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This research explores female EFL instructors' perceptions of the effect of the professional development provided by the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU) on their self-efficacy and the type of professional development training that they feel has the greatest effect on their sense of self-efficacy. This research is based on Bandura's (1977) social cognitive theory and its subset of self-efficacy. In order to achieve its objective, this qualitative study incorporated semi-structured interviews with six EFL female instructors within the ELI at KAU, Saudi Arabia. The study results revealed that the instructors had positive perceptions of the professional development they received at the ELI in terms of enhancing their efficacy beliefs, as it enabled an opportunity for professional enhancement, positively influenced teaching practice to help students' learning, and developed a positive atmosphere of collegiality and collaboration. Additionally, the participants demonstrated a positive attitude toward the ELI's mentoring program, as it enabled them to be inspired by an expert in the field, improved their teaching competencies, and created a feeling of professionalism. However, the participants held a conflicting view of the effect of classroom observation on instructors' self-efficacy. Some believed that observations represent an important professional development tool that helps improve their performance, while others perceived it as a source of efficacy doubt. Based on the research results, this study bridged a gap in the current literature and contributed to knowledge on EFL instructors' self-efficacy and how it could be influenced by professional development activities.

Background: Climate change poses a worldwide challenge with anticipated exacerbation in the future, resulting in irreversible consequences. Nursing students may be vulnerable to experiencing psychological effects associated with climate change. Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward climate change and their psychological distress. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 377 nursing students from three universities located in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt in the Middle East. Data collection was conducted using scales for assessing nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards climate change and their psychological distress. Correlations were assessed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictors of students' psychological distress. Results: The current study showed that knowledge regarding climate change significantly and positively correlated to the attitude toward climate change (r = 0.213), then again, the score of psychological distress significantly and negatively correlated to the score of students' knowledge and attitude regarding climate change (r = − 0.182 and − 0.110 respectively). Regression analyses showed that academic achievement had the strongest positive impact on students' psychological distress, while knowledge regarding climate change and attitude toward climate change had negative impacts (β = 0.381, β=-0.205, and β=-0.045 respectively). Moreover, knowledge and attitude regarding climate change were found to be significant predictors of students' psychological distress, collectively accounting for 18.2% of the observed variance. Conclusions/Implication for future practice: The findings highlight the importance of incorporating climate change into nursing education programs. By enhancing nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards climate change, there is potential to reduce their psychological distress. This study underscores the need for curriculum reforms that integrate climate change topics, aiming to foster a well-informed and resilient future nursing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a quantitative study conducted at Najran University in Saudi Arabia, which aimed to evaluate the sufficiency and efficiency of field training for radiology students during their internship. The study included 77 male and female radiology students and found that the current 6-month training period was not sufficient. The study also identified areas where resources were inadequate, such as radiation protection aprons and x-ray measuring dosimeters. The article suggests that improvements in facilities and an extended internship period could enhance the effectiveness of the training. [Extracted from the article]

LEOPARD syndrome (LS) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited or sporadic genetic disorder caused commonly by missense mutations in the protein-tyrosine phosphatase-nonreceptor type 11 (PTPN11) gene. Due to its rarity and a high chance of misdiagnosis, the epidemiological profile of LS is poorly established. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second report with a documented PTPN11 gene mutation in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil conditions variability at site strongly influence ground motions during earthquakes. The disastrous earthquakes have shown that the local site conditions are the essential factors that impact surficial ground motions. In present study, local site effects are evaluated for ground motion acceleration and amplification at Bahrah. The town is situated on quaternary alluvial wadi deposits. The ground motion time series are obtained through Spectral matching technique.. The ground motion time series and shallow Geophysical data are utilized to carry out One-dimensional simulation for equivalent linear seismic response analyses for soil layers. Results of One-dimensional site response analysis are interpolated to generate maps that account for ground motion accelerations and amplifications at top of the soil for selected spectral periods (PGA, 0.1, 0.2 and 2) for 475 years return period. The maximum value of amplification ranges upto 3.46 and acceleration upto 0.86 g. The undulation of bed rock topography and existence of deep soft sediments are reflected considerably on the results of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted medical education worldwide. This study investigates how Saudi medical colleges face the pandemic and proceed with teaching and assessment plans. The study also highlights the best practices employed by Saudi medical colleges during the time of COVID-19 crisis and proposes a contingency plan in the event of future outbreaks necessitating similar containment measures. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between June and August 2020. A convenience sampling method was applied. An online questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire consisted of six main parts: basic demographic data, curriculum, teaching and learning, learning management systems (LMS), assessment, and lessons learned. The questions targeting the educational process focused on what was happening before and what was done during the pandemic. Data were collected using Google Forms. The data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: A variety of teaching modalities were used before the pandemic, including class lectures (95.46%), problem-based learning (70%), case-based learning (47.25%), team-based learning (43.67%), videos/online interaction (24.58%), and flipped classroom (18.13%). During the pandemic, 97.87% of the participants used video lectures. During the pandemic, PBL and tutorial usage were reduced to 40.09% and 48.44% compared to 71.59% and 64.91% before the pandemic, respectively. Most faculty members (65.39%) reported no problems (nor did they encounter any obstacles) during online classes. Fully 96.18% of participants used Blackboard LMS during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 50.83% of participants reported utilizing continuous assessment, and 50.35% reported that the summative (final) assessment they performed was an online assessment. Most participants reported (85.68%) use online multiple-choice questions, followed by students' projects (34.84%), online SAQs (25.53%), and online objective structured clinical examinations (21.47%) if the pandemic were to continue. Conclusions: This study's value lies in the large sample of faculty and nationwide distribution of responses. Study results enable an understanding of early heuristic responses to online education, which may be used as a guide for mitigation efforts and to identify success stories, obstacles, key issues, and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article explores the role of Vision 2030 in strengthening the healthcare system in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Systematic review and document analysis. Thematic data analysis technique was used to analyse the data. Findings: Primarily, Vision 2030 may contribute to diversify the economy. It would bring in many changes in society and economy. Overall, Vision 2030 may have a limited impact on changing the graph of the health of the citizens of Saudi Arabia. Conclusion: The government highlighted Vision 2030 to gain popular support but actual action to improve population health remains limited. The government needs to develop a sustainable healthcare by strengthening human resources in healthcare, decentralization and efficient use of resources through stewardship, good governance, accountability and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The narrow genetic base and environmental stresses are behind the low rate of faba bean yield in the past two decades. Drought stress is one of the most destructive abiotic stresses. Using induced mutagenesis on locally adapted landrace cultivar is proposed to cope with this problem. Methods: This study was conducted on faba bean landrace cultivar of Saudi Arabia, namely Hassawi 2, treated by 25 and 50 Gray gamma radiation. The genetic diversity assessment of M2 mutant populations was based on seven quantitative traits and nine Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations. Result: A total of 3419 M2 seeds were planted, of which 2782 (81.4%) seeds germinated and 2658 plants survived. A 5 to a 10-fold range of quantitative traits studied among mutant plants compared to control plants showed high variability. The number of pods per plant and seeds per plant was a valid selection criterion for a high-yielding faba bean breeding program. Nine AFLP primer combinations generated 1079 polymorphic alleles from 88 samples that comprised mutant and control plants. Shannon index (I) and expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.337 and 0.206, respectively. The AFLP results validated high variability in M2 populations. These findings will assist faba bean breeders in developing high-yielding cultivars with drought stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased water demands and climate change have reduced agricultural water resources in areas that experience water shortages. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in an arid region of Saudi Arabia to evaluate the effects of two drip irrigation systems [surface (DI) and subsurface (SDI)] and three irrigation levels [100%, 70%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (I100, I70, and I50, respectively)] on the growth traits, tuber yield, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. θv was 13.74 and 23.85% lower under the DI system and 11.90 and 24.14% lower under the SDI system with the I70 and I50 treatments, respectively, than with the I100 treatment, and was also lower under the DI system than under the SDI system. The fresh and dry vegetative parts of the plants were heavier with the I100 treatment under the SDI system than with the I70 and I50 treatments under the DI system, and the leaf area indexes were also significantly lower with I70 and I50 than with I100 but were not affected by the irrigation system. The fresh and dry tuber yields were lowest with the I50 treatment (23.97 and 3.93 Mg ha−1, respectively), followed by I70 (28.61 and 4.98 Mg ha−1, respectively), and I100 (34.43 and 6.67 Mg ha−1, respectively) and were higher under the SDI system than under the DI system. By contrast, IWUE was highest with the I50 treatment (6.49 and 7.02 kg m−3) and lowest with the I100 treatment (5.62 and 5.85 kg m−3) under the DI and SDI systems, respectively. These findings indicate that full irrigation (I100) with the SDI system maximizes potato yield but decreases IWUE, whereas integration of the SDI system with deficit irrigation is effective in improving water productivity due to less water being consumed, allowing these practices to be used under scarce water conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al Aziziah area is built on volcanic and granitic rocks. The igneous rocks always contain a high amount of naturally radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium and potassium, which produce gamma rays causing environmental hazards when exceeding the permissible limit. Radon gas is a result from the decomposition of uranium/thorium leaks into enclosed areas (e.g. homes or offices). This leakage is controlled by many conditions, and one of them is the underlining rock type. To work on such an environmental study, a gamma ray spectrometer survey was used. The uranium, thorium and potassium contents, as well as their ratios and the total radiation, were determined and mapped. The radiation dose rate was calculated and mapped in mSv/y and nGy/h units. The radiation contamination of groundwater is detected from the contour map of the dose rate over the artificial drainage lines of rains and floods which move this water to the groundwater wells. The main results are as follows: granitic rocks show an average dose rate of about 2.4 mSv/y, while the deposits of these rocks have an average dose rate of 1.2 mSv/y. A low average dose is recorded over the basalt. The average radiation dose recorded in the study area is 1.08 mSv/y, while its range is from 0.001 to 4.41 mSv/y. The estimated effective doses within the Al Aziziah area and vicinity area were higher than 1 mSv/y, which is the public exposure limit, and lower than the occupational exposure limit of 20 mSv/y. We recommend ventilating homes and offices in these places on an ongoing basis and constant radon measuring in closed places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Statins have been recommended by contemporary guidelines to be used in all diabetic patients regardless of the baseline cholesterol; more real-world data are needed to know about the actual pattern of statin use. We aimed to determine the pattern of statin use in the diabetic population in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia. Results: This was a cross-sectional study on 167 Saudi adult diabetic patients attending the outpatient diabetes clinic through interviewing the patients and filling-in a questionnaire. Multivariate binary logistic analysis was used to assess the predictors of poor adherence to statin. Statins were prescribed to 122 (73.1%) patients. There were 109 (65.3%) patients who were aged 40 years or above and had no cardiovascular disease (CVD), of those, 70.6% were receiving statins for primary prevention. Whilst, CVD was diagnosed in 44 (26.3%) patients, of those, 97.7% were receiving statins for secondary prevention. After adjustment of confounders, there was a significant association (p<0.05) between low adherence to statin and three predictors; diabetes duration ≥ 15 years, OR=5.09, (95% CI: 2.06-12.59), age range (45-54.9 years), OR=4.66, (95% CI: 1.63-13.36), and polypharmacy of ≥ 5 drugs, OR=3.44, (95% CI: 5.09-7.93). Conclusions: Even though the rate of statin prescription in our study was higher than the world-wide numbers, it is far below the clinical guidelines recommendations. Efforts are needed to improve adherence to the updated guidelines to use statin for all diabetic patients above the age of 40 years to prevent CVD. Moreover, cost-effectiveness studies are needed to evaluate the impact of using statins in all diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic training model for an industrial engineering division in a Saudi Arabian company is described. Outlines for the program's basic elements--instructional media, coaching, and behavior and attitude enhancement--are presented. Performance measurement criteria and recommendations for implementation are discussed. (SK)

Background: This study evaluated the levels of awareness, knowledge, and attitude, including sun‑protection habits, toward basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis among the Saudi population. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia using a 12‑item survey concerning the knowledge and awareness of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, as well as associated preventive measures. A Chi‑square test was used to determine associations among variables. Results: The majority of participants were unaware of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis (80.7%), while 8.6% were aware of both, and 9.8% and 1% were aware of only basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis, respectively. The majority of participants who were educated up to high school level had no knowledge of either condition (96%, P < 0.0001). Among participants with high levels of awareness of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, medical practitioners were identified as the main source of information (72.5%, P < 0.0001, and 70.6%, P < 0.0001, respectively). The majority of participants whose knowledge of the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer was insufficient also lacked sufficient awareness of either basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis (92.6%, P < 0.0001). The majority of participants (62.8%) declared using sunscreen “rarely”. Conclusion: This study showed a low level of knowledge about the risks associated with sun exposure and suitable protection methods, with only a small fraction of participants declaring a regular use of sunscreen. Public education campaigns are required to increase the awareness of cancer risks and protection methods among the Saudi population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents an approach for renewable energy sources integration with the existing grid. Unique types of loads can be exploited to allow for a sustainable solution to energy integration. A case study of Saudi Arabia is investigated where desalination plants coupled with a water storage tank is utilized to mitigate the variability of renewable sources. A hybrid photovoltaic-wind turbine generator system is proposed. The results indicate two critical points. First, even in a fossil fuel rich country, sustainable renewable sources are economically feasible. The second point is that the typical storage element (i.e., batteries), is not always the best candidate for energy storage as in the case of desalination plants. Instead, storing the excess energy as water in a storage tank is economical and less prone to failures as compared to large-scale batteries. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem and solved using heuristic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study was undertaken towards the development of SSR markers and assessing genetic relationships among 32 date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) representing common cultivars grown in different geographical regions in Saudi Arabia. Results: Ninety-three novel simple sequence repeat markers were developed and screened for their ability to detect polymorphism in date palm. Around 71% of genomic SSRs were dinucleotide, 25% tri, 3% tetra and 1% penta nucleotide motives. Twenty-two primers generated a total of 91 alleles with a mean of 4.14 alleles per locus and 100% polymorphism percentage. A 0.595 average polymorphic information content and 0.662 primer discrimination power values were recorded. The expected and observed heterozygosities were 0.676 and 0.763 respectively. Pair-wise similarity values ranged from 0.06 to 0.89 and the overall cultivars averaged 0.41. The UPGMA cluster analysis recovered by principal coordinate analysis illustrated that cultivars tend to group according to their class of maturity, region of cultivation, and fruit color. Analysis of molecular variations (AMOVA) revealed that genetic variation among and within cultivars were 27% and 73%, respectively according to geographical distribution of cultivars. Conclusions: The developed microsatellite markers are additional values to date palm characterization tools that can be used by researchers in population genetics, cultivar identification as well as genetic resource exploration and management. The tested cultivars exhibited a significant amount of genetic diversity and could be suitable for successful breeding program. Genomic sequences generated from this study are available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Sequence Read Archive (Accession numbers. LIBGSS_039019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater resources available in the Paleozoic sedimentary formations form the most prolific source of water supply in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the absence of surface water supplies the available groundwater reserves in these aquifers have been used extensively to fulfill the agricultural and domestic water demands. The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the groundwater quality in the Northern Western part of Saudi Arabia using the classical water facies diagram (Piper and Durov plot). The more advanced methods of principal component analysis (PCA) for determining the factors controlling the groundwater chemistry and stochastic geostatistics to understand the spatial distribution of different major elements in the groundwater of the study area were employed. 40 groundwater samples from bore wells tapping the Saq aquifer were collected and analyzed for the major ion chemistry and nitrates. Groundwater occurs within detrital sandstones of Phanerozoic era in Saq Formations. Piper plot revealed that most of the water samples belonged to the mixed class (Ca-Mg-Cl-SO type) and few samples falling within the Ca-Mg-HCO type, Na-Cl type, and Ca-Mg-SO type of groundwater facies. Durov plot pointed towards simple dissolution, silicate weathering, ion exchange, and reverse ion exchange as the main processes governing the chemistry of the area. PCA resulted in the extraction of two PC accounting for 78.11 % of the data variability. The extracted PCs pointed towards geogenic factors governing the groundwater quality. Stochastic geostatistics involved prediction maps of ordinary kriging and indicator kriging which provided detailed indications of spatial distribution of the chemical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The draft Global Technical Strategy for malaria aims to eliminate malaria from at least 10 countries by 2020. Yemen and Saudi Arabia remain the last two countries on the Arabian Peninsula yet to achieve elimination. Over the last 50 years, systematic efforts to control malaria in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has successfully reduced malaria cases to a point where malaria is now constrained largely to Jazan Province, the most south-western area along the Red Sea. The progress toward elimination in this province is reviewed between 2000 and 2014. Methods: Data were obtained from the Ministry of Health case-reporting systems, activity reports, unpublished consultants reports, and relevant scientific published papers. Sub-provincial population data were obtained the national household censuses undertaken in 2004 and 2010. Rainfall data were obtained from the Meteorological Department in Jazan. Results: Between 2000 and 2014 there were 5522 locally acquired cases of malaria and 9936 cases of imported malaria. A significant reduction in locally acquired malaria cases was observed from 2000 to 2014, resulting in an average annual incidence (2010-2014) of 0.3 cases per 10,000 population. Conversely imported cases, since 2000, remain consistent and higher than locally acquired cases, averaging between 250 and 830 cases per year. The incidence of locally acquired cases is heterogeneous across the Province, with only a few health districts contributing the majority of the cases. The overall decline in malaria case incidence can be attributed to coincidental expansion of control efforts and periods of exceptionally low rainfall. Conclusions: Jazan province is poised to achieve malaria elimination. There is a need to change from a policy of passive case detection to reactively and proactively detecting infectious reservoirs that require new approaches to surveillance. These should be combined with advanced epidemiological tools to improve the definitions of epidemiological receptive and hotspot malaria risk mapping. The single largest threat currently remains the risks posed by imported infections from Yemen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synoptic circulation over Saudi Arabia is complicated and frequently governed by the effect of large-scale pressure systems. In this work, we used NCEP-NCAR global data to illustrate the relationship between climatic variables and the main pressure systems that affect the weather and climate of Saudi Arabia, and also to investigate the influence of these pressure systems on surface air temperature (SAT) and rainfall over the region in the winter season. It was found that there are two primary patterns of pressure that influence the weather and climate of Saudi Arabia. The first occurs in cases of a strengthening Subtropical High (SubH), a weakening Siberian High (SibH), a deepening of the Icelandic Low (IceL), or a weakening of the Sudanese Low (SudL). During this pattern, the SubH combines with the SibH and an obvious increase of sea level pressure (SLP) occurs over southern European, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East. This belt of high pressure prevents interaction between midlatitude and extratropical systems, which leads to a decrease in the SAT, relative humidity (RH) and rainfall over Saudi Arabia. The second pattern occurs in association with a weakening of the SubH, a strengthening of the SibH, a weakening of the IceL, or a deepening of the SudL. The pattern arising in this case leads to an interaction between two different air masses: the first (cold moist) air mass is associated with the Mediterranean depression travelling from west to east, while the second (warm moist) air mass is associated with the northward oscillation of the SudL and its inverted V-shape trough. The interaction between these two air masses increases the SAT, RH and the probability of rainfall over Saudi Arabia, especially over the northwest and northeast regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological, nutritional and molecular analyses were carried out to assess genetic diversity among 35 introduced lentil genotypes (Lens culinaris Medik.). The genotypes exhibited significant differences for their field parameters and some of them showed noticeable superiority. The nutritional and proximate analysis showed that some genotypes were excellent sources of proteins, essential amino acids, minerals, anti-oxidants, total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) and hence, highlights lentil nutritional and medicinal potential. Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and amplified fragments length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to estimate the genetic variability at the molecular level. The existence of a considerable amount of genetic diversity among the tested lentil genotypes was also proven at the molecular level. A total of 2894 polymorphic SRAP and 1625 AFLP loci were successfully amplified using six SRAP and four AFLP primer pair combinations. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values for SRAP and AFLP markers were higher than 0.8, indicating the power and higher resolution of those marker systems in detecting molecular diversity. UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average) cluster analysis based on molecular data revealed large number of sub clusters among genotypes, indicating high diversity levels. The data presented here showed that FLIP2009-64L and FLIP2009-69L could be used as a significant source of yield, total protein, essential amino acids, and antioxidant properties. The results suggest potential lentil cultivation in the central region of Saudi Arabia for its nutritional and medicinal properties, as well as sustainable soil fertility crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1 January and 31 December 2010, a total of 144 captive female saker falcons ( Falco cherrug) were diagnosed with Haemoproteus tinnunculi infection at Fahad Bin Sultan Falcon Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The highest prevalence of infection (total 34.03 %) was recorded during March and April, i.e., towards the latter part of winter and rainy season, while the lowest prevalence was recorded during June to August (total 4.17 %), which represent the peak of the dry summer months. H. tinnunculi infection was associated with an increase in the splenic size. The infection also produced a strong eosinophilic response. Other hematological changes recorded in some of the infected birds included leukocytosis, heterophilia, and anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teachers' agency to their belief system has been