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The mechanical characteristics of rocks such as elasticity (Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and unconfined compressive strength) play an essential in sand production analysis, well design, and borehole stability assessment. In this study, the mechanical characteristics of rocks were indirectly estimated using gamma ray, density, and acoustic (compressional and shear) log data from well RU-X in the Rumaila oil field, specifically for the Zubair Formation. These estimated properties were compared to direct measurements obtained from triaxial and uniaxial mechanical tests conducted on well RU-X. The results showed a significant similarity between the indirect estimates and the direct measurements, indicating their reliability for sand production analysis and their valuable contribution to constructing the geomechanical model. Moreover, the static profile of Poisson's ratio was validated using laboratory core test results, demonstrating reasonable agreement. The validation process involved comparing laboratory-derived measurements with actual field measurements in the Zubair Formation. The higher Poisson's ratio observed in the shale was attributed to the slower propagation of acoustic waves, resulting in a good matching with an R2 value of 0.77. On the other hand, the lower Young's modulus in the shaly formations indicated lower resistance to deformation, with a comparative ratio of R²=0.96. Static measurements, which consider various influencing factors, provide a more realistic representation of rock behavior under different conditions. Regarding unconfined compressive strength, the comparative ratio was R²=0.83.

Background: Silicone elastomers have been extensively used as the most acceptable material in the manufacturing of maxillofacial and other kinds of prosthetic devices. The durability of maxillofacial prostheses depends on the material chosen, the patient's attitude and feelings regarding the prosthesis, and how they perform for specific needs. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the influence of adding barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles on the mechanical and physical characteristics of room-temperature-vulcanized (RTV) VerSilTal (VST-50) maxillofacial silicone elastomer, including thermal conductivity, tear strength, and water absorption and solubility. Materials and methods: 0.5 wt% and 0.75 wt% BaTiO3 nanoparticles were added to RTV VST-50 platinum silicone elastomer. Ninety specimens were prepared and divided into three main groups: one control group and two experimental groups (0.5 and 0.75 wt%). The collected data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey (HSD) test (significant level at P ≤ 0.05). The homogeneity and normal distribution of data were assessed by Levene's and Shapiro Wilk's tests, respectively. Result: Both experimental groups showed a remarkable increase in tear strength, thermal conductivity, and water absorption compared with the nonadditive control group. For solubility, the group of 0.5 wt% additive showed an insignificant increase, whereas the group of 0.75 wt% showed a significant increase compared with the control group. Conclusion: The addition of BaTiO3 nanoparticles to RTV VST-50 enhanced the thermal conductivity and tear strength. Water absorption and solubility were also increased, but the values were clinically insignificant. FTIR revealed no chemical interaction between BaTiO3 and silicone. FE-SEM showed the uniform scattering of BaTiO3 inside the silicone matrix.

Air dust is a host medium for potentially harmful substances in atmospheric emissions. Contaminated air with metals causes serious threats to human health. This research aimed to examine the features of road dust pollution and evaluate related heavy metals' health risks. All samples were collected from outdoor environments by including fifty different places in Ramadi using a soft plastic brush. Five heavy metals were evaluated in this study, including nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb). Roadside dust pollution in urban Ramadi streets was assessed using the ecological risk index (RI). Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) calculations were performed for all three exposure pathways (dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation). The results showed that copper (mean = 49.520 mg/kg) and chromium (mean = 34.742 mg/kg) had the highest heavy metal concentrations, followed by nickel, lead, and cadmium. Even though cadmium was the lowest, however; its ecological risk index was higher than other heavy metals, as cadmium was determined to be higher for dermal adsorption of dust than for inhalation or ingestion in adult people.

2012-2013 eğitim öğretim yılından itibaren, “din, ahlak ve değerler” grubu içerisinde “Peygamberimizin Hayatı” dersi diğer seçmeli dersler ile müfredatta yer almaktadır. Son olarak 2018 -2019 eğitim öğretim yılında “Peygamberimizin Hayatı Dersi Öğretim Programı” yayımlanmıştır. Peygamberimizin Hayatı dersinin hedef ve içerikleri kapsamında kazanımların incelenmesi, dersin amaçlarını sağlaması açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu makalenin amacı “Ortaöğretim Peygamberimizin Hayatı Dersi Öğretim Programı”nda bulunan bilişsel kazanımların Bloom Taksonomisi’nin bilgi boyutu ve bilişsel süreç boyutu dikkate alınarak değerlendirmektir. Bu çerçevede 9-12. Sınıf Peygamberimizin Hayatı Öğretim Programı incelenmiş ve kazanımlar analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yönteminin doküman analizi tekniği kullanılarak veriler toplanmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Veriler, Talim ve Terbiye Kurulu’nun 19.01.2018 tarihinde yayınlanmış olan ve 19 sayılı karar ile kabul edilen Peygamberimizin Hayatı Öğretim Programı’ndan elde edilmiştir. Programın bütününe bakıldığında 109 kazanımın yer aldığı tespit edilmiştir. Bu kazanımların 93’ü bilişsel, 16’sı duyuşsal alanda yer almaktadır. Psikomotor alanda kazanım yer almamaktadır. Çalışmanın örneklemi öğretim programında yer alan bilişsel bölüme ait 93 kazanımdan oluşmaktadır. Bu kazanımlar Yenilenmiş Bloom Taksonomisi’ne göre incelenmiş ve analiz edilmiştir. Kazanımların dağılımına bakıldığında büyük bir kısmının bilgi boyutunda, olgusal bilgi ve kavramsal bilgi aşamasında; bilişsel süreç boyutunda ise anlama aşamasında olduğu görülmüştür.

