The Status of the Saudi Political System among Contemporary Political Systems: A Comparative Study

This study has dealt with explanation and analysis of the position of Saudi political system among contemporary political systems. This necessitated dealing with the relationship among authorities in Saudi political system, in addition to verification through investigating in relationship among authorities in general. The research depth of this study lies in discussing the legal adaptation of Saudi political system through investigating its distinctive characteristics, then comparing it to other contemporary political systems in order to recognize conformity of description with anyone of them. The study indicated the uniqueness of Saudi political system in obvious, stable characteristics that make it a standalone system. In this respect, the researcher recommended considering Saudi political system as a standalone one that can be called the ministerial system

L5 Spinal Nerve Axotomy Induces Distinct Electrophysiological Changes in Axotomized L5- and Adjacent L4-Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons in Rats .

Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) is a major health problem for which effective drug treatment is lacking. Its underlying neuronal mechanisms are still illusive, but pre-clinical studies using animal models of PNP including the L5-spinal nerve axotomy (L5-SNA) model, suggest that it is partly caused by excitability changes in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. L5-SNA results in two DRG neuronal groups: (1) axotomized/damaged neurons in L5- plus some in L4-DRGs, and (2) ipsilateral L4-neurons with intact/uninjured fibers intermingling with degenerating L5-fibers. The axotomized neurons are deprived of peripherally derived trophic factors and degenerate causing neuroinflammation, whereas the uninjured L4-neuorns are subject to increased trophic factors and neuroinflammation associated with Wallerian degeneration of axotomized L5-nerve fibers. Whether these two groups of DRG neurons exhibit similar or distinct electrophysiological changes after L5-SNA remains unresolved. Conflicting evidence for this may result from some studies assuming that all L4-fibers are undamaged. Here, we recorded somatic action potentials (APs) intracellularly from C- and A-fiber L4/L5 DRG neurons to examine our hypothesis that L5-SNA would induce distinct electrophysiological changes in the two populations of DRG neurons. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found (7 days post-SNA), in SNA rats with established pain hypersensitivity, slower AP kinetics in axotomized L5-neurons and faster AP kinetics in L4-nociceptive neurons including decreased rise time in Aδ-and Aβ-fiber nociceptors, and after-hyperpolarization duration in Aβ-fiber nociceptors. We also found several changes in axotomized L5-neurons but not in L4-nociceptive neurons, and some changes in L4-nociceptive but not L5-neurons. The faster AP kinetics (decreased refractory period) in L4-nociceptive neurons that are consistent with their reported hyperexcitability may lead to repetitive firing and thus provide enhanced afferent input necessary for initiating and/or maintaining PNP development. The changes in axotomized L5-neurons may contribute to the central mechanisms of PNP via enhanced neurotransmitter release in the central nervous system (CNS)

COVID-19 Pandemic Driven Knowledge, Attitude, Clinical Practice, Distress Reactions, and Post-Traumatic Growth of Dental Care Providers in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The present study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, clinical practices, distress reactions, and post-traumatic growth of dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Riyadh City. Methodology: An online questionnaire was developed to assess various dental professionals from both governmental and private sectors during the early COVID-19 outbreak in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was framed to assess the demographic variables, knowledge, attitude, and clinical practices towards handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the general anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), worry questionnaire items, short form of post-traumatic growth inventory (PTGI-SF), and life satisfaction questionnaire items were developed to assess the anxiety, worries, post-traumatic growth, and life satisfaction of dental care providers following the traumatic events. Data were analysed using SPSS 22.0 and R environment ver.3.2.2. Continuous measurement results were presented as mean ± SD, and categorical measurements results were presented in number (%). Results: Our study's significant findings revealed that a majority of the dentists were in the age group of 21-30 and practiced general dentistry. The study participants in age groups 51–60 and 41–50 years old showed more liability in perceiving COVID-19 as an extremely dangerous disease than 31–40 and 21–30 age groups. The majority of respondents (63.4%) had an anxiety scale score of greater than 40, followed by 22.8% with scores 20-40 and 13.9% with scores less than 20, respectively. The mean scores for the GAD-7 and the worry items were 8.24 ± 3.21 and 13.92 ± 4.77, respectively. The data showed that most survey participants had adopted moderate post-traumatic changes during the pandemic, as evident by their mean score of 34.17 ± 3.40. The life satisfaction of the participants was neutral, as demonstrated by their mean score of 20.16 ± 4.03. Conclusion: This study’s findings delineated that the COVID-19 pandemic situation has influenced dentists' mental health, with a moderate level of anxiety, and worries among other psychological symptoms. Furthermore, there was adequate knowledge regarding the COVID-19 among dentists; however, the pandemic affected the financial conditions of the respondents. There was a moderate level of post-traumatic growth and neutral life satisfaction of the dental providers

