Respiratory Therapy Students\u27 Perception on Online Learning During COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic learning (E-learning) has emerged as the primary method for delivering educational materials, particularly within the scope of Saudi Arabian (SA) Respiratory Therapy (RT) education. PURPOSE: To evaluate the perception of E-learning among RT students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by comparing face-to-face learning to E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey to investigate the perception of E-learning was conducted and distributed using a convenience sample of RT students through an online platform (Google Forms) between September and November 2023. RESULTS: Overall, 221 RT students, with females accounting for 119 (53.8%), replied to the online survey. The study revealed several advantages of E-learning, including the ability to study at home (67.9%), access to online materials (64.7%), and learning at own pace (62.4%). The main disadvantages as indicated by most respondents were the lack of interactions with patients (70.1%), technical problems (56.6%), and reduced interaction with teachers (50.7%). No significant difference in the perceptions of knowledge enhancement between face-to-face and E-learning methods (P = .32). However, E-learning was considered a lower effective method than face-to-face learning for both clinical skill development (P \u3c .001), and social competencies (P \u3c .001). Additionally, respondents reported that they were less actively engaged during E-learning classes compared to face-to-face classes (P \u3c .001). Nonetheless, a significant percentage of respondents (71.9%) claimed that E-learning was an enjoyable experience. CONCLUSION: This research emphasizes the potency of E-learning in terms of increasing knowledge as a valuable tool for educating Saudi RT students. Nevertheless, it highlights the need for a meticulously planned strategy and a proactive implementation approach to effectively implement clinical and social skills E-learning into the educational framework of RT students

The Strategic Impacts Of Deregulation Of Civil Aviation Industry: Modernization Of Air Navigation Technology On Saudi Air Navigation Services

Civil aviation industry is in conversion from a strictly government-controlled transport sector to a much more competitive, liberalized operating environment. For many years the air navigation services has been under pressure to adapt to new institutional arrangements and increased operational requirements. Air traffic management must meet the challenges of the twenty-first century - in which a global, seamless airspace is developed, based on cost-effective and efficient services, with sufficient capacity to meet the world's air transport needs. Modernization of air navigation services technology is intended to give users new abilities such as flexible departure and arrival routes and increased usage of preferred flight trajectories. The goal of air navigation technology modernization is to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the air navigation services by improving traffic flow and reduce user operation costs. CNS/ATM systems are global in nature and usually planned and implemented at a regional or global level, in some cases by collective regional entities or commercial service suppliers. The result of the proposed development would combine space and computer technology, which would render obsolete much of the existing system ground based equipment. This study has developed a better understanding of the new uncertain environment for air navigation services from global perspective through the analysis of the deregulation of civil aviation industry and the new air navigation technology

The performance of vertical ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) in hot dry climates Saudi Arabia as a case study

