4,588 research outputs found
A model to evaluate diabetes self-management programmes
No full textSelf-management has emerged as an approach to enhance quality of care for patients suffering from long term conditions, and to control costs of health services. So far, however, the effects of this approach as adopted by the Saudi healthcare system in the early 1990s remain unclear. Although current models define the concept of self-management, they do not provide a systematic development or an explanatory theory of how self management affects the outcomes of care. The objective of this research is to develop a framework applicable to the evaluation of self-management programmes. The evaluation model is built on patient-related intervention. The effectiveness of these interventions is determined by the levels of patient engagement and effective participation. Therefore, studying factors that influence patients‘ adherence to self-management activities is crucial to explain the outcomes of these interventions. We apply this framework to the case of diabetes mellitus, one of the most common chronic conditions in Saudi Arabia, causing huge burdens on patients and healthcare providers.A non-experimental retrospective cross-sectional survey research design has been employed to conduct this research using a self-administered questionnaire. Closed-ended questions were used to measure all study variables related to model construction. One open-ended question was used to investigate barriers to diabetes self-management. A non-probability convenient sample design was used to select diabetes centres participated in this study and a systematic approach for selecting patients in these centres. Research data were collected from five diabetes centres and clinics in the main five regions in Saudi Arabia. Quantitative data were analysed using simple, multiple and logistic regressions, whereas a directed content analysis approach was used to analyse qualitative data.The results of this study revealed that diabetes self-management improves clinical outcomes and reduces utilization of health services. The theoretical approaches underpinning self-management were based on established models from the field of health psychology. By investigating the effect of self-efficacy patients‘ beliefs, and locus of control on self-management, we found that these behavioural theories support the core assumptions of self-management. Self-efficacy was the most significant predictor of self-management followed by patient beliefs. Social support, effective communication between patients and health providers in addition to diabetes knowledge were all important factors to positively influence diabetes self-management. However a new construct, misconception of fatalism from the Islamic point of view, was found to play a negative role in diabetes management. The research model also suggests that diabetes knowledge was influenced by several factors. Education level was the most significant predictor of diabetes knowledge followed by age and diabetes education. It was also found that group education improves diabetes knowledge more than individual education.This model is a valid tool that could be used to evaluate self-management programmes in other chronic diseases. It can be used as a decision making supporting tool; to identify different components of self-management interventions, and to compare outcomes of programmes. It can also be used to group patients into different categories to facilitate providing tailored services suitable for each group. It could assist health providers to plan new interventions or to refine existing ones by allocating efforts and financial resources toward the most influential factors that affect patients‘ adherence to self-management activities.<br/
Potential changes in Saudi students’ motivations and attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language after immersion in an L2 learning environment
No full textThis study traces potential changes in the motivation of Saudi students studying English as a second language (L2) in the UK. It investigates whether the beliefs and motivations of these students have changed during their learning experience, and identifies the pedagogical implications of such change for English teaching, not only to Saudi students in the UK, but also to Saudi students enrolled in Saudi higher education institutions. It aims to identify the reasons behind changes in motivation as well as the impact these may have on students’ attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations are used through three phases of English academic programme. The subjects of the study are newly arrived Saudi students (three PhD students and 29 Master’s students) studying in four different universities in the UK under the fields of Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, and Translation. The conceptual framework is based