The Impact of Environment on Physical Activity Levels and Obesity among Saudi Arabia Youth: Comparison of Urban; Rural Farm and Rural Desert Geographical Locations

Background: The inactive lifestyle is becoming prevalent in many developed and developing countries including Saudi Arabia. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of neighborhoods’ characteristics on physical activity (PA) levels and body mass index (BMI) in Saudi adolescents. Methods: The anthropometric measurement of 380 secondary-school (boys = 199; girls = 181) from different geographical locations such as urban, rural farm and rural desert was taken using the Seca digital scales for weight and Seca portable measure for height. The BMI was calculated using the formula kg/m2 followed by participants wearing piezoelectric, New-Lifestyles NL-2000 PA Monitor, and completing the international physical activity short form questionnaire. Results: The findings indicated, an average boys recorded 9180 steps per day compared to girls 5580 and the univariate ANOVA revealed a significant difference between genders steps per day in three geographical areas (F1,334 = 70.01, p < 0.001). The BMI results demonstrated that participant from rural farm had lower BMI (mean = 21.01 kg/m2) compared to urban location (mean = 24.12 kg/m2) and rural desert youth (mean = 25.58 kg/m2) indicating significant differences in BMI status in geographical locations (F2,379 = 16.40, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The inactivity and obesity prevalence are prevalent amongst demographic groups in Al-Ahsa. Therefore, future policies and interventions could target this populations especially the rural desert youth in which the health risk could be higher

The Correlation of Built Environment on Hypertension, and Weight Status amongst Adolescence in Saudi Arabia

The prevalence of hypertension is becoming more common in children and adolescents than ever before. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between the built environment on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, waist circumference, and health amongst adolescents in Saudi Arabia. A systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate and waist circumference of 380 boys and girls aged between 15–19 years old (male = 199 and females = 181) were measured. The International physical activity Questionnaire Short Form was used to assess the physical activity levels and time spent sitting. The statistical analysis conducted were means and standard deviation, 2-way and 3-way of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni post hoc tests, Chi-squared distribution and Pearson’s correlations. Among males, 16.75% were classified as hypertensive, 12.69% as pre-hypertensive, and 70.56% as normal whereas, females, 23.20% were classified as hypertensive, 12.15% as pre-hypertensive and 64.64% as normal. There were significant differences (F1,379 = 16.50, p < 0.001) between males and females waist circumference. Pearson’s correlation also revealed significant positive relationships in sedentary time (r = 0.123, p < 0.016), WC (r = 0.104, p < 0.043), and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.110, p < 0.032). The results revealed that systolic and diastolic blood pressure are significantly related to multiple measures of weight status, and sedentary behaviour. The results also highlight that active youth had lower resting heart rate compared to inactive peers. The present findings provide a foundation of knowledge for future research and highlight the major need for research and policy interventions, to address the concerning health habits of Al-Ahsa youth and broader Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Correlation of Built Environment on Hypertension, and Weight Status amongst Adolescence in Saudi Arabia.

The prevalence of hypertension is becoming more common in children and adolescents than ever before. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between the built environment on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, waist circumference, and health amongst adolescents in Saudi Arabia. A systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate and waist circumference of 380 boys and girls aged between 15-19 years old (male = 199 and females = 181) were measured. The International physical activity Questionnaire Short Form was used to assess the physical activity levels and time spent sitting. The statistical analysis conducted were means and standard deviation, 2-way and 3-way of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni post hoc tests, Chi-squared distribution and Pearson's correlations. Among males, 16.75% were classified as hypertensive, 12.69% as pre-hypertensive, and 70.56% as normal whereas, females, 23.20% were classified as hypertensive, 12.15% as pre-hypertensive and 64.64% as normal. There were significant differences (F1,379 = 16.50, p 0.001) between males and females waist circumference. Pearson's correlation also revealed significant positive relationships in sedentary time (r = 0.123, p 0.016), WC (r = 0.104, p 0.043), and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.110, p 0.032). The results revealed that systolic and diastolic blood pressure are significantly related to multiple measures of weight status, and sedentary behaviour. The results also highlight that active youth had lower resting heart rate compared to inactive peers. The present findings provide a foundation of knowledge for future research and highlight the major need for research and policy interventions, to address the concerning health habits of Al-Ahsa youth and broader Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A Real-Time Letter Recognition Model for Arabic Sign Language Using Kinect and Leap Motion Controller v2

