NeoSySPArtaN: A Neuro-Symbolic Spin Prediction Architecture for higher-order multipole waveforms from eccentric Binary Black Hole mergers using Numerical Relativity

The prediction of spin magnitudes in binary black hole and neutron star mergers is crucial for understanding the astrophysical processes and gravitational wave (GW) signals emitted during these cataclysmic events. In this paper, we present a novel Neuro-Symbolic Architecture (NSA) that combines the power of neural networks and symbolic regression to accurately predict spin magnitudes of black hole and neutron star mergers. Our approach utilizes GW waveform data obtained from numerical relativity simulations in the SXS Waveform catalog. By combining these two approaches, we leverage the strengths of both paradigms, enabling a comprehensive and accurate prediction of spin magnitudes. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed architecture achieves an impressive root-mean-squared-error (RMSE) of 0.05 and mean-squared-error (MSE) of 0.03 for the NSA model and an RMSE of 0.12 for the symbolic regression model alone. We train this model to handle higher-order multipole waveforms, with a specific focus on eccentric candidates, which are known to exhibit unique characteristics. Our results provide a robust and interpretable framework for predicting spin magnitudes in mergers. This has implications for understanding the astrophysical properties of black holes and deciphering the physics underlying the GW signals

Jordanian early primary stage teachers' self-reported practices to develop their pupils reading in Arabic

This study examines teachers’ practices for developing early primary stage (6-9 year-old) pupils’ reading in Arabic in the northern region of Jordan using a 25-item self-assessment checklist and a semi-structured interview. The subjects reported that their practices stem more from extrinsic motivation (e.g. responding to calls for enabling children to take part in literary competitions) than from intrinsic motivation (e.g. a personal interest in reading). The findings showed that 22 items of the Checklist scored moderate to little degrees of practice, which was further confirmed by the results of the interview. Besides, although there were no statistically significant differences among the subjects’ reports of their practices which may be attributed to the effect of gender and academic qualification, statistically significant differences were found due to teaching experience, having studied literacy-related coursework in pre-service preparation, and having a personal interest in reading. The study concludes with relevant implications for reading instruction and teacher education.peer-reviewe

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MERGER & ACQUISITION AND BANK RISKS

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between merger & acquisition and bank risks. The sample of the study consisted of 55 commercial banks sector listed on Orbs from (2011-2016). The results of the study showed that there is no relationship between the net benefit and bank`s risk, and also there is no relationship between the capital ratio and bank`s risk, and also there is no relationship between the equity ratio and bank`s risk, that there is a relationship between the capital ratio and bank`s risk. Generally, we note no relationship between the merger & acquisition and banks risk. The recommended of the study recommended that the most important of which are the concentration of banks in general on the level of losses they suffer due to the loans extended to customers and other institutions. JEL: G10; G21; G15 Article visualizations

COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM

The study aims to make risk assessment of investment in the United Kingdom so as to open a new branch of a big bank in United Arab Emirate. The findings of the risk assessment recommended to establish the new branch in the UK basing on diverse reasons. Firstly, according to the international monitory fund report, the GDP of the United Kingdom will increase from the financial year 2018 through the financial year 2022. The economy will advance and widen. Plus, the growth in GDP indicate that all sector in economy including the banking sector will also develop. Secondly, according to the UK office Budget Responsibility (ORB) projections, the UK interest rate will rise in the coming four financial years that will surely be reflected on the increase of profitability. Thirdly, the inflation rate in the UK will decrease in the coming four years, which has positive effects on the banking sectors because inflation rate leads to low costs of products and services. Additionally, the GDP per capital of the UK rise in the coming four fiscal years which is healthy for banking sector to be highly productive and profitable. More importantly the population of the UK will increase in the coming four years, which is favourable to the banking sector this means that the number of will increase. Moreover, the bank of England allows all the commercial banks in the country. Another reason that encourage investing in the UK is the advancement in technology. Besides, the most important reason encourage investment in the UK is the country’s system of governance that is a democratic system of leadership that does not hinders private investors unless they violate law. The researchers conclude that they recommend the decision to open the new bank in the UK. Since the benefits supersede the costs. JEL: E22; F21; G21 Article visualizations

The impact of an educational course for swimming on free style swimming performance and life skills for deaf students

This study investigates the impact of an educational course for swimming on free style swimming performance and life skills for deaf students. Subjects were (10) male deaf students who were at-tended to swimming courses level (1) in the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Jordan, with mean age of (M age = 20.4 SD =1.35). After completing the Life skills through swimming context scale (Bayyat et al., 2016) and practical pre-test of free style swimming skills performance, subjects executed both physical practice of the free style swimming skills performance during a pro-gram conceited of eighteen sessions, 3 sessions a week, for 6-weeks, 60 mints per session, and life skills development dialogues program which focused on certain life skills (Communications, team-work, self-confidence/self-Esteem, problem solving and decision-making/responsibility).After 6-weeks all subjects completed a post life skills questionnaire which measured the changes in their life skills level after learning the free style swimming skills performance, they also went through a post practical subjective performance evaluation post-test which measured their level of the free style swimming skills performance. Statistical analysis was processed by SPSS. The results showed significant differences between pre and post-test in life skills dimensions and significant differences between pre and post-test in free style swimming performance level for the subject of this study. In conclusions the educational course for swimming had a positive impact on free style swimming performance and on life skills for deaf students in the faculty of physical education at the University of Jordan

