The Relationship of Performance Appraisal with Organizational Commitment of Employees (The Case of OYA and COB Administrative Staff in UUM)

This study investigates the relationship of performance appraisal with organizational commitment of administrative employees of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business and College of Business, University Utara Malaysia. Thirty questionnaires were returned to which ANOVA one way test was used to verify the demographic profiles of the participants with organizational commitment. The result found that 45% of administrative employees of OYA and COB have lower level of organizational commitment. Pearson correlation was conducted on the independent variable which is (HRM practice of performance appraisal), dependent variable (organizational commitment) and mediating variable (perceived organizational support). This study revealed that there is moderate non-directional neither positive nor negative correlation between performance appraisal with organizational commitment of employees, performance appraisal with perceived organizational support and between organizational commitment with perceived organizational support. The result of the study contributed to a need for developing adequate training programs and offer opportunity for academic programs which aims on improving the knowledge and skills of the employees

Knowledge , Attitude and Practice of Dental Health Personnel about dental medical waste at primary health care level – Khartoum state – Sudan

كانت الدراسة وصية مستعرضة على أساس مؤسسي. مجتمع الدراسة: أطباء الأسنان العامون (17) ومساعدو الأسنان (9) استشاري (1). ما مجموعه 27 من العاملين الصحيين مباشرة مع جميع أفراد مجتمع الدراسة. الفئة العمرية الرئيسية هي بين 30-45 سنة كان الهدف العام هو دراسة معرفة وموقف وممارسة العاملين الصحيين في إدارة مخلفات طب الأسنان. النفايات الطبية هي نفايات كلية يتم توليدها من مرافق الرعاية الصحية خلال عملية تقديم الرعاية الصحية وتشمل المحاقن والإبر والأمبولات والضمادات والبلاستيك القابل للتصرف والنفايات الميكروبيولوجية . يتم تصنيف النفايات الناتجة عن مركبات الكربون الهيدروكلورية فلورية على نطاق واسع على أنها نفايات عامة أو خطرة. تؤدي الإدارة الرديئة لنفايات الرعاية الصحية إلى تعريض العاملين في مجال الرعاية الصحية ومعالجي النفايات والمرضى والمجتمع ككل للعدوى والآثار والإصابات السامة ومخاطر تلويث البيئة. من الضروري أن يتم عزل جميع مواد النفايات الطبية عند نقطة التوليد ، ومعالجتها والتخلص منها بطريقة آمنة. أدوات وتقنيات جمع البيانات: إجراء المقابلات باستخدام استبيان: تم ملء استبيان محدد مسبقًا ومختبر من خلال مقابلة أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن الدراسة تظهر نقصًا في الكوادر الفنية اطباء طب الأسنان ، مستشارون ومساعدو طب أسنان) في جميع المراكز الصحية كما يتضح من طبيب أسنان واحد في معظم المراكز الصحية ومساعدو طبيب أسنان (59٪) لدى بعض المراكز الصحية طبيب أسنان واحد فقط بدون مساعد. أقر ستة وعشرون (96.3٪) من المشاركين بأن النفايات يتم جمعها يوميًا ، وتستخدم غالبية المشاركين 25 (92.6٪) أدوات وملابس واقية على أساس منتظم ، والنفايات الطبية مرتبة من النفايات العادية. فقط 15 (55.6 ٪) من المشاركين يتبعون رمز التلوين لحاويات التخلص منها. كشف تحليل النتائج ما يلي: - تعتبر معالجة النفايات الطبية نشاطًا خطيرًا وتحتاج إلى استخدام معدات الوقاية الشخصية المناسبة ؛ أظهر استخدام أدوات وقائية واقية على أساس منتظم (PPE) درجة ذات دلالة إحصائية بقيمة P (0.01). تعكس النتائج غالبية المشاركين - ثمانية عشر - (72.0 ٪) (بدرجة جيدة. وتعكس وعي الموظفين الكبير بالطبيعة الخطرة للنفايات الطبية وأهمية استخدام معدات الوقاية الشخصية لحماية أنفسهم. جدول (14) . العلاقة بين جمع النفايات الطبية على أساس يومي والممارسة: - العلاقة بين ما إذا كانت النفايات الطبية يتم جمعها على أساس يومي أو لا تعطي درجة جيدة والتي هي ذات دلالة إحصائية. P. القيمة = (0.01) - الجدول (15

