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Abstract Background Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome was officially documented in 2014. Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome is an extremely rare complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by reduced intellectual capacity, motor dysfunction, facial dysmorphism, impaired development, and an increased predisposition to autism spectrum disorder. In addition, many patients also present with neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and various behavioral abnormalities. Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome is challenging to identify solely on the basis of symptoms, and genetic investigations, including exome sequencing, may facilitate diagnosis. Case presentation We report a case of 13-year-old Saudi patient who presented with dysmorphic features as illustrated in Fig. 1, severe intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Initial genetic testing was unremarkable; thus, a clinical exome analysis was performed to identify the genetic basis of the condition. Conclusions Clinical exome analysis indicated an autosomal dominant Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome with a likely pathogenic de novo variant within the activity-dependent neuroprotector homeobox (ADNP) gene not previously reported in Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome. The patient had a right-sided solitary kidney and polycystic ovaries, conditions that were not previously associated with HVDAS.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the impact of hybrid learning on the satisfaction, effectiveness and academic performance of faculty and students in private universities in Kuwait. The study specifically addresses the challenges and experiences confronted by students and faculty members in utilising hybrid learning, assesses whether hybrid learning leads to improvements in academic performance and proposes measures for providing quality hybrid learning models in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situations. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a quantitative method by collecting data via a questionnaire targeting private university students and faculty members in Kuwait. A total of 311 participants completed the survey. Findings: The results show that students were in favour of the hybrid learning method and viewed this as being efficient when coming to satisfaction, academic performance and overall effectiveness; whilst faculty members have voiced the members' disfavour of the hybrid model of teaching as the members believe that the system is unjust, especially when coming to student's academic performance. Originality/value: Although research related to hybrid learning in different parts of the world has existed for many years, the research only recently gained prominence in Kuwait due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper will likely be of interest to academics, policymakers, the government and universities as the pandemic continues to make hybrid learning more popular and, therefore, would increase awareness with regards to students' and faculty members' opinions about the system and proposed ways to resolve any issues.

The research and data aim to (a) examine instructors' evaluation of Microsoft Teams as reflected in their teaching at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) and (b) identify significant correlation between three determinants of the Technology Acceptance Model: perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and attitudes towards use (ATU). The researchers used a self-report survey answered by 230 instructors from multiple departments at the College of Basic Education. Several statistical tools examined mean differences. The research found that the instructors at PAAET highly rate Microsoft Teams. Perceived usefulness directly affected attitudes towards use while perceived ease of use (PEOU) indirectly affected attitudes towards use.

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH), the most prevalent form of inherited hypophosphatemic rickets, is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding phosphate-regulating endopeptidase homolog, X-linked (PHEX). This case series presents 14 cases of XLH from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The patients’ medical history, biochemical and radiological investigative findings, as well as treatment responses and side effects from both conventional and burosumab therapy, are described. Cases were aged 2–40 years at diagnosis. There were two male cases and 12 female cases. All cases were treated with conventional therapy which resulted in a lack of improvement in or worsening of the clinical signs and symptoms of rickets or biochemical parameters. Side effects of conventional therapy included nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nephrocalcinosis, and hyperparathyroidism, which affected the patients’ quality of life and adherence to treatment. In the 10 patients treated with burosumab, there was a marked improvement in the biochemical markers of rickets, with a mean increase in serum phosphate of +0.56 mmol/L and tubular maximum phosphate reabsorption (TmP) to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ratio (TmP/GFR) of +0.39 mmol/L at 12 months compared to baseline. Furthermore, a mean decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of −80.80 IU/L and parathyroid hormone (PTH) of −63.61 pmol/L at 12 months compared to baseline was observed in these patients. Additionally, patients treated with burosumab reported reduced pain, muscle weakness, and fatigue as well as the ability to lead more physically active lives with no significant side effects of treatment.

Estimating the expected losses from a seismic disaster, whether economic or human is considered one of the most important priorities for urban development in countries, especially those with continually expanding urban areas, high-rise buildings, and skyscraper construction as is the case in Kuwait City. It is necessary to conduct an earthquake risk assessment study due to Kuwait’s geographical location which makes it close to the most important global seismic belt, the Zagros Seismic Belt, and its proximity to local seismic sources. To conduct such a study, three inputs including seismic hazard, exposure, and vulnerability modules were incorporated, considering the inputs’ uncertainty. To assess the seismic hazard module, a unified earthquake catalog was compiled, a seismotectonic model of 27 seismic sources was designed, the recurrence parameters of seismicity and the strongest predictable earthquake were calculated for each source, and the unified hazard spectrums were obtained. Earthquake scenarios were generated to create a seismic hazard module. The exposure module is performed using data from the Kuwaiti Public Authority for Civil Information including coordinates of 33,066 facilities and buildings, area, height, shape, and type of buildings, the materials used in their construction, their occupancy, and replacement cost. The vulnerability module was implemented using mean damage ratio curves by choosing the most appropriate equations that describe the condition of buildings in Kuwait, the vast majority of which are modern multi-story concrete buildings. The final results including the economic losses of the exposures were calculated using probabilistic metrics (predicted annual losses, loss exceedance curve, and probable maximum loss). The results showed that the annual average loss is $12,793,319.52 and that seismic source No.27 to the north of Kuwait has a significant value to the losses, but the frequent occurrence of losses from seismic source No.15 to the east of Kuwait, in the Zagros region, gave the most danger to Kuwait. Seismic risk results can be used to create emergency response scenarios and risk mitigation strategies.

Child abuse is a global problem. Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a result of child abuse, with shaking being the most common form of maltreatment, causing mortality or severe brain damage in infants. A lack of awareness of SBS among current and future healthcare professionals can have serious consequences. To date, no studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to examine student nurses’ awareness of SBS, so we sought to assess this issue in an academic institution in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For this questionnaire-based study, we employed a cross-sectional, descriptive design. The target population was nursing students from every year of study in the institution’s five-year undergraduate nursing programme, who received an online questionnaire during the 2022–2023 academic year. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Of the 293 respondents, 100.0% confirmed that they were not aware of SBS through their nursing curricula, and 62.1% reported not being made aware of SBS at all during their academic journey. The majority of participants were unaware of the negative consequences of shaking a baby. Most were not aware that shaking a baby vigorously can cause permanent blindness (73.4%), postural impairments (56.7%), sleep disorders (61.1%), or convulsions (60.1%). The results of our study revealed a statistically significant relationship between nursing students’ awareness of SBS and both their year of study and marital status. Those at higher academic levels and those who were married were more aware of SBS. To improve nursing students’ knowledge of SBS and help them to better inform the public of this syndrome, particularly parents, child maltreatment topics should be added to nursing curricula in Saudi Arabia, and their importance should be emphasised. This will help reduce the prevalence and burden of SBS nationally.

الأهداف: هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على درجة توجهات معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية قبل الخدمة نحو توظيف التعليم الإلكتروني بكلية التربية جامعة الكويت. المنهجية: تم استخدام الاستبانة كأداة للدراسة، وتم استخدام المنهج الوصفي المسحي كمنهج للدراسة. اشتملت عينة الدراسة على (117) طالباً وطالبة، تم اختيارهم بالطريقة العشوائية البسيطة من جميع معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية قبل الخدمة بكلية التربية جامعة الكويت، وتم سؤالهم عن توجهاتهم نحو توظيف التعليم الإلكتروني في ممارساتهم التدريسية في المستقبل. النتائج: أظهرت النتائج إن توجهات معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية قبل الخدمة نحو توظيف التعليم الإلكتروني بكلية التربية جامعة الكويت جاءت بدرجة استجابة (عالية). جاء المحور الأول (التخطيط) في الترتيب الأول، وفي الترتيب الثاني جاء المحور الثاني (التنفيذ)، وفي الترتيب الأخير جاء المحور الثالث (التقويم والتغذية الراجعة). الخلاصة: توجهات معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية قبل الخدمة نحو توظيف التعليم الإلكتروني كانت فعالة. توصي الدراسة بعقد دورات تدريبية للطلبة المعلمين لتمكينهم من استخدام تقنيات التعليم الإلكتروني الحديثة في شرح منهج الدراسات الاجتماعية.

Abstract Hazard maps are essential tools to aid decision makers in land-use planning, sustainable infrastructure development, and emergency preparedness. Despite the availability of historical data, there has been no attempt to produce hazard maps for Kuwait. In cooperation with the World Bank, this study investigated the natural and anthropogenic hazards that affect Kuwait. The objective was to assess the hazards that face Kuwait and map the hazards of most concern. Hazard maps depicting the spatial distribution of hazard-prone areas are discussed in this article. Hazard assessment maps were generated using multiple datasets and techniques, including meteorological data, satellite imagery, and GIS. Hazard profiling identified a total of 25 hazards, of which five “priority” hazards were explored in detail: (1) surface water flooding; (2) dust storms and sand encroachment; (3) drought; (4) air pollution; and (5) oil spills. The results of this study can aid decision makers in targeting the hazards of most concern. The developed maps are valuable tools for emergency response and hazard mitigation.

Mohamad Miqdady,1,2 Saif AlMutaeri,3 Najwa Alsawi,4 Loie Goronfolah,5 Christos Tzivinikos,6 Hamad Al Hameli,7 David Cremonesini,8 Mohammed Al-Enezi,9 Ahmad Hussain,10 Zainab Al Damerdash,11 Mohammed Al-Biltagi12,13 1American Board of Pediatrics Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Chief Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Hepatology & Nutrition Division, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 2College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4Sulaiman Al Habib Private Sector Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5National Guard Jeddah Government Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 7Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 8Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 9Dar Al-Shefa Hospital, Hawally, Kuwait; 10Amiri Hospital/Salam Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 11Amiri Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 12Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; 13King Abdullah Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Manama, Kingdom of BahrainCorrespondence: Mohammed Al-Biltagi, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt, Tel +97339545472, Email mbelrem@hotmail.comObjective: This study estimates the budgetary impact of the introduction of amino-acid formula (AAF) as first-line management in the elimination diet of infants with suspected cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a health-care payer’s perspective.Methods: A global decision tree model was adapted to compare estimated costs in current practice (extensively hydrolyzed formula [eHF] or soy formula [SF] with the proposed approach of early introduction of AAF as first-line treatment of CMPA in non-breast-fed infants). Model inputs were derived from explorative literature reviews and medical experts’ opinions. All costs were reported in local currency, ie, Saudi Riyal (SAR) for KSA, Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) for Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) for the UAE.Results: Cost savings with the early introduction of AAF were 10% (SAR 15102542) in KSA, 10% (KWD 306565) in Kuwait, 17% (AED 1842018) in the UAE government sector and 13% (AED 4232932) in the UAE private sector. The highest cost reduction was observed in the cost of soy formula (SF), with a 58% reduction both in KSA (SAR 4204540) and UAE public sector (AED 110331). A significant cost reduction in medication costs in Kuwait (37%; KWD 5630) and medical examination costs in the UAE private sector (50%; AED 1508918) was observed.Conclusion: Results indicated that the introduction of AAF as the first line in the management of CMPA is a cost-saving strategy for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—KSA, Kuwait, and UAE— from a health-care payer’s perspective.Keywords: cow’s milk protein allergy, amino acid formula, infants, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf

This research aims to measure the superior efficiency of protected farms in Anbar Governorate using (Data Envelopment Analysises) for a sample that consisted of 91 farms for the year 2020 for the spring season, as well as clarifying the internal reasons behind achieving superior levels of efficiency. For the indicators of the statistical questionnaire collected from 91 operating protected farms in Anbar Governorate, a set of conclusions were reached, the most important of which are: Low efficiency levels for most of the protected farms due to the waste of resources used for these farms, efficient farms according to the high efficiency index can reduce variable costs A greater percentage than reducing fixed costs, and Fallujah district achieved the highest levels of efficiency and high efficiency, as it averaged efficiency and high efficiency 0.81 and 0.80 respectively, followed by spending his work, and the research reached a set of recommendations, the most important of which are: Provide the necessary environment for it, especially financially, in order to achieve more efficiency in order for its products to compete with the protected farms in neighboring countries, and on the other hand Owners of protected farms in Anbar Governorate are encouraged to reduce the waste in the use of their resources, especially the waste in fixed costs, a large part of which is due to the decrease in the houses on one farm optimum level.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate paranasal sinusitis disease and determine if there is a relationship between the anatomical variation of sinusitis based on the age and gender of the patient and, if so, to identify the most affected demographic group. Methods and Results: This study included 130 patients (76 men and 54 women with ages ranging from 18 years to 75 years) diagnosed with PNS disease and was conducted in the Radiology Department of King Abdelaziz Specialist Hospital and King Faisal Hospital (Taif city, Saudi Arabia) from January 1 2021 to January 31 2022. The evaluation of sinusitis was conducted using multidetector computed tomography. The clinical symptoms included 70% cases of nasal obstruction, 53% cases of headache, 28.5% cases of nasal discharge, 17.7% cases of facial pain, and 3.1% cases of general malaise. The types of sinusitis included maxillary sinusitis (88.5%), sphenoid sinusitis (28.5%), ethmoid sinusitis (43.8%), and frontal sinusitis (23.5%). The study found no significant anatomical variation of sinuses based on age and gender (P>0.05). Conclusion: An evaluation of paranasal sinusitis disease using an MDCT scan shows that there are no gender or age-related differences in the prevalence of the disease. Moreover, the study demonstrates that there is no significant anatomical variation of sinuses based on age and gender.

The shear capacity of Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) deep beams with web openings located between the provided stirrups was investigated experimentally. All the tested beams were constructed from the same UHPFRC mix containing steel fibers volume fraction of 1.5 %. The test program included eight simply supported deep beams with the same cross-section and same longitudinal reinforcement. The principal studied parameters were opening height, width, location, and the stirrups ratio ρv %. The provided stirrups spacing sv was considerably more than the maximum stirrups spacing sv,max required by ACI 318 code for normal reinforced concrete, while sv,max required by the Egyptian code (ECP 203) were more or equal to sv. The equations used by French recommendations (AFGC) and Korea Concrete Institute (KCI) for the shear design of UHPFRC deep beams have been examined. The experimental results indicated that the shear capacity of UHPFRC deep beams is mainly controlled by opening height, width, and location. Square opening with a height of 20 % of the beam's overall height located at the natural load pass caused reduction of shear capacity by 43 % compared with the reference solid beam. Increasing the opening width by 75 % symmetrically around the natural load pass reduced the shear capacity of the UHPFRC beam by about 21 % while increasing the opening width by 125 % from one side out of the load pass caused a reduction by only 5 %. Increasing the stirrups ratio by 80 % for beams of similar opening size and location, increased the shear capacity by 17.1 %. Predicting the ultimate shear strength of the tested UHPFRC deep beams with openings of height 20 % and 40 % of the beam's total height using the equations of AFGC was just safe if these equations were calculated by deducting the height of opening from the beam effective depth. The equations used by KCI were also safe with a factor of safety about 6 % more than that of AFGC.

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic fields increases, it has become necessary to evaluate its effectiveness before integrating it extensively into the training of school teachers. While AI is known to improve pre-service teachers' classroom management skills, its role in improving their learning outcomes is understudied. This descriptive study aimed to examine whether the use of artificial intelligence (AI) improves the learning outcomes of pre-service social studies teachers in Kuwait. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a randomly selected sample of 100 female teachers at Kuwait University's College of Education. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and simple linear regression analysis to derive Pearson's correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, means, frequencies, percentages, and standard deviations. The results revealed that using AI applications significantly enhanced the participants' learning outcomes, indicating AI's potential to transform educator training. Pre-service teachers demonstrated a strong grasp of AI's value in education and proficiency in integrating AI into their lessons. They effectively utilized Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and Smart Content, highlighting their ability to leverage advanced AI tools to enhance teaching strategies and student engagement. This study highlights the critical role of AI in contemporary education, contributes to the theoretical literature, and paves the way for further research. Moreover, it holds practical significance as the findings can be used to extensively adopt AI-supported learning in teacher preparation courses to align teaching methods with modern educational trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]