The role of knowledge and institutional challenges to the adoption of sustainable urban drainage in Saudi Arabia: implications for sustainable environmental development

Urban drainage in Saudi Arabia is an increasingly challenging issue due to factors such as climate change and rapid urban expansion. The existing infrastructure, based on traditional drainage systems, is not always able to cope with the increased precipitation, sometimes leading to rainwater runoff and floods causing disturbances and damage to property. Therefore, there is a need to find new ways of managing drainage, such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). This thesis places knowledge as a central issue in the adoption of Sustainable Urban Drainage approaches, as revealed through qualitative research with representative officials and professionals from key government departments and organisations in Riyadh. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted during fieldwork in 2013 and 2014, which explored the challenges in adopting sustainable drainage approaches, and through a Grounded Theory analysis, the key role of knowledge was revealed. This research identifies barriers to change in favour of the adoption of sustainable drainage approaches, such as the marginal status of sustainable development in drainage decisions; lack of technical standards for other unconventional drainage solutions; and lack of consideration by decision makers in other disciplines such as contributions from environmental and geographical studies. Due to the form of centralisation revealed, decision-making processes are complex and time-consuming; resulting in the discouragement of the adoption of new knowledge and approaches. Stakeholders with knowledge of sustainable approaches are often excluded from the hierarchical system of urban planning and drainage management. In addition, the multiplicity of actors involved in drainage implementation and the different technical standards cause problems around coordination and cooperation. Three types of knowledge of sustainable approaches and unconventional experiences were revealed across government departments and institutions. From those participants who have procedural and explicit knowledge, a range of opportunities (e.g. significant increase in government support) and obstacles (e.g. the deficit in specialists on sustainable approaches) were revealed regarding adopting new approaches. The thesis presents recommendations for overcoming some of the challenges revealed in the context of Saudi Arabia; such as enhancing the decision-making process through applying decentralisation, and promoting awareness of sustainability and sustainable development through establishing educational and outreach programmes. This would enhance knowledge and facilitate the adoption of sustainable drainage approaches to promote sustainable development

E-Government evaluation factors: Citizen’s perspective

The e-government field is growing to a considerable size, both in its contents and position with respect to other research fields. The government to citizen segment of egovernment is taking the lead in terms of its importance and size. Like the evaluation of all other information systems initiatives, the evaluation of egovernments in both theory and practice has proved to be important but complex. The complexity of evaluation is mostly due to the multiple perspectives involved, the difficulties of quantifying benefits, and the social and technical context of use. The importance of e-government evaluation is due to the enormous investment of governments on delivering e-government services, and to the considerable pace of growing in the e-government field. However, despite the importance of the evaluation of e-government services, literature shows that e-government evaluation is still an immature area in terms of development and management. This work is part of a research effort that aims to develop a holistic evaluation framework for e-government systems. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the citizen’ perspective in evaluating e-government services, and present a set of evaluating factors that influence citizens’ utilization of e-government services. These evaluation factors can serve as part of an e-government evaluation framework. Moreover, the evaluation factors can also be used as means of providing valuable feedback for the planning of future egovernment initiatives

"Perceived Job Transition Readiness" of Physical Therapy Students in Abha, Saudi Arabia

Students gaining professional education in physical therapy and other related health care professions often have high stress associated with a fear of practice. This study tries to examine the “perceived job transition readiness” of physical therapy students in a single cross-sectional study. An ANOVA details the different perceptions among first year students and final year students of physical therapy education. The study points out that, final level students lack role identity in their chosen profession and, they have less confidence about their professional readiness to practice physical therapy than the junior students. The study provides an in depth understanding for the graduates to be that such stress they experience is only momentary and that it is a positive stress that would help them to excel in future

A reinforcement learning recommender system using bi-clustering and Markov Decision Process

Collaborative filtering (CF) recommender systems are static in nature and does not adapt well with changing user preferences. User preferences may change after interaction with a system or after buying a product. Conventional CF clustering algorithms only identifies the distribution of patterns and hidden correlations globally. However, the impossibility of discovering local patterns by these algorithms, headed to the popularization of bi-clustering algorithms. Bi-clustering algorithms can analyze all dataset dimensions simultaneously and consequently, discover local patterns that deliver a better understanding of the underlying hidden correlations. In this paper, we modelled the recommendation problem as a sequential decision-making problem using Markov Decision Processes (MDP). To perform state representation for MDP, we first converted user-item votings matrix to a binary matrix. Then we performed bi-clustering on this binary matrix to determine a subset of similar rows and columns. A bi-cluster merging algorithm is designed to merge similar and overlapping bi-clusters. These bi-clusters are then mapped to a squared grid (SG). RL is applied on this SG to determine best policy to give recommendation to users. Start state is determined using Improved Triangle Similarity (ITR similarity measure. Reward function is computed as grid state overlapping in terms of users and items in current and prospective next state. A thorough comparative analysis was conducted, encompassing a diverse array of methodologies, including RL-based, pure Collaborative Filtering (CF), and clustering methods. The results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms its competitors in terms of precision, recall, and optimal policy learning

