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The Legal Nature of Cyberbullying: A Comparative Study Between the American and the Jordanian Laws
Get PDFThe research is aimed to highlight the emerging phenomenon of cyberbullying in Jordan by analysing some of the main legal aspects of cyberbullying and relevant laws. It analysed whether the nature of the phenomenon constitutes a crime, and therefore, must be explicitly stated in the relevant laws, or it is only a bad social phenomenon that can be addressed within the school environment, and therefore no need for legislative provisions to prohibit it. The research showed the gravity of the psychological and physical effects of cyberbullying and its diversity forms and methods. Also, it underscored the paucity of the legal research on the phenomenon in Jordan, and the incompetence of the current Jordanian laws dealing with cyberbullying, including the Jordan’s Child Right Act draft. The United States lawmaker on the other hand, has directly or indirectly addressed this phenomenon, with some states explicitly criminalized cyberbullying, while others used traditional methods to address the problem. The research recommended several recommendations including: Adding cyberbullying to the existing Cybercrime Law No 27 of 2015, and to the Child Right Act draft
Psychological and Social Challenges Facing Gifted Students: Parents\u27 Perspective
Get PDFThe study identified the most common psychological and social challenges characteristics among gifted students based on parents\u27 perspective. In addition, the study examined the differences on the psychological and social challenges characteristics among gifted students based on education types (public and private schools). The sample consisted of 143 parents whose children were classified as gifted students based on Mawhiba Multiple Cognitive Aptitude Test at primary and secondary school levels. The researcher used t-test and ANOVA to analyze the data. The most prevalent psychological and social challenges among gifted students were as follows: high expectations from parents and teachers, increased sense of responsibility towards oneself and towards, the neurotic perfectionism, fear of failure, lack of patience with others, and low motivation. The researcher found that there were statistically significant differences between gifted students in public and private schools in the following challenges: stress, intensity of self-criticism, sensitivity to criticism, high level of psychological challenge, difficulty coping with the new environment, psychological loneliness, lack of patience with others, and difficulties in making friends. The researcher recommends conducting other studies to measure gifted students’ and teachers’ perspectives on the psychological and social challenges in the current study.
Keywords: social problems, psychological problems, gifted education, general and private educatio
Attitude towards Online Psychological Experiments for College of Education Undergraduates in Omani and Kuwaiti Contexts in the Light of Gender, Academic Major, and GPA
Get PDFThe present research paper aimed at investigating the differences in attitude towards online psychological experiments across gender (males–females) and culture (Oman – Kuwait), detecting the correlation relationship between attitude and grade point average (GPA). Additionally, it explores the differences in attitudes towards online psychological experiments attributed to gender, academic major, and GPA. The sample consisted of 328 participants (165 Omani, 163 Kuwaiti; 19 % males, 81% females). Scale of attitude towards online psychological experiments was used to collect data. Results indicated significant positive association between GPA and attitude towards online psychological experiments while no significant effect for gender, major or their interaction on attitude. Attitudes of students with high GPA were more positive than those of low GPA. No significant differences were detected between the Omani and Kuwaiti samples in attitudes towards the OPL experiments.
Keywords: Attitudes, cross-cultural study, online laboratory (OPL), psychology experiments, virtual experiment
The Degree of the 21st-Century Skills in the Educational Competencies of Curricula for the Basic Education Stage in the GCC
Get PDFThe study aimed to identify the degree of the skills of the 21st-century in the competencies of educational curricula in GCC. The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach (content analysis) and concluded a list of (8) basic skills was prepared, and (56) sub-skills branched out from it. (7.3) creativity and problem-solving a high (3.5), language mastery a medium (3.3), communication and teamwork a medium (2.8), critical thinking a low (2.4), leadership and initiative a low (2.2), technological culture low (2), leadership and decision-making very low (1.3), and the results of the analysis showed close proportions in the competencies of the educational curricula according to the following: (the UAE has a medium score, and in the Kingdom of Bahrain it was medium, while In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a low degree), and accordingly the researcher recommends the need to re-examine the competencies in the rest of the academic stages, in a way that ensures that they take into account all the skills of 21st-century, and adopt a clear description at the level of the GCC countries for the skills of the 21st- century, And the criteria for including them in the educational competencies for the various academic subjects.
