Investigating the Impact of Saudi QoL Program on Neighbourhoods’ Public Spaces: Riyadh neighbourhoods

“Humanization of Neighborhoods Initiative” was launched in 2020, under the QoL program aiming at improving and adapting public spaces in the city of Riyadh into pedestrian-friendly ones and fewer cars' dependent which can help accomplish the Saudi Vision 2030. This research aims at investigating the reflections of the QoL program on the urban and social life in Riyadh neighborhoods focusing on the streets to promote social activities and walkability into a prime physical activity in neighborhoods.The research follows mixed methods; a qualitative approach is in the literature review and quantitative analysis in the research survey. It provides recommendations for city planners for developing pedestrian infrastructure. Keywords: Saudi Vision 2030, Quality of Life, QoL, Public Space, walkability, community design, Placemaking eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.302

Film Review: Maestra

Review of Maestra (2011), documentary, directed by Catherine Murphy

Assessing Deep-Water Culture and Sand-Bed Aquaponics Systems for Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Yield and Water Consumption

Agriculture and aquaculture play an important role in food security and water withdrawals. Agriculture and aquaculture contribute to over 70% of global water consumption. Aquaponics provides a solution for both sectors to reduce the combined water consumption and pollution and increase food production. The goal of the present study was to assess two aquaponics systems Deep-Water Culture (DWC) and Sand-Bed lettuce (Lactuca sativa variety capitata Type Batavia) production and water consumption. Each system contained a fish tank, plant bed, collection bed, three replicates per system and a mechanical filter; whereas, DWC contained an additional biological filter after the mechanical filter. The main differences assumed between DWC and Sand-Bed are Sand-Bed uses less water and does not require biological filter as sand media acts like a biological filter. Both systems had similar nitrate and ammonium concentration over 35 days period. PH, temperature, EC, SAR and DO in both systems remained within acceptable ranges compared to literature. Sand-Bed nitrifying bacteria counts were also higher than DWC\u27s bacteria by end of study period. Results showed that the lettuce root length in DWC were nearly two-fold the root length in Sand-Bed which provides larger surface area for nutrients uptake and enhance nitrification rate by bacteria. Calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, magnesium and boron concentrations in lettuce samples harvested form the DWC were nearly two-times the concentrations in lettuce samples growing in Sand- Bed. The DWC Lettuce yields per m2 were 27% higher than the Sand-Bed system\u27s lettuce of 1.42 kg/m2 in DWC and 1.04 kg/m2 in Sand-Bed system. However, the daily water consumption in DWC system was higher than Sand-Bed system. Overall, DWC system performed better by producing higher lettuce yield with higher nutritional content while consuming more water compared to Sand bed system. Therefore, the Sand-Bed system requires further research to reach productive yields like the DWC system and benefit from its reduced water consumption and the potential of growing larger variety of crops

Students\u27 and teachers\u27 perception of rapport management strategies used by teachers

The present comparative study explores the perceptions of both students and teachers towards rapport-building behaviors, including the similarities and differences in their respective perceptions of such behaviors. Previous research posits that building rapport in classrooms has been correlated with deeper student engagement and higher motivation towards the course, thereby enabling students to enjoy the learning process itself. An array of rapport- building strategies has been explored, including learning students’ names, showing respect towards the students, and using humor in the classroom. A total of 129 students and 51 teachers filled out a perception questionnaire consisting of 26 teacher traits and behaviors in relation to their importance in building rapport; in addition, the researcher conducted interviews with six language teachers to gain in-depth insight into rapport management in classrooms. Results identified three trends within these 26 behaviors: first, specific behaviors that students perceive as more important than do teachers; second, those behaviors deemed important by both students and teachers; and, third, the behaviors that students perceive as less important in building rapport than do teachers. The results of this study may benefit educators and other stakeholders by raising teachers’ awareness about building rapport in classrooms. The study may also encourage teachers to invest time and effort in activities that students perceive as conducive to rapport- building. In addition, this study could guide program directors to make informed decisions about the hiring of new teachers and renewals for current ones, based on the interpersonal communication skills of each teacher

Interpreting Business Strategy and Market Dynamics: A Multi-Method AI Approach

This research paper presents an integrated approach that combines Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Q-Learning, Monte Carlo methods, and Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer (T5) to analyze and evaluate the business strategies of public companies. Leveraging a large and diverse dataset sourced from multiple reliable sources, the study examines corporate strategies and their impact on market dynamics. LSTM and Q-Learning are employed to process sequential data, enabling informed decision-making in simulated market environments and providing insights into potential outcomes of different strategies. The Monte Carlo method manages uncertainty, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of risks and rewards associated with specific strategies. T5 interprets textual data from earnings calls, press releases, and industry reports, offering a deeper understanding of strategic changes and market sentiments. The integration of these techniques enhances the evaluation of business strategies, enabling decision-makers to anticipate future market scenarios and make informed strategic shifts. Overall, this integrated approach provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating and anticipating market dynamics, enhancing the assessment and adjustment of public companies\u27 business decisions