widely reported to influence classroom teaching practices. Whilst the bulk of research has dealt with second language learner teachers' beliefs, few studies have been conducted on how and why tenured EFL teachers activate their beliefs within a context of strictly controlled curriculum and imposed language teacher education programmes and what influence this may have on their teaching practice. Specifically, when EFL teachers adapt the imposed communicative language teaching approach (CLA) in teaching grammar, tensions are bound to arise and influence their decisions regarding implementation of the proposed curriculum. The study addressed this gap and contributed more broadly to our understanding of how attention to teachers' beliefs and self-initiated models of professional development such as reflection could aid the effectiveness of top-down policies. This paper aimed at exploring the interplay between EFL teachers' beliefs about grammar teaching and their reported practices in public schools in Saudi Arabia, and the extent of influence of teacher education programmes in informing such beliefs. The investigation utilized semi-structured interviews with four EFL Saudi teachers. Qualitative data analysis revealed that despite the mandated CLA approach and training programmes, teachers reported dominant forms-focused (traditional) grammar instruction which was for the most part informed by consistent beliefs and influenced by prevailing contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate serological prevalence and titers of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in ewes following waves of abortion and stillbirths in a commercial flock in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Serum samples from 168 aborted ewes and 52 breeding rams, were tested for toxoplasmosis using an indirect enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect haemagglutination test (IHA). 71 randomly sampled sheep from an abortion-free flock (60 ewes and 11 rams) were also tested, which served as controls. 149 (88.7%) ewes and 42 (80.8%) breeding rams from the flock where abortions and stillbirths occurred were positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies by ELISA. 155 ewes (92.3%) and 44 rams (84.6%), including all of the ELISA positive cases, were also positive by indirect haemagglutination test (IHA). More than 80% of the ELISA-positive ewes had O.D. exceeding 100% and nearly 25% of them had O.D. of ≥150%. The IHA results, on the other hand, indicated that more than 75% of the seropositive ewes had antibody titers ≥1:1024, including 58 (37.4%) ewes with IHA titer ranging between 1:4096- 1:8192 Pyrexia, depression and vaginal discharge were recorded in some ewes shortly prior to abortion. Post-mortem examination of 5 aborted fetuses revealed blood-stained fluid in the abdominal and thoracic cavities and small inflammatory and necrotic foci in the brain, liver and lungs while the placenta was reddish and friable, and its cotyledons were speckled with small whitish foci of necrosis and mineralization. T. gondii tachyzoites were demonstrated in placental sections of two ewes. By contrast, only 7 (9.9%) out of 71 randomly sampled sheep from an abortion-free flock (60 ewes and 11 rams), were positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies by ELISA and 6 (8.5%) by indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test and most of these had significantly lower titers compared to the flock where abortions and stillbirths were recorded. These results constitute the first detailed serological study of ovine toxoplasmosis in Saudi Arabia and strongly implicate toxoplasmosis as the cause of the abortions and stillbirths in these sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Validated FE models were fused to study 16 RC OMF assemblies under column-loss scenario. • Twelve assemblies represented the actual detailing of an existing RC OMF building. • Variables were column axial load, % of continuous bottom beam rebars, and number of beam spans. • A simple approach was suggested to assess the progressive collapse risk level of RC OMFs. • The last four assemblies were newly designed to reduce the progressive collapse risk level. Most of the buildings in Saudi Arabia were constructed using reinforced concrete (RC) ordinary moment frames (OMFs), which, in most cases, had discontinuous bottom beam rebars across the beam-column joints. Consequently, they may be susceptible to the potential of progressive collapse owing to accidental loss of one (or more) exterior column(s) in an extreme event. Therefore, it is imperative to examine the progressive collapse robustness of RC OMF buildings. In this paper, 16 half-scale RC OMF assemblies (skeletal frames comprising of multi-span beams and two-story columns) were investigated using validated FE modeling for progressive collapse potential in the event of middle column removal. The analysis was carried out with the help of LS-DYNA software. It incorporated nonlinear constitutive modeling of concrete and steel rebars considering the effect of strain rate, and modeling of bond-slip behavior at the interaction of steel rebars with concrete. Out of the 16 assemblies, 12 specimens represented the actual detailing of an existing 8-story building. The studied variables included axial load on columns, percentage of continuous bottom beam rebars across the beam-column joint (with respect to the total number of bottom rebars), and number of beam spans. The performance of the 12 assemblies was evaluated in accordance with mode of failure and characteristics of load–displacement envelope. A simple approach was suggested to assess the progressive collapse risk level of RC OMFs. Five risk levels were proposed, ranging from very low to very high. Very high to high risk was predicted for the 12 studied assemblies. The last four assemblies of the analysis matrix were newly designed to reduce the progressive collapse risk to a moderate (or low) level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Surface hydrology studies are becoming more important for environmentalists and design engineers in arid regions where climate elements, particularly rainfall, are severe, sporadic and difficult to forecast. The main purpose of this study is to analyse elements of surface hydrology in the northwest of Riyadh City as part of environmental quality characterization for urban development. Design/methodology/approach - The study area lies within a typical arid zone in the Arabian desert, and forms an integral part of Riyadh City extension. Field observations, collection and analyses of meteorological data, identification and analyses of the drainage network were the main approaches used in this study. The study made use of SPOT 4 satellite images, published topographic maps and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from Shuttle Radar (SRTM). Findings - Drainage analyses show four sub-dendritic systems in northwest Riyadh. The study area lies within the middle sub-catchment with a total area of 11-5 km2. Average annual rainfall is 125 mm. It occurs in the months of November-February with a standard deviation of 17-25.5 for monthly rainfall and a standard deviation of 3.2-8.8 for maximum daily rainfall. Annual relative humidity is 34.4 percent, annual solar radiation is 477 cal/cm2 per day, prevailing wind direction is NE and N with an average speed of 5.1 km/hr, and average annual evaporation is 2910 mm. Runoff peak flow varies from 2.73-4.67 m3/sec. Practical implications - Planners, design engineers, decision makers can use these findings for urban environmental development. The results of this study can help to prepare safeguard settlements from any unforeseen events. Originality/value - The study indicates the importance of environmental quality chacterization for urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — Salt-water intrusion has always been a source of contamination in coastal aquifers that hinders sustainable groundwater development. Classical techniques to detect its occurrence are costly and time consuming. The application of combined geo-electrical and hydro-chemical methods is cheaper, executable in reasonable time, and successfully applied in mapping the interface between saline and fresh groundwater. The current study aims at detecting and delineating salt-water intrusion in the downstream part of Wadi Gizan in southwest Saudi Arabia using geo-electrical and hydro-chemical methods. Design/methodology/approach — The case study area is the downstream part of Wadi Gizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Geo-electrical data were obtained from field measurements using both Shlumberger and Wenner procedures. A number of 65 groundwater samples were collected and analysed for its total dissolved solids and major ionic composition. Findings — The results show variations in the resistivity of the water-bearing strata in the study area. Resistivity values decrease towards the Red Sea, and, in separate pockets. The total dissolved solids (TDS) and chloride distributions show the same pattern. Overlapping the areal distributions of the resistivity, TDS, and chloride concentration yield a map showing the limits of salt-water intrusion and up-coning pockets of saline water. Practical implications — Planners, decision makers and other interest groups can use these findings for a sustainable groundwater development in the study area, and, to safeguard the aquifer from further advancement of salt-water intrusion. Originality/value — The case study indicates the importance of applying combined geo-electrical and hydro-chemical methods for groundwater quality variations and especially in detecting and delineating the contact between saline and fresh groundwater in coastal aquifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a study which evaluated the fungi associated with Euphorbia inarticulata in Saudi Arabia. Characteristics of Euphorbia inarticulata; Materials and methodology; Fungal pathogens associated with Euphorbia.

Morphological and simple sequence repeat (SSR) approaches were used to determine the genetic diversity of 29 ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) genotypes belonging to eight populations collected from several regions in Saudi Arabia. In this study, 50 in Silico-developed SSR markers derived from genomic and expressed sequence tag (EST) microsatellites were examined. Analysis of variance showed highly significant differences in all studied traits. Cluster analysis based on the morphological data of the 29 Lolium genotypes and using PAST (paleontological statistics) software was performed. According to the results, clustering was based mostly on genotype location. The sensitive genotypes for herbicide were clustered in one group. In addition, using EST-SSR markers, we observed the existence of a considerable number of genetic variations among Lolium genotypes. From these markers, only 31 produced reasonable amplification products. The results showed that 23 SSR markers revealed that 74.19% were polymorphic. The number of alleles detected per primer ranged from one to five in the primer LTC SSR1. The tested primers amplified 1434 bands across eight populations, with an average of 46.26 bands per primer. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.11 to 0.76 for the primers LT EST-SSR5 and LTC SSR1. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) clustering of the 29 genotypes representing eight populations was based essentially on their locations and herbicide-tolerance levels. Most of the populations formed into four clusters, together representing genotypes. Moreover, the tolerant populations were distinguished from the sensitive ones. The relationship between the genetic diversity and geographical source of Lolium rigidum populations of Saudi Arabia was revealed through this study. The results showed that the efficiency of developed SSR markers are transferable across species. They have been helpful to assess the genetic diversity of the ryegrass population as this could be applied to differentiate between tolerant and sensitive populations of ryegrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four halophytic plants, Lycium shawii, Anabasis articulata, Rumex vesicarius, and Zilla spinosa, growing in the central Qassim area, Saudi Arabia, were phytochemically and biologically investigated. Their hydroalcoholic extracts' UPLC-ESIQ-TOF analyses demonstrated the presence of 44 compounds of phenolic acids, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids chemical classes. Among all the plants' extracts, L. shawii showed the highest quantities of total phenolics, and flavonoids contents (52.72 and 13.01 mg/gm of the gallic acid and quercetin equivalents, respectively), along with the antioxidant activity in the TAA (total antioxidant activity), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), and DPPH-SA (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-scavenging activity) assays with 25.6, 56.68, and 19.76 mg/gm, respectively, as Trolox equivalents. The hydroalcoholic extract of the L. shawii also demonstrated the best chelating activity at 21.84 mg/gm EDTA equivalents. Among all the four halophytes, the hydroalcoholic extract of L. shawii exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity against MCF7 and K562 cell lines with IC50 values at 194.5 µg/mL and 464.9 µg/mL, respectively. The hydroalcoholic extract of A. articulata demonstrated better cytotoxic activity amongst all the tested plants' extracts against the human pancreatic cancer cell lines (PANC1) with an IC50 value of 998.5 µg/mL. The L. shawii induced apoptosis in the MCF7 cell lines, and the percentage of the necrotic cells changed to 28.1% and 36.5% for the IC50 and double-IC50 values at 22.9% compared with the untreated groups. The hydroalcoholic extract of L. shawii showed substantial antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 with a MIC value of 12.5 mg/mL. By contrast, the A. articulata and Z. spinosa exhibited antifungal activities against Aspergillus niger ATCC 6275 with MIC values at 12.5 and 50 mg/mL, respectively. These findings suggested that the L. shawii is a potential halophyte with remarkable biological properties, attributed to its contents of phenolics and flavonoid classes of compounds in its extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa cultivation has expanded from South America to many countries because of its wide adaptability and nutritional value. We evaluated 32 introduced quinoa genotypes using 17 qualitative and 11 quantitative traits under Saudi Arabia conditions during the 2018–2019 season. The quinoa genotypes showed considerable variation during the vegetative and maturity stages. Plant height values varied between 60 and 18 cm, and maturity ranged from 98 to 177 days. Leaf shapes were rhomboidal or triangular, with dentate or serrate margins. Green was the standard color for leaves and panicles at the flowering stage. The leaf granule colors were white, purple, and white-red. At 150 units of the Euclidean distance, the genotypes aggregated into four major groups based on their morphological traits. Twenty-one sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer pair combinations generated 75 amplified fragments (alleles), with a mean of 3.57 alleles per primer pair combination. Unweighted Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic means (UPGMA) clustering analysis showed that the quinoa genotypes were grouped based on origin or according to genetic background. Genotypes from South America presented higher mean values for the average number of alleles, Shannon index (0.411), gene diversity (0.271), and polymorphic percentage (83.95). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that most of the genetic variation was because of differences within populations (86%). The wide variability of the genotypes studied herein is of great importance for quinoa breeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being one of the most critical scenarios in extreme events such as blast attacks, the progressive collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) structures has attracted the attention of structural engineering community. As precast concrete buildings are deficient in structural continuity, they are more vulnerable to progressive collapse than cast-in-situ RC buildings. Hence, effective rehabilitation techniques to upgrade beam-column joints in existing precast RC buildings for progressive collapse mitigation are needed. The goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using bolted steel plates on the behavior of precast beam-column connections under sudden column-loss scenario. This study presents experiments involving one half-scale precast RC beam-column assembly, which represented the most prevalent types of existing precast beam-column joints in Saudi Arabia. One monolithic test specimen having continuity of top and bottom beam rebars was used for the sake of comparison. Another precast specimen similar to the control one was strengthened using bolted steel plates within the connection region. The progressive collapse scenario was simulated by removing the central column support and applying a sudden vertical load on this column at a rate of 100 mm/s until failure. The collapse load of both monolithic and strengthened specimens was predicted using a simplified section analysis procedure. The analysis was then used for some useful parametric studies in which the effect of different steel plate parameters on the response of test frames under middle column-loss scenario was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]