Design Configurations and Operating Limitations of an Oscillating Heat Pipe

Passive and compact heat dissipation systems are and will remain vital for the successful operation of modern electronic systems. Oscillating heat pipes (OHPs) have been a part of this research area since their inception due to their ability to passively manage high heat fluxes. In the current investigation, different designs of tubular, flat plate, and multiple layer oscillating heat pipes are studied by using different operating parameters to investigate the operating limitations of each design. Furthermore, selective laser melting was demonstrated as a new OHP manufacturing technique and was used to create a compact multiple layer flat plate OHP. A 7-turn tubular oscillating heat pipe (T-OHP) was created and tested experimentally with three working fluids (water, acetone, and n-pentane) and different orientations (horizontal, vertical top heating, and vertical bottom heating). For vertical, T-OHP was tested with the condenser at 0°, 45° and 90° bend angle from the y-axis (achieved by bending the OHP in the adiabatic) in both bottom and top heating modes. The results show that T-OHP thermal performance depends on the bend angle, working fluid, and orientation. Another design of L-shape closed loop square microchannel (750 x 750 microns) copper heat pipe was fabricated from copper to create a thermal connector with thermal resistance \u3c 0.09 ˚C/W for electronic boards. The TC-OHP was able to manage heat rates up to 250 W. A laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) method was employed for fabricating a multi-layered, Ti-6Al-4V oscillating heat pipe (ML-OHP). The 50.8 x 38.1 x 15.75 mm3 ML-OHP consisted of four inter-connected layers of circular mini-channels, as well an integrated, hermetic-grade fill port. A series of experiments were conducted to characterize the ML-OHP thermal performance by varying power input (up to 50 W), working fluid (water, acetone, NovecTM 7200, and n-pentane), and operating orientation (vertical bottom-heating, horizontal, and vertical top-heating). The ML-OHP was found to operate effectively for all working fluids and orientations investigated, demonstrating that the OHP can function in a multi-layered form, and further indicating that one can ‘stack’ multiple, interconnected OHPs within flat media for increased thermal management

Performance of Teaching and Learning Technology Internship Students as Perceived by Their Trainers

The purpose of this descriptive study is to evaluate the performance of teaching and learning technology students of the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University during their internship experience. Trainers of the interns rated them on 15 items of performance as displayed in the questionnaire of the study. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was significantly high (.96). It was observed that the general level of performance of the interns was high (a mean of 4.40 out of 5) and the ratings of the individual items of performance ranged from 4.04 to 4.59. However, no gender significant differences were observed in the global ratings of males