Concurrent validity of two-dimensional video analysis of lower-extremity frontal plane of movement during multidirectional single-leg landing

Objectives: Establish the concurrent validity between 2D video analysis and 3D motion analysis of frontal plane lower limb movements during multidirectional landing tasks. Design: Correlation study Setting: University Biomechanics laboratory Participants: 34 (19 male, 15 female) uninjured physical active individuals Main outcome measures: knee abduction and hip adduction angles during a variety of single leg landing tasks. Results: 2D knee abduction showed an association with 3D knee abduction angle ranging from r = 0.17-0.42 across the tasks, with r² values ranging between 0.03-0.17. 2D hip adduction angle in both legs reported a strong and significant correlation with 3D hip adduction angle, ranging from r = 0.70-0.90 across all tasks. Linear regression analysis (r²) revealed that 49–81% of 3D hip adduction angle can be explained by 2D measurement. Conclusion: It might be difficult to explain 3D knee abduction angle using 2D video analysis during single leg landing tasks, whereas 2D hip adduction angle is a strong predictor or 3D hip adduction angle. It would appear 2D video analysis has strong concurrent validity when assessing hip adduction angle, but it is weak when assessing knee abduction angle during a variety of single leg landing tasks

Global Current Practices of Ventilatory Support Management in COVID-19 Patients: An International Survey

Background: As the global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, it is important to understand how frontline clinicians manage ventilatory support and the various limiting factors. / Methods: An online survey composed of 32 questions was developed and validated by an international expert panel. / Results: Overall, 502 respondents from 40 countries across six continents completed the survey. The mean number (±SD) of ICU beds was 64 ± 84. The most popular initial diagnostic tools used for treatment initiation were arterial blood gas (48%) and clinical presentation (37.5%), while the national COVID-19 guidelines were the most used (61.2%). High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) (53.8%), non-invasive ventilation (NIV) (47%), and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (92%) were mostly used for mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 cases, respectively. However, only 38.8%, 56.6% and 82.9% of the respondents had standard protocols for HFNC, NIV, and IMV, respectively. The most frequently used modes of IMV and NIV were volume control (VC) (36.1%) and continuous positive airway pressure/pressure support (CPAP/PS) (40.6%). About 54% of the respondents did not adhere to the recommended, regular ventilator check interval. The majority of the respondents (85.7%) used proning with IMV, with 48.4% using it for 12– 16 hours, and 46.2% had tried awake proning in combination with HFNC or NIV. Increased staff workload (45.02%), lack of trained staff (44.22%) and shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) (42.63%) were the main barriers to COVID-19 management. / Conclusion: Our results show that general clinical practices involving ventilatory support were highly heterogeneous, with limited use of standard protocols and most frontline clinicians depending on isolated and varied management guidelines. We found increased staff workload, lack of trained staff and shortage of PPE to be the main limiting factors affecting global COVID-19 ventilatory support management

Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus capitis: An Emerging Challenge in Clinical Settings Found in Adult Patients in Saudi Arabia

The study reveals crucial information on S. capitis, a potentially dangerous bacterium that can cause sepsis in hospitalized adult patients, including its frequency and patterns of drug resistance which could significantly contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this field. This retrospective study was conducted in the King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June 2019 to November 2022. The comprehensive data collection and analysis provide valuable information on the prevalence of S. capitis in different infection sites, antibiotic sensitivity profiles, and the association with patient demographics. A total of 219 S. capitis isolates from hospitalized patients with sepsis tested positive. Infection was most common in venous blood (139 patients, 63.5%), followed by central blood (24 patients, 11%). Other locations included venipuncture (48 patients, 21.9%) and cerebrospinal fluid (three patients, 1.4%). The results highlight the clinical significance of S. capitis as a major contributor to sepsis, especially in male patients, and emphasize the need for appropriate antibiotic selection for effective treatment. Furthermore, this study raises concerns about the high rates of methicillin resistance observed in S. capitis isolates, emphasizing the urgency in tackling antibiotic resistance and promoting judicious antibiotic prescription practices. Moreover, the identification of a decreased susceptibility to vancomycin as a potential explanation for its reduced effectiveness in treating S. capitis infections adds a crucial aspect to the discussion of treatment options and underscores the need for alternative therapeutic strategies

