Suchergebnisse

"In this study, we investigate the lump solutions for both integrable (2+1)- and (3+1)-dimensional extended KdV and KP equations using symbolic computation with Maple and the Hirota bilinear (HB) form. For each integrable model, we create positive quadratic function solutions to the HB equation. Graphs of the derived lump solutions are displayed with the proper parameter values. "

Herein, we utilised Loquat seed oil as a waste resource to produce biodiesel over a novel bifunctional catalyst system based on CaO loaded on a ceria oxide support. The catalysts were characterised using XRD, SEM-EDX, SBET STEM, and TPD analyses, followed by parametric analysis to optimise the catalyst performance. The XPS analysis showed a strong synergistic effect between CaO and CeO2 support. The parametric study revealed that the most active catalyst (15 wt% CaO-CeO2) showed optimum biodiesel yield was 90.14 (±0.1) wt% at a temperature of 70 ◦C, methanol: oil of 9, time of 90 min and 4 wt% of catalyst. The reusability test showed that when the most active catalyst was calcined and reused, the biodiesel yield was almost the same ±0.5%; however, when biodiesel production was used without calcination, the biodiesel yield was reduced by 15%. The quality of the produced biodiesel was investigated by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and European Union (EU) Standards. It showed that it satisfied all standards and could be used as potential alternative fuel instead of fossil diesel from novel Loquat seed oil. The Life cycle Assessment (LCA) was condcuted to assess environmental feasibility of the process with 1000 kg of biodiesel as 1 functional unit (FU). The LCA using midpoint indicators (from CML-IA baseline V3.06 method) showed the cumulative abiotic depletion of fossil resources over the entire process of biodiesel production was 26349 MJ, global warming potential was 1129 kg CO2 eq, and human health toxicity was 422 kg 1,4-DB eq (kg 1,4 dichlorobenzene equivalent) per FU. The highest damage in most environmental categories was observed during catalyst preparation and regeneration. This was confirmed in endpoint LCA findings (ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (E) V1.04), where catalyst preparation contributed to human health (119.2 Point (Pt)), ecosystems damage (9.3 Pt) and resources depletion (0.5 Pt). Furthermore, the net energy ratio was 2.23 for the biodiesel production process (computed as output energy/ input energy) by considering allocation of output energy due to biodiesel and glycerol.

Hussain Darraj,1 Mohammed Badedi,1 Kirsten R Poore,2 Abdulrahman Hummadi,1 Abdullah Khawaji,1 Yahia Solan,3 Ibrahim Zakri,1 Abdullah Sabai,1 Majid Darraj,4 Dhayf Alrahman Mutawwam,1 Mohammed Daghreeri,1 Safaa Sayed,1 Wael Alaallah,1 Abdulaziz Alfadhly,5 Abdullah Alsabaani61Jazan Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 2Institute of Development Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; 3Medical Affairs, Jazan University Hospital, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 5Diabetic Center, Prince Mansour Military Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi ArabiaBackground: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is predicted to be high in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the exact figure is not known in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Emerging data suggests that VDD plays a role in glycemic control. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of VDD among T2DM patients and to investigate its association with patients' characteristics and glycemic control in Jazan.Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study which recruited 309 patients with T2DM randomly from primary health care centers in Jazan. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the VDD predictors and to examine the association of VDD and glycemic control.Results: The VDD prevalence was found to be 60.8% in patients with T2DM. Age, gender, diabetic retinopathy (DR), dyslipidemia, glycemic control, and obesity were significantly associated with VDD, and all except obesity were independent predictors of VDD. There was a significant negative correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and HbA1c. VDD was a significant independent predictor of poor glycemic control after adjustment for hypertension, DR, diabetic neuropathy, type of diabetes medication, diabetes duration, and education level.Conclusion: In this Saudi Arabian population, VDD is highly prevalent in people with T2DM and is associated with poor glycemic control. Health education targeting patients with T2DM and national strategies regarding vitamin D fortification are needed to prevent VDD in Saudi Arabia. Earlier VDD diagnosis by health care providers may help to improve the outcome for patients with T2DM. Establishing the causal association between VDD and glycemic control and clarifying the biological role of vitamin D in T2DM are important aims for future studies.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, T2DM, vitamin D deficiency, VDD, glycemic control, diabetes complication

The study aims to evaluate the uptake, attitudes and barriers of influenza vaccine among Algerian Hajj pilgrims. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Algerian Hajj pilgrims who were the residents of Makah city. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Algerian pilgrims who were the residents of Makah city during 23rd August 2016 till 23rd September 2016 at the time of Hajj. The survey was conducted on pilgrims who were residents of Makah city. Following a short briefing regarding study, verbal consent was obtained from each participant who agreed to participate in the survey. Moreover, knowledge about Corona virus was assessed by using (KAP) questionnaire. Data about Pilgrims' demographics, previous Hajj attendance and history of chronic medical conditions was collected. Pilgrims were to complete the survey through interviews conducted by the data collection teams. Lastly, ethical approval was obtained from Zamzam charity research center. Results reported low level of awareness among Algerian Hajj pilgrims, insignificant relationship between education level and influenza vaccination and availability of low resources for spreading the awareness of influenza vaccine. There is a low level of awareness and knowledge among pilgrims regarding the vaccination of influenza. Moreover, there are very few resources available that gives the knowledge of influenza. Lastly, even those participants who were educated consisted of low level of knowledge regarding influenza vaccination. Thus, insignificant relationship exist between knowledge of influenza vaccination and education level. Thus, Saudi government and other stakeholders need to play their roles to increase awareness among pilgrims regarding influenzas vaccine. Keywords: Influenza, Vaccine, Hajj, Algerian Pilgrims, Saudi Arabia.

The study aims to evaluate the uptake, attitudes and barriers of influenza vaccine among Algerian Hajj pilgrims. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Algerian Hajj pilgrims who were the residents of Makah city. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Algerian pilgrims who were the residents of Makah city during 23rd August 2016 till 23rd September 2016 at the time of Hajj. The survey was conducted on pilgrims who were residents of Makah city. Following a short briefing regarding study, verbal consent was obtained from each participant who agreed to participate in the survey. Moreover, knowledge about Corona virus was assessed by using (KAP) questionnaire. Data about Pilgrims' demographics, previous Hajj attendance and history of chronic medical conditions was collected. Pilgrims were to complete the survey through interviews conducted by the data collection teams. Lastly, ethical approval was obtained from Zamzam charity research center. Results reported low level of awareness among Algerian Hajj pilgrims, insignificant relationship between education level and influenza vaccination and availability of low resources for spreading the awareness of influenza vaccine. There is a low level of awareness and knowledge among pilgrims regarding the vaccination of influenza. Moreover, there are very few resources available that gives the knowledge of influenza. Lastly, even those participants who were educated consisted of low level of knowledge regarding influenza vaccination. Thus, insignificant relationship exist between knowledge of influenza vaccination and education level. Thus, Saudi government and other stakeholders need to play their roles to increase awareness among pilgrims regarding influenzas vaccine. Keywords: Influenza, Vaccine, Hajj, Algerian Pilgrims, Saudi Arabia.

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has signed a series of agreements on bilateral cooperation in scientific research and technological development with a considerable number of countries around the world.Among these are Third World countries in the developing stage or on the threshold of industrialization. The general goals of the national German research and technology policy are also applicable to these governmentalagreements. Bilateral cooperation is aimed at to contribute to the broadening of scientific knowledge, to safeguard natural resources and the environment, and to improve the living and working conditions of the populationthrough an increase of the economic strength and of the competitiveness on the international markets. Through the strengthening of the scientifictechnological infrastructure as a prerequisite for industrialization, throughthe joint implementation of projects, and through the exchange of scientists and engineers a contribution to solve the most urgent problems in the partner countries can be achieved, helping thus to narrow the technological gap existing between the developed and the developing world. On March 20, 1979, a governmental agreement on cooperation in scientific research and technological development with the Republic of Indonesia was signed. On the German side, the responsible Federal Ministry for Research and Technology has entrusted the Forschungszentrum Jülich through its International Bureau with the organisation and coordination of this cooperation.Funds are put at the disposal of the International Bureau to at least partially help financing these bilateral efforts. Among the manifold contacts established in the past decade to strengthen the bilateral links between the Republic of Indonesia and the Federal Republic of Germany the partnership between the Laboratory of Geophysics, Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta and the Institute of Geophysics, University of Stuttgart play an outstanding ...

PURPOSE: This study aims to measure the knowledge levels toward retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among pediatricians covering neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the major hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. To our knowledge, this is the first report to assess the awareness level of ROP in the NICU pediatricians in the region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive study using self-administered electronic questionnaires to assess the knowledge level among NICU pediatricians at the main hospitals of Tabuk city. We used a self-administer online validated knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire. A scoring system was implemented in the data analysis, depending on the correct chosen answers on the KAP questionnaire, to present the ROP knowledge level in the participants. RESULTS: The study included 41 NICU pediatricians. Most of the participants' age exceeded 40 years (51.2%). The majority were recruited from either King Salman Military hospital (34.1%) or King Khalid hospital (31.7%). The average frequency of preterm infants seen per month exceeded 15 infants among 41.4% of the respondents. Most pediatricians recognized the important treatment modalities available for ROP (92.7%); however, only 24.4% of them could recognize that 32 weeks or less is the gestational age of the screening criteria for ROP. The overall knowledge score ranged between 4 and 10, out of a possible maximum of 12 with a mean ± SD of (6.68±1.47). The majority (75.6%) believe that the ROP treatment can successfully prevent blindness. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the NICU pediatricians have good knowledge about the treatment modalities of ROP. However, their knowledge about the inclusion criteria of ROP screening was insufficient. Thus, we highlighted the necessity of raising the awareness level and the strict application of the clinical guidelines among NICU pediatricians and healthcare workers involved in managing ROP.

The risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome (Met-S) including hypertension, hyperglycemia, central obesity, and dyslipidemia are preventable, particularly at their early stage. There are limited data available on the association between Met-S and preventable risk factors in young adults. We randomly selected 2,010 Saudis aged 18–30 years, who applied to be recruited in military colleges. All the procedures followed the guidelines of International Diabetes Federation. The results showed that out of 2,010 subjects, 4088 were affected with Met-S. The commonest risk factors were high blood sugar (63.6%), high systolic and diastolic blood pressures (63.3 and 37.3%), and high body mass index (57.5%). The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes were 55.2 and 8.4%, respectively. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly associated with Met-S. The frequency of smoking was significantly linked with the development of Met-S. The prevalence of Met-S was found to be significantly higher in individuals with sedentary lifestyle. In conclusion, the results of this study clearly indicate that military recruits, who represent healthy young adults, are also prone to Met-S. The findings of this study will help in designing preventive measures as well as public awareness programs for controlling the high prevalence of Met-S in young adults.

Hani B Albalawi,1 Faris Hashem,1 Amal Nafea J Alharbi,2 Naif M Alali,1 Wejdan Mohammed S Alshehri,2 Abdulrahman Arshed N Alharfy,2 Abdulmajeed Mousa M Alzahrani,2 Nouf Mohammed A Albalawi,2 Moustafa S Magliyah,3 Saad H Alenezi4 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Prince Mohammed Medical City, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Almajmaah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hani B AlbalawiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, 71491, Saudi Arabia, Email hb.albalawi@ut.edu.saPurpose: This study aims to measure the knowledge levels toward retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among pediatricians covering neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the major hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. To our knowledge, this is the first report to assess the awareness level of ROP in the NICU pediatricians in the region.Patients and Methods: This is a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive study using self-administered electronic questionnaires to assess the knowledge level among NICU pediatricians at the main hospitals of Tabuk city. We used a self-administer online validated knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire. A scoring system was implemented in the data analysis, depending on the correct chosen answers on the KAP questionnaire, to present the ROP knowledge level in the participants.Results: The study included 41 NICU pediatricians. Most of the participants' age exceeded 40 years (51.2%). The majority were recruited from either King Salman Military hospital (34.1%) or King Khalid hospital (31.7%). The average frequency of preterm infants seen per month exceeded 15 infants among 41.4% of the respondents. Most pediatricians recognized the important treatment modalities available for ROP (92.7%); however, only 24.4% of them could recognize that 32 weeks or less is the gestational age of the screening criteria for ROP. The overall knowledge score ranged between 4 and 10, out of a possible maximum of 12 with a mean ± SD of (6.68± 1.47). The majority (75.6%) believe that the ROP treatment can successfully prevent blindness.Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the NICU pediatricians have good knowledge about the treatment modalities of ROP. However, their knowledge about the inclusion criteria of ROP screening was insufficient. Thus, we highlighted the necessity of raising the awareness level and the strict application of the clinical guidelines among NICU pediatricians and healthcare workers involved in managing ROP.Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity, pediatricians, preventable, preterm infant, knowledge, attitude, practice, ROP

Cultural Intelligence (CI) refers to the motivation and ability to understand and deal with cultural differences. As such, it is assumed to play a role in the effectiveness of social contact and communication between people from different cultures. Given its relevance to international relations, it is imperative to test which individual and group factors are associated with CI. Therefore, in the present study we examine cross-cultural and gender differences in CI. In one of their classes at their university, students ( N = 829) from Egypt and Saudi Arabia completed a multidimensional measure of CI. The results showed an interesting pattern of interactions between country and gender, which indicated that Egyptian men did not significantly differ from co-national women, but Saudi men scored significantly lower than women. We suggest that the different patterns of results in the two countries may partly arise from different levels of exposure to different cultures and partly from subtle differences in the constitution of the samples. Knowledge of individual and group differences in cultural intelligence may potentially contribute to explaining differential levels of success in individuals or countries in dealing with cultural differences.