on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System Theory and Dörnyei & Ushioda’s framework of motivation and L2 self. Changes in motivation are usually accompanied by changes in students’ classroom involvement, attitudes towards the target language, and positive or negative impacts on the students’ outcomes and language competencies. Similar to other types of learning, L2 learning cannot take place in a vacuum.There are various factors that could affect second language learning in general, and learning English as a foreign language, in particular. One such factor is motivation in the second language acquisition (SLA). Studying the factors affecting motivation in language acquisition in this study is important because without motivation, even learners with vital skills cannot attain long-term goals. Also, the analysis of changes in behaviour, attitudes, and results could help in monitoring and tracing changes in language learning motivation.The present study has various contributions to the field of SLA. First, it validates earlier studies about the issue of motivation in linguistics, attitudes towards language, and changes in one’s self-identity as an outcome of language development. Second, it serves as an addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to motivation and attitude of Saudi students towards English as L2 and the important role of culture in this process. Further, it serves as an important contribution to how Saudi students’ L2 acquisition is understood using Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia household photovoltaic power survey March 2024
No full textAssessment and acceptability of Solar Photovoltaic Power generation and its potential impact on household electricity demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This dataset supports the publication: Alshehri, A.; James, P.; Bahaj, A (2024) 'Pathways to Large Scale Adoption of Residential Photovoltaics in Saudi Arabia' in the journal Energies</span
Health-related quality of life in Welsh adults: psychometric properties of the SF-36v2 and normative data
No full textObjectivesThe use of normative data has become well-accepted and a common strategy to interpret individual's health outcome scores, which can help in making decisions. The objectives of this study were to obtain population normative data for the domains and component summaries of the 36-item SF-36® Health Survey (SF-36), and to evaluate its reliability and construct validity.MethodsThis study was conducted using population-based data from the Welsh Health Survey (WHS; 2011–2015). This study used version 2 of the SF-36 (SF-36v2® Health Survey). The descriptive statistics and normative data for the eight domains and two summaries, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), were calculated. Reliability assessment used internal consistency methods and construct validity assessment used known group comparisons and item–scale correlations.Study design and sampleWe performed a secondary analyses of data from the Welsh Health Survey (WHS).ResultsThis study included 74,578 participants aged 16 years or older (53.6% were women). Participants aged 16–24 years scored higher on SF-36 scale than older groups on all domains. The SF-36 profiles by age group demonstrated lower scores for older age groups, with the most pronounced differences shown on the physical-related scales. Across the age groups, men had higher PCS and MCS scores than women. All SF-36 domains and PCS and MCS achieved a good to excellent internal consistency reliability exceeding 0.7. The scales demonstrated construct validity by showing associations with a range of factors known to be related to health.ConclusionsThis study provides SF-36 normative data for Wales based on a representative data and confirms the construct validity and reliability of the SF-36.Objectives: The use of normative data has become well-accepted and a common strategy to interpret individual's health outcome scores, which can help in making decisions. The objectives of this study were to obtain population normative data for the domains and component summaries of the 36-item SF-36® Health Survey (SF-36), and to evaluate its reliability and construct validity. Methods: This study was conducted using population-based data from the Welsh Health Survey (WHS; 2011–2015). This study used version 2 of the SF-36 (SF-36v2® Health Survey). The descriptive statistics and normative data for the eight domains and two summaries, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), were calculated. Reliability assessment used internal consistency methods and construct validity assessment used known group comparisons and item–scale correlations. Study design and sample: We performed a secondary analyses of data from the Welsh Health Survey (WHS). Results: This study included 74,578 participants aged 16 years or older (53.6% were women). Participants aged 16–24 years scored higher on SF-36 scale than older groups on all domains. The SF-36 profiles by age group demonstrated lower scores for older age groups, with the most pronounced differences shown on the physical-related scales. Across the age groups, men had higher PCS and MCS scores than women. All SF-36 domains and PCS and MCS achieved a good to excellent internal consistency reliability exceeding 0.7. The scales demonstrated construct validity by showing associations with a range of factors known to be related to health. Conclusions: This study provides SF-36 normative data for Wales based on a representative data and confirms the construct validity and reliability of the SF-36.</p