Keywords: 21st-century skills, educational competencies, basic education, curricula, Arab Gulf countrie
DISTURBANCE OBSERVER-BASED CONTROL FOR PMSG-BASED WIND TURBINER CONSIDERING UNBALANCED GRID CONDITIONS
Get PDFA typical Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG)-based wind turbine system consists of an electrical generator, Machine-Side Converter (MSC), Grid-Side Converter (GSC), dc-link capacitor, and a passive filter such as L filter or LCL filter to connect the GSC to the host grid. When the wind turbine operates under unbalanced grid voltages, a negative sequence component is introduced to the system. This negative sequence voltage can pose challenges for classical controllers to ensure an efficient control of the PMSG-based wind turbine system. On one hand, when the control objective is to ensure injecting sinusoidal and balanced three-phase currents to the grid, voltage unbalance can cause active power to oscillate at double fundamental frequency. On the other hand, delivering constant active power to the grid, under unbalanced voltages, requires injecting sinusoidal and unbalanced three-phase currents to the grid. In the current control scheme, constant active power operation during unbalanced voltages can be achieved by setting the grid currents to follow appropriate sinusoidal and unbalanced current references. In power control scheme, these current references can be used to compute the active and reactive power commands required to achieve ripple-free active power under unbalanced voltage conditions. During unbalanced grid voltages, ripple-free active power can produce a sinusoidal oscillation of frequency 2 in the dc-link voltage, where is the grid frequency. This oscillation occurs due to periodic energy exchange between the inductance of the passive filter and the dc-link capacitor, as no active power oscillations are injected into the grid. This energy exchange also occurs between the dc-link voltage and the stator windings of the PMSG, resulting in 2 ripple in the torque of the generator. Thus, under unbalanced grid voltages, appropriate control strategies are required for the control of the GSC and MSC to enable efficient power exchange between the host grid and the wind turbine.This thesis presents the design and performance evaluation of a robust control strategy for both GSC and MSC. Under balanced grid voltage conditions, GSC regulates the dc-link voltage through controlling either the current or the power injected into the grid, while the MSC regulates the stator currents of the PMSG aiming to maximize the power extracted from the wind. During unbalanced grid voltage conditions, the roles of GSC and MSC are interchanged. In particular, the MSC regulates the dc-link voltage through controlling the stator currents of the PMSG, while the GSC regulates the active power delivered to the grid to allow implementing the so-called “Fault Ride Through” algorithm. In this thesis, the proposed controller for both converters is based on combining a state-feedback controller with a disturbance observer. The feedback controller has the role of stabilizing the nominal closed-loop system, while the disturbance observer plays the role of a servo-compensator to cancel the effect of model uncertainties and unknown disturbances, considering the oscillatory behavior of disturbances under unbalanced grid voltages. Another advantage of the disturbance observer is its ability to achieve a seamless transition between the control schemes in response to sudden balance/unbalance event in grid voltages. The proposed controller also makes use of a notch filter to cancel the effect of the inherent dc-link voltage oscillations on the machine torque, particularly when the grid voltage is unbalanced. Simulation tests are conducted to verify the performances of the proposed control technique using MATLAB Software considering realistic scenarios and adequate control parameters. The results demonstrate that the proposed control scheme can achieve good steady-state and transient performances under both balanced and unbalanced grid voltages. More importantly, the obtained results show that proposed controller is able to maintain good transient performances in response to sudden unbalance/balance events in the grid voltages
ELLAGIC ACID INHIBITS α-SYNUCLEIN PROPAGATION AND ALLEVIATES THE NEUROTOXICITY BY ENHANCING AUTOPHAGIC FLUX IN ANIMAL MODEL OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Get PDFParkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disorder pathologically characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNc) as well as the formation of Lewy bodies composed mainly of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates. It has been documented that abnormal aggregation of α-syn is one of the major causes of developing PD. Ellagic Acid (EA) is a widely known dietary supplement found in pomegranates as well as a plethora of berries and nuts. EA has been shown to prevent α-syn aggregates’ toxicity in cellular model of PD. In the current study we aim to evaluate whether EA can prevent α-syn spreading and associated toxicity in an animal model of PD. C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to intrastriatal injections of α-syn Preformed Fibrils (PFF). 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (10 mg/kg/b.wt) injections were administered intraperitonially on the 6th week following the stereotaxic surgery for five consecutive days. EA treated animals were injected intraperitonially with EA (10 mg/kg/b.wt) for twelve consecutive days (starting from the day following the stereotaxic surgery). Adjunct EA administration (IP 10 mg/kg/b.wt) with MPTP (EA administration one hour prior to MPTP) continued through the 6th week (seven days). Animals were sacrificed by the end of the 8th week, and brain samples were processed for immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally, an oral route of administration of EA was investigated in this study at a dose of 20 mg/kg/b.wt under the same premises of EA IP administration. We observed that intraperitoneal administration of EA significantly decreased the spreading of endogenous α-syn from the site of injection (striatum) to the SNc area when compared with the group receiving PFF + MPTP. We also found that EA prevented dopaminergic neuronal loss in the SNc area and nerve terminal density loss in the striatum. We also performed TUNEL assay to evaluate the apoptotic neurons in the SNc which was significantly lower in EA treated group consistent with α-syn spreading and toxicity. Furthermore, the autophagy markers were assessed in TH expressing cells in the SNc and our data suggests that EA enhanced the autophagic flux in animal model of PD. The efficiency of the oral administration of EA retained significance in decreasing the pS129 α-syn spreading but was radically decreased in terms of protection against dopaminergic neuronal loss. This could be attributed to the lower bioavailability of EA upon oral administration. This warrants further study related to oral administration. The present study suggests the involvement of a restorative mechanism of autophagic flux conferred by EA treatment which prevents toxic α-syn spreading as well as preserves dopaminergic neurons in male mouse PD model. The ameliorative effect of EA in the current PD mouse model was also challenged upon oral administration which needs improvement of oral delivery of EA
ﺣﻖ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﮭﻠﻚ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺪول ﻋﻦ اﻟﻌﻘﺪ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ( دراﺳﺔ ﻣﻘﺎرﻧﺔ )
Get PDFConsumer\u27s right to withdraw from the electronic contract
A Comparative Study
Technological development has significantly changed how people communicate, particularly in concluding contracts. Sales contracts, often executed through modern communication methods and the internet, have become especially common due to their speed. This convenience often leads consumers to accept contracts hastily, relying only on photographs and descriptions provided by sellers. These descriptions may be inaccurate, or consumers may be misled by false advertisements, as these contracts are made remotely without physical interaction.
