Factors Associated with Treatment Failure of Interstitial Lung Disease among Patients in KSA: A Systematic Review

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a heterogeneous group of lung disorders characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the lung interstitium. The treatment of ILD is complex, and failure to respond to therapy is associated with poor outcomes. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the factors associated with treatment failure of ILD among patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Articles published between January 2010 and December 2021 that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The search strategy included a combination of keywords and medical subject headings (MeSH) terms related to ILD and treatment failure. Results: A total of 4 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. The studies included 1,477 patients with various types of ILD. The factors associated with treatment failure of ILD among patients in KSA include older age, male gender, disease severity, comorbidities, smoking, and abnormal pulmonary function tests. The most commonly used medications were corticosteroids, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclophosphamide. Some studies reported the use of newer agents, such as pirfenidone and nintedanib, with varying degrees of success. Conclusion: This research suggests early diagnosis, tailored treatment programs, and a multidisciplinary strategy comprising pulmonologists, rheumatologists, radiologists, and pathologists to enhance ILD therapy in KSA. To enhance ILD outcomes and quality of life, future research should investigate ILD mechanisms and create more effective treatment techniques. This systematic review helps doctors and policymakers in KSA and other countries manage ILD better

A high-resolution versatile focused ion implantation platform for nanoscale engineering

The ability to spatially control and modify material properties on the nanoscale, including within nanoscale objects themselves, is a fundamental requirement for the development of advanced nanotechnologies. The development of a platform for nanoscale advanced materials engineering (P-NAME) designed to meet this demand is demonstrated. P-NAME delivers a high-resolution focused ion beam system with a coincident scanning electron microscope and secondary electron detection of single-ion implantation events. The isotopic mass-resolution capability of the P-NAME system for a wide range of ion species is demonstrated, offering access to the implantation of isotopes that are vital for nanomaterials engineering and nanofunctionalization. The performance of the isotopic mass selection is independently validated using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for a number of species implanted into intrinsic silicon. The SIMS results are shown to be in good agreement with dynamic ion implantation simulations, demonstrating the validity of this simulation approach. The wider performance capabilities of P-NAME, including sub-10 nm ion beam imaging resolution and the ability to perform direct-write ion beam doping and nanoscale ion lithography, are also demonstrated

Comparative study of Conocarpus erectus and Phoenix dactylifera as plant biomonitors of particulate matter pollution in Kuwait over three residential areas

This study evaluated two widely distributed ornamental species, buttonwood and palm for their effectiveness as biomagnetic monitors over three different land use classes (urban, suburban and industrial land classes).Three experimental sites were classed based on functionalities, population numbers and vicinity to emission sources (Al-Mansouriya ‘urban’ residential area, Al-Shuwaikh Residential area ‘industrial' and Al-Rumaithya ‘suburban’ residential area. Date palm and buttonwood were selected as they are easily identifiable and widely distributed throughout Kuwait’s landscape. Sampling was conducted in September 2017 and continued for a month. At each selected study site, 100 samples of both species were randomly selected and collected. Sampling height was not specified for this experimental set up, as it was not the main goal of this research. Each sample consists of five leaves from the same randomly chosen tree. Leaves were selected on: size similarity, visual absence of abnormalities or signs of nutritional deficiencies, using a 3m telescopic pruning lopper. Leaves were selected at an azimuth angle of 70 degrees. Plants, coordinates, height, distance from the nearest road and distance from the closest plant were recorded. A variety of magnetic measurements were applied to the leaf samples to enable the quantification of magnetic concentration within selected sites and also identify grain size variations and magnetic mineralogy. Prior to magnetic analysis Image J software was used to determine total surface area (cm2) to attain NRM, SIRM, HIRM values normalized for leaf area. Samples were then air dried for 5 days, packed in A4 size cling film under went magnetic measurement using a using an AGICO magnetometer. Leaf abaxial and adaxial micro-morphological characteristics were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging using an environmental scanning electron microscope (FEG-ESEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) detector. Descriptive statistics (SPSS, (21.0)). The rest of the Statistical analyses were conducted using (R 3.5.1) software. Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test (K-S) was applied to determine the most suitable statistical test. A General Linear Model (GLM) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to determine the interaction between the two subject factors: tree species and land class use assess main effects and interactions . For multiple comparisons, Bonferroni´s tests were applied. A Multivariable model was used adjust and obtain true effects of variables. An (ANCOVA) model was applied to determine significant difference between variables and assess their effects on parameters. Additionally, the effects of species and land class as well as interactions terms were adjusted and corrected. One-way Anova models assessed homogeneity of the land classes and species. Spatial variation of magnetic parameters was determind by Inverse Distance Weighted technique (IDW) using ArcGIS

An investigation into the role of school leadership in school improvement, including teachers’ and students’ development: A case study of two Saudi Arabian high schools.

Since Saudi Arabia began enthusiastically developing its position in the world, excellence in education has come to the fore asa key driver to the country‘s growth. However, school improvement has received insufficient attention from educators, policy makers, and scholars. This has resulted in Saudi schools suffering from a dearth of empirical studies designed to explore their needs in terms of the professional development of teachers to benefit students. In response, this study was conducted to fill in the current gap arising from the lack of empirical studies in this particular field, through considering the role of school leadership in school improvement and the associated requirements for the professional development of teachers and students in relation to school improvement.The present study design relied on interpretivist qualitative methods, including documentary analysis, face-to-face semi-structured interviews and group interviews. The participants involved in the study were two school leaders, two school deputies, two student advisors and twelve teachers (face-to-face semi-structured interviews), and four groups of nine students (group interviews). The data was analysed using thematic analysis techniquesfollowing an interpretative coding approach.The findings of the study reveal school leadership plays a significant role in school improvement. This is due to the authority of the school leadership team over essential factors related to the quality of teaching and learning, i.e. leadership style, school culture, inclusion,student voice, individual differences, school curriculum, school-parent relationships, PLCs, teaching effectiveness and class size. The findings also confirm that school improvement is also affected by several external factors; i.e. educational policy, the context of the school, the services available in the school district, society, lifestyle, external relationships, and the media. Although the result of this study is non-generalizable, it can be used to inform practitioners, researchers, and policy makers about how best to ensure school improvement in Saudi Arabia.</div

Experimental Investigation of Azimuth- and Sensor-Based Control Strategies for a PV Solar Tracking Application

Today, the world continuously investigates the promising potential of advanced and optimized technologies for harvesting green renewable energy sources, such as a solar tracking system (STS). This study presents an actual implementation of a single-axis solar tracking system (SAST), where an azimuth control scheme is developed to precisely follow the sun&rsquo;s orientation. This is demonstrated by computing in real-time the optimal azimuth angle based on the actual altitude, date, and time using an embedded microcontroller. At the same time, experimental comparisons using the azimuth-based control method compared with the proportional, integral, derivative (PID) control scheme and fixed-tilt PV systems (FTPV) are derived. Experimental results show that the developed azimuth solar tracker can autonomously follow the sun&rsquo;s orientation primarily from time and location-based information and independent from the actual solar irradiance. Nevertheless, the electrical energies gained from all three tested systems revealed that using the sensor-based STS would increase the net energy production by 12.68% compared to the azimuth-based SAST, with an energy production increase of 7.7%. In addition, energy consumption by the azimuth-based STS is 65% greater than the energy consumption of a sensor-based STS due to the continuous movements of the tracker, regardless of the increase or change in power production within short periods