Search

This paper examines the end-of-life (EOL) waste management regulations and guidelines of five leading countries—China, USA, India, Japan, and Germany—to identify best practices and lessons that can enhance Saudi Arabia's EOL waste management strategies. The study delves into China's regulatory framework, highlighting its import bans on certain wastes, the USA's manufacturer responsibility requirements for product disposal, India's engagement of the informal sector in waste collection and recycling, Japan's take-back system mandating manufacturer responsibility for product recovery and recycling, and Germany's advanced system promoting the separate collection of EOL products and stringent hazardous waste regulations. By evaluating these diverse regulatory approaches and integrating insights from recent literature, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive perspective to assist Saudi Arabia in developing an effective EOL waste management system. Given the current state and deployment of solar PV systems in Saudi Arabia, the generation of PV solar panel waste is currently minimal. However, future projections indicate a significant increase, and it is worrisome that the KSA currently lacks the necessary systems and infrastructure to handle this waste effectively. To address this challenge sustainably, it is essential to introduce and implement an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, develop robust recycling infrastructure, enhance public awareness and education, and foster public–private partnerships. These measures will provide a strong foundation for managing end-of-life PV solar panel waste in Saudi Arabia. Such a system would ensure environmental protection, public health, and economic growth. Moreover, the research findings could serve as a valuable resource for other countries seeking to improve their EOL waste management practices. This study underscores the importance of learning from successful international waste management practices to enhance EOL waste management systems globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk is a complete liquid food source since it contains rich amount of protein, fat and major minerals. Presence of trace amount of toxic metals in milk products by any means make it unfit for human consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate metals in raw milk of buffalos and cows from different farms of district Quetta. Fifty-six whole raw milk samples from cows and buffalos were collected and analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy for metal contents. Levels of metals (mean±SD) such as mercury (1.97±0.49 ppm), antimony (0.37±0.08 ppm) and aluminum (0.49±0.33 ppm) exceeded the maximum permissible concentration whereas, all other studied metals including arsenic, lead, iron, sodium, cobalt and chromium were below the recommended standard values of World Health Organization (WHO). Mercury and aluminum contents were comparatively higher in buffalo milk (2.02±0.49 ppm and 0.51±0.32 ppm) than in cow milk (1.91±0.48 ppm and 0.46±0.34 ppm). The contents of antimony were higher in cow milk. The presence of metal contents in milk was greatly influenced by environmental factors, fodder contents used for animal's nutrition and water used for animal's water intake use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major global public health concerns particularly affecting population of lowincome countries. Early detection of disease coupled with other parameters help in treatment and reducing disease transmission. The current study was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid Sunnyvale, CA, United States) in comparison to conventional techniques used for the diagnosis of TB. Our study is one of the first ones from Pakistan investigating and assessing the performance of GeneXpert. We recruited eight hundred clinically TB suspects initially and included seven hundred and sixteen clinically TB suspects in the final analysis. The results of GeneXpert were compared with Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. In comparison to MGIT and ZN staining the sensitivity of GeneXpert with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was (99.7 %, CI 0.98-0.99) and (95.1 %, CI 0.92-0.97) respectively. The positive and negative predictive values with 95 % CI were (97.1 %, CI 0.94-0.98) and (99.7 %, CI 0.98-0.99) when results of GeneXpert were compare with MGIT results. The results of this study confirm the performance of GeneXpert. With high sensitivity and rapid detection, GeneXpert is ready to be considered as preferred diagnostic tool for TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charging behaviours of electric vehicles (EVs) exhibit substantial randomness, making accurate prediction or modelling challenging. Furthermore, as the number of EVs continues to increase, charging stations are diversifying their offerings to accommodate distinct charging characteristics, addressing a wide spectrum of EV charging needs. Previous research mostly focused on the randomness of EVs while neglecting the heterogeneity in charging infrastructure. Therefore, this paper introduces a decentralized collaborative optimal method for EV charging stations, taking into account the varying facility types and the power limitations. First, a decentralized collaborative framework is proposed. The energy boundary model and the average laxity of EVs contribute to transforming the optimization problem into a Markov Decision Process (MDP) with uncertain transitions. Then, multi‐agent deep deterministic policy gradient multi‐individuals (MADDPG‐MI) algorithm is developed to train several heterogeneous agents presenting different types of charging facilities. Each agent makes decisions for multiple homogenous charging piles. Numerous simulation studies validate that the proposed method can effectively reduce charging costs and manages in scenarios involving either homogeneous or multiple heterogeneous charging facilities. Moreover, the MADDPG‐MI algorithm demonstrates performance consistency among multiple decision‐making units while consuming lower training resources offering enhanced scalability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare masticatory efficiency of shortened dental arch subjects before and after insertion of removable partial denture. METHODOLOGY: A total of 66 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Masticatory efficiency and performance were evaluated with the help of sieve method before and after insertion of removable partial denture based on a procedure described by Gunne. The masticatory efficiency ratio was determined as volume of raw carrot that passed through sieve divided by total volume of raw carrot recovered and was expressed as percentage. RESULTS: The mean value of pre-treatment masticatory performance of the patients was 34.66 ± 2.96 while the mean value of post-treatment masticatory performance of the patients was 53.98 ± 45.91 (p-value=<0.001). The mean change from pre and post treatment of masticatory performance of the patients was 19.32 ± 3.03. CONCLUSION: According to this study there is significant improvement in masticatory performance after provision of removable partial denture in patients with shortened dental arches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple treatment options are available for replacement of a missing anterior tooth, each with its own pros and cons. This case report aims to describe the use of a conservative and cost-effective approach for replacing a missing mandibular anterior tooth with periodontally compromised abutment teeth. Here we describe a case in which a single abutment tooth was minimally prepared for a Cantilevered Metal Resin-Bonded Fixed Partial Denture. This report provides a brief literature review regarding the success rates and various designs for resin-bonded fixed prosthesis. It also emphasizes on proper case selection for better long-term prognosis. The results after 1 year follow up of this case demonstrated optimal clinical success of the restoration which encourage the use of this minimally invasive technique for replacing missing teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Missing teeth in the anterior region can be a source of great aesthetic concern for the patient and its restoration presents an even greater challenge to the dentist. Invasive prosthodontic treatment modalities have many biological and biomechanical shortcomings. This clinical report presents a minimally invasive treatment option for a 17-year-old boy who wanted a replacement for his missing upper left central incisor, primarily due to aesthetic concerns. Missing tooth was restored with cantilevered zirconia resin bonded fixed dental prosthesis that has a durable functional and aesthetic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the influence of education, demographic variables and duration of denture use on satisfaction level among complete denture wearer. METHODOLOGY: A sample of 230 patients, fulfilling the inclusion criteria, were participated in this study. The level of education, demographic details, duration of denture use and patients' satisfaction with complete denture therapy in term of comfort, esthetics, phonetics, chewing, retention and ease of cleaning were recorded by using a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed by Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0. Post-stratification Chi-square test was applied by taking p-value <0.05 as significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 60.37±9.055 years, 165(71.74%) were females. Out of 230 respondents, literacy level of 78(33.91%) was matric & above. The average duration of use of denture was 7.09+3.295 months. On the basis of overall satisfaction scores 151(65.5%) patients were satisfied with the denture. There was statistically significant difference in age and patients' satisfaction level with dentures (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that approximately 65% of the patients are satisfied with complete denture therapy. The demographic variables (except age) and duration of use of denture have no influence on patients' satisfaction level with dentures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]