Search

As a pillar of United Nations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pursues to greener its economy and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The green economy represents a catalyzer for sustainable development in its three dimensions -economic, social and environmental- aiming to improve human well-being and social equity and reduce environmental risks. However, the relevant previous studies lacked the role of green economy on sustainable development for the Saudi Arabia. For this purpose, this paper aims to explore how green is the kingdom and analyze its performance toward sustainable development from 2015 to 2020. To do so, we adopt the EEPSE Green Economy Index that combines educational, economic, political, societal and environmental indicators associated with the pillars of the Quintuple Helix Innovation Model. In this study, this index is composed of 42 indicators related to the green economy and the sustainable development. The empirical results suggest that the Saudi Arabia witnessed a significant progress of EEPSE GEI score. In addition, the findings support that the performance of the kingdom regarding the green economy is affected after the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, the paper provides original visions for policy makers to encourage the transition to green economy which constitutes the main locomotive to attain the economic, social and environment sustainability for the kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, novel coronavirus outbreak 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat to public health. Mathematical epidemic models can be utilized to forecast the course of an epidemic and cultivate approaches for controlling it. This paper utilizes the real data of spreading COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia for mathematical modeling and complex analyses. This paper introduces the Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, Recovered, Undetectable, and Deceased (SEIRUD) and Machine learning algorithm to predict and control COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.This COVID-19 has initiated many methods, such as cloud computing, edge-computing, IoT, artificial intelligence. The use of sensor devices has increased enormously. Similarly, several developments in solving the COVID-19 crisis have been used by IoT applications. The new technology relies on IoT variables and the roles of symptoms using wearable sensors to forecast cases of COVID-19. The working model involves wearable devices, occupational therapy, condition control, testing of cases, suspicious and IoT elements. Mathematical modeling is useful for understanding the fundamental principle of the transmission of COVID-19 and providing guidance for possible predictions. The method suggested predicts whether COVID-19 would expand or die in the long term in the population. The mathematical study results and related simulation are described here as a way of forecasting the progress and the possible end of the epidemic with three forms of scenarios: 'No Action,' 'Lockdowns and New Medicine.' The lock case slows it down the peak by minimizing infection and impacts area equality of the infected deformation. This study familiarizes the ideal protocol, which can support the Saudi population to breakdown spreading COVID-19 in an accurate and timely way. The simulation findings have been executed, and the suggested model enhances the accuracy ratio of 89.3%, prediction ratio of 88.7%, the precision ratio of 87.7%, recall ratio of 86.4%, and F1 score of 90.9% compared to other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the dynamic transmission mechanism of volatility spillovers between key global financial indicators and G20 stock markets. To examine volatility spillover relations, we combine a bivariate GARCH-BEKK model with complex network theory. Specifically, we construct a volatility network of international financial markets utilising the spatial connectedness of spillovers (consisting of nodes and edges). The findings show that spillover relations between global variables and G20 markets vary significantly across five identified sub-periods. Notably, networks are much denser in crisis periods compared to non-crisis periods. In comparing two crisis periods, Global Financial Crisis (2008) and COVID-19 Crisis (2020) periods, the network statistics suggest that volatility spillovers in the latter period are more transitive and intense than the former. This suggests that financial volatility spreads more rapidly and directly through key financial indicators to the G20 stock markets. For example, oil and bonds are the largest volatility senders, while the markets of Saudi Arabia, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil are the main volatility receivers. In the former crisis, the source of financial volatility concentrates primarily in the USA, Australia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, which are the largest volatility senders and receivers. China emerges as generally the least sensitive market to external volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global spread of COVID-19 has caused disruptions in many aspects of our lives. Education systems worldwide have changed dramatically. Numerous countries have encouraged schools to shift to e-learning and, as a result, parental involvement in their children's education has changed. This study focused on parental involvement in children's education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study applied a qualitative phenomenological approach following a constructive social framework, whereby the researcher pursued an understanding of the world in