This study examines the impact of varying soaking durations on collapse potential (CP) within gypsum sand soil containing 29% gypsum content. It explores the enhancement of CP through the addition of CKD (Cement Kiln Dust) in concentrations ranging from 1% to 5%, employing a modified oedometer apparatus. The oedometer provides accurate measurements of soil compressibility, consolidation properties, and settlement behaviour under realistic load conditions, which are crucial for foundation design and long-term stability predictions. It also aids in assessing soil-structure interaction and validating soil behaviour models, enhancing the accuracy of geotechnical analyses. The oedometer is preferable over other available devices because it is specifically designed for consolidation and collapse studies, making it ideal for testing how additives like CKD affect the soil's collapse potential under controlled soaking conditions. This study categorized specimens into seven groups based on saturation and unsaturation conditions, varying soaking durations of one, two, and three weeks to investigate CP. The findings revealed that the CP under saturation conditions without matric suction for a one-week soaking period exceeded CP under the same conditions with zero matric suction (ψ = 0) by 16%. Additionally, CP increased by 16%, 41%, and 136% when specimens were tested under ψ = 0 after one, two, and three weeks of soaking, respectively, compared to the one-week soaking period. Furthermore, under matric suction of 40 kPa (indicating reduced moisture content), CP results increased by 55% and 228% for two and three-week soaking periods, respectively, compared to the unsaturation state at 40 kPa matric suction with a one-week soaking period. The optimal CKD addition percentage for improving CP ranged from 2% to 3%, contingent upon the specific case study.

Increasing oil production from a reservoir can be achieved by decreasing the distance between the injector and the producer through a process known as infill drilling, which involves a pattern water flood. The main objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the optimal infill well location and the research and applications available to enhance the oil recovery factor, leading to increased economic profits. one effective empirical approach used in this study is based on decline curve analysis, which analyzes the production history of the well to determine the final economic recovery. Additionally, a numerical method that combines numerical simulation and optimization techniques has been proven to be successful in determining optimal infill drilling locations. The research results show that the volumetric computation of oil in place is a useful method for estimating the number of infill wells needed, but it does not consider heterogeneity and continuity. On the other hand, the numerical simulation and optimization techniques can quantify the remaining mobile oil post-infill drilling and establish optimal pattern configurations for maximum recovery at their centers.

The sustainability and impact of copper fibres on pure gypsum is the primary purpose of this study to investigate a combination of two kinds of copper fibres obtained from environmental waste (damaged electrical wires). The copper fibres are dividings into a fixed length of 10 mm, but with two different diameters: the first is 0.83 mm and the second is 0.63 mm, where the ratio of width to height (L/D) is 12 and 15.9, respectively, with a volume ratio Vf = 0.4 %, the ratios 0.5 and 0.6 represent the Water to Gypsum ratio (W/G) individually. Each W/G ratio has two types of mixtures which organize according to diameter. The first considers a reference mixture without copper fibres (CF), and the other is a copper fibres (CF) mixture. This work found that the compressive strength increased from adding the copper fibres to a mixture of pure gypsum. Furthermore, this increase is apparent in pure gypsum compressive strength when raising the aspect ratio because of reducing the copper fibres’ diameters. In another way, increasing ratio of W/G in the case of existing copper fibres or none may reduce a compressive strength of mixtures. Therefore, when the ratio of (W/G) drops, the significance of copper fibres may become more apparent.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD), stroke, and aneurysms, are characterized by the abnormal accumulation and aggregation of disease-causing proteins in the brain and spinal cord. Recent research suggests that proteins linked to these conditions can be secreted and transferred among cells using exosomes. The transmission of abnormal protein buildup and the gradual degeneration in the brains of impacted individuals might be supported by these exosomes. Furthermore, it has been reported that neuroprotective functions can also be attributed to exosomes in neurodegenerative diseases. The potential neuroprotective functions may play a role in preventing the formation of aggregates and abnormal accumulation of proteins associated with the disease. The present review summarizes the roles of exosomes in neurodegenerative diseases as well as elucidating their therapeutic potential in AD, PD, ALS, HD, stroke, and aneurysms. By elucidating these two aspects of exosomes, valuable insights into potential therapeutic targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases may be provided.

Tina Peckmezian,1 Vanessa Garcia-Larsen,2 Kayla Wilkins,3 Rana H Mosli,4 Nasser F BinDhim,5– 7 George Kunnackal John,8 Muhammad Yasir,9,10 Esam Ibraheem Azhar,9,10 Gerard E Mullin,11 Saleh A Alqahtani11,12 1Independent Scholar, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2Program in Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Environmental GeoScience Research Group, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada; 4Clinical Nutrition Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Sharik Association for Health Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 7Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 8Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Easton, MD, USA; 9Special Infectious Agents Unit – BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 10Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 11Liver Transplant Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 12Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Saleh A Alqahtani, Liver Transplant Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email salalqahtani@kfshrc.edu.saObjective: This study evaluated the effect of microbiome-targeted therapies (pre-, pro-, and synbiotics) on weight loss and other anthropometric outcomes when delivered as an adjunct to traditional weight loss interventions in overweight and obese adults.Methods: A systematic review of three databases (Medline [PubMed], Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) was performed to identify randomized controlled trials published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2020, that evaluated anthropometric outcomes following microbiome-targeted supplements in combination with dietary or dietary and exercise interventions. The pooled mean difference (MD) between treatment and control groups was calculated using a random effects model.Results: Twenty-one trials with 1233 adult participants (76.4% female) with overweight or obesity were included. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for probiotics (n=11 trials) and synbiotics (n=10 trials) on each anthropometric outcome; prebiotics were excluded as only a single study was found. Patient characteristics and methodologies varied widely between studies. All studies incorporated some degree of caloric restriction, while only six studies included recommendations for adjunct exercise. Compared with dietary or dietary and exercise interventions only, probiotics resulted in reductions in body weight (MD: − 0.73 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: − 1.02 to − 0.44, p < 0.001), fat mass (MD: − 0.61 kg; 95% CI: − 0.77 to − 0.45; p< 0.001) and waist circumference (MD: − 0.53 cm; 95% CI: − 0.99 to − 0.07, p=0.024) while synbiotics resulted in reductions in fat mass (MD: − 1.53 kg; 95% CI: − 2.95 to − 0.12, p=0.034) and waist circumference (MD: − 1.31 cm; 95% CI: − 2.05 to − 0.57, p< 0.001).Conclusion: This analysis indicates that microbiome-targeted supplements may enhance weight loss and other obesity outcomes in adults when delivered as an adjunct to dietary or dietary and exercise interventions. Personalized therapy to include microbiome-targeted supplements may help to optimize weight loss in overweight and obese individuals.Keywords: microbiome, obesity, adjunctive therapy, weight loss

الملخص: أهداف البحث: نظرا لأن القيم المهنية في التمريض قد حظيت بالاهتمام كمعيار رئيسي لرعاية تمريضية ذات جودة عالية، فقد تم قياسها باستخدام مقياس القيم المهنية التمريضية-3. ونظراً لعد توفر هذا المقياس باللغة العربية فنهدف إلى التحقق من صحة المؤشرات السيكومترية للنسخة العربية من مقياس القيم المهنية التمريضية-3 لاستخدامه بين الممرضين والممرضات السعوديين. طرق البحث: جندت هذه الدراسة المنهجية طلاب وطالبات التمريض من كليتين رئيسيتين للتمريض في المملكة العربية السعودية. تم رجوع 438 استبانة صالحة للتحليل من أصل 500 استبانة موزعة (معدل الاستجابة: 87.6%). تم ترجمة الاستبانة إلى اللغة العربية. تم التحقق من الصدق الظاهري وصدق المحتوى والصدق العاملي وصدق المفهوم باستخدام تحليلات العوامل الاستكشافية والتأكيدية. كما تم تقييم الصدق التقاربي والتمييزي. تم تقييم ثبات المقياس باستخدام معامل ألفا كرونباخ ومعامل أوميغا. النتائج: تم التحقق من الصدق الظاهري حيث تراوح مؤشر صدق المحتوى من إلى 1، بينما كان للمقياس العام. أسفر تحليل العامل الاستكشافي عن مقياس يحتوي على 28 عنصرًا بنموذج ثلاثي العوامل، موضحًا 74.5٪ من إجمالي التباين. كما أكد تحليل العامل التأكيدي أن النموذج ثلاثي العوامل كان له نتائج مقبولة. تم التحقق من ثبات المقياس عن طريق معامل ألفا كرونباخ، حيث كانت نتائجه كالتالي: 0.89، 0.90، و0.90 لكلٍ من عوامل النشاط، الرعاية، والمهنية، وكان معامل ألفا كرونباخ للمقياس العام 0.96 الإستنتاجات: تم الكشف عن مستويات كافية من الصدق والثبات للنسخة العربية من مقياس القيم المهنية التمريضية-3، مما يشير إلى ملاءمة استخدام هذا المقياس لتقييم القيم المهنية بين الممرضين والممرضات السعوديين وغيرهم من الطلاب وطالبات التمريض الناطقين باللغة العربية. Abstract: Objectives: Since the nursing professional values have garnered attention as a principal criterion for safe‒quality nursing practice, it was measured using the Nurses Professional Values Scale‒three. We aimed to validate and ascertain the psychometric indicators of the Arabic version of the Nurses Professional Values Scale–three among Saudi student nurses. Method: This methodological study recruited student nurses using convenience sampling from two nursing colleges at KSA. About 438 valid questionnaires were returned out of 500 questionnaires which were distributed over students in a formal day class time; representing a response rate of 87.6%. A 2‒fold cross‒validation process was adopted. A transcultural process was conducted. Face, content, and construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. Convergent and discriminant validity were also assessed. The reliability of the scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Face validity was achieved. The content validity of items ranged from .83 to 1.00, while it was .96 for the overall scale. The exploratory factor analysis yielded a scale containing 28 items with a three‒factor model, explaining 74.5% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that three‒factor solution had an adequate model fit (CMIN/df = 1.98; RMSEA = .065; SRMR = .039, CFI = .972, and GFI = .968). Convergent validity and discriminant validity were achieved. Cronbach's alpha values were .89, .90, .90, and .96 for activism, caring, professionalism, and the overall scale, respectively. Conclusion: Adequate levels of reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Nurses Professional Values Scale–three were established, indicating the appropriateness of using this version to assess the professional values among Saudi and other Arabic‒speaking nurses.

The high concentration of nitrogen (N) compounds in wastewater was found to be creating a reason of eutrophication, effect the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and human health. The aim of this study is to reduce harmful N forms from wastewater by biological nitrogen transforming (BNT) bacteria and to investigate the fluctuation of ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and pathogenic bacteria during this process, so compost representative. A sample of municipal wastewater was taken, and then subjected to the treatment process of BNT, which was subdivided into three stages of ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The result revealed that nitrifying bacteria were flocculated during biological nitrogen transformation, like AOB and NOB isolated until obtaining colonies during the nitrification process, by liquid mineral solution and Agar-Agar then calculated. The AOB count was 468 CFU/ml and NOB was 2130 CFU/ml in the sample. The existence of coliform bacteria, especially E. coli raises the possibility of water contamination by pathogens bacteria that cause many serious illnesses in human. Therefore, Mac-Conkey agar was used for the isolation of total coliform bacteria through the BNT process because it is selective and also differentiating agar that specialized in the growth of gram- negative bacteria. Total coliform bacteria decreased gradually, before ammonification (556 CFU/ml), after ammonification (226 CFU/ml), after nitrification (154 CFU/ml) and after denitrification (45 CFU/ml) that have been determined and indicated that further chemical disinfection like chlorination or ozonation were required for complete sterilization of pathogenic bacteria. The study concluded that all harmful forms of N and total coliform bacteria that cause human and ecosystem deleterious were reduced by BNT.

A feasibility of feed water heating of a 62 MW cogeneration power plant, Shoaiba, KSA, (21 °N) through integrated parabolic trough solar collectors has been technically and economically provided. Extracted steam from turbine to the highest-pressure feed water heater (FWH) is replaced by the solar collectors. A transient simulation model was created by TRNSYS simulation software to find the annual performance of the power plant integrated with solar system. The power block simulation results were validated with the designed data of the conventional power plant. The annual performance of the system was estimated as the average solar power generation and solar fraction. Economic feasibility analysis was considered in this work to estimate the life cycle savings (LCS), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), payback lifetime and amount of fuel saved. It was found optimum system sizing at which the system has the maximum LCS which equals 41.5 Million U$ at 150,000 m2. It can achieve an annual solar fraction of 28% at which the solar system can produce 1.72E+11 kJ while the payback lifetime was estimated as 14.6 years. Moreover, 4,619 tons fuel can be saved that is corresponding to 777.34 tons CO2 can be avoided annually as the environmental impact.