P115 Cigarettes smoke extract induces inflammatory gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cells
No full textP46 Cigarette smoke- and hypoxia-induced imbalanced vasoactive gene expression in human pulmonary artery endothelial and smooth muscle cells
No full textMulti-period demand response management in the smart grid: a Stackelberg game approach
No full textThis thesis studies a multi-period demand response management problem in the smart grid where multiple utility companies compete among themselves. The user-utility interactions are modeled by a noncooperative game of a Stackelberg type where the interactions among the utility companies are captured through a Nash equilibrium. It is shown that this game has a unique Stackelberg equilibrium at which the utility companies set prices to maximize their revenues (within a Nash game) while the users respond accordingly to maximize their utilities subject to their budget constraints. Closed-form expressions are provided for the corresponding strategies of the users and the utility companies. It is shown, both analytically and numerically, that the multi-period scheme, compared with the single-period one, provides more incentives for energy consumers to participate in demand response programs. A necessary and sufficient condition on the minimum budget needed for a user to participate is provided. The large population regime is also investigated and an appropriate company-to-user ratio is provided.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2016-03-02 without embargo termsThe student, Khaled Alshehri, accepted the attached license on 2015-10-28 at 13:13.The student, Khaled Alshehri, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2015-10-28 at 17:17.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2015-10-30 at 13:36.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #8717 on 2016-03-02 at 12:49:29Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-02T19:33:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
ALSHEHRI-THESIS-2015.pdf: 411812 bytes, checksum: da008bb376644f24a9265f1808a1b38a (MD5)
LICENSE.txt: 4212 bytes, checksum: 0c99b88953ab05fc7485a4c1459f8901 (MD5)
Previous issue date: 2015-10-3
Two-degree of freedom capacitive MEMS velocity sensor with two coupled electrically isolated mass-spring-damper systems
No full textpeer reviewe
Activation volumes for peroxodisulfate oxidation of cobalt(iii), iron(ii) and nickel(ii) complexes
No full textDependences of rate constants on pressure (in aqueous solution up to 1.25 kbar) are reported for peroxodisulphate oxidation of hexacyanoferrate(TI), tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)iron(II), tris(l,10-phenanthroline)iron(II), bis(l,4,7-triazacyclononane)nickel(II) and bis(l,2-ethanediamine)cysteinatocobalt(III) and its thioglycollato-analogue, and for periodate oxidation of the two last-named complexes. Derived activation volumes are reported and discussed in terms of intrinsic and solvational contributions. Rate laws and pressure effects on reactivity are reported for the reaction of peroxodisulphate with pentacyanoferrates(II) containing N-alkylpyrazinium ligands.PT: J; CR: ALSHEHRI S, 1992, THESIS LEICESTER ALSHEHRI S, 1993, TRANSIT METAL CHEM, V18, P228 ASANO T, 1978, CHEM REV, V78, P407 BLUNDELL NJ, 1989, INORG CHIM ACTA, V155, P165 BURGESS J, UNPUB BURGESS J, 1966, J CHEM SOC A, P1772 BURGESS J, 1970, J CHEM SOC A, P2114 BURGESS J, 1980, J CHEM SOC CHEM COMM, P350 BURGESS J, 1982, INORG CHIM ACTA, V64, L71 BURGESS J, 1987, TRANSIT METAL CHEM, V12, P238 BURGESS J, 1992, PROGR REACT KINET, V17, P1 HAINES RI, 1981, COORDIN CHEM REV, V39, P77 HALLINAN N, 1987, J ORGANOMET CHEM, V333, P77 HERTING DL, 1978, INORG CHEM, V17, P1649 HOUSE DA, 1962, CHEM REV, V62, P185 IRVINE DH, 1958, J CHEM SOC, P2166 IRVINE DH, 1959, J CHEM SOC, P2977 MCAULEY A, 1984, INORG CHEM, V23, P1938 MILLERO FJ, 1971, CHEM REV, V71, P147 SLOAN CP, 1975, INORG CHEM, V14, P1481 TOMA HE, 1973, INORG CHEM, V12, P1039 VOLLAROVA O, 1983, J CHEM SOC DA, P2359 VOLLAROVA O, 1986, COLLECT CZECH CHEM C, V51, P1049 YEH A, 1985, J AM CHEM SOC, V107, P369; NR: 24; TC: 7; J9: TRANSIT METAL CHEM; PG: 4; GA: MK339Source type: Electronic(1
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