Grain Situation and Outlook; Cattle Market Fundamentals

Farm Outlook, cattle markets, grain markets

The Extent of Special Education Teachers' Awareness of Thinking Patterns among Talented Students in Jordan

The study aims at identifying the extent of special education teachers' awareness of thinking patterns among talented students in Jordan. The study sample consists of (100) teachers (male and female) who obtained special education certificates from Jordan. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher has developed a scale for thinking patterns for talented students. The results of the study show that the level of awareness of special education teachers of the thinking patterns among gifted students is moderate with a mean of (2.09) and a standard deviation of (0.209). The results also indicate that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of (a=0.05) due to gender variable where “K” is (1.892) with statistical significance (0.063).  Moreover, the results show that there are no statistically significant differences due to years of  experiences  on the awareness of special education teachers with the thinking patterns of talented students in Jordan where “F” reaches (0.392) with statistical significance. In light of the results of the study, the study recommends designing programs to raise the awareness of the special education teachers of thinking patterns of talented students and refining them to serve talented students. Prepare pre/service and in/service programs for gifted students in terms of behavioral characteristics and patterns of thinking to learn how to recommend the student and professor of students’ abilities correctly. Also, the study recommends raising the awareness of responsible authorities in the Ministry of Education and the Supreme Council for the disabled that this category needs support through knowing their thinking patterns. In addition, providing the necessary support services and increasing the attention on the gifted group, not only in the gifted schools, but also in the regular schools in order to have the opportunity in the resource room to develop their talents according to their patterns of thinking. Key words: Awareness - Thinking patterns - Talente

Autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa: mutation screen rhodopsin and indentification of a new genetic locus

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited group of retinal degenerations that are both clinically and genetically heterogeneous. adRP, the autosomal dominant form of RP, shows further heterogeneity. At the start of this project, adRP was known to result from mutations in two photoreceptor specific genes, namely rhodopsin and peripherin/RDS, and as yet an unidentified gene on chromosome 8. During the course of this thesis, four other loci on chromosomes 7p, 7q, 17p, and 17q were identified by linkage analysis. The aims of this thesis were to identify novel mutations in the rhodopsin gene and to identify new genetic loci implicated in adRP. Identification of new mutations in rhodopsin should further elucidate its structural and functional properties. As part of this thesis, four new mutations were identified in this gene in addition to previously reported ones. These include a 42 bp deletion and 150 bp insertion in exon 5, and two point mutations at codons 40 and 216. In the search for a new adRP locus, linkage analysis was performed in a large adRP family known as ADRP5. After exclusion of candidate genes, a total genome search for the disease gene was undertaken; more than 270 markers were genotyped in the family. The disease phenotype was eventually linked to a 22 cM region defined by markers D19S180 and D19S214 on chromosome 19ql3.4. The new locus was given the symbol RPl1. Linkage analysis in the same family with more markers refined the localization of RP11 to an 8 cM region between D19S180 and AFMb005wh1. To further refine this localization and in order to obtain an estimate of the frequency of RP caused by mutations at this locus, 20 more adRP families were genotyped for markers from the disease interval. Two new families, ADRP29 and RP1907 were found to be linked and haplotype analysis in ADRP29 further reduced the RP11 containing region to 5 cM between D19S180 and AFMc001ybl. Another family not included in this thesis has since been found to be linked to this locus. In a total of 27 families analysed by linkage analysis in this laboratory, four mapped to this locus giving an estimation of the frequency of RP11 as 15%. It therefore suggests that mutations at this locus may be the second most common cause of adRP after rhodopsin. The gene for protein kinase C gamma isoenzyme (PRKCG), a member of a large family of serine/threonine protein kinases (PKC), is known to map in the RP11 interval. In Drosophila a mutation in an eye specific PKC gene was found to cause retinal degeneration and photoreceptor deactivation. Therefore, for these and others reasons, PRKCG was suggested as a candidate for RP11. However, a preliminary mutation screen using primers derived from the cDNA sequence failed to detect any mutation in the 19q linked families. Future work will include characterization of the genomic structure of PRKCG and testing it thoroughly, further refinement of the disease locus if PRKCG is excluded, and establishing a YAC contig across the region as the first step towards positional cloning of this RP gene

Informed Consent in Human Subjects Research: A Comparison of International and Saudi Arabian Guidelines