The use of ferrocement in strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures has increased recently. Ferrocement has mostly been used to provide extra confinement for RC columns. However, its performance, especially in combination with CFRP confinement has not yet been fully understood. In this study, a total of fifteen columns were experimentally tested to investigate the effects of using ferrocement confinement in strengthening square RC columns. The combination between CFRP and ferrocement in strengthening RC columns has also been investigated. In addition to providing extra confinement, ferrocement is used to modify the shape of square columns to curvilinear shape, which is more effective for confinement. The parameters were (1) the materials used for confinement (ferrocement, CFRP, or both), (2) cross-sectional shape (square, curvilinear, or circular), and (3) the amount of confinement (full vs. partial confinement). The results show that ferrocement is very effective if combined with CFRP. The curvilinear shape provided by ferrocement helps to distribute the lateral stresses and ultimately reduces stress concentration which is usually the cause of failure for columns strengthened with CFRP confinement. The results are analyzed and discussed, and a number of conclusions are presented.

Abstract Background The prevention of portal hypertensive complications, including upper gastrointestinal bleeding, is critically important and achieved only through the use of upper endoscopy for the management of oesophageal gastric varices (EGVs). There is a paucity of data and limited utilization of non-invasive predictive parameters to guide the selection of patients who may benefit from endoscopic surveillance, especially in cirrhotic patients with coexistent portal vein thrombosis. Results The study was conducted in eight hospitals in the western region of Saudi Arabia over the period of 2015–2017. Among 1349 chronic liver disease patients, eighty-five patients with complete endoscopic findings were included in the study. Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed with non-malignant PVT. Twenty-five patients (89%) developed oesophageal varices, compared with 57 patients with cirrhosis without PVT. A predictive factor for the development of oesophageal varices of statistical significance was hypoalbuminemia in PVT patients (p=0.04). No statistically significant differences were found in other biochemical markers (p

Background: The examination of the literature indicates that practicing nurses are barely engaged in developing enhancement programs for quality nursing care. There are numerous studies on the value of nursing care, but none offers ways of assessing the value of care provided by nurses. Identifying the essence of quality nursing care can facilitate effective enhancement approaches. It was prudent to explore the relationship between advocacy, caring, and empathy in delivering quality nursing care. Purpose: This study aimed to comprehend the views of Saudi Arabian nurses on how empathy, advocacy, and caring act as measurements of quality of nursing care. Methods: A qualitative investigative, descriptive design was used to explore the advocacy, empathy, and caring from the viewpoints of practicing nurses. Twenty-one general and specialized medical care nurses from King Saud Medical City in Saudi Arabia were recruited through purposive sampling. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews that were recorded, written out, and subjected to thematic analysis. Results: The findings have led to the establishment of quality Saudi nursing care with the identification of core themes: empathy, advocacy, and caring. The findings of this study elevate the understanding of the quality of nursing care in the Saudi context. Conclusion: The participants aver that patient advocacy, empathy, and care are parts of the characteristics of nursing profession. These characteristics aid in listening and comprehending patients’ perspectives. Following the findings, it is suggested to provide training to the nurses to overcome the challenges faced by nurses in reflecting empathy.

This study characterizes a total of 21 wastewater samples collected from Al Amal hospital, and aims to determine if untreated hospital wastewater may impose a potentially detrimental impact on the downstream municipal biological wastewater treatment process. By means of solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), chemical contaminants in these wastewater samples were determined in a non-targeted manner. In-silico characterization for the mutagenicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) producing capabilities was performed by checking against database and literature. However, majority of the chemical contaminants have no prior information available and remain uncharacterized for both traits. Instead, in-vitro mutagenicity tests by means of Ames test showed that majority of the samples were non-mutagenic except for 5 samples that imposed mutagenic effect at high concentrations of >×10. In-vitro tests to determine for intracellular ROS production further showed that one of the mutagenic samples collected on Jun-22 positively induce ROS production and subsequently increased horizontal gene transfer via natural transformation. The findings in this study suggest that a specialty hospital like Al Amal does not frequently contribute mutagenic compounds and ROS to the wastewater streams, and in instances where it contributed positively, would require a high concentration to do so. Hence in general, wastewater streams from a specialty hospital like Al Amal may be unlikely to significantly perturb the downstream environment.

May Bin-Jumah,1 Sadaf Jamal Gilani,2 Mohammed Asadullah Jahangir,3 Ameeduzzafar Zafar,4 Sultan Alshehri,5,6 Mohd Yasir,7 Chandra Kala,8 Mohamad Taleuzzaman,8 Syed Sarim Imam5 1Biology Department, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Basic Health Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Pharmaceutics, Nibha Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rajgir, Nalanda 803116, Bihar, India; 4Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6College of Pharmacy, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Arsi University, Asella, Ethiopia; 8Faculty of Pharmacy, Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur 342802, Rajasthan, IndiaCorrespondence: Sadaf Jamal GilaniDepartment of Basic Health Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEmail gilanisadaf@gmail.comSyed Sarim ImamDepartment of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEmail sarimimam@gmail.comPurpose: The topically administered drugs through conventional delivery systems have low bioavailability. Henceforth, the present study was designed to prepare and optimize clarithromycin (CTM)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) to demonstrate the efficacy against microorganisms.Methods: Clarithromycin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CTM-CHNPs) were prepared by ionotropic gelation method. The formulation was optimized by box-Behnken design using the formulation variables like CH (A), STPP concentration (B), and stirring speed (C). Their effects were evaluated on the independent variables like particle size (Y1) and entrapment efficiency (Y2). Further, CTM-CHNPs were evaluated for physicochemical parameters, in-vitro drug release, ex-vivo permeation, bioadhesive study, corneal hydration, histopathology, HET-CAM, and antibacterial study.Results: The optimized formulation (CTM-CHNPopt) showed the low particle size (152± 5 nm), which is desirable for ocular delivery. It also showed high encapsulation (70.05%), zeta potential (+35.2 mV), and was found in a spherical shape. The drug release study revealed a sustained drug release profile (82.98± 3.5% in 12 hours) with Korsmeyer peppas kinetic (R2=0.996) release model. It showed a 2.7-fold higher corneal permeation than CTM-solution. CHNPs did not exhibit any sign of damage to excised goat cornea, which is confirmed by hydration, histopathology, and HET-CAM test. It exhibited significant (P< 0.05) higher antibacterial susceptibility than CTM-solution.Conclusion: The finding of the study concluded that CTM-CHNPs can be used for effective management of bacterial conjunctivitis by increasing the precorneal residence time.Keywords: clarithromycin, chitosan, optimization, nanoparticles, HET-CAM, antimicrobial assessment

