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This study used the story of "Sadako and the thousand paper cranes" by Coerr (1977) to discover similarities between the events of August 1945 in Hiroshima and the events of August 1990 in Kuwait. The participants in a children's literature class at Kuwait University folded paper cranes and wrote in their journals to answer two questions: (1) what is the importance of the story of Sadako, the Japanese girl, in introducing the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners of war? and (2) what are the educational values that Kuwaiti students can extract from Sadako's story? Three techniques were used, with a special focus on the participants' remarks and their impressions of those remarks in written form. The researcher counted nine values that the participants mentioned while they folded the paper crane and five values after they realized the crane's meaning. Several recommendations, suggestions, and remarks are also proposed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of regulation corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the return on asset and return on equity. In addition, this paper also investigates the relationship between CSR and accounting performance. This paper extend the previous research in terms of sample coverage and CSR measurement, which is zakat. Sample for this research is 709 observations firm year observation from companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Malaysia. This research found that highly payment of corporate social responsibility exhibit high level of return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). Unfornutaly, regulation doesnt affect the relationship between CSR and accounting performance. This suggest that corporate performance affected significantly by social responsibility. This findings of this research lay some foundation for corporate social responsibility regulation formulation. In addtion, this paper recommend the implementation of CSR program benefiting the society, in turn, leads the company to enhances the level of CFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improper arrest or detention of individuals represents a critical human rights concern with far-reaching implications for the rule of law, justice, and social harmony. This research paper addresses a vital and important topic, which is the reasons for the ineffectiveness of legislative measures in reducing the occurrence of illegal arrests. This paper undertakes a comprehensive comparative analysis of the legal systems in some of the United States and Kuwait states, focusing on the sanctions employed to deter and redress improper arrests and detentions. It became clear from this study that common and similar reasons between the two systems would prevent the effectiveness of legislative measures (criminal, functional, and the rule of excluding evidence resulting from the illegal procedure) from achieving its goal. This study concluded that the reasons for legislative measures not achieving their goals are of a different nature, including the lack of sincere desire to implement these measures by the relevant agencies, as well as the difficulty of implementing some of these measures in practice. Finally, this study recommended the need for a legislative, judicial, and executive review of these measures and the need to adopt means to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and the mechanism for their effective implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-series analysis is a widely used method for studying past data to make future predictions. This paper focuses on utilizing time-series analysis techniques to forecast the resource needs of logistics delivery companies, enabling them to meet their objectives and ensure sustained growth. The study aims to build a model that optimizes the prediction of order volume during specific time periods and determines the staffing requirements for the company. The prediction of order volume in logistics companies involves analyzing trend and seasonality components in the data. Autoregressive (AR), Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (SARIMAX) are well-established and effective in capturing these patterns, providing interpretable results. Deep-learning algorithms require more data for training, which may be limited in certain logistics scenarios. In such cases, traditional models like SARIMAX, ARIMA, and AR can still deliver reliable predictions with fewer data points. Deep-learning models like LSTM can capture complex patterns but lack interpretability, which is crucial in the logistics industry. Balancing performance and practicality, our study combined SARIMAX, ARIMA, AR, and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models to provide a comprehensive analysis and insights into predicting order volume in logistics companies. A real dataset from an international shipping company, consisting of the number of orders during specific time periods, was used to generate a comprehensive time-series dataset. Additionally, new features such as holidays, off days, and sales seasons were incorporated into the dataset to assess their impact on order forecasting and workforce demands. The paper compares the performance of the four different time-series analysis methods in predicting order trends for three countries: United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and Kuwait (KWT), as well as across all countries. By analyzing the data and applying the SARIMAX, ARIMA, LSTM, and AR models to predict future order volume and trends, it was found that the SARIMAX model outperformed the other methods. The SARIMAX model demonstrated superior accuracy in predicting order volumes and trends in the UAE (MAPE: 0.097, RMSE: 0.134), KSA (MAPE: 0.158, RMSE: 0.199), and KWT (MAPE: 0.137, RMSE: 0.215). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the development pattern of resource-rich countries like Norway, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of South Africa by analyzing their stock markets. As resource-rich countries have profound implications for the world's sustainable development, it is essential to investigate whether they transform natural resource wealth into sustained growth by reorientation from related to raw material industries to modern ones based on information and technologies. The analysis of resource-rich countries' stock markets allowed us to conclude that partially these countries are on the way to an economy dominated by intangible assets. Nevertheless, despite the declared intentions, some traditional attachments to raw materials are still present. At the same time, most companies in the optimal portfolios of these markets have a long-term nonlinear strategy. The impact of the pandemic COVID-19 turned out to be significant, but short-lived. The research was carried out based on R and Python packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the evaluation systems of faculty performance in Kuwait's private higher education, emphasizing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in refining these frameworks. In reviewing the existing scientific literature, the paper identifies a gap in incorporating advanced technologies, particularly AI, in performance evaluation processes. It points out that while traditional methods provide a foundation, they often fall short in capturing the dynamic and multifaceted nature of faculty contributions and satisfaction. The research employs a thorough snowball sampling technique, gathering data from 71 participants to explore facets such as faculty engagement, research activities, use of technology, and non-academic contributions. The methodology investigates how these dimensions