Culture, Wasta and perceptions of performance appraisal in Saudi Arabia

This article explores the relationship between Arabic culture and employees’ perceptions of performance appraisal in a Saudi Arabian company named SACO. Using an interpretive and qualitative methodological framework, the article suggests that Western models of performance appraisal rooted in rationality and objectivity conflict with aspects of Saudi Arabian culture. Specifically, the personal relations implicated in the social practice of Wasta. However, the article also shows how SACO employees are beginning to reject Saudi Arabian cultural norms and adopt alternative values which are linked to notions of organisational justice and individual egalitarianism. These values are compatible with Western models of performance appraisal

Investigation of the environmental effect on the Regulation and Transfer of Conjugative Transposon Tn916

Antibiotic resistance is a major global concern, as it has spread rapidly and prevents the treatment of infectious diseases. One of the main reasons for this is the acquisition of resistance genes carried on mobile genetic elements (MGEs). There are many different types of MGEs, including transposons, plasmids, insertion sequences, pathogenicity islands, bacteriophages and gene cassettes. Tn916 is a conjugative transposon that contains the tetracycline-resistance gene tet(M). This transposon transfers to a broad range of bacteria. In this study, the research aimed to determine the behaviour of Tn916 in the human oral cavity, which is the portal to the digestive system. Bacillus subtilis (BS34A) has been used as a Tn916 donor, and six Streptococcus spp. (S. oralis, S. pyogenes, S. salivarius, S. mutans, S. sanguinis and S. parasanguinis) and Enterococcus faecalis as recipients. The donor B. subtilis is considered as a transient bacterium within the oral cavity, normally inhabiting soil, and the recipients are all considered normal oral and gastrointestinal bacteria. Filter-mating assays were carried out in pairs between donor–recipients under conditions that mimic those found in the mouth. It was observed that B. subtilis was able to transfer Tn916 into S. oralis, S. pyogenes and E. faecalis under anaerobic conditions at frequencies ranging from 10‾⁹ to 10‾⁷ transconjugants per recipient within 1 min on solid and liquid media. In contrast, no transfer was observed aerobically or when mating with S. salivarius, S. mutans, S. sanguinis and S. parasanguinis as recipients. However, after a mutant strain of B. subtilis onTn916 (Δorf12 terminator of Tn916) was developed, transfer of Tn916 occurred from B. subtilis into S. oralis, S. pyogenes and E. faecalis aerobically at frequencies ranging from10‾⁹ to 10‾⁸ transconjugants per recipient and anaerobically only into S. pyogenes. Using qPCR, the copy number of circular Tn916 in different conditions (aerobic and anaerobic) with and without a recipient (E. faecalis JH2-2) was determined. There were10⁷copies/μl in the absence of a recipient in both conditions. However, in the presence of the recipient, the copy numbers increased significantly to 10⁸ copies/μl anaerobically compared to 10⁷ copies/μl aerobically. Furthermore, the role of the orf12 terminator in aerobic and anaerobic conditions was determined by quantifying the expression level using an enzymatic reporter assay. The transcription level from ptet(M) is controlled by the terminator on orf12, and it was almost the same in both conditions. However, the transcription level was significantly increased when orf12 terminator mutated and the condition was switched from aerobic to anaerobic. In conclusion, transient bacteria in the oral cavity may have ample opportunities to disseminate their DNA to the oral microbiota