Seepage from the earth dam’s body reduces the amount of water in the dam’s reservoir and threatens its stability. In this paper, the earth-type Sattarkhan Dam on the Aharchai River has been investigated. In this regard, the SEEP/W model from the GeoStudio 2018 software suite was used for modeling. This study examines the effects of various lengths and positions of cutoff wall and horizontal drainage on seepage, uplift pressure, and exit gradient. Increasing the length of the cutoff wall reduces seepage in both sections, with a more significant effect on Section 2; it also decreases the uplift pressure and the exit gradient. Changing the position of the cutoff wall has a significant effect on seepage fluctuations in Section 1 but has no effect on seepage in Section 2; in positions 2 to 7, the uplift pressure values are nearly identical, and the exit gradient is most significant at position 1 and least at position 2. Increasing the horizontal drainage’s length increases seepage, reduces uplift pressure, and increases the exit gradient. The closer proximity of the horizontal drainage position to the dam’s core increases seepage and decreases uplift pressure and exit gradient. Finally, it is concluded that the construction of a cutoff wall and horizontal drainage with appropriate lengths and positions reduces risk and improves the stability of earth dams.

Steel beams’ shear strength is one of the most important factors that influence how quickly webs buckle. Despite extensive studies having been performed over the previous three decades, the existing procedures did not achieve the necessary reliability to predict the ultimate shear resistance of plate girders. New techniques called Learner Techniques have started to be used over the last few years; these techniques were applied to calculate the steel beam shear strength. In this study, a Regression Learner Techniques model was built using data from 100 test results from previously published research. Based on the geometric and material properties of the web and flanges available in the published tests, a model was built using Artificial Neural Networks. Based on sensitivity analysis, a Cascade Forward Backpropagation Neural Networks (CFBNN) approach was utilized to anticipate the shear strength of steel beams. The proposed models outperformed current hybrid artificial intelligence models developed using the same collected datasets and demonstrated to accurately predict the ultimate shear strength. The performance of the models was evaluated using a range of statistical assessment methods, which led to a valuable conclusion. The CFBNN model achieved the highest root mean square (R2 = 0.95). The results corresponding to each test were verified by specimen shear strength values calculated by a theoretical approach. The resultant maximum shear force obtained by the proposed modified equation was compared with the experimental results and the shear force was estimated using two different approaches proposed by the European code. Finally, two approaches were used to verify the proposed model. The first approach was the data reported from an experimental shear test program conducted by the authors, and the second was the results of the shear values acquired experimentally by other researchers. Based on the test results of the previous studies and the current work, the suggested model gives an adequate degree of accuracy for estimating the shear strength of steel beams.

The huge amounts of old and damaged tires spread worldwide has caused many complex environmental risks. The old tires have been converted to crumb rubber (CR) and tire recycled steel fiber (RSF) to facilitate their use. This study used CR to partially replace natural sand in reinforced (RC) columns. Externally bonded (EB) carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates, welded wire mesh (WWM), and RSF were used to enhance the axial behavior of the tested columns to overcome the concrete deficiencies resulting from the inclusion of the CR instead of natural sand. Eighteen columns were prepared and tested to discuss the effects of strengthening type, CR content, RSF, and strengthening area on the axial behavior of the RC columns. Certain columns were internally reinforced with WWM, while others were externally strengthened with EB CFRP laminates. Partially or fully EB CFRP laminates were used to strengthen the columns. Moreover, one column was cast with NC and 0.2% RSF to investigate the role of RSF in confining the column. The results demonstrated a concrete strength reduction for the rubberized concrete (CRC) as the CR content increased. Conversely, the strengthened columns experienced higher load capacities than the corresponding un-strengthened ones cast with the same concrete mix. Moreover, adding 2% RSF to the NC mix could enhance the column capacity, although it decreased the concrete strength. Furthermore, using two CFRP layers increased the load capacity and ductility of the strengthened columns. The strengthened column cast with 50% CR showed the highest load efficiency (334.3% compared to the un-strengthened one).

Imran Khan,1–3,* Muhammad Yasir,1,4,* Muhammad Farman,1,5 Taha Kumosani,6 Samera F AlBasri,7 Osama S Bajouh,7 Esam I Azhar1,41Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science; Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology Taipa, Macau, People’s Republic of China; 4Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Biology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 6Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science; Production of Bio-products for Industrial Applications Research Group, and Experimental Biochemistry Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia*These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Gut microbiota (GM) has recently been described as a functional reservoir of antimicrobial resistant genes (ARGs). However, the ARG-carrying bacterial species in the human gut has been poorly studied. This study, for the first time, is reporting bacterial communities’ composition and antimicrobial resistome in the stool samples of pregnant and non-pregnant (NP) Saudi females.Methods: Gut bacterial community composition was analyzed by 16S amplicon sequencing and culturomics. High throughput MALDI-TOF technique was used for identification of the isolates from stool samples and evaluated for resistance against 13 antibiotics using the agar dilution method. Clinically important ARGs were PCR amplified from genomic DNA of the stool samples using gene-specific primers.Results: 16S amplicon sequencing revealed that GM of pregnant and NP women were predominantly comprised of phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Bacterial diversity decreased in pregnant groups, whereas phylum Bacteroidetes declined significantly (p

