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The aim of this study is to investigate EFL Secondary School Teachers' Views on Blended Learning. It also aims to investigate (a) the teachers' views on blended learning content and process, and (b) how blended learning is effective in developing teachers' performance. The study sample included 35 EFL Saudi teachers in Tabuk City, KSA. In order to collect the data required, the researchers developed a questionnaire that consisted of two sections, namely, process and content. The results indicate that the teachers' views toward blended learning were generally positive and very promising in both sections. Moreover, it was interesting to see that EFL teachers were highly optimistic about how blended learning would help them in improving their performance and how it would motivate their students to learn English. Finally, there are no significant differences between teachers' responses to the content and process of blended learning, with regards to qualification, experience, and the amount of training done.

Nanocomposite materials have demonstrated excellent performance in many application fields. Metal nanoparticle/graphene oxide composites are among the most promising composite materials for catalytic applications. In this study, nanocomposites of Au-Pd bimetallic particles/graphene oxide were prepared from an aqueous bath and used as catalysts in the oxidation reactions of some chemical compounds. The oxidation and exfoliation of graphite were controlled by varying the acid treatment time. The effects of the treatment time on the properties and performance of the prepared bimetallic-nanoparticle-supported graphene oxide catalysts were very obvious. Depending on the treatment time, a significant improvement in the conversion efficiency ranging from 65% to about 480%, along with a high oxidation selectivity, were achieved. The obtained findings show that the catalytic performance of metal/graphene oxide nanocomposites can be easily maximized by controlling the oxidation and exfoliation of graphene sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene derivatives have demonstrated high potential for various applications, including environmental ones. In this work, graphene oxide nano-sheets were obtained by utilizing a simple chemical method and were tested for water treatment applications. The pollutant adsorption ability of the produced GO was adjusted through a proper oxidation treatment of the graphene nano-sheets. The GO treatment time was systematically varied to control the oxidation level of the graphene nano-sheets and was found to considerably affect the GO's properties and performance in removing methylene blue. The microscopic studies showed well-exfoliated, few-layer GO nano-sheets. EDS and FTIR techniques were used to probe the presence of oxygen functional groups on the GO surface. The XRD investigations revealed various crystallinity levels of the prepared GO nano-sheets depending on the treatment time. The MB degradation efficiency was maximized by optimizing the GO treatment time. The results showed that the oxidation treatment parameters of GO play a major role in adjusting its properties and can be effectively utilized to boost its performance for water purification applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the structural and nonlinear behavior of Sn1−x−yZnxMyOz varistors with x = 0.00, 0.50, y = 0.00, 0.25 and M = Fe, Co, Ni and Mn. The crystallite and grain sizes and porosity of SnO2 are decreased by Zn doping, followed by a further decrease by (Zn + M) co-substitution. The breakdown field (EB), nonlinear coefficient (α), leakage current (IK) and residual voltage (Kr) of SnO2 are respectively 333.35 V/cm, 5.6, 900 μA/cm2 and 5.32. When SnO2 was substituted by Zn, IK and Kr are decreased to 816 μA/cm2 and 3.62, whereas EB and α are increased to 666.67 and 11.48. The EB and α values are increased by co-substitution in the SnZnMn sample, whereas IK and Kr are decreased. Rather than containing many elements and compounds, the current varistors are based on only two well-known ions co-substituted into SnO2. These findings are discussed in terms of the oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities play an important role in health. Although studies report less inequalities in adolescent health compared to other age groups, there may be differences in their health behavior and mental health. Objective(s): This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to analyze these associations. Methods: Using a sample of students (n = 112, aged 13 - 18 years) data were collected from public and private schools in Irbid governorate, Jordan, November, 2018. Measurements included socioeconomic status indicators (education and income of the parents, assessed by the adolescent), the Global School-based Student Health Survey, health behaviors (tobacco use, personal hygiene, dietary behavior), Satisfaction with Life Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant association between the family affluence and both paternal (p= 0.003) and maternal educational levels (p= 0.008). There was a relationship between paternal education and not having enough food at home (p= 0.006), adolescents' eating fruit per week (p= 0.037), and washing their hands before eating (p= 0.004). Maternal education level was related to the students' eating vegetables (p= 0.011) and fruits (p = 0.030) per week. The association of family affluence with eating fast food was significant (p= 0.05). The relationship of depression and family affluence was linear. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adolescents' health behavior may dominantly be related to paternal education, while their mental health may be related to family affluence. The data of this study will help in establishing effective and efficient counseling and support intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degenerative disc disease and low back pain are common challenges that persist even after a discectomy. However, characterizations and quantifications of these illnesses from the patients' perspective are insufficient. We aimed to perform a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to determine the frequency of chronic pain after spinal surgery. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library to retrieve research articles describing the frequency of persistent back pain, reoccurring disc herniation, and undergoing another operation following primary lumbar discectomy. We excluded articles that did not disclose the proportion of patients who experienced ongoing back or leg pain for over six months after the operation. We included 16 studies evaluating 85,643 patients. The pooled prevalence of persistent pain was 14.97% (95% confidence interval: 12.38-17.76). With all advancements in technology and operation techniques, many patients (14.97%) still have failed back surgery syndrome. Appropriate preoperative communication and multidisciplinary and coordinated treatment strategies yielded the best results., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Alshammari et al.)

Background: School climate is one of several important factors influencing adolescent well-being and life satisfaction. Although a growing number of studies investigate the role of school climate, they often apply a global scale and only a few of them measure any specific elements. Likewise, most studies are focused on well-being and not life satisfaction., Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate how different elements of school climate (teacher responsiveness, disruptive behavior, positive mutual bonds, classroom atmosphere, growth) are related to life satisfaction among a sample of Jordanian high school students., Methods: Using a self-administered and online questionnaire, the sample consists of adolescents from public schools located in northern Jordan (N = 2141, aged 13-18 years)., Results: Jordanian high school students' levels of life satisfaction were higher for girls [ t (2139) = -8.2, p < .001]. Disruptive behavior correlated negatively with classroom atmosphere ( r = -0.50; p < .001 among girls and r = -0.45; p < .001 for boys); teacher responsiveness was positively correlated with growth ( r = 0.49; p < .001 for girls and r = 0.61; p < .001 for boys). However, the role of disruptive behavior was different for girls (negative) compared to boys (positive), although these correlations were weak. In multiple regression analyses, teacher responsiveness ( β = 0.22; p < .001) and positive mutual bonds ( β = 0.19; p < .001) were largest contributors to life satisfaction beyond self-assessed socioeconomic status ( β = 0.27; p < .001). Age ( β = -0.08; p < .01) and growth ( β = 0.27; p < .001) were significant only for boys., Conclusions: These results demonstrate the importance of examining different elements of school climate in an effort to better understand adolescents' life satisfaction. Certain gender differences may highlight differences in social needs across different classroom settings which require further investigation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)