The Impact of Empowering Leadership Behaviors on Organizational Citizenship Behavior

The current study examines the impact of empowering leadership behaviors (namely, enhancing the meaningfulness of work, fostering participation in decision making, expressing confidence and providing autonomy) on organizational citizenship. The data was collected through a questionnaire from a sample consisting of 200 employees in governmental institutions in Albaha region. Pearson correlations indicated that OCB had statistically significant positive relation with all factors of leadership empowerment behavior, ranged between 0.432 and 0.655. The study provided practical implications and suggested some directions for future research

Pore-GNN: A graph neural network-based framework for predicting flow properties of porous media from micro-CT images

This paper presents a hybrid deep learning framework that combines graph neural networks with convolutional neural networks to predict porous media properties. This approach capitalizes on the capabilities of pre-trained convolutional neural networks to extract n-dimensional feature vectors from processed three dimensional micro computed tomography porous media images obtained from seven different sandstone rock samples. Subsequently, two strategies for embedding the computed feature vectors into graphs were explored: extracting a single feature vector per sample (image) and treating each sample as a node in the training graph, and representing each sample as a graph by extracting a fixed number of feature vectors, which form the nodes of each training graph. Various types of graph convolutional layers were examined to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of spectral and spatial approaches. The dataset was divided into 70/20/10 for training, validation, and testing. The models were trained to predict the absolute permeability of porous media. Notably, the proposed architectures further reduce the selected objective loss function to values below 35 mD, with improvements in the coefficient of determination reaching 9%. Moreover, the generalizability of the networks was evaluated by testing their performance on unseen sandstone and carbonate rock samples that were not encountered during training. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of various hyperparameters on the performance of the models. The findings highlight the potential of graph neural networks as promising deep learning-based alternatives for characterizing porous media properties. The proposed architectures efficiently predict the permeability, which is more than 500 times faster than that of numerical solvers.Document Type: Original articleCited as: Alzahrani, M. K., Shapoval, A., Chen, Z., Rahman, S. S. Pore-GNN: A graph neural network-based framework for predicting flow properties of porous media from micro-CT images. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 10(1):39-55. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.10.0

Could Resilience and Flourishing be Mediators in the Relationship between Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction for Saudi College Students? A Psychometric and Exploratory Study

In There are few Arabic studies examining the disposition of mindfulness, resilience, and well-being of college students. The purpose of the present study is to examine the factor structure and internal consistency of the Arabic version of mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) and the brief resilience scale, and  to test a model that describes the role of resilience and well-being, in relation to mindfulness and life satisfaction. For this reason, a study of two folds was conducted with the assistance of Umm Al-Quraa University students (n = 562; n = 534). Mindfulness, resilience, flourishing and life satisfaction scales are the variables that were used. Results show that both mindfulness and resilience scales were revealed to be unidimensional and have high reliability estimates. Both resilience and flourishing are partial mediators in the relationship between mindful and life satisfaction. In addition, resilience had an impact on flourishing. Mindfulness partially had an effect on life satisfaction. In conclusion, mindfulness and resilience scales had good structural validity and reliability

Clinico-demographic and survival profile of people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment

ObjectiveTo assess the demographic, clinical, and survival profile of people living with HIV.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients enrolled at a single antiretroviral therapy center in North Karnataka. A total of 11,099 were recruited from April 2007 to January 2020, out of which 3,676 were excluded and the final 7,423 entries were subjected to analysis. The outcome of interest was the time to death in months of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The clinical and demographic characteristics were examined as potential risk factors for survival analysis. To investigate the factors that influence the mortality of patients using ART, univariate and multivariate Cox regression were performed. Hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and p-values were presented to show the significance. The log-rank test was used to determine the significance of the Kaplan–Meier survival curve.ResultsOut of 7,423 HIV-positive people, majority were female (51.4%), heterosexual typology (89.2%), and in the age group 31–45 years (45.5%). The risk of death in male patients was 1.24 times higher (95% CI: 1.14–1.35) than female patients. Patients with age >45 were 1.67 times more likely to die than patients ≤30 (95% CI: 1.50–1.91). In the multivariable analysis, the hazards of mortality increased by 3.11 times (95% CI: 2.09–2.79) in patients with baseline CD4 count ≤50 as compared to those who had baseline CD4 count >200. The risk of death in patients who were diagnosed with TB was 1.30 times more (95% CI: 1.19–1.42) than in those who did not have TB. The survival probabilities at 3 and 90 months were more in female patients (93%, 70%) compared with male patients (89, 54%), respectively.ConclusionThis study proved that age, sex, baseline CD4 count, and tuberculosis (TB) status act as risk factors for mortality among people with HIV. Prevention strategies, control measures, and program planning should be done based on the sociodemographic determinants of mortality

Understanding reflective practice among postsecondary EFL instructors through the sociocultural lens of cultural-historical activity theory

