narcissists, when threatened, exhibit vulnerable features. In an attempt to explain studies 2 and 3 results, Study 4 main purpose was to explore the existence of a third sub-type of narcissism that might encompass features of both grandiosity and vulnerability. Applying Latent Profile Analysis LPA techniques, on two different samples (968 and 941), three types of narcissism were found: grandiose narcissists, vulnerable narcissists and absolute narcissists. Absolute narcissists were characterised with high scores on all of the seven factors of the PNI. Absolute narcissists reported low agreeableness and high neuroticism. In respect to adjustment indicators, absolute narcissists reported the lowest self-esteem among the three sub-types of narcissism. This thesis has three novel and interesting findings: first, it is the first ever study to examine the six factorial models of the NPI using ESEM. Secondly, it is the first study to provide evidence that grandiose and vulnerable narcissists react to self-esteem threats by engaging in psychological withdrawal and behavioural self-handicapping. Thirdly, it is the first study to provide evidence of the existence of a third subtype of narcissism using LPA on responses of two different samples using Pathological Narcissism Inventory PNI. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also provided

Exploring Mobile Commerce Adoption Maturity: An Empirical Investigation

With the proliferation of mobile devices, studies on Mobile Commerce (MC) adoption have received increasing attention from researchers in Information technology. While there are many studies in the literature that have investigated MC adoption by individuals, these studies mainly investigate the factors that lead to usage. However, they do not examine how individuals may progress or mature from basic use of mobile devices to more sophisticated usage. In this study, we develop MC Adoption Maturity Model to show how individuals may mature in MC adoption. This model is examined by conducting qualitative data with 10 individuals. The study enriches our understanding of technology adoption by individuals because it explains how existing users of a technology, such as mobile technology, advance in their MC usage

An investigation of classifying the flow over rough surfaces into k- and d- type in turbulent channel flow

This thesis is concerned with the classification of roughness into k- and d- type in turbulent channel flow. Despite the practical importance of this type of flow, the literature review suggest that advancements in the field have been slow due to the difficulty of making accurate measurements close to the wall when using experimental methods. In recent years, numerical modelling has provided a good alternative to studying this type of flow. In this work, an Implicit Large Eddy Simulation (ILES) approach was developed to carry out numerical simulations for turbulent channel flow over rough surfaces. The application was developed based on the Finite Element Method and implemented using the Multi-Physics platform COMSOL. Verification and validation of the numerical model was carried out to asses the predictive capabilities of the model, including sensitivity analysis to quantify the uncertainty and comparison with results from literature to validate the model. In our analysis, we considered rough surfaces with square and triangular roughness elements with a constant roughness height and varying distributions of the roughness elements. The results demonstrated that the model is capable of resolving the coherent large eddy structures associated with the k- and d- type behaviours. The classification reported here is based on the coherent structures associated with the k- and d- type behaviours. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of roughness geometry on the k- and d- type behaviours. To this end, flow visualizations were used to study the interaction between the inner and outer layer of the flow. The results demonstrated that the geometry of the roughness elements has little effect on the coherent structures associated with the k- and d-type behaviours, these effects of the roughness geometry are confined to the inner region. However, the results show that the roughness geometry has a strong influence on the interaction between the inner and outer flow regions

The adoption of mobile commerce services by individuals: A Current State of the Literature

The lack of strong market growth in most Mobile Commerce markets indicates that improved functionality, affordability, and availability of mobile technology do not lead automatically to wide-spread adoption of these services. Therefore, developing an understanding of the factors that influence end-user (consumer) behaviour and acceptance of new mobile services is important at this early stage of the mobile evolution because consumer acceptance is a critical foundation for the continued expansion of the market for mobile services. In this paper we analyse and synthesise the existing literature which focuses on the factors that impact the adoption of mobile commerce services by individuals. We develop an innovative framework to guide this analysis and review 100 studies. Results show a clear imbalance in the existing literature and bias towards some types of adoption factors in favour of other equally important factors

Exploring Enterprise Systems Adoption in Bahrain

Enterprise Systems (ES) are multi-million dollar systems that are adopted by organizations to improve their operations. However, implementation of these systems is not straightforward and challenging, as it requires changes in work practices and business practices. These systems become more complicated for organizations in developing countries as they are based on western assumptions. While there are studies that examine ES adoption in developing countries, there are still conflicting results. In this study, we examine the critical success factors in different stages of ES implementation using multiple case studies of three organizations in Bahrain. The findings show that there are different factors important in different stages of implementation. Some of these factors are important throughout the implementation and others are important in particular phases. This research has important implications for research and practice

The role of the gut microbiota in colorectal cancer causation

Here, we reviewed emerging evidence on the role of the microbial community in colorectal carcinogenesis. A healthy gut microbiota promotes intestinal homeostasis and can exert anti-cancer effects; however, this microbiota also produces a variety of metabolites that are genotoxic and which can negatively influence epithelial cell behaviour. Disturbances in the normal microbial balance, known as dysbiosis, are frequently observed in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Microbial species linked to CRC include certain strains of , and amongst others. Whether these microbes are merely passive dwellers exploiting the tumour environment, or rather, active protagonists in the carcinogenic process is the subject of much research. The incidence of chemically-induced tumours in mice models varies, depending upon the presence or absence of these microorganisms, thus strongly suggesting influences on disease causation. Putative mechanistic explanations differentially link these strains to DNA damage, inflammation, aberrant cell behaviour and immune suppression. In the future, modulating the composition and metabolic activity of this microbial community may have a role in prevention and therapy

مستوى المعوقات التي تواجه طلبة جامعة الشرقية في امتلاك مهارات البحث العلمي بسلطنة عمان