influence overall satisfaction with existing evaluation systems. Research questions probe the extent to which current evaluations align with faculty expectations and how AI might address existing shortcomings. Key findings reveal faculty engagement as a primary influencer of satisfaction levels, with teaching effectiveness, service contributions, and diversity and equity initiatives being vital components. Moreover, the study underscores the impact of professional development opportunities on enhancing engagement, research output, and technological proficiency. Notably, the analysis advocates for AI integration to automate, optimize, and personalize the evaluation process, offering a nuanced understanding of faculty performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper conducts a thorough comparative analysis of custody assessment criteria employed in the legal systems of the United States and Kuwait. The freedom of the accused during the pre-trial investigation stage is one of the most important issues related to human rights and freedoms. The study adopted the analytical method of legal texts, judicial rulings, and jurisprudential opinions between two systems belonging to different legal families, namely the system in the United States of America and the system in the State of Kuwait. The study showed that the legal system in the United States of America addresses the factors that play a role in determining the decision to detain the accused during the pretrial investigation stage in a better and more in-depth manner than the treatment adopted by the Kuwaiti legislators. The study also indicated that the American legislative treatment is preferable to a procedural reason related to the American system. Finally, this study recommended the need to reorganize the issue in Kuwaiti law by adopting many humanitarian aspects related to the accused in the issue of the decision to release or detain the accused during the pre-trial investigation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, financial inclusion and bank stability have gained attention among researchers, particularly since the 2008 global financial crisis. This study investigates how financial inclusion may have influenced bank stability given differences in banks' structure based on operating principles (Islamic and conventional banks) during the period of 2003–2017, using Kuwait as a high-income economy case. The current paper assesses how bank stability responds to financial inclusion. This work adopts a Linear Mixed Model (LMM), which tracks variables over time while considering other time-invariant variables. The findings show that the adopted measures of financial inclusion, access and depth, are both significant and negatively related to bank stability. Furthermore, the results unveil a slight difference between the response of Islamic and conventional banks' stability to the dimensions of financial inclusion. Additionally, the study concludes that the financial crisis had an inverse and significant impact on bank stability. However, the extent of the impact appears to have been greater on Islamic banks compared to their conventional counterparts. Based on this study, banking with more financial inclusion can improve stability if institutional quality in Kuwait is improved so that these banks can operate more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Third places are those that offer a space outside of work and home for people to escape the stress associated with the primary spaces of their lives. Through social interactivity these help in acquiring some emotional support provided by a close and intimate attachment. Such social support can turn into social resources for individuals and can lead to forming communities that may become incubators for social capital through regular visits to shared socializing places. This paper focuses on social interaction that takes place through the third place and the communities that are being created as a contributing factor to knowledge management. The study being reported in this paper investigated the role of coffee shops as third places in building communities and social capital in Kuwait. A mixed-method approach was used to conduct the study. These methods included qualitative methods such as extended conversations in the form of semi-structured interviews and quantitative methods of using questionnaires distributed to coffee shop staff and visitors. Results indicated that importance attached to providing facilities by coffee shops reflected that the owners perceived these as third places. The facilities attracted customers to coffee houses where interactions took place that helped to build communities. The pattern of visits by customers showed that mostly they come in groups and have meetings and gatherings that facilitated and encouraged interactions. The communities that are being built in the coffee shops are indicative of these being perceived as third places by owners, customers, and staff. This study shows the potential of coffee shops as a major sector of the food industry promising a valuable contribution in transformation and transition to a knowledge-based economy in Kuwait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of the legal frameworks governing the taking of juveniles into custody in Kuwait and the United States. The treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system is a critical area of concern, as it reflects a society’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of its youth. The study evaluates the need to adopt special procedures for juvenile arrests when compared to adult arrests in Kuwait. The study undertook a comparative analytical investigation of Kuwaiti and American law which are based on different legal systems. The study found that the Kuwaiti legislator should take juveniles’ nature, qualities, and characteristics into account, and based on that approach, adopt special procedures regarding juvenile arrests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome its reliance on burning fossil fuels for energy generation and water desalination, Kuwait has pioneered research and cutting-edge projects in renewable energy since the 1980s. This paper examines the power sector in Kuwait and emphasizes the government’s keenness to diversify the country’s electric power supply. It provides a comprehensive overview of Kuwait’s efforts, to emerge as a leading example in the region, fostering collaboration and matchmaking within renewable energy industries. The country’s goal is to meet 15% of the demand for power from renewable energy by 2030, including a reduction in energy use in the building sector by 12% and a decrease in CO2 emissions by 33%. The country’s initiatives revolve around harnessing renewable sources, particularly emphasizing the exploration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Challenges and opportunities are presented to provide information for international institutions, technology companies, designers, researchers, and decision makers, aiming to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of PV project implementation in the country and the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of fully battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) in Kuwait is currently at less than one percent of the population, and hence Kuwait has the lowest index rank among countries around the globe. Effectively, only Kuwaiti nationals have the opportunity to own EVs, as there are no fast direct-current charging stations in Kuwait, and Kuwaiti landlords (expats cannot own real estate) do not allow the installation of EV-charging home wall boxes at their rented properties. Given these facts, this paper only focuses on the preferences