The consumer, a vital part of the economic process, increasingly faces assaults on their rights, particularly in electronically concluded contracts. This situation necessitates robust consumer protection against such infringements. Many legislations aim to provide comprehensive protection for consumers in their contractual dealings.
To safeguard consumers, comparative legislation has developed legal mechanisms to protect them in cases of rushed contract conclusions or when the product or service does not meet the description or personal requirements. One such mechanism is the right to rescission, allowing consumers to reconsider and withdraw from a contract within a specific period, restoring the situation to its pre-contract state without needing the other party\u27s consent
FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POTATO ARP1 GENE ENCODING AUXIN-REPRESSED PROTEIN
Get PDFAuxin-repressed proteins (ARPs) are conserved in higher plants and are involved in plant growth and development by controlling gene expression. ARP1 has been studied for its role in biotic stress response, but its role in abiotic stress response remains unclear. In this study, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing potato (S. tuberosum) ARP1 were evaluated for their salinity stress response. By gradually increasing NaCl concentrations from 0 to 200mM, plants were subjected to high salinity stress. As compared to wild-type (WT) control plants under stressed conditions, the ARP1 transgenic plants demonstrated improved height and root length and higher chlorophyll content. Under NaCl-induced salinity stress, the stomatal conductance of ARP1 plants was higher than that of WT plants. These measures indicate stress-related tissue damage and plant water status, respectively. As compared to WT plants, ARP1 plants accumulated more proline. Genes encoding antioxidant enzymes such as, Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) were expressed at higher levels in ARP1 plants, indicating better Reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification capacity. Chlorophyll-a fluorescence kinetics analyses showed that overexpression of the S. tuberosum ARP1 gene increased PIABS and PItotal indices as well as quantum yields and efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) as measured in eleven critical photosynthetic parameters, on salinity stressed ARP1 plants. Overall, this study has exhibited the positive role of potato auxin-repressed protein in alleviating salinity stress tolerance in higher plants
THE IMPACT OF CHANGING THE ADMISSION POLICY ON STUDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ABU DHABI HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Get PDFThis dissertation is concerned with the intricate dynamics of educational change in the UAE, particularly focusing on the impact of admission policy changes on students’ educational opportunities on higher educational institutions. The main objective of this dissertation is to critically evaluate the effectiveness of educational changes, specifically through the lens of revised admission policy, in enhancing the standards of higher education in the United Arab Emirates.A quantitative research methodology using questionnaire was utilized in this research paper and PLS-SEM method with SmartPLS software was used for data analysis. The study investigates the effect of changing the admission policy on student educational opportunities in higher educational institutions in Abu Dhabi. The data analysis, showed support for Hypotheses H2, H3, and H4 but not H1, provides insightful implications in the context of the UAE\u27s dynamic educational landscape. These insights of this study offers valuable guidance for educators and policymakers, emphasizing the need to consider student perspectives and readiness for change to ensure effective and beneficial educational changes. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities in education reform and underlines the importance of comprehensive strategies that consider various stakeholder perspectives in the rapidly evolving educational landscape of the UAE
MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF USING DIGITAL TOOLS IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING IN ABU DHABI SCHOOLS
Get PDFDigital learning is an active method of learning in our lives, and it has been implemented in all the schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many techniques, such as platforms, online educational websites, and other applications, were used by teachers to support blended learning and assist students in achieving their goals and accomplishing what is required from their curriculum. The main objective of this study is to examine teachers’ perceptions toward teaching mathematics using digital learning tools in Cycle 2 and Cycle 3. Data was collected from (n= 114) mathematics teachers in Abu Dhabi City, UAE, during the spring semester of the 2023 academic year. A descriptive quantitative design was used to gather data using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The results showed that the respondents were open to integrating digital technology into their teaching while also being cautious regarding the increased workload due to the integration. Moreover, results show greater positivity toward digital tools among teachers with higher levels of education in a UAE sample population. All teachers must successfully train to integrate digital tools with knowledge pedagogy. This approach is consistent with the tenets of TPCK, which emphasizes knowledge and understanding for successfully integrating digital tools into conventional teaching. The study contributes to the knowledge of educational systems and curriculum planners regarding integrating digital technology in mathematics teaching and learning. It bridges the gap in mathematics teaching in a growing digital world