Referral Physicians’ Knowledge of Radiation Dose: A Cross-sectional Study

AIM: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of referring physicians of general practitioners, residents, and medical specialists in Jordan and the Middle East on radiation dose and its impact on vulnerable patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Institutional Review Board approved this study before data collection. A cross-sectional study employed questionnaire that was distributed to respondents (n = 293) of general practitioners, residents, specialists, and therapists. The questionnaire consisted of 29 questions. Nine questions concerned with demographics and the remaining 20 questions were divided into five sections: Radiation dose, ionizing radiation, pediatric radiation, pregnant women radiation, and radiation risks. The mean score was computed out of 20. Chi-squared test of independence was utilized to analyze each question. To compare the responses between the demographic variables groups, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests were used. RESULTS: Out of the 293 respondents, 128 (43.7%) were aware of radiation. The average score of the questionnaire was 9.5 out of 20 (47.5%). Within each section, the level of knowledge varied. Physicians had the highest level of knowledge in radiation risk (85.7%) followed by ionizing radiation (62.1%). The questionnaire revealed lower levels of knowledge in the areas of pediatric radiation, pregnant women radiation, and radiation dose. The percentages of respondents, (with fair to good level of knowledge), were 47.1%, 34.5%, and 24.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study were consistent with previous studies that demonstrated a poor level of general knowledge in referring physicians regarding radiation dose, ionizing radiation, pediatric radiation, pregnant women radiation, and radiation risks

Altered Composition of the Oral Microbiota in Depression Among Cigarette Smokers: A Pilot Study

Alterations in the oral microbiota composition may influence mental health. However, linkages between compositional changes in the oral microbiota and their role in mental health among cigarette smokers remain largely unknown. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics data for the oral microbiome of 105 participants. The data showed Bacteroidota, Fusobacteriota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria to be the most abundant phyla; Streptococcus, Haemophilus D, and Veillonella are the most abundant genera. Then, we clustered our subjects into avoidance and activation groups based on the behavioral activation for depression scale (BADS). Interestingly, the avoidance group exhibited a higher oral microbiome richness and diversity (alpha diversity). Differential abundance testing between BADS avoidance and activation groups showed the phyla Bacteroidota (effect size 0.5047, q = 0.0037), Campylobacterota (effect size 0.4012, q = 0.0276), Firmicutes A (effect size 0.3646, q = 0.0128), Firmicutes I (effect size 0.3581, q = 0.0268), and Fusobacteriota (effect size 0.6055, q = 0.0018) to be significantly increased in the avoidance group, but Verrucomicrobiota (effect size−0.6544, q = 0.0401), was found to be significantly decreased in the avoidance risk group. Network analysis of the 50 genera displaying the highest variation between both groups identified Campylobacter B, Centipeda, and Veillonella as hub nodes in the avoidance group. In contrast, Haemophilus and Streptococcus were identified as hub nodes in the activation group. Next, we investigated functional profiles of the oral microbiota based on BADS avoidance and activation groups and found Lysine degradations pathway was significantly enriched between both groups (ANCOM-BC, q = 0.0692). Altogether, we provide evidence for the presence of depression-related changes in the oral microbiota of smokers and possible functional contribution. The identified differences provide new information to enrich our understanding of oral microbiota-brain axis interplay and their potential impact on mental health

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Lockdown on Mental Health and Well-Being in the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken unprecedented precautionary measures including complete lockdowns against COVID-19 to control its spread and ensure the well-being of individuals. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 and societal lockdown measures on the mental health of adults in the UAE. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an English and Arabic online questionnaire between May and June 2020. The psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the social and family support impact was evaluated using questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). A total of 4,426 participants (3,325 females and 1,101 males) completed the questionnaire. The mean IES-R score was 28.0 ± 14.6, reflecting a mild stressful impact with 27.3% reporting severe psychological impact. Over 36% reported increased stress from work, home and financial matters. Also, 43–63% of the participants felt horrified, apprehensive or helpless due to COVID-19. Females, younger participants, part-timers, and college or University graduates were more likely to have a high IES-R score (p \u3c 0.05). The majority of participants reported receiving increased support from family members, paying more attention to their mental health, and spending more time to rest and relax. The results of this study demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among the UAE residents and highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for the general population and vulnerable groups, such as females and younger adults

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030