of Kuwaiti nationals, even though they only constitute 25 percent of the population of Kuwait. To accomplish the present objectives, a quantitative descriptive method (closed-ended questions) was used to collect data from a sample of 227 Kuwaiti nationals who were representative of the owners of half a million internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and that were categorized as early majority consumers. The findings of the present study indicate that over 50 percent of the respondents would prefer to buy an EV in the following three years when certain criteria were satisfied, including government-controlled pricing policies and recharging point availability, high-speed roads, and free EV-dedicated parking spaces. Furthermore, over 40 percent of respondents stated that they would contemplate purchasing an electric vehicle if the price of gasoline or diesel increased by 19 to 50 percent. The findings also indicated that more than 40 percent of respondents believed that EVs are fire- and crash-safe, and roughly 50 percent of the respondents would be willing to pay between 6 and 20% more for an EV because they believe that EVs are ecofriendlier vehicles and are significantly faster than conventional petrol vehicles. Additionally, respondents rewarded those vehicles with an excellent mark because of their ecological, economical, and technological attributes and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to industrialization and an exponential increase in population, the demand for vehicles has increased in Kuwait. Utilizing fossil fuels to power vehicles that are in high demand has posed various environmental and medical implications. Considering the emission-free feature of electric vehicles (EVs), moving towards "EV readiness" is the need of the hour. This can be further enhanced by adopting alternative sustainable technologies such as photo voltaic (PV) charging of EVs, to potentially eliminate or significantly reduce the reliance on fossil fuel while simultaneously decreasing harmful emissions. As Kuwait does not manufacture cars, it imports all vehicles and their parts, including internal combustion engines (ICEs) and EVs. To find out the challenges to uplifting Kuwait's "EV readiness" this study delved into the performance of a typical EV car in Kuwait's weather conditions. This includes the investigation of parameters that influence the energy requirements in an electric vehicle, the change in the energy requirement in relation to several driving scenarios, and the efficiency of the EV battery. The results indicate that a significant amount of energy is being wasted for battery conditioning, which drastically reduces the distance covered during summer. The energy required for air-conditioning and battery conditioning are both positively correlated to the ambient temperature, while the time required to charge the battery has no relationship with the time of the day, traffic, or trip length. Additionally, the paper discusses some major challenges, such as lack of awareness, inadequate charging stations, and absence of policy. The paper recommends the most vital areas to be focused on for meeting the above challenges to make the transition to an "EV ready" state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeszyty Teoretyczne Rachunkowości is the property of Stowarzyszenie Ksiegowych w Polsce Rada Naukowa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Kuwaiti dialect is a particular dialect of Arabic spoken in Kuwait; it differs significantly from standard Arabic and the dialects of neighboring countries in the same region. Few research papers with a focus on the Kuwaiti dialect have been published in the field of NLP. In this study, we created Kuwaiti dialect language resources using Q8VaxStance, a vaccine stance labeling system for a large dataset of tweets. This dataset fills this gap and provides a valuable resource for researchers studying vaccine hesitancy in Kuwait. Furthermore, it contributes to the Arabic natural language processing field by providing a dataset for developing and evaluating machine learning models for stance detection in the Kuwaiti dialect. The proposed vaccine stance labeling system combines the benefits of weak supervised learning and zero-shot learning; for this purpose, we implemented 52 experiments on 42,815 unlabeled tweets extracted between December 2020 and July 2022. The results of the experiments show that using keyword detection in conjunction with zero-shot model labeling functions is significantly better than using only keyword detection labeling functions or just zero-shot model labeling functions. Furthermore, for the total number of generated labels, the difference between using the Arabic language in both the labels and prompt or a mix of Arabic labels and an English prompt is statistically significant, indicating that it generates more labels than when using English in both the labels and prompt. The best accuracy achieved in our experiments in terms of the Macro-F1 values was found when using keyword and hashtag detection labeling functions in conjunction with zero-shot model labeling functions, specifically in experiments KHZSLF-EE4 and KHZSLF-EA1, with values of 0.83 and 0.83, respectively. Experiment KHZSLF-EE4 was able to label 42,270 tweets, while experiment KHZSLF-EA1 was able to label 42,764 tweets. Finally, the average value of annotation agreement between the generated labels and human labels ranges between 0.61 and 0.64, which is considered a good level of agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Faculty of Arts, Beni Suef University / Maǧallaẗ Kulliyyaẗ Al-Adāb. Ġamiʿaẗ Banī-Sūwaīf is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective. To evaluate the knowledge level and practice of pediatricians and pediatric residents regarding children's oral health in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was distributed to pediatricians and pediatric residents practicing in Kuwait. Data concerning demographic variables, knowledge on dental caries preventive measures, current anticipatory guidance, and experience with dental problems and oral care were collected using online and paper-based surveys. Results. A total of 230 completed the survey with a response rate of 50.1%. Most respondents (81%) had noticed dental caries in children more frequently. Two-thirds of respondents felt confident in detecting dental caries. However, more than two-thirds were unfamiliar with preventive dental practices and the management of dental trauma. Only 16.5% of the respondents got satisfactory knowledge score on the preventive measures questions, and nearly 51% got satisfactory knowledge on the recent anticipatory guidance questions. No significant correlations were found between gender or years of practice and knowledge scores. Respondents' confidence in detecting caries was significantly associated with the knowledge score of the anticipatory guidance (p = 0.003). Conclusion. Dental caries is an oral problem commonly encountered by many pediatricians and pediatric residents in Kuwait. The majority has adequate knowledge of the current anticipatory guidance of oral health issues, but they have insufficient knowledge levels on oral preventative measures. Adequate education and training in oral health are highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally argued that Islamic banks are safer than conventional banks. The prime reason is that their product structure is essentially asset-backed financing, while conventional banks rely heavily on leveraging, which was considered one of the main causes of the 2008 global financial crisis. This paper examines the riskiness of Islamic and conventional banks during the 2008 global crisis by measuring