An EM-algorithm based method to deal with rounded zeros in compositional data under Dirichlet models

Zeros in compositional data are classified into “rounded” zeros and “essential” zeros. The rounded zero corresponds to a small proportion or below detection limit value while the essential zero is an indication of the complete absence of the component in the composition. Several parametric and non-parametric imputation techniques have been proposed to replace rounded zeros and model the essential zeros under logratio model. In this paper, a new method based on EM algorithm is proposed for replacing rounded zeros. The proposed method is illustrated using simulated data

Reforming Undergraduate Statistics Education in the Arab World in the Era of Information

© 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. This article is the first to thoroughly investigate the state of undergraduate statistics education in the Arab world. It discusses evidence with respect to the quality of education in general and statistics education in particular. Based on a survey of statistics programs in Arab universities, several issues pertaining to curriculum structure, pedagogical practices, and matching learning outcomes with labor market needs are discussed. The survey results reveal a gap between the undergraduate statistics programs in Arab universities and the international curriculum guidelines. This gap signals the urgent need for reforming and enhancing statistics education to address the needs of the labor market in this era of information. Recommendations and strategic reforms based on best international practices are outlined

Determinants Of The Voluntary Formation Of A Company Audit Committee: Evidence From Palestine

Drawing on agency theory, this paper investigates the determinants of voluntary audit committee (AC) formation among non-bank firms listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange (PSE). We used the annual reports of nearly all non-bank companies listed on the PSE as well as the company guides issued by the PSE for the period between 2010 and 2012. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influence of a set of corporate governance mechanisms, ownership structures and company characteristics on the voluntary formation of ACs among non-bank Palestinian firms. The result of the analysis demonstrated that the AC is influenced by foreign ownership, institutional ownership, board diligence and external auditor type. This paper adds to the limited AC literature in Middle Eastern countries in general and in the Arab World in particular. This paper not only examines the determinants of the voluntary formation of ACs but also attempts to theorise about this formation

Does Corporate Governance Constrain Earnings Management in an Unstable Economic and Political Environment?

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of corporate governance structures on earnings management behavior in a weakly governed and politically unstable environment. A panel of data from 35 non-bank companies listed on the Palestine Exchange between 2012 and 2019 was employed. A fixed effects regression model was used to examine the impact of certain board characteristics (board size, board meetings, and audit committee formation) and ownership structures (institutional ownership, foreign ownership, and ownership concentration) on earnings management in the volatile and risky political and economic environment of Palestine. The findings indicate that corporate governance and ownership systems in Palestine appear to be ineffective in constraining earnings management practices. None of the board attributes appear to constrain earnings management practices. However, there is weak evidence to show that ownership concentration has some effect in curbing earnings manipulation. The findings of this study are expected to increase awareness among Palestinian regulators, investors, and other policymakers regarding the role of boards of directors and institutional and foreign shareholders in monitoring Palestinian listed companies to enhance corporate governance and the quality of financial reporting

The Barriers to Sustainable Nutrition for Sustainable Health among Zayed University Students in the UAE

Unhealthy and unsustainable nutrition is a major concern globally, including in the United Arab Emirates. Although many education programs have been conducted, diet-related illnesses remain prevalent. This study aims to identify the barriers between knowledge and practice of sustainable healthy diets to achieve long-term health, among students of Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. An online questionnaire was sent to Zayed University (ZU) students over 18 years of age, using snowball sampling. The participants achieved a mean score of 5.6 out of 11 in nutritional knowledge, and a mean score of 3.4 out of 6 in healthy habits. The only barrier that significantly affected dietary habits was not knowing how to plan a diet (p = 0.025). Accordingly, having good nutritional knowledge was significantly related to improved dietary habits (p \u3c 0.001). In addition, school curriculums (p = 0.004), doing one’s own research (p \u3c 0.001), and social media (p \u3c 0.001) were significantly related to improved nutritional knowledge. The most commonly reported motivators for a healthier diet were “to keep their body healthy for a long time” and “to maintain a healthy weight” (72.6% and 70.1%, respectively). Overall, among ZU students the most significant barrier to achieving sustainable healthy nutrition was lack of knowledge. Education methods such as school curriculums, individual research, and social media were effective. Topics such as how to plan a diet, how to keep the body healthy, and how to maintain a healthy weight are of general interest

Knowledge about Vitamin D among Women in the United Arab Emirates

Vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue as it affects almost 90% of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. A bigger portion of this percentage is women due to the physiological changes throughout their life cycle. This study aims to assess the knowledge about vitamin D among women in the UAE. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. Using snowball sampling, an electronic questionnaire was sent to women aged 18 years and above. Overall, 1537 women completed the questionnaire. The participants had mean scores of 49.4 ± 10.7 and 59.6 ± 14.6 for general and nutritional knowledge, respectively. Factors associated with higher scores included older age, marriage, higher educational level, and having tested their vitamin D levels. Factors associated with lower scores included the history of a chronic illness and being employed. Findings indicate that women in this study showed a low level of vitamin D knowledge specifically regarding the non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D and factors that affect vitamin D synthesis. Therefore, health education and promotion programs must be implemented across the UAE to improve overall awareness about vitamin D

Use of Herbal Medicine Among the Public in Abu Dhabi

Background: Herbal remedies have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years to treat various human ailments. Aim: Given the rising increase in the use of herbal products among the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population, this study aims to explore the level of knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about the use of herbal medicine among the public in Abu Dhabi. Methods: A total of 410 male and female participants aged between 20 and 60+ years completed a 20-item face-to-face questionnaire that was composed of three sections. The first section of the questionnaire included demographic data (age, gender, nationality, marital status, and level of education), health status, and familiarity with herbal medicine. The second section included practices of using of herbal medicine among participants. The last section included respondents' beliefs and attitudes about herbal medicine based on its use. Results: The results of this study showed that almost half of the respondents were married and aged between 20 and 29 years. Only one-fifth of the participants were very familiar with the herbal medicine while more than one-third reported no familiarity. The results also showed that about 35% of the participants use herbal medicine. The only demographic features linked with the usage of herbal medications were age and marital state, where married respondents reported higher use of herbal medicine than unmarried. In addition, older respondents (40+ years) reported higher use compared to younger generations. Moreover, the patient's high cholesterol level was the sole connected health-related attribute. Interestingly, most users indicated that herbal medicine was recommended to them by family or friends, followed by herbalists and medical doctors. According to nonusers, the biggest deterrent to utilizing herbal remedies was being healthy and having no need for using herbal medicine, while lack of available information about herbal medicine was the second reason. The highest belief of respondents about the use of herbal medicine was their role in maintaining and promoting health. Conclusion: Although the results of this study showed that herbal medicine is moderately used in UAE, particularly by those who have hypercholesterolemia, it is important to emphasize the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing herbal remedies. Effective herbal medicine policies and health education programs must be developed. Patient counseling and education about medication use are needed to augment their awareness about their use. Keywords: herbal medicine, demographic features, hypercholesterolemi

UAE Women’s Knowledge and Attitudes towards Physical Activity during Pregnancy

The benefits of being physically active during pregnancy are widely acknowledged. It is important for the prevention of chronic diseases and the promotion of good health for mothers and children. However, physical activity by women in the UAE is notoriously low and reduced further during pregnancy. The same can be said regarding research about the knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks associated with exercise as a predictor of behavior. We aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes towards physical activity during pregnancy amongst Emirati women. A cross-sectional digital survey was designed to assess knowledge and attitudes and distributed to women, aged 18–40 years, using non-randomized, purposeful snowball sampling. A total of 1538 women were recruited. Most participants were aged 20–29 years (53.5%), were Emiratis (88.9%), and had no history of chronic disease (68.6%). The participants self-reported very low levels of PA (75.5%) and had a below-average level of knowledge overall (40.6 ± 20). Younger ages (p \u3c 0.001), lower educational levels (p = 0.004), being employed (p = 0.014), and having a history of chronic disease (p = 0.016) were significantly associated with lower mean knowledge scores, while being married (p = 0.003) was significantly associated with higher scores. The participants also exhibited a positive attitude towards physical activity during pregnancy by selecting answers that they supported it. To encourage physical activity, women living in the UAE could benefit from clear advice about safe physical activity during pregnancy

