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Dyslexia is a reading difficulty that can be found everywhere, regardless of a person's ethnicity or race. The manifestation of dyslexia depends on the structure and orthography of a language. There is a lack of research into Arabic dyslexia, particularly the benefits of adaptive learning in this area. The study presented in this paper aimed to understand the impact on learners' reading performance, satisfaction and behaviour when matching e-training material with learner attributes. The focus is on learners with short vowel dyslexia. The study was undertaken with 22 female primary school children in Saudi Arabia, all of whom were native Arabic speakers. These children were divided into two groups: a matched group (which included learners with short vowel dyslexia) and a mismatched group (which included learners with vowel dyslexia). An e-training system 'DysTypeTrain2' was designed and developed to support the study. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were collected from (i) pre- and post-test results to calculate the improvement in reading performance and (ii) learner satisfaction scores. The qualitative data were collected from observations of learners' behaviour. It was found that the learners' reading performance and satisfaction improved in both experimental conditions (short vowel dyslexia group and vowel dyslexia group), regardless of their Arabic dyslexia type, indicating that the system was effective and the learning process was improved. Further, the learners were happy and excited about the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We recently adapted the published National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and management guideline to the Saudi Arabian context. It has been postulated that adaptation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to the local healthcare context rather than de-novo development will improve their adoption and implementation without imposing a significant burden on resources. The objective of this paper is to describe the adaptation process methodology utilized for the generation of the first national guideline for management of people with ADHD in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We used the KSU-Modified-ADAPTE methodology for the guideline adaptation process. We describe the full process in detail including the three phases of set-up, adaptation, and finalization. The process was conducted by a multidisciplinary guideline adaptation group in addition to an external review for the clinical content and methodology. Results: The group adapted ten main categories of recommendations from one source CPG (NICE). The recommendations include: (i) service organisation and training, (ii) recognition, identification and referral, (iii) diagnosis, (iv) support, (v) managing ADHD, (vi) dietary advice, (vii) medication, (viii) maintenance and monitoring, (ix) adherence to treatment, and (x) review of medication and discontinuation. Several implementation tools were compiled and developed to enhance implementability including a clinical algorithm, quality measures, coding system, medication tables, translations, patient information, and online resources. Conclusions: The finalized clinical practice guideline provides healthcare providers with applicable evidence-based guidance for the management of people with ADHD in Saudi Arabia. The project also demonstrated the effectiveness of KSU-Modified-ADAPTE, and emphasized the value of a collaborative clinical and methodological expert group for adaptation of national guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, there are no guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) tailored to the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Adaptation of guidelines accounts for contextual factors and becomes more efficient than de novo guideline development when relevant, good quality, and up-to-date guidelines are available. The objective of this study is to describe the methodology used for the adolopment of the 2021 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines for the treatment of RA in the KSA. Methods: We followed the 'Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation' (GRADE)-ADOLOPMENT methodology. The adolopment KSA panel included relevant stakeholders and leading contributors to the original guidelines. We developed a list of five adaptation-relevant prioritization criteria that the panelists applied to the original recommendations. We updated the original evidence profiles with newly published studies identified by the panelists. We constructed Evidence to Decision (EtD) tables including contextual information from the KSA setting. We used the PanelVoice function of GRADEPro Guideline Development Tool (GDT) to obtain the panel's judgments on the EtD criteria ahead of the panel meeting. Following the meeting, we used the PANELVIEW instrument to obtain the panel's evaluation of the process. Results: The KSA panel prioritized five recommendations, for which one evidence profile required updating. Out of five adoloped recommendations, two were modified in terms of direction, and one was modified in terms of certainty of the evidence. Criteria driving the modifications in direction were valuation of outcomes, balance of effects, cost, and acceptability. The mean score on the 7-point scale items of the PANELVIEW instrument had an average of 6.47 (SD = 0.18) across all items. Conclusion: The GRADE-ADOLOPMENT methodology proved to be efficient. The panel assessed the process and outcome positively. Engagement of stakeholders proved to be important for the success of this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have analyzed the long-term temperature trends and extreme temperature events in Saudi Arabia between 1979 and 2019. Our study relies on high-resolution, consistent, and complete ERA5 reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). We evaluated linear trends in several climate descriptors, including temperature, dewpoint temperature, thermal comfort, and extreme event indices. Previous works on this topic used data from weather station observations over limited time intervals and did not include temperature data for recent years. The years 2010--19 have been the warmest decade ever observed by instrumental temperature monitoring and are the eight warmest years on record. Therefore, the earlier results may be incomplete, and their results may no longer be relevant. Our findings indicate that, over the past four decades, Saudi Arabia has warmed up at a rate that is 50% higher than the rest of the landmass in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, moisture content of the air has significantly increased in the region. The increases of temperature and humidity have resulted in the soaring of dewpoint temperature and thermal discomfort across the country. These increases are more substantial during summers, which are already very hot relative to winters. Such changes may be dangerous to people over vast areas of the country. If the current trend persists into the future, human survival in the region will be impossible without continuous access to air conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, aims and objectives Surgical site infections are the most common healthcare-associated infections. Appropriate surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP), which is an integral part of surgical site infection SSI prevention, is one of the major preventable risks to surgical patient safety. Several clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for SAP have been published. The aim of this study was to adapt a CPG for SAP and to assess its implementability. Methods The methodology was based on two validated tools for CPGs, namely, the ADAPTE and the Guideline Implementability Appraisal (GLIA). Results The ADAPTE CPG adaptation process methodology was utilized to produce an adapted CPG for SAP based on the American Society of Health System Pharmacists 2013 CPG. The finalized CPG was then assessed to identify any possible intrinsic barriers for implementation. Conclusions In conclusion, the ADAPTE tool is a practical and successful tool for production of CPGs. The GLIA tool is useful for assessing and preparing the finalized adapted CPG for the transition from the production stage to the implementation stage. GLIA could be added to the ADAPTE process either as a final step or to check the draft of the CPG before finalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global temperatures warm and populations and incomes rise, the demand for cooling will soar, creating a positive feedback loop between global warming and electricity-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study explores the relationship between temperature, electricity, air conditioning (AC) and CO2 emissions, and the sustainability of cooling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With the highest share of AC in household electricity consumption in the world and its already very hot summers warming by 3 °C in many areas over the last 40 years, Saudi Arabia provides an important case study of how the cooling challenge can be managed. Data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF ERA5) is used to illustrate local warming trends (1979–2018) and show the relationship between temperature and power generation within a typical year using hourly data (2011–2015). Using annual data (2010–2018), we then show that since 2016 the rapid growth in the Kingdom's electricity demand for AC and its associated CO2 emissions have plateaued. This suggests energy efficiency measures, higher electricity prices and a shift from the use of oil towards gas in the power sector are having a positive effect on energy sustainability. We identify key policies and technologies that will be important for the sustainable use of cooling in Saudi Arabia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]