overleveraging, defined as the difference between actual and optimal debt. This research conducted empirical analysis on the overleveraging of 20 banks (10 conventional and 10 Islamic banks) from five different countries, namely, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The analysis is double-folded: on the one hand, the results in this paper suggest that excess debt, rather than the mere holding of debt, was the reason behind the severe financial meltdown in 2007-2009; on the other hand, this paper shows that Islamic banks, in most of the countries in context, performed better during the recent crisis, but were subject to the second-round effect of the global crisis around the years of 2011-2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Waterpipe smoking (WPS) is gaining popularity worldwide, especially in the Middle East, and significantly affects oral health. Nicotine stomatitis (NS) is an inflammatory response of the palate to the heat and chemical irritation caused by tobacco. The high temperatures of hot beverages have been found to have a synergistic effect. This study investigated the association of NS among waterpipe smokers and hot beverage drinkers. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in several public locations in Kuwait. Demographic data, smoking habits, and hot beverage intake were recorded using questionnaires. An oral examination was performed with informed consent, and the occurrence of NS was recorded. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics version 28.0 (IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS Of the 211 participants, 55 subjects (26.1%) presented with NS. All the patients with NS drank hot beverages, while 37 (67.3%) patients with NS were waterpipe smokers and hot beverage drinkers. Smokers with NS smoked significantly more tobacco heads (Z= -2.606; p=0.009) and for more hours per day (Z= -2.222; p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS This study explored the association between WPS and NS in Kuwait. Waterpipe smokers and males were more likely to present with NS. Also, the number of tobacco heads and the number of hours of WPS were found to correlate with the presence of lesions. Effective strategies to reduce WPS need to be implemented. Further studies are recommended to investigate the cause-and-effect relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees' work environment has drastically shifted from offices to homes. Telework is often a desired employee benefit, but employers consider it a temporary setting. The lasting COVID-19 pandemic has changed the concept of telework. Home office has gained importance and will likely become an essential part of the working environment even after the pandemic. This paper aims to identify the preferences of employees from culturally diverse backgrounds in relation to the setting of their work location and time after the end of the pandemic. A web-based questionnaire survey as a quantitative research method was used. Data were collected from employees in Slovakia and Kuwait. The research findings indicate that employees value time flexibility, although localization flexibility is also growing in importance. The proposed hybrid work model seems to be the most suitable solution in line with the employees' preferences. It is crucial to understand employees' needs in terms of working time and place because only workplaces that are designed for employees and show organizational resiliency can survive and maintain competitiveness in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination is mainstream worldwide, the performance of SWRO in some arid states faces some challenges. Two SWRO desalination plants (DPs) in Kuwait have reduced their operations and consume additional energy and chemicals compared to the average SWRO DPs. The objective of this study is to evaluate two local SWRO DPs environmentally using life cycle assessments and economically using the levelized cost of water method. In addition, this paper conducts hypothesis tests and regression analyses to investigate the relationships among different seawater parameters, salinity and turbidity, and the environmental and economic impacts of SWRO desalination. The results indicate that the environmental impact for SWRO DPs in Kuwait is approximately 40% higher than that in another international study of comparable parameters. The economic analysis showed that the SWRO desalination unit cost is $1.36/m3 on average, compared to the world average unit cost of $0.5–0.66/m3. Finally, the regression analysis reveals the significant contribution of turbidity to the consumption of ferric chloride and sulfuric acid. However, both turbidity and conductivity had significant effects on anti-scalant consumption. The environmental and economic feasibility of a SWRO DP is highly dependent on the plant's location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper focuses on anxiety in an EFL situation of public schools of Kuwait. The sample consisted of 180 students (88 girls and 92 boys). Depending on students? level of anxiety - on the overall score in Language Anxiety Score - the researcher classified the students into three categories: Highest Level of Anxiety (HLA) scored as high as 14.1%; the Moderate Level of Anxiety students was 17.5%; while the Lowest Level of Anxiety studentsreached 68.4%. Students? responses to a questionnaire on learning English revealed that theHighest Level of Anxietystudents were more unlikely to exert extra efforts to enhance their language proficiency compared with the Lowest Level of Anxiety students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kuwaiti economy is characterized by two major structural imbalances—heavy dependence on oil production and dominance of the public ownership. Kuwait has struggled over the years to implement a two-pronged development strategy —diversifying the country's economic base away from the oil sector and promoting private sector development. This paper explores the economic impact of some policy reform options currently being considered. It employs a unique set of input–output tables, derived from supply–use tables, that distinguishes transactions made by private and public enterprises as well as providing a matrix of imports by industry. The public–private sector interdependence analysis revealed interesting results regarding sectoral differences in strengths of forward and backward linkages. For instance, the findings indicated that the strength of the publicly owned oil sectors lie in their forward linkages, supplying other sectors with their outputs, but their backward linkages is weak. On the other hand, the chemicals industry is identified as one of a few sectors with balanced and relatively strong forward and backward linkages in both public and private sector. The policy analyses conducted in this paper are highly relevant to the ongoing policy debate in Kuwait over the design of the economic reform programs. The public–private linkage analysis has revealed insights into policy synergies through which one instrument can affect more than one policy target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the potential of wind energy generated in wind farms is statically predicated and assessed. The average speed from four weather stations in Kuwait from 2009 to 2017 is adopted in the investigation, and three of these stations are onshore and one offshore. The value of the dimensionless Weibull shape and scale parameters are calculated. The maximum yearly value for Weibull shape parameter is 4.76, and the maximum yearly value for scale parameter is 8.35 m/s. The highest recorded monthly wind power density is 257.36 W/m2. According to NREL classification, one site is categorized as