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Using an aerosol–climate coupled model, this paper has investigated the changes in distributions of anthropogenic and natural particles due to 4 × CO2-induced global warming, under the low emission scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5). Special attention is paid to the seasonal variations of aerosol size modes. With rising CO2 levels, surface warming, and changes in atmospheric circulations and hydrologic cycles are found during both summer (JJA) and winter (DJF). For anthropogenic particles, changes in fine anthropogenic particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 μm) decrease over high-latitude regions and increase over the tropics in both DJF and JJA. Global mean column concentrations of PM2.5 decrease by approximately 0.19 mg m−2, and concentrations of coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase by 0.005 mg m−2 in JJA. Changes in anthropogenic particles in DJF are similar to those in JJA, but the magnitudes of maximum regional changes are much smaller than those in JJA. The coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, whereas changes in anthropogenic CPM during DJF are minimal. During both JJA and DJF, changes in anthropogenic CPM are about two orders of magnitude smaller than those of anthropogenic PM2.5. Enhanced wet deposition by large-scale precipitation under rising CO2-induced surface warming is the critical factor affecting changes in anthropogenic particles. For natural particles, the distribution of change in the natural PM2.5 burden is similar to that of natural CPM, but much larger than natural CPM during each season. Both natural PM2.5 and CPM burdens increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, but decrease over most of the continental regions during DJF. Changes in surface wind speed, divergence/convergence of surface wind, and precipitation are primary reasons for the variation of natural particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease of increasing intensity among humans in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In Uganda, cases reported prior to 2016 were mild or not fully documented. We report in this paper on the severe morbidity and hospital-based mortality of human cases in Uganda. Methods: Between November 2017 and March 2020 human cases reported to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ethical and regulatory approvals were obtained to enrol survivors into a one-year follow-up study. Data were collected on socio-demographics, medical history, laboratory tests, potential risk factors, and analysed using Stata software. Results: Overall, 40 cases were confirmed with acute RVF during this period. Cases were not geographically clustered and nearly all were male (39/40; 98%), median age 32 (range 11–63). The median definitive diagnosis time was 7 days and a delay of three days between presumptive and definitive diagnosis. Most patients (31/40; 78%) presented with fever and bleeding at case detection. Twenty-eight (70%) cases were hospitalised, out of whom 18 (64%) died. Mortality was highest among admissions in regional referral (11/16; 69%) and district (4/5; 80%) hospitals, hospitalized patients with bleeding at case detection (17/27; 63%), and patients older than 44 years (9/9; 100%). Survivors mostly manifested a mild gastro-intestinal syndrome with nausea (83%), anorexia (75%), vomiting (75%), abdominal pain (50%), and diarrhoea (42%), and prolonged symptoms of severe disease including jaundice (67%), visual difficulties (67%), epistaxis (50%), haemoptysis (42%), and dysentery (25%). Symptom duration varied between two to 120 days. Conclusion: RVF is associated with high hospital-based mortality, severe and prolonged morbidity among humans that present to the health care system and are confirmed by PCR. One-health composite interventions should be developed to improve environmental and livestock surveillance, prevent infections, promptly detect outbreaks, and improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of an effective method for studying the local headings of migrants using 'orientation cages' has made it possible to study the migration patterns of small passerine nocturnal migrants. Numerous papers have been published on varied samples of local data collected using this method. A rough generalization was presented at the 2019 Meeting of the European Ornithologists Union and subsequently published in The Ring. Case studies on data collected for the Blackcap have already been published, and further studies on other species were suggested. The presented work is the next study of this kind, on the migration pattern of the Garden Warbler, using data from orientation tests collected in autumn as part of the work of the SEEN (SE European Bird Migration Network). The data comprises 2,593 tests performed at 31 ringing sites in Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The paper continues the discussion of application of the method to present migration patterns in a geographically wide territory. The general data evaluation methods in this work are exactly as described in the earlier papers. The paper discusses azimuths of arrival and departure tracks at every ringing site, their linearity, number relations between departing and arriving headings, and the general pattern of migration streams followed by different groups of migrants. The hypothesis put forth earlier, stating that the arrival/departure heading axes shown in studies using orientation cages are situated linearly, is once again confirmed and can be used as a general assumption in this type of study. The average deviations are very small and are negligible for drawing general migration patterns. In some cases, however, there were deviations caused by the geographic location of the study site. This problem should be discussed in more detail when more species data become available. Nine migration streams are defined in the study area, which are presented, for simplicity, using different names and colours on maps. Southward and south-eastward streams are dominant and distributed similarly to the streams of the Blackcap. The most pronounced is a stream shown in yellow (YELLOW stream), which is directed from the wide area of central and eastern Europe to the Arabian Peninsula. The BLACK and NAVY streams are the most intriguing (running nearly longitudinally) and require a great deal of attention in further analyses of migration in the Mediterranean. Two styles of presentation of the species migration pattern are discussed, of which the location style of presentation seems to be more precise. The simpler presentation style that shows only general heading axes could be used to compare the general patterns of different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The two main contributing factors that control the overall buildings' energy performance are the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system and the envelope design. Environmental design guidelines that consider these two factors aim to lower energy consumption. However, they are regional and climate-sensitive. This study aims to investigate how three main buildings' envelope design variables (orientation, compactness and window to wall ratio) impact the overall building's energy consumption within Kuwait's regional and climate conditions. Design/methodology/approach: This study simulate the energy consumption of typically shaped buildings by varying their geometry between a square to a rectangular floor plan. This study analyse the associated energy usage and provide early-stage envelope design guidance specific to the country's conditions, to make informed decisions towards environmentally conscious buildings. Findings: The analysed envelope variables have the potential to reduce energy consumption by 40%, and the possibility to reduce HVAC system capacity by 30%. In contrast to the general guidance in literature and standards, the simulation results demonstrate that less compact building forms perform on occasions better than the most compact ones. Originality/value: The objective of this paper is to quantify the energy consumption rates for buildings located within the Arabian Peninsula, an under-studied region with potentially high interest considering three main envelope design variables. The buildings' yearly energy consumption patterns are unique and suggest different envelope design considerations, compared to other regions with different climate conditions. This emphasises the importance of regional guidelines for the different factors associated with energy and buildings' environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘First, the working classes and bohemians were priced out … That was gentrification. Now comes plutocratisation: the middle classes and small companies are falling victim to class cleansing. Global cities are becoming patrician ghettos … Global cities are turning into vast gated communities where the one per cent reproduces.’1 Seen as a series of accumulating stages, this characterisation–gentrification followed by plutocratisation followed by a third stage in which patrician ghettos are moving towards domination – is, to say the least, alarming. Concluding their careful analysis in this issue of London's changing class structure and residential mosaic, David Manley and Ron Johnston turn to the tripartite characterisation by Saskia Sassen of recent urban developments(s). The source in which they came across this formula was an article by the anthropologist and journalist Simon Kuper, in which concentrating on Paris he equates changes there with London, New York and Tokyo2. This characterisation and its implications are considered here on the basis of the studies assembled. Does the tripartite model stand up in this light? Or could it be that the various situations and analyses assembled point to a condition that is much more alarming? Whatever the intensity of this condition, is or are there a way or ways out? What do different analytic approaches have to contribute to understanding the situations and their possibilities? Are there any signs of emergence? That the condition is much more than alarming, in fact terminal, is argued in Adrian Atkinson's paper in which he looks at urbanisation as ‘a brief episode in history’, as it speeds into decline and self-destruction. Moving on to one of our three special features, ‘Cities in the Arabian Peninsula’, and taking up a paper on environmental costs of coastal urbanisation in the Arabian Gulf, one can see the biological dimension of this possibly terminal condition. The signs of an emerging alternative to decline and eventual collapse are discerned and documented in Atkinson's article and in the introductions to and papers in the other two special features. In both ‘Assembling Istanbul’ and ‘Labour Resistance across Global Spaces', new directions are identified in, for example, the paper that each includes on Romani struggles, one in Istanbul and the other in Italy. Returning to London, a further paper from the Labour Resistance feature, on ‘Precarious Workers', there are in the struggles of the cleaners signs of an alternative to Sassen's charted course of mounting progression/regression for urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper examines communication and visibility (C&V) aspect in the operations of the EU Delegation in Saudi Arabia and the GFA Consulting Group. The author assumes that properly designed communication using adequate contents may significantly affect the EU external relations. To verify this statement, the twofold approach was used. First, through the lens of Soft Power and EU actorness, it looks into the theoretical dimension of the international relations and its possible links with communication process. Second, drawing on existing internal EU documents (Communication and Visibility in EU-financed External Actions – Requirements for Implementing Partners 2018 by the EU Delegation in Saudi Arabia, and Information and Communication Handbook for EU Delegations in the Third Countries and International Organizations, published in 20122) the paper offers analytical framework to explore the qualitative and quantitative nature of the online communication undertaken in social media platform both by the EU Delegation in Saudi Arabia and the GFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of fish bones from archeological sites in southeast Arabia requires access to an extensive reference collection. This is often not possible, and repeated use of these resources when they are available ultimately damages bones. This paper provides a platform from which high‐resolution images of 60 species of marine fishes from southeast Arabia can be downloaded, aiding identification and providing illustrations that other researchers can modify to produce graphics to highlight taphonomic modification to bones or illustrate measurements taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers skeletal and dental lesions to assess the effects of aridification on two skeletal samples from the Bronze Age in what is now the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located on the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. This paper hypothesized that the sample from Qarn al‐Harf (QAH) Tomb 6 would show a greater prevalence of skeletal and dental lesions in comparison with that from QAH Tomb 5, because QAH Tomb 6 dates to a period of aridification when compared with the wetter Wadi Suq period (~2000 B.C.). The skeletal remains from two tombs from QAH cemetery are studied: one dated to the transition period from the Umm an‐Nar to Wadi Suq period (~2000 B.C.) (Tomb 6, n = 141) and one Wadi Suq period tomb (Tomb 5, n = 44; 2000–1600 B.C.). Skeletal and dental lesions, including carious lesions, antemortem tooth loss, dental enamel hypoplasia, periosteal new bone formation, cribra orbitalia, and porotic hyperostosis, were recorded and used to assess differential lived experience. Findings from the two tombs are compared with five contemporary sites of the Umm an‐Nar and Wadi Suq periods. Fisher's exact tests found more statistically significant differences in the prevalence of cribra orbitalia (p = 0.0050) and non‐adult mortality (p = 0.0118) for the QAH Tomb 6 skeletal sample than that from QAH Tomb 5. No other skeletal or dental lesions were significantly different according to Fisher's exact tests. While not significant, periosteal new bone formation rates in QAH 6 in conjunction with cribra orbitalia rates suggest individuals were experiencing stressors that were not impacting QAH Tomb 5 individuals. Skeletal and dental lesion rates are not directly attributable to climate change; however, we argue that intense aridification around 2000 B.C. caused desiccated crops and an increased reliance on marine sources for QAH Tomb 6. This reliance likely promoted nutritionally deficient diets manifesting as observed higher rates of cribra orbitalia and periosteal new bone formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which focuses on the use of thermal infrared remote sensing for observations of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) mineral dust in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It states that a spectral Singular Vector Decomposition (SVD) approach has been reinforced for retrieving data from the IASI observations. It is inferred that the SVD has been used in the dust observations due to its independence from solar illumination.

Identification of fish bones from archaeological sites in southeast Arabia is challenging because of high taxonomic diversity, comparatively few reference collections with a wide range of species, as well as access to these resources. This paper provides illustrations of bones from many common taxonomic groups of fish from the southeast Arabia including several species of fish identified in very few assemblages, probably because of the lack of comparative reference material. This is a guide to aid other analysts in the identification process. We also consider the effect of reference collection size on the taxonomic diversity of analysed fish bone assemblages and conclude that research would benefit by the publication of further identification guides. Ideally these should include differences between closely related species, as this has a significant impact on the taxonomic diversity of archaeo‐ichthyological assemblages. Although many papers are devoted to the influence of sample size, recovery method or recording protocols on the taxonomic diversity of faunal assemblages, a similar discussion on the effect of the reference collection used is often overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we seek to integrate theories of music origins and dance with hominin fossil anatomy and the paleoecological contexts of hominin evolution. Based on the association between rhythm in music, dance and locomotion, we propose that early bipedal hominins may have evolved neurobiological substrates different from other great apes due to the rhythmic aspects of bipedal walking and running. Combined with the emancipation of the hands resulting from erect posture, we propose that the neurobiological changes necessary for technological innovation, cultural practices and human musical abilities may have evolved, at least in incipient form, much earlier than previously thought. The consequent ability to synchronize movement and sound production may have also proved beneficial as early bipedal hominins ventured out of late Miocene and early Pliocene woodland and forested habitats and into more open habitats with increased predation risk. We also postulate that, along with bipedalism, paedomorphic morphogenesis of the skull at the base of the hominin clade was a necessary prerequisite for the evolution of vocal modulation and singing in later varieties of hominin. To date research into the evolution of music and dance has yet to be integrated with the fossil and paleoecological evidence of early hominin evolution. This paper seeks to fill this lacuna in the extant literature on human evolution. We also suggest that autocatalytic feedback loops evolving synergistically with hominin erect posture, skull and hand morphology, neurochemical processes and the self-domestication syndrome, have been operative from early hominins some 6 Ma to the present. We document this process by reference to primatological, ethnographic, neurochemical and archaeological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arabia – Eurasia collision zone in the central part of the Alpine – Himalayan orogenic system has had a complex deformation history since the Palaeozoic. In Iran, the collision zone consists of the Alborz‐Talesh, Kopeh Dagh and Zagros foldbelts and the intervening Central Iran area. In this review paper, we summarize the structural architecture and tectonostratigraphic characteristics of these domains and attempt to correlate regional deformation events between them. The results show that six regional‐scale deformation phases can be recognized and correlated in Iran over a time interval extending from the Late Palaeozoic to the Late Cenozoic. Late Palaeozoic rifting in northern Gondwana and subsequent oceanic spreading resulted in the separation of the Central and North Iran blocks from the Arabian Platform. These blocks later converged and collided with the southern margin of Eurasia due to the subduction of the intervening PalaeoTethys lithosphere ("Cimmerian orogeny": Late Triassic). The convergent setting resulted in the initial development of the Alborz‐Talesh foldbelt in present‐day northern Iran, while extensional basins developed in the forebulge area in Central Iran. Continuing northward subduction of NeoTethyan oceanic lithosphere at the southern Eurasia margin produced Early Cretaceous back‐arc extension and associated volcanism in Central Iran and the Alborz‐Talesh area to the north. A phase of compressional deformation in the Late Cretaceous was related to the collision of a series of microcontinents derived from Northern Gondwana, including the Ercinjan and Bitlis massifs, with the Central Iran block, and is recorded in the Alborz‐Talesh foldbelt and in Central Iran. Further back‐arc extension in the late Paleocene – Eocene was accompanied by pervasive volcanism and volcaniclastic sedimentation throughout northern and Central Iran. The final closure of NeoTethys and convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates evolved through phases of early Oligocene "soft" collision and middle Miocene "hard" collision. This was accompanied by thrusting in the internal parts of the Zagros foldbelt and by folding and subordinate thrusting in the more external parts, with related development of the flexural Mesopotamian Basin in the foreland to the SW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) provide a portable and environmentally friendly power source with high energy density. However, the slow kinetic of the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) has hindered the commercialization of DEFCs. Palladium (Pd)-based nanomaterials are the best promising catalysts for EOR due to the high catalytic activities and relatively abundant reserves. In this paper, we developed a simple and green way for the preparation of palladium hydride (PdH 0.43) and Au/PdH 0.43 heterostructures. Ethylene glycol (EG) provided the source of H atoms for the formation of PdH 0.43 in synthesis process. The as-synthesized PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 nanocrystals were extremely stable under ambient conditions and annealing at 300 °C under Ar. Compared with PdH 0.43 and commercial Pd/C, Au/PdH 0.43 presented a higher mass activity of 2659 mA mg−1, a lower oxidation peak potential, and a higher catalytic stability for oxidizing ethanol. Remarkably, the improved catalytic performance might arise from the synergistically modulation of electronic structure, the enhanced resistance to poisoning products and the acceleration of electron transfer by the formation of palladium hydrides and abundant heterostructures of Au/PdH 0.43. This work provides a promising reference for the development of metal-hydride nanomaterials and heterostructures as efficient catalysts. • The PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 were prepared with ethylene glycol as the H source. • The PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 were extremely stable in the air over six months. • Au/PdH 0.43 can maintain the stability of structure even annealing at 300 °C in Ar. • Au/PdH 0.43 exhibited a higher performance toward EOR than PdH 0.43 and Pd/C. • The improved activities might arise from the doping of H and heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical Arabic poetry is replete with animal and fruit metaphors commonly used for endearment purposes. The comparative analysis of love metaphors in classical ghazal shows, however, a shift in the poetics of love from the use of animal metaphors in Badi poetry to the occurrence of fruit imagery in Bedouin ghazal. Based on a selection of classical Arabic love poetry, the paper traces the journey of love and sexuality to illustrate the conceptual change from the prevalence of the gazelle metaphor in Bedouin ghazal of pre- and early Islam times to the emergence of fruit metaphors in Badi poetry of the Abbasid era. Evidenced in poetry, the metaphorical shit mirrors a change in the portrayal of women, who cease to be conceived as wild preys, fearing and fleeing male hunters to become exotic ripe fruits, waiting for the male to pick. Seemingly fortuitous, the shift in love imagery is reminiscent of sociocultural changes that help redefine the poetics of love in classical Arabic literature and inform gender dynamics in medieval Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now called mustatil have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken, although this study could not determine the precise function of these features. Recent excavations in AlUla have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic taxa deposited around a betyl. This paper outlines the results of the University of Western Australia's work at site IDIHA-0008222, a 140 m long mustatil (IDIHA-F-0011081), located 55 km east of AlUla. Work at this site sheds new and important light on the cult, herding and 'pilgrimage' in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia, with the site revealing one of the earliest chronometrically dated betyls in the Arabian Peninsula and some of the earliest evidence for domestic cattle in northern Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carob tree, which is a member of the Fabaceae family, is an agrosilvopastoral tree whose pre-Mediterranean tropical origin appears well established on the basis of genetic, fossil and physiological data. C. siliqua has recently been successfully introduced from the Mediterranean basin to other parts of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. In terms of its domestication, there is paleobotanical, philological, ecological and historical evidence to suggest that the species was spread by people from Arabia, where it took refuge during the Ice Age, to Mesopotamia and then on to the western Mediterranean. This "eastern refugium hypothesis" (ERH) postulates the existence of a single refuge for the carob tree in the eastern Mediterranean and a dissemination by humans to the west of the region concomitant with its domestication. However, recent results of phylogenetic and fossil analyses have revealed the existence of a western refuge, thus refuting the single ERH hypothesis and supporting local use and domestication of the carob tree from native populations throughout the Mediterranean. This paper advances other arguments of a historical, philological, ecological and sociocultural nature that support the existence of a western refugium and also emphasise the important role played by the Romans and particularly by the Arabs and Andalusians in the propagation and domestication of the carob tree in the western Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers literature review of the three suggested approaches that answer the question of ancient Egyptian meter. These theories reflect the constant contradictions between the dominant European Imperial languages of the 19 century (German - French - English). The paper also investigates the religious motivations that prompt Euro-American scholars to compare ancient Egyptian with Biblical texts. The rediscovered thematic affinities formed the main objective of these studies in order to restore historical hypothesizes that approve the legitimacy of several Biblical thoughts. Moving beyond the theoretical parameters of Eurocentric modernity, this paper argues that medieval Arabic literary criticism can be used as a foundation for understanding the literary nature of ancient Egyptian literary devices in order to recognize the various internal forces of the ancient Egyptian literary reproductions. Premodern Arabic poetics, represented in the theory of balāghah (literally 'eloquence' and roughly 'poetics'), can offer the ideal path to take advantage of the linguistic affinities between the two languages in the realm of literary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the archaeological evidence regarding the path of the Via Nova Traiana between Petra and al-Khirbet al-Samra from a fieldwork project in 2011 and 2014. It discusses the traceable parts of the Roman road in terms of locations, layout and construction features, and the ancient sites associated with its route. The paper also presents evidence concerning the other ancient roads branching off or intersecting the Roman road between the two sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will present the evidence for two newly discovered words, gawzag and shagar , meaning "two-horse chariot/mail coach" and "wagon" respectively in the eastern Arabian dialect of Qaṭrāyīth (Syriac for "in Qatari") of the seventh and eighth centuries ce. They reveal the continued local knowledge of wheeled transport in Arabia and possible use long after its supposed disappearance in the Near East between the fourth and sixth centuries according to Richard Bulliet's well-known thesis in his seminal work The Camel and the Wheel (New York: Columbia University Press, 1990). The fact that this vernacular maintained two specific words for two different modes of wheeled transport likely suggests a practical need for them in everyday communication among the inhabitants of the Beth Qaṭraye region (Syriac for "region of the Qataris" in north-eastern Arabia). Moreover, their use in an Arabic dialect reveals that native words were developed for wheeled vehicles in the local language spoken by the inhabitants of the area well before the adoption of markabah as a neologism to mean chariot in nineteenth-century Arabic, according to Michael Macdonald's stimulating article "Wheels in a land of camels" (Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 20/2, 2009). Thus, the various rock drawings of two-wheeled carts and chariots in northern Arabia may in fact not only have been known but also used nearby in eastern Arabia, rather than being inaccurate representations reflecting a distant awareness of the existence of chariots elsewhere such as in Mesopotamia and Egypt as had been previously thought. This is a literary, philological. and historical study that aims at presenting newly discovered vocabulary in context for further analysis by linguists and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After residence in Alexandria in the 20s BC, Strabo describes early imperial Egypt in Book 17 of his Geography. This paper explains Strabo's contemporary focus, and his reactions to earlier accounts, including Herodotus Book 2. As a Hellenistic Greek writing after Actium, Strabo describes Ptolemaic changes, but promotes a more recent pro-imperial reading of the country. He rates the last Ptolemies as corrupt and venal, placing a positive focus on the economic measures of the Roman prefects, and their military control. His travels up the Nile with the prefect enable him to support Augustan claims to have corrected Ptolemaic abuses, and to have ensured the prosperity of the country. He outlines Egypt's broader role in the region, and Augustan measures to bring goods from India and Arabia via the Red Sea through the Egyptian desert to Coptos and Alexandria, thus optimizing Roman revenues through import and export taxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic arbovirosis which has been reported across Africa including the northernmost edge, South West Indian Ocean islands, and the Arabian Peninsula. The virus is responsible for high abortion rates and mortality in young ruminants, with economic impacts in affected countries. To date, RVF epidemiological mechanisms are not fully understood, due to the multiplicity of implicated vertebrate hosts, vectors, and ecosystems. In this context, mathematical models are useful tools to develop our understanding of complex systems, and mechanistic models are particularly suited to data-scarce settings. Here, we performed a systematic review of mechanistic models studying RVF, to explore their diversity and their contribution to the understanding of this disease epidemiology. Researching Pubmed and Scopus databases (October 2021), we eventually selected 48 papers, presenting overall 49 different models with numerical application to RVF. We categorized models as theoretical, applied, or grey, depending on whether they represented a specific geographical context or not, and whether they relied on an extensive use of data. We discussed their contributions to the understanding of RVF epidemiology, and highlighted that theoretical and applied models are used differently yet meet common objectives. Through the examination of model features, we identified research questions left unexplored across scales, such as the role of animal mobility, as well as the relative contributions of host and vector species to transmission. Importantly, we noted a substantial lack of justification when choosing a functional form for the force of infection. Overall, we showed a great diversity in RVF models, leading to important progress in our comprehension of epidemiological mechanisms. To go further, data gaps must be filled, and modelers need to improve their code accessibility. Author summary: Rift Valley fever (RVF) affects humans and livestock across Africa, South West Indian Ocean islands, and the Arabian Peninsula. This disease is one of the World Health Organization priorities and is caused by a virus which is transmitted by mosquitoes (mainly of Aedes and Culex spp. genera), but also by direct contact from livestock to humans. Mathematical models have been used in the last 20 years to disentangle RVF virus transmission dynamics. These models can further improve our understanding of processes driving outbreaks, test the efficiency of control strategies, or even anticipate possible emergence. Provided with detailed datasets, models can tailor their conclusions to specific geographical contexts and aid in decision-making in the field. This review provides a general overview of mathematical models developed to study RVF virus transmission dynamics. We describe their main results and methodological choices, and identify hurdles to be lifted. To offer innovative animal and public health value, we recommend that future models focus on the relative contribution of host species to transmission, and the role of animal mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total number of discovered plant species is increasing yearly worldwide. Plant species differ from one region to another. Some of these discovered plant species are beneficial while others might be poisonous. Computer vision techniques can be an effective way to classify plant species and predict their poisonous status. However, the lack of comprehensive datasets that include not only plant images but also plant species' scientific names, description, poisonous status, and local name make the issue of poisonous plants species prediction a very challenging issue. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model relying on transformers models in conjunction with support vector machine for plant species classification and poisonous status prediction. First, six different Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures are used to determine which produces the best results. Second, the features are extracted using six different CNNs and then optimized and employed to Support Vector Machine (SVM) for testing. To prove the feasibility and benefits of our proposed approach, we used a real case study namely, plant species discovered in the Arabian Peninsula. We have gathered a dataset that contains 2500 images of 50 different Arabic plant species and includes plants images, plant species scientific name, description, local name, and poisonous status. This study on the types of Arabic plants species will help in the reduction of the number of poisonous plants victims and their negative impact on the individual and society. The results of our experiments for the CNN approach in conjunction SVM are favorable where the classifier scored 0.92, 0.94, and 0.95 in accuracy, precision, and F1-Score respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape archaeology, as a type of research based on a systemic surface survey and that results in quantifiable datasets of high quality, has started to be practiced in southeastern Arabia only in recent years. In this paper, I will briefly review the short history of landscape archaeology in the area and its relevance. I will then present the approach and methods used in the Wadi al Jizzi Archaeological Project and discuss some of the results obtained to discuss both the potential and problems of the data that the project generated. In particular, I will focus on ephemeral sites and assemblages, data quality and data representativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of excavation at Mugharat al‐Kahf (WTN01) in Wādī Tanūf, North‐central Oman. It also provides information on the nonmortuary and nonsedentary activities in central Oman during the Wādī Sūq period (2000–1600 BCE), as the subsistence and social arrangements of this period are the subject of much debate. Previous surveys had discovered a substantial amount of Wādī Sūq pottery at the site. This project took forward the excavation for further exploration. The excavation at Test Pit 1 identified Layers Ia and Ib, wherein pottery sherds, charred date stones and other samples for radiocarbon dating were discovered. These prove the cave's occupation during the early third millennium BCE, early second millennium BCE and the Islamic period. The analysis of artefacts and floral remains provided insights into the sojourn, storage and consumption of dates in the cave, and the mobile lifestyle in central Oman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular epidemiology studies are essential to refine our understanding of migrations of phytopathogenic bacteria, the major determining factor in their emergence, and to understand the factors that shape their population structure. Microsatellite and minisatellite typing are useful techniques for deciphering the population structure of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker. This paper presents a molecular epidemiology study, which has improved our understanding of the history of the pathogen's introductions into the Arabian Peninsula, since it was first reported in the 1980s. An unexpectedly high genetic diversity of the pathogen was revealed. The four distinct genetic lineages within X. citri pv. citri, which have been reported throughout the world, were identified in the Arabian Peninsula, most likely as the result of multiple introductions. No copper‐resistant X. citri pv. citri strains were identified. The pathogen's population structure on Mexican lime (their shared host species) was closely examined in two countries, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. We highlighted the marked prevalence of specialist pathotype A* strains in both countries, which suggests that specialist strains of X. citri pv. citri may perform better than generalist strains when they occur concomitantly in this environment. Subclade 4.2 was the prevailing lineage identified. Several analyses (genetic structure deciphered by discriminant analysis of principal components, RST‐based genetic differentiation, geographic structure) congruently suggested the role of human activities in the pathogen's spread. We discuss the implications of these results on the management of Asiatic citrus canker in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the thriving fossil fuel and nuclear based industries in the nation, radioecology has become necessary for the radiation safety and emergency-preparedness for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Environmental radiation transport modelling in the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula are severely limited, as we discuss in this paper, due to lack of experiments specific to arid desert climates. To fill the missing gaps in the baseline arid region radioecological database, especially for the soil-plant uptake studies, rigorous field works have been conducted for the first time on the soil and plant in the farms and open fields of the UAE. We present Abu Dhabi based measurements of activity concentrations of radionuclides of natural origins, in soils, key vegetables (cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper), and leaves of ghaf - a prominent native tree. The empirical data are utilized to get the first published estimates of UAE-specific plant-soil concentration ratios (CR), measuring root uptake of radionuclides in nonleafy vegetables and native trees. Such systematic studies are very rare for arid sandy soils. For the 27 samples analyzed, the activity concentrations' (unit Bq kg−1) ranges are: 169–1746 for 40K, 12–19.5 for 226Ra, and 2.7–23.1 for 228Ra. Likewise, wide variability is seen in the averages of concentration ratios also, ranging in 1.05–4.94 for 40K, 0.14–1.82 for 226Ra, and 0.53–2.78 for 228Ra. A net bioaccumulation (concentration ratio >1) of some of these natural radionuclides is found in many samples, but no significant doses or hazard indices are found due to these three radionuclides in the UAE's soils and vegetations. The paper discusses the careful work through tens of field sampling exercises, well controlled sample processing, high resolution gamma spectrometry, and treatment of data from gamma counting rates to accumulated dose rate estimations. • Crucial radioactive baseline of soil, vegetable and native tree measured in UAE. • 40K concentrations higher in vegetables, and 238U chain near gamma detection limit. • Natural radioactivity (Bq/kg) order in UAE: nonleafy vegetables < ghaf leaf < soil. • Wide variation in estimated soil-plant concentration ratios, from 0.14 to 4.94. • Radiological doses from sampled vegetation and soils safely below global limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to show that the Arabian Peninsula, and the United Arab Emirates in particular, has not been spared by the trends of biodiversity loss observed on the world scale. The authors aim to present a rapid review of the challenges facing the biodiversity in the UAE and the solutions that this young country proposes to counteract the erosion of its biodiversity. Design/methodology/approach - The authors gathered and compiled published and unpublished information from governmental and non-governmental sources. Findings - Despite being regarded as a vast desertic and unfertile area with one of the lowest human populations in the world, the UAE hosts a unique and remarkably adapted fauna and flora. Adding to natural causes (drought), the main threats facing biodiversity identified were: coastal development and urbanisation, as well as over-exploitation of natural resources (fishing, hunting, grazing and water extraction) that are linked with the tremendous population increase and changes in lifestyle. Traditional systems of resource management in the UAE have been abandoned. Over the last few decades, the UAE has lost most of its big fauna and is witnessing the remaining Arabian leopard, Mountain Gazelle, Arabian Tahr, Arabian Sailfish, groupers and shark populations at the brink of extinction. Originality/value - The paper proposes the inclusion of environmental issues in the development planning (with proper environment impact assessments), the involvement of local communities in the decision making and the improvement of federal and international transboundaries collaborations. Highlights that an urgent step would be the implementation of integrated costal management zoning to stop the current extent of coastal development that contributes through physical alteration of habitats to the disappearance of key resources and habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the first results of the joint Omani‐Italian archaeological project at Wādī Banī Ḫālid (northern Šarqiyyah governorate, eastern al‐Ḥaǧar), where a dense Iron Age and ancient Islamic occupation was detected. The aim of the project is the definition of the Iron Age settlement patterns along the eastern al‐Ḥaǧar landscape and its relationship with both the coastal areas and the al‐Ḥaǧar inner piedmont sites of central Oman. In fact, this project follows previous studies of the coastal environment between Muscat and Raʾs al‐Ḥadd, where several seasonal fishermen villages were investigated, and their connections with inner permanent sites, such as Lizq, recognised during the Early Iron Age II (1300–600 BCE). Therefore, Wādī Banī Ḫālid stands as a peculiar case of an Iron Age territorial unit, a natural scenario made of a narrow alluvial valley which provided natural conditions for the development of a complex culture. Moreover, the material culture emerged after a first excavation campaign proved that the main occupational phase of the imposing fortified settlement WBK1 is the Late Iron Age (late first millennium BCE to third–fourth centuries CE), thus hopefully allowing new questions to be posed for the definition of Late Iron Age cultures and the chronology in central Oman, which is mostly known based on the excavation of funerary evidence. For this reason, the first part of the paper focuses on the results of the first season in Wādī Banī Ḫālid, and the second part discusses the links between Wādī Banī Ḫālid and the south‐eastern Arabia general framework during the Late Iron Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fascinating his of the Muslim’s contribution to the present day regarding science and technology is the exploration and the missing account of the glorious past of the Muslims. Islam opened a new epoch for the history among the Arabs. Muslims became the ruler of Arabian Peninsula to Spain in west and China in the east. During their advancement they emphasized on scientific knowledge. With the creation of the universe, the evolution of humanity began and from time immemorial, the pursuit of livelihood led man to various incentives for employment, as a result of which man became active for his own well-being. An important aspect of human endeavor is agriculture, trees, plants, fruits and vegetables. While irrigation is also very important component of crops and gardens. If we look to this field, it is clear that Muslims also paid special attention to this area of life. This paper primarily deals the contribution of Muslims in the field of agriculture and related productions not only but also informed the land reforms, well and canal system. But there is a common perception that Muslims had no role in this discipline and they were illiterate and non-agrarian. Usually it is thought in colonial regime that Muslims were behind the other nations in this field especially the western researchers and their thoughts are totally different against the Muslims contribution which they had been playing from the early days to their climax. They did not only confine to their religious studies but they incorporated their contribution in agriculture. They are recognized as the founder of agriculture, horticulture and different crops. Like other branches of science, Muslim scientists played a vital role in botany and horticulture and promoted irrigation systems along with agriculture in agriculture. This research paper illustrates the role of Muslims and highlights the contribution of Muslims in this field not only but its impact on the western nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MS Strasbourg 4226 was produced by the Melchite community of Mar Saba under the commission of Saint Catherine's monastery on Sinai. Dating as early as the latter part of the ninth century (885/886), it is a very important witness to Isaac Arabus. The aim of this paper is to give an exact overview of the homilies transmitted under the name of Isaac of Nineveh in this manuscript (ff. 81v-148v). Each homily is presented with the following information: title (both in the general index and in the body of the text), incipit and desinit, and their textual correspondences with the printed editions of Isaac Syrus by Paul Bedjan and Isaac Graecus by Marcel Pirard. Moreover, the textual correspondences with extracts of three homilies of John of Dalyatha, falsely attributed to Isaac of Nineveh, are indicated with references to the edition of Nadira Khayyat. At the end of the paper a table of correspondences between the Arabic homilies and the Syriac and Greek editions is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an annotated English translation of the rite of Vespers contained in the Melkite Alexandrian Arabic Book of Hours (Horologion) found in the 13th century Christian Arabic manuscript Sinai Arabic 232. Most of the texts comprising this service have been identified from the contemporary Greek Horologion, the Constantinople Euchologion and the Coptic Agpeya. This very unusual combination is discussed. While further research on Sin. Ar. 232 and other Arabic Horologia is necessary before we may draw more definitive conclusions, enough seems clear at this point to suggest that the Egyptian Melkites originally used a Hierosolymitan type Horologion and that this, in due time, was both Alexandrinised and Byzantinised. We can therefore say that Sin. Ar. 232 is an Egyptian redaction of a Middle Byzantine Horologion with archaic Hierosolymitan features. No other Arabic Horologia have been studied to date, and no earlier Melkite or Coptic Alexandrian Horologia are known. Considerable further research on Arabic Horologia is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millimeter wave (mm-wave) communication is one of the key enabling technologies for meeting the requirements of the fifth generation (5G) wireless communication systems. It is, therefore, essential to have accurate information about the mm-wave radio channel characteristics for successful deployment of these systems. There are many recent mm-wave channel characterization measurements reported worldwide. However, no such measurements were reported in the Arabian Peninsula, where the environment along with the building design and architecture are different from other regions in the world. This paper tries to fill that gap and presents the results of an mm-wave measurement campaign conducted at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the period of November 2018 to January 2019. The results of the large-scale characterization (path loss and shadow fading) are presented for both indoor and outdoor environments at 28 GHz. Furthermore, the penetration loss and reflection coefficients for materials commonly used in the facades of building structures in the UAE are measured at the same frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very few cylinder seals are reported from South‐East Arabia. This paper reports on two cylinder seals that were found as heirlooms at Mleiha, UAE. The first is a Neo‐Assyrian seal with a ritual scene: kneeling worshippers around a tree of life. The second is a seal of local manufacture. The positioning of its image, a human figure holding an Arabian horned viper, is turned 90°, questioning whether it was ever used as a seal or rather worn as an amulet or bead. Local seal production and seal use are discussed. Seals from the Iron Age II suggest that the object is of local production, as does the iconography that can be linked to Iron Age snake cults in South‐East Arabia. Comparable snake representations are, however, occasionally still found in the Mleiha/PIR period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bahra 1 is a large site in the north of the Arabian Peninsula that provided an assemblage of nearly 100,000 lithic artefacts. The whole lithic industry of Bahra 1 represents a set of well‐thought‐out flint, quartz and stone tools for the mass production of shell jewellery, with only a small share of typical household tools. They mostly relate to the Ubaid tradition with Arabian Neolithic influences. However, limited excavations of the oldest occupational layers of the site also revealed an Epipalaeolithic Zarzian tradition. This paper presents a techno‐typological, functional and cultural characteristic of the whole Bahra 1 chipped and ground stone industry identified during the excavations at the site in 2009–2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents a study of archaeological fish remains retrieved from the excavations conducted by C. S. Phillips between 1993 and 2001 at Kalbāʾ 4 (Emirate of Sharjah, UAE). Kalbāʾ 4 is a major coastal site that was continuously occupied from the Umm an‐Nar period to the Iron Age (c. 2700–600 BCE). The site is of particular interest regarding monumental architecture, pottery studies and exchange networks across Arabia and its neighbouring regions from the Bronze Age onwards. A corpus of about 5500 fish remains provides information on fishing economies during the entire occupation of the site. Data regarding fish complement results previously obtained from the study of other fauna including marine molluscs, sea turtles, terrestrial and marine mammals. They allow us to document a fishing‐based economy at Kalbāʾ 4. The results highlight the exploitation of a quite limited range of fish taxa associated mostly with reef areas (groupers, trevallies, snappers, spangled emperors, King soldierbreams), brackish waters (mullets) and the open sea (scombrids). The techniques seem to have mainly involved the use of baited lines from boats, fishing nets and possibly cage traps. The discussion includes comparisons with the other main fish studies conducted for the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in Eastern Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greater Caucasus mountains (Cavcasioni) mark the northern margin of the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone. Magmatism in the central part of the Greater Caucasus began in the Pleistocene, up to ~25 Myr after initial collision. This paper presents bulk-rock and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope geochemistry from 39 Quaternary volcanic rock samples (<450 Ka) recovered from the Mt. Kazbek (Kasbegui) region of the Greater Caucasus, Georgia, to assess the sources and magmatic evolution of these lavas and the possible triggers for melting in the context of their regional tectonics. Compositions are dominantly calc-alkaline basaltic andesite to dacite (57–67 wt % SiO2). Although the lavas were erupted through thick continental crust, there is little evidence for extensive modification by crustal contamination. Trace element and isotopic systematics indicate that the lavas have supra-subduction zone signatures, most likely reflecting derivation from a lithospheric source that had been modified by melts and/or fluids from material subducted before and during the collisional event. Mass-balance modelling of the Sr–Nd isotope data indicates that the lavas require significant input from a subducted slab, with deep-sourced fluids fluxing the slab into the source region. In contrast with published data from Lesser Caucasus magmatism, data from the Mt. Kazbek region suggest that a compositionally distinct sediment source resides beneath the Greater Caucasus, producing characteristic trace element and Pb isotopic signatures. Two distinct compositional groups and therefore primary liquids can be discerned from the various volcanic centres, both derived from light rare-earth element enriched sources, but with distinct differences in Th/Yb and Dy/Yb ratios and Pb isotopes. Rare-earth element modelling of the lava sources is consistent with 3–4% melting starting in the garnet peridotite and continuing into the spinel facies or, potentially, sited in the garnet-spinel transition zone. Small-scale convection related to mantle upwelling provides a plausible mechanism for Greater Caucasus magmatism and explains the random aspect to the distribution of magmatism across the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present paper is to provide a revaluation of the classification of the Bedouin dialects of Northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, based on published or publicly available data and on first-hand data recently collected amongst some Bedouin tribes in Northern Jordan. We suggest extending previous classifications that identify three types of dialects, namely A (ʿnizi), B (šammari), and C (šāwi). Although intermediary or mixed types combining šammari features with šāwi features were already noted, our data suggest that further combinations are possible, either because they had so far been unnoticed or because recent levelling and dialect mixing have blurred the boundaries between some of the varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic represents a critical issue all over the world. On May 11, 2020, at 05 : 41 GMT, approximately 0.28 million individuals had perished because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the figure is continuously growing rapidly. Unfortunately, millions of people have died due to this pandemic. As a result, this issue forced governments and other corresponding organizations to take significant action, such as the lockdown and vaccinations. Furthermore, scientists have developed several vaccinations, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments and people to get vaccinated to eradicate this pandemic. Consequently, the findings of any scientific research into this phenomenon are highly interesting. Problem Statement. To enhance individual protection, it is now critical to analyze and compare the percentage of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is constantly of interest in the field of big data science and other related disciplines to provide the best analysis and modeling of COVID-19 data. Methodology. Through this paper, we aimed to compare individuals who have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19 in two locations: North American countries and Arabian Peninsula countries. Simple techniques for comparing individuals who have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19 have been applied, which may be used to generate the foundation for conclusions. Most significantly, a modern statistical model was created to present the best assessment of individuals completely vaccinated against COVID-19 data in nations in North America and the Arabian Peninsula. Some of the suggested statistical model features were proposed. Furthermore, the estimate of the model parameters was driven using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Results. The flexibility provided by the proposed statistical model is useful for describing the percentage of the individuals completely vaccinated against COVID-19, which provides a close fit with the COVID-19 data. Implications. The proposed statistical model can be used for statistics and generate new statistical distributions that can be used to compare and predict the process of people's willingness to vaccinate and take the vaccine to try to eliminate COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fog microphysics characteristics play an important role in fog life cycle, radiation and visibility. Measurements of fog microphysics are important in understanding these processes and improving existing model parameterization schemes. From 28 January to 17 February 2021, we carried out the first measurements of fog microphysics in the arid region of the United Arab Emirates and present initial results in this paper. Five events occurred, the longest lasting about 4 hr 28 min and the remaining lasting 2 hr or less. In this study, the meteorological conditions at synoptic scale associated with the formation of fog, are presented as well as the microphysics characteristics of fog. Maximum cloud droplet count ranged from 80 to 700 cc, Liquid Water Content (LWC) from 0.06 to 0.58 g m−3 and the Median Volume Diameter reached 25 μm in all the cases. The estimated Liquid Water Path reached a maximum of 100 g m−2. The size distribution was bimodal for all visibility classes of mist, fog and thick fog with modes at around 4.5 μm and between 22 and 25 μm. The droplet size distribution broadened as the mature phase progressed, demonstrating a decrease in droplets in the 6–16 μm range and an increase in droplets above 19 μm. During the mature stage, droplet growth was observed with no associated decrease in LWC, suggesting growth by collision and coalescence was occurring. However, LWC did increase concurrently suggesting droplet growth by condensation was also taking place. Plain Language Summary: During the cold season of each year, desert regions experience the formation of radiation fog due to the rapid cooling of the desert surface at night. Cities built on the fringes of major desert regions, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cities, witness very poor visibility due to seasonal fog formation. The fog impacts air