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Objectives: This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to determine the localization of the mental foramen in a Saudi population using panoramic radiographs, identify the most common vertical and horizontal positions, assess bilateral symmetry, and analyze variations based on age and gender., Methods: Digital panoramic radiographs of 504 patients, aged 18-58 years, were analyzed. The variables assessed included age group, gender, vertical position (Zones A, B, and C), horizontal position (Zones 1-6), and symmetry (present/absent) of the mental foramen location bilaterally. The mental foramen location was determined using standardized vertical and horizontal zones, and data were recorded on specialized sheets. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and intra-examiner reliability were performed., Results: The sample consisted of 250 (49.6%) females and 254 (50.4%) males. Vertically, Zone B coinciding with premolar apices was the most frequent position bilaterally, with 317 (62.9%) on the right side and 321 (63.7%) on the left side. Horizontally, Zone 4 between the first and second premolars was predominant, with 332 (65.9%) on the right side and 345 (68.5%) on the left side. High bilateral symmetry in the location was observed in 441 (87.5%) cases. Statistically significant differences were found in mental foramen localization based on gender (p < 0.05). No significant association was found between age and vertical position, although a tendency for more anterior horizontal positioning in older individuals was noted (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Within the limitations of this panoramic assessment, the mental foramen was located most often inferior to premolar apices vertically and between the first and second premolars horizontally, with a high degree of bilateral symmetry. Gender had a significant impact on mental foramen position, while age showed a non-significant trend toward anterior horizontal localization. These findings guide dental procedures in the premolar region to avoid neurovascular damage., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Ahmad et al.)

Corrosion inhibition of molybdenum electrode in H 3 PO 4 acid medium of different concentrations (3.0 to 13 M) has been investigated utilizing different electrochemical techniques. It was observed that the most corrosive concentration is 3.0 M orthophosphoric acid concentration. The effect of adding Cl - to 3.0 M orthophosphoric acid in the concentration range of 0.1 to 1.0 M was also studied. This study showed that the most corrosive medium is 3.0 M containing 1.0 M chloride ion with the greatest rate of hydrogen production. In 3.0 M H 3 PO 4 acid with 1.0 M of NaCl, the tested electrode's corrosion and hydrogen production may be successfully suppressed by adding Streptomycin of 10 mM concentration leading to high inhibition efficiency. The outcomes of the studies were confirmed by scanning electron microscopic examination. Additionally, a computational chemistry approach was used to investigate how streptomycin adsorbs and inhibits corrosion at the interface of metal surfaces, and the outcomes of the computational studies are in excellent accord with the experimental findings., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Gastrointestinal perforation is a significant injury that originates mainly from gastrointestinal ulcers. It is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The height of the column of the air under the diaphragm can be used to estimate the amount of peritoneal soiling due to viscus perforation. This study aimed to determine the correlation between this estimate and the incidence of morbidity and mortality., Methods: To achieve this aim, a prospective cohort study was conducted on 83 patients at Kasr al ainy hospital who, between March 2021 and March 2022, presented to the emergency department with free air under the diaphragm at chest X-ray and required surgical intervention for a perforated viscus. For each case, the amount of peritoneal soiling and the amount of air under the diaphragm as determined by a chest X-ray were recorded., Results: The mean air under the diaphragm in a plain erect chest X-ray was 1.78 ± 1.92 cm, and the mean amount of peritoneal soiling was 1201.83 ± 948.99 CC. There are positive correlations between the amount of air under the diaphragm as shown on an X-ray and the size of the perforation (p = 0.034), the amount of peritoneal soiling (p = 0.003), and the mortality (p = 0.013)., Conclusion: There was a statistically significant correlation between air under the diaphragm according to X-ray and the amount of peritoneal soiling in patients with a perforated viscus. This measure can be used as a sensitive tool to predict morbidity and mortality as more free air in the chest X-ray is associated with significant mortality. These results may enhance the decision making using sensitive and available tool of diagnosis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER).)

Water electrolysis has attracted scientists' attention as a green route for energy generation. However, the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remarkably increases the reaction overpotential. In this work, we developed Co-based nanomaterials as cost-effective, highly efficient catalysts for OER. In this regard, different Co-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized using different organic linkers. After annealing under inert atmosphere, the corresponding Co-embedded mesoporous carbon (Co/MC) materials were produced. Among them, Co/MC synthesized using 2-methyl imidazole (Co/NMC-2MeIM) expressed the highest surface area (412 m 2 /g) compared to its counterparts. Furthermore, it expressed a higher degree of defects as depicted by Raman spectra. Co/NMC-2MeIM exhibited the best catalytic performance toward OER in alkaline medium. It afforded an overpotential of 292 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 and a Tafel slope of 99.2 mV dec -1 . The superior electrocatalytic performance of Co/NMC-2MeIM is attributed to its high content of Co 3+ on the surface, high surface area, and enhanced electrical conductivity induced by nitrogen doping. Furthermore, its high content of pyridinic-N and high degree of defects remarkably enhance the charge transfer between the adsorbed oxygen species and the active sites. These results may pave the avenue toward further investigation of metal/carbon materials in a wide range of electrocatalytic applications.

Assigned to their outstanding physicochemical properties, TiO 2 -based materials have been studied in various applications. Herein, TiO 2 doped with different Mo contents (Mo-TiO 2 ) was synthesized via a microwave-assisted solvothermal approach. This was achieved using titanium (IV) butoxide and molybdenum (III) chloride as a precursor and dodecylamine as a surface directing agent. The uniform effective heating delivered by microwave heating reduced the reaction time to less than 30 min, representing several orders of magnitude lower than conventional heating methods. The average particle size ranged between 9.7 and 27.5 nm and it decreased with increasing the Mo content. Furthermore, Mo-TiO 2 revealed mesoporous architectures with a high surface area ranging between 170 and 260 m 2 g -1 , which is superior compared to previously reported Mo-doped TiO 2 . The performance of Mo-TiO 2 was evaluated towards the adsorption of Rhodamine B (RhB). In contrast to TiO 2 , which revealed negligible adsorption for RhB, Mo-doped samples depicted rapid adsorption for RhB, with a rate that increased with the increase in Mo content. Additionally, Mo-TiO 2 expressed enhanced adsorption kinetics for RhB compared to state-of-the-art adsorbents. The introduced synthesis procedure holds a grand promise for the versatile synthesis of metal-doped TiO 2 nanostructures with outstanding physicochemical properties.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has arisen as an outstanding technology for energy generation, conversion, and storage. Herein, we investigated the synthesis of nickel-based hybrid metal oxides (Ni x M 1- x O y ) and their catalytic performance towards OER. Ni x M 1- x O y catalysts were synthesized by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) using the metal nitrates as oxidizer and glycine as fuel. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs display a porous morphology for the hybrid binary Ni x M 1- x O y , the common feature of combusted materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of Ni x M 1- x O y depicted well-defined diffraction peaks, which confirms the crystalline nature of synthesized catalysts. The particle size of as-synthesized materials ranges between 20 and 30 nm with a mesoporous nature as revealed by N 2 -physisorption. The electrocatalytic performance of the as-prepared materials was evaluated towards OER in alkaline medium. Among them, Ni x Co 1- x O y showed the best catalytic performance. For instance, it exhibited the lowest overpotential at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 (404 mV), onset potential (1.605 V), and Tafel slope (52.7 mV dec -1 ). The enhanced electrocatalytic performance of Ni x Co 1- x O y was attributed to the synergism between cobalt and nickel and the alteration of the electronic structure of nickel. Also, Ni x Co 1- x O y afforded the highest Ni 3+ /Ni 2+ when compared to other electrocatalysts. This leads to higher oxidation states of Ni species, which promote and improve the electrocatalytic activity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background Contaminated toothbrushes can cause several oral and systemic illnesses. This study aimed to identify the most rapid, effective, and affordable method for toothbrush decontamination. In addition, the most prevalent bacterial species colonizing toothbrushes were determined. Methodology Toothbrushes were collected after two weeks of use by 55 volunteers. The bacterial count was measured before and after sterilization using 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate, 0.1% Listerine, 70% white alcohol, 10% povidone-iodine, 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, ultraviolet radiation, microwave irradiation, 3% hydrogen peroxide, and 100% white vinegar, with tap water rinse as the control. Results A marked reduction in the bacterial count was observed pre- and post-sterilization. All sterilization methods were effective for toothbrush disinfection. Sterilization using 2% glutaraldehyde and 3% hydrogen peroxide solutions resulted in the most significant reduction in the mean bacterial count and percentage reduction in the total bacterial count, respectively. The toothbrush samples were also colonized by several different types of bacteria. The most common colonizing bacterial species included Bacillus subtilis (28% prevalence), Sacrina (26% prevalence),and Streptococcus pneumoniae (24% prevalence). Conclusions Because bacterial contamination cannot be eliminated and different species colonize toothbrush surfaces, cleaning and disinfection are essential to prevent disease transmission., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Assari et al.)

The production of syngas via dry reforming of methane (DRM) has drawn tremendous research interest, ascribed to its remarkable economic and environmental impacts. Herein, we report the synthesis of K, Na, Cs, Li, and Mg-promoted Ni/La 2 O 3 using solution combustion synthesis (SCS). The properties of the catalysts were determined by N 2 physisorption experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and H 2 -TPR (temperature programmed reduction). In addition, their catalytic performance towards DRM was evaluated at 700 °C. The results demonstrated that all catalysts exhibited porous structures with high specific surface area, in particular, Mg-promoted Ni/La 2 O 3 (Mg-Ni-La 2 O 3 ) which depicted the highest surface area and highest pore volume (54.2 m 2 g -1 , 0.36 cm 3 g -1 ). Furthermore, Mg-Ni-La 2 O 3 exhibited outstanding catalytic performance in terms of activity and chemical stability compared to its counterparts. For instance, at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30 000 mL g -1 h -1 , it afforded 83.2% methane conversion and 90.8% CO 2 conversion at 700 °C with no detectable carbon deposition over an operating period of 100 h. The superb DRM catalytic performance of Mg-Ni-La 2 O 3 was attributed to the high specific surface area/porosity, strong metal-support interaction (MSI), and enhanced basicity, in particular the strong basic sites compared to other promoted catalysts. These factors remarkably enhance the catalytic performance and foster resistance to coke deposition., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Aim: Recently, increasing evidence showed that small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) is a multifactorial disease which is precipitated by various perioperative factors other than graft size. We conducted the current work to evaluate perioperative effectors, which can increase the risk of SFSS following adult living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT)., Methods: This is a retrospective study on 110 adult cirrhotic cases (mean age of 48.4 ± 6.9 years old) who underwent adult LDLT. Most cases were males (89%). Cases were categorized into two groups based on the occurrence of SFSS. The groups were compared regarding preoperative (gender, age, comorbidities, baseline investigations), intraoperative (mean blood pressure and glucose; mean operation time; number of packed red cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate units; time of cold and warm ischemia, and anhepatic phase; preclamping and post-reperfusion portal pressures), and postoperative factors (relevant investigations, hospital stay)., Results: Postoperatively, 23 patients developed SFSS (20.9%). SFSS group had significantly lower preoperative graft recipient weight ratio (GRWR) (0.76 ± 0.1% versus 1.03 ± 0.15, respectively; p < 0.001), and elevated MELD scores (19 ± 2.1 versus 17.9 ± 4; p = 0.024). Preclamping and post-reperfusion portal pressures of ≥22.5 and 17.5 mmHg, exhibited a sensitivity of 95.7% and 91.3% and specificity of 87.4% and 88.9% respectively, for SFSS prediction., Conclusion: SFSS risk is significantly linked to GRWR, MELD score, and intraoperative portal haemodynamics. Intraoperative portal haemodynamics exhibited good diagnostic accuracy for SFSS prediction and represented promising indicators for the prediction of SFSS., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a direct cause of maternal death all over the world. A Bakri balloon is recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and World Health Organization (WHO) as a treatment line for PPH unresponsive to uterotonics. We carried out a systematic review to assess the safety and effectiveness of Bakri balloon in the management of PPH. Methods: We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, central Cochrane, and Web of Science, from 2001 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies to assess the safety and effectiveness of Bakri balloon on refractory PPH. Results: Twenty-eight articles were included for analysis. The primary indication for the use of a Bakri balloon tamponade was PPH. Only 67.9% (19/28) quantified the estimate blood loss necessary to use the balloon. Uterine atony was the underlying cause of PPH in 75% (21/28) of studies. Most of the studies on Bakri balloon are followed by vaginal birth (3/4). Bakri balloon displacement from the uterine cavity was reported by five publications, with the overall rate being 9% (95% CI: 5-15%). Hysterectomy was necessary for 1% (95% CI: 0-8%) of the women who required the balloon. Conclusions: Bakri balloon seems to be a less effective tool for management of PPH either after vaginal or cesarean delivery.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of prophylactic bilateral uterine artery ligation (BUAL) in reducing the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) during cesarean delivery among women at risk of uterine atony., Methods: A randomized clinical trial at Cairo University Maternity Hospital, Egypt, from December 2017 to December 2018. Women at risk of uterine atony undergoing scheduled or emergency cesarean were randomized to two groups. In the BUAL group, women underwent BUAL before placental delivery; in the control group, women had cesarean delivery without BUAL. The primary outcome was the estimated blood loss during cesarean., Results: Intraoperative blood loss during cesarean was significantly lower in the BUAL group than in the control group (523.4 ± 41.0 vs 619.6 ± 36.1 mL; P=0.003). Blood loss in the first 6 hours after cesarean was also significantly lower in the BUAL group than in the control group (246.1 ± 21.4 vs 326.1 ± 18.5 mL; P=0.006). There was no difference in operative time between the two groups (52.1 ± 6.1 vs 52.2 ± 6.8, P=0.880)., Conclusion: BUAL during cesarean was found to be an effective method for decreasing blood loss during and after cesarean delivery among women at risk of uterine atony and subsequent PPH. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT03591679., (© 2019 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

The catalytic combustion of methane (CCM) has been extensively studied owing to the wide use of methane in motor vehicles and power generation turbines. However, the absence of polarizability and the high C-H bond strength are considered to be the main drawbacks that limit its oxidation by traditional catalytic converters. Palladium-based catalysts are recognized as the benchmark catalysts for methane oxidation, especially under oxidizing conditions, and their activity is dependent on different parameters such as size, dispersion, and the nature of the support. Additionally, metal oxides are the most common supports used for CCM; however, they can become saturated with water, especially during steady-state operation at low temperatures, owing to their hydrophilic nature. This causes saturation of the active sites with OH species, which poisons the active centers of the catalyst, prevents activation of methane molecules, and induces catalyst sintering. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a binary palladium nanoalloy on a halloysite nanotube support (PdM@Hal). This one-pot synthesis procedure was performed via ultrasound-enhanced reduction of metal precursors in aqueous solution containing dispersed halloysite nanotubes, using NaBH 4 as reducing agent. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the synthesized PdM@Hal catalysts preserved the morphology of the pristine support after synthesis and calcination, with good dispersion of the catalyst on the surface of the support. Promoted metal-support interactions revealed enhanced catalytic performance, following the order PdNi > PdCo > Pd > PdCu, with activation energies of 68-94 kJ mol -1 ., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

In the last few decades, TiO 2 has been widely used in different types of photocatalytic applications. However, the relatively large optical band gap (∼3.2 eV), low charge carrier mobility and consequently its low quantum efficiency limit its photocatalytic activity. Herein, we construct a novel nanostructured heterojunction of WON/TiO 2 nanofibers (NFs) by integration of TiO 2 nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning of a polymer solution containing a titanium(iv) butoxide precursor with WON nanoparticles fabricated via annealing of a WO 3 precursor in dry ammonia at 700 °C. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. Their photocatalytic performance towards the degradation of methyl orange, methylene blue, and phenol as model contaminants was investigated and the charge transfer process was elucidated and compared to that of a TiO 2 /WO 3 heterojunction., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Precise fabrication of porous ternary Pt-based nanodendrites is very important for electrochemical energy conversion owing to high surface area and great molecular accessibility of these nanodendrites. Herein, PtPdRu porous nanodendrites (PNDs) were prepared via a facile one-step ultrasonic irradiation approach at room temperature. Intriguingly, the ultrasonic irradiation drove the formation of PtPdRu PNDs with spatially interconnected porous structures, whereas magnetic stirring produced PtPdRu nanoflowers (NFs) with less porosity. The formation mechanism was ascribed to the acoustic cavitation effect and fast-reduction kinetics under sonication. The as-made PtPdRu PNDs displayed a superior catalytic performance towards ethanol oxidation reaction with a high tolerance for CO-poisoning as compared to PtPdRu NFs, PtPd NDs, and commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Nanocomposites (CNTi) with different mass ratios of carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ) and TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared hydrothermally. Different characterization techniques were used including X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). UV-Vis DRS demonstrated that the CNTi nanocomposites exhibited absorption in the visible light range. A sun light - simulated photoexcitation source was used to study the kinetics of phenol degradation and its intermediates in presence of the as-prepared nanocomposite photocatalysts. These results were compared with studies when TiO 2 nanoparticles were used in the presence and absence of H 2 O 2 and/or O 3 . The photodegradation of phenol was evaluated spectrophotometrically and using the total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. It was observed that the photocatalytic activity of the CNTi nanocomposites was significantly higher than that of TiO 2 nanoparticles. Additionally, spectrophotometry and TOC analyses confirmed that degraded phenol was completely mineralized to CO 2 and H 2 O with the use of CNTi nanocomposites, which was not the case for TiO 2 where several intermediates were formed. Furthermore, when H 2 O 2 and O 3 were simultaneously present, the 0.1% g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanocomposite showed the highest phenol degradation rate and the degradation percentage was greater than 91.4% within 30 min.

Medico-legal tasks are not exclusive to forensic medical experts -any physician may face medico-legal issues in his career. Hence, the practice of medicine requires education in legal issues. In Saudi Arabia, there are 30 universities with medical colleges, but we do not know how they teach undergraduate forensic medicine and medico-legal issues. The aim of this study was to discover undergraduate training courses in forensic medicine in Saudi universities. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving all colleges of medicine in Saudi Arabia. A structured, self-administered questionnaire containing 13 items relating to the undergraduate forensic medicine course was distributed. Out of a total of 30 universities, 27 universities responded. Of these 27 universities, 16 (59.26%) teach forensic medicine to undergraduate medical students, and 11 (40.74%) do not teach forensic medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. Of the 27 universities that responded, none has a department of forensic medicine. Eleven universities that do not teach forensic medicine have no forensic medicine unit/division or faculty at all. Forensic medicine belongs to the pathology department in 11 universities, while it belongs to different departments in five universities. There is variation in teaching methods, years where the course is taught and length of the course. Practical and morgue visits take place in 7/16 (43.8%) universities, while 9/16 (56.3%) universities only teach the theoretical aspects of forensic medicine. All 16 universities teach forensic medicine only to medical students and do not teach it to students in other colleges such as dentistry and nursing., (© The Author(s) 2016.)