good/excellent, while other sites are marginal. The analyses indicated that the maximum yearly output energy of 11.71 GW-h can be produced by a 3.0 MW wind turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illnesses result from inadequate food handling practices, but prevention is possible through implementing food safety principles by handlers and consumers. This paper presents an overview of food safety knowledge and practices among food handlers and consumers in the Gulf countries, identifies factors affecting knowledge and practice, and offers recommendations for promoting food safety among handlers and consumers. A literature search was conducted using an integrative review method. Various combinations of the following descriptors were used: (food safety, food hygiene), (knowledge, practice), and (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait). Out of 164 studies screened, 37 met the eligibility criteria. Food handler studies reported insufficient food safety knowledge, with poor translation of existing knowledge into practice. Consumer studies showed varying levels of food safety knowledge, and the translation of existing knowledge into practice was also found to be inconsistent. Training and educational level were the primary factors positively affecting food safety knowledge and practices. Overall, significant gaps in knowledge and practices were identified among food handlers and consumers in the Gulf. These gaps require urgent attention from the Gulf regulatory bodies to develop targeted food safety training and education programs to enhance awareness and implementation of food safety principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Special Treatment / Különleges Bánásmód is the property of University of Debrecen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The migration from the traditional teaching to online learning has affected both learners and educators at all levels. In Kuwait, this switch to online has been employed during three semesters. In this paper, we examine the challenges faced by the Teachers of the English Language in Kuwait Post COVID-19. After the temporary on-learning that lasted three semesters, the present study investigates the impact of English language skills on school learners. The survey of the recent study consisted of a total of 58 English female government secondary school teachers. While other studies have focused on the learners' challenges during this pandemic, this study chiefly investigates teachers. The significance of this study is to provide remedial plans to respond better to emergencies. The study aims to answer the following question: 'What are the challenges that governmental ESL teachers faced during the pandemic? And what are the remedial plans? The study uses a mixed methodology to achieve the research goal in which data are collected through an open-ended questionnaire and by interviewing three randomly selected participants. Teachers' questionnaires (closed-ended) and semi-structured narrative interviews revealed that COVID-19 has positively and negatively impacted English language skills. Teachers will need to improve the poor level of proficiency of the students. There are numerous challenges facing English Language teachers in the traditional classroom and remedial plans are being implemented to fix the impact that the pandemic left on students' language skills. Keywords: COVID-19, challenges, English as Foreign Language, English language skills, Online classroom, Traditional classroom, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the long-term impacts of schooling disruptions on private returns to schooling in Kuwait. It applies an instrumental variables approach to estimate the private returns to schooling, using unique civil service payroll data, with Kuwaiti students' exposure to the Gulf War (1990–91) as the instrument. The Gulf War is a suitable instrument because it profoundly affected Kuwaiti students' schooling at the time and is unlikely to be correlated with many potentially problematic omitted variables, such as students' ability. The analysis finds that (i) people who were of schooling age during the Gulf War tend to have lower educational attainment than people who were of schooling age after the Gulf War; (ii) men who were of schooling age at the time of the Gulf War earn on average 5.6% less for each year of schooling lost, and women earn correspondingly 6.8% less for each year of schooling lost; (iii) female students who were in the age groups corresponding to lower school grades during the Gulf War tend to suffer a greater percentage wage loss for each year of lost schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Exposure to household secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) among adolescents has been shown to be associated with atopic dermatitis, and affects disproportionality females. However, the mechanisms underlying this link are uncertain. This study sought to identify modifiable factors that mediate the relationship between household SHS exposure and atopic dermatitis among adolescents. METHODS During October 2015, a cross-sectional study was conducted using the ISAAC questionnaire for data collection from adolescents enrolled in nine high schools of Hawalli -- one of the six governorates of Kuwait. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported tobacco smoking among adolescents, household SHS exposure (≥1 smokers at home vs none), selfreported asthma and atopic dermatitis. For causal mediation analysis an inverse odds-weighting approach was used. RESULTS Of 746 participants, 74.8% were Kuwaiti, 50.1% were female, 12.4% were regular daily smokers and 54.1% had household SHS exposure, which was more common among Kuwaiti (79.6%) than non-Kuwaiti (20.4%) adolescents. The prevalences of self-reported asthma and atopic dermatitis were 20.6% and 14.9%, respectively. After adjusting for the pre-exposure covariates (i.e. sex and nativity), household SHS exposure had a significant (p=0.043) total effect, non-significant (p=0.133) natural direct effect, and marginally insignificant (p=0.058) natural indirect effect, which were jointly mediated by asthma status and adolescent's selfreported smoking status, with a proportion of mediated risk to atopic dermatitis of 29.6%. CONCLUSIONS Asthma and self-tobacco smoking among adolescents not only directly affected but also mediated household SHS exposure effect on atopic dermatitis risk. Voluntarily adopting a smoke-free home rule may minimize household SHS exposure, reduce the odds of developing asthma, and deter the initiation of tobacco smoking among adolescents. Such an effort will likely mitigate the atopic dermatitis risk among adolescents in this and other similar settings. If implemented, future studies may contemplate evaluating the impact of such intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potholes are one of the most common road distresses in Kuwait especially after winter season in 2018. Pavement deterioration rate significantly increases as the pavement exposes to moisture. Paving road requires using high-quality materials. This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of using recycled asphalt pavement in hot mix asphalt (HMA) design. Questionnaires and a series of laboratory tests were conducted to analyze the effects of pores on the society and test the recycled and the regular mixtures performance to choose the best option regarding it. Marshal test portrayed that the recycled mixture has a high stability and flow. According to the tensile strength ratio test requirements which set a minimum ratio of 75%, it is recommended to reduce the proportion of recycled aggregate. The Hamburg wheel tracker (HWTD) test proved that the