Exchange Rates and Commodity Markets: Global Exports of Corn, Cotton, Poultry, and Soybeans

The effects of exchange rates and risk on major commodity exporters are examined in markets constructed from the top five importers and top three exporters from 1961 to 2000. Depreciation typically stimulates exports but the impacts vary considerably. Exchange risk has virtually no negative impacts. Importer incomes raise exports for about half the exporters, and major competitor market shares affect about half the exporters.Exchange rates, commodity exports, market shares,

Distribution and determinants of the utilization of senior residential care homes in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundWith the accelerated increase in the population of seniors aged 60 years or older in Saudi Arabia, understanding the utilization of senior residential care homes is crucial for improving service delivery and policy planning to meet the care transformation objectives of Vision 2030.ObjectiveTo assess the distribution and determinants of senior residential care home utilization across Saudi Arabia’s 13 administrative regions, focusing on predictors of functional dependency among different socio-demographic groups.MethodsThis study analyzed data from 283 Saudi individuals aged ≥65 admitted to social residential care homes in 2021. Variables included age, sex, education level, marital status, region, and reasons for service use. Statistical analyses comprised descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and multivariable logistic regression.ResultsThe Makkah region had the highest number of senior residential care home users (56.8%; p < 0.0001). Most participants were men (67.8%), while women constituted 32.2%. The mean age was 78.9 years (SD = 10.6), with women being significantly older than men (p = 0.014). Illiteracy was prevalent (73.5%), particularly among women (82.4% vs. 69.3% for men; p = 0.006). Most participants were divorced (68.2%), with higher rates among men (84.9% vs. 33% for women; p < 0.0001). The primary reasons for utilizing residential care home services were old age and functional dependency (88.5% of men and 83.4% of women). Multivariable logistic regression indicated that being in the age group 75–84 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.81, p < 0.001), 85 years and above (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.28–3.11, p < 0.001), and being single (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.14–5.13, p = 0.019) were significant predictors of old age and functional dependency.ConclusionThe study highlights regional and socio-demographic variations in senior residential care home service utilization in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and policies aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to enhance service accessibility and effectiveness for the aging population

Echinacoside ameliorates hepatic fibrosis and tumor invasion in rats with thioacetamide-induced hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) affects approximately 800,000 individuals globally each year. Despite advancements in HCC treatments, there is still a pressing need to identify new drugs that can combat resistance. One potential option is echinacoside, a natural caffeic acid glycoside with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and antidiabetic properties. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the ability of echinacoside to exhibit antitumor activity against HCC in rats through ameliorating hepatic fibrosis and tumor invasion. Rats were given thioacetamide to induce HCC, and some were given 30 mg/kg of echinacoside twice a week for 16 weeks. The liver impairment was assessed by measuring serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) and examining liver sections stained with Masson trichrome or anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 antibodies. The hepatic expression of mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1, β-catenin, SMAD4, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), connective tissue growth factor 2 (CCN2), E-Cadherin, platelets derived growth factor (PDGF)-B and fascin were also analyzed. Echinacoside improved the survival rate of rats by decreasing serum AFP and the number of hepatic nodules. Examination of micro-images indicated that echinacoside can reduce fibrosis. It also significantly decreased the expression of TGF-β1, β-catenin, SMAD4, MMP9, PI3K, mTOR, CCN2, PDGF-B, and fascin while enhancing the expression of E-Cadherin. In conclusion, echinacoside exhibits a protective effect against HCC by increasing survival rates and decreasing tumor growth. It also acts as an inhibitor of the hepatic tissue fibrosis pathway by reducing the expression of TGF-β1, β-catenin, SMAD4, PI3K, CCN2, PDGF-B and mTOR. Additionally, it prevents tumor invasion by suppressing MMP9 and fascin, and increasing the expression of E-Cadherin

Towards a unified benchmark for Arabic pronunciation assessment: Qur’anic recitation as case study

We present a unified benchmark for mispronunciation detection in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) using Qur'anic recitation as a case study. Our approach lays the groundwork for advancing Arabic pronunciation assessment by providing a comprehensive pipeline that spans data processing, the development of a specialized phoneme set tailored to the nuances of MSA pronunciation, and the creation of the first publicly available test set for this task, which we term as the Qur'anic Mispronunciation Benchmark (QuranMB.v1). Furthermore, we evaluate several baseline models to provide initial performance insights, thereby highlighting both the promise and the challenges inherent in assessing MSA pronunciation. By establishing this standardized framework, we aim to foster further research and development in pronunciation assessment in Arabic language technology and related applications. All models and datasets are available at: https://huggingface.co/IqraEval

Musculoskeletal pain post-COVID-19 in patients undergoing physical therapy in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has posed a challenge to the physical therapy service. In addition to pandemic-associated treatment interference, many recovered COVID-19 patients developed new or worsening musculoskeletal pain as a sequela of COVID-19, which has been shown to affect the musculoskeletal system. The objective of the study was to examine musculoskeletal pain post-COVID-19 in patients undergoing physical therapy in Saudi Arabia. Methods The design of the study was a cross-sectional study. We approached patients attending physical therapy clinics who had COVID-19. Data were collected through an electronic survey consisting of multiple-choice questions related to sociodemographic data and pain. Pain severity was rated on a 10-point numerical rating scale. Results A total of 85 recovered COVID-19 patients participated in this study, 30 had musculoskeletal pain prior to getting COVID-19, while 55 acquired it after. The most affected sites for musculoskeletal pain were the lower back and shoulder. Mean pain levels reported increased from 4.48 ± 2.54 pre-COVID-19 to 6.92 ± 8.06 post-COVID-19 (mean difference, 1.61 ± 2.61; t = 5.68; p < 0.0001). Mean pain scores did not associate significantly with demographic or clinical factors. Patient responses skewed toward increased pain as well as decreased activity levels after being infected with COVID-19 versus pre-COVID-19 (all p < 0.0001). Conclusions Recovered COVID-19 patients reported increased pain intensity and frequency, together with reduced activity levels, relative to pre-COVID-19 levels, without effects of sociodemographic or clinical characteristics

The Effects of the FTAA on the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has recently experienced serious economic and structural changes resulting from the World Trade Organization (WTO) rulings on their major export crops. With a declining agricultural industry and generally depressed economies, the countries are forced to decide whether they become part of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), or remain out of the proposed union. These countries have been conducting both internal and external evaluations to determine the economic direction to follow to bolster their economies. The islands face dilemmas if they become members of the FTAA. One of the dilemmas we will examine here is the loss of welfare from the reduction of export subsidies on imports from the United States and its probable impact on OECS economies and intra -regional trade once the OECS becomes a member of the FTAA. The formation of the FTAA and the adoption of a common external tariff (CET) may force members of the OECS to buy high-priced goods from member countries. Using rice as a case in point we show that the most efficient producers of rice are Vietnam and Thailand. Vietnam produces rice at US$110 per ton, whereas Guyana has an average cost of US$144.00 per ton compared to Arkansas and Texas, with average costs of US$205.22 and US$247.68, respectively. Under a free trade scenario, in the absence of transport cost, assuming that rice is a homogeneous product, and that Vietnam can supply the world deficit at constant cost, Vietnam will become the ultimate supplier of rice. With the Common external tariff (CET), the FTAA becomes trade-diverting because it limits imports from more efficient rice producers, such as Thailand and Vietnam, in favor of rice from Guyana. The decision to purchase rice from Guyana only depends on whether all trade promotion activities that include elements of export subsidies are eliminated