Living on a Noisy and Dusty Street: Implications for Environmental Evaluation

This paper contributes to the literature on the hedonic pricing method in three different ways: i) the experimental context is new and typical of many urban settings, i.e. comparison between the price of houses located on a noisy and dusty street and that of houses located on a quiet and clean street in the same neighborhood; ii) this experimental context allows us, in a sense, to combine for the first time two popular valuation methods (standard hedonic pricing and repeat-sale analysis); and iii) in contrast with previous studies that focused on one aspect of environmental quality, we investigate the impact of two environmental attributes on houses' price, namely noise and air pollution (dust), which have been measured specifically for this study. Our results show that neither of these environmental attributes has an impact on the houses' price. Cette étude propose trois contributions à la littérature s'intéressant à la méthode des prix hédoniques: i) le contexte expérimental est différent des études antérieures puisqu'il utilise un échantillon de transactions sur des propriétés résidentielles d'un même quartier, certaines localisées sur une rue poussiéreuse et bruyante et d'autres sur des rues calmes et propres; ii) ce contexte expérimental permet pour la première fois de combiner deux approches (la méthode des prix hédoniques et l'analyse des ventes répétées); et iii) contrairement aux études précédentes qui ne s'intéressaient qu'à un aspect environnemental, nous considérons l'impact de deux aspects environnementaux, le bruit et la qualité de l'air, ces deux aspects ayant été l'objet de mesures spécifiques pour cette étude. Nos résultats montrent qu'aucun des deux aspects de la qualité de l'environnement n'a d'effet sur le prix des propriétés résidentielles.Housing market, Hedonic pricing, Environment, Environmental evaluation, Marché immobilier, prix nédoniques, environnement, évaluation

Evaluating Conventional and Digital Impressions of Single Unit Restorations, and Conventional vs. Digital Impressions from the Laboratory Technicians’ Perspective

Objectives: To Evaluate the quality of Digital Impressions and Conventional Impressions sent to commercial dental labs and to compare Conventional impressions vs. Digital impressions from the Laboratory Technicians’ Perspective. Background: The literature lacks studies that evaluate the quality of final impressions of indirect restorations, particularly in the USA, additionally there is a direct relation between impressions accuracy and produced restoration quality, which makes it impossible to produce high quality restoration from poor impression. Methods: 259 PVS impressions were evaluated for their quality by a calibrated examiner using a specific evaluation form. Type of tray, arch and required restoration were recorded. Impressions were evaluated for the following: defects related to prepared tooth and finish line (i.e. bubbles, voids, tears, clarity of finish line, and retraction cord left in impression) also, defects in material setting and distortion. Quality of tooth preparation was not assessed. Impressions were then ranked using 3-point Likert scale: Satisfactory, Questionable, and Unsatisfactory. Similarly, 74 Digital impressions were evaluated using a specific evaluation form by a calibrated examiner. Digital system brand, arch and required restoration were recorded. Impressions were evaluated for the following: inadequate scanned data, unclear margins, improper moisture control, improper powder application, improper occlusal registration, and presence of obstructions. Impressions were ranked using a 2-point Likert scale: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Data was analyzed using Chi Square and Fisher’s exact test. Furthermore, a comparison between Conventional impressions and Digital impressions sent to lab was done through a survey answered by dental lab technicians’. Results: A total of 57.9% Conventional impressions were satisfactory and a significant difference was noted between tray type groups and impression ranking c2(4, n= 257)=17.36, p \u3c 0.001. A total of 78.4% of Digital impressions were satisfactory. Most frequent types of errors in Conventional impressions were the existence of tears, bubbles, and voids at the finish line resulting in unclear preparation margins at 36.3%, where the most frequent error in Digital impressions was inadequate scanned data at 18.9%. Regarding the Survey, 57.69% of technicians determined that number of errors in Digital impressions are less than Conventional impressions, and that the frequency of remakes in Digital impressions are also less than Conventional impressions by 63.46%. The results indicated that a total of 51.92% of the lab technicians advised for a shift to Digital impressions. The study concludes that Digital impression is a better option than Conventional impressions as a measure of its reduced errors and ease of use. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, when it comes to single unit restorations, dentists have to reconsider their impression taking methods and techniques