Nowadays the use of renewal energy has become a fundamental choice in most developed and developing countries, in order to reduce the energy demand and CO2 equivalent emissions. In order to reduce this demand, conventional air-conditioning technology should be replaced by more efficient renewable energy systems, such as those employing ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). The GSHP is cooling/heating system that transfer heat to or from the ground benefiting from the fact that the underground temperature remains almost constant all year-round at ten metres in depth or more. This means that the effect of the ambient temperature is limited and the difference in temperature between what is considered desirable (inside the building) and the surrounding medium (underground soil) is small compared to the outside temperature. In a hot and dry country such as Saudi Arabia, air-conditioning systems consume seventy per cent of the electrical energy. In order to reduce this demand, the performance of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) compared to the conventional air source heat pump (ASHP) systems which have a poor performance when the air temperature is high. In Saudi Arabia, this can be as much as 50 °C. Unfortunately, the majority of the previous research into GSHPs has been focused on cold regions. Therefore, for the first time in such a hot/dry climate, the performance of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) has been evaluated compared to the conventional air source heat pump (ASHP) systems in this type of climate. Both systems were comprehensively modelled and simulated using the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) and Ground Loop Design (GLD). In order to assess this configuration, an evaluation of a model of a single-storey office building, based on the climatic conditions and geological characteristics that occur in the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, was investigated. The period of evaluation was twenty years to determine the Coefficient of Performance (COP), Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and power consumption. Generally energy efficiency ratio is calculated by taking ratio of cooling or heating output in BTU to electrical energy input in W. The simulation results show that the GSHP system has high performance when compared to the ASHP. The average annual COP and EER were 4.1 and 15.5 for the GSHP, compared to 3.8 and 11 for the ASHP respectively, and the GSHP is a feasible alternative to the ASHP, with an 11-year payback period, with an 18% total cost saving over the simulation period and 36% lower annual energy consumption. The TRNSYS model shows that despite the positive results of the modelling, the high rate of the underground thermal imbalance (88%) could lead to a system failure in the long term. In addition, Ground Loop Design software has been employed to conduct a sensitivity analysis of 12 parameters that most affect the behaviour of the system in order to determine the near-optimum design of a GSHP system. Thus, the entering water temperature (EWT) was selected to be the performance measure of the system. The results showed that the most important four design parameters are: the thermal conductivity, soil temperature, building load, and fluid flowrate. And the length of the ground heat exchanger and power consumption in the proposed design could be reduced by 15% and 1.12% respectively, compared to the baseline system. Despite the high underground thermal imbalance and increase in the initial capital costs of GSHP, because of the extra expensive drilling costs for the ground loop heat exchanger and piping, the feasibility of GSHP system is worthy of investigation. These results can be used to simplify the design of buildings in similar arid regions worldwide

The Effects of Spirituality and Religiosity on the Ethical Judgment in Organizations

Despite the obvious link between spirituality, religiosity and ethical judgment, adefinition for the nature of this relationship remains elusive due to conceptual andmethodological limitations. To address these, we propose an integrative Spiritual-based model (ISBM) derived from categories presumed to be universal acrossreligions and cultural contexts, to guide future business ethics research on religiosity.This article aims to empirically test (ISBM) in the context of Islam. It examines howdifferent Muslims' views of God (emotional component) influence their ethicaljudgments in organizations, and how this process is mediated by their religiouspractice and knowledge (behavioral and intellectual components). Comprising focusgroup and vignette designs, the study was carried out with a random sample of 427executives and management professionals from Saudi. After data collection, the studyhypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findingsconfirmed that a view of God based on hope might be more closely associated withunethical judgments than a view based on fear or one balancing hope and fear.Furthermore, religious practice and knowledge were found to mediate the relationshipbetween Muslims' different views of God and their ethical judgments. These resultsprovide unique theoretical insights into religiosity's influence on ethical judgment, withimportant implications for managemen

Characteristics and anticancer properties of Sunitinib malate-loaded poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles against human colon cancer HT-29 cells lines

Purpose: To develop poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) -based nanoparticles (NPs) for the delivery of sunitinib malate (STM) to colon cancer cells.Methods: Three different formulations (F1 – F3) were developed by nano-precipitation technique using various concentrations of PLGA. The NPs were evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, drug entrapment, and drug loading, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, in vitro drug release and anticancer studies were carried out on the formulations.Results: Among the three NPs, optimized NP (F3) of STM was chosen for in vitro anti-cancer study against H-29 human colon cancer cells lines based on its particle size (132.9 nm), PDI (0.115), zeta potential (-38.12 mV), entrapment efficiency (52.42 %), drug loading (5.24 %), and drug release (91.26 % in 48 h). A significant anti-cancer activity of the optimized NPs was observed, relative to free STM.Conclusion: These findings suggest that STM-loaded NPs possess significant anti-cancer activity against human colon cancer HT-29 cells lines.Keywords: Sunitinib malate, Poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, Nanoparticles, Colon cance

The Prevalence of Obesity among School Students and its Relation to Dietary and Physical Habits