Molecular characterization of extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing klebsiella pneumoniae and escherichia coli among hospitalized patients in Oman

Hospital-acquired infections due to ESBL-producing gram-negative rods are a worldwide healthcare problem causing substantial patient morbidity and mortality. In the Middle East, a significant increase in incidence and prevalence has been reported recently due to the misuse of antibiotics and lack of coherent antimicrobial resistance (AR) surveillance programs. The aim of the study was to determine the level of genotypic diversity and mechanism of AR of E. coli and K. pneumoniae ESBL-producing isolates from nosocomial infections among patients in Oman. 35 E. coli and 14 K. pneumoniae isolates were used in the study. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and ESBL screening was conducted via disk diffusion and E-test following CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines. ESBL producers were screened for blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaOXA, and blaTEM resistance markers via PCR. All PCR amplicons were sequenced to determine their allelic variants. In order to demonstrate overall genotypic diversity, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) analyses were done separately for all E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates. 40 (80%) isolates were determined to be ESBL producing bacteria (27 E. coli and 13 K. pneumoniae). The highest level of AR (\u3e70%) was against tetracycline, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, cephalothin, and cefpodoxime. The lowest level of AR was against chloramphenicol, amikacin and ticarcillin-clavulanic acid. Resistance against imipenem was not detected. Similarity of K. pneumoniae isolates ranged from 61% to 100%. Three K. pneumoniae clusters (n= 7; 58%) had â ¥ 80% similarity suggesting high level of similarity. E. coli PFGE analyses showed an overall similarity of 64% with 4 clusters (n= 14; 54%) showing 80% similarity. No correlation was demonstrated between the AR pattern and genotypic similarity for either species. Percentages of isolates with genetic markers for blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM, and blaOXA were 73%, 24%, 68%, and 60% respectively. DNA sequencing analyses revealed that the most common AR mechanism in these ESBL isolates is due to blaCTX-M-15 marker. In addition, SHV-1, SHV-11, SHV-12, TEM-1, and OXA-1 contribute to the overall AR mechanisms in nosocomial ESBL isolates from Oman. This is the first study characterizing the AR mechanism of ESBL\u27s isolates from hospital-acquired infections in Oman. The results showed that hospital-acquired E. coli isolates from Oman are more diverse than K. pneumoniae. The blaCTX-M-15 is the most abundant mechanism conferring ESBL phenotype on E. coli and K. pneumoniae, while the ESBL-SHV-type was the least abundant

Governing through ‘neutrality’: A Poststructural Analysis of Risk Assessment in the NSW Juvenile Justice System

Internationally, the assessment of risk via the application of standardised assessment tools has become routine practice across criminal justice and penal systems. Ostensibly, risk assessment tools enable the prediction, and thereby prevention, of reoffending and recidivism. The use of risk assessment tools in the juvenile justice system in NSW, Australia is less than 20 years old, yet since 2001 one specific tool, the Youth Level of Service Case Management Inventory Australian Adaptation (YLS/CMI-AA), has become a key technology in interventions with young people. Young offenders who come into contact with the justice system are guaranteed two things: to be assessed for their risk of reoffending, and then to be treated for their offending behaviour, based on their predicted risk. Poststructural analyses of risk assessments have highlighted the way that the concept of ‘risk’ has become central in modern day systems of discipline and punishment and is implicated in both the governing of juvenile offenders and the population more broadly. This thesis builds upon existing work on risk to closely interrogate how juvenile justice risk assessment tools constitute, or make, the ‘problem’ of juvenile offending. The study applies Carol Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ (WPR) policy analysis approach to the YLS/CMI-AA 2.0 risk assessment tool and to a corpus of related texts to illuminate how risk assessments regulate, and actively shape who is defined, marked and classified as ‘risky’. In this sense, they are understood to do more than simply ‘predict’ and ‘prevent’. The WPR analysis enables the interrogation of the problem representations, or problematisations, that are lodged within texts such as the assessment tool, user guides and so on. This study demonstrates how the risk assessment tool administered to young people in NSW problematises crime as fixed, static, and something that has always existed, thereby making the imagined standards of behaviour appear to be real and wholly ahistorical. It also produces offenders as having a set of specific and common characteristics that include deviancy, immorality, and various forms of failure. The concept of ‘criminogenic pathways’ is integral to these representations and the risk assessment tool also firms up and naturalises taken-for-granted ideas about how somebody becomes an offender. This thesis contributes to international scholarship on the uptake up of risk discourses in juvenile penality by demonstrating how risk assessment tools have introduced a new form of governing, one that is backed by the ‘neutrality’ of science, and by extension the ‘neutrality’ of the state. The supposed assurance of ‘neutrality’ is used to defend, explain and justify the overrepresentation of certain people in penal systems, and, in Australia, Indigenous young people in particular. In addition, it appears that risk assessment tools function to regulate and discipline both juvenile offenders and ‘non-offending’ people more generally. The thesis also underlines the importance and usefulness of poststructuralist analytic strategies such as the WPR approach to defamiliarise fields concerned with the juvenile offender problem