Imbalanced Prostanoid Release Mediates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Human Pulmonary Artery Cell Proliferation

BackgroundPulmonary hypertension is a common and serious complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies suggest that cigarette smoke can initiate pulmonary vascular remodelling by stimulating cell proliferation; however, the underlying cause, particularly the role of vasoactive prostanoids, is unclear. We hypothesize that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can induce imbalanced vasoactive prostanoid release by differentially modulating the expression of respective synthase genes in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and endothelial cells (PAECs), thereby contributing to cell proliferation.MethodsAqueous CSE was prepared from 3R4F research-grade cigarettes. Human PASMCs and PAECs were treated with or without CSE. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to analyse the mRNA and protein expression of vasoactive prostanoid syhthases. Prostanoid concentration in the medium was measured using ELISA kits. Cell proliferation was assessed using the cell proliferation reagent WST-1.ResultsWe demonstrated that CSE induced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the rate-limiting enzyme in prostanoid synthesis, in both cell types. In PASMCs, CSE reduced the downstream prostaglandin (PG) I synthase (PGIS) mRNA and protein expression and PGI2 production, whereas in PAECs, CSE downregulated PGIS mRNA expression, but PGIS protein was undetectable and CSE had no effect on PGI2 production. CSE increased thromboxane (TX) A synthase (TXAS) mRNA expression and TXA2 production, despite undetectable TXAS protein in both cell types. CSE also reduced microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) protein expression and PGE2 production in PASMCs, but increased PGE2 production despite unchanged mPGES-1 protein expression in PAECs. Furthermore, CSE stimulated proliferation of both cell types, which was significantly inhibited by the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib, the PGI2 analogue beraprost and the TXA2 receptor antagonist daltroban.ConclusionsThese findings provide the first evidence that cigarette smoke can induce imbalanced prostanoid mediator release characterized by the reduced PGI2/TXA2 ratio and contribute to pulmonary vascular remodelling and suggest that TXA2 may represent a novel therapeutic target for pulmonary hypertension in COPD

Acute Appendicitis among Saudi and Non-Saudi Patients: A Cross-Sectional Based Study

Objective: We conduct this study to discuss the differences between Saudi and non- Saudi patients with acute appendicitis.Background: Acute appendicitis is one of emergency surgeries in developing and developed countries. Its symptoms are vomiting, lower abdominal pain and decreased appetite. Appendicitis needs urgent surgical prouder to avoid its perforation and associated complications which may lead to death. Method: We conduct cross-sectional based study in one of khamis Mushayt, Saudi Araba. 136 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis were included and their medical records were reviewed after getting their informed consent.Results: We included 136 patients, 90 were non-Saudi and 46 were Saudi. There were no statistically differences in their diagnosis but the distribution of the diagnosis was different.Conclusion: Acute appendicitis was more prevalent among non-Saudi patients, the diagnosis between both was with no significant differences. Keywords: acute appendicitis, Saudi, non-Saudi, diagnosis, cross-sectional, Saudi Arabia and khamis Mushayt

Optimization of calcium carbonate precipitation during alpha-amylase enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP)

The sand production during oil and gas extraction poses a severe challenge to the oil and gas companies as it causes erosion of pipelines and valves, damages the pumps, and ultimately decreases production. There are several solutions implemented to contain sand production including chemical and mechanical means. In recent times, extensive work has been done in geotechnical engineering on the application of enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP) techniques for consolidating and increasing the shear strength of sandy soil. In this technique, calcite is precipitated in the loose sand through enzymatic activity to provide stiffness and strength to the loose sand. In this research, we investigated the process of EICP using a new enzyme named alpha-amylase. Different parameters were investigated to get the maximum calcite precipitation. The investigated parameters include enzyme concentration, enzyme volume, calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration, temperature, the synergistic impact of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and CaCl2, Xanthan Gum, and solution pH. The generated precipitate characteristics were evaluated using a variety of methods, including Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed that the pH, temperature, and concentrations of salts significantly impact the precipitation. The precipitation was observed to be enzyme concentration-dependent and increase with an increase in enzyme concentration as long as a high salt concentration was available. Adding more volume of enzyme brought a slight change in precipitation% due to excessive enzymes with little or no substrate available. The optimum precipitation (87%) was yielded at 12 pH and with 2.5 g/L of Xanthan Gum as a stabilizer at a temperature of 75°C. The synergistic effect of both CaCl2 and MgCl2 yielded the highest CaCO3 precipitation (32.2%) at (0.6:0.4) molar ratio. The findings of this research exhibited the significant advantages and insights of alpha-amylase enzyme in EICP, enabling further investigation of two precipitation mechanisms (calcite precipitation and dolomite precipitation)