Bullying Behaviors and Self Efficacy among Nursing Students at Clinical Settings: Comparative Study

Background:. Nursing students who experienced bullying behaviors feel anger and missing their concentration, their capability to achieve a desired outcome. Also  self-efficacy, often referred to as self-confidence, is essential to  nursing  students’ ability and performance in the clinical setting Aim: Study aimed to examine relation between bullying behaviors and self  efficacy among nursing  students. Methods: Descriptive comparative correlation  design .Sample included all students nurses in final  year  at faculty of nursing   and Technical  Health Institute .Total number of nursing students at faculty of nursing  were(n=206) and Technical  Health Institute were (n=132).There are two tools of data collection used  Bullying in nursing education questionnaire and General self efficacy scale. Results: More than one third of faculty nursing students were exposed to moderate degree of bullying (38.8%) while  technical health institute nursing students(23.1%). More than above half of total nursing students had mild self efficacy (58.9%).Conclusion: There was a significance relationship between bullying behavior and general self-efficacy among the studied nursing students. Recommendation: Students must be conscious of procedures for reporting experiences of bullying and be able to do so in a nonthreatening and threatening environment. Also make students aware about the goals that need to be attained in their clinical setting and provide them with feedback  through  effective communication on goal progress. Keywords: Bullying Behaviors, Self efficacy, Nursing Students , Clinical settin

The Effectiveness of a Blended Strategy based on Concept Mapping and Text Structure in Enhancing EFL Learners’ Writing Performance

The current study investigated the effect of a blended strategy based on concept mapping and text structure on EFL learners’ writing performance. An intact group (N = 42) of seventh level English majors at Thadiq Sciences and Humanities College, Shaqra University, KSA participated in the study in the first semester of the academic year 2016-2017. They were assigned to an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 21 students. A writing pretest was administered to the two groups and scored by two raters using the Weir’s TEEP attribute writing scale (1990). An independent samples t-test performed on the pretest mean scores of the two groups showed that they were homogenous prior to the experiment. Concept mapping and text formatting (the proposed blended strategy) were integrated in the Advanced Writing course (Eng 413) for experimental group students. The control group received conventional instruction that did not include the proposed strategy. Independent and paired samples t-tests revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in all the sub-scales of Weir’s TEEP attribute writing scale, hence supporting the positive effect of concept mapping and text formatting on EFL learners’ writing performance. Pedagogical implications are offered

Attitudes towards English Literature: The Case of EFL Students at Three Saudi Colleges

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes held by Saudi EFL students and the difficulties they have in studying English literature. Another aim was to explore gender differences in attitudes towards English literature. The relationships between (1) general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and (2) general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and performance in literary courses were also explored. A cohort of 180 Eighth level majors at three Saudi colleges completed a researcher-developed 28-item questionnaire probing their general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature in terms of emotions associating studying English literature, cultural and religious sensitivities about studying English literature and the importance of studying English literature. Participants were found to hold positive attitudes towards English literature. They reported no cultural or religious sensitivities about studying English literature in their context. The difficulties they reported facing when studying English literature included difficult vocabulary and literary terms, difficult content and long pieces of literature, lack of language proficiency, and having to exert great effort. No gender differences were found in attitudes. Intrinsic motivation was found to be a significant predictor of positive attitudes towards English literature. Finally, a significant positive relationship was found between general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and performance in literary courses. Instructional implications and suggestions for further research are provided

On a numerical construction of doubly stochastic matrices with prescribed eigenvalues

We study the inverse eigenvalue problem for finding doubly stochastic matrices with specified eigenvalues. By making use of a combination of Dykstra's algorithm and an alternating projection process onto a non-convex set, we derive hybrid algorithms for finding doubly stochastic matrices and symmetric doubly stochastic matrices with prescribed eigenvalues. Furthermore, we prove that the proposed algorithms converge and linear convergence is also proved. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of our method.Comment: 16 page

An Estimation of Discomfort Indices in Qena City, Upper Egypt

Wind chill index WCI and temperature humidity index THI, are calculated in Qena during the period 2001-2014 using hourly data of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed collected in weather research station located in south valley university at Qena. Results of WCI indicate that the winter months are cool, while, summer months are hot. The middle of spring and autumn is pleasant. Results of THI indicate that Winter, spring and autumn months are comfortable or partially comfortable or quite comfortable. While, summer months are not comfortable due to hot and humid weather. Annual mean values of WCI indicate that Qena weather was pleasant during the period from 2001 to 2014, except the two years 2003 and 2012 was worm. The mean value of the total period indicates that the atmosphere of Qena is pleasant. the THI mean value of the study period as well as the average yearly values are located in the category 100%are quite comfortable

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of nanostructured Cr-substituted Ni-Zn spinel ferrites synthesized by a microwave combustion method

