The Role of Intelligence Applications In Developing Self- Learning Skills For Adult Learners (Duolingo As A Model)

This study aimed to identifying the impact of a proposed training program based on utilizing Duolingo application as a model for artificial intelligence applications used in developing self-learning skills for adult learners. The study sample consisted of (20) trainees from the adult learners in Social Responsibility Observatory programs at Majmaah University, they studied topics organized according to the training program. The study tools were: (a list of self-education skills, an observation card, and the proposed training program). The study concluded a statistically significant difference at significance level 0.01 between the mean scores of the experimental group in the pre and post application of self- learning skills in relation to skills of (setting learning goals, choosing learning content, participating in learning activities, using learning resources, evaluating learning outcomes, and skills in general) in favor of the post application. The study recommended applying artificial intelligence applications in various adult education programs and developing adult education teachers preparation programs through qualitative teaching skills training, including teaching competencies for Self-learning skills developing

New Prospective of Developing the Capabilities of the Faculty Members at the University Based on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030

The aim of the current study is to create a new Prospective of developing the capabilities of Universities’ faculty members Based on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The current study is based on the descriptive approach in defining the general features of Sustainable Development through a critical review of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Sustainable Development components and principles of achieving sustainable development goals 2030. The current study also worked on drawing three expected roles for the University in achieving the United Nations goals for Sustainable Development which included: the University roles according to the academic entity, the Universitys roles according to the scientific research entity and the Universitys roles according to its social responsibility entity, as the study proposed the new vision according to that. Finally, the study was concluded with a set of procedural recommendations, the most prominent of which are the employment of the proposed current research’s vision in Majmaah University, the evaluation of its success, further development of the study by the concerned bodies, establishing a Saudi Authority on monitoring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and coordinating of efforts between the various institutions of society in achieving sustainable development goals 2030. The study also recommended allocating appropriate research budgets to research bodies in a qualitative manner for researches working in the field of sustainable development global goals

Chronic Illness and Mood Status among Chronically Ill Patients

Introduction: Research has proven that chronic illnesses are associated with mood disturbance.  Chronic illnesses are complex conditions that last for lifetime and cannot be cured completely.  Chronic illnesses are known to reduce patients’ ability and energy to live well, exercise, live a normal life or cope with their illnesses.  In addition, signs and symptoms of mood disturbances often overlooked.  This adds a burden on the individual patient, health care providers and the community.  With the increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses, understanding the relationship between chronic illness and mood status is vital to improve community health.  The objective of this study was to identify the association between chronic illness and mood status among Saudi chronically ill patients. Methodology: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design to answer the following questions: (1) Is there a relationship between chronic illness and mood status among chronically ill patients? (2) What is the relationship between the number of chronic illness and mood status? (3) What is the relationship between the type of chronic illnesses and mood status? (4) Does adherence to diet and medication affect mood status among chronically ill patient?  and (5) Does mood status differ by demographic characteristics of chronically ill patients?  A convenience sample of 473 patients was interviewed while visiting the out-patient clinics at King Fahd Hospital.  Eligible subjects were interviewed in a semi structured interview by the researchers after agreeing to participate in the study.  Plus demographic profile, the Brief Mood Introspection Scale was used to collect data. Results:  64.3% were females, 46% were in the age group 40 to 59 years old with a mean age of 47.9(15.9).  Majority was married, 25.6% graduated from colleges, 19.2% from high school and 28.1% were illiterate.    58.3% of the participants have 1 or 2 chronic illnesses and 34.7% have 3 to 4 chronic illnesses and 7% reported having more than 5 chronic illnesses.  78% indicated that they are adhering to medication, and 45% are adhering to diet.  There was no statistical relationship between chronic illness and mood status (r = .03, p = .69).  Mood on the other hand significantly correlated with the number of chronic illness (r = .21**, p = 0.01), age (r = .16**, p = .004), gender (r = .26**, p = .001), and adherence to medication (r=.36**, p = .002). Conclusion and recommendation: Chronically ill patient are at more risk for mood disturbance especially with the increasing number of chronic illness.  Screening for mood disorders is important for early detection of more serious psychological disorders.  Intervention to identify mood disturbances and differentiate them from the consequences of the chronic illness is vital for improving quality of life and health related outcomes among chronically ill patient. Using qualitative analysis plus the current quantitative method may provide wide range of assessment and understanding. Keywords: Chronic illness, mood, patients, Adherenc

On the application of hot wires and pitot tubes in pipe and channel flows

Paper presented to the 10th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Florida, 14-16 July 2014.This paper looks mainly at two measuring techniques, namely, the hot-wire anemometer and the pitot tube when utilized in wall-bounded shear flows. Additional heat losses occur from the hot wires in presence of walls that are not accounted for in the calibration process of the wires. Because of this, corrections for erroneous in fluid velocity measured by the hot wire in the wall proximity are to be carried out. Similarly, when the pitot tube is applied to flow measurements, the mean shear gradient and the wall proximity come to play major roles of incorrect readings. Its size is therefore to be chosen such that corrections for the shear gradient and the wall proximity are minimal. The paper outlines, therefore, corrections applied to the pitot tube measured data in both pipe and channel flows. Available corrections are adopted in this paper to both the pipe and the channel flow measured data, yielding pitot tube results that are comparable to those of the hot wire and this was demonstrated by comparing the results corrected to the socalled the logarithmic velocity profile.cf201

Sliding wear investigation of suspension sprayed WC-Co nanocomposite coatings.

