Vocational Interests of Middle and High School Students in the UAE

This paper investigated the vocational interests of students in the UAE and determined its relationship to gender and grade level. The Emirates Scale for Vocational Interests- Revised (ESVI-R) was used to attain the goal of the investigation. The ESVE-R was administered to 1920 students in the different emirates who were in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Accordingly, the sample was comprised of 866 (45.1%) male and 1054 (54.9%) female students. The data were analyzed using the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical protocols. The results showed that there are significant gender differences in most of the subscales of ESVI-R whereas there are significant differences in some of the subscales according to students' grade level. The study concluded that the vocational interests of the students demonstrated stability along grade levels and that there was a notable shift in the vocational interests of female students in the trajectory of seeking an equal opportunity with their male counterparts. Keywords: Vocational interests, gender differences, grade level, UAE school students

Vocational Interests of Middle and High School Students in the UAE

This paper investigated the vocational interests of students in the UAE and determined its relationship to gender and grade level. The Emirates Scale for Vocational Interests- Revised (ESVI-R) was used to attain the goal of the investigation. The ESVE-R was administered to 1920 students in the different emirates who were in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Accordingly, the sample was comprised of 866 (45.1%) male and 1054 (54.9%) female students. The data were analyzed using the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical protocols. The results showed that there are significant gender differences in most of the subscales of ESVI-R whereas there are significant differences in some of the subscales according to students' grade level. The study concluded that the vocational interests of the students demonstrated stability along grade levels and that there was a notable shift in the vocational interests of female students in the trajectory of seeking an equal opportunity with their male counterparts. Keywords: Vocational interests, gender differences, grade level, UAE school students

In-vitro investigation of biofilm-specific resistance and virulence of biofilm-forming uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary etiologic agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study aimed to investigate the difference in antimicrobial susceptibility of UPEC isolates in the planktonic and biofilm states. Important virulence factors were also evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined and recorded as 0.5-64 μg/ ml for amikacin, 0.5-64 μg/ ml for cefotaxime, 0.25-64 μg/ ml for cefepime, 0.25-16 μg/ ml for meropenem, and 0.125-32 μg/ ml for ciprofloxacin. Biofilm-specific resistance was assessed using the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC). The obtained results for MBEC were: 8-512 μg/ ml for amikacin, 32-512 μg/ ml for cefotaxime, 8-512 μg/ ml for cefepime, 4-256 μg/ ml for meropenem, and 4-128 μg/ ml for ciprofloxacin. The virulence factors were evaluated using suitable phenotypic techniques. Our findings revealed a significant enhancement in the antimicrobial resistance after biofilm formation. The MBEC values were higher than the MIC values by 2-128 folds for amikacin, 2-256 folds for cefotaxime, 2-64 folds for cefepime, 8-128 folds for meropenem, and 4-128 folds for ciprofloxacin. The swimming and swarming motilities demonstrated a significant positive correlation (rs = 0.506, P< 0.001). Protease production analysis revealed a large variation, with the weak biofilm-producing isolates EW2 and EW15 displaying the largest zone diameters of 39 mm and 33 mm; respectively. We have also evaluated the distribution and levels of siderophore production, which were significantly associated with meropenem resistance. Finally, this study underscores the importance of considering biofilm formation in UPEC treatment and emphasizes the need for therapeutics targeting these biofilms

The Main and Most Important Radiological Role in the Future of the Healthcare Management: A Systematic Theoretical Review

This study aimed at exploring the main and most important Radiological role in the future of the healthcare management through a systematic theoretical review.  As radiology plays the key role of jumping in to investigate dis­ease diagnosing, staging, monitoring and following it over time and offering expertise and consultation on disease states. And highlighting that this discipline is now in a stage of profound metamorphosis through out of building the value of radiology and the radiologist, to empower radiologists to be larger contributors to care teams. The study concluded that the current radiology model, though useful in many respects, needs to adapt to changing economic incentives and in one way or another align itself with those of the clinicians radiologists serve.

The international perinatal outcomes in the pandemic (iPOP) study: Protocol

Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant death worldwide, but the causes of preterm birth are largely unknown. During the early COVID-19 lockdowns, dramatic reductions in preterm birth were reported; however, these trends may be offset by increases in stillbirth rates. It is important to study these trends globally as the pandemic continues, and to understand the underlying cause(s). Lockdowns have dramatically impacted maternal workload, access to healthcare, hygiene practices, and air pollution - all of which could impact perinatal outcomes and might affect pregnant women differently in different regions of the world. In the international Perinatal Outcomes in the Pandemic (iPOP) Study, we will seize the unique opportunity offered by the COVID-19 pandemic to answer urgent questions about perinatal health. In the first two study phases, we will use population-based aggregate data and standardized outcome definitions to: 1) Determine rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth and describe changes during lockdowns; and assess if these changes are consistent globally, or differ by region and income setting, 2) Determine if the magnitude of changes in adverse perinatal outcomes during lockdown are modified by regional differences in COVID-19 infection rates, lockdown stringency, adherence to lockdown measures, air quality, or other social and economic markers, obtained from publicly available datasets. We will undertake an interrupted time series analysis covering births from January 2015 through July 2020. The iPOP Study will involve at least 121 researchers in 37 countries, including obstetricians, neonatologists, epidemiologists, public health researchers, environmental scientists, and policymakers. We will leverage the most disruptive and widespread natural experiment of our lifetime to make rapid discoveries about preterm birth. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening or unexpectedly improving perinatal outcomes, our research will provide critical new information to shape prenatal care strategies throughout (and well beyond) the pandemic

High Vibration of a Centrifugal Compressor Casing Caused by the Gas Leakage across a Damaged Gasket

Case StudyA sudden increase of casing vibration along with loud noise and shaking of casing and process piping were observed on a large sales gas centrifugal compressor, while the rotor vibration was below alarm level. When the unit was shut down and restarted several times, the issue occurred again after few hours of operation. A detailed investigation of site data combined with aerodynamic analysis (CFD) and mechanical analysis (FEA) allowed identification of the unexpected root cause of this severe casing vibration issue as the rupture of an elastomer gasket inside the compressor casing

An Alternative Option to Provide Seal Gas for Dry Gas Seals Which was Used During the First Start Up of Pipeline Booster Compressors

Case StudyThis case study covers the initial start up (“black� start up) of a centrifugal compressor at a pipeline station located in a remote desert environment in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the issue that the suction and discharge header pressures were the same. • No supply of process gas at a higher pressure than the suction pressure was available for use as seal gas. • In many gas plant or Refinery installations, suitable gas at a higher pressure is often available, but this was not the case for this pipeline application • The seal gas system configuration studied and described was used to overcome this seal gas supply issue during initial or “black� startu

Selective Partial Reduction of Nitroarenes to the Hydrazoarene Catalyzed by Amine‐Modified Ordered Mesoporous Silica Immobilized Ionic Liquid (OMSIIL) Stabilised RuNPs

Ruthenium nanoparticles stabilised by an amine-modified Ordered Mesoporous Silica Immobilized Ionic Liquid (OMSIIL) are efficient catalysts for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene with 100 % selectivity as well as the complete reduction to aniline. High selectivity for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene was obtained when the reaction was conducted in ethanol with 0.5 mol% catalyst and NaBH₄ as the hydrogen donor whereas aniline was obtained as the sole product in water when dimethylamine borane (DMAB) was used as the hydrogen donor. Interestingly, while a range of electron poor nitroarenes were reduced to the corresponding hydrazoarene with high selectivities and good conversions, nitroarenes substituted with electron donating groups resulted in complete reduction to the aniline. Composition-time profiles suggest that reductions conducted in ethanol with sodium borohydride occur via the condensation pathway while those conducted in water using dimethylamine borane as the hydrogen source may well go via the direct pathway. This is the first example of the selective reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene using a ruthenium nanoparticle-based catalyst and the initial TOF of 320 mol nitrobenzene converted mol Ru⁻¹ h⁻¹ for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene is markedly higher than previous literature reports. A study of the catalyst performance as a function of the surface modification revealed that each component has a direct and dramatic effect on the efficacy as RuNPs stabilised by COK-12 modified with imidazolium-based ionic liquid and a primary amine gave the highest conversion while selective removal of either component or replacement of the primary amine with a tertiary amine resulted in a marked reduction in efficiency

Comparison of diagnostic tests for the detection of Brucella spp. in camel sera

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brucellosis in livestock causes enormous losses for economies of developing countries and poses a severe health risk to consumers of dairy products. Little information is known especially on camel brucellosis and its impact on human health. For surveillance and control of the disease, sensitive and reliable detection methods are needed. Although serological tests are the mainstay of diagnosis in camel brucellosis, these tests have been directly transposed from cattle without adequate validation. To date, little information on application of real-time PCR for detection of <it>Brucella </it>in camel serum is available. Therefore, this study was performed to compare the diagnostic efficiency of different serological tests and real-time PCR in order to identify the most sensitive, rapid and simple combination of tests for detecting <it>Brucella </it>infection in camels.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>A total of 895 serum samples collected from apparently healthy Sudanese camels was investigated. Sudan is a well documented endemic region for brucellosis with cases in humans, ruminants, and camels. Rose Bengal Test (RBT), Complement Fixation Test (CFT), Slow Agglutination Test (SAT), Competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (cELISA) and Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) as well as real-time PCR were used. Our findings revealed that <it>bcsp31 </it>kDa real-time PCR detected <it>Brucella </it>DNA in 84.8% (759/895) of the examined samples, of which 15.5% (118/759) were serologically negative. Our results show no relevant difference in sensitivity between the different serological tests. FPA detected the highest number of positive cases (79.3%) followed by CFT (71.4%), RBT (70.7%), SAT (70.6%) and cELISA (68.8%). A combination of real-time PCR with one of the used serological tests identified brucellosis in more than 99% of the infected animals. 59.7% of the examined samples were positive in all serological tests and real-time PCR. A subpopulation of 6.8% of animals was positive in all serological tests but negative in real-time PCR assays. The high percentage of positive cases in this study does not necessarily reflect the seroprevalence of the disease in the country but might be caused by the fact that the camels were imported from brucellosis infected herds of Sudan, accidentally. Seroprevalence of brucellosis in camels should be examined in confirmatory studies to evaluate the importance of brucellosis in this animal species.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We suggest combining <it>bcsp31 </it>real-time PCR with either FPA, CFT, RBT or SAT to screen camels for brucellosis.</p