Nanoparticles of Cr3+-substituted Ni-Zn ferrites with a general formula Ni0.4Zn0.6-xCrxFe2O4 (x = 0.0 - 0.6) have been synthesized via a facile microwave combustion route. The crystalline phase has been characterized by XRD, TEM, FT-I and XPS revealing the spinel ferrite structure without extra phases. Crystallite sizes of 23 - 32 nm as estimated by XRD analyses, after corrections for crystal stains by Williamson-Hall method, are comparable to the average particle sizes observed by TEM which indicates successfully synthesized nanocrystals. Rietveld refinement analyses of the XRD patterns have inferred a monotonic decrease behavior of the lattice parameter with Cr doping in agreement with Vegard's law of solid solution series. Furthermore, cations distribution with an increased inversion factor indicate the B-site preference of Cr3+ ions. The oxidation states and cations distribution indicated by XPS results imply the Cr3+ doping on the account of Zn2+ ions and a partial reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ to keep the charge balance in a composition series of (Ni2+)0.4(Zn2+, Cr3+)0.6(Fe2+, Fe3+)2(O2-)4. The optical properties were explored by optical UV-Vis spectroscopy indicating allowed direct transitions with band gap energy that decreases from 3.9 eV to 3.7 eV with Cr doping. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye was investigated showing largely enhanced photodecomposition up to 30% of MO dye over Ni0.4Cr0.6Fe2O4 for 6 hours. A vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) measurements at room temperature show further enhancement in the saturation magnetization of Ni0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 , the highest in Ni-Zn ferrites, from about 60 to 70 emu/g with the increase of Cr concentration up to x = 0.1, while the coercivity shows a general increase in the whole range of Cr doping.Comment: 21 page, 9 figure

Performance Improvements of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine via Functional Model Predictive Control

This paper investigates the application of the model predictive control (MPC) approach to control the speed of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system. The MPC is used to calculate the optimal control actions including system constraints. To alleviate computational effort and to reduce numerical problems, particularly in large prediction horizon, an exponentially weighted functional model predictive control (FMPC) is employed. In order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed FMPC scheme, the performance of the proposed controller is compared with a classical PI controller through simulation studies. Obtained results show that accurate tracking performance of the PMSM has been achieved

Formulation and evaluation of orally disintegrating clopidogrel tablets

Recent advances in drug delivery systems have aimed to achieve better patient compliance. One of these advances is the formulation of orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) that dissolve instantaneously, releasing drugs within a few seconds without the need of water. The main objective of this paper was to prepare and develop ODTs of clopidogrel. The ODTs were prepared by direct compression. The effect of three superdisintegrants, namely crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, and sodium starch glycolate, using three different disintegration times on the dissolution rate was investigated. The prepared tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, disintegration time and in vitro drug release. Furthermore, the interaction of clopidogrel with the formulation excipients was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC studies revealed that there were no interactions between the drug and the excipients used. All tablets had hardness values in the range 4.0-5.2 kp and friability lower than 1%. The weight and drug content uniformity of all formulations was within official limits according to BP. In vitro drug release studies of the ODTs showed that more than 90% of the drug was released within ten minutes. A palatability test in human volunteers showed acceptable taste and mouth feel. Thus, the obtained results conclusively demonstrated successful rapid disintegration of the formulated tablets and acceptable palatability.Recentes avanC'os em sistemas de liberaC'C#o de fC!rmacos novos visam C obtenC'C#o de melhor adesC#o do paciente. Um destes avanC'os C) a formulaC'C#o de comprimidos de desintegraC'C#o oral (ODTs), que se dissolvem instantaneamente, liberando o fC!rmaco, em alguns segundos, sem a necessidade de C!gua. O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi preparar e desenvolver ODTs de clopidogrel. Os ODTs foram preparados pelo mC)todo de compressC#o direta. Estudou-se o efeito de vC!rias concentraC'C5es de diferentes agentes de desintegraC'C#o, tais como super-crospovidona, croscarmelose de sC3dio, glicolato de amido de sC3dio no tempo de desintegraC'C#o e velocidade de dissoluC'C#o. Os comprimidos preparados foram avaliados quanto C dureza, C friabilidade, ao tempo de desintegraC'C#o e C liberaC'C#o do fC!rmaco in vitro. AlC)m disso, estudou-se a interaC'C#o de clopidogrel com os excipientes de formulaC'C#o, utilizando calorimetria de varredura diferencial (DSC). Estudos de DSC revelaram nC#o haver interaC'C#o entre o fC!rmaco e os excipientes utilizados. Todos os comprimidos possuC-am dureza na faixa de 4,0-5,2 kp e a friabilidade inferior a 1%. A variaC'C#o de peso e o teor de fC!rmaco de todas as formulaC'C5es mostraram-se dentro do limite oficial, de acordo com a BP. O estudo de liberaC'C#o do fC!rmaco in vitro de comprimidos ODTs mostrou que mais de 90% do fC!rmaco foram liberados em10 minutos. O teste de palatabilidade em voluntC!rios humanos mostrou sabor e sensaC'C#o na boca aceitC!veis. Assim, os resultados obtidos demonstraram, conclusivamente, a rC!pida e bem-sucedida desintegraC'C#o dos comprimidos formulados e a palatabilidade aceitC!vel