which she lives and works. The primary tool employed to collect relevant data was in-depth interviews with six parents who voluntarily participated in the study in the western province of Saudi Arabia. Thematic analysis is applied to analyse the collected data. The study found that parental involvement in children's schooling has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the interviews revealed that parents would prefer to keep to their chosen role rather than fulfil the teaching role imposed on them by COVID-19. This paper contributes to the application of Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's model of parental involvement in children's schooling, illustrating that an external force drives parental involvement. More specifically, many parents have been forced to change the form of their participation due to the unforeseen shift to e-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization in March 2020, 169,682,828 cases have been reported worldwide, with 151,416,570 recovered, and 3,526,647 deaths by May 28, 2021. Oxygen gas cylinders demand is booming globally due to its need for COVID-19's for intensive care. Thus, it is critical for hospitals to know exactly the time of receiving oxygen gas cylinders since this will help in minimizing the fatality rate. In this regards, this paper proposes a Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network-based model to predict the delivery time of oxygen gas cylinders for a real-life logistics data from a company that delivers oxygen gas cylinders to all cities around Saudi Arabia. Besides, Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network is benchmarked to supported vector machine and multiple linear regression. Although all the considered models have the ability to provide accurate prediction results, the findings indicate that the proposed supported vector machine and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network model provide better prediction results. The analysis was achieved through a methodology to identify factors with the highest impact and build a neural network model. The model was further optimized to identify the best order and select the best subset of input variables. The analysis showed that the neural network model can be used effectively to estimate the delivery time of oxygen gas cylinders. The model illustrated high accuracy of prediction by comparing the predicted values to the actual values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the world experienced several significant events, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the collapse of international crude oil prices. The rapid spread of this pandemic has dramatic impacts on financial markets all over the world, thereby increasing market risk aversion in an unprecedented way since the subprime financial crisis. The decline in stock markets implied volatilities of equity and oil prices, thereby heightening turmoil in global financial markets despite comprehensive and substantial financial reforms. To this end, we investigated the likely effects of this pandemic on the Saudi stock market while controlling for oil prices based on daily data for a period from 1/1/2020 to 19/9/2022. To ascertain the existence of a long-run equilibrium relationship between the variables, we applied autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) modeling and the error correction model, with this ultimately revealing the existence of strong cointegration in the long run. The ARDL bounds test was found to be robust by combined cointegration tests, thus providing further evidence of a strong relationship in the long run. Granger causality tests also yielded evidence of causality between the variables in both directions. The total COVID-19 confirmed cases and oil prices also caused movements in stock returns in the short run. Our findings have some prominent implications for asset managers and policymakers to improve stock market efficiency and boost global economic activity. Saudi authorities can consequently remove the regulatory and legal obstacles to develop their stock market and better improve the risk management, which will allow to make quick decisions in response to any oil price volatilities. Policymakers should also adopt proactive strategies that can comfort stock investors' anxieties over the increasing oil price volatilities. Finally, the findings should be treated with some cautions because of the limited sample size and the tests' statistical inference. Nevertheless, they do open opportunities for further studies to look in more detail at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected, over the short and long run, monetary and fiscal policy coordination, financial stability, and various other macroeconomic indicators in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a cross-sectional study that demonstrates how King Abdulaziz University has responded to the lockdown imposed by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of students and faculty towards assessment that had to take place online due to physical or social distancing rules and lockdowns. A descriptive mixed-method study was conducted with two different self-administered questionnaires that were developed for students and faculty, respectively. A total of 547 responses were received from undergraduate students and 213 from faculty. The main finding suggests the need for a multilevel approach to the problems of cheating and plagiarism, including raising student awareness and ethics, training teachers to detect cheating methods, and institutions activating their code of practice and applying severe sanctions on those who engage in such practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise addiction (EA) has been described as a condition of psychological dysfunction characterized by excessive and obsessive exercise patterns, show withdrawal symptoms when unable to exercise, and experience numerous conflicts and other negative consequences in their social and professional lives, due to the extremely high volumes of exercise. The main objective of the present study was to assess the risk of exercise addiction among a Saudi Arabian sample of regular exercisers and to investigate possible associations between their inability to exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (due to the closure of public gyms, swimming pools, and health clubs) and depression, anxiety, and loneliness. A total of 388 regular-exercising Saudis participated in an online cross-sectional survey over three months (December to February 2021). The study sample comprised 89.9% (males) and 10.1% (females), with a mean age of 28.59 years (SD ± 6.69). A 36-item online self-report survey was used for data collection. The prevalence of being at risk of exercise addiction among participants of the present study was 13.1%. Positive significant associations were noted between risk of exercise addiction and depression (r =.41; p <.01), risk of exercise addiction and anxiety (r =.20; p <.01), and risk of exercise addiction and loneliness (r =.17; p <.01). The findings of the present study suggest that those individuals at risk of exercise addiction might also be at an elevated risk of developing negative psychological impact owing to the disruption of the amount of exercise engaged in due to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and therefore these high-risk individuals should receive appropriate psychological support to help them overcome the negative impact of the ongoing pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a comparative analysis of online distance learning and traditional in-person education at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on understanding how different educational modalities affect student achievement. The justification for this study lies in the rapid shift towards online learning, especially highlighted by the educational changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing the final test scores of freshman students in five core courses over the 2020 (in-person) and 2021 (online) academic years, the research provides empirical insights into the efficacy of online versus traditional education. Initial observations suggested that students in online settings scored lower in most courses. However, after adjusting for variables like gender, class size, and admission scores using multiple linear regression, a more nuanced picture emerged. Three courses showed better performance in the 2021 online cohort, one favored the 2020 in-person group, and one was unaffected by the teaching format. The study emphasizes the crucial need for a nuanced, data-driven strategy in integrating online learning within higher education systems. It brings to light the fact that the success of educational methodologies is highly contingent on specific contextual factors. This finding advocates for educational administrators and policymakers to exercise careful and informed judgment when adopting online learning modalities. It encourages them to thoroughly evaluate how different subjects and instructional approaches might interact with online formats, considering the variable effects these might have on learning outcomes. This approach ensures that decisions about implementing online education are made with a comprehensive understanding of its diverse and context-specific impacts, aiming to optimize educational effectiveness and student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of health benefits have been demonstrated by medicinal plants, including potent antiviral properties. Additionally, many herbal remedies are known to reduce inflammation and boost immunity, making them an effective preventive measure against viral infections. The study aims to evaluate the perception of medicinal herbs and healthy foods during the pandemic period among Saudi patients. Furthermore, the study seeks to understand how people view medicinal herbs and healthy foods as a means of mitigating the effects of the pandemic and how that perception varies across different demographics. It will also assess the availability of these options in the country and how they have been utilized by the population. A cross-sectional online study was conducted among COVID-19-infected Saudi population at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The perception of the use of medicinal herbs and the effect of healthy foods on the treatment or reduction of symptoms of COVID-19 was evaluated. The efficacy of 23 herbal products was evaluated. A total of 909 participants with COVID-19 infection were surveyed; 86.14% were women, 93.73% were between the ages of 18–60, 51.05% were unemployed, 57.43% had a bachelor's degree, and 90.64% were non-smokers. Study participants used medicinal herbs, slime drinks, and medicinal herb tea to reduce coronavirus infection risk by 67.11, 43.56, and 7.18%, respectively. Gender, education, consuming healthy food, and drinking medicinal herbs displayed significant variation among the studied participants (p < 0.001). The study revealed a prevalence of ginger (62.9%), lemon (51.1%), mint (46.8%), honey (45.7%), and anise (43.0%) as commonly used medicinal herb products. To conclude, the survey found a link between gender, education, consuming healthy foods, and drinking medicinal herbs to reduce infection symptoms among Saudi Arabians. Accordingly, lifestyle choices can have a positive