Sliding wear evaluation of nanostructured coatings deposited by Suspension High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (S-HVOF) and conventional HVOF (Jet Kote (HVOF-JK) and JP5000 (HVOF-JP)) spraying were evaluated. S-HVOF coatings were nanostructured and deposited via an aqueous based suspension of the WC-Co powder, using modified HVOF (TopGun) spraying. Microstructural evaluations of these hardmetal coatings included X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Sliding wear tests on coatings were conducted using a ball-on-flat test rig against steel, silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramic and WC-6Co balls. Results indicated that nanosized particles inherited from the starting powder in S-HVOF spraying were retained in the resulting coatings. Significant changes in the chemical and phase composition were observed in the S-HVOF coatings. Despite decarburization, the hardness and sliding wear resistance of the S-HVOF coatings was comparable to the HVOF-JK and HVOF-JP coatings. The sliding wear performance was dependent on the ball-coating test couple. In general a higher ball wear rate was observed with lower coating wear rate. Comparison of the total (ball and coating) wear rate indicated that for steel and ceramic balls, HVOF-JP coatings performed the best followed by the S-HVOF and HVOF-JK coatings. For the WC-Co ball tests, average performance of S-HVOF was better than that of HVOF-JK and HVOF-JP coatings. Changes in sliding wear behavior were attributed to the support of metal matrix due to relatively higher tungsten content, and uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the S-HVOF coating microstructure. The presence of tribofilm was also observed for all test couples

Bi-allelic JAM2 Variants Lead to Early-Onset Recessive Primary Familial Brain Calcification.

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a combination of neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive decline associated with calcium deposition on brain imaging. To date, mutations in five genes have been linked to PFBC. However, more than 50% of individuals affected by PFBC have no molecular diagnosis. We report four unrelated families presenting with initial learning difficulties and seizures and later psychiatric symptoms, cerebellar ataxia, extrapyramidal signs, and extensive calcifications on brain imaging. Through a combination of homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing, we mapped this phenotype to chromosome 21q21.3 and identified bi-allelic variants in JAM2. JAM2 encodes for the junctional-adhesion-molecule-2, a key tight-junction protein in blood-brain-barrier permeability. We show that JAM2 variants lead to reduction of JAM2 mRNA expression and absence of JAM2 protein in patient's fibroblasts, consistent with a loss-of-function mechanism. We show that the human phenotype is replicated in the jam2 complete knockout mouse (jam2 KO). Furthermore, neuropathology of jam2 KO mouse showed prominent vacuolation in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum and particularly widespread vacuolation in the midbrain with reactive astrogliosis and neuronal density reduction. The regions of the human brain affected on neuroimaging are similar to the affected brain areas in the myorg PFBC null mouse. Along with JAM3 and OCLN, JAM2 is the third tight-junction gene in which bi-allelic variants are associated with brain calcification, suggesting that defective cell-to-cell adhesion and dysfunction of the movement of solutes through the paracellular spaces in the neurovascular unit is a key mechanism in CNS calcification

A homozygous MED11 C-terminal variant causes a lethal neurodegenerative disease

Purpose: The mediator (MED) multisubunit-complex modulates the activity of the transcriptional machinery, and genetic defects in different MED subunits (17, 20, 27) have been implicated in neurologic diseases. In this study, we identified a recurrent homozygous variant in MED11 (c.325C>T; p.Arg109Ter) in 7 affected individuals from 5 unrelated families. Methods: To investigate the genetic cause of the disease, exome or genome sequencing were performed in 5 unrelated families identified via different research networks and Matchmaker Exchange. Deep clinical and brain imaging evaluations were performed by clinical pediatric neurologists and neuroradiologists. The functional effect of the candidate variant on both MED11 RNA and protein was assessed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blotting using fibroblast cell lines derived from 1 affected individual and controls and through computational approaches. Knockouts in zebrafish were generated using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9. Results: The disease was characterized by microcephaly, profound neurodevelopmental impairment, exaggerated startle response, myoclonic seizures, progressive widespread neurodegeneration, and premature death. Functional studies on patient-derived fibroblasts did not show a loss of protein function but rather disruption of the C-terminal of MED11, likely impairing binding to other MED subunits. A zebrafish knockout model recapitulates key clinical phenotypes. Conclusion: Loss of the C-terminal of MED subunit 11 may affect its binding efficiency to other MED subunits, thus implicating the MED-complex stability in brain development and neurodegeneration