Investigating the Health Meanings of Young Saudi Women

Women’s structural position within society and their family roles significantly influence their health. Previous studies have shown women hold lower health and socioeconomic status because of their gender within the Saudi culture. This study aimed to provide an understanding of how Saudi women value health and define being healthy within their social contexts. Adopting an ethnographic perspective, three focus groups (31 participants in total) were conducted with volunteer undergraduate Saudi female students on campus during a nine-week field trip to the participants’ university, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Three themes were generated from this study that characterize the meaning of health for the participants: 1) societal influences, 2) personal experiences and interactions, and 3) strategies developed from the interactions of both domains. The study findings demonstrate how societal norms and institutional policies, combined with women’s personal experiences and interactions within their environment, negatively impact the lifestyle of Saudi women, which in turn shapes their health perspectives and practices. The significance of this study and implications for research and service delivery are discussed. Keywords Health meanings, health perceptions, Saudi university women, ethnography, critical theory, qualitative research

An Assessment of Values Concerning Luxury Brand Purchase Intention: A Cross-Culture Comparison

Over the last few decades, the global consumption of luxury brands has rapidly ýincreased. ýThere are many internal and external factors that motivate consumers to buy a ýluxury brand. ýAlthough there is some evidence of the impact of functional, social, and ýindividual values on ýluxury purchase intention, little has been done to compare cultures in ýterms of these values, ýespecially in the Middle East. Thus, the purpose of this research ýwas to compare Western and ýMiddle Eastern culture (individualism and collectivism) ýregarding the consumers’ intention to purchase a luxury brand in terms of ýthree main ývalues (functional, social and individual), while also addressing consumer guilt. ý The data for this study were collected from two countries—the United States and ýSaudi ýArabia. A total of 478 university students participated in this study via an online ýsurvey: 171 ýfrom the United States and 277 from Saudi Arabia. The reliability of research ýscales was ýassessed ýthrough Cronbach’s alpha. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was ýapplied to test the correlations ýbetween the study variables. Data was assessed using ýSEM. Before testing the proposed ýstructural model, the measurement model was tested ýby a confirmatory factor analysis using the ýAMOS 21 program. Model fit was assessed ývia the chi-square statistic. The results revealed that ýFunctional and Social values ýsignificantly predicted Luxury Purchase Intention while Individual ýValue did not. ýCultural Dimension did not moderate the relationship between Functional Value ýand ýLuxury Purchase Intention. Individualism moderated the relationship ýbetween ýConspicuousness and Luxury Purchase Intention. The relationship between ýConspicuousness and ýLuxury Purchase Intention was stronger within the high ýindividualism group. Meanwhile, Guilt ýmoderated the relationship between Uniqueness ýand Luxury Purchase Intention. The relationship ýbetween Uniqueness and Purchase ýIntention was stronger within the high guilt group. However, ýCultural Dimension and ýConsumer Guilt did not moderate the relationship between Individual ýValue and Luxury ýPurchase Intention. Attitude toward Luxury did not mediate the relationship ýbetween ýFunctional and Social Value and Luxury Purchase Intention but it is partially mediated ýby ýthe relationship between Individual Values and Luxury Purchase Intentions. These results ýadd ýto the existing literature by addressing consumer guilt and Middle Eastern culture to ýluxury ýmarketing, which can then be used for marketing purposes and to increase the sales ýof luxury ýbrands. Theoretical and practical implications were provided based on the ýresults.