impact on health, even in the face of a challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although emergency remote teaching (ERT) emerged as a trending research area during COVID-19, teamwork emergency remote teaching practices (ERTPs) remained an untouched topic in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. Teaching practices in various contexts are shaped by a communicative event such as face-to-face, online, or ERT. There is a significant need for using classroom discourse to probe such writing events. Accordingly, this context-based study evaluates the teamwork ERTPs in EFL writing communicative event. To achieve this task, it develops a conceptual framework that integrates discourse of ethnography with pedagogical technology: an ethnography of settings, participants, ends, acts, keys, instruments, norms, and genres (SPEAKING), with technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). Eleven sessions were collected from the recorded emergency remote sessions, chatroom, online session report, and the course portfolio in the preparatory year (PY) of Najran University, Saudi Arabia. The analysis revealed that EFL writing class is a hybrid communicative event in which the teaching team gradually recouped their traditional teaching practices. The team pushed their students to use written discourse. Technical practices show that because of cultural norms the participants did not use the camera. Content practices include adapting the teaching materials in the form of a PDF file to serve the interests of physical distancing. Pedagogical practices involve poor attendance, planning practices, and archival practices. The study concludes that a teaching team is an effective strategy during crises. The study recommends further investigation of macro teaching practices beyond classroom boundaries. Students can improve their spelling and writing issues using chatrooms, PowerPoint presentations, and Google forms. ERT can be flexible in terms of selecting materials that best serve the learning outcomes. A student's writing e-portfolio can be used as an alternative assessment tool in EFL virtual writing courses. Flipped classroom discourse and digital discourse are potential areas for investigating ERTPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to rapid and unexpected changes across the world, particularly in road safety. Thus, this work assesses the impact of COVID-19 accompanied by government preventive policies on road safety in Saudi Arabia by investigating the crash frequency and crash rates. A 4-year crash dataset relating to 2018–2021 was collected, covering about 71,000 km in total road length. It covers all intercity roads and some of the major intercity roads in Saudi Arabia with over 40,000 data logs of involved crashes. We considered three different time phases to observe road safety. These time phases were identified by the duration of government curfew measures against COVID-19 (before, during, and after). The crash frequency analysis showed that the curfew during COVID-19 significantly impacted the crash reduction. At a national level, the crash frequency decreased during 2020 and reached a 33.2% reduction compared to 2019 (the previous year), and it surprisingly continued decreasing in 2021 (the consequent year) to another 37.7% reduction although the government measures were lifted. Moreover, considering the traffic volume and road geometry, we analyzed crash rates for 36 selected segments, and the results showed a significant reduction in the crash rate before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a random effect negative binomial model was developed to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the reduction in crashes was significant during and after COVID-19. Also, single roads (two-lane, two-way) were found to be more dangerous than other types of roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology has recently gained relevance within collaborative learning environments to provide robustness, agility and flexibility. Several recent studies have investigated the role of technology, as well as researchers have defined different metrics to assess learning outcomes and experience along the collaborative knowledge development process. More recently, technology has played a key role to face the new challenges related to COVID-19, which forced to move on remote or hybrid learning. This research focuses on the quality of learning experience in terms of academic performance and perceived satisfaction. From a methodological point of view, a conceptual framework has been proposed and a quantitative study has been conducted among undergraduate and postgraduate students that are undertaking programs related to System Design in Saudi Arabia universities. 152 responses have been collected through an online survey and analysed using SPSS and SmartPLS. Results show a positive impact of technology along the collaborative knowledge development process and a strong correlation among the different quality of learning experience parameters considered. Indeed, despite some challenges, an integrated use of technology seems to properly support the most pressing needs in terms of quality experience, while the well-known social/educational issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic are not object of this study. Those findings are expected to contribute to the Saudi Arabia's vision 2030 and, more holistically, to the assessment of collaborative learning environments that extensively rely on technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline nurses providing care to different communities face are particularly vulnerable to the mental health threats of the crisis. The objective of this study was to examine the structural validity, convergent validity, and reliability of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) in professional nurses amidst the COVID-19 crisis in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from 413 nurses in Saudi Arabia using a cross-sectional online survey. Consistent with the original version, results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional structure of the WEMWBS. Support for convergent validity was found as the WEMWBS significantly correlated with measures of burnout and compassion satisfaction. In terms of reliability, all WEMWBS items yielded high internal consistencies suggesting that the 14 items were robust indicators of mental well-being. In response to the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, the current study offers a psychometrically sound instrument that can be utilized in screening the mental well-being of nurses in the days of a public health crisis. Preserving the positive aspect of mental health among frontline healthcare workers and promoting quality of care for communities requires a contextualized measurement tool that efficiently assesses mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting and managing taxes is a critical keystone to protecting a country's financial intensity and developing a country's tax system, where value-added tax (VAT) has proven to be a nurturing and steady foundation of income for governments. VAT is a primary source of financial gain in developing nations, which differs from economic income in developed nations, where economic income is primarily derived from tax income. This study examines the influence of the new VAT on non-financial Saudi-listed companies. We compared and examined the impact of the newly introduced 15% VAT in various non-financial sectors. Using charts, tables, appropriate variance analysis, and ARIMA model in the Difference in Difference approach. Regarding data, we targeted 2019 before the new VAT, the discovery of COVID-19, and 2020 after the new VAT and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that a sharp increase in VAT (with other unmeasured variables in this study) has a significant positive/negative impact on inter-industry volatility in corporate financial reporting metrics and was even more dramatic with the COVID-19 disaster. The proposed 10% VAT increase has caused significant fluctuations in companies' metrics, for example, a decrease in average profits—2.16%, an escalation in more inactive companies, and a higher probability of bankruptcy among companies. Such an outcome would undoubtedly affect unemployment and possibly lead to a reduction in tax revenues in the long run. The consequences of an unexpected VAT increase raise the question of whether they accurately reflect the natural tax system in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the Saudi government may consider the practical implications of outcomes before taking the next step in interventions in non-financial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries around the world have implemented a series of interventions to contain the pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and significant lessons can be drawn from the study of the full transmission dynamics of the disease caused by—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—in the Eastern, Madinah, Makkah, and Riyadh regions of Saudi Arabia, where robust non-pharmaceutical interventions effectively suppressed the local outbreak of this disease. On the basis of 333732 laboratory-confirmed cases, we used mathematical modelling to reconstruct the complete spectrum dynamics of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia between 2 March and 25 September 2020 over 5 periods characterised by events and interventions. Our model account for asymptomatic and presymptomatic infectiousness, time-varying ascertainable infection rate, and transmission rates. Our results indicate that non-pharmaceutical interventions were effective in containing the epidemic, with reproduction numbers decreasing on average to 0.29 (0.19–0.66) in the Eastern, Madinah, Makkah, and Riyadh region. The chance of resurgence after the lifting of all interventions after 30 consecutive days with no symptomatic cases is also examined and emphasizes the danger presented by largely hidden infections while switching control strategies. These findings have major significance for evaluating methods for maintaining monitoring and interventions to eventually reduce outbreaks of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health systems is a major concern. To plan and allocate resources to treat COVID-19 patients and provide insights into the financial sustainability of healthcare systems in fighting the future pandemic, measuring the costs to treat COVID-19 patients is deemed necessary. As such, we conducted a retrospective, real-world observational study to measure the direct medical cost of treating COVID-19 patients at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. The analysis was conducted using primary data and a mixed methodology of micro and macro-costing. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 287 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were admitted and their data were analyzed. COVID-19 infection was confirmed by RT-PCR or serologic tests in all the included patients. There were 60 cases of mild to moderate disease, 148 cases of severe disease, and 79 critically ill patients. The cost per case for mild to moderate disease, severe disease, and critically ill was 2003 USD, 14,545 USD, and 20,188 USD, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the cost between patients with comorbidities and patients without comorbidities (P-value 0.008). Across patients with and without comorbidities, there was a significant difference in the cost of the bed, laboratory work, treatment medications, and non-pharmaceutical equipment. The cost of treating COVID-19 patients is considered a burden for many countries. More studies from different private and governmental hospitals are needed to compare different study findings for better preparation for the current COVID-19 as well as future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the prevalence of OD in the confirmed case with COVID-19 among our population using quick smell identification test (Q-SIT) as screening tool. Methods: Cross- sectional study carried out in Qatif area—Saudi Arabia among adult hospitalized patient with confirm COVID-19 during the period between May and July, 2020. All adults confirmed COVID-19 patients were interviewed for history of current disease and associated symptoms as well as performing Q-SIT. Participants who had history of olfactory dysfunction, and critical cases required ICU admission were excluded. Results: The prevalence of OD among COVID-19 cases was (16.3%) in our population using Q-SIT compared to (27.4%) for self-reported symptom. Females were having higher prevalence in compare to males (30.5% and 11.1%) respectively; which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The patients reported higher prevalence of ageusia (31.9%) with significant association with OD (P < 0.001). Q-SIT showed high positive and negative predictive value in detecting OD among patients with COVID-19 (84% and 93% respectively). Conclusion: Q-SIT is a useful, validated and easy to apply tool for screening OD among patients with COVID-19. Some patients presented solely with this symptom which can occurs unnoticed in COVID-19 patients, and there for required objective test for detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 epidemic has affected most countries across the globe since it was declared in December 2019 and forced most educational institutions to shift from face-to-face learning style to E-learning or distance education. This study aims to analyze and investigate the experiences and perceptions of using Blackboard as a distance learning (online) platform. The study was conducted in one of the top universities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle east. A survey-based study is constructed and distributed among undergraduate students including males, and females in an engineering college. Two hundred thirty-five students participated in this study; males represent (74%) and (26%) for females. Ten phases containing 38 items of advantages and disadvantages are considered in the survey study to understand the advantages, constraints, and difficulties of the Blackboard. Two nonparametric statistical tools of Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis are used for analyzing the survey. The study shows significant results regarding difference perceptions on Blackboard between gender and engineering disciplines. The results of this study can help the educational decision-makers in the ministry of education and universities improve the quality and increase the sustainability of the EL resources. Moreover, the findings reveal that males, females, and engineering disciplines have different perceptions towards the use of virtual learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore kindergarten student teachers' readiness to integrate technology into their future classrooms and factors affect their integration. A mixed-methods, sequential explanatory design was utilized to achieve the research purposes. There were two phases. The first phase conducted a survey to assess technical and pedagogical readiness levels as well as participants' pedagogical attitude and opinion toward technology integration. The second phase conducted follow-up interviews to understand how participants intended to transfer their intentions into practice and factors affect their technology integration. The first-phase results showed that participants were ready to implement technologies while having positive attitudes toward technology integration. The second-phase results confirmed all participants were able to transfer their technical skills into professional practice. However, few were ready to practically apply their pedagogies. The results indicate three main factors, including technological resources, the school infrastructure, and the number of students in their classrooms. It is recommended to improve teacher preparation program to develop teacher technology readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown period, a surge in sandflies and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases was observed in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Skin punch biopsies were obtained from 100 patients clinically diagnosed with CL in Al-Ahsa who had no travel history in the last 6 months. Impression smears were used following a three-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol using genus-specific primers targeting kDNA and ITS1. Leishmania speciation was determined by ITS1 PCR/nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing. A phylogenetic tree was constructed. The associated patient characteristics were analyzed. Using internal transcribed spacer one (ITS1)-PCR/nested PCR, 98 cases were considered true-positive CL. Leishmania major was the predominant species, and Leishmania tropica was identified in three cases. Microscopy had poor sensitivity and perfect specificity. Direct ITS1-PCR missed nine cases. Sex, residence, and treatment outcome were significantly associated with the occurrence of Leishmania; distribution of skin lesion(s) and treatment outcome were significantly associated with Leishmania genotype. This is the first time that L. tropica was identified as a cause of CL in human in Al-Ahsa, in addition to the predominant zoonotic species, L. major. We recommend using ITS1-nested PCR for negative cases by ITS1-PCR. Further exploration of Leishmania transmission dynamics in vectors and reservoir animals is essential for designing effective preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has affected every individual physically or physiologically, leading to substantial impacts on how they perceive and respond to the pandemic's danger. Due to the lack of vaccines or effective medicines to cure the infection, an urgent control measure is required to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19. This can be achieved using advanced computing, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), cloud computing, and edge computing. To control the exponential spread of the novel virus, it is crucial for countries to contain and mitigate interventions. To prevent exponential growth, several control measures have been applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic. As the pandemic has been spreading globally for more than a year, an ample amount of data is available for researchers to predict and forecast the effect of the pandemic in the near future. This article interprets the effects of COVID-19 using the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR-F) while F-stands for 'Fatal with confirmation,' age-structured SEIR (Susceptible Exposed Infectious Removed) and machine learning for smart health care and the well-being of citizens of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it examines the different control measure scenarios produced by the modified SEIR model. The evolution of the simulation results shows that the interventions are vital to flatten the virus spread curve, which can delay the peak and decrease the fatality rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is one of the major pandemics in history. It has caused various health problems to majority of countries in the world. Several researchers have examined and developed studies regarding concerns on air pollution being considered a major risk factor causing respiratory infections. Such infections are carried out by microorganisms, thus further affecting the immune system. The present study involves the relationship between air pollutants and the total COVID-19 infections along with the estimation of death rates in several regions of Saudi Arabia. The major goal of this study comprises the analysis of the relationship between air pollutants concentration, such as PM10, NO2, CO, SO2, and O3, and the widespread outbreak of COVID-19. This scenario involves the transmission, number of patients, critical cases, and death rates. Results show that the estimation of recorded COVID-19 cases was in the most polluted regions; the mortality rate and critical cases were also more distinct in these regions than in other regions in Saudi Arabia. The finding of this study demonstrates a positive correlation between the mean values of PM10, NO2, CO, and SO2 pollutants. The results represent the significant relationship between air pollution resulting from a high concentration of NO2 and COVID-19 infections and deaths. In addition, a null hypothesis of the relation between other pollutants and COVID-19 infections cannot be rejected. The study also indicates a significant correlation between the means of NO2 and CO and the total number of critical cases. Negative correlations are obtained between the mean of O3 and the total number of cases, total deaths, and critical case per cumulative days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries took precautionary steps to save their citizens by initiating a lockdown and stopping all social activities by closing schools, companies, entertainment places, markets, gardens, and other social gathering places. As children stayed at home with no physical activities, their weight may have increased. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between fast food, sugars, or soft drinks and the ongoing domestic lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenon was studied in three different cities from three different countries (Saudi Arabia, Britain, and Turkey) from the perspective of children's parents. The study sought to address three research questions regarding children's well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown period. First, was children's nutrition affected during this period? Second, did children's weight increase? Third, were there any statistically significant differences in children's dietary patterns based on their gender and nationality? A questionnaire was administered to 330 parents of children aged four to seven years in the three targeted countries. The study found that most parents cared about their children's nutrition and prepared food at home (96.1%) during the lockdown. Sixty-three percent of parents indicated that children did not gain weight. Additionally, differences in children's nutritional systems were found between Saudi and Turkish children; the nutritional system of the Turkish children was better than that of Saudi children during the lockdown. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences in children's nutrition due to gender, with better nutrition for boys than for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handwashing (HW) with water and soap is one of the cheapest and most effective ways of protecting oneself and others against the coronavirus. Here, the HW knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Saudi adults were assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional study conducted between May 8 and June 8, 2020, during a partial lockdown period. A web-based validated questionnaire was distributed through different social media platforms, and the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, seven items related to knowledge, four items related to attitudes, and thirteen items related to the practice of HW were assessed. A total of 1323 (51% male and 49% female) adults from all regions of Saudi Arabia responded to the questionnaire. The overall mean (± SD) was 5.13 (± 1.18) for knowledge of HW and COVID-19, 2.79 (± 0.77) for attitude toward HW, and 7.8 (± 2.56) for HW practice. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed factors associated with knowledge to be age and family income. Sex, educational level, family income, and HW knowledge were associated with negative and neutral attitude, whereas age, sex, family income, and HW knowledge were associated with practice. These results suggest that HW knowledge was strongly associated with positive attitudes toward HW and correct HW practice in Saudi adults during the COVID-19 lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease (hereafter COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. People were admitted to hospitals complaining of fever, fatigue, cough, and difficulty breathing. Consequently, the strategy being adopted to limit the spread of COVID-19 is to encourage people in society to follow preventive measures. We aimed to estimate how the knowledge of and compliance with safe distancing measures affected the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia during Holy Ramadan. A cross-sectional survey was implemented in the central regions of Saudi Arabia from 24th of April to 22nd May to coincide with Ramadan. The study was conducted using a Google forum distributed through social media. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling of the Saudi population. In total, 1515 participants completed the survey. A significant difference between males and females was observed in answering questions about committing to: not attending gatherings, keeping a safe distance, not making physical contact, and staying at home during partial lockdown. In general, participants in our study demonstrated excellent adherence to all social distance measures, considered essential for limiting the spread and progression of COVID-19. However, attitudes regarding reduced physical contact was poor in the Makkah region, which necessitates greater efforts to educate and inform people about the associated risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation has led to a recent question regarding many policymakers and sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for Vision 2030. In 2019 and 2020, COVID-19 mitigation was the only issue the world raised questions about; for example, the KSA and the rest of the world are working diligently to meet COVID-19 mitigation targets. To assess policy supervision in terms of the ability to achieve COVID-19 targets, this survey examines the operators necessary to achieve the SDGs in regard to improving COVID-19 mitigation and increasing economic growth. In particular, we examine COVID-19 mitigation under the setting of an N-shaped environmental Kuznets curve (N-shaped EKC) in the KSA. To identify the COVID-19 shock in the KSA, the effects of oil price and oil rent on CO2 emissions are examined. The results of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and non-autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) bound testing approach indicate that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the inverted N-shaped EKC hypothesis is validated in the long term. Empirically, we find that oil price strengthens the relationship of level, quadratic and cubic of economic growth and environmental quality while oil rent weakens this relationship. Additionally, the long-term incidences of positive shocks on oil price in the presence of COVID-19 outbreak are not similar to the negative shock to CO2 emissions, implying the existence of asymmetric impacts on carbon dioxide emissions in long-term forms. Our research implies that an oil price shock could be judicious for macro guidance of the economy in the KSA. Our findings are helpful for policymakers and investors in terms of their settlement planning because they can be used to evaluate prospective courses of economic profitability under the COVID-19 shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we develop and analyze a nonautonomous mathematical model for the spread of the new corona-virus disease (COVID-19) in Saudi Arabia. The model includes eight time-dependent compartments: the dynamics of low-risk S L and high-risk S M susceptible individuals; the compartment of exposed individuals E; the compartment of infected individuals (divided into two compartments, namely those of infected undiagnosed individuals I U and the one consisting of infected diagnosed individuals I D ); the compartment of recovered undiagnosed individuals R U , that of recovered diagnosed R D individuals, and the compartment of extinct Ex individuals. We investigate the persistence and the local stability including the reproduction number of the model, taking into account the control measures imposed by the authorities. We perform a parameter estimation over a short period of the total duration of the pandemic based on the COVID-19 epidemiological data, including the number of infected, recovered, and extinct individuals, in different time episodes of the COVID-19 spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]