سعت المقال التعرف إلى المعوقات التي قد تواجه طلبة جامعة الشرقية في امتلاكهم لمهارات البحث العلمي، وتكون مجتمع الدراسة من طلبة الجامعة (5800) خلال العام الأكاديمي (2021-2022)، أما العينة بلغت (400) طالب، من كليات الجامعة، واتبعت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي في جمع البيانات، وتم إعداد استبانة هدفت إلى الكشف عن معوقات البحث العلمي التي تعوق الطلبة عن امتلاكهم لمهارات البحث، وبعد جمع البيانات وتحليلها باستخدام SPSS، توصلت الدراسة إلى النتائج الآتية: يرى طلبة الجامعة بدرجة متوسطة أن هناك معوقات تواجههم في مهارات البحث العلمي، وبلغ المتوسط الحسابي لهذه المعوقات (2.88) ومتوسطات محاور المعوقات (الذاتية، والثقافية، والأكاديمية) تراوحت بين (2.92-2.85)، وهي في المستوى المتوسط أيضا، وأوضحت النتائج أيضا وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا عند مستوى دلالة أقل من (0.05) في مستوى المعوقات الثقافية التي تواجه طلبة جامعة الشرقية في مهارات البحث العلمي، تعزى لمتغير الكلية، بين كلية الآداب وكل كلية من الكليات الأربع الأخرى ولصالح كلية الآداب والعلوم الإنسانية في كل مرة، حيث إن المتوسط الحسابي لكلية الآداب هو الأقل، كما أشارت النتائج إلى وجود فروق دالة إحصائيًا في محور المعوقات الأكاديمية في التفاعلات الثنائية بين الكلية والسنة الدراسية، أما التفاعلات الثلاثية وبقية التفاعلات الثنائية، ومتغيرات السنة الدراسية، والجنس فلم توجد فروقًا ذات دلالة إحصائية، بين مستوياتها في معوقات البحث العلمي. The article sought to identify the obstacles that A’Sharqiyah University students may face in their possession of scientific research skills. The study population consisted of (5800) during the academic year (2021-2022), and the sample amounted to (400) students from the university faculties and followed The study was a descriptive approach to data collection, and a questionnaire was prepared aimed at revealing the obstacles to scientific research that hinder students from possessing research skills, and the study reached the results: The arithmetic average of the obstacles was (2.88), and the averages of the obstacles axes (subjective, cultural, and academic) ranged between (2.92-2.85), and they are at the average level as well. The results also indicated that there were statistically significant differences at the level of significance less than (0.05) in the level of cultural obstacles. The students of Al-Sharqiya University in scientific research skills college is attributed between the College of Arts and each of the other four colleges and in favor of the College of Arts and Humanities each time, as the arithmetic average of the College of Arts is the lowest, as the results indicated to There are statistically significant differences in the axis of academic obstacles in the bilateral interactions between the college and the school year

Bottleneck Analysis of Dynamic Graph Neural Network Inference on CPU and GPU

Dynamic graph neural network (DGNN) is becoming increasingly popular because of its widespread use in capturing dynamic features in the real world. A variety of dynamic graph neural networks designed from algorithmic perspectives have succeeded in incorporating temporal information into graph processing. Despite the promising algorithmic performance, deploying DGNNs on hardware presents additional challenges due to the model complexity, diversity, and the nature of the time dependency. Meanwhile, the differences between DGNNs and static graph neural networks make hardware-related optimizations for static graph neural networks unsuitable for DGNNs. In this paper, we select eight prevailing DGNNs with different characteristics and profile them on both CPU and GPU. The profiling results are summarized and analyzed, providing in-depth insights into the bottlenecks of DGNNs on hardware and identifying potential optimization opportunities for future DGNN acceleration. Followed by a comprehensive survey, we provide a detailed analysis of DGNN performance bottlenecks on hardware, including temporal data dependency, workload imbalance, data movement, and GPU warm-up. We suggest several optimizations from both software and hardware perspectives. This paper is the first to provide an in-depth analysis of the hardware performance of DGNN Code is available at https://github.com/sharc-lab/DGNN_analysis.Comment: 14 pages main text, 2 pages appendix, 10 figures, submitted to IISWC202

The Burden of Human Parechoviruses on Children in Oman: A retrospective study

Objectives: To study the burden, clinical and laboratory features, and outcome of Human Parechoviruses (HPeVs) infection among children managed at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). Methods: This is a retrospective study of children (< 18 years of age) with molecular proven HPeVinfection managed at SQUH between January 2017 and December 2019. Data was collected from patients’ medical records and analyzed to describe the demographic, clinical and laboratory features, management and outcome. Results: HPeV was detected in 61 patients,  44 (72%) of whom were males. The median age of these patients was 9 months (IQR, 6-15 months). HPeV was detected throughout the year without any significant peaks. The majority of our patients (51; 84%) had co-infection with other viruses. Forty-eight (79%) children with HPeV infection required hospitalization and their median hospital length of stay was 5 days (IQR, 3 - 8 days).  Ex-prematurity (10; 16%) was the most common comorbidity  seen among this group. Fever (41; 67%) and cough (41; 67%) were the most common presenting symptoms among these children.Two-third of children with HPeV infection in this cohort were managed for lower respiratory tract infection and none for meningitis. Gastroenteritis was not common in our study, only 8 children had diarrhoea. All children had a full recovery. Conclusion: HPeVs does not show a clear seasonality in Oman. Most of the children were < 2 years of age and had a viral co-infection. Outcomes of HPeVs were favorable, with no mortalities, but thorough follow-up of neurological outcomes was lacking. Keywords: Children; Parechovirus; Infection; Outcome; Oman