Psychological Well-being Among Social Network Users of King Saud University Students

IntroductionSocial networks allow individuals to express themselves, and establish or maintain connections with others. Using social networks like Facebook may be associated with a sense of self-worth and may play an important role in psychological development of university students who are in emerging adulthood phase.Objective(1)Assess the psychological well-being of Saudi university students using social networks (Facebook).(2)Explore whether the relationship between Facebook use and bridging social capital is different for individuals with varying degrees of self-esteem and satisfaction with life.AimTo study the psychological well-being of Saudi university students using social networks (Facebook).MethodAn electronic survey was published in the community site for all students of King Saud University. in addition to the demographic information, the survey evaluates Facebook use intensity, bridging social capital and psychological well-being: self-esteem and satisfaction with life.ResultsA total of 1005 students completed the survey, of which 50.5% were female. Majority of them were members in Facebook (92.1%).ConclusionsResults showed no significant correlation between the use of Facebook and psychological well-being. It could be due to the fundamental difference between Arabs and other cultures or due to the use of other social networks. There was a positive relationship between bridging social capital and psychological well-being with being in preparatory year, which is most likely because advanced years has more workload preventing students from participating in King Saud University community. A longitudinal study over a series of years and addressing other popular social networks would be the next step.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.</jats:sec

Subspecialization in Family Medicine: Opinions, Preferences, and Practices of Family Physicians in Saudi Arabia

Objective In recent years, family medicine (FM) has shown many changes, including the development of sub-specialization. This study aimed to explore the opinions, preferences, and practices of Saudi family physicians with regard to sub-specialization within family practice. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2018. Data were collected from 561 Saudi FM board-certified physicians and family medicine residents from all over SA via personal emails using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of questions aimed at examining participants’ opinions, preferences, and practices with regard to sub-specialization in family practice. Results Only 48 family doctors (20.2%) had the qualification of subspecialist. Diabetology was the most common clinical subspecialty. The majority of participants agreed with the statements in favor of sub-specialization in FM. About 73% approved of the idea of sub-specialization in FM, while 89% thought that sub-specialization would provide a source of expertise within the FM context. The most stated reasons to go for FM subspecialties were to earn more experience (65.1%), gain some sense of control of huge knowledge and skills of FM (53.7%), and earning extra money (47.8%). Conclusions This study revealed that majority of certified family physicians and FM residents in SA have positive attitude towards sub-specialization in FM and support the idea of sub-specialization to be practiced within the context of FM </jats:sec

Construction Site Hazards Identification Using Deep Learning and Computer Vision

Workers on construction sites face numerous health and safety risks. Authorities have made numerous attempts to enhance safety management; yet incidents continue to occur, impacting both worker health and the project’s forward momentum. To that end, developing strategies to improve construction site safety management is crucial. The goal of this project is to employ computer vision and deep learning methods to create a model that can recognize construction workers, their PPE and the surrounding heavy equipment from CCTV footage. Then, the hazards can be discovered and identified based on an analysis of the imagery data and other criteria including weather conditions, and the on-site safety officer can be contacted. Our own dataset was used to train the You Only Look Once model, version 5 (YOLO-v5), which was put to use as an object detection model. The detection model’s performance in tests showed promise for fast and accurate object recognition in the field.</jats:p

Effects of Wide Bandgap Devices on the Inverter Performance and Efficiency for Residential PV Applications

With power demands continuously growing, the penetration of renewable energy resources, particularly solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, across the residential sector has been extensive. A voltage source inverter (VSI) is the key element for efficiently processing energy conversion and connecting PV systems to home loads or utility grids. The operation of this inverter relies heavily on power-switching devices, which suffer from larger power losses due to the conventional semiconductors used based on silicon (Si) material. The new materials of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, for example, gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), provide remarkably distinct characteristics of semiconductor devices to minimize power loss and boost the inverter&rsquo;s operational capabilities. This research paper assesses the effects of integrating SiC-MOSFET devices into VSIs in order to improve the switching behavior and efficiency level. An experimental double-pulse testing (DPT) circuit was configured and set up for investigating the switching characterization of SiC-MOSFETs compared to the widely used Si-IGBTs. Under various operating circumstances, the switching behavior of two different types of power transistors was tested while their turning-on and turning-off losses were measured. The VSI based on SiC and Si transistors was simulated to examine the performance of the inverter. The results reveal that incorporating SiC-MOSFETs into the VSI substantially enhances the switching operation and reduces total power losses while increasing the efficiency compared to the inverter based on Si-IGBTs

The Arab COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C‐19ASS): COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome and psychological symptoms in the Saudi Arabian population

Introduction: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a validation of the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and to explore the association between the C-19ASS and psychological symptoms syndrome. Method: In Study 1, a community sample of 404 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to an Exploratory Factor Analysis. In study 2, a community sample of 903 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, construct validity, and incremental validity were assessed. Associations between C-19ASS and psychological symptoms were assessed. Results: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS Perseveration and C-19ASS Avoidance) and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Arabic version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency, good construct, and incremental validity. COVID-19 anxiety syndrome was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and health anxiety. Females had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome than males. Participants diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who had experienced loss as a consequence of COVID-19, had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome (Perseveration). Conclusions: The Arabic version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to improve psychological recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabs