COLOUR IDIOMS IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC: THEIR MEANING AND COLOUR ASSOCIATIONS

This study aimed at investigating the cross-culture variation when comparing idiomatic expressions related to colour in both English and Arabic languages. Also, it tries to identify the challenges encountered by language learners in understanding the color idioms in both Arabic and English languages. Because colour idioms in English and Arabic have some commonalities in meaning as well as differences in the association. Both languages make rich use of them for which several examples are given and explained. The meanings of transparent idioms are easily logical, but more opaque ones are pure idioms that can confuse foreign language learners in case of different associations. Cross-cultural comparisons are then drawn, and an attempt is made to identify some universal colour associations and highlight stark contrasts between the two cultures. For example, the colour gray is shared in both English and Arabic as unclear and vague situations, while the colour yellow in English indicates “coward” while in Arabic refer to “fake”. It is also shown that many of the colour idioms arose from historical events, but all serve to enrich languages as long as the intended meaning is clearly understood. It is recommended that English teachers and Arab learners of English consider this cross-cultural variation between English and Arabic, which is a double-edged weapon. This could confuse learning these idioms or, as a distinguished difference, it could help in enhancing the learning outcome.  Article visualizations

Dietary Patterns of Females with Cholecystolithiasis: A Comprehensive Study from Central Region of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Cholecystolithiasis is a worldwide gastrointestinal disorder and dietary pattern is one of the major risk factors involved in formation of cholelithiasis. AIM: This study was undertaken to determine the dietary patterns of female patients with cholecystolithiasis in the central region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A total of 332 females respondents were included, among them 157 were cholecystolithiasis cases, whereas 175 were healthy female subjects. All respondents were from central region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and dietary patterns of studied population samples were compared by Chi-square test using SPSS software. RESULTS: The data showed that the consumption of meat from beef, lamb or goat, butter, ghee, pizza, cereals, legumes, coffee, tea, kabsa rice, tomatoes, and eggs was found to be positively associated with the risk of cholelithiasis. Interestingly, the data also demonstrated that consumption of cakes, chocolates, cookies, ice cream, doughnuts, chicken, fish or other sea foods, French fries, and hot dogs showed no relation with the risk of cholelithiasis. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a comprehensive description of the dietary patterns of females from central region of Saudi Arabia and their association with the risk of onset of cholelithiasis. Specifically, the majority of non-vegetarian food stuffs showed positive association with the risk of development of cholelithiasis. These findings strongly recommended that the Health Ministry of Saudi Arabia should initiate the specific intervention public health programs on the dietary pattern in relation with the risk of cholelithiasis

Innovative Approaches To Nursing Administration Education; A Systematic Review Based Study

Background: Nursing administration education plays a crucial role in the development of skilled leaders in the ever-evolving healthcare industry. To meet the current challenges in healthcare, it is crucial to employ innovative pedagogical approaches. These approaches include the integration of virtual reality simulations, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, utilizing real-world case studies, implementing telehealth platforms, and establishing mentorship programs. Addressing this need for forward-thinking nursing administrators is imperative. Aim: This study comprehensively examines the impact of these innovative strategies on nursing administration education. It assesses how their integration enhances decision-making, communication, strategic thinking, technological proficiency, and leadership skills among students. The goal is to illuminate the potential of these approaches in molding skilled healthcare leaders. Method: A mixed-methods approach is utilized. Qualitative interviews with nursing administration students exposed to innovative approaches provide insights. Thematic analysis is employed to extract meaningful patterns, capturing both subjective experiences and skill development outcomes. Results: Findings highlight the transformative potential of innovative approaches in nursing administration education. Virtual reality simulations enhance decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration fosters effective communication and teamwork, real-world case studies cultivate strategic thinking, telehealth platforms enhance remote service proficiency, and mentorship programs empower leadership competencies. Conclusion: This study underscores the pivotal role of innovation in shaping adept nursing administrators. Integration of innovative approaches equips healthcare leaders with holistic perspectives, adaptable skills, and technological readiness. As healthcare systems evolve, these approaches offer promise for addressing challenges effectively. Innovative Contribution: By delving into cutting-edge nursing administration education, this study offers insights that reshape healthcare leadership. It bridges theory and practice, equipping future administrators to navigate the dynamic healthcare landscape

