The Role of Social Media Platforms in Confronting Intellectual Extremism from Majmaah University Students Perspective

The present study aims to investigate the role of social media platforms in confronting intellectual extremism among Majmaah University students. The researchers conducted the descriptive analytical approach and applied a 20- item questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of (213) students. The results showed that Tik Tok and Snapchat were ranked first among the study sample. Also, there was a moderate negative impact of social media on intellectual security, with a mean of (2.99). This is due to the nature of the content published on networks and its impact on the subscribers. It indicated the importance of social media, more specifically Tik Tok and Snapchat, among the sample of the study. It can be attributed to gender since females are more interested in social networks to publish and share photos. Moreover, the results revealed that social media platforms played a moderate role in resisting intellectual deviation among the participants, with an average mean of (2.96). There were no statistical differences in the impact of social media platforms on young peoples intellectual security and their role in resisting intellectual extremism due to responses to the study questions. The findings of the study call for the necessity of activating the positive role of social media by exploring new approaches to evolve effective alternatives in dealing with social networks by enhancing young peoples media literacy. Contribution/Originality: This study contributed to the existing literature by identifying the role of social media in combating intellectual extremism from the perspective of students at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. It also explored the most popular social media platforms among university students and their impact on students intellectual security

Passively Q-switched fiber lasers using a multi-walled carbon nanotube polymer composite based saturable absorber

We demonstrate a simple, compact and low cost Q-switched fiber lasers based on Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) and Thulium-doped fiber (TDF) to operate at 1534.5 nm and 1846.4 nm, respectively by exploiting a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) polymer composite film based saturable absorber (SA). The composite is prepared by mixing the MWCNTs homogeneous solution into a dilute polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution before it is left to dry at room temperature to produce thin film. Then the film is sandwiched between two FC/PC fiber connectors and integrated into the laser cavity for Q-switching pulse generation. The EDF laser generates a stable pulse train with repetition rates ranging from 38.11 kHz to 48.22 kHz by varying the 980 nm pump power from 39.0 mW to 65.3 mW. At the 65.3 mW pump power, the pulse width and pulse energy were 5.3 μs and 99.75 nJ, respectively. The TDF laser generates a stable pulse train with 10.38 kHz repetition rate, 17.52 μs pulse width and 11.34 nJ pulse energy at 121.1 mW 800 nm pump power. A higher performance Q switching is expected to be achieved in both fiber lasers with the optimization of the SA and laser cavity

Presence of BlaPER-1 and BlaVEB-1 Beta-Lactamase Genes among Isolates of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from Burn and Trauma Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan

Pseudomonas aeruginosa spp are the most prevalent bacteria that cause nosocomial infections in hospitals. Most antibiotics, including novel new β-lactams, are already resistant to them, and they can become resistant during treatment, which can make the treatment fail. P. aeruginosa isolates from ICU patients who had Per-1 and VEB-1 were the main focus of this study. These two ESBLs are the two most common in ICU patients who had them. 50 isolates were gathered from Peshawar\u27s LRH ICU facilities in the year 2021. The antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute\u27s standards (CLSI). The combination disc test used to identify isolates that produce ESBLs. Ceftazidime MIC was determined using the agar dilution method using particular primers, the PER-1 and VEB-1 genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifty-six percent patients (n=40) male, whereas forty percent (n=25) were female. Augmentin (96.6%, n=61) and cefpodoxim (86.7%, n=55) resistance was found in the majority of ICU isolates. Fifty isolates (77%) tested positive for ESBL, with 94 percent (n=47) carrying the PER-1 gene and VEB-1 gene 52 percent (n=26). Ten isolates had blaPER1 and blaVEB1 present at the same time, and seven of them amplified all three genes. ESBL producers were found in a large number of ICU P. aeruginosa isolates. Although blaVEB1 and blaPER1 were found in a small number of isolates, their frequency was very high. Furthermore, carbapenem resistance was negligible. Because of drug-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates, it is vital to monitor ICU centers

Early prediction keys for COVID-19 cases progression: A meta-analysis.