Background: Modern pain neuroscience has revolutionized our understanding about pain, including the role of central sensitization in amplifying pain experiences with increased neuronal response to central nervous system stimuli. During external upper and lower limb perturbation, it has been shown that Chronic low back pain (CLBP) was associated with longer reflex response latencies of trunk muscles. One theoretic but rarely examined possibility for longer reflex latencies is related to modulated somatosensory information processing. Objectives: The objective of the study was to compare the somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) parameters of the right median and left tibial nerves between patients with nonspecific and specific CLBP. Materials and Methods: The study includes 102 CLBP patients, clinically and radiologically confirmed and divided into two groups: 48 patients with nonspecific pathology and 54 patients with specific pathology. During this SSEP study the right median and left tibial nerves of all patients were examined. Recorded parameters include the latency and amplitudes. Results: The means of the latencies of all the SSEP waves of the right median and left tibial nerves were only significant in the peripheral SSEP waves in the upper and lower limbs (N9 and N10, respectively) and highly significant in cortical right median N20 SSEP wave. Regarding the central sensory conduction time values, both in the median and tibial SSEP study, The significant differences was noted only in the median nerve SSEP study. Regarding the means of the amplitudes of differently studied SSEP components of the right median and left tibial nerves, it was only significant in the peripheral SSEP (N9) wave of the right median nerve and in the subcortical and cortical (P37 and N45) waves in the tibial nerve SSEP study. Conclusions: Results showed a significantly higher SSEP amplitude and latency in nonspecific CLBP patients as compared to their counterpart CLBP patients. This could reflect a higher excitability of sensory cortex and sensory pathways in patients with nonspecific CLBP as compared to their counterpart patients.

The shear span-to-effective depth ratio is known to modulate the shear behaviour of steel beams with corrugated webs (SBCWs). However, present design standards for SBCWs do not adequately address this issue. The impact of shear span-to-effective depth ratio and pure bending spans on the failure mechanism of SBCWs was investigated in this study. Under four-point bending, three beams with shear-span-to-effective-depth-ratios ranging from 1.65 to 2.5 were examined to investigate the relationship between shear and bending spans and failure mechanisms. ANSYS software was used to create finite element models for the tested SBCWs using the finite element technique. In addition, the experimental findings are compared to two codes, specifically DASt-Rishtlinie015 and EN 1993-1-5. Moreover, an analytical section comprised of the creation of a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) was implemented. Finally, a parametric study using the verified FE model was conducted to assess the impact of shear and pure bending spans on the overall behaviour of SBCWs. As a result, the shear span and horizontal fold length of CWSBs are key components for determining the strength and failure modes of beams. Furthermore, the load capabilities and stiffness of CWSBs were more greatly affected by increasing the shear span than by increasing the pure bending one.

In this paper, the recycled fine aggregates and powders produced from crushing old basaltic concrete and natural basalt were used to produce new concrete. The sand was partially replaced by two types of recycled wastes at five percentages: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%. The cement was partially replaced by recycled powders and silica fume (SF) at four percentages: 0, 5%, 10%, and 20%. The concrete strengths and water absorption were obtained at several curing ages. The obtained results emphasized the positive effects of increasing the curing time on enhancing the concrete properties, regardless of the types or the waste sources. Moreover, the recycled powders retarded the hydration reaction. In addition, the recycled fine aggregates and powders could achieve about 99.5% and 99.3% of the ordinary concrete strength and enhance the tensile strength. Furthermore, the mix containing 40% of recycled fine concrete aggregate diffused the highest contents of both calcium and silicate, which led to enhancing the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and concrete properties, compared to the other tested mixes. Finally, the water absorption of all tested concrete mixes decreased with an increase in the curing age, while the mixes integrating 10% and 20% of SF experienced the lowest values of water absorption.

Objective In consideration of the current nursing shortage in Saudi Arabia, we aimed to investigate the association among perceptions of work environment, communication satisfaction, and intentions to quit nursing profession among nurses. In addition, we aimed to investigate the mediating effect of communication satisfaction on the association between nurses’ perception of work environment and their intentions to quit nursing profession. Methods This predictive correlational study was conducted at one of the major hospitals in Saudi Arabia from January 2020 to March 2020. It included a convenience sample of 367 full-time registered nurses who completed three types of close-ended questionnaires. We used IBM SPSS version 24.0 to analyze the collected data. Regression analyses were used to test the study’s hypotheses. All regression assumptions were assessed and confirmed. Significance for all tests was set at p ≤ .05. Results The findings indicated an affirmative association between work environment perception and communication satisfaction (b = .764, p < .05) among nurses. In addition, findings showed that work environment perception (b = −.187, p < .05) and communication satisfaction (b = −.226, p < .05) have negative impacts on the nurses’ intentions to quit; indicating that as work environment perception or communication satisfaction increases, the intention to quit decreases among nurses. Further, a mediation effect of communication satisfaction on the relationship between work environment perception and intention to quit was confirmed. Conclusion This study presents a novel conceptual framework developed based on the literature about the predisposing factors for nurses’ intentions to quit nursing profession. Our results suggest that work environment perception and communication satisfaction among the most contributing factors for nurses resignation. Effective communication was established as a crucial factor for establishing attractive and healthy working environment. Nursing managers can benefit by applying these findings to develop appropriate strategies to inhibit the shortage of nurses in Saudi Arabia.

Hybrid beams provide the opportunity to implement characterized steel sections by recruiting materials based on yield strength and the type of applied stress. Previous studies demonstrated that steel beams with a trapezoidal corrugated web (SBCWs) were affected by both fatigue cracks initiated along the inclined fold (IF) and the maximal additional stress located in the middle of the IFs. This paper presents a numerical study of hybrid SBCWs and nonwelded IFs. Numerical simulation is presented using the finite element (FE) method with the aid of the ANSYS software package. Three-dimensional FE models were developed considering the nonlinear properties of materials and geometric imperfection and validated using five hybrid specimens that were fabricated and tested experimentally by the authors. The load-deflection behavior and failure mechanism of the numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. The comparison of the FE models and the experimental results shows the good capability of the FE model to be used as a base for the parametric study. The parametric study focused on the effect of web thickness, flange thickness, web height, and flange and web steel grades. Furthermore, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the number and depth of the stiffeners on the behavior of hybrid SBCWs. We concluded that the flange thickness, web thickness, web height, and steel grades of flanges significantly affect the capacity and failure mode of hybrid SBCWs. We also concluded that the flange stiffeners have a significant effect on the overall behavior, toughness, and load capacity of SBCWs. Finally, a new equation is proposed to anticipate the shear capacity of SBCW nonwelded IFs based on the length of the welded horizontal fold.