The objective of this research is to develop a supervised machine learning hand-gesturing model to recognize Arabic Sign Language (ArSL), using two sensors: Microsoft\u27s Kinect with a Leap Motion Controller. The proposed model relies on the concept of supervised learning to predict a hand pose from two depth images and defines a classifier algorithm to dynamically transform gestural interactions based on 3D positions of a hand-joint direction into their corresponding letters whereby live gesturing can be then compared and letters displayed in real time. This research is motivated by the need to increase the opportunity for the Arabic hearing-impaired to communicate with ease using ArSL and is the first step towards building a full communication system for the Arabic hearing impaired that can improve the interpretation of detected letters using fewer calculations. To evaluate the model, participants were asked to gesture the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet multiple times each to create an ArSL letter data set of gestures built by the depth images retrieved by these devices. Then, participants were later asked to gesture letters to validate the classifier algorithm developed. The results indicated that using both devices for the ArSL model were essential in detecting and recognizing 22 of the 28 Arabic alphabet correctly 100 %

The Combined Effect of Bubble and Photo Catalysis Technology in BTEX Removal from Produced Water

Among the several ways used in wastewater treatment, the photocatalysis process is a more novel and alternative process that is increasingly employed in recent years. This work aims to improve the performance of the photocatalyst process by using air bubbles in removing the BTEX from produced water as an indicator of process efficiency. The study also shows the effect of influencing factors (pH and residence time) on the photocatalysis process. The study was done in a rectangular column with dimensions of 200 mm width, 30 mm depth, and 1500 mm height. Commercial titanium oxide (TiO2) coated on a plate by the varnish was used as a source of the photocatalyst. The experiment was carried out under different values of gas flow rate (0-3 L/min) to evaluate its effect on the photocatalyst process, the effect of other variables of pH (3-11), and irradiation time (30-120) min was also studied. A new method of the coating was adopted by using an alumina plate with varnish as an adhesive. The characteristics results show that the coated plate has hydrophilic properties and that there is no significant change in the crystal structure of the TiO2 nanoparticles and the varnish before and after 60 h of the photocatalytic process, indicating that the plate is still effective after 60 h usage under different conditions. The results also show that the introduction of air bubbles enhances the removal efficiency of BTEX significantly and the best removal effectiveness of BTEX was 93% when pH = 5 after 90 min and 90% when pH = 3 after 120 min. The removal rate also reached 86% when pH = 7 after 120 min all at a flow rate of 3 L/min. The percentage of removal decreased at pH = 9 and 11, reaching 64% and 50%, respectively after 120 min and a flow rate of 3 L/min. Copyright © 2022 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

A Cluster Analysis of Lifestyle and Health Habits of Youth from Two Geographically and Culturally Diverse Countries

Objectives: Obesity is a leading risk factor for global mortality, promoted by poor dietary habits and sedentary behaviour. This study explores the clustering and differences in dietary habits, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA) amongst youth from United Kingdom (UK) and Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: 2290 males and females aged 15 - 17 years completed a self-report questionnaire and an objective measure of BMI. Results: Youth from SA had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and lower levels of PA than youth from the UK. Males were more physically active than females across both countries. Three clusters were identified: a “high risk” cluster with least healthy dietary habits, low PA and high BMI; a “moderate cluster” with moderate healthy dietary habits, PA and BMI; a “low risk” cluster with healthiest dietary habits, greatest PA and the lowest BMI compared to the other clusters. There were more SA youth in the high and moderate risk clusters compared to UK youth. Conclusions: Exploring cross-cultural and demographic characteristics of youth enables the identification of similarities and differences that might lead to the development of universal intervention strategies