Embedding-based Method for the Supervised Link Prediction in Social Networks

In recent years, social network analysis has received a lot of interest. Link prediction is an important area of research in this field that uses information from current networks to predict the likely links that will emerge in the future. It has attracted considerable attention from interdisciplinary research communities due to its ubiquitous applications in biological networks, computer science, transportation networks, bioinformatics, telecommunication networks, and so on. Currently, supervised machine learning is one of the critical techniques in the link prediction task. Several algorithms have been developed by many authors to predict the future link in the network, but there is still scope to improve the previous approaches. In the supervised link prediction process, feature selection is a crucial step. Most existing algorithms use one type of similarity-based feature to represent data, which is not well described due to the large scale and heterogeneity of social networks. One of the newest techniques for link prediction is embedding methods, which are used to preparing the feature vector for each the nonexisting links in the network. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to supervised link prediction based on feature embedding methods in order to achieve better performance. Our contribution considers a set of embedding methods as the feature vector for training the machine learning classifiers. The main focus of this work is to investigate the relevance of different feature embedding methods to improve the performance of the supervised link prediction models. The experimental results on some real-world temporal networks revealed satisfactory results, which encourage us for further analysis. Moreover, the use of feature embedding methods will provide better performance in this regard

Role of nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) in the vascular complications of diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disease worldwide. This condition accounts for the majority of renal failure and blindness in adults aged between 20 to 74 years of age. After 20 years, some of type 1 diabetic patients and around 60% of type 2 diabetic patients will be diagnosed with retinopathy. In 2011, a survey was presented and supplied data on the number of people who are suffering from diabetes. In Scotland, they found that 247,278 people were diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, about 36.6% of patients were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and 31.7% of those with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this research, the role of inflammatory mediators in the progression of the vascular complications of diabetes was investigated. Specifically, the role of nuclear factor kappa B1 (NFĸB1). There were 2 approaches used in this study: i) a bioinformatics approach to determine what single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) may occur within the NFĸB1 gene in T2DM and ii) a molecular biology approach to investigate the role of the SNP of interest in a human monocyte cell line using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction enzymes. Methods: Genetic polymorphisms were investigated using bioinformatics tools through computational analysis and databases, such as, Ensembl and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), NEB cutter, Primer Quest and NetPhos. The SNP of interest was identified due to its role in diabetes. Primers were designed to span the region for the SNP of interest, amplified using PCR and resolved in an agarose gel. The SNP of interest was restricted with three restriction enzymes (HpyCH4iii, Alu1 and PvuII) followed by sequencing of the product. The U937 monocyte cell line was used to investigate the expression of the NFĸB gene. Cells were incubated in RPMI 1640 with 2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/mL Penicillin, Streptomycin and 10% heat inactivated foetal bovine serum (FBS) with H2O2 for up to 180 minutes with 5.5mM, 20mM and 40mM glucose +/- H2O2. RNA extraction was followed by cDNA amplification, which was subsequently used in reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and for a period of time to address the biological significance of NFĸB activation in these conditions. Results: A DNA fragment corresponding to the 206bp fragment was identified that spanned the area containing the SNP. Successful restriction with HpyCH4iii has not been possible, therefore, DNA sequencing was carried out. Sequencing identified the A allele indicating the presence of the homozygous wild type form of this region. Also, determining the role of NFĸB activation, HIF1-α and β2-microglobulin in U937 cells mRNA via culturing U937 under high glucose (HG) condition in different concentrations (5.5mM, 20mM and 40mM). The NFĸB and β2-microglobulin PCR product was not detected during incubations with various glucose concentrations. Conclusion: The DNA sequence of the U937 cell line corresponds to the wild type form of the SNP under investigation. This model has enabled the investigation of the effect of glucose concentration on the expression of the NFĸB and HIF1-α genes and this has provided useful insight that can be used to develop this work further

Linear Algorithm for Conservative Degenerate Pattern Matching

A degenerate symbol x* over an alphabet A is a non-empty subset of A, and a sequence of such symbols is a degenerate string. A degenerate string is said to be conservative if its number of non-solid symbols is upper-bounded by a fixed positive constant k. We consider here the matching problem of conservative degenerate strings and present the first linear-time algorithm that can find, for given degenerate strings P* and T* of total length n containing k non-solid symbols in total, the occurrences of P* in T* in O(nk) time