recycled asphalt mixture has a low rutting depth for wet and dry samples compared to the general one. On the other hand, the wet recycled mixture requires a reduction by of 20% to satisfy the specifications. The physical properties for both mixtures were compared, and the voids filled with asphalt (VFA) and voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) of the recycled mixture are lower than those in the regular mixture. The recycled mixture reveals a higher efficiency in saving costs and improving mixtures used for potholes maintenance activities. All the results proved that the mixtures consisting of recycled asphalt are most preferred since they are affordable and perform reasonably well compared to mixtures made of regular asphalt. As a future work, smaller percentages of recycled aggregate should be tested to check the robustness and sustainability of the designed recycled asphalt mixture using different tests such as Hamburg wheel tracker test (wet samples) and indirect tensile strength test. Furthermore, more experiments can be run to test other mix parameters and properties such as durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global stock markets experienced a dual shock in 2020 due to the impact of the global health crisis, parallel to a simultaneous shock derived from the Saudi Arabia and Russia oil price war. The dual shock fueled oil market volatility with lasting effects as the global economy is immersed in an energy crisis combined with high inflationary pressures exacerbated by heightened energy costs. This research paper implemented GARCH and FIGARCH models on daily returns from 31 December 2015, to 9 December 2021, to examine volatility persistence and long memory processes. The world's most prominent economies are represented by the G7, E7 and the GCC stock markets. Particular attention was devoted to the case of Kuwait as an example of a small oil-dependent economy. The research findings suggest evidence of volatility persistence across the markets, as reported by the GARCH (1,1) model. The FIGARCH (1,1) did not offer significant evidence of long memory processes except for the cases of FTSE 100, BIST 100, IDEX, BSE 100 and Bahrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need to produce water and energy more sustainably by incorporating the following objectives: (1) enhanced solar utilization, (2) reduced fossil fuel usage, (3) increased desalination efficiency, and (4) decreased environmental emissions. This paper investigates the following hypotheses: (1) the aforementioned objectives require a novel systems-integration approach that identifies synergistic design and operational strategies, (2) the water-energy nexus must integrate power plants and desalination systems, and (3) optimal solutions must supplement existing infrastructure with emerging technologies. To reduce the carbon footprint, fossil-based power plants are augmented with solar energy. Because of seasonal variations in supply and demand for energy and water—and because of the diurnal nature of solar energy—a multi-period approach is utilized. As a result of complex water-energy interactions, a superstructure representation is created to embed potential configurations of interest. The optimization formulation incorporates multiple objectives and guides the design and operational decisions. This approach is applied to a case study on the Kuwait water-energy nexus, and considers the following: (1) seasonal variations in fuel availability, prices, power demand, and water needs; (2) multi-period optimization of fuel usage within the existing infrastructure; (3) the potential for solar retrofits; (4) the impact of several carbon-footprint constraints on the minimum cost; and (5) optimal design and operational strategies. In infrastructure renewal projects, the developed approach and targeted application can help decision-makers create simultaneous design and operational strategies that meet economic and environmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the rater severity of instructors using a multi-trait rubric in a freshman composition course offered in a private university in Kuwait. Use of standardized multi-trait rubrics is a recent development in this course and student feedback and anchor papers provided by instructors for each essay exam necessitated the assessment of rater effects, including severity/leniency and restriction of range in ratings among instructors. Data were collected from three instructors teaching the same course in Summer 2019, who rated the first midterm exam essays of their students and shared the scores with the researcher. Also, two students from each class were randomly selected and a total of six papers were marked by all instructors for anchoring purposes. Many-facet Rasch model (MFRM) was employed for data analysis. The results showed that although the raters used the rubric consistently during scoring across all examinees and tasks, they differed in their degree of leniency and severity, and tended to assign scores of 70 and 80 more frequently than the other scores. The study shows that composition instructors may differ in their rating behavior and this may cause dissatisfaction, creating a sense of unfairness among the students of severe instructors. The findings of this study are expected to help writing departments to monitor their inter-rater reliability and consistency in their ratings. The most practical way to achieve this is by organizing rater training workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuwait's policy of achieving 15% renewable energy by 2030, announced in 2012, has been diverted from its original intent. Today, Kuwait's renewable energy goal is to meet 15% of its projected peak load by 2030. To examine the actual outcomes, a comparison is offered between the original policy: annual energy share, the current policy: peak capacity share, and two other policies: installed capacity share and peak load share. The results demonstrate how these policies lead to drastically different outcomes. The total installed renewable energy capacity ranges from 4 GW to 27 GW; the total produced energy from renewables ranges from 8 TWh to 44 TWh; and the flexibility requirements ranges from 1.6 GW to 20 GW per hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane distillation (MD) is a technology that is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional desalination techniques. This study assessed the feasibility of using the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) configuration of MD to desalinate saline water of different concentrations. We considered the feed supply of Arabian Gulf seawater (AGS) sand oil field-produced water and used polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes to consider their performance under different operating conditions, such as channel depth, flow rate, temperature, feed concentration, etc. Their performance was evaluated by determining the water flux relative to the volume of salt rejection. The results showed that the permeate flux increased to 32.4 from 10.1 L/m²·h when the temperature was raised from 45°C to 75°C. Additionally, the permeate flux decreased to13.6 from 27.3 L/m²·h and the reduction in flux was around fifty percent when the concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) in the feed solution was increased to 26% from 0%. The experimental results obtained using oil field-produced water were highly encouraging. The permeate flux was 11.5 and 12.5 L/m²·h at 80°C and 85°C, respectively. The results indicated the enormous potential of DCMD to treat hypersaline oil field-produced water, with an overall rejection of salts reaching above 99%. In comparison, PP membranes had a higher salt rejection