Living on a Noisy and Dusty Street: Implications for Environmental Evaluation

Cette étude propose trois contributions à la littérature s'intéressant à la méthode des prix hédoniques: i) le contexte expérimental est différent des études antérieures puisqu'il utilise un échantillon de transactions sur des propriétés résidentielles d'un même quartier, certaines localisées sur une rue poussiéreuse et bruyante et d'autres sur des rues calmes et propres; ii) ce contexte expérimental permet pour la première fois de combiner deux approches (la méthode des prix hédoniques et l'analyse des ventes répétées); et iii) contrairement aux études précédentes qui ne s'intéressaient qu'à un aspect environnemental, nous considérons l'impact de deux aspects environnementaux, le bruit et la qualité de l'air, ces deux aspects ayant été l'objet de mesures spécifiques pour cette étude. Nos résultats montrent qu'aucun des deux aspects de la qualité de l'environnement n'a d'effet sur le prix des propriétés résidentielles.This paper contributes to the literature on the hedonic pricing method in three different ways: i) the experimental context is new and typical of many urban settings, i.e. comparison between the price of houses located on a noisy and dusty street and that of houses located on a quiet and clean street in the same neighborhood; ii) this experimental context allows us, in a sense, to combine for the first time two popular valuation methods (standard hedonic pricing and repeat-sale analysis); and iii) in contrast with previous studies that focused on one aspect of environmental quality, we investigate the impact of two environmental attributes on houses' price, namely noise and air pollution (dust), which have been measured specifically for this study. Our results show that neither of these environmental attributes has an impact on the houses' price

Effect of Social Media on College Students Academic Performance

Social media act as an online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and teamwork. Social media is becoming an essential part of life online as social websites and applications proliferate. The new and easy ways to of getting the knowledge have emerged using social networks in both formal and informal method. Now days demand of social media increasing everyday people love to share their ideas, views, information. The purpose of this research paper is to understand the effect of social media on academic performance of college students.  Taken this into consideration 166 students were randomly taken from different colleges who were using social media as means of education tools. The study was conducted an 8-item questionnaire with Likert Scale (Disagree-1 and 5 for Agree). Various aspects of behavior & Social Networking pattern were taken into consideration. The analysis was done based on Mean & t-test, the result shows that Social Media put positive impact on behavior of the students but has not changed the academic performance of the students in terms of improved grades. It was also found that Female students are using more social media than the male students. Keywords Social media, communications channels, performance DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-9-20 Publication date:March 31st 201

The value of PAP and AgNOR techniques in identification of bacterial infections and cytomorphological changes in sputum of Sudanese pango Smokers

Background:Sputum cytology” is an example of exfoliative cytology, which is based on shedding of cells derived from the lining of an organ into a cavity from where they can be removed by non-invasive means. Aim:The study aimed to assess the value of PAP and AgNOR techniques in identification of bacterial infections and cytomorphological changes in sputum of Sudanese pango smokers.Methods:In this study 200 apparently healthy individuals volunteers were selected, of which 100 were pango smoker (cases) and 100 were  non-pango  users (control), Pap smear and AgNOR  was used for the staining of sputum smears. All quality control measures were adopted during specimen collection and processing and diagnosis. Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS) software version 16 was used for data entry and analysis.Results: Findings demonstrated that the inflammation, indicated by presence of inflammatory cells was detected in 36/88among case group , most of them was chronic type, while only 5/100 had inflammation among non-smokers with significant relation , the p < /em> value is (0.000).The presence of infectious agent was illustrated among pango smokers most of them was bacterial and Actinomyces with significant relation the p < /em> value was (0.01). The nuclear atypia was reported among 5 out of 88 of heavy smoker’s atypia. While no case of atypia was reported among non-smokers the p < /em> value is (0.217). Conclusions: Pango smoking is a major risk for occurrence of cellular changes that induce the prolifrative activity that increase the risk factor of lung cancer

What Are the Attitudes towards Changing Gender Roles within the Saudi Family?

Saudi Vision 2030 was launched with a focus on three main themes: “a vibrant society,” “a thriving economy,” and “an ambitious nation” (2017). In order to realize these primary themes, more participation of women is required in the workforce. A number of legislative reforms have supported the entry of more women into the workforce, such as lifting the male guardian permission for work and travel, supporting programs for childcare, allowing women to drive cars, and ensuring women’s involvement in leadership positions. Saudi women are now working in defense, mining, construction, manufacturing, and retail among other sectors. As a result, women\u27s participation in the workforce increased from 19.4% in 2017 to 35.6% in the second quarter of 2022. Because these social and economic transformations have the potential to influence the dynamics within the Saudi family, this study investigates the attitudes of Saudi men and women toward gender roles within the Saudi family. Based on the short version of the Attitudes toward Women Scale, an online questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 431 Saudis in the fall of 2022. Statistical analyses were conducted to measure women’s attitudes compared to men’s overall scores. Results of the independent sample t-test indicated that women held more pro-feminist attitudes compared to men

Framework for the Adoption of Online Banking

Information technology represents the most important tool for any business to grow and increase pro_ts in this century. Online banking represents one type of business change due to revolutionary changes in technology. There are limited studies for adoption of online banking in Saudi Arabia which is one of the largest economies in the world. For that reason my study focused on the adoption of online banking by countries in general and particularly in Saudi society. In many situations there is a gap between business and information technology. In particular there is a crimson between online bank users and technology. It is necessary to bridge this gap In order to achieve online banking targets. My study investigated the different reasons for the gap its formation (between online banking and information technology) and how to bridge it. This research is focused on the diferent factors that enhance the adoption of online banking services through general users. This framework was established by drawing from several theoretical studies. The proposed research framework contains the most important factors for online banking. These include the following hypotheses; (H1) personal information, (H2) personal experience, (H3) disposition to trust, (H4) reputation, (H5) trusting Belief, (H6)structural assur- ance and (H7) perceived site quality. These hypotheses were tested experimentally through a questionnaire which was analyzed using SPSS Version 14 program. The results showed that (H1) personal information, (H2) personal experience, (H3) dis- position to trust, (H4) reputation, (H5) trusting belief, (H6) structural assurance and (H7) perceived site quality are positive factors affecting customer adoption of online banking. There was a significant correlation between the different online banking adoption factors or hypotheses and the personal information (age, gender and education) with P values of <0.005 in most of cases.Saudi Cultural Burea

Floating and Non-floating Quantifiers in Hijazi Arabic: an HPSG Analysis

This thesis concerns the description and analysis of floating and non-floating quantifiers in Hijazi Arabic (HA) within the framework of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG). This work is a contribution to the long-standing debate on the relation between floating and non-floating quantifiers. It investigates the properties of Hijazi Arabic floating quantifiers to be able to determine whether they belong to the nominal or the verbal domain, and to provide an answer, or a close approximation, to the question that keeps being asked in the literature with respect to how floating quantifiers are generated. This work focuses on quantifiers in HA, and attempts to provide a unified account that takes into consideration, and tries to link and unify, the following properties: • Quantifiers have three forms which are parallel to that of ordinary nom- inal forms: Simple, construct state, and free states. For this reason, I pursue the claim that quantifiers are categorically Nouns, and not a functional category Determiner (D) or Quantifier (Q). They differ from ‘ordinary nouns’ in terms of their agreement behaviours and semantic properties. • Definiteness in HA is a head feature and is associated with no lexical category, and for that we might claim that HA lacks the category Determiner (D). • Contrary to the analysis provided in some transformational approaches, floating and non-floating quantifiers in HA cannot be related to their nominal associate by syntactic transformation. Floating quantifiers are here analysed as adjuncts that can alternate between being NP modifiers or VP modifiers, but which are nevertheless always related to an associated noun, semantically, and display the need to be anaphorically-bound to it. I propose that non-floating quantifiers take the same distribution as that of ordinary nouns, which I take to imply that nouns, and non-floating quantifiers are actually two instances of the same type. By adopting a lexical hypothesis that makes use of lexical rules, I account for their definiteness agreement and definiteness inheritance in the framework of HPSG. In contrast, I demonstrate that floating behaviours display a series of puzzles that can be resolved, or better analysed, on the basis of their treatment as NP or VP adjuncts, involving a MOD feature. The latter can only ever be subject-oriented, yet can linearly come in between complements, and still modify the V, due to my proposal of a flat VP phrase structure. To account for the syntax and semantics of the floating quantifier with the NP, the lexical information associated with the quantifier in the lexical entry encodes the syntactic and semantic properties that concern its distribution