Perceived Risk of falls among Acute Care Patients

Purpose: In an effort to lower the number of falls that occur among hospitalized patients, several facilities have begun introducing various fall prevention programs. However, the efficacy of fall prevention programs is diminished if patients do not consider themselves to be at risk for falls and do not follow recommended procedures. The goal of this study was to characterize how patients in four different acute care specialist services felt about their risk of falling while in the hospital. Methods: One hundred patients admitted to the study hospital with a Morse Fall Scale score of 45 or higher were given the Patient Perception Questionnaire, a tool designed to assess a patient's perception of their own fall risk, fear of falling, and motivation to take part in fall prevention efforts. Scores on the Morse Fall Scale were gathered through a historical assessment of medical records. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and independent sample t tests were used to examine the data. Results: The average age was 65, and around half (52%) were men and half (48%) were women. Based on their ratings on the Morse Fall Scale, all 100 participants were classified as being at high risk for falls. However, only 55.5% of the individuals agreed with this assessment. The likelihood that a patient would seek assistance and the degree to which they feared falling both declined as their faith in their mobility improved. Patients hospitalized after a fall exhibited considerably lower confidence scores and greater fear scores than patients who had not been injured in a fall. Conclusions: Patients who have a high fall risk assessment score may not believe they are at risk for falls and may not take any steps to reduce their risk. The prevalence of falls in hospitals might be mitigated by the creation of a fall risk assessment technique that takes into account both objective and subjective factors

Teacher-student phonological transference in a Saudi Arabian EFL context: a case study of phonological and attitudinal influences

In the context of teaching pronunciation of English as Foreign Language EFL, many studies have investigated a range of factors that affect pronunciation (see ‎2.4). It is considered by Gilakjani (2012) and Ahmadi (2011) that the influence of learner's mother tongue (L1) is one of the most significant factors on students' pronunciation. However, among other factors, little research has investigated EFL teachers' L2 accent, as a cause of L1 influence (see ‎2.2.1), on their students' L2 outcome (Levis et. al, 2016). This case study examines whether or not there is any significant segmental phonological influence of Arabic-speaking teachers' language variety in terms of their dialectal accents on students' L2 English pronunciation of ten consonants /dʒ, ʒ, v, tʃ, ŋ, ɹ, Ө, ð, p, g/. The original contribution to knowledge of this study is to explore the factors that may affect Saudi students' L2 English pronunciation linking this to their attitude towards Arabian teachers' accented English. Different theoretical frameworks are investigated including Transfer and Markedness theories as well as Contrastive and Error Analysis Hypotheses. The main data collection methods were student surveys (n=118), recordings of teacher (n=6) and student pronunciations (n=120, 20 students per a teacher) and students' follow-up interviews (n=15). Based primarily on clarity of accent, the results of the survey indicate a clear student preference for Saudi and Jordanian teachers’ oral articulations of English. Data analyses also reveal no direct relationship between the teachers' L1 Arabic dialectal accents and their students' L2 pronunciation, which contradicts the hypothesis that there is an influence from the teachers' L1 dialects on the students' L2 pronunciation. The main source of the students' deviations counts on the students' L1 and their previous L2 education in school more than their teachers' L2. Also, the findings show that in this time of speed technology and social media, the teacher is not the only pronunciation ideal model in the class as freshman students are exposed to other sources of English. Moreover, the findings highlight that the students' negative attitude towards certain accented English does not count for the students' L2 accented pronunciation. It is revealed that students' accented English claim to their previous education aligning with the Critical Period Hypothesis (see ‎2.2.6). A key implication of this research is to consider the dialectal variation among the teachers' and students' L1 in teaching L2 pronunciation. Moreover, it may be helpful to stakeholders that the teachers' native-like English pronunciation is not a vital criterion for their students' proficient pronunciation. Thus, the incidence of having multi-varieties of Englishes in EFL environment could be concluded as being a healthy condition

