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Abstract Background Nursing students manifest a distinct level of intellect and comprehension, impacting their attitudes and perceived significance of distance learning in education. This study examined the attitudes, perceived value, and academic motivation surrounding distance learning among Jordanian nursing students, offering insights crucial to optimizing their educational journey. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 298 undergraduate Jordanian nursing students was recruited from two public universities in rural cities in south Jordan. Data were collected via self-reported instruments (June 2022 to August 2022). A Pearson correlation and independent t-test were used to examine the relationship between variables. Results The mean age of students was 20.9 years (SD = 1.16), and most students have a low perceived value of distance learning (n = 181, 60.7%). Most students (n = 179, 60.1%) have negative attitudes toward distance learning, and only 39.9% reflected positive attitudes. More than half of the participants (n = 166, 55.7%) reflected less academic motivation toward distance learning. Positive significant relationships were found between students’ perceived value of distance learning and their attitudes and academic motivation toward distance learning; low perceived value of distance learning was related significantly with low attitudes (r = 0.844, p

Perilunate dislocation is a rare carpal dislocation, which are predominantly trans-styloid and trans-scaphoid. This type of fracture dislocation is seen due to axial loading of a hyperextended ulnar-deviated wrist. This can result in the disruption of the scapholunate, lunocapitate, and lunotriquetral ligaments. The lunate may dislocate volar or dorsal to the other carpal bones. Herein, we have reported a case of trans-styloid, trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture dislocation with carpal tunnel syndrome, which has never been reported in the literature. A 38-year-old construction worker presented with a swollen hand and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. The patient was diagnosed with perilunate fracture dislocation after a through clinical and radiological assessment. The scaphoid had invaginated into the radial styloid and demonstrated a comminuted fracture pattern. Volar lunate displacement was identified, and the patient demonstrated signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is not a common presentation. Open reduction with ligament repair was performed to minimize jeopardizing the hand function. Spelt tea cup sign is a diagnostic for perilunate dislocation. Operative exploration and reduction is imperative for failed closed lunate dislocation reduction to minimizes ongoing soft tissue jeopardy. Moreover, carpal tunnel release is indicated in the present of symptomatic carpal tunnel syndrome. To our knowledge, only a few cases of trans-styloid, trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation with neurological deficit have been reported.

Soil sodicity, salinity, clay dispersion, and clay soil cracking are significant issues for modern agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) has traditionally been used to estimate potential changes in infiltration rates or hydraulic conductivity when sodium cations dominate irrigation water quality. Recent research indicates that the cation ratio of soil structural stability (CROSSf and CROSSopt) provides better predictive capabilities for soil structure and threshold electrolyte concentration than SAR, especially when water used for irrigation or aquifer recharge contains both potassium and sodium cations. In this study, soil columns filled with clay loam were used to assess the impact of recycled water reuse on soil structure stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Ten treatments were prepared using chloride solutions of sodium, potassium, calcium, and/or magnesium to create a broad range of synthetic recycled water qualities with varying SAR, CROSSf, and CROSSopt values. After a pre-saturation process, the columns were maintained to have a constant 1 cm head of treatment solutions with a salinity of 1.5 dS/m. The results showed that CROSSf had a stronger correlation with saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil aggregate stability in comparison to CROSSopt and SAR. The R2 for saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil structure were 0.90 and 0.94 for CROSSf, 0.41 and 0.60 for CROSSopt, and 0.75 and 0.78 for SAR, respectively. Notably, the treatments that received solutions with 0-SAR values but contained potassium had significantly more dispersible clay throughout the entire soil column than the treatment that received calcium chloride solution. It was concluded that the CROSSf model could offer enhanced accuracy and insight into predicting the impact of recycled water reuse for irrigation on soil infiltration rate and soil aggregate stability.

Herein, a novel set of imidazo-isoxazole derivatives containing thiourea and urea scaffolds were synthesized, characterized (1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis). These compounds were biologically evaluated for their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, identifying 5f as the most active (IC50 26.67 ± 1.25 μM and 39.12 ± 1.83 μM against α-amylase α-glucosidase, respectively), better than the standard, acarbose. Enzymatic kinetic results showed that 5f and acarbose complete competitive type inhibitors. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) demonstrated that undergoing substitutions on R1 and R2 groups attached to the thiourea/urea moiety chains controlled the activity. Besides, in-silico ADMET study showed that almost title compounds exhibited satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties. In molecular docking study, the top performing compound (5f) exhibited higher binding energies (−5.501 and −6.414 kcal/mol, respectively) showing crucial interactions and that snuggly fit in their active site. To shed light on their mechanism of action, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations approach executed at 100 ns duration authenticated the high stability of 5f-1B2Y and 5f-3A4A complexes. The results of this investigation disclosed that compound 5f may serve as a potential lead, accomplished with in vivo studies, for the management of diabetes.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementing different protease enzymes on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and selected carcass traits in broilers fed diets reduced 3.5% in crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA). One thousand one-day-old Ross 308 broilers (41 g) were assigned to five dietary treatments with ten replicates of 20 birds each: a positive control (PC) diet formulated to meet Ross 308 AA requirements, a negative control (NC) diet reformulated to provide 3.5% lower CP and AA compared to PC, NC supplemented with a multi-protease (PR1) solution, containing 3 different coated proteases produced from Aspergillus niger, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, NC supplemented with a serine protease (PR2) produced from Bacillus licheniformis, and NC supplemented with an alkaline protease (PR3) produced from Bacillus licheniformis. At slaughter, 40 birds per treatment were used to assess the effect of the different treatments on carcass traits. At 32 days, samples of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of 10 birds per treatment were collected for intestinal morphology evaluation. Birds fed PC and NC supplemented with multi-protease exhibited better (p < 0.05) feed efficiency compared to NC and NC supplemented with all the other protease enzymes. Multi-protease supplementation was linked to the highest (p < 0.05) carcass weight and yield. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between treatments in all gut segments, with PC, PR1, PR2, and PR3 exhibiting longer villi height (VH) compared to NC. This study demonstrates that 3.5% reduction of CP and AA negatively affected for the overall period feed efficiency, carcass yield, and intestinal morphology. The supplementation of the multi-protease restored feed efficiency and improved carcass yield.

Background: The standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR) is a metric utilized to measure antimicrobial use within and between hospitals by comparing observed to predicted antimicrobial days of therapy. However, it remains unknown whether narrow-spectrum beta-lactam (NSBL) use adds to overall antimicrobial utilization or substitutes broad-spectrum agents. This muti-hospital cohort study examined the impact of NSBL use on overall antimicrobial utilization and the correlation between the use of NSBL and various broad-spectrum antimicrobial categories in South Carolina (SC) hospitals. Methods: SAARs were collected from all hospitals in SC that reported antimicrobial use (AU) data to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) between 2017 and 2021. SAARs collected included: overall SAAR, broad-spectrum agents predominantly used for hospital-onset infections (BSHO), broad-spectrum agents predominantly used for community-acquired infections (BSCA), NSBL, and antibacterial agents posing the highest risk for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Category SAARs were combined to include data in both the adult intensive care unit (ICU) and adult wards using the formula: [(total observed antimicrobial days ICU + total observed antimicrobial days ward) / (total predicted antimicrobial days ICU + total predicted antimicrobial days wards)]. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to examine the correlation between various SAARs categories. Results: A total of 38 hospitals in South Carolina reported AU to NHSN at least during one calendar year during the study period. The use of NSBL agents was negatively correlated with the use of BSHO (r = -0.596, p < 0.001), BSCA (r = -0.543, p < 0.001), and high-risk CDI antibiotics (r = -0.601, p < 0.001). Moreover, the use of NSBL agents did not correlate with the overall SAAR (r = 0.008, p = 0.93), whereas the use of BSHO (r = 0.587, p < 0.001), BSCA (r = 0.494, p < 0.001), and high-risk CDI agents (r = 0.464; p < 0.001) positively correlated with the overall SAAR. Conclusion: In South Carolina hospitals, the use of NSBLs does not contribute to additional antibiotic use overall as it seems to replace broad-spectrum antimicrobials in various categories. By de-escalating from broad-spectrum agents to NSBL agents, one can improve antimicrobial use without negatively impacting the overall SAAR. This observation encourages implementation of antimicrobial stewardship interventions that increase utilization of NSBLs, when appropriate, such as de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy among others without concerns for increasing the SAAR for overall antibiotic use.

Background: Family medicine physicians are one of the leading prescribers of antimicrobials in both the inpatient and ambulatory setting, however appropriate education on antimicrobial stewardship (AS) is lacking. The Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative of South Carolina (ASC-SC) created a family medicine AS lecture series to increase awareness of stewardship, improve antimicrobial prescribing throughout the state, and ultimately combat antimicrobial resistance. Methods: All family medicine residency programs in South Carolina (n=17) were contacted to determine interest in a four 1-hour long lecture series regarding various AS topics provided by infectious diseases physicians and pharmacists. The introductory AS lecture included topics such as interpreting minimal inhibitory concentrations, utilizing antibiograms, guidelines for diagnosing and treating common infections, and antibiotic essentials. Lectures were given on-site, and eight identical pre- and post-lecture questions were asked to assess baseline knowledge and efficacy of the introductory lecture. Not all the attendees answered all the pre- and post-lecture questions. A Chi-square analysis was used to determine statistical significance. Results: To date, 7 family medicine residency programs were given the introductory antimicrobial stewardship lecture and were included in the total analysis. Respondents included 1st year (25 of 99 responses, 25%) and 2nd year family medicine residents (17 of 99 responses 17%). When asked “How familiar are you with the concept of antimicrobial stewardship?”, 43 of 106 (41%) respondents were at least familiar or very familiar prior to the lecture compared to 81 of 93 (87%) after the lecture (p < 0.001). When asked “How confident are you in using antibiograms for antimicrobial decisions?”, 41 of 107 (38%) were confident or very confident pre-lecture and 83 of 101 (82%) post-lecture (p < 0.001). When given a case-based question on using an antibiogram to determine an appropriate empiric agent for inpatient pyelonephritis, 59 of 107 (55%) respondents were able to answer the question correctly pre-lecture compared to 85 of 99 (86%) post-lecture (p < 0.001). Among those who answered the question incorrectly, 60% selected the agent with the highest percentage susceptible rate in the antibiogram, despite it being an inappropriate agent for pyelonephritis. Conclusion: The ASC-SC lecture series was an effective tool to increase awareness and knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship to family medicine providers. This lecture series survey data helps determine what family medicine residents commonly misunderstood in AS concepts and helps guide future initiatives.

A robust authentication method is needed to protect online user accounts and data from cyber-attacks. Using only passwords is insufficient because they can be easily stolen or cracked. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) increases security by requiring two or more verification factors from the user before granting access to a resource such as an online account or an application. MFA is essential to a strong identity and access management (IAM) policy. This study evaluates and contrasts several MFA methods for online systems, including Microsoft Authenticator, FIDO2 security keys, SMS, voice calls, and biometrics. We assess these methods based on four criteria: security, usability, cost, and compatibility. We discover that only some MFA methods excel across the board. The best MFA method will depend on the organization's and users' specific needs and preferences. Each MFA method has benefits and drawbacks on its own. Based on our analysis, we do, however, make some general observations and recommendations, such as preferring FIDO2 security keys and certificate-based authentication for high-security scenarios, choosing Microsoft Authenticator and biometrics for high-usability scenarios, and avoiding SMS and voice calls for low-security and low-usability scenarios.

Due to global warming, animal’s heat tolerance and adaptability characteristics to hot environmental conditions are attracting more research interest. The current experimental study was actually designed to evaluate and compare the heat tolerance efficiency of two purebred Saudi sheep when exposed to heat stress conditions under a biometeorologically-simulated environment similar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) semi-arid environment. A total of 20 healthy male growing lambs of Najdi and Naimi breed with an initial body weight of 24.71 ± 4.65 Kg and 4 month-old were used in a 2-phases experiment. During the preliminary phase (lasted for 3 weeks), lambs were placed under a stable thermoneutral condition. Meanwhile, simulation of the external environment was performed using climatic-controlled chambers during the experimental phase (lasted for 8 weeks). Several meteorological [ambient temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI)] and thermophysiological [rectal temperature (Tr), skin temperature (Tsk), respiratory rate (RR), heat tolerance coefficient (HTC), adaptability coefficient (AC), internal (BTGin), external (BTGex) and total (BTGto) body thermal gradients] measurements were recorded at weeks 0, 4 and 8. The obtained meteorological data showed that the prevailed conditions in the climatic chamber exhibited (P