ABSTRACT Objective: Informed Consent (IC) is an essential requirement for the conduct of medical research involving human subjects. Since the Nuremberg Code was adopted in the aftermath of the Second World War, various international guidelines have specified the conditions for a valid IC for medical research. Among the most relevant guidelines are the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, the guidelines of the Council of International Organization of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), and the Good Clinical Practice Guidelines of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH-GCP). This paper aims to compare the above-mentioned international guidelines with Saudi Arabia’s Law of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures regarding the requirements for IC. The comparison also includes some relevant regional and domestic laws. The objective of the study is to determine whether the compared regulations coincide regarding the requirements for a valid IC or whether they show significant differences, and to what extent such requirements are also present in Saudi Arabia’s regulations. Methods: We conducted a content comparative analysis of the above-mentioned guidelines regarding five elements of IC: Disclosure, comprehension, voluntariness, competence, and form of consent. These five topics were subdivided into 44 subtopics. Then we compared and critically analyzed their similarities and differences. Results: The similarities and differences observed in the seven guidelines are summarized under the five components of IC mentioned above and regarding 44 selected subtopics. Conclusion: The analysis of the above-mentioned guidelines shows that while the most basic components of IC are present in all the compared documents, there are some differences between them. Specifically, the study found that the Saudi Arabian regulations include 26 of the 44 subtopics considered and that most of the elements that are missing relate to the disclosure of information to participants. Keywords: Informed consent; Medical research; Disclosure; Comprehension; Voluntariness; Competence; International guideline

Education in Bahrain - 1919-1986 an analytical study of problems and progress

The purpose of this thesis is to present a case study of educational development in Bahrain, a developing country with limited resources. This study attempts (1) to assess the development of education in Bahrain from 1919 to1980 and to analyse the main problems; and (2) to give a comprehensive account of the present educational system (1980 onwards) in the context of recent economic developments and trends. The thesis is organised into eight chapters. Chapter One describes the geography, the people, the history and the economy of the Islands. Chapter Two is concerned with the historical development of Bahraini education from 1919 until 1980. It is an analysis of the different stages, the problems at each stage and the measures taken to tackle them. Chapter Three examines the main forces that have affected the present development, both positively and negatively. Chapter Four provides a survey of the present educational system especially in the State schools. Also the reforms which have been implemented since 1980 are fully examined. Chapter Five is devoted to higher education both at countries abroad and at home colleges. There is also a discussion of teacher training and an analysis of the current status of the teaching profession. Chapter Six examines the role of the private schools in Bahrain from pre-primary to secondary, national and foreign. Chapter Seven deals with the provision for adult literacy and for special educational needs. Chapter Eight concludes this study by evaluating both the strengths and the weaknesses in the system, as well as by analysing the problems that Bahrain education has experienced in the past and which still persist in the present. Finally there are a number of recommendations

Parent's Point of View towards Their Children Playing in the Jordanian Families

This study aims at identifying the parent's point of view of about their children's playing, and it has been conducting in the city of Amman - the capital of Jordan, by choosing (8) kindergartens spread over different parts of the capital city, and the study sample is consisted of (130 fathers and 130 mothers). Data was collected through the study tool, related to their personal information such as age, qualification, income and number of children, in order to identify the impact of these variables on parents, and on their children as will. Also the study aimed at addressing the active role to playing in building the child's personality, and providing the opportunities of healthy physical, social and emotional growth. And the role of parents in upbringing their children by participating in their happiest moments of their lives through playing and spending more time together without feeling bored or tired. So, the researcher hopes that the current study guides parents, teachers and researchers in the field of early childhood and the most important basics of the process of educational upbringing, and the importance of the relationship between the child and his parents, by highlighting the importance of planning and organizing of the balancing these playing activities, and finally to correct some wrong practices among parents and educators

INVESTIGATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF HISTORIC SITE INTERPRETATION CENTERS TO MEANING MAKING: THE CASE OF BAHRAIN

This dissertation investigates the role and contribution of the Historic Site Interpretation Centers in the process of meaning-making from the historic site to the visitors, as well as their visiting experience and attendance at the same settings. The Historic Site Interpretation Centers exhibit a unique museum typology dedicated to sites of historical significance, offering a dual mode of interpretation, labeled as ‘in situ’ and ‘in context’. The objective was to evaluate the physical attributes and applied display strategies in conveying meaning from historic sites to visitors and, to explore the resulting stakeholders’ (i.e. service providers and visitors) perception and emotional experience in these dual settings. Hence, a convergent mixed method of multiple case-study analysis was used to evaluate the given settings’ physical attributes, and multi-ethnographic tools inclusive of archival documents, online survey, semi-structured open-ended interviews, and non-obtrusive observation were used to explore the stakeholders’ perception and emotional experience. Four historical sites in Bahrain were selected: Qal’at Al Bahrain, Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort, Bu Maher Fort and Al Khamis Mosque. The findings suggest that visitation interest and meaning-making are primarily affected by first, a range of different contextual relationships between the Historic Site Interpretation Centers and their historic sites, building physical attributes and display strategies. Second, visitors’ interests and expectations are the main trigger for visitation, while their cultural background and collective memory are recognized as influential factors in the process of meaning-making. The difficulty in creating meaning-making may reside in a single or a combination of factors: a rigid de-contextualization of objects, an architectural design of the interpretive center insensitive to the particularities of the location, presentation strategies ineffective enough to generate a disinterest among visitors. Undoubtedly, the present situation of historic sites in Bahrain affiliates itself to the ever-present debate on the philosophical groundings of Critical Regionalism from its generation in the early 80s of the last century to its present and undeniable actuality and force. This research acknowledges the original reasons and ideological perspective behind its inception and the contemporary critical readings of the same text in the light of new economic, environmental, political concerns and design challenges. While understanding some of the concerns and challenges that drove architectural production since the concept was coined, this research’s intention is to remain close to the essence of Critical Regionalism, which is to effectively understand the importance of a context while designing appropriate structures easily interpreted by visitors, and capable to generate coherent meaning-making within a specific setting. Finally, a new classification of museums is suggested on the basis of contextual relationships to the historic site and the involvement of dual modes of interpretation - ‘in situ’ and ‘in context’ - in order to overcome the existing dichotomy in the contribution and role of such museums. In addition, this study’s ambition is to provide some design and curatorship directions for architects, museographers, and policymakers in Bahrain and beyond

INVESTIGATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF HISTORIC SITE INTERPRETATION CENTERS TO MEANING-MAKING: THE CASE OF BAHRAIN

This dissertation investigates the role and contribution of the Historic Site Interpretation Centers in the process of meaning-making from the historic site to the visitors, as well as their visiting experience and attendance at the same settings. The Historic Site Interpretation Centers exhibit a unique museum typology dedicated to sites of historical significance, offering a dual-mode of interpretation, labeled as ‘in situ’ and ‘in context’. The objective was to evaluate the physical attributes and applied display strategies in conveying meaning from historic sites to visitors and, to explore the resulting stakeholders’ (i.e. service providers and visitors) perception and emotional experience in these dual settings. Hence, a convergent mixed method of multiple case-study analysis was used to evaluate the given settings’ physical attributes, and multi-ethnographic tools inclusive of archival documents, online survey, semi-structured open-ended interviews, and non-obtrusive observation were used to explore the stakeholders’ perception and emotional experience. Four historical sites in Bahrain were selected: Qal’at Al Bahrain, Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort, Bu Maher Fort, and Al Khamis Mosque. The findings suggest that visitation interest and meaning-making are primarily affected by first, a range of different contextual relationships between the Historic Site Interpretation Centers and their historic sites, building physical attributes, and display strategies. Second, visitors’ interests and expectations are the main trigger for visitation, while their cultural background and collective memory are recognized as influential factors in the process of meaning-making. The difficulty in creating meaning-making may reside in a single or a combination of factors: a rigid de-contextualization of objects, an architectural design of the interpretive center insensitive to the particularities of the location, presentation strategies ineffective enough to generate a disinterest among visitors. Undoubtedly, the present situation of historic sites in Bahrain affiliates itself to the ever-present debate on the philosophical groundings of Critical Regionalism from its generation in the early 80s of the last century to its present and undeniable actuality and force. This research acknowledges the original reasons and ideological perspective behind its inception and the contemporary critical readings of the same text in the light of new economic, environmental, political concerns and design challenges. While understanding some of the concerns and challenges that drove architectural production since the concept was coined, this research’s intention is to remain close to the essence of Critical Regionalism, which is to effectively understand the importance of a context while designing appropriate structures easily interpreted by visitors, and capable to generate coherent meaning-making within a specific setting. Finally, a new classification of museums is suggested on the basis of contextual relationships to the historic site and the involvement of dual modes of interpretation - ‘in situ’ and ‘in context’ - in order to overcome the existing dichotomy in the contribution and role of such museums. In addition, this study’s ambition is to provide some design and curatorship directions for architects, museographers, and policymakers in Bahrain and beyond

Why do physiotherapists do what they do? A study of Kuwaiti physiotherapists

Background and Purpose - Physiotherapy has an important role in the management of numerous musculoskeletal (MSK) problems. In terms of evidence-based physiotherapy practice, little is known about the reasons for selection of treatment techniques by MSK physiotherapists or whether their treatments are evidence based. This survey aimed to explore the reasons for the choice of treatment techniques by Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists and to identify the extent of using the evidence base from research findings as a basis for physiotherapy practice. Methods - A self-reported questionnaire accompanied with participant information sheet was distributed to 139 MSK physiotherapists in seven hospitals in Kuwait. The questionnaire was modified from that used in a previous study for use with Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists to include modalities that were known to be used there by the lead author. It was piloted prior to distribution on three Kuwaiti MSc students for content and face validity. Results - One hundred six of 139 therapists responded, of whom 22% were male and 78% were female. The study showed that undergraduate education was the main influence for all treatment techniques used by Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists. The use of research findings as a basis for choice of treatment techniques was very limited. The use of research was not related to post-qualification education or years of professional experience. Conclusion - The findings of this study demonstrate that current physiotherapy practice in Kuwait is more reliant on undergraduate education and less on research evidence for the choice of treatment techniques. This has implications for undergraduate physiotherapy curricula, suggesting that evidence-based practice must be keenly espoused