The effect of hypertension in people diagnosed with depression in primary health center clinics in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT: Introduction: In Saudi Arabia, both hypertension and depression are a major health problem and comorbidity is not rare. Depressive symptoms have been shown to be strong independent predictors of cardiac mortality more than hypertension alone (2). The aim of this study is to assess the effect of hypertension on Primary Health Care (PHC) depressive patients to determine the relationship between these comorbid medical conditions and determine if one hinders the management of the other . Method: This cross-sectional survey of 185 PHC patients was conducted in AL Khobar City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from March 01, 2017 to April 01, 2017, using a self-administered questionnaire and medical record (files) review of all patients who completed the questionnaire. Results: Fifty eight (31%) out of 185 participants, were diagnosed with comorbid depression with hypertension. The mean age of total participants was 44.7 ± 11.6. The depressive patients with hypertension were older than who hasn't hypertention with significant value (p-value 0.011) a quarter of them were illiterate, 20(34,5%). Patients who only finished primary level of education or less were more prone to depression with hypertension with p-value 0.047 which is significant. As regards BMI, SBP, and DBP of the hypertensive participants was 33.7 ± 11.6, 134.5 ± 15.8, and 82.4 ± 11.2, respectively which is highly significant. Meanwhile, BMI, SBP, and DBP in the depressive participants without hypertension was 29.7 ± 6.6, 119 ±14.9, and 72.3 ± 8, respectively which is highly significant. The Odds ratio of feeling tired among depression with hypertension is 2.136 times more than the depression without hypertension with Confidence Interval (CI) (1.118 – 4.081). The Odds ratio of loss of appetite among depression with hypertension is 1.959 times more than the depression without hypertension with Confidence Interval (CI) (1.045 – 3.674). Conclusion: Age and being illiterate have a significant relation with depression and hypertension. Also greater role was found to be related to multiple factors associated with depression and hypertension DPB,SBP and BMI. Further study with a larger sample to assess the relation between uncontrol hypertension and the level of depression is recommended

29. No association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and congenital heart disease in Saudi Arabian population

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are the most common birth defects in the world. It is a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity worldwide with about 7 per 1000 live birth. Studies suggest that Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism C667T has been associated with congenital malformation; this common missense mutation in the MTHFR gene may reduce enzymatic action, and may be involved in the etiology of congenital heart defects (CHD), but the evidence remains inconclusive. The aim of this study is to determine whether this association exists in the Saudi Arabian population.MethodDNA sequencing was used to detect genotype MTHFR C677T in 75 CHD patients and 100 ethnically similar controls. The type of cardiac defect was diagnosed by cardiovascular specialist and confirmed by echocardiographic.ResultsThe distribution of the MTHFR 677C >T SNP genotypes and alleles in both CHD and control groups were 70.0% CC, 26.0% CT, 4.0% TT in cases and 70.8% CC, 25.4% CT, 3.8% TT in controls. The T allele frequency was 17.0% in cases and 16.5% in controls. The difference between genotypes and alleles was not statistically significant between controls and the CHD groups.ConclusionWe did not find sufficient evidence for an association between MTHFR C677T genotype and congenital heart disease in Saudi Arabian population. We agree that the sample size is a limitation to our above conclusions

Flax Seed (Linum usitatissimum): the Healthy Medicinala and Preventive Food

اشتهرت بذور الكتان منذ القدم لدى الإغريق والفراعنة بكونها أحد أهم أنواع البذور الطبية ذات الفوائد العديدة للجسم، تعتبر بذور الكتان بشكل أساسي من المحاصيل التي اكتسبت اهتماماً كبيراً كونها غذاءً صحياً فقد أُثبت دورها الفعال في مجال أمراض القلب والأوعية الدموية وتقليل نسبة الدهون والسكر في الدم وكمواد مضادة لسرطان الثدي والقولون. كما ثبت أن بذور الكتان تمتلك خصائص  مضادة للأكسدة ومضادة للالتهابات في الدراسات التجريبية على الحيوانات وكذلك البشر. أفاد الباحثون أن المنتجات الغذائية التي تحتوي على بذور الكتان يمكن أن تحظى بقبول جيد للمستهلك إلى جانب فوائدها الغذائية. تسلط هذه المقالة الضوء على الدور الفعال لبذور الكتان في علاج العديد من الامراض او الوقاية منها باعتبارها كغذاء طبي ووقائي وعلاجي.Flaxseeds have been known since ancient times to the Greeks and Pharaohs for being one of the most important types of medicinal seeds with many benefits for the body. Flaxseed is mainly considered as one of the oil crops that has gained great attention as a health food, as it has proven its effective role in the field of cardiovascular diseases, reducing  the proportion of fat and sugar in the blood, and as an anti-cancer of the breast and colon.  Flaxseeds have also been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties  in experimental studies in animals as well as humans. Researchers have reported that food products containing flaxseeds can have good consumer acceptance along with their nutritional benefits. This article highlights the effective role of flax seeds in the treatment or prevention of many diseases as a medicinal, preventive and curative food