Evaluation of Self-Assessed State of Health and Vitamin D Knowledge in Emirati and International Female Students in United Arab Emirates (UAE)

© Copyright © 2020 Abboud, Rizk, Papandreou, Hijazi, Al Emadi and Waszak. Introduction: Globally, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies, affecting nearly half the world’s population. The objective of this survey was to assess and compare the knowledge about vitamin D and the perceived state of health in Emirati and international tourist female students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that took place in universities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This survey consisted of 17 multiple choice questions and was adapted from a study recently conducted in Poland. The first part of the survey assessed levels of supplementation, diet and UV exposure. Another section evaluated the participants’ self-assessed state of health in terms of vitamin D testing, symptoms related to vitamin D deficiency and general welbeing. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SPSS statistics for windows version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States). Statistical significance was set at P \u3c 0.05. Results: 105 respondents were Emiratis and 65 were international students. The average age was 21, with an average BMI 23.3 kg/m2. Almost one-third of each group reported using Vitamin D supplements once weekly. The vast majority of both groups reported rarely getting tanned. Almost all participants in both groups reported regular consumption of Vitamin D rich foods. In both groups, more than half reported consuming milk and cheese regularly and up to one-third reported consuming fish in a regular manner. Although more than half of the students rated their health as good; more than two-thirds reported experiencing muscle pain; only half reported having their blood Vitamin D levels measured once; half reported experiencing problems with concentration and more than three-quarters reported experiencing bad mood in the past month. The prevalence of these symptoms was almost similar across different categories of vitamin D supplementation, tanning habits, dietary intake, or nationality. No statistically significant differences were noted between the Emirati and International tourist students regarding any of the studied variables. Conclusion: Notably, more Emirati students were aware of the association between vitamin D and osteoporosis than International tourist students (40% vs. 21.9%, respectively; p \u3c 0.05). On the other hand, both groups had lower knowledge about the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and depression, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hypertension, and the optimal vitamin D level; however, no statistically significant differences were noted regarding this knowledge of Emiratis and international students

Emirati Adults Have a Higher Overall Knowledge on Vitamin D Compared to Tourists

© Copyright © 2020 Saleh, Alhadhrami, Al Ramahi, Albloushi, Hijazi, Abboud and Papandreou. Objectives: In the last decade, vitamin D deficiency has become a major global issue. One of the main functions of vitamin D is the proper absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal track. Optimal vitamin D levels are mandatory for adequate calcium absorption and bone health. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of vitamin D, calcium, and physical activity among Emirati and tourist adults in Abu Dhabi. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that took place in three different malls in Abu Dhabi and included Emirati and tourist adults. Participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire consisting of 32 questions. These included questions on vitamin D, calcium, supplement, and physical activity knowledge. Another section of the questionnaire included general information on age, sex, education, weight, and height. The collected data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics using IBM SPSS statistics for Windows version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States). Statistical significance was set at P \u3c 0.05. Results: Out of 147 adults, 113 were females and 34 males. The mean age, height, and weight were 27.9 ± 8.6 years, 162.7 ± 10.4 cm, and 66.5 ± 19.5 kg, respectively. Emiratis had statistically significant higher basic knowledge on vitamin D compared to tourists (44.9 vs 27.1%), respectively. More than 66% of the whole sample was aware that vitamin D deficiency can affect muscle strength, as well as that calcium may affect osteoporosis. In a multiple regression model to analyze the possible effects of other factors to knowledge, it was found that only age (Beta: 0.045, P \u3c 0.014) and nationality (Beta: 0.750, P \u3c 0.018) were independently and significantly associated to vitamin D. Conclusion: Emirati participants showed a higher overall vitamin D knowledge than their tourist counterparts. Both groups had low/medium level of knowledge when it comes to physical activity and calcium and vitamin D supplements