One of the major problems with using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) in strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures is FRP premature debonding. Anchoring FRP materials to concrete has become associated with most of the strengthening techniques. One of the anchoring techniques is using handmade anchors made from FRP materials. In previous studies, most FRP anchors were made from rolling pre-cut FRP sheets and had short embedment (

Introduction: Obstructive hydrocephalus has long been managed by valve-regulated shunts. These shunts are associated with a myriad of short and long-term complications. This has fueled interest in Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) which provides a more physiological pathway for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion while avoiding many shunt-related complications. Aim: The objective of this study is to analyze the outcomes of ETV at our institution, focusing on the indications, success rates, and short-term complications. Methods: Between July 2010 and September 2015, 47 patients with obstructive hydrocephalus underwent ETV at the Neurosurgery Teaching Hospital in Baghdad/ Iraq. We retrospectively analyzed the data of these patients using hospital health records. Simple statistics were performed using SPSS Version 20. A standardized surgical technique was employed in all cases. Results: The mean age was 4.4 years (range 40 days - 38 years). The male: female ratio was 1.23:1 (55% males and 45% females). The most common cause of obstructive hydrocephalus in patients undergoing ETV was aqueductal stenosis (62%; N=29). The second most common cause was posterior fossa tumours (23%; N=11). The overall success rate for ETV was 68%. The net post-operative complication rate was 13% (N=6). CSF leak and seizures were the only two charted post-operative complications at the rates of 9%(N=4) and 4% (N=2), accordingly. No deaths were recorded. Conclusion: ETV is a viable alternative to shunt insertion in a select group of patients with obstructive hydrocephalus, with acceptable success rate and safety profile.

Coastlines are dynamic environments, with their Eco-geomorphology controlled by a complex range of natural and anthropic processes. Estuarine environments and associated wetland ecosystems are a critical shoreline types with regards to biodiversity, and are particularly susceptible to the influence of sea-level rise. This project applied future sea-level rise of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) hydro-scenarios to assess its impact on the eco-geomorphic aspects of coastal ecosystems in terms of risk assessment and sustainability. Comerong Island is used as a case study and is compared with other surrounding ocean-influenced and lagoonal deltas to assess the regional effects of sea-level rise. Applying the IPCC scenarios to the chosen geomorphic coastal data-sets resulted in a hydro-geomorphic model that shows the study site was already under pressure in 2015, with significant land area projected to be lost by 2050 and 2100. These findings are also expected to occur across the remaining estuaries in southeastern Australia. Applying this broad-scale, multi-strand application of geoinformatics simulation (GIS & RS), together with the various IPCC sea-level rise scenarios, will be necessary to assess future ecosystem sustainability management plans for coastal zones worldwide.

The Human Vision System (HVS) is responsible for color constancy and dynamic range. It is reasonably tolerant to variation under strong lighting conditions; however, this is not the case for camera images. We present a new six-step technique to enhance colored images that have been degraded due to non-uniform illuminations, using Multi Scale Retinex (MSR): (1) principal component analysis is employed on the colored (RGB) image to extract the desired luminance and chrominance, (2) the luminance is enhanced by the MSR scales, (3) the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is introduced to optimize the enhancement process, (4) an enhanced luminance ratio is computed, (5) RGB values of image are computed in a ratio of the enhanced luminance with initial RGB values, and (6) the final enhanced image is attained using a contrast stretching approach. The proposed MSR image enhancement algorithm is a simple, automatic, and fast technique, and provides dynamic range compression with precise color rendition. Extensive simulations are performed on 994 colored images captured in outdoor environments. The proposed technique is shown to obtain the desired rendering in terms of fine details and naturalness. Keywords: Multi Scale Retinex, Component analysis, Chrominance channel, Enhanced luminance, Impaired color

It is essential to make openings in structural concrete elements to accommodate mechanical and electrical needs. To study the effect of these openings on the performance of reinforced concrete (RC) elements, a numerical investigation was performed and validated using previous experimental work. The effect of the position and dimension of the opening and the beam length on the response of the beams, loads capacities, and failure modes was studied. The simulated RC beams showed different responses, loads capacities, and failure modes depending on the position and dimension of the opening. The transversal near support opening (TNSH) and longitudinal holes (LH) showed lower effects on the load capacities of the beams than the transversal near center opening (TNCH). The supreme reduction percentages of the load capacity (µu%) for beams with TNCH and TNSH were 37.21% and 30.34%, respectively (opening size = 150 × 150 mm2). In addition, the maximum µu% for beam with LH was 17.82% (opening size = 25% of the beam size). The TNSH with a width of less than 18.18% of the beam shear span (550 mm) had trivial effects on the beam’s load capacities (the maximum µu% = 1.26%). Although the beams with combined LH and TNCH or LH and TNSH showed different failure modes, they experienced nearly the same load reductions. Moreover, the length of the beam (solid or hollow) had a great effect on its failure mode and load capacity. Finally, equations were proposed and validated to calculate the yield load and post-cracking deflection for the concrete beams with a longitudinal opening.

The growth of the construction industry has led to the greater consumption of natural resources, which has a direct or indirect negative impact on the environment. To mitigate this, recycled or waste materials are being used as a partial substitute in the manufacture of concrete. Among these waste materials is cement kiln dust (CKD), which is produced during cement production. This study investigated the potential benefits of replacing part of the cement with CKD in two construction applications, i.e., plain concrete and cement blocks. This reflects positively on cost, energy, and the environment, since putting CKD in a landfill damages agricultural soil and plant respiration. In this study, an experimental program was carried out to study how replacing various percentages of ordinary portland cement (OPC) with CKD affected the compressive strengths, the tensile strengths, and the air contents of concrete and cement blocks. Although the results showed that the compressive and tensile strengths decreased as the amount of CKD increased, the air content of the concrete increased, which showed that 5% CKD was suitable for such applications. The results were used to propose two equations that approximate the concrete and cement block compressive strengths according to the CKD replacement percentage.