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that unhealthy food practices and lack of exercise are the main cause of the progressive increase in the obesity prevalence. AIM: We aim to assess the prevalence of obesity among school students and its relationship to dietary and physical habits. METHODS: A cross-sectional study from 18 intermediate and high schools located in Taif, Saudi Arabia, between April 2014 and June 2015. We excluded any student with a psychological disease or chronic diseases. We calculated the body mass index (BMI) of students by measuring their height and weight. Dietary, physical, sleep habits, and socioeconomic status were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 2943 students participated with a mean age of 15.4 ± 1.7 years. The majority of these were boys and attending government schools with a mean BMI 22.7 ± 8.6 kg/m2. Overall, 13.6% were overweight and 12.8% were obese. One-third of students report a sedentary lifestyle. Compared to girls, boys were more likely to have lower BMI (p < 0.001), be overweight (p < 0.001), exercise for >300 min/week (p < 0.001), own electronic devices other than smartphone (p < 0.001), use the electronic devices <3 h/day (p = 0.007), eat their meals with their family (p < 0.001), eat fruits and vegetables daily (p < 0.05), exercise for >300 min/week (p < 0.001), and walk to and from school at least once weekly (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A quarter of the students were either overweight or obese. Girls were more likely to be obese with less favorable socioeconomic, media consumption, dietary, and physical profiles

Prevalence and correlates of diastolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension: a cross-sectional study from in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Introduction: diastolic dysfunction refers to impaired ventricular relaxation or filling regardless of ejection fraction and symptoms. It accounts for 8% and 25% in the hospitalized and general population, respectively. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and correlates of diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients living in Saudi Arabia. Methods: a multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020 at King Khalid Hospital and Prince Sultan Center for Health Services, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University hospital in Al Kharj, and Al Kharj Military Industries Corporation hospital, KSA. All patients with hypertension who underwent an echocardiography were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). Results: the study included a total of 104 participants, where 51.9% were females andthe mean age of the patients was 48.01±12.81 years.Most patients had an abnormal echocardiography finding (64.4%, n = 67). The most common abnormalities were left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (44.2%, n = 46), and diastolic dysfunction, (35.6%, n = 37). The study revealed that age (aOR: 6.1, 95% CI 1.17-31.3; p = 0.032) and dyslipidemia (aOR: 3.45, 95% CI 1.16-10.24; p = 0.026) have significant association with LVDD in the patients with hypertension. Conclusion: in conclusion, diastolic dysfunction is prevalent among older hypertensive patients and those with dyslipidaemia. Age and dyslipidaemia were non-modifiable and modifiable factors associated with LVDD in hypertensive patients, respectively

Prevalence and distribution of selected developmental dental anomalies in Taif, Saudi population

Background: Developmental dental anomalies are seen as abnormalities in tooth size, shape, position, and structure due to multiple reasons during various stages of tooth development. These anomalies can create disturbances in dental arch lengths and occlusions. Hence, it is very important to treat, recognise and perform proper treatment. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence and distribution of selected developmental anomalies in shape, size and position of teeth in the Saudi population of Taif Region. Design and Methods: The study was based on the clinical examination of 2481 adults who are Saudi nationals came for dental treatment from September 2019 to February 2020, at Taif University Dental Hospital, Saudi Arabia. These patients were examined clinically for developmental dental anomalies affecting shape, size and position. Results: We found that a total of 512 individuals (20.63%) had developmental anomalies and out of which 386 persons (15.56%) had at least one developmental dental anomaly. The frequency and distribution of anomalies of shape and size, number and position were 46.8%, 26.9% and 42.9% respectively. In the present study, 15.56% individuals exhibited at least one anomaly, 8.54% subjects had more than one anomalies and 79.36%.did not any developmental anomaly. On comparison, statistical significant results were seen between different groups of anomalies. Conclusions: The present study had varying results for the prevalence rate of selected dental anomalies. This variation in results might be due racial differences or discrepancy in sample size or/and diagnostic or inclusion criteria. Treatment of developmental anomalies necessitates a multidisciplinary approach and mostly may comprise of orthodontic correction or prosthetic replacement