Backgroundː Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), within few months of being declared as a global pandemic by WHO, the number of confirmed cases has been over 75 million and over 1.6 million deaths since the start of the Pandemic and still counting, there is no consensus on factors that predict COVID-19 case progression despite the diversity of studies that reported sporadic laboratory predictive values predicting severe progression. We review different biomarkers to systematically analyzed these values to evaluate whether are they are correlated with the severity of COVID-19 disease and so their ability to be a predictor for progression. Methods: The current meta-analysis was carried out to identify relevant articles using eight different databases regarding the values of biomarkers and risk factors of significance that predict progression of mild or moderate cases into severe and critical cases. We defined the eligibility criteria using a PICO model. Results: Twenty-two relevant articles were selected for meta-analysis the following biomarkers C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, LDH, neutrophil, %PD-1 expression, D-dimer, creatinine, AST and Cortisol all recorded high cut-off values linked to severe and critical cases while low lymphocyte count, and low Albumin level were recorded. Also, we meta- analyzed age and comorbidities as a risk factors of progression as hypertension, Diabetes and chronic obstructive lung diseases which significantly correlated with cases progression (p < 0.05). Conclusionsː The current meta-analysis is the first step for analysing and getting cut-off references values of significance for prediction COVID-19 case progression. More studies are needed on patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and on a larger scale to establish clearer threshold values that predict progression from mild to severe cases. In addition, more biomarkers testing also help in building a scoring system for the prediction and guiding for proper timely treatment

ADAMTS19-associated heart valve defects: Novel genetic variants consolidating a recognizable cardiac phenotype

Recently, ADAMTS19 was identified as a novel causative gene for autosomal recessive heart valve disease (HVD), affecting mainly the aortic and pulmonary valves. Exome sequencing and data repository (CentoMD) analyses were performed to identify patients with ADAMTS19 variants (two families). A third family was recognized based on cardiac phenotypic similarities and SNP array homozygosity. Three novel loss of function (LoF) variants were identified in six patients from three families. Clinically, all patients presented anomalies of the aortic/pulmonary valves, which included thickening of valve leaflets, stenosis and insufficiency. Three patients had (recurrent) subaortic membrane, suggesting that ADAMTS19 is the first gene identified related to discrete subaortic stenosis. One case presented a bi-commissural pulmonary valve. All patients displayed some degree of atrioventricular valve insufficiency. Other cardiac anomalies included atrial/ventricular septal defects, persistent ductus arteriosus, and mild dilated ascending aorta. Our findings confirm that biallelic LoF variants in ADAMTS19 are causative of a specific and recognizable cardiac phenotype. We recommend considering ADAMTS19 genetic testing in all patients with multiple semilunar valve abnormalities, particularly in the presence of subaortic membrane. ADAMTS19 screening in patients with semilunar valve abnormalities is needed to estimate the frequency of the HVD related phenotype, which might be not so rare

Survival implications vs. complications: unraveling the impact of vitamin D adjunctive use in critically ill patients with COVID-19—A multicenter cohort study

BackgroundDespite insufficient evidence, vitamin D has been used as adjunctive therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of vitamin D as an adjunctive therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsA multicenter retrospective cohort study that included all adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and July 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on their vitamin D use throughout their ICU stay (control vs. vitamin D). The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the length of stay (LOS), mechanical ventilation (MV) duration, and ICU-acquired complications. Propensity score (PS) matching (1:1) was used based on the predefined criteria. Multivariable logistic, Cox proportional hazards, and negative binomial regression analyses were employed as appropriate.ResultsA total of 1,435 patients were included in the study. Vitamin D was initiated in 177 patients (12.3%), whereas 1,258 patients did not receive it. A total of 288 patients were matched (1:1) using PS. The in-hospital mortality showed no difference between patients who received vitamin D and the control group (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.87–1.71; p = 0.26). However, MV duration and ICU LOS were longer in the vitamin D group (beta coefficient 0.24 (95% CI 0.00–0.47), p = 0.05 and beta coefficient 0.16 (95% CI −0.01 to 0.33), p = 0.07, respectively). As an exploratory outcome, patients who received vitamin D were more likely to develop major bleeding than those who did not [OR 3.48 (95% CI 1.10, 10.94), p = 0.03].ConclusionThe use of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy in COVID-19 critically ill patients was not associated with survival benefits but was linked with longer MV duration, ICU LOS, and higher odds of major bleeding

Enhanced recovery programmes for lower limb arthroplasty in the UK

Introduction: Enhanced recovery programmes (ERPs) reduce patient morbidity and mortality, and provide significant cost savings by reducing length of stay. Currently, no uniform ERP guidelines exist for lower limb arthroplasty in the UK. The aim of this study was to identify variations in ERPs and determine adherence to local policy. Methods: Hospitals offering elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) (23 and 22 centres respectively) contributed details of their ERPs, and performed an audit (15 patients per centre) to assess compliance. Results: Contrasting content and detail of ERPs was noted across centres. Adherence to ERPs varied significantly (40–100% for TKA, 17–94% for THA). Analysis identified perioperative use of dexamethasone, tranexamic acid and early mobilisation for TKA, and procedures performed in teaching hospitals for THA as being associated with a reduced length of stay. Conclusions: This study highlights variation in practice and poor compliance with local ERPs. Given the proven benefits of ERPs, evidence-based guidelines in the context of local skillsets should be established to optimise the patient care pathway