In its battle for regional dominance and ongoing rivalry with Shi'ite Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia is currently involved in a number of strategic battles throughout the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has succeeded in maintaining its market share throughout the oil bust by continuing to ratchet up production.

Thousands of Serbians demand prime minister's resignation following deadly roof collapse

Seven major datasets used to train audio-generating AI models are three times more likely to use the words "man" or "men" than "woman" or "women", raising fears of bias

Underground tunnels created by lava flows provided humans with shelter for thousands of years beneath the hot desert landscape of Saudi Arabia

Title: Household Dust Harbors Thousands of Microbial Species
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2015 12:00:00 AM

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Since the health information system (HIS) in public health care services in Serbia was introduced in 2009, it has gradually expanded. However, it is unclear how well the HIS components have developed and the whole system’s stage of maturity.Method:In June–September 2021, a maturity assessment of the Serbian HIS was conducted for the first time using the HIS Stages of Continuous Improvement (SOCI) toolkit. The toolkit measures HIS status across 5 HIS domains: leadership and governance, management and workforce, information and communication technology (ICT), standards and interoperability, and data quality and use. The domains were further divided into 13 components and 39 subcomponents whose maturity stage was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating the level of development: (1) emerging/ad hoc; (2) repeatable; (3) defined; (4) managed; and (5) optimized. The toolkit was applied in a working group of 32 professionals and experts who were engaged in developing the new national eHealth strategy and action plan.Results:The overall maturity score of the Serbian HIS was 1.6, which indicates a low level. The highest baseline score (2) was given to the standards and interoperability domain, and the lowest (1.1) was given to ICT infrastructure. The remaining 3 domains (leadership and governance, Management and Workforce, and Data Quality and Use) were similarly rated (1.7, 1.7, and 1.6, respectively).Conclusion:A baseline assessment of the maturity level of Serbian HIS indicates that the majority of components are between the emerging/ad hoc stage and repeatable, which represent isolated, ad hoc efforts, with some basic processes in place and existing and accessible policies. This exercise provided an opportunity to address identified weaknesses in the upcoming national eHealth strategy.

Pitched as a mix of ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Jurassic Park,’ Neom is the world’s biggest construction project. Twenty-one thousand people have died so far to make it happen.

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Seven major datasets used to train audio-generating AI models are three times more likely to use the words "man" or "men" than "woman" or "women", raising fears of bias

Dispute risks damage to Canada's reputation as reliable trade partner, says Steven Mackinnon

EPICS in IEEE, a service learning program for university students supported by IEEE Educational Activities, offers students opportunities to engage with engineering professionals and mentors, local organizations, and technological innovation to address community-based issues.

The following two environmentally focused projects demonstrate the value of teamwork and direct involvement with project stakeholders. One uses smart biodigesters to better manage waste in Colombia’s rural areas. The other is focused on helping Turkish olive farmers protect their trees from climate change effects by providing them with a warning system that can identify growing problems.

No time to waste in rural Colombia

Proper waste management is critical to a community’s living conditions. In rural La Vega, Colombia, the lack of an effective system has led to contaminated soil and water, an especially concerning issue because the town’s economy relies heavily on agriculture.

The Smart Biodigesters for a Better Environment in Rural Areas project brought students together to devise a solution.

Vivian Estefanía Beltrán, a Ph.D. student at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, addressed the problem by building a low-cost anaerobic digester that uses an instrumentation system to break down microorganisms into biodegradable material. It reduces the amount of solid waste, and the digesters can produce biogas, which can be used to generate electricity.

“Anaerobic digestion is a natural biological process that converts organic matter into two valuable products: biogas and nutrient-rich soil amendments in the form of digestate,” Beltrán says. “As a by-product of our digester’s operation, digestate is organic matter that can’t be transferred into biogas but can be used as a soil amendment for our farmers’ crops, such as coffee.

“While it may sound easy, the process is influenced by a lot of variables. The support we’ve received from EPICS in IEEE is important because it enables us to measure these variables, such as pH levels, temperature of the reactor, and biogas composition [methane and hydrogen sulfide]. The system allows us to make informed decisions that enhance the safety, quality, and efficiency of the process for the benefit of the community.”

The project was a collaborative effort among Universidad del Rosario students, a team of engineering students from Escuela Tecnológica Instituto Técnico Central, Professor Carlos Felipe Vergara, and members of Junta de Acción Comunal (Vereda La Granja), which aims to help residents improve their community.

“It’s been a great experience to see how individuals pursuing different fields of study—from engineering to electronics and computer science—can all work and learn together on a project that will have a direct positive impact on a community.” —Vivian Estefanía Beltrán

Beltrán worked closely with eight undergraduate students and three instructors—Maria Fernanda Gómez, Andrés Pérez Gordillo (the instrumentation group leader), and Carlos Felipe Vergara-Ramirez—as well as IEEE Graduate Student Member Nicolás Castiblanco (the instrumentation group coordinator).

The team constructed and installed their anaerobic digester system in an experimental station in La Vega, a town located roughly 53 kilometers northwest of Bogotá.

“This digester is an important innovation for the residents of La Vega, as it will hopefully offer a productive way to utilize the residual biomass they produce to improve quality of life and boost the economy,” Beltrán says. Soon, she adds, the system will be expanded to incorporate high-tech sensors that automatically monitor biogas production and the digestion process.

“For our students and team members, it’s been a great experience to see how individuals pursuing different fields of study—from engineering to electronics and computer science—can all work and learn together on a project that will have a direct positive impact on a community. It enables all of us to apply our classroom skills to reality,” she says. “The funding we’ve received from EPICS in IEEE has been crucial to designing, proving, and installing the system.”

The project also aims to support the development of a circular economy, which reuses materials to enhance the community’s sustainability and self-sufficiency.

Protecting olive groves in Türkiye

Türkiye is one of the world’s leading producers of olives, but the industry has been challenged in recent years by unprecedented floods, droughts, and other destructive forces of nature resulting from climate change. To help farmers in the western part of the country monitor the health of their olive trees, a team of students from Istanbul Technical University developed an early-warning system to identify irregularities including abnormal growth.

“Almost no olives were produced last year using traditional methods, due to climate conditions and unusual weather patterns,” says Tayfun Akgül, project leader of the Smart Monitoring of Fruit Trees in Western Türkiye initiative.

“Our system will give farmers feedback from each tree so that actions can be taken in advance to improve the yield,” says Akgül, an IEEE senior member and a professor in the university’s electronics and communication engineering department.

“We’re developing deep-learning techniques to detect changes in olive trees and their fruit so that farmers and landowners can take all necessary measures to avoid a low or damaged harvest,” says project coordinator Melike Girgin, a Ph.D. student at the university and an IEEE graduate student member.

Using drones outfitted with 360-degree optical and thermal cameras, the team collects optical, thermal, and hyperspectral imaging data through aerial methods. The information is fed into a cloud-based, open-source database system.

Akgül leads the project and teaches the team skills including signal and image processing and data collection. He says regular communication with community-based stakeholders has been critical to the project’s success.

“There are several farmers in the village who have helped us direct our drone activities to the right locations,” he says. “Their involvement in the project has been instrumental in helping us refine our process for greater effectiveness.

“For students, classroom instruction is straightforward, then they take an exam at the end. But through our EPICS project, students are continuously interacting with farmers in a hands-on, practical way and can see the results of their efforts in real time.”

Looking ahead, the team is excited about expanding the project to encompass other fruits besides olives. The team also intends to apply for a travel grant from IEEE in hopes of presenting its work at a conference.

“We’re so grateful to EPICS in IEEE for this opportunity,” Girgin says. “Our project and some of the technology we required wouldn’t have been possible without the funding we received.”

A purpose-driven partnership

The IEEE Standards Association sponsored both of the proactive environmental projects.

“Technical projects play a crucial role in advancing innovation and ensuring interoperability across various industries,” says Munir Mohammed, IEEE SA senior manager of product development and market engagement. “These projects not only align with our technical standards but also drive technological progress, enhance global collaboration, and ultimately improve the quality of life for communities worldwide.”

For more information on the program or to participate in service-learning projects, visit EPICS in IEEE.

On 7 November, this article was updated from an earlier version.

The storm decimated a region rich with dozens of species already struggling with habitat loss and disease

Jun 10, 2022

This book is intended to advance the next phase of the U.S.-Colombia relationship. In a rapidly changing world, the following chapters present a roadmap for a new type of engagement that challenges our ambitions and extends the ties that bind our countries. 

Nov 18, 2022

Former Colombian President Iván Duque discussed Latin America’s resurgent left wing and advocated for environmental action at the Harvard Kennedy School on Thursday afternoon.

Apr 18, 2024

The human tragedy continuing to unfold in Gaza and Israel reminds us how important it is to get strategic forecasting right. While in no way excusing Hamas’ culpability for 7 October, we also cannot dismiss the fact that the failure to anticipate and prepare for such an attack has had grave consequences for communities on both sides of this conflict, undermined efforts to bring peace and prosperity to the region, and affected global interests through the expansion of the conflict to the Red Sea and potentially beyond. 

Strategic Partners, Inc. has created the next generation of medical apparel using the leading antimicrobial technology of CERTAINTY�.

Natural Light lamps, handheld solar lamps, are now bringing light and a better life to people in Zambia. The lamps are particularly crucial in Zambia as only 20 per cent of the population have access to electricity. When darkness falls, the remainder live without electric power, with their only light source being paraffin lamps, candles or bonfires. Even childbirth at night must often take place by the light of a mobile phone alone.

Donald Trump has been reelected president of the United States. Ahead of Kamala Harris’s expected concession speech, we speak to professors Carol Anderson and Michele Goodwin to discuss Harris’s historic campaign — and historic loss. “The Confederacy won,” says Anderson, a professor of African American studies at Emory University. “It paints a picture of what Americans are willing to embrace,” says Goodwin, a professor of constitutional law at Georgetown and an expert on healthcare law, who warns of the public health dangers of a second Trump administration and discusses the election’s implications for reproductive rights.

Seven major datasets used to train audio-generating AI models are three times more likely to use the words "man" or "men" than "woman" or "women", raising fears of bias

The IOC announced the inaugural games will be hosted by Saudi Arabia. Not all are happy

The BEPS multilateral convention entered into force for treaties signed by Cyprus and Saudi Arabia on May 1, 2020.

The Colombian Government has issued Decree 939 of August 19, 2021, which enables the tax agency to revise an assessment for potentially viable companies that are facing insolvency, where doing so may save the company and jobs.

Saudi Arabia has announced its decision to increase its headline value-added tax rate to 15 percent from five percent, in a surprise break from the Gulf Cooperation Council's harmonized value-added tax framework.

The World Bank and IWMI will rapidly scale climate science to support agri-business in Zambia, tackling the climate challenge head on through the new AICCRA-Zambia Accelerator Grant.

The post Agriculture climate science in Zambia gets boost with launch of new World Bank-backed grant first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Applying new technologies and approaches to address the social, environmental and economic consequences of climate change.

The post IWMI launches high-tech drought monitoring system for Zambia first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced the formation of a powerful new alliance to tackle the escalating crisis of medlinkAntimicrobial Resistance/medlink (AMR) in India.

Infections that were once easily treatable are now becoming life-threatening due to the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This alarming trend, highlighted by Dr.

The e-ReWater platform will use remote sensing technologies and satellite data to estimate the availability of new water resources in partnership with the Saudi Irrigation Organization.

The post IWMI and Saudi Arabia extend collaboration on irrigation and wastewater use first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Unified action for preparedness and response can help communities to build resilience

The post Zambia’s thirst for solutions in the face of drought first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

On the sidelines of COP28, Brouziyne spoke about water systems in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The post Youssef Brouziyne interview with Sky News Arabia first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

IWMI Director General Mark Smith speaks to CNBC Arabia on the sidelines of COP28.

The post IWMI DG speaks to CNBC Arabia first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

IWMI is collaborating on the development of financial solutions for post-extreme climatic events.

The post Development of a flood index insurance product for Zambia first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Residents of ancient Eastern Arabia seem to have acquired resistance to medlinkmalaria/medlink after the introduction of agriculture in the region approximately five thousand years ago.

Frequent-touch surfaces in hospitals, despite strict adherence to disinfection protocols, retain microbial contamination, including harmful pathogens,

London : Methuen Drama, 2022.

Ithaca, NY : Cornell University Press, [2023]

Shijiazhuang Shi : Hebei ren min chu ban she, 2001.

Manchester : Manchester University Press, [2022]

Salman appeared to compare Manu's jail term with his own. Hand resting on his chest, Bhai declared, 'Yehi hota hai jab koi nirdosh ko jail hoti hai.'

The Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia has grown over the years and with 2.4 million expat workers it has the second largest number of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia