Emotion perception in Arabic and English by Arabic/English monolinguals and Arabic-English bilinguals: a mixed methods investigation

This thesis investigates variation in the emotion perception (EP) and the perceived emotional intensity of six emotions in the Arabic and English languages for 609 participants, consisting of 205 Arabic-English bilinguals, 71 Arabic monolinguals, and 333 English monolinguals. Independent variables include the status of language (monolinguals versus bilinguals), psychological variables (trait emotional intelligence—TEI), linguistic proficiency, socio-biographical variables (age, gender, and education level), linguistic profile variables (age and contexts of L2 acquisition, frequency of language use, and residence in English-speaking countries—ESCs), in-group advantage, and bicultural identity orientations. This study adopts an acculturation perspective to explore the relationship between bicultural identities and the EP of bilinguals who live in ESCs. The stimuli used to depict the emotions were 12 short audio-visual video clips: six in Arabic and six in English. A mixed methods approach was utilised. The quantitative study was based on data obtained from web-based questionnaires that were translated into Arabic and English. The qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with seven Arabic-English bilinguals about their opinions towards emotion perception in the L1 and L2 and the challenges they face in interpreting emotions. The findings showed that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in EP in English but did not perform better than Arabic monolinguals in EP in Arabic. The bilingual group also outperformed monolingual groups at the TEI level, suggesting a significant (but small) bilingual advantage in the psychological and emotional domains. TEI, as well as linguistic proficiency scores, was significantly correlated with the EP scores of the bilinguals and English monolinguals. The socio-biographical and linguistic profile variables and bicultural identity were also linked to the EP scores. Monolinguals were able to easily identify emotions in their L1, adding evidence to the claim that language and culture play a fundamental role in emotion construction

Language learning strategies and learning engagement as predictors of language learning achievement: an investigation of Saudi EFL learners

Purpose – Grounded in second-language acquisition (SLA) field, with a particular focus on the positive psychology (PP) theoretical perspective, this study examined the potential interplay between learning engagement (LE) and language learning strategies (LLSs), and their impact on language learning achievement of Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Design/methodology/approach – This quantitative study adopted a cross-sectional design using an online questionnaire distributed to 168 Saudi EFL college-level students in Saudi Arabia. Various statistical analyses (descriptive analyses, correlations and simple linear regression) were used. Findings – The findings revealed that the most frequently LLSs used were metacognitive, followed by compensation, cognitive, affective, social and memory strategies. High levels of behavioral, followed by cognitive, emotional and agentic, engagement were reported. There was a significant and positive correlation between LLS and LE. LLS use and LE were significant predictors of language learning achievement. Originality/value – The findings contribute to the domain of second language (L2) educational research and SLA field by emphasizing the importance of researching positive psychological factors such as engagement in relation to individual learners' learning strategies and styles to enhance learners' language learning achievement. A number of pedagogical implications for policymakers, educational stakeholders and foreign language teachers were provided

Emotion perception in Arabic and English by Arabic/English monolinguals and Arabic-English bilinguals: a mixed methods investigation

This thesis investigates variation in the emotion perception (EP) and the perceived emotional intensity of six emotions in the Arabic and English languages for 609 participants, consisting of 205 Arabic-English bilinguals, 71 Arabic monolinguals, and 333 English monolinguals. Independent variables include the status of language (monolinguals versus bilinguals), psychological variables (trait emotional intelligence—TEI), linguistic proficiency, socio-biographical variables (age, gender, and education level), linguistic profile variables (age and contexts of L2 acquisition, frequency of language use, and residence in English-speaking countries—ESCs), in-group advantage, and bicultural identity orientations. This study adopts an acculturation perspective to explore the relationship between bicultural identities and the EP of bilinguals who live in ESCs. The stimuli used to depict the emotions were 12 short audio-visual video clips: six in Arabic and six in English. A mixed methods approach was utilised. The quantitative study was based on data obtained from web-based questionnaires that were translated into Arabic and English. The qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with seven Arabic-English bilinguals about their opinions towards emotion perception in the L1 and L2 and the challenges they face in interpreting emotions. The findings showed that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in EP in English but did not perform better than Arabic monolinguals in EP in Arabic. The bilingual group also outperformed monolingual groups at the TEI level, suggesting a significant (but small) bilingual advantage in the psychological and emotional domains. TEI, as well as linguistic proficiency scores, was significantly correlated with the EP scores of the bilinguals and English monolinguals. The socio-biographical and linguistic profile variables and bicultural identity were also linked to the EP scores. Monolinguals were able to easily identify emotions in their L1, adding evidence to the claim that language and culture play a fundamental role in emotion construction

Oxidative degradation of some antibiotics by permanganate ion in alkaline medium: A kinetic and mechanistic approach

Purpose: To investigate the kinetics of oxidative removal of two β-lactam antibiotics (A), namely, ampicillin and flucloxacillin.Methods: In this study, permanganate ion (MnO4-) was used as an oxidant in an alkaline medium at fixed ionic strength of 0.1 mol dm-3 and a temperature of 298 K utilizing a spectrophotometric technique. The obtained oxidation products were characterized using spot tests and FT-IR spectra.Results: The stoichiometry of the reactions was 1:4 (A : MnO4-). The reactions were a first order credence in [MnO4-] and fractional-first order  kinetics in antibiotic and hydroxyl ion. Influence of ionic strength was successfully explored. Dependence of reaction rates on temperature was studied and the activation parameters were computed and discussed. A plausible mechanism for the oxidation reactions has been elucidated. A consistent rate-law expression was also derived.Conclusion: This study introduces a significant treatment method for antibiotic removal, thus helping to protect the environment and human health. Keywords: Permanganate, Antibiotics, Oxidative degradation, Kinetics, Mechanis

Social and Economic Factors that Influence Health Outcomes in Family Medicine

Over the last twenty years, the social determinants of health (SDOH) have gained more and more attention in the public health community. SDOH are non-medical elements that may be significantly impacted by social policies and have an impact on health. The increasing variety that exists within our societies makes it absolutely necessary for us to incorporate into undergraduate medical education social determinants of health such as racial factors, financial instability, partner violence, insufficient accessibility to transportation, and inadequate social supports, as well as the crucial role of health education.  Nonetheless, a growing body of research indicates that a variety of health outcomes are fundamentally caused by socioeconomic variables including wealth, income, and education together. In this review we highlight the influence of socio-economic factors on health outcomes, approaches to incorporate social determinants of health in family medicine practice, and we also talk about challenges and solutions in addressing social determinants in family medicine. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of social determinants of health on family medicine practice in which socioeconomic determinants of health might have an effect on health outcomes and healthcare delivery within the context of a family medicine clinical environment

A bilingual emotional advantage? An investigation into the effects of psychological factors in emotion perception in Arabic and in English of Arabic-English bilinguals and Arabic /English monolinguals

Aims and objectives: While the debate on the cognitive bilingual advantage is ongoing, much less attention has been paid to a potential emotional advantage of bilinguals. The present study compared the performance of bilinguals and monolinguals in emotion perception (EP) in Arabic and in English and the differences in trait emotional intelligence (Trait EI). It also considered the relationship between Trait EI and EP scores. Methodology: 205 Arabic-English bilinguals, 71 Arabic monolinguals and 333 English monolinguals had to recognise anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise and happiness in twelve short audio-visual video clips (six in English and six in Arabic) embedded in an online questionnaire. The clips contained short conversations about day-to-day situations. Data and analysis: Nonparametric statistical analyses were used to explore the differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in EP in English and Arabic and to explore the relationship between Trait EI and EP. Findings: Bilinguals outperformed English monolinguals in the EP task in English but did not perform better than Arabic monolinguals in Arabic. Bilinguals scored higher on Trait EI than monolinguals, and Trait EI scores were significantly and positively correlated with EP scores. Originality: This study suggests that there is a small bilingual advantage for emotional and psychological domains. Significance: Bilingualism seems to have an effect on some personality dimensions and emotional skills

Innovations in nanomaterials: A paradigm shift in surface engineering for corrosion mitigation

The weight loss technique was utilized to examine the corrosion rates of mild steel in various aqueous solutions and operating conditions, both with and without an epoxy coating. It became out that the presence of salt and temperature increased the rate of corrosion while the pH level decreased. Significant reductions in corrosion rates occur in acidic conditions when coatings are present. In a saline solution, it did not work particularly well. Using X-ray diffraction, the diagnosis was acquired after a sol–gel method was used to create a MgO nanoparticle. The highest coating efficacy in an acidic solution was 96.9%, whereas the lowest coating efficacy in a saline solution devoid of nanoparticles was 29.8%. The performance of epoxy coatings in salty environments was improved by applying nanoscale magnesium oxide (MgO) up to a maximum value of 94%. Surface morphology was examined using the SEM test as well. A number of mathematical models were proposed to be employed in order to relate the corrosion rate to the operational state; a high correlation coefficient for the data advised that the polynomial interaction effect model be used

Advancing imine metal chelates for corrosion inhibition across diverse environments: A novel perspective

Using a suite of techniques, including potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and open circuit potential measurements, we investigated the corrosion resistance of transition metal chelates derived from Schiff base ligands against mild steel, copper oxide, aluminum, stainless steel, and high-carbon steel in acidic environments containing varying concentrations of hydrochloric acid, hydroxide ions, and sulfate ions at 25 °C. Spectral, quantitative, and physico-chemical analyses were employed to characterize the compounds under investigation. Our findings reveal a significant inhibition of corrosion across various steel substrates in the tested media by the studied compounds. Moreover, we observed an enhancement in corrosion inhibition efficacy with increasing concentrations of the investigated complexes. Notably, the negative values of Gibb's free adsorption energy (ΔG°ads) challenge the applicability of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, suggesting a novel perspective on corrosion control mechanisms. Our study underscores the potential of Schiff bases and related transition metal chelates as effective corrosion inhibitors, providing insights into their utilization and factors influencing their application in corrosion mitigation strategies

Advanced corrosion Protection: Development of MnO2@rGO/EP-GTA nanocoating

This study investigates the potential of utilizing reduced graphene nanosheets to enhance the anticorrosion properties of MnO2 coatings. Specifically, the study focuses on the incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into MnO2 coatings to improve their anticorrosion performance. The MnO2-decorated graphene oxide nanocomposite (MnO2@rGO) was thoroughly characterized using various analytical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These analyses elucidated the morphological and structural features of both rGO and MnO2, highlighting the chemical bonding between MnO2 and rGO. Furthermore, the MnO2@rGO nanocomposite underwent additional modification with glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GTA) before integration into the epoxy resin, resulting in the formation of the epoxy coating (MnO2@rGO/EP-GTA) on steel plates. Electrochemical and potentiometric measurements demonstrated that the inclusion of rGO significantly prolonged the cathodic protection duration of MnO2 within the coatings. This enhancement can be attributed to rGO acting as an impermeable barrier within the coating matrix, thereby enhancing electrical conductivity and facilitating efficient electrical connection between manganese oxide particles and the steel substrate. Additionally, the incorporation of MnO2@rGO and GTA modification led to improved performance of the MnO2@rGO/EP nanocoating, including enhanced resistance to UV aging and salt spraying, effective dispersion of the MnO2@rGO nanocomposite within the epoxy resin, and increased cross-linking density and adhesion strength of the epoxy coating

Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus Awareness among Women in Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer (CC) is the eighth most common cancer among Saudi women of all ages. With limited national data, we aimed to evaluate the public awareness of cervical cancer, CC risk factors, HPV infection, and HPV vaccines in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This was a survey-based cross-sectional study that encompassed 564 Saudi women over a period of a month. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed through different social media platforms. Results: The collected data included sociodemographic variables and questions assessing awareness of CC, and the attitudes toward CC screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Most respondents were aware of CC (84.0%), although their primary source of information was the internet. However, only 45 females (8.0%) had a history of cervical screening. Furthermore, most females did not know that HPV was transmitted sexually (78.9%), or that it caused genital warts (81.7%) and CC (81.9%). Regarding the HPV vaccine, 100 females (17.7%) had heard about it, but only 11 (2.0%) took the vaccine, although more than half of the respondents (54.1%) were willing to take the vaccine after being informed about it. Conclusions: We noticed a remarkable lack of awareness among the respondents regarding HPV’s clinical implications; and the HPV vaccine, and its importance and availability. The main source of information for most of the Saudi women in this study was the internet, which may be an unreliable source, or provide misleading information that may delay screening or discourage vaccination. Thus, organized campaigns by the Ministry of Health or other health-advocating agencies, in addition to screening and vaccination programs, are strongly encouraged