A comparative study of voluntarily reported medication errors among adult patients in intensive care (IC) and non- IC settings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To investigate the risk factors associated with medication errors and to compare the incidence and types of voluntarily reported medication errors among adult intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods: The design of this study was retrospective. All voluntarily reported medication errors involving adult patients (≥ 18 years) who were admitted into King Abdulaziz Medical City during the study period (January 2012 to June 2013) were included in the study. Reported medication errors were classified as ICU or non-ICU errors. Medication errors were also classified according to the node of medication use, harm category, and type of medication errors.Results: A total of 31,399 patients admitted into the hospital were included in the study, with 1,966 (6 %) admitted into the ICU and 29,433 (94 %) admitted into the non-ICU units. Overall, the incidence of medication errors was 1.2 % (390/31,399), 1. Over half of the errors were administration-related (51 %). The incidence of medication errors was 5.5 % (108/1,966) in ICU compared with 0.96 % (282/29,433) in non-ICU units (p < 0.001. In both settings, prescribing errors, delay in drug administration and dispensing extra dose were the most common medication errors. Higher risk for medication errors was significantly associated with admission into ICU vs. non-ICU units [OR = 5.24, 95 % CI: (4.12, 6.65); p < 0.001] and with patients’ age ≥ 60 vs. < 60 years [OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: (1.19, 1.83); p < 0.001].Conclusion: Medication errors are common in the health facility and occur during all stages of medication use from prescribing to administration. Higher risk for medication errors is associated with admission into the ICU and with patients’ age ≥ 60. Physician, pharmacists, and nurses need to be vigilant, up-to-date, and continuously trained to reduce the incidence of medication errors.Keywords: Medication errors, Voluntary reporting, Intensive care unit, Hospital settin

Immobilization of horseradish peroxidase on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles

Background: Iron magnetic nanoparticles have attracted much attention. They have been used in enzyme immobilization because of their properties such as product is easily separated from the medium by magnetic separation. The present work was designed to immobilize horseradish peroxidase on Fe3O4 magnetic nanopraticles without modification. Results: In the present study, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was immobilized on non-modified Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. The immobilized HRP was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray. In addition, it retained 55% of its initial activity after 10 reuses. The optimal pH shifted from 7.0 for soluble HRP to 7.5 for the immobilized HRP, and the optimal temperature shifted from 40\ub0C to 50\ub0C. The immobilized HRP is more thermostable than soluble HRP. Various substrates were oxidized by the immobilized HRP with higher efficiencies than by soluble HRP. Km values of the soluble and immobilized HRP were 31 and 45 mM for guaiacol and 5.0 and 7.0 mM for H2O2, respectively. The effect of metals on soluble and immobilized HRP was studied. Moreover, the immobilized HRP was more stable against high concentrations of urea, Triton X-100, and isopropanol. Conclusions: Physical immobilization of HRP on iron magnetic nanoparticles improved the stability toward the denaturation induced by pH, heat, metal ions, urea, detergent, and water-miscible organic solvent

Integrative multi‐omics analyses of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) roots and leaves reveal how the halophyte land plant copes with sea water

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is able to grow and complete its life cycle while being rooted in highly saline soils. Which of the many well-known salt-tolerance strategies are combined to fine-tune this remarkable resilience is unknown. The precise location, whether in the shoot or the root, where these strategies are employed remains uncertain, leaving us unaware of how the various known salt-tolerance mechanisms are integrated to fine-tune this remarkable resilience. To address this shortcoming, we exposed date palm to a salt stress dose equivalent to seawater for up to 4 weeks and applied integrative multi-omics analyses followed by targeted metabolomics, hormone, and ion analyses. Integration of proteomic into transcriptomic data allowed a view beyond simple correlation, revealing a remarkably high degree of convergence between gene expression and protein abundance. This sheds a clear light on the acclimatization mechanisms employed, which depend on reprogramming of protein biosynthesis. For growth in highly saline habitats, date palm effectively combines various salt-tolerance mechanisms found in both halophytes and glycophytes: “avoidance” by efficient sodium and chloride exclusion at the roots, and “acclimation” by osmotic adjustment, reactive oxygen species scavenging in leaves, and remodeling of the ribosome-associated proteome in salt-exposed root cells. Combined efficiently as in P. dactylifera L., these sets of mechanisms seem to explain the palm's excellent salt stress tolerance