Robust processor allocation for independent tasks when dollar cost for processors is a constraint

Includes bibliographical references (pages 9-10).In a distributed heterogeneous computing system, the resources have different capabilities and tasks have different requirements. Different classes of machines used in such systems typically vary in dollar cost based on their computing efficiencies. Makespan (defined as the completion time for an entire set of tasks) is often the performance feature that is optimized. Resource allocation is often done based on estimates of the computation time of each task on each class of machines. Hence, it is important that makespan be robust against errors in computation time estimates. The dollar cost to purchase the machines for use can be a constraint such that only a subset of the machines available can be purchased. The goal of this study is to: (1) select a subset of all the machines available so that the cost constraint for the machines is satisfied, and (2) find a static mapping of tasks so that the robustness of the desired system feature, makespan, is maximized against the errors in task execution time estimates. Six heuristic techniques to this problem are presented and evaluated

Tuberculosis Trends in Saudis and Non-Saudis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – A 10 Year Retrospective Study (2000–2009)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which has a very large labour force from high TB endemic countries. Understanding the epidemiological and clinical features of the TB problem, and the TB burden in the immigrant workforce, is necessary for improved planning and implementation of TB services and prevention measures

Anti-obesity and antihyperlipidemic effects of Phaleria macrocarpa fruit liquid CO2 extract: In vitro, in silico and in vivo approaches

Objective: Phaleria macrocarpa fruit has been reported to be effectively used in Malaysia and neighboring countries to prevent obesity. Despite its anti-obesity potential, no research has ever predicted the compound-lipase, compound-HMG-CoA reductase interactions and in vivo investigations to further confirm its anti-obesity properties. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the anti-obesity and antihyperlipidemic effects of P. macrocarpa by in vitro, computational (in silico), and in vivo assays. Method: Initially, fruit was extracted through liquid CO2 and heating under reflux extraction methods to obtain liquid CO2 extracts (LCE-1 and LCE-2) and heating under reflux extract (HRE), respectively. Subsequently,allthreeextractswereassessedforantioxidantpotentialsthroughinvitrobioassaysand FTIRanalysistoidentifydifferenttypesoffunctionalgroupspresentintheexistingbioactivecompounds. Successively,themostactivefraction(LCE-2)wassubjectedtoGCMSanalysisfortheidentificationof lipidloweringandlipaseinhibitorsthroughmoleculardockingapproach.Finally,anti-obesityandlipid loweringeffectswerefurtherconfirmedthroughaninvivoassayusingmice. Result:LCE-2exhibitedhigherDPPH(IC50=0.172mg/mL)andFRAP(78.98AAEmg/g)antioxidantactivitiesandshowedmorepotentpeaksinFTIRchromatogramsthanLCE-1andHRE.Amongtheidentified tentativebioactivecompoundsviz.methylpalmitate,palmiticacid,ethylpalmitate,methyloleate,oleic acid,cis-vaccenicacid,3-deoxyestradiolandphenol,2,20-methylenebis[6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylwerefoundasananti-obesityandlipidloweringcompoundswhoseprotein–ligandinteractionwasconfirmedbybindingaffinity,aminoacidresiduesandbondinginteractions.Similarly,anti-obesityandlipid loweringfindingswerealsofoundinamicemodelafter6weekstreatmentatadoseof250mg/kgb.w. Conclusion:Basedontheaforementionedinvitro,insilicoandinvivofindings,itisconcludedthatthe LCE-2possesseslipaseandHMG-CoAreductaseinhibitorsthatcanassisttodevelopthisplant’sextract asanalternativesafelipidloweringherbalmedicineinfuture

Solubility trapping as a potential secondary mechanism for CO2 sequestration during enhanced gas recovery by CO2 injection in conventional natural gas reservoirs : an experimental approach

This study aims to experimentally investigate the potential of solubility trapping mechanism in increasing CO2 storage during EGR by CO2 injection and sequestration in conventional natural gas reservoirs. A laboratory core flooding process was carried out to simulate EGR on a sandstone core at 0, 5, 10 wt% NaCl formation water salinity at 1300 psig, 50 °C and 0.3 ml/min injection rate. The results show that CO2 storage capacity was improved significantly when solubility trapping was considered. Lower connate water salinities (0 and 5 wt%) showed higher CO2 solubility from IFT measurements. With 10% connate water salinity, the highest accumulation of the CO2 in the reservoir was realised with about 63% of the total CO2 injected stored; an indication of improved storage capacity. Therefore, solubility trapping can potentially increase the CO2 storage capacity of the gas reservoir by serving as a secondary trapping mechanism in addition to the primary structural and stratigraphic trapping and improving CH4 recovery