rate but lower water flux, while PVDF membranes had a lower salt rejection rate but higher water flux. This paper presents, for the first time, the results of a laboratory-scale study conducted in the State of Kuwait to treat AGS and oil-produced water using DCMD technology under Kuwait's prevailing conditions. This study's findings will lay the groundwork for conducting pilot-scale studies on AGS and oil-produced water not only in the Middle East region but globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries, including Kuwait, face significant difficulties in waste management, particularly in achieving effective waste segregation and recycling, which can be intricate and time-consuming. The widespread consequences of irresponsible waste disposal, such as pollution, have extensive impacts on public health and the environment. To tackle these challenges, the Smart Waste Management System (SWMS) has been developed as an innovative solution comprising of multiple stages. The first stage involves the detection of waste based on its type; the second stage involves allocating each waste into a specific chamber based on the type detected; and the third stage involves treating each type in the most effective way. Furthermore, the system creates a clean environment through the insulated chambers and the automatic inlet that locks when the chambers are full. In addition, the system uses IoT to provide vital information related to the system status such as temperature, level, and gas levels inside the chambers and notifies authorities with all this information. Finally, SWMS is a promising project with objectives that are aligned with New Kuwait 2035 vision by achieving sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of air conditioning in buildings to provide a comfortable environment accounts for up to 75% of the electricity consumed in Kuwait for the hot season from April through to the end of October. The widespread adoption of air conditioning systems in buildings has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. This has led to an increased peak load demand that has resulted in a larger carbon footprint and placed the electricity grid under significant strain. Heat-driven air conditioning systems that use solar energy are now emerging as alternatives to electricity-driven conventional refrigerated air conditioners. These systems are more energy-efficient, with lower carbon emissions while also ensuring better indoor air quality and comfort when optimally designed. Among the heat-driven air conditioning systems, the desiccant cooling system is among the systems with the most potential. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the design optimization of solar desiccant cooling systems for Kuwait's climate. The numerical model of the system is developed using validated components. The various design configurations analysed include a solar heating system and regeneration air for the desiccant wheel. It is found that an evacuated tube solar collector in conjunction with return air from the building to regenerate the desiccant wheel provides the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aimed to study the optimal way to implement and subsequently manage the new metropolitan lines in the Kuwait city as well as to justify them from a social and economic-financial viability standpoint and the most important aspects of transport infrastructure projects viability. The implementation of new modes of transport in an urban environment requires the study of several factors that allow their incorporation on the transport system in the most efficient method. These factors include reviewing the organization of the transport system. The concept of transport system organization, financing models and common trends was defined. Finally, the Public Transport Authority was created to define global objectives and establish specific policies to achieve them was suggested. Design/methodology/approach: After the analysis of the "status quo" of transport systems organization, the financing and management schemes, both infrastructure projects and the provision of rail service were analysed. The characteristics of the PPP scheme (Public–Private Participation) contract, advantages and disadvantages, its structure, and the definition and share of risk (matrix of risk, rights and obligations of the parties) as a key element of the PPP contracts were defined. From this point onwards, the legal framework in force in Kuwait was analysed, particularly the administrative and commercial regulations applying to this project and the authors verified that the economic-financial viability analysis suggested before can be established under this framework. Findings: For the viability of these alternatives, the authors developed a simulation economic-financial model that reflects Financial Statements for the "Society Vehicle Project" and are considered some minimum thresholds of profitability, both from the viewpoint of the partners sponsoring the project as from the standpoint of lenders, which make attractive participation of private initiative. Finally, there was a short socio-economic analysis to justify the project implementation from a social standpoint. It analyses and quantifies the reduction of operating expenses of other modes of transport, travelling times, accident rates, environmental pollution etc. All these factors affect the quality of life of the population of Kuwait and are the main reason to carry out this project. Several recommendations were raised that aimed at preparing the projects, bidding and selection of private partner and the articulation and implementation of projects. Originality/value: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge through setting the framework for metro projects in arid regions with the hottest temperature on Earth such as Kuwait where such projects are missing completely. This work will be very helpful to governments and municipalities in taking investment decisions. It sets the strategy for utilizing the best of decision-making theory, identifying the reliability advantages and finding the larger economic effects. This work identified, through the analysis of alternative management options generally used in underground and rail projects in different parts of the world, the most convenient alternative in developing countries. It also clearly showed, through the analysis carried out on governmental contributions, how to obtain economic viability for such types of projects. Finally, it helped drawing a roadmap for preparing the projects, bidding and selection of private partner and the articulation and implementation of projects in Kuwait and Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular network operators are actively expanding network coverage and capacity by deploying additional base-stations to provide mobile services to customers in rural areas. The increasing deployment of cellular base-stations has increased the power consumption, energy cost, and associated adverse environmental impact. This paper addresses the feasibility of using renewable energy sources to power off-grid rural 4G/5G cellular base-stations based on Kuwait's solar irradiance and wind potentials. More importantly, a hybrid renewable energy system will be designed and modeled to meet realistic energy demands of remote base-stations and determine the optimum size of the hybrid system components. Particularly, the hybrid off-grid system may incorporate wind turbines (WTs), photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, converters, a battery bank (BB), and a back-up diesel generator (DG). Two remote cell-sites are considered, namely: (1) Jal-Alayah and (2) Wafra, where the Jal-Alayah cell-site is characterized with