Regional integration and maritime connectivity across the Maghreb seaport system

International audienceModels and empirical studies of port system evolution dominantly focus on land-based dynamics. Hence, it is traditionally recognized that such dynamics condition the evolution of ports and their relations as well as wider regional integration processes. The Maghreb region (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia), which is currently responsible for no less than one-third of all African port throughputs, offers a fertile ground to test the possibility for regional integration to occur through maritime linkages despite limited trade integration and land-based transport connectivity. Main results highlight the increase of trans-Maghreb maritime connectivity but this occurs mostly at the periphery of the system based on transit flows. Logistical integration versus trade integration is discussed in light of the recent evolution of Maghreb ports and of the region in general

L'insertion des villes portuaires maghrébines dans la circulation maritime mondiale : le cas des hydrocarbures

The international trade of the Maghreb as a whole is largely based on the exportation of fossil fuels and mining products. The concentration of flows by maritime transport urged the settlement of bulk cargo ports built close to urban coastal areas with a large demographic size. This study aims to situate those ports on the global scale of maritime fuel flows during the recent period with two main objectives: a) clarify the weight and connectivity of Maghreb ports, and b) better understand the specialization of these ports in terms of sectors (chemical products, oil, natural gas) and scales of flow (in and outside the Maghreb). The data released by the insurer Lloyd's List on the merchant ships' daily flows in the world were analyzed during two periods, October 2004 and May 2011, in order to map and analyze the vulnerability of Maghreb ports as well as the perspectives offered by the seaways of hydrocarbons.Le commerce international du Maghreb pris dans son ensemble repose en grande partie sur l'exportation de matières premières par voie maritime, dont les énergies fossiles et les produits miniers. La massification des flux permise par le transport maritime a motivé l'établissement de grands ports vraquiers dont la plupart côtoient des agglomérations littorales de taille démographique importante. Ce travail propose de resituer ces ports à l'échelle globale des circulations maritimes de flux énergétiques sur la période récente avec deux objectifs principaux : a) clarifier le poids et le rayonnement des ports du Maghreb dans le système global, et b) mieux saisir les spécialisations de ces ports en termes de filières (produits chimiques, pétroliers, gaz naturel) et d'échelles de flux (intra- et extra-Maghreb). Les données de l'assureur Lloyd's List sur la circulation quotidienne des navires de commerce dans le monde sont ainsi exploitées à deux périodes, octobre 2004 et mai 2011, en vue d'un traitement cartographique des flux et d'une discussion sur la vulnérabilité des ports du Maghreb ainsi que sur les perspectives offertes aux routes maritimes des hydrocarbures

Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy involves activation of p90 ribosomal S6 Kinase

Studies using pharmacological and genetic approaches have shown that increased activity/expression of the Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Despite the importance of NHE1 in cardiac hypertrophy, severe cerebrovascular side effects were associated with the use of NHE1 inhibitors when administered to patients with myocardial infarctions. p90 ribosomal S6 Kinase (RSK), a downstream regulator of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, has also been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy. We hypothesized that RSK plays a role in the NHE1 induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophic response. Infection of H9c2 cardiomyoblasts with the active form of the NHE1 adenovirus induced hypertrophy and was associated with an increase in the phosphorylation of RSK (P<0.05). Parameters of hypertrophy such as cell area, protein content and atrial natriuretic mRNA expression were significantly reduced in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts infected with active NHE1 in the presence of dominant negative RSK (DN-RSK) (P<0.05). These results confirm that NHE1 lies upstream of RSK. Increased phosphorylation and activation of GATA4 at Ser261 was correlated with increased RSK phosphorylation. This increase was reversed upon inhibition of RSK or NHE1. These findings demonstrate for the first time that the NHE1 mediated hypertrophy is accounted for by increased activation and phosphorylation of RSK, which subsequently increased the phosphorylation of GATA4; eventually activating fetal gene transcriptional machinery.Qatar University Internal Grant (QUUG-CPH-CPH-11/12-1) and by the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP11-027-3-005) provided by the Qatar National Research Fund, Doha, Qatar.Scopu