Software-defined radio (SDR) devices have made a massive contribution to communication systems by reducing the cost and development time for radio frequency (RF) designs. SDRs opened the gate to programmers and enabled them to increase the capabilities of these easily manipulated systems. The next step is to upgrade the reconfigurability into adaptability, which is the focus of this paper. This research contributes to improving SDR-based systems by designing an adaptable packet communication transmitter and receiver that can utilize the communication window of CubeSats and small satellites. According to the feedback from the receiver, the transmitter modifies the characteristics of the signal. Theoretically, the system can adopt many modes, but for simplicity and to prove the concept, here, the changes are limited to three data rates of the Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK) modulation scheme, i.e., 2400 bps GMSK, 4800 bps GMSK and 9600 bps GMSK, which are the most popular in amateur small satellites. The system program was developed using GNU Radio Companion (GRC) software and Python scripts. With the help of GRC software, the design was simulated and its behavior in simulated conditions observed. The transmitter packetizes the data into AX.25 packets and transmits them in patches. Between these patches, it sends signaling packets. The patch size is preselected. Alternatively, the receiver extracts the data and saves it in a dedicated file. It directly replies with a feedback message whenever it gets the signaling packets. Based on the content of the feedback message, the characteristics of the transmitted signal are altered. The packet rate and the actual useful data rate are measured and compared with the selected data rate, and the packet success rate of the system operating at a fixed data rate is also measured while simulating channel noise to achieve the desired Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

The increasing of road material demand particularly on mineral filler and additives has been followed-up by finding the new alternative materials. Local materials such as Portland cement, and lime may potentially use to substitute current need. Therefore, it is essential to study the performance and durability of these materials in HMA mixture. To find the durability index, the specimens are immersed around 0 (unconditioned) to 14 days at 60ºC and tested by using Marshall and ITS tests. Based on Marshall test, the index values for mixes variations; DCF, DPC, DL, DPF, and DC are found to be; 42.965%, 36.59%, 36.582%, 35.68%, and 33.42%, respectively.

We elucidate the practical implementation of Spiking Neural Network (SNN) as local ensembles of classifiers. Synaptic time constant τs is used as learning parameter in representing the variations learned from a set of training data at classifier level. This classifier uses coincidence detection (CD) strategy trained in supervised manner using a novel supervised learning method called τs Prediction which adjusts the precise timing of output spikes towards the desired spike timing through iterative adaptation of τs. This paper also discusses the approximation of spike timing in Spike Response Model (SRM) for the purpose of coincidence detection. This process significantly speeds up the whole process of learning and classification. Performance evaluations with face datasets such as AR, FERET, JAFFE, and CK+ datasets show that the proposed method delivers better face classification performance than the network trained with Supervised Synaptic-Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP). We also found that the proposed method delivers better classification accuracy than k nearest neighbor, ensembles of kNN, and Support Vector Machines. Evaluation on several types of spike codings also reveals that latency coding delivers the best result for face classification as well as for classification of other multivariate datasets.

Background/Aim: To identify the prevalence of gluten sensitivity in a healthy adult Saudi population within a low endemic area of celiac disease using IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody. The study was conducted as a prospective pilot study for Saudi attendees of a blood donation centre at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Individuals were invited to participate in the study and screened for gluten sensitivity using immunoglobulin A tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA TTG) along with serum IgA level. Descriptive data was presented and expressed as mean value; correlation between variables was estimated using Pearson correlation, and nonparametric data using Pearson rho correlation (level of P value

Background: There is controversy about the upper normal value of QRS complex amplitude in adult population under the age of 40 years. Most of the left ventricular hypertrophy voltage criteria were designed or tested for people above 40 years. In addition to age, QRS amplitude is also affected by gender and racial factors. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of age on QRS amplitude in each gender separately in healthy adults. Patients and Methods: Electrocardiograms from 563 overtly healthy adults (386 male and 177 female) aged 18-40 years were obtained using Cardios PC based ECG machine, 12-lead ECGs were recorded and QRS amplitude was measured as the sum of (SV1+RV5) and (SV2+RV6) both by computer and manual revision. The mean QRS amplitude was calculated for the entire study sample and then for each sex separately. The mean QRS amplitude was then compared between the two genders and in different age groups in the study sample. Linear regression lines of QRS amplitude versus age were drawn for each gender separately. Results: The mean ± SD of QRS amplitude in the study sample was within normal range. Also It was found that males have significantly higher mean QRS amplitude than females (p=0.001), and there was highly significant decline in mean QRS amplitude with increasing age group in the study sample (p=0.001). Linear regression lines of QRS amplitude versus age in each gender separately have shown that males have greater QRS amplitude than females and there was a clear decline in QRS amplitude with increased age from 18- to- 40 years in males, but the picture was different in females as they have shown a very slight increase in QRS amplitude with increased age from 18- to- 40 years. Conclusions: The mean QRS amplitude in males was significantly higher than females. There was a clear decline in QRS amplitude with increased age from 18-40 years in males ‘on the contrary, in females there was a very slight increase in QRS amplitude with increased age from 18-40 years.

loaded reinforced concrete circular short columns. An experimental investigation into the behavior of 24 short reinforced concrete columns with and without steel fibers was carried out. The columns had a circular section (200 mm diameter and 900 mm long). Test variables include concrete strength, spacing of spiral reinforcement, and inclusion of steel fibers. The axial stress and axial strains were obtained and used to evaluate the effects of the presence of steel fibers. It was found that the addition of steel fibers slightly improves the load carrying capacity of the tested columns whereas it significantly enhances the ductility of these specimens. Test results also indicated that for the same confinement parameter , specimens with steel fibers has higher strength enhancement compared to specimens without steel fibers. For confinement parameter of 0.1 the strength enhancement equal 1.7 for specimens with fibers while it is 1.4 for nonfibrous specimens. An empirical expression is proposed and used to predict the confined strength of columns. It was shown that the proposed formula predicts the load carrying capacity of the tested columns reasonably.