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) testing identifies thousands of potential pathogens in a single blood test, though data on its real-world diagnostic utility are lacking. Objectives: Determine the diagnostic utility of mNGS testing in practice and factors associated with high clinical utility. Design: Retrospective cohort study of mNGS tests ordered from June 2018 through May 2020 at a community teaching hospital. Methods: Tests were included if ordered for diagnostic purposes in patients with probable or high clinical suspicion of infection. Exclusions included patient expiration, hospice care, or transfer outside of the institution. Utility criteria were established a priori by the research team. Two investigators independently reviewed each test and categorized it to either high or low diagnostic utility. Reviewer discordance was referred to a third investigator. The stepwise multiple regression method was used to identify clinical factors associated with high diagnostic utility. Results: Among 96 individual tests from 82 unique patients, 80 tests met the inclusion criteria for analysis. At least one potential pathogen was identified in 58% of tests. Among 112 pathogens identified, there were 74 bacteria, 25 viruses, 12 fungi, and 1 protozoon. In all, 46 tests (57.5%) were determined to be of high diagnostic utility. Positive mNGS tests were identified in 36 (78.3%) and 11 (32.4%) of high and low diagnostic utility tests, respectively ( p

One of the significant challenges to designing an emulsion transportation system is predicting frictional pressure losses with confidence. The state-of-the-art method for enhancing reliability in prediction is to employ artificial intelligence (AI) based on various machine learning (ML) tools. Six traditional and tree-based ML algorithms were analyzed for the prediction in the current study. A rigorous feature importance study using RFECV method and relevant statistical analysis was conducted to identify the parameters that significantly contributed to the prediction. Among 16 input variables, the fluid velocity, mass flow rate, and pipe diameter were evaluated as the top predictors to estimate the frictional pressure losses. The significance of the contributing parameters was further validated by estimation error trend analyses. A comprehensive assessment of the regression models demonstrated an ensemble of the top three regressors to excel over all other ML and theoretical models. The ensemble regressor showcased exceptional performance, as evidenced by its high R2 value of 99.7 % and an AUC-ROC score of 98 %. These results were statistically significant, as there was a noticeable difference (within a 95 % confidence interval) compared to the estimations of the three base models. In terms of estimation error, the ensemble model outperformed the top base regressor by demonstrating improvements of 6.6 %, 11.1 %, and 12.75 % for the RMSE, MAE, and CV_MSE evaluation metrics, respectively. The precise and robust estimations achieved by the best regression model in this study further highlight the effectiveness of AI in the field of pipeline engineering.

Background: This systematic review explores the impact of cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physiological outcomes post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Acknowledging the increasing importance of CRPs in post-CABG care, the study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive evaluation of their effectiveness. The primary objective is to investigate how CRPs influence HRQoL and physiological outcomes in post-CABG patients, offering insights into the multifaceted impact of these rehabilitation programs. Methods: A systematic literature review approach was employed to identify relevant studies published between 2013 and 2023. Inclusion criteria encompassed clinical randomized trials and quasi-experimental studies, with a focus on CRP interventions and their impact on HRQoL and physiological parameters. Results: The review reveals a diverse array of CRP approaches, including exercise training, home-based programs, and telemonitored interventions. Despite methodological variations, a consistent positive impact on HRQoL and physiological outcomes is observed across studies. Noteworthy interventions, such as those incorporating family caregivers, demonstrate holistic benefits. However, limitations include methodological variability and the exclusion of qualitative studies. Conclusions: This systematic review underscores the substantial positive impact of CRPs on HRQoL and physiological outcomes in post-CABG patients. The diverse approaches and consistent improvements across studies provide a robust foundation for healthcare practitioners and researchers. Future efforts should focus on standardizing CRP interventions and conducting well-designed trials to further enhance the evidence base, facilitating more targeted and effective rehabilitation strategies for CABG patients.

الأهداف: هدفت الدراسة إلى إجراء تأملات في التطور التاريخي لمحتوى كتب الجغرافيا في الأردن منذ عام 1921-2021. المنهجية: لتحقيق أهداف الدراسة استخدم المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، من خلال إعداد بطاقة ملاحظة لكل كتاب من كتب الجغرافيا تتضمن مؤشرات تم رصدها في كل كتاب. وقد شمل مجتمع الدراسة جميع كتب الجغرافيا التي أقرتها وزارة التربية والتعليم على امتداد الفترة الزمنية 1921- 2021، والمتوفرة في متحف الكتاب المدرسي. النتائج: بينت نتائج الدراسة الموضوعات الجغرافية المقدمة للطلبة في كل صف ومرحلة تعليمية من مراحل التعليم العام، وملامح التطور عبر الحقب التاريخية التي مرت بها المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية. كما بينت النتائج كتب الجغرافيا المشتركة التي استهدفت أكثر من فئة كالذكور والإناث، أو تلك الكتب التي تم إعدادها لصفوف دنيا وعليا، أو تلك المشتركة بين مرحلة مدرسية، وما بعد المرحلة المدرسية. كما أشارت النتائج إلى آليات طباعة الكتب، وسمات عملية التقويم، وكيفية معالجة الأخطاء الطباعية، والكتب المترجمة المعتمدة، بالإضافة إلى تبيان صورة النساء والخرائط فيها. الخلاصة: أظهرت الدراسة الحاجة إلى إعادة طرح مبحث الدراسات الاجتماعية لطلبة الصفوف الثلاثة الأولى في الأردن، بعد قرار إلغائها منذ أكثر من سبع سنوات. كما توصي الدراسة بإعادة تضمين بعض الموضوعات المرتبطة بجغرافيا الدول العربية، وموضوعات الجيولوجيا والفلك، لا سيما تلك التي كان تم طرحها في بدايات تأسيس الدولة الأردنية.

The study aims to assess the performance of an adsorption chiller using the Maxsorb III-methanol as an adsorbent pair. A modified transient lumped parameter model was developed to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the system at various operating parameters. Methanol is used as refrigerant as it has a significant latent heat of evaporation, high normal boiling point, low melting point and environmentally friendly. The results showed that the modified transient lumped parameter model can predict well the dynamic behavior of the adsorption chiller under different operating conditions. The system was able to produce about 13.65 kW (227 W kg-1) cooling capacity with a thermal COP of 0.73 at 85 and 30 oC driving source and cooling temperatures respectively. In addition, simulation tests were made to compare the performance of the Maxsorb III-methanol system with the different working pairs at the same physical dimensions of the present system components and operating parameters. At heat source temperatures of 85 oC which can be gained from waste heat or solar energy, the COP of the Maxsorb III-methanol cycle was about 12.0%, 44.0% and 6.6% higher than that of ACF-ethanol, silica-gel-water and activated charcoal/methanol cycles. The Maxsorb III/methanol adsorption cycle can work effectively with low grade heat sources, which can be gained from renewable energy or waste heat sources.

Background: Recently, attention has been paid to using plants with medicinal efficacy as alternates to antibiotics and growth promoters. Garlic is a traditional plants used as a spice and herb in broilers. Aim: The objective of the current feeding trial was to investigate the effect of garlic powder on broiler performance, carcass characteristics, blood hematology and biochemistry. Method: A total of 240 one-day-old broiler chicks (Cobb500) were purchased from local hatchery and randomly distributed into four dietary treatments. Each treatment comprised of five replicates with 12 chicks each. Garlic powder (Allium sativum) was supplemented as follows: 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%. The diets were formulated to be approximately isocaloric and cover all nutrients requirements for broiler throughout two stages of growth periods, starter diets (1 - 21) and finisher diets (22 - 42) days. At the end of the experiment, one bird was chosen from each replicate to measure the carcass characteristics and blood was collected. Results: The findings showed that birds fed diet supplemented by 0.3% garlic powder was significantly (P [Open Vet J 2022; 12(5.000): 595-601]

The trend is now to use renewable energy sources to improve energy efficiency in the building sector and preserve the environment. The use of sources as renewable off-grid applications for driven applications in home sector (micro-grids) is very interesting nowadays. The economic factor and the cost of establishing these grids is the main obstacle to these investments. One of the key solutions to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of these grids is how to optimally determine the ratings and combination of some renewable sources based on the location of the house. This paper presents an effective techno-economical design of a stand-alone hybrid system. The system contains a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine, battery, and diesel generator. This design is performed through an extensive examination of the techno-economical design of a standalone system to provide the desired energy load for a typical household building for both Albaha and Buraydah cities in Saudi Arabia. These two cities have different geographical locations as Albaha is located at latitude 20.0217 degrees north while Buraydah is located at 26.3592 degrees north. These two cities were selected due to the difference in their geographical locations to study the effect of the weather on the building performance in terms of cost of energy, energy penetration, and load met. To enhance the performance of the proposed hybrid system, some constraints were selected, such as Net Present Cost (NPC), and Total Annual Cost (TAC). Results demonstrate that stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems can be applied to improve energy efficiency and economics of the existing buildings. Integration of PV system, wind turbine, battery, and diesel generator in the best configuration can provide a minimum cost of energy of about $0.596/kWh and $0.603/kWh for Albaha and Buraydah cities, respectively.

In clinical practice, drug therapy for cancer is still limited by its inefficiency and high toxicity. For precision therapy, various drug delivery systems, including polymeric micelles self-assembled from amphiphilic polymeric materials, have been developed to achieve tumor-targeting drug delivery. Considering the characteristics of the pathophysiological environment at the drug target site, the design, synthesis, or modification of environmentally responsive polymeric materials has become a crucial strategy for drug-targeted delivery. In comparison to the normal physiological environment, tumors possess a unique microenvironment, characterized by a low pH, high reactive oxygen species concentration, hypoxia, and distinct enzyme systems, providing various stimuli for the environmentally responsive design of polymeric micelles. Polymeric micelles with tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive characteristics have shown significant improvement in precision therapy for cancer treatment. This review mainly outlines the most promising strategies available for exploiting the tumor microenvironment to construct internal stimulus-responsive drug delivery micelles that target tumors and achieve enhanced antitumor efficacy. In addition, the prospects of TME-responsive polymeric micelles for gene therapy and immunotherapy, the most popular current cancer treatments, are also discussed. TME-responsive drug delivery via polymeric micelles will be an efficient and robust approach for developing clinical cancer therapies in the future.

The last decade has seen dramatic growth in solar power. In some regions, the most favorable land for solar panels is farmland, which is often flat and exposed to high levels of irradiance. At the same time, the agricultural sector is faced with growing challenges, notably changing water availability and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The combination of these trends presents an opportunity for a synergistic relationship between the agriculture and solar sectors: agrivoltaic systems (AVS). In AVS, solar panels are placed above and between crops, such that the same land produces both food and energy. This system has beneficial microclimate impacts, such as reduced evapotranspiration. Yet, despite these benefits there has been limited uptake of AVS. One reason may be hesitation on the part of farmers, whose perceptions of AVS have been explored little. This analysis seeks to address part of this gap by exploring the relationship between farmer perceptions and interest in AVS. A Likert scale survey was designed and distributed to farmers across two large, agriculturally productive states, North Carolina and California. Responses from the 41 participants who fully completed the survey suggest that farmers who perceive AVS as diversifying their income or whose goals include reducing water use are the most interested in installing AVS. Respondents also identified financial viability as a major concern, agreeing that upfront cost is a major barrier to AVS, and markets as the most influential driver of crop decisions. These findings provide insights for policymakers interested in expanding AVS, particularly in response to environmental stressors, such as water scarcity and extreme weather events. They also suggest the aspects of AVS that may be most important to farmers, and most effective in encouraging AVS uptake. This information can support efforts to promote AVS, contributing to sustainable agriculture.

This study introduces an iterative scheduling method that combines two approaches for managing repetitive construction projects: the Critical Path Method (CPM) and the Repetitive Scheduling Method (RSM). The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how optimization techniques can be applied to minimize the cost of construction projects within a defined range, spanning from the shortest to the longest possible project durations. In the shortest project duration (as determined by CPM), all activities are allocated idle times based on precedence constraints, while in the longest duration (as determined by RSM), there is no idle time allocated. To calculate the optimal schedule, a computerized iterative method specifically designed for this purpose considers all possible combinations of activities with and without idle time. The optimum schedule is the one that minimizes the total project cost. The study reveals that by using an Excel spreadsheet, it is feasible to deterministically optimize the cost of repetitive construction projects, achieving the minimum cost. This minimization process can also be implemented as a Python application. Notably, this proposed system provides multiple optimal solutions, enabling managers to select the most suitable one. This advantage distin-guishes it from conventional methods, such as genetic algorithms and other optimization techniques. However, there are some limitations when applying this application, one of which is the maximum capacity available to run the application.

In clinical practice, a detailed medical history and physical exam, which includes a thorough neurological examination, are used to diagnose a brain tumor. The size, form, margin, and texture of the tumor, among other things, can influence the diagnosis of brain tumors. Even tumor types that are pathologically different could have a similar texture and appearance in radiology. Furthermore, carefully reviewing all test results could take a significant amount of time for doctors and radiologists. As a result, more advanced medical technology, such as an automated system to diagnose brain tumors, is required. This study aimed to use artificial neural networks to develop an automated approach for detecting brain tumors in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Towards this, about 4314 MRI images were acquired in this study. The data contains four classes: normal healthy brain, brain images having glioma, meningioma, or pituitary tumor. The raw data undergoes several preprocessing steps, and the impact of each preprocessing stage on the model accuracy was evaluated. A Densely Connected Convolutional Network (DenseNet) was trained using three different datasets. Enhancing the MRI image's contrast and normalizing its intensities improve the classification accuracy. It shows that preprocessing steps improved the learning convergence of DenseNet training. The proposed model achieved an accuracy of 96.52%, and the sensitivity and specificity were 98.5% and 82.1%, respectively, using ten-fold cross-validation. Hence, we conclude that specific preprocessing steps significantly enhance the tumor segmentation performance for automated systems when using advanced techniques such as deep learning.

Introduction: Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a rapidly progressive necrotizing infection that affects the perineal and abdominal regions and is known for its high mortality rate. This study aims to present the practical experience of managing FG patients and identify factors that may affect their clinical outcomes. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted from April 2009 to December 2020 at General Military Hospital in Sana'a, Yemen including 26 patients who were diagnosed with FG and treated on. Data on demographic characteristics, time to admission, surgical intervention, and treatment outcomes were collected. Univariate analysis was performed to determine factors that affect patient outcomes. Result: The mean age of the patients was 65.77 ± 5.04 years, and 65.4% of them were over the age of 65. Most patients (57.7%) presented after five days of experiencing symptoms, and 65.4% were in septic conditions. Of the patients, 17 (65.4%) survived, and the total mortality rate was 34.6%. Univariate analysis showed that delayed presentation (p = 0.001), a history of diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), end-stage renal disease (p < 0.001), heart failure (p < 0.001), cerebrovascular accident (p = 0.032), liver cirrhosis (p < 001), presence of multiple comorbidities (p < 001), involvement of lager area (p < 001), septic conditions (p = 0.009), advanced age (p = 0.018), and intensive care unit admission (p = 0.002) were found to be risk factors for mortality in patients with FG. Conclusions: FG is a potentially life-threatening medical condition, even with aggressive and specialized treatment. Our study revealed a mortality rate of 34.6%. Factors such as older age, the presence of multiple comorbidities, septic conditions, the abdominal spread of the disease, intensive care unit admission, and delayed presentation contribute to higher mortality rates.

A wind turbine with a vertical axis offers a high potential for energy production. Numerous operational and design aspects, such as aspect ratio, blade number, climatic conditions, dust effect, rain impact, humidity, and other geometrical forms, affect the performance of vertical axial-wind turbines. In this work, CFD was used to analyze the flow characteristics across the blades of a unique vertical-axis wind turbine. The tests were conducted at various airflow velocities, including 2 m/s, 4 m/s, 6 m/s, and 8 m/s. Utilizing numerical simulation, the pressure contours and streamlines were drawn. Due to the direct influence of the dynamic pressure on the front surface of the turbine blades, the highest pressure was observed on the front side of the blades. Maximum vortices were found on the rear side of the turbine blades, whilst minimal vortices were observed on the front side. Likewise, the lowest pressure was measured on the side of the turbine blades. At airflow velocities of 8 m/s and 2 m/s, the highest and minimum pressure values measured were 7.3 kPa and 2.63 kPa, respectively. Additionally, streamlines were identified.

Problem: Drug shortage raise the possibility of medication errors and undesirable side effects as the total supply of all medications is inadequate to meet the current or projected demand. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of drug shortages in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the characteristics of drug shortages in the southern region of Saudi Arabia for the duration between March and June 2022. Healthcare professionals who work at hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in this study. Results: This study involved 705 participants. Pharmacists made up around half of them (46.2%). Around 76.3% of them were aware that there were drug shortages. More than half of them (61.4%) acknowledged that there is a drug shortage at their hospital on a daily to monthly basis. The majority of them (71.6%) stated that generic drug shortages are a typical occurrence. Tablets and capsules are the most frequent dosage forms that face shortages, according to about 40% of participants. Vitamins and supplements and antimicrobial agents (antibiotics-antivirals-antifungals) were the most often reported therapeutic areas that frequently encounter drug shortages, with 58.9% and 45.5%, respectively. Conclusion: A common issue in Saudi Arabia's southern region is a shortage of drugs. The implementation of numerous preventive strategies is necessary to avoid drug shortages. To address any unanticipated drug shortage issues, healthcare professionals should receive more training on the usage of alternative drugs.

In response to escalating global environmental challenges, developed countries have embarked on an ecological transition across a range of sectors. Among these, the construction industry plays a key role due to its extensive use of raw materials and energy resources. In particular, research into sustainable construction materials, here named eco-materials, has seen a boost in recent years because of their potential to replace less environmentally friendly materials such as concrete and steel. This paper proposes a large-scale group decision-making methodology to select among a set of candidate structural eco-materials based on sustainability considerations. The proposed approach is based on a novel quantitative SWOT analysis using survey data from a diverse group of experts, considering not only the technical aspects of the materials but also their impact in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As a result, a range of eco-materials are probabilistically assessed and ranked, taking into account the variability and uncertainty in the survey data. The results of this research demonstrate the suitability of the proposed methodology for eco-material selection based on sustainability criteria, but also provide a new generic methodology for group decision assessment considering the uncertainty in the survey data, which can be extended to multiple applications.

Introduction: While ample evidence on improved glycemic control, weight reduction, and lowered blood pressure (BP) with sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) exists, real-world data on the potential benefit of SGLT2i on the diabetic population in the Middle East are lacking. The aim of our study was to describe the glycemic control, changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and BPs in patients receiving dapagliflozin with other antidiabetic medication. Methods: The REWARD study was a multicenter, post-authorization, prospective, open-label, noninterventional, real-world, cohort study. We enrolled 511 adult, type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on antidiabetic medications. These patients were started on dapagliflozin and followed up for 1 year to assess changes in their clinical and laboratory outcomes. Results: The mean HbA1c decreased significantly from 8.5 ± 1.6% at baseline to 7.6 ± 1.3% after 12 months (p value

The renewable energy is expanding in the sub-systems of distribution electrical grids, due to having low energy costs and high reliability. In this study, off-grid design of the hybrid energy system based-renewable resources is proposed for a house in Hamadan city in Iran. The resources are designed based on economic and climate data such as battery, solar cells, wind turbines, and electrolyser/fuel cell. The design of mentioned resources is done with attention to twofold optimization modelling including operation cost (OC) and net present cost (NPC). The modelling of resources is implemented in HOMER software based on optimal sizing and installation costs. In the numerical simulation, the three optimal designs are presented to meet electrical demand with minimum costs and high reliability.

This study conducted experimental and machine learning (ML) modeling approaches to investigate the impact of using recycled glass powder in cement mortar in an acidic environment. Mortar samples were prepared by partially replacing cement and sand with glass powder at various percentages (from 0% to 15%, in 2.5% increments), which were immersed in a 5% sulphuric acid solution. Compressive strength (CS) tests were conducted before and after the acid attack for each mix. To create ML-based prediction models, such as bagging regressor and random forest, for the CS prediction following the acid attack, the dataset produced through testing methods was utilized. The test results indicated that the CS loss of the cement mortar might be reduced by utilizing glass powder. For maximum resistance to acidic conditions, the optimum proportion of glass powder was noted to be 10% as cement, which restricted the CS loss to 5.54%, and 15% as a sand replacement, which restricted the CS loss to 4.48%, compared to the same mix poured in plain water. The built ML models also agreed well with the test findings and could be utilized to calculate the CS of cementitious composites incorporating glass powder after the acid attack. On the basis of the R2 value (random forest: 0.97 and bagging regressor: 0.96), the variance between tests and forecasted results, and errors assessment, it was found that the performance of both the bagging regressor and random forest models was similarly accurate.

The β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) as supramolecular have extremely attractive pharmaceutical applications. This study focused on the effects of macrocyclic systems complexation on stability, antioxidant activities, and bioavailability of the optimized synthesis coumarin incorporating hydrazone moiety. Optimal synthesis of (E)-N’-(1-(7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide (7-diEAHC) was performed by using response surface methodology (RSM) with a temperature of 100 °C, a reaction time of 10 min in the presence of acetic acid (0.85 M). Physicochemical properties and in silico ADME profiling of 7-diEAHC were also determined. The encapsulation efficiencies of the 7-diEAHC were above 81 % for the micro-encapsulates. After sunlight exposure, the 7-diEAHC-β-CD inclusion complex showed a photostability 19.4 % higher than free 7-diEAHC. Additionally, the encapsulated 7-diEAHC exhibited better stability than free 7-diEAHC for the pH varied between 1 and 9. From the results, storage stability showed that the encapsulation method using β-CD conferred a greater ability of 7-diEAHC against temperature. The NMR and FT-IR techniques were employed to evaluate the chemical stability of 7-diEAHC after encapsulation. In addition, in vivo study showed that the micro-encapsulation approach increased the oral bioavailability of 7-diEAHC in treated rats.

Abstract Humanity's growing appetites for food and energy are placing unprecedented yield targets on our lands. Chasing those ever‐expanding land intensification targets gave rise to monocultures and sharpened the divide between food and energy production groups. Here, we argue that this does not have to be a zero‐sum game if food and energy can be co‐generated in the same land. Co‐generation can lead to sustainable intensification but requires a paradigm shift in the way we manage our resources, particularly light. Using an extended model of plant photosynthesis and transpiration, we demonstrate how plants react to different incident light spectra and show that manipulating light could be effective for boosting land and water efficiencies, thus potentially improving soil health. This knowledge can possibly unlock the real potential of promising modern agricultural technologies that target optimization of light allocations such as agrivoltaics. This study suggests that the blue part of the light spectrum is less efficient in terms of carbon assimilation and water use and could be more effectively used to produce solar energy, while the red part could efficiently produce biomass. A sensitivity analysis to the most important crop and environmental variables (irradiance, air temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration) shows that plant response to different light treatments is sensitive to environmental boundary conditions and is species‐specific. Therefore, further research is necessary to assess which crops and climates are more suitable to optimize the proposed food‐water‐energy nexus.

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic altered the research landscape dramatically, but the need to understand impacts on communities through research was as great as ever. In this paper, we detail the adaptive processes we leveraged to bring a network of community and academic partners together virtually and collaboratively build a survey reaching diverse populations, the challenges we faced, and what ultimately facilitated our success. The largest driver of our work was our shared goal of gaining a better understanding of the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic on New Yorkers in order to address their needs more meaningfully. Pre-existing relationships with community partners and flexible working processes grounded in equity also supported the functioning of the team. While participant recruitment proved to be challenging, the team pivoted and employed several strategies to reach our intended audiences and increase participation. This paper includes community stakeholders’ reflections on facilitators and barriers to survey development and recruitment in the context of a pandemic, as well as considerations for moving forward with virtual community-engaged research under challenging circumstances. In addition to sharing the collaborative processes that we built, our research-to-action network’s outputs, and our reflections on successes and roadblocks we faced, this paper highlights lessons in the importance of flexibility, trust, and innovation when conducting collaborative research during rapidly evolving public health crises.

Aims: The authors aimed to assess the ischemic stroke risk factors and scales. Materials & methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with acute ischemic stroke (from January 2017 to December 2018). The scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission and discharge and of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI) scale post-month of the stroke were collected. Results: Out of 376 patients, 359 were included, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 67.8 (12.2) years and male predominance (56.2%). Hyperlipidemia and hypertension were the most prevalent comorbidities (91.1% and 80.5%, respectively). The NIHSS, BI and mRS scores were worse among women, with no significant effects for comorbidities. The NIHSS scores at admission and discharge were significantly correlated with the post-month BI and mRS scores. Conclusion: The study findings suggest a complex interplay of gender, strict control and prevention of the modifiable stroke risk factors, as well as the association of neurological deficits' intensity with the functional outcomes.

Summary: Background: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p

The continuous search for novel biobased polymers with high-performance properties has highlighted the role of monofuranic-based polyesters as some of the most promising for future plastic industry but has neglected the huge potential for the polymers’ innovation, relatively low cost, and synthesis easiness of 5,5′-isopropylidene bis-(ethyl 2-furoate) (DEbF), obtained from the platform chemical, worldwide-produced furfural. In this vein, poly(1,12-dodecylene 5,5′-isopropylidene -bis(ethyl 2-furoate)) (PDDbF) was introduced, for the first time, as a biobased bisfuranic long-chain aliphatic polyester with an extreme flexibility function, competing with fossil-based polyethylene. This new polyester in-depth characterization confirmed its expected structure (FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR) and relevant thermal features (DSC, TGA, and DMTA), notably, an essentially amorphous character with a glass transition temperature of −6 °C and main maximum decomposition temperature of 340 °C. Furthermore, PDDbF displayed an elongation at break as high as 732%, around five times higher than that of the 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid counterpart, stressing the unique features of the bisfuranic class of polymers compared to monofuranic ones. The enhanced ductility combined with the relevant thermal properties makes PDDbF a highly promising material for flexible packaging.

Emotion recognition in real-time using electroencephalography (EEG) signals play a key role in human-computer interaction and affective computing. The existing emotion recognition models, that use stimuli such as music and pictures in controlled lab settings and limited number of emotion classes, have low ecological validity. Moreover, for effective emotion recognition identifying significant EEG features and electrodes is important. In our proposed model, we use the DEAP dataset consisting of physiological signals collected from 32 participants as they watched 40 movie (each of 60 seconds) clips. The main objective of this study is to explore multi-domain (time, wavelet, and frequency) features and hence, identify the set of stable features which contribute towards emotion classification catering to a larger number of emotion classes. Our proposed model is able to identify nine classes of emotions including happy, pleased, relaxed, excited, neutral, calm, distressed, miserable, and depressed with an average accuracy of 65.92%. Towards this end, we use support vector machine as a classifier along with 10-fold and leave-one-out cross-validation techniques. We achieve a significant emotion classification accuracy which could be vital towards developing solutions for affective computing and deal with a larger number of emotional states.

The American Chemical Society’s Division of Environmental Chemistry symposium Toward Creating a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Community of Practice, brought together 25 cross-disciplinary speakers in five thematic areas: 1) state of the art models and approaches, 2) WEF Nexus initiatives and case studies, 3) WEF governance and stakeholder engagement, 4) chemical processes and WEF Nexus, 5) WEF education, community, and practice. Discussions included diverse perspectives from different areas of expertise and provided key take-home messages toward building a WEF community of practice. This paper summarizes those messages, drawing conclusions regarding the anticipated challenges and opportunities moving toward establishing a resource-nexus community of science and practice that includes the chemical societies. We define the community of science and practice as a bottom-up approach of formal and non-formal scientists, policy makers, practitioners, technology providers, and civil society members concerned with any aspect of water, energy, food, ecosystem resources allocation, management, governance, and financing. The roles of chemistry and chemical processes in understanding the interlinkages of nexus systems must not be overlooked. Chemistry plays an important role in the circularity of the food and agriculture system, and in providing cleaner energy, cleaner water, and more sustainable food production. The question is how to better engage the chemical society in the WEF nexus moving forward? The paper proposes the resource of health, highlighting major challenges and opportunities in the Water-Energy-Food-Health-Ecosystems (WEFH) Nexus, and highlights future steps for fostering dialogue among this broad, multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder community toward establishing an inclusive community of science and practice.

Abstract Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that is caused by an autoimmune response that results in the neuron’s demyelination in the central nervous system. The exact etiology of MS is not clear; however, several environmental and genetic factors are believed to participate in its initiation and development, including exposure to viruses. This study aims to investigate the association between the seropositivity and antibody titer of selected herpesviruses and MS in Jordanian MS patients. Method In this study, 55 MS patients and 40 age- and gender-matching apparently healthy volunteers were recruited from two main hospitals in the north of Jordan. MS patients were grouped into three types of MS based on the clinical presentation of the disease. Blood samples were collected from the participants and the IgG antibodies for human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA), EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were assayed by ELISA. The prevalence of seropositivity and the antibody level for each of the antibodies were compared between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS. Results There was no significant difference in the prevalence of seropositivity and in the levels of antibodies for HHV-6, EBNA and VCA between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS. In contrast, the number of seropositive patients and the level of IgG antibodies for VZV were significantly higher in MS patients compared to the control. Conclusion This study showed that patients with MS in the north of Jordan were more likely to be seropositive for VZV than the general population. Based on this finding, we recommend further studies to evaluate the seropositivity to VZV to be carried out in other parts of Jordan and the greater middle east to find out if there is a correlation between MS and previous infection with VZV.

The effect of six months storage at 25 °C and 35 °C of Halawa tahinia on physicochemical and nutraceutical properties were evaluated. The results revealed that the highest value of phenol content of Halawa tahinia is 215.8 mg GAE 100 g−1 at zero time, while, the lowest level is 156.41 mg GAE 100 g−1 at 25 °C stored for six months. The highest antioxidant value is 64.38% at zero time and the lowest is 42.42% stored at 25 °C for six months. Results showed a decrease in antioxidant activity, total phenolics content (TPC) and anthocyanin during storage of Halawa tahinia at 25 °C and 35 °C. The raw material Halawa tahinia found to contain the highest amounts of phenols, antioxidant activities and anthocyanins, which were 320.47 mg GAE 100 g−1, 71.80%, and 0.54 mg cya-3-glu100 g−1, respectively. While, the soapwort root contained lower amounts of phenols and antioxidant as the values found was 30.17 mg GAE 100 g−1 and 5.06%, respectively. There was no significant difference between TPC and anthocyanin content in Halawa tahinia at 25 °C and at 35 °C. The anthocyanin levels of Halawa tahinia stored at 35 °C for six months decreased from 0.48 mg cya-3-glu 100 g−1 at zero time to 0.12 mg cya-3-glu100 g−1 at the sixth month. The color values of Halawa tahinia increased during storage at 25 °C and 35 °C. However, the total phenolics, antioxidant activity and anthocyanin contents of Halawa tahinia decreased significantly during processing and storage for six months at 25 °C and 35 °C. However, still, it is of considerable amount.

Abstract Background Autoimmune encephalitis presents with subacute neurological, psychiatric, and behavioral symptoms. In many cases, MRI and CSF studies return normal. Laboratory testing for pathogenic neuronal antibodies is limited by accessibility and sensitivity issues. Finally, the different diagnostic approaches lack consensus and have until recently been largely retrospective. Collectively, these factors predispose for delays in diagnosis and treatment in many cases. Case presentation We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman who did not initially meet the newly proposed criteria for probable autoimmune encephalitis, but in whom the detection on electroencephalogram (EEG) of subtle asymmetric slowing of the left hemisphere ultimately led to the diagnosis. Discussion EEG is highly sensitive and rarely normal in encephalitis. The recently introduced diagnostic criteria for autoimmune encephalitis included new-onset seizures in the earliest steps in the algorithm but did not yet incorporate EEG findings. We encourage practicing physicians to use EEG as an early, sensitive diagnostic tool for cases suspected to have autoimmune encephalitis.

Abstract Peripheral neuropathy is a common neurodegenerative disease, with vastness of inducers and causalities. The acquired form peripheral neuropathy can be caused by traumatic injuries caused by nerve lacerations or compressions. Such injuries are usually followed by Wallerian degeneration, and inflammatory reaction. We present a case of a 33-year-old female with a chronic loss of the ulnar nerve function for 8 years after traumatic laceration. After that, she regained the functions of ulnar nerve after nerve stimulation by peri-ulnar nerve injection of methylprednisolone and lidocaine. The theory behind using steroids is related to the fact that the immune system could induce a secondary injury that interferes with the recovery. Many studies have shown effectiveness in using steroids alone or when combined with other substances on nerve regeneration in animal models. We believe that this is the first report of nerve recovery using local steroidal injections after a traumatic injury.

A series of novel-sulfonated furanic polyesteramides have been synthesized by polycondensation in the melt-phase. The copolymers were obtained with reasonable molecular weights and high inherent viscosities between 0.2 and 0.4 dL/g. The hydrolytic degradability of polyesteramides was enhanced by the increasing of amide units in the copolymers backbone.

Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are commonly used in medical applications for prevention, diagnosis, and detection of neurological diseases. These EEG signals have also been used in designing brain computer interfaces for assistive technologies. For densely placed electrodes and long EEG recordings, a large amount of data needs to be stored, preferably in compressed form. This EEG signal compression is particularly required in an out-of-the-lab environment so that these signals are efficiently transmitted over wired/wireless communication channels. To this end, we propose a novel compression scheme for EEG signals, which exploits the intra-channel redundancy using motion compensated temporal filtering (MCTF) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) based sub-band coding. In the pre-processing stage, multi-frame data is constructed such that each group of picture (GOP) contains information from a single channel of EEG data. This helps in removing the intra-channel redundancy. We apply MCTF on each GOP to exploit temporal redundancy, following which the DWT is applied on temporally decomposed frames to exploit spatial redundancy. Each spatio-temporal decomposed frame is assigned a bit budget for minimum distortion. For this purpose, we assign more bit budget to temporally decomposed low pass frames as compared to high pass frames. Spatio-temporal frames are then encoded at the assigned bit rate by using set partitioning in hierarchical tree (SPIHT) algorithm to create the bit stream. Our experimental results showed 4.5% and 2.4% reduction in distortion at the same data rate for BCI-3 and BCI-4 datasets, respectively. These results improve upon the reduction in data size achieved using state-of-the-art compression methods such as SPIHT and SPIHT with independent component analysis.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative of South Carolina created quarterly Comparative SAAR Analysis Reports based on standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR) data from the NHSN Antimicrobial Use (AU) Option. These reports provide SAAR histograms and site-specific feedback to participating facilities in South Carolina. They were created to improve antimicrobial use throughout the state, especially in rural regions.

The profiles of food products are one interesting link that adds a new functional component. Cookies became one of the remarkable foods as a result of their simple preparation, a protracted period, and a sensible acceptance by the population. The effects of sonication on physical and sensory characteristics of cookies to be enhanced were studied. The results showed that cookies prepared with 5 and 10% replacement of sonicated whey protein had significant differences in sensory evaluation especially crumb, but there were no significant differences in the physical characteristics, so we can conclude that sonication will improve sensory properties of cookies. Also, we can conclude that biscuit samples supplemented with 5 or 10% WPC were nutrient-rich. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the cookie samples supplemented with 5% WPC performed better in most of the characteristics but decreased with an increase in the WPC level. The texture properties of the cookie samples indicated that the control cookies with WPC-supplemented cookies showed no significant differences in most studied properties. It can be concluded that the addition of sonicated whey protein enhanced the physiochemical and sensory properties of cookies.

Poststroke depression (PSD) is common and remains a significant risk factor for poor outcomes. This prospective study is aimed at assessing the prevalence, severity, and predictors of PSD among Jordanian stroke survivors. A total of 151 patients who were consequently admitted to a tertiary teaching hospital with ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were enrolled. Participants were screened on admission for premorbid depression using the PHQ-9 questionnaire; then, screening for PSD was repeated one and three months after stroke using the same tool. Depression prevalence at each screening was reported, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate for significant predictors. PHQ-9 scores suggestive of depression were reported by 15%, 24.83%, and 17.39% of respondents on admission and after one and three months, respectively. Scores suggesting severe depression were reported by 0.71%, 2.13%, and 6.52% of respondents, respectively. Significant predictors of PSD were having chronic kidney disease, current smoking status, moderate or severe disability (mRS score) at stroke onset, and severe dependence (BI) after one month (p values 0.007, 0,002, 0.014, and 0.031, respectively). Patients with secondary and high school education levels were less likely to get depression compared with illiterate patients (p 0.042). This study showed that nearly one in four Jordanian stroke survivors experienced PSD after one month. In contrast, while the overall PSD prevalence declined towards the end of follow-up period, patients who remained depressed showed a tendency towards higher PSD severity.