Factors Influencing Saudi Youth Physical Activity Participation: A Qualitative Study Based on the Social Ecological Model

Background: The growing improvement in urbanisation, modes of transportation and the expansion of sedentary behaviour, both at work and home, have resulted in declining rates of physical activity (PA) worldwide. Nearly one-third of the global population aged 15 and over are insufficiently active. The negative effect of physical inactivity has been evidenced and ranked fourth as the lethal cause of death globally. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the factors influencing PA participation among youths from different geographical locations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Sixteen focus groups (males = 8 and females = 8) were conducted with a total of 120 secondary school students (male = 63 and female = 57) aged between 15 and 19 years. The focus groups were analysed to identify key themes through the process of thematic analysis. Results: Results from the focus groups indicated that a lack of time, safety, parental support, policies, access to sport and PA facilities, and transportation, as well as climate were reported as barriers to PA participation. Discussion and conclusion: The current research contributes to the scarce literature focused on the multidimensional effects on Saudi youth PA behaviour from different geographical locations. This qualitative approach has provided the participants a voice, and the overall study offers valuable evidence as well as invaluable information to policymakers, public health departments, and local authorities for PA intervention based on the environment and the community

Calibration of Transit Operations Planning (TOP) Model and Evaluation of Bus Transit Route Performance in Riyadh

Public transit systems provide mobility for a large percentage of urban residents very cost-effectively and with minimum negative impact on the environment. ln spite of their vital and indispensable services; however , The majority of transit systems worldwide suffer from financial neglect and are forced to rely heavily on government subsidies for survival. In response to the rapidly shrinking funds and subsidy levels transit managements have to focus attention on ways to improve service operations. The management of public transit systems in Saudi Arabia is no exception to this trend. This study is aimed at evaluating the service performance of a sample of regular (fixed-route, fixed schedule) bus transit routes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Utilizing a microcomputer-based program, the bus transit service operational measures of fare, headway, vehicle size and routing were analyzed. To account for the socio-economic and cultural differences of transit ridership in Riyadh, time/cost elasticities of demand as well as walk time and bus travel time parameters of the model were calibrated. Evaluation of the impact of changes in service operational measures suggested that no change in operational variables could improve the very low productivity of one of the sample study routes. A cost-reduction strategy which includes the use of smaller vehicles and less-frequent service runs should improve the low productivity of this route. Findings also indicated that a small increase in fare would pay for the total operation and maintenance costs of the other routes. The authors, however, do not recommend an increase in fare for a variety of reasons; the low income level of the captive riderships, the enormous financial resources of the country , and the multi-dimentional role of transit systems in providing urban mobility with minimum negative impacts on the  environment

Carbon nanotube effect on the ductility, flexural strength, and permeability of concrete

Recently, remarkable types of carbon nanofilaments called carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have raised the interest of many concrete and cementitious composite researchers due to their significant mechanical, electrical, thermal, kinetic, and chemical properties. These nanofilaments are considered promising applicants to use in producing high-performance cement-based composite materials. In this research, the effect of CNT use on the flexural strength, strain capacity, permeability, and microstructure of concrete was investigated. Concrete batches of 0, 0.03, 0.08, 0.15, and 0.25 wt.% CNTs were prepared using a mixing method that consisted of a 30-minute solution sonication and a 60-minute batch mixing. On the 28th day, the mechanical properties were determined. The results indicated that concrete prepared using high CNT contents of 0.15 and 0.25 wt.% increased the flexural strength by more than 100% in comparison with 0% CNT concrete. Furthermore, the results showed that CNTs would increase the ductility of concrete beams by about 150%. The permeability test results showed the benefits of CNT inclusion in reducing the permeability of concrete. The permeability coefficient (kT) decreased by at least 45% when CNTs were added to concrete. A qualitative microstructural analysis illustrated the uniform dispersion of CNT filaments within the concrete hydration products in all batches.Scopu