Reflective practice is extensively discussed in the field of teacher education, and it is rapidly increasing in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). However, reflective practice is still underrepresented in the literature of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction. The purpose of this study is to understand ways, affordances, and constraints of reflective practice among postsecondary EFL instructors in the preparatory-year program (PYP) at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was adopted as a theoretical framework that undergirds a qualitative case study design and thematic analysis. Data was purposefully collected from five experienced postsecondary EFL instructors through a series of semistructured interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews. It was found that instructors engage in diverse ways of reflective practice inside the classroom using intuitive, dialogic and translingual actions. However, they engage in limited ways outside the classroom using online surveys and formal professional meetings. Instructors’ long teaching experience, sociocultural awareness, and reconceptualization were major affordances for instructors to engage in reflective practice. Course reports and technical PD were major constraints that limit instructors’ engagement in reflective practice. CHAT was an effective framework to analyze reflective practice in the bound system of the PYP. This study contributes to add knowledge about reflective practice in the literature of TESOL and applied linguistics and fills a methodological gap using CHAT as a framework. The findings of this study provide practical and research implications for postsecondary EFL education in Saudi Arabia and TESOL programs in general

Association Between Lipid Profile and Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Diabetic foot ulcer is a serious disabling consequence of Diabetes Mellitus. They are characterized by the breakdown of skin and underlying tissues in the feet, and are a major cause of lower limb amputations. Various risk factors have been identified for the development of diabetic foot ulcers, including poor glycemic control, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, and impaired wound healing. it is considered that the lipid profile is one of many factors that contribute to the formation and progression of diabetic foot ulcers. To stratify the incidence of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), biomarkers are required. The aim of this review is to assess the relationship between the risk of DFU and lipid profile in diabetic patients

The Impact Of Oral Health Education And Preventive Measures On Dental Caries And Periodontal Diseases

Oral problems, including dental caries, periodontal diseases, and tooth loss, are significant global public health concerns. This is due to the fact that inadequate oral health has extensive impacts on general health and quality of life. In improving oral health, especially in developing countries, there are obstacles that need to be addressed. It is crucial to enhance public health programs worldwide by implementing efficient preventative measures against diseases and simultaneously boosting oral health. Frequently, collective actions are employed for the purpose of oral health education. These actions often involve delivering lectures utilizing various materials such as flipcharts, videos, PowerPoint presentations, as well as implementing other activities like supervised teeth brushing and topical fluoride application. This paper aimed to review the impact of oral health education and preventive measures on dental caries and periodontal diseases

Kabuki Syndrome with Chiari malformation type II: A case report

Kabuki syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, characterized by typical facial features, hypotonia, developmental delay and intellectual disabilities. We report here a Saudi female infant diagnosed as a case of Kabuki syndrome clinically and confirmed by molecular genetic testing. She was admitted at birth to neonatal ICU due to hydrocephalus and meningomyelocele and found to have Chiari malformation type II on radiological evaluation of the brain. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was sent for her and showed pathogenic variant in KDM6A which confirm the diagnosis of Kabuki syndrome

The Importance of Preventive Medicine in Family Practice: A Review of Current Guidelines and Recommendations

Prevention is seen as a critical topic in family practice. Primordial prevention, primary prevention, secondary prevention, tertiary prevention, and quaternary prevention are all part of this strategy to disease prevention. To avoid the formation and development of risk factors, primary prevention focuses on addressing the fundamental causes and social determinants of disease. Primary prevention is the practice of preventing illnesses before they arise via the use of treatments such as immunizations and health education. Secondary prevention focuses on illness identification and intervention as early as possible to avoid disease development. Tertiary prevention addresses illness outcomes by restoring health and offering rehabilitation. Finally, quaternary prevention seeks to safeguard patients against needless medical treatments and the harm caused by over-medicating. Risks frequently rise in tandem with frailty and comorbidities. In contrast, advantages frequently drop as life expectancy increases. Preventive management strategies should consider the patient's viewpoint and be mutually agreed upon. Healthcare providers must prioritize the deployment of preventive care services, even when clinical treatments are required, in order to overcome preventive care hurdles. Healthcare practitioners may play a critical role in illness prevention and contribute to family well-being by investing in preventive care and executing these measures

30-day mortality rate following hip fractures in elderly patients admitted to a tertiary care center

BackgroundThe incidence of hip fractures in elderly people is steadily rising. Hip fractures sometimes cause mortality especially within 30-days of the injury/incidence. Mortality varies according to the regions or institutes and its determination is clinically or socially important.AimsWe attempted this cross-sectional study to determine the 30-day mortality rate and its associated factors in elderly patients (>65) admitted to a tertiary center of Saudi Arabia for hip fractures.Methods A non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used and determined the 30-day mortality rate and its associated factors on 130 patients.Results A 30-days mortality rate of 15.4 per cent (n=20). Patients (n=130) backgrounds were as follows. Male: female; 57.7 per cent (n=75) and 42.3 per cent (n=55) respectively, with age of 79.6 (SD: 8.5; range 65–88). Comorbidities were present: diabetes mellitus70 per cent (n=91), hypertension 81.5 per cent (n=106), and dyslipidaemia (n=43).ConclusionMortality was 15.4 per cent. Male gender, dementia, and place of fall influenced the 30-days mortality rate. Fracture-type, medical comorbidities, and the causes of fall did not affect the mortality