and road traffic and disrupts the daily life. Fog microphysics characteristics play a key role in fog life cycle, radiation and visibility. Measurements of fog microphysics are important to understand and improve existing model parameterization schemes for a more accurate forecast of fog occurrence and life cycle. We carried out the first fog microphysics measurements over the UAE, an arid region on the Arabian Peninsula, where fog is a frequent occurrence in winter months. Results from this study are the first of their kind in the region and are expected to advance the current knowledge on fog dynamics and characteristics. Key Points: First microphysical measurements of radiation fog in the United Arab Emirates, a warm, arid region in the subtropicsThe cloud droplet size distribution was bimodal for all visibility classes, with modes at around 4.5 μm and between 22 and 25 µmDroplet growth was observed to be due to collision, coalescence and condensation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The substantial growth rate of skin cancer has necessitated adequate protection from solar radiation. Consequently, analyzing sun protection practices is an imperative research area in dermatology and pharmacology. Aims: This paper aims to analyze public sun‐protection manners in the Arabian Peninsula regions. Methods: A simple random survey was conducted to assess public sun protection manners. Artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) were selected from several machine learning algorithms to create the models for predicting public sun protection measures based on the prediction accuracy. Model performances were evaluated based on several performance indicators depending on the confusion matrices and receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: 51% of the respondents have a low level, and 49% have a high level of sun protection practices. The results showed that the SVM performed considerably amended than the ANN for predicting the response. The relative importance of the predictors for the best predictive SVM model was also analyzed. The predictors are ranked as: the number of times having sunburnt >gender > use seat belt while driving/riding a vehicle >considers the UV index for personal sun exposure >income based on the expenses >sports/exercise activities >consciousness of the chance for having sunburnt on extended exposure to the sun >age > having any skin problem >nationality > skin type. Conclusion: These identified significant predictors might be considered for developing an effective policy to increase public consciousness using proper protection from solar radiation's detrimental effect to rule out skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of a 3‐year time series of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery covering the southern Arabian Peninsula, spanning two devastating typhoons that impacted the region in 2018. The limited vegetation and precipitation in the area allows for clear separation of soil moisture changes from other factors that typically also affect microwave imagery. We generate soil moisture proxies from Interferometric SAR (InSAR) coherence and compare them with a range of other soil moisture products. We estimate the decay timescale over which the surface returns to its pre‐storm state for each event and data type, and find that the radar coherence‐based timescales tend to be longer than those for the other products. We also find that the coherence‐based timescales of the two events differ from each other in a manner that is consistent with seasonal temperature fluctuations and the total rainfall that occurred each time. The higher spatial resolution of the InSAR coherence results and differing sensitivity to the vertical distribution of soil moisture complements the other more temporally dense products, particularly in regions of high heterogeneity along the edge of the storm and within regions where the surface properties change dramatically over small spatial scales. As the frequency and strength of tropical cyclones increase, and as already scarce water resources are utilized further in arid regions, InSAR coherence data constitutes another tool that researchers can use to expand our understanding of these challenges. Plain Language Summary: In this paper, we compare an estimate of soil moisture that is calculated using high resolution satellite radar imagery to several other estimates of soil moisture from satellite and weather data. We perform this study in a hyper‐arid region that experiences infrequent but large rain events, such that we can confidently attribute any change in soil moisture to a single rain event. We find that our method of estimating soil moisture with high resolution radar data agrees well with other methods, which is a promising step towards the development of a high resolution soil moisture product. In addition, we find that this new method records a higher soil moisture signal for a longer period of time after a rain event, revealing that it has a different sensitivity to soil moisture than other satellite and weather data‐based methods. Characterizing soil moisture in hyper‐arid climates is important because rainfall in these regions poses a significant hazard, and can cause severe damage to infrastructure. In addition, the growing stresses placed on water resources worldwide has resulted in an expansion in efforts to monitor soil moisture and its variability on a global scale. Key Points: We examine changes in Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar coherence following two cyclones that impacted the southern Arabian Peninsula in 2018The spatial extent of the coherence changes agrees broadly with independent soil moisture productsThe decay timescale of the coherence changes is significantly longer than that observed in other microwave‐based products [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which customer experience and relationship marketing (RM), as two widely used service management approaches, can effectively determine satisfaction and commitment as two relational quality constructs, and their impact on loyalty and word-of-mouth (WoM) as relational outcomes for retail bank services in Kuwait. This country is chosen as an exemplar of an Arabian Peninsula culture with a predominantly Islamic heritage and a capital-surplus economy. Design/methodology/approach: The relational benefits scale and customer experience quality were used as independent measures to collect data using multiple methods (interview, paper and pencil, online) from 1,013 customers of local and international banks. Standard translation procedures, CFA procedures and parallel analysis were employed to examine the dimensionality of all scales. SEM procedures were applied for each approach to assess its impact on the four indigenous dependent constructs using a multitude of fit indices, examination of validity and reliability measures for all constructs as well as structural paths. Findings: Results show the factor structure of both scales differed from their original conceptualization, with fewer items forming each latent factor when applied in Kuwait. The explanatory and predictive power of the EXQ model performed slightly better than RBS, although both explained substantial variance on dependent measures, confirming their relevance despite the lack of noticeable correlation between most factors contained in both scales. Research limitations/implications: This study underscores the importance of establishing the validity of measures prior to their cross-cultural application, with particular focus on the content validity of scale items to measure the intended construct properly. It also shows how two approaches can complement each other rather than compete to effectively manage bank services. As is the case with all cross-sectional research paradigms, longitudinal analysis linking expressed loyalty/WoM with actual behavior can better assess tested relationships than the current research. Practical implications: Retail banks' marketing strategy should simultaneously address customer relationships and customer experience to reduce attrition and enhance customer life-time value. Originality/value: Effects of service experience and RM are examined in a Middle-Eastern market, where internationalization of banks has created strong competition, leading customers to view bank services as less differentiated. Caution and examination of service quality measures are needed before using them as metrics in annual reports and performance reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]