Lack of interpretation services for limited English and Arabic proficiency patients in Saudi hospitals: challenges and perceptions

Purpose – The motivation for the current exploration follows from the fact that one-third of the population in Saudi Arabia (SA) is expatriates. According to the Saudi General Authority for Statistic (https://www.stats.gov.sa/en), the total population in SA in 2021 is estimated at 33,413,660 people, 20,768,627 of whom are Saudi citizens whereas 12,645,033 are expatriates coming from different countries across the world, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Sri Lanka, among many others. In this study, the author targeted limited English and Arabic proficiency patients (LEAPPs) from only three countries in the Near East: (1) Bangladesh, (2) India and (3) Pakistan. The author selected these three countries because they represent the high number of expatriates in SA. According to www.globalmediainsight.com, the population of the abovementioned nationalities in SA in 2021 is as follows: India (2,550,000 million), Pakistan (2,450,000 million) and Bangladesh (1,300,000 million) (see https://bit.ly/3NR6SfT). The main official languages for Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are Urdu, Hindu and Bengali respectively. Although the English language is the second official language in both Pakistan and India, it comes as a second language, not as a mother tongue. In other words, these LEAPPs are unlikely to have a full command of the English language. Design/methodology/approach – The current study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative component follows from the use of questionnaires whereas the qualitative part comes from the execution of face-to-face interviews. This mixed approach has been influential in earlier explorations (see, e.g. Terrel, 2012; Dawadi et al., 2021) and was used in this study to achieve two objectives: (1) to explore whether LEAPPs suffer linguistically when they visit a Saudi hospital, and this data can be elicited via questionnaires, and (2) to gain insights from LEAPPs' experience and attend to their suggestions towards the improvement of the linguistic landscape of the Saudi health system, and this can be gleaned from the interviews. Findings – Based on questionnaires and interviews, the study shows that 64.5% of LEAPPs cannot express their health issues to Arabic-speaking physicians, while 54.8% cannot understand the details of their diagnoses and the guidelines of the prescriptions. Although there is a strong consensus among LEAPPs that interpretation services should be introduced to the Saudi health sector to achieve a better experience, 67.7% are generally satisfied with the current healthcare. Contra previous claims that patients are concerned about their privacy with the introduction of interpreters (see, e.g. Hadziabdic, 2011; Floyd and Sakellariou, 2017; MacFarlane et al. 2020), the present study shows that 70.9% of LEAPPs express no concerns regarding their privacy, whereas 19.3% adopt a neutral position. Originality/value – Unlike Al-Khathami et al. (2010) who explored the perspective of Saudi patients towards nonArabic speaking nurses and contra Alhammami (2020) who examined the attitudes of the nonArabic speaking doctors towards Saudi patients, the current study shed more light on a neglected sample, namely the laborers, janitors and other craftsmen who have limited knowledge of both Arabic and English and who visited a Saudi clinic/hospital and were met by Arabic-speaking physicians

In Silico Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) in Human β-Globin Gene

Single amino acid substitutions in the globin chain are the most common forms of genetic variations that produce hemoglobinopathies- the most widespread inherited disorders worldwide. Several hemoglobinopathies result from homozygosity or compound heterozygosity to beta-globin (HBB) gene mutations, such as that producing sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS), HbC, HbD and HbE. Several of these mutations are deleterious and result in moderate to severe hemolytic anemia, with associated complications, requiring lifelong care and management. Even though many hemoglobinopathies result from single amino acid changes producing similar structural abnormalities, there are functional differences in the generated variants. Using in silico methods, we examined the genetic variations that can alter the expression and function of the HBB gene. Using a sequence homology-based Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant (SIFT) server we have searched for the SNPs, which showed that 200 (80%) non-synonymous polymorphism were found to be deleterious. The structure-based method via PolyPhen server indicated that 135 (40%) non-synonymous polymorphism may modify protein function and structure. The Pupa Suite software showed that the SNPs will have a phenotypic consequence on the structure and function of the altered protein. Structure analysis was performed on the key mutations that occur in the native protein coded by the HBB gene that causes hemoglobinopathies such as: HbC (E→K), HbD (E→Q), HbE (E→K) and HbS (E→V). Atomic Non-Local Environment Assessment (ANOLEA), Yet Another Scientific Artificial Reality Application (YASARA), CHARMM-GUI webserver for macromolecular dynamics and mechanics, and Normal Mode Analysis, Deformation and Refinement (NOMAD-Ref) of Gromacs server were used to perform molecular dynamics simulations and energy minimization calculations on β-Chain residue of the HBB gene before and after mutation. Furthermore, in the native and altered protein models, amino acid residues were determined and secondary structures were observed for solvent accessibility to confirm the protein stability. The functional study in this investigation may be a good model for additional future studies

Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière Essential Oil Alleviates Pain and Inflammation with No Toxicity in Rodent

Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière is an endemic tree with spiritual value, and it was used since immemorial time in folk medicine. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory (carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin tests) and analgesic effects (hot plate and acetic acid writhing tests) of the cedarwood essential oil, as well as inspect any toxicity (acute toxicity), using several in vivo assays. Following the acetic acid writhing test and the hot plate test, the EO presented an excellent analgesic effect compared to the controls, especially with the dose of 50 mg/kg. Similar results were found while assessing the anti-inflammatory potential in the carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin assays. The acute toxicity assessment and the subsequent monitoring of the animals, the biochemical analysis, and the relative organ weight, demonstrated a total safety of the EO. The GC/MS analysis of the composition revealed that the major compounds contained in this EO are beta-himachalene (51.95%), followed by alpha-himachalene (15.82%), and gamma-himachalene (12.15%). This study supports the usage of this tree EO to alleviate pain and inflammation

Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière Essential Oil Alleviates Pain and Inflammation with No Toxicity in Rodent

Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière is an endemic tree with spiritual value, and it was used since immemorial time in folk medicine. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory (carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin tests) and analgesic effects (hot plate and acetic acid writhing tests) of the cedarwood essential oil, as well as inspect any toxicity (acute toxicity), using several in vivo assays. Following the acetic acid writhing test and the hot plate test, the EO presented an excellent analgesic effect compared to the controls, especially with the dose of 50 mg/kg. Similar results were found while assessing the anti-inflammatory potential in the carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin assays. The acute toxicity assessment and the subsequent monitoring of the animals, the biochemical analysis, and the relative organ weight, demonstrated a total safety of the EO. The GC/MS analysis of the composition revealed that the major compounds contained in this EO are beta-himachalene (51.95%), followed by alpha-himachalene (15.82%), and gamma-himachalene (12.15%). This study supports the usage of this tree EO to alleviate pain and inflammation

Competition of ANN and RSM techniques in predicting the behavior of the CuO-liquid paraffin

Please read abstract in the article.The Taif University Researchers Supporting grant of Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gcec20hj2024Mechanical and Aeronautical EngineeringSDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructur

Applying artificial neural network and response surface method to forecast the rheological behavior of hybrid nano‐antifreeze containing graphene oxide and copper oxide nanomaterials

In this study, the efficacy of loading graphene oxide and copper oxide nanoparticles into ethylene glycol-water on viscosity was assessed by applying two numerical techniques. The first technique employed the response surface methodology based on the design of experiments, while in the second technique, artificial intelligence algorithms were implemented to estimate the GO-CuO/water-EG hybrid nanofluid viscosity. The nanofluid sample’s behavior at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 vol.% is in agreement with the Newtonian behavior of the base fluid, but loading more nanoparticles conforms with the behavior of the fluid with non-Newtonian classification. Considering the possibility of non-Newtonian behavior of nanofluid temperature, shear rate and volume fraction were effective on the target variable and were defined in the implementation of both techniques. Considering two constraints (i.e., the maximum R-square value and the minimum mean square error), the best neural network and suitable polynomial were selected. Finally, a comparison was made between the two techniques to evaluate their potential in viscosity estimation. Statistical considerations proved that the R-squared for ANN and RSM techniques could reach 0.995 and 0.944, respectively, which is an indication of the superiority of the ANN technique to the RSM one.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilitydm2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Simulation of nanofluid flow in a micro-heat sink with corrugated walls considering the Effect of Nanoparticle Diameter on Heat Sink Efficiency

In this numerical work, the cooling performance of water–Al2O3 nanofluid (NF) in a novel microchannel heat sink with wavy walls (WMH-S) is investigated. The focus of this article is on the effect of NP diameter on the cooling efficiency of the heat sink. The heat sink has four inlets and four outlets, and it receives a constant heat flux from the bottom. CATIA and CAMSOL software were used to design the model and simulate the NF flow and heat transfer, respectively. The effects of the Reynolds number (Re) and volume percentage of nanoparticles (Fi) on the outcomes are investigated. One of the most significant results of this work was the reduction in the maximum and average temperatures of the H-S by increasing both the Re and Fi. In addition, the lowest Tmax and pumping power belong to the state of low NP diameter and higher Fi. The addition of nanoparticles reduces the heat sink maximum temperature by 3.8 and 2.5% at the Reynolds numbers of 300 and 1800, respectively. Furthermore, the highest figure of merit (FOM) was approximately 1.25, which occurred at Re 1800 and Fi 5%. Eventually, it was revealed that the best performance of the WMH-S was observed in the case of Re 807.87, volume percentage of 0.0437%, and NP diameter of 20 nm.Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabiahttp://www.frontiersin.org/Energy_Researcham2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Correlations for total entropy generation and Bejan number for free convective heat transfer of an eco-friendly nanofluid in a rectangular enclosure under uniform magnetic field

In this paper, focusing on the study of entropy generation (EGN), the convection flow of an eco-friendly nanofluid (N-F) in a rectangular enclosure is studied numerically. The nanoparticles (N-Ps) used are silver N-P, which are obtained in an eco-friendly manner from natural materials. By suspending these N-Ps in an equal mixture of water and ethylene glycol (E-G), the N-F has been prepared. There are two constant-temperature triangular obstacles with height w and base H that are placed on the hot wall. There is a magnetic field (M-F) in the x-direction. To simulate the N-F flow, eco-friendly N-P relations are used, and the equations are solved using the volume control method and the SIMPLE algorithm. The variables include Rayleigh number (Ra), Hartmann number (Ha), H, W, and the volume fraction of silver N-Ps. The effect of these parameters is evaluated on the EGN and Bejan number (Be). Finally, a correlation is expressed for the EGN for a range of variables. The most important results of this paper demonstrate that the addition of silver eco-friendly N-Ps intensifies the EGN so that the addition of 3% of N-Ps enhances the EGN by 3.8%. An increment in the obstacle length reduces the Be barrier while increasing the Ha, which enhances the Be when the convection is strong. Increasing the height of the obstacle intensifies entropy generation.Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/processesam2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Simulation of alumina/water manofluid flow in a micro-heatsink with wavy microchannels : impact of two-phase and single-phase nanofluid models

In this article, alumina/water nanofluid (NF) flow in a heatsink (H-S) with wavy microchannels (W-MCs) is simulated. The H-S is made of aluminum containing four similar parts. Each part has an inlet and outlet. Constant heat flux is applied on the bottom of the H-S. The study is based on two-phase (T-P) mixture and single-phase (S-P) models to determine the difference between these two types of simulations. FLUENT software and the control volume method were used for simulations. The volume control method is employed to solve equations. The effective variables include the volume fraction 0 < φ < 5% of alumina and Reynolds number (Re) 300 < Re < 1800. The maximum H-S bottom temperature, the required amount of pumping power (PP), the temperature uniformity, and the heat resistance of the H-S are the outputs studied to simulate the S-P and T-P models. The results show that the use of the T-P model has less error in comparison with the experimental data than the S-P model. An increment in the Re and φ reduces the maximum temperature (M-T) of the H-S. The S-P model, especially at a higher value of φ, leads to a lower M-T value than the T-P model. The S-P model shows a 0.5% greater decrease than the T-P model at the Reynolds number of 300 by enhancing the volume percentage of nanoparticles (NPs) from 1 to 5%. Temperature uniformity is improved with Re and φ. The reduction of H-S thermal resistance with Re and φ is the result of this study. Adding NPs to water, especially at higher amounts of φ, enhances the required PP. The T-P model predicts higher PP than the S-P one, especially at a high value of φ. The T-P model shows 4% more PP than the S-P model at Re 30 and a volume fraction of 4%.The German Research Foundation (DFG) and Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.http://www.frontiersin.org/Energy_Researcham2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin