Influenza infection continues to be a hazard to the Saudi population, resulting in high death rates and illness prevalence; it also places a substantial financial burden on the government. The ...government takes several strategies and approaches through the Ministry of Health has shown great success in curbing the disease. Vaccination is considered the most appropriate control measure; unfortunately, most Saudi residents, particularly in the city of Riyadh, do not consider vaccination a safe health practice. As a result, many have not participated in the influenza vaccine immunisation programme. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of seasonal influenza and influenza vaccine immunisation among clients visiting primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the study investigated the relationship between participants' demographics and their KAPs regarding influenza vaccination. A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study was conducted among 611 individuals who visited four of Riyadh's primary healthcare centers: Alsylimania, Alwady, Alyasmin, and Alsahafah. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the KAPs of participants, with questions regarding seasonal influenza and influenza vaccine immunisation. The scores of participants' knowledge showed that the majority had good knowledge regarding seasonal flu (64.5%) and the flu vaccine (73.3%). Furthermore, only 52% of participants had a positive attitude score towards the seasonal influenza vaccination. Despite that, significant knowledge gaps and mistaken beliefs regarding certain aspects of influenza were noted in participants, resulting in negative attitudes and perceptions as well as a reduced likelihood of being vaccinated. In this study, 43.7% of participants (267 out of 611) had ever received a flu vaccine. Participants with a history of previous vaccination had a significantly higher level of knowledge and more positive attitudes, which resulted in increased vaccination coverage. Therefore, educational strategies to improve knowledge regarding influenza in Riyadh are recommended.
Display omitted
•The adsorption of arsenic onto thermally processed dolomite was investigated.•Thermal degradation of the dolomite at 800°C at 8h weakens its structure.•qmax for arsenite and arsenate ...ions are 1.846 and 2.157mg/g, respectively.•Formation of CaCO3 and MgO accelerated the precipitation of arsenic-carbonate and -oxide.
In this work, the removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions onto thermally processed dolomite is investigated. The dolomite was thermally processed (charred) at temperatures of 600, 700 and 800°C for 1, 2, 4 and 8h. Isotherm experiments were carried out on these samples over a wide pH range. A complete arsenic removal was achieved over the pH range studied when using the 800°C charred dolomite. However, at this temperature, thermal degradation of the dolomite weakens its structure due to the decomposition of the magnesium carbonate, leading to a partial dissolution. For this reason, the dolomitic sorbent chosen for further investigations was the 8h at 700°C material. Isotherm studies indicated that the Langmuir model was successful in describing the process to a better extent than the Freundlich model for the As(V) adsorption on the selected charred dolomite. However, for the As(III) adsorption, the Freundlich model was more successful in describing the process. The maximum adsorption capacities of charred dolomite for arsenite and arsenate ions are 1.846 and 2.157mg/g, respectively. It was found that both the pseudo first- and second-order kinetic models are able to describe the experimental data (R2>0.980). The data suggest the charring process allows dissociation of the dolomite to calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide, which accelerates the process of arsenic oxide and arsenic carbonate precipitation.
Display omitted
•Electron storage in defective R2 and effective release to H2O2 to generate ROS-enabled night catalysis.•Broad spectrum response and better carrier separation improved the ...photoactivities.•TC degradation pathways are proposed in light of DFT calculations and LC-MS data.
Tetracycline (TC) antibiotics and dyes are the prevalent water contaminants, and their removal from the water through photocatalysis is a plausible approach. However, most semiconductors in their pristine form need to be improved to be exploited in photocatalysis owing to poor photoresponse, intense carrier recombination, and inertness without irradiation. Herein, we demonstrate the modification of defective WO3-x by rGO and AgBiS2 in the form of WO3-x/rGO/AgBiS2 (R2). It exploits the superior conductivity and synergism of rGO to inhibit carrier recombination; thereby, Z-scheme heterojunction with AgBiS2 provides high redox potential. Defects in WO3-x enable electron (e-) storage in R2, which decomposes H2O2 to generate ROS without irradiation. Owing to these essences and broad-spectrum response, it removed 93.72, 82.77, and 84.82% of TC during photo-Fenton (PFR), night-Fenton (NFR), and photocatalytic (PCR) reactions, respectively. Its removal rates reached 94.74, 81.54, and 87.50% against rhodamine B (RhB) during PFR, NFR, and PCR, respectively. It is superior to memory catalysis (MC) and conventional Fenton reactions (CFR) because it can perform without and with irradiation across a broader pH range. So, this work is conducive to designing WO3-x-based catalysts to combat environmental and energy crises.
Personal care for body organs is a well-known practice of human beings, especially those organs that need regular care to improve function or hygiene. The ear is a unique sense organ with a specific ...anatomical shape to perform the function of hearing and balance. To determine healthcare practitioners' current knowledge, behavior, and attitude regarding ear care. This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare practitioners at different hospitals in Najran City, Saudi Arabia, from 25th June to 30th August 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among healthcare practitioners using an online survey. The questionnaire includes basic demographic characteristics (i.e. gender, speciality, and religion). It assesses the knowledge, behavior, and attitude toward ear care, and the use of mobile headphones and earrings that affect ear health. All statistical data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Of the 209 healthcare practitioners involved, 60.8% were females, and 46.9% were physicians. The prevalence of self-ear cleaning was 97.6%. Of them, 33% were cleaning their ears every week. Cotton buds were the most preferred method for self-ear cleaning. The proportion of participants who injured their ears while cleaning was 8.6%. The most common treatment method to relieve ear pain was visiting a doctor (44.4%) and utilizing a painkiller (29.7%). Interestingly, respondents who injured their ears during cleaning and those who experienced wax accumulation were significantly more common among physicians. Self-ear cleaning practices are widely prevalent in this study which could be related to the lack of knowledge about ear care among healthcare practitioners. Physicians who experienced wax accumulation tend to use other methods for self-ear cleaning rather than cotton buds. Further research is needed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the population who are working in healthcare institutions.
Polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide)-aluminium chloride (PEO-AlCl
3
) are synthesized by the casting method. The crystal structure, chemical bonding, thermal, and electrical properties ...are investigated and correlated. Particularly, the interplay between the electrical conductivity, crystallinity, and thermal properties of the nanocomposite thin films is tested. Incorporating of suitable amounts of AlCl
3
into PEO thin films reduces the crystallinity degree and the crystallite size of the resulting nanocomposite thin films. The measured FTIR profiles confirm the complexation between Al
−3
ions and the ether oxygen of the PEO host polymer. Furthermore, the melting temperature and melting enthalpy are significantly reduced by adding the ionic salt into the PEO thin films. Electrical characterization of the PEO-AlCl
3
thin films is performed using the four-point probe. The electrical conductivity, the conductivity maps, and activation energy of PEO-AlCl
3
nanocomposite films are investigated to elucidate the effect of the complexation between Al
−3
ions and the ether oxygen of the host polymer. The room temperature conductivity of the pure PEO thin films is measured to be
1.67
×
10
-
4
S/cm
. The highest value of the conductivity is attained for PEO doped by 5 wt% of AlCl
3
. Moreover, electrical conductivity of all PEO-AlCl
3
nanocomposite thin films is found to enhance with increasing temperature. The optimized conductivity of PEO nanocomposite films doped by 20 wt% AlCl
3
at 328 K is attained. The enhancement of physical and chemical properties of PEO-AlCl
3
may pave the way to manufacture polymer nanocomposite films that could be potential candidates to fabricate high-efficiency photovoltaic devices.
Display omitted
Structure engineering of zirconium-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) aims to develop efficient catalysts for transforming intermittent renewable energy into value-added chemical ...fuels. In order to have a deeper understanding of industrial scaling, it is vital to ascertain the favourable operational parameters that are necessary for projecting at the atomic level. The proposed paradigm provides a robust basis for the efficient design of MOFs based heterogeneous photocatalysts. In this study, set of defective MOF (D-NUiO66) was effectively produced using a modular acidic method. Afterwards, the D-NUiO66 was combined with CeO2 to form the D-CeNUiO66 heterojunction for the purpose of carbon dioxide reduction. The morphological aspect of the composite investigation suggested that D-CeNUiO66 had a mesoporous structure with favourable adsorption properties. The optimized D-CeNUiO66 photocatalyst showed the high activity for the reduction of CO2 to CO, with a rate of 38.6 µmolg−1h−1 and demonstrated remarkable repeatability in terms of CO production. The incorporation of defect sites in the D-NUiO66 enhanced the light response to visible light, resulting in reduced band gap of 2.9 eV. The photoelectrochemical tests indicated that the introduction of defects in the UiO66 and coupling CeO2 in the D-CeNUiO66 composite induced fast charge transfer, therefore suppressing the charge recombination rate. This study provides valuable insights into the use of defective engineering and heterojunction approaches to metal–organic frameworks for photocatalytic applications.
Transspinal (or transcutaneous spinal cord) stimulation is a promising noninvasive method that may strengthen the intrinsic spinal neural connectivity in neurological disorders. In this study we ...assessed the effects of cervical transspinal stimulation on the amplitude of leg transspinal evoked potentials (TEPs), and the effects of lumbosacral transspinal stimulation on the amplitude of arm TEPs. Control TEPs were recorded following transspinal stimulation with one cathode electrode placed either on Cervical 3 (21.3 ± 1.7 mA) or Thoracic 10 (23.6 ± 16.5 mA) vertebrae levels. Associated anodes were placed bilaterally on clavicles or iliac crests. Cervical transspinal conditioning stimulation produced short latency inhibition of TEPs recorded from left soleus (ranging from − 6.11 to -3.87% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -50, -25, -20, -15, -10, 15 ms), right semitendinosus (ranging from − 11.1 to -4.55% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -20, -15, 15 ms), and right vastus lateralis (ranging from − 13.3 to -8.44% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -20 and − 15 ms) (
p
< 0.05). Lumbosacral transspinal conditioning stimulation produced no significant effects on arm TEPs. We conclude that in the resting state, cervical transspinal stimulation affects the net motor output of leg motoneurons under the experimental conditions used in this study. Further investigations are warranted to determine whether this protocol may reactivate local spinal circuitry after stroke or spinal cord injury and may have a significant effect in synchronization of upper and lower limb muscle synergies during rhythmic activities like locomotion or cycling.
Novel dinuclear and tetranuclear Cd(II) clusters are synthesized, characterized and explored for dye adsorption properties.
Display omitted
•Two water stable Cd(II) based coordination complexes are ...reported.•These complexes are characterized by Spectral, X-ray and DFT studies.•The two Cd(II) complexes show unusual coordination geometry.•The experimental data are justified by the theoretical calculations.•The two clusters show better adsorption property towards the Rh-B.
In this report, two water stable Cd(II) metal–organic clusters using slow evaporation method are designed and synthesized in order to explore for functional applications. The complexes are formulated as Cd2(pda)2(H2O)6.(H2pda)2 (1) and Cd4(Hpda)4(µ2-OH)2(Cl)2(H2O)6.2H2O (2) where H2pda = 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid. The synthesized complexes show unusual hepta-coordinated geometry around the central metal ion. 1 is dinuclear while 2 is a tetranuclear discrete complex. The tetranuclear complex is the very first example of cadmium with H2pda ligand. The two complexes were characterized by various spectroscopic studies and with the help of single crystal technique the, structures of 1 and 2 was elucidated. Various non covalent interactions such as π-π and CH…π consolidate the network against water solubility. The metal–organic clusters exhibit various non-covalent interactions which were further verified by Hirshfeld surface analysis. The DFT calculations were also performed on both the complex which corroborate the electronic and spectral aspects of complexes. The stability of 1 and 2 was checked using the PXRD pattern of 1 and 2 after 10 hrs in water and it shows the identical pattern even after the 24 hrs. Further, the metal–organic clusters were checked for their adsorption property towards the cationic dye such as Rhodamine B. Out of the two complexes, only 2 shows better adsorption property due to its better stability in water. The mechanism of dye adsorption is also explored.
Purpose
To evaluate and compare the surface properties (roughness and hardness) of poly(methylmethacrylate) denture base material modified with zirconium dioxide (ZNPs), silicon dioxide (SNPs), and ...diamond (DNPs) nanoparticles.
Materials and methods
Two hundred sixty heat‐polymerized acrylic resin disks (15 × 2 mm) were prepared. ZNPs, SNPs, and DNPs were added in concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% by weight of acrylic powder. This yielded a total of 13 groups for each test according to filler type and concentration (n = 10/group). The control group was made of pure acrylic. A mechanical polisher was used to standardize specimens’ surfaces before testing. A profilometer and Vickers hardness indenter were used to test the surface roughness and hardness, respectively. ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests were used for data analysis (α = 0.05).
Results
In comparison to control, results showed a nonsignificant increase in surface roughness (Ra) of acrylic material after the addition of 0.5% nanoparticles (ZNPs p = 0.168, SNPs p = 0.166, and DNPs p = 0.177), while a significant increase was seen with all other concentrations (p ˂ 0.05). Ra values of ZNP and DNP groups were significantly higher than those of the SNPs group (p < 0.001). The addition of any of the fillers to acrylic denture base materials significantly increased the hardness (p ˂ 0.05), with ZNPs and DNPs having values lower than those of the SNPs group (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Although nanofiller addition increased the hardness of denture base material, Ra was adversely affected when the concentration exceeded 0.5%. Therefore, 0.5% is suggested to be the most appropriate ratio to improve hardness with acceptable Ra.
