Perception and clinical practice regarding mucus clearance devices with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study of healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: Clearing secretions from the airway can be difficult for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mucus clearance devices (MCDs) are an option in disease management to help with this, but healthcare provider awareness and knowledge about them as well as current clinical practice in Saudi Arabia are not known. DESIGN: A cross-sectional online survey consisting of four themes; demographics, awareness, recommendations and clinical practice, for MCDs with COPD patients. SETTING: Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: 1188 healthcare providers including general practitioners, family physicians, pulmonologists, nursing staff, respiratory therapists and physiotherapists. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Healthcare providers' level of awareness about MCDs, and the identification of current clinical practices of COPD care in Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: 1188 healthcare providers (44.4% female) completed the survey. Regarding devices, 54.2% were aware of the Flutter, 23.8% the Acapella and 5.4% the positive expiratory pressure mask. 40.7% of the respondents identified the Acapella, and 22.3% the Flutter as first choice for COPD management. 75% would usually or always consider their use in COPD patients reporting daily difficulty clearing mucus, whereas 55.9% would sometimes or usually consider the use of MCDs with COPD patients who produced and were able to clear mucus with cough. In clinical practice, 380 (32%) of the respondents would prescribe MCDs, 378 (31.8%) would give MCDs without prescriptions, 314 (26.4%) would not provide them at all and 116 (9.8%) would only advise patients about them. CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers are aware of the existence of MCDs and their benefits for sputum clearance and believe that MCDs are beneficial for sputum clearance in some COPD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN44651852

Improved precision on the experimental E0 decay branching ratio of the Hoyle state

Stellar carbon synthesis occurs exclusively via the $3\alpha$ process, in which three $\alpha$ particles fuse to form $^{12}$C in the excited Hoyle state, followed by electromagnetic decay to the ground state. The Hoyle state is above the $\alpha$ threshold, and the rate of stellar carbon production depends on the radiative width of this state. The radiative width cannot be measured directly, and must instead be deduced by combining three separately measured quantities. One of these quantities is the $E0$ decay branching ratio of the Hoyle state, and the current $10$\% uncertainty on the radiative width stems mainly from the uncertainty on this ratio. The $E0$ branching ratio was deduced from a series of pair conversion measurements of the $E0$ and $E2$ transitions depopulating the $0^+_2$ Hoyle state and $2^+_1$ state in $^{12}$C, respectively. The excited states were populated by the $^{12}$C$(p,p^\prime)$ reaction at 10.5 MeV beam energy, and the pairs were detected with the electron-positron pair spectrometer, Super-e, at the Australian National University. The deduced branching ratio required knowledge of the proton population of the two states, as well as the alignment of the $2^+_1$ state in the reaction. For this purpose, proton scattering and $\gamma$-ray angular distribution experiments were also performed. An $E0$ branching ratio of $\Gamma^{E0}_{\pi}/\Gamma=8.2(5)\times10^{-6}$ was deduced in the current work, and an adopted value of $\Gamma^{E0}_{\pi}/\Gamma=7.6(4)\times10^{-6}$ is recommended based on a weighted average of previous literature values and the new result. The new recommended value for the $E0$ branching ratio is about 14% larger than the previous adopted value of $\Gamma^{E0}_{\pi}/\Gamma=6.7(6)\times10^{-6}$, while the uncertainty has been reduced from 9% to 5%.Comment: Accepted for publication as a Regular Article in Phys. Rev. C on July 29 202

SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

The preparation and characterization of buckypaper made from carbon nanotubes impregnated with chitosan

© 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers Biopolymer chitosan was incorporated into a thin multiwalled carbon nanotube membrane (MWNT buckypaper) via filtration and soaking in 0.1% (w/v) of low-molecular-weight (MW) chitosan. The properties of the buckypaper membrane before and after annealing and after soaking were characterized by measurement of their electrical conductivities (19 ± 2 to 42 ± 2 S/cm), contact angles (31 ± 4° to 71 ± 4°), and mechanical properties (tensile strength, small-ranging between 1.4 ± 0.1 and 4.2 ± 0.7 MPa; Young's modulus: 85 ± 4 to 443 ± 20 MPa). Moreover, the morphological properties, surface area, and permeability toward water of these buckypaper membranes were characterized and compared with corresponding carbon nanotube membranes prepared with Triton X-100 (Trix) as the surfactant. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) data of MWNT-annealing buckypaper membranes revealed that the diameters of their surface pores were significantly higher than that of the corresponding buckypaper membranes soaked in chitosan solution. The solution of chitosan incorporated inside the porous structure of the annealed MWNT membrane led to a significantly reduced surface area and pore size distribution of the composite membrane, revealing that this could be a useful method for desalination

Synthesis and characterisation of MWNT/chitosan and MWNT/chitosan-crosslinked buckypaper membranes for desalination

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Novel buckypaper (BP) membranes for nanofiltration application were fabricated from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) and biopolymer containing quaternary amine groups (chitosan and chitosan-crosslinked by in-situ amine crosslinking). Characteristics of the BP membranes were systematically characterized in terms of mechanical (tensile strengths varied between 49 ± 4 and 59 ± 3 MPa) and electrical properties (60 ± 1 to 70 ± 1 S/cm), contact angle (76 ± 3° to 102 ± 3°), surface morphology, membrane swelling, pore size, surface charge, solubility, water permeability (ranging from 019 ± 0.01 to 0.87 ± 0.03 L m− 2 h− 1 bar− 1), and salts rejection (80–95% for MgCl2, 21–63% for NaCl, 18–37% for MgSO4 and 6–14% for Na2SO4). These BP membranes were able to sustain up to 18 bar of pressure. Their properties were significantly affected by the type of biopolymer modifiers. The highest water permeability was obtained with the MWNT/chitosan BP membrane, while the MWNT/chitosan-crosslinked membranes showed the best salt rejection performance. In addition, separation performance by these membranes appeared to be governed by the unhydrated radii of these inorganic salts

Comparative Analysis of Three Nickel–Titanium Rotary Files in Severely Curved L-Shaped Root Canals: Preparation Time, Aberrations, and Fracture Rates

Raid Abdullah Almnea,1 Sadun Mohammad Al Ageel Albeaji,2 Ahmed Ali Alelyani,3 Dalia AlHarith,4 Abdulmajeed Saeed Alshahrani,1 Ahmed Abdullah Al Malwi,5 Mohammed A Alobaid,6 Mohammed M Al Moaleem7 1Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Endodontics, College of Dentistry, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Consultant Endodontics, Dental Center, Hafar al Batin, Saudi Arabia; 3Restorative Department, Endodontic Division, College of Dentistry, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Restorative Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5‏Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Endodontics, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 6Restorative Dental Science Department & Department of Dental Education, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Prosthetic Dental Science, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Mohammed M Al Moaleem, Department of Prosthetic Dental Science, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966-550599553, Email [email protected]: This simulated study of 30 severely curved L-shaped root canals aimed to compare preparation time, aberrations, width measurements, and fractured files of three nickel–titanium (Ni–Ti) files, namely, ProTaper, ProTaper Next (PTN), and WaveOne (WO).Methods: Thirty simulated L-curved root canals of resin blocks were randomly divided into three groups. The canals were prepared to a tip size of 25 using ProTaper, PTN, and WO rotary file systems. Pre- and post-operative views for each sample were captured by a professional camera at a standardized distance and position. Blue India ink was injected into the pre-operative canals, and red India ink was injected into the post-operative canals to give a clear superimposition image. Five points were assessed through the halfway of the canal to the orifice (area between the beginning of curvature and apical end point). Preparation time, aberrations, width measurements, and fractured files were recorded and analyzed.Results: Mean preparation time was longest in ProTaper (4.89± 0.68 minutes). PTN and WO were the fastest in preparing the canals (about 3 minutes). A statistically significant difference was found between WO and ProTaper & PTN and ProTaper (p=0.000), while the difference was non-significant (p >  0.05) between WO and PTN. Nine aberrations consisting of three zips, one ledge and one outer widening were related to ProTaper, while WO recorded a ledge and fractured file, but for PTN system, it verified an outer widening and ledge. Only one WO file fractured, with no deformation observed in the other instruments. No significance was recorded among the width measurements in the different levels.Conclusion: ProTaper next achieved faster cutting than the ProTaper and WO file systems. PTN maintained the best apical termination position and produced the least canal aberration, followed by WO and ProTaper.Keywords: simulated canal, rotary system, preparation time, canal aberrations, nickel–titanium files, dental pulp cavity, root canal therap

The rejection of mono- and di-valent ions from aquatic environment by MWNT/chitosan buckypaper composite membranes: Influences of chitosan concentrations

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Owing to the scarcity of proper drinking water is an urgent problem, MWNT/Chitosan membrane is greeting to reject mono- and di-valent ions from water. MWNT/Chitosan membrane was fabricated through the dispersion of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in an aqueous solution containing different concentrations of chitosan. The influence of solution concentration on membrane salt rejection properties, as well as contact angle, electrical conductivity, water permeability, mechanical properties, zeta potential, surface area and internal pores morphologies has been investigated. The resulting buckypaper demonstrate that the contact angle (91° ± 4° to 124° ± 3°), electrical conductivity (17 ± 1 to 83 ± 3 S/cm), water permeability (0.59 ± 0.04 to 5.73 ± 0.3 L/m2 h bar), surface area and internal pores morphologies of the buckypaper membranes were decreased by increasing the concentration of chitosan. While, the mechanical properties (tensile strengths varied between 35 ± 2 and 75 ± 3 MPa) and zeta potential of these buckypaper membranes were found to increase with increasing the amounts of chitosan. A buckypaper fabricated from MWNTs and a high concentration of chitosan (0.4% w/v) showed a higher rejection efficiency for these salts, possibly due to their smaller internal pore volumes and lower specific surface area

Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus and Practices Regarding Lifestyle Factors and Diabetes Management in a General Adult Population of Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Ayoub Ali Alshaikh,1,* Syed Esam Mahmood,1,* Fatima Riaz,1,* Ahmed Shubayli Assiri,2,* Majdoleen A Abdulrahman,3,* Mohammed Yahya Althwabi Asiri,3,* Ghadeer Redha Abdullah Alnakhli,4,* Mohanad Qasem A Alshabab,3,* Saud Saeed Abdullah Alsaleh,5,* Majed Yahya Alshahrani,6,* Amnah Saad H Alharthi,7,* Amar Abdullah Al Qahtani7,* 1Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudia Arabia; 2Consultant Family Medicine, Ministry of Health, Aseer Region, Abha, Saudia Arabia; 3Saudi Board of Family Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 4Saudi Board of Pediatric Neurology, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 5Saudi Board of Internal Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 6Saudi Board of General Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 7College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Syed Esam Mahmood, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Many studies report a lack of public awareness of the risk factors and complications of Diabetes Mellitus. Adequate glycemic control is crucial in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes complications, and medication adherence is one of the key factors in achieving this goal. This study aimed to measure the knowledge about diabetes mellitus and practices regarding lifestyle factors and diabetes management in the study population in the Aseer region, of Saudi Arabia.Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in Abha, a city in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. The general population of 18 years of age and above, who were residing in the study area during the period of study, ie, January 2023 to June 2023, were included. The questionnaire was distributed through social media and e-mail for data collection. The descriptive variables were presented using frequency, percentage, and graphs. Pearson’s chi-square test was used at a 5% level of significance. Multivariate tests were applied to further explore the findings of univariate analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.Results: Out of the total 348 participants, a higher proportion was males (56.3%). About 78.7% of the participants were ever diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 21.3% were never diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Nearly 31.6% knew that the major cause of diabetes mellitus was obesity and 31.3% knew that it was a hereditary disease. About 42.2% of respondents exercised regularly and 27.6% were smokers. Adherence to prescribed anti-diabetic medications was seen in 63.2% of the respondents. Self-alterations in the timing and dose of prescribed anti-diabetic drugs were seen in 36.5% and 34.8%, respectively. About 60.1% had a moderate level of self-rated knowledge about Diabetes Mellitus, and 27.6% and 12.4% had good and poor self-rated knowledge levels of Diabetes mellitus, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the age group 60– 69 years had significant variations as compared to the other age groups on DM, bachelor’s degree holders had significant variations as compared to other education variables, being married had significant differences as compared to those unmarried, those employed had significant variations as compared to the other occupation categories, and smokers had a significant impact on DM as compared to non-smokers.Conclusion: Findings indicated less number of respondents exercised regularly, low adherence to prescribed anti-diabetic medications and low levels of self-rated knowledge of diabetes mellitus. Enhancing the patients’ knowledge of diabetes mellitus and improving their self-management and adherence to its medications is necessary through public health education.Keywords: adherence, diabetes mellitus, management, aseer regio