Indocyanine green J-aggregate (IJA) theranostics: Challenges and opportunities

Indocyanine green is an FDA-approved fluorescent imaging dye used for determining cardiac output, hepatic function, liver blood flow, and retinal perfusion. It has been investigated preclinically in photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT); however, ICG photodegradation limits its biomedical applications. An aggregated form of ICG, known as J-aggregate (IJA), exhibits superior photoacoustic signals and thermal stability than the monomeric ICG. Nevertheless, IJA still suffers from low stability in the biological milieu, and short in vivo blood circulation. To address these limitations, a range of nanocarriers have been developed to enhance IJA stability and performance. This review focuses on IJA potentials and limitations, besides the recent development of IJA-loaded nanocarriers, particularly for cancer imaging and therapy

Variations in choroidal thickness between emmetropic and myopic eyes after caffeine intake

Purpose: To investigate the variations in choroidal thinning between emmetropic and myopic subjects after caffeine intake. Methods: Forty-five healthy participants (age mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 20.75 ± 1.6 years) recruited in a prospective cross-sectional study. They were divided into three groups, based on refractive error status, emmetropes (spherical equivalent [SE] -0.25 to +0.25D), myopes (SE ≥-0.50D to ˂-6.00D), and high myopes (SE ≥-6.00D). The participants underwent choroidal thickness [ChT] measurements using optical coherence tomography [OCT] (Topcon 3D OCT-1 Maestro System) at baseline, 20, 40, and 60 minutes after consuming 200 mg of caffeine. The measurements of ChT were taken from five different areas horizontally. Results: Compared to baseline measurement, the ChT significantly decreased after 200 mg caffeine intake in all conditions (P 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the reduction in ChT due to caffeine consumption is not significantly affected by the refractive status of the eye. Thus, it is safe to hypothesize that the vascular part of the choroid behaves identically to vasoconstrictive in both emmetropic and myopic eyes. The choroidal thinning found in myopic and high myopic eyes and/or the reduced choroidal vascularity index were not apparent in this study. Therefore, further longitudinal studies recruiting greater numbers of participants, including myopes and high myopes, and measuring both vascular and stromal layers to investigate such variations are warranted

Phenotypic Variability of MEGF10 Variants Causing Congenital Myopathy: Report of Two Unrelated Patients from a Highly Consanguineous Population

Congenital myopathies are rare neuromuscular hereditary disorders that manifest at birth or during infancy and usually appear with muscle weakness and hypotonia. One of such disorders, early-onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia (EMARDD, OMIM: 614399, MIM: 612453), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic mutations (at homozygous or compound heterozygous status) in MEGF10 (multiple epidermal growth factor-like domains protein family). Here, we report two unrelated patients, who were born to consanguineous parents, having two novel MEGF10 deleterious variants. Interestingly, the presence of MEGF10 associated EMARDD has not been reported in Saudi Arabia, a highly consanguineous population. Moreover, both variants lead to a different phenotypic onset of mild and severe types. Our work expands phenotypic features of the disease and provides an opportunity for genetic counseling to the inflicted families

Comparative dietary sulfated metabolome analysis reveals unknown metabolic interactions of the gut microbiome and the human host

The gut microbiome converts dietary compounds that are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and further metabolized by the human host. Sulfated metabolites are a major compound class derived from this co-metabolism and have been linked to disease development. In the present multidisciplinary study, we have investigated human urine samples from a dietary intervention study with 22 individuals collected before and after consumption of a polyphenol rich breakfast. These samples were analyzed utilizing our method combining enzymatic metabolite hydrolysis using an arylsulfatase and mass spectrometric metabolomics. Key to this study is the validation of 235 structurally diverse sulfated metabolites. We have identified 48 significantly upregulated metabolites upon dietary intervention including 11 previously unknown sulfated metabolites for this diet. We observed a large variation in subjects based on their potential to sulfate metabolites, which may be the foundation for classification of subjects as high and low sulfate metabolizers in future large cohort studies. The reported sulfatase-based method is a robust tool for the discovery of unknown microbiota-derived metabolites in human samples