higher average wind speed (and wind potential), while the Wafra cell-site has higher average clearness index and solar irradiance. Various hybrid PV/wind electric system (HPWES) configurations are modeled and simulated via HOMER software, with the aim of determining the optimal configuration—in terms of net present cost (NPC)—in each cell-site. Specifically, the simulations have revealed that the WT-BB configuration is the most economical at the Jal-Alayah cell-site while requiring minimal land area and ensuring 100% renewable energy and zero CO 2 emissions. This configuration is followed by the PV-DG-BB and PV-WT-DG-BB configurations, where the latter configuration incurs a marginal increase in the NPC than the former but with less land area. On the other hand, the PV-BB configuration is the most cost-effective in the Wafra cell-site; however, in the scenario of limited land area, then the PV-DG-BB configuration can be used but at the expense of slight increase in the NPC and CO 2 emissions. This study confirms that utilizing renewable energy sources in two rural areas in Kuwait can be extremely effective in replacing conventional DG-powered base-stations, while minimizing the NPC and CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptualizing branding as ongoing strategic efforts formulated by transnational English medium instruction EMI)-oriented universities in today's competitive Higher Education (HE) market in order to create uniqueness for their academic programs as branded commodities, this paper (a) examines the forms of branding crafted by universities in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates) in order to claim uniqueness for their academic programs, and (b) inquires into whose interests (i.e., students, teachers, universities, investors or governments) are thus best served. Data were collected from policy documents, promotional materials (e.g., slogans) and official speeches on recent major branding initiatives undertaken by universities across the region. These data were treated as a research site which has its own history, players and nuances. The findings reveal that because of the different branding efforts intertwined with neoliberal language policy agendas undertaken by universities, with generous logistic, legal, and financial supports from their governments, a collision of conflicting interests and objectives among different players has arisen. This undesirable outcome leads governments and universities to represent and imagine each other as rivals instead of as collaborators aiming to secure various regional interests, including joint educational work. The implication of this phenomenon is that transnational English medium instruction-oriented policies have brought about apparent educational inequalities and social class in HE sectors of the region. This paper closes with recommendations to align the branding efforts with the regional interests stipulated in the Arab Bureau of Education for the Arabian Gulf countries.

The minaret is considered the symbol of Islam and a prominent feature in Muslim communities. In Kuwait, almost every mosque, regardless of its size, includes one or more minarets. Minaret architecture has attracted considerable attention, both scholarly and from the public. Previous studies about mosque and minaret architecture have been restricted to architectural styles. The principal objective of this paper was to investigate the minaret's validity as an essential feature in contemporary mosque architecture by analyzing several aspects of minaret’s architecture such as its function, number, prominence, placement of minaret to the mosque, minaret's main components, and minaret's decoration. Based on ten selected case studiesrepresenting the six governorates of Kuwait, the study attempts to understand further essential elements of minaret and the extent to which architects can redesign/transform the minaret without risking its symbolic and historic value. The findings indicate that the minaret continues to play an important role and is considered a significant element in contemporary Kuwaiti mosque architecture. The minaret's prominence within mosque design is dependent on its number, location, size, articulation, and decoration’s subtlety. Furthermore, while the square plan is most common in minaret's base, the octagonal shaft plan is the most common in contemporary minarets. This research provides a timely and necessary study of minaret design that contributes to contemporary Mosque architecture, directing architects, designers, and mosque's patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the beginning of creation, human beings have realized the importance of energy for survival. They have always devoted a significant part of their energy to provide the required energy. Moreover, it can be said that energy resources have an essential role in the life and evolvement of societies. On the contrary, with the depletion of energy resources, severe environmental pollution caused by the consumption of petroleum products, and high cost of energy in the production cycle, allocating these resources must be carried out carefully. This paper aims to look at the connection between energy consumption and sustainable economic welfare in OPEC countries (Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ecuador, and Venezuela) during 2019–2009, utilizing the panel data method. Finally, we presented a CNN architecture for forecasting welfare levels in the case study countries. As a result, the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth among selected countries from energy-producing countries was compared in this analysis, which used the standard Granger causality test and the Granger causality test in several domains. The findings suggest that economic growth and inflation positively impact energy consumption in the countries studied. In addition, energy consumption positively impacts these countries' sustainable economic welfare, while inflation has a negative effect. In addition, the findings of the standard Granger causality test indicate a one-way causal association between energy consumption and economic development in Iran and Venezuela, as well as one-way causality from GDP to energy consumption in Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Also, based on the results of the CNN method, the RMSE are 1.75, 3.81, 1.39, 0.52, 0.69, and 1.72 for Ecuador, Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Venezuela, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research aims: This study aims to investigate the determinants of SMEs' e-commerce adoption as well as technological, organisational, and environmental characteristics in Kuwait. Moreover, it aims to study the effect of the frequency of technology use as a moderator in SMEs' e-commerce adoption. Design/Methodology/Approach: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 259 SMEs. Research findings: The results demonstrate a positive relationship between relative advantage, competitive pressure, and e-commerce adoption. Analysis of the level of technology use as a moderator reveals a significant difference in terms of the impact of compatibility, complexity, and supplier or customer pressure on e-commerce adoption. Theoretical contribution/originality: This study may be the first to assess the moderating role of the frequency of technology use in the context of SMEs' e-commerce adoption. Research limitation/implications: The paper contributes to e-commerce adoption research by highlighting the main influencing factors, identifying several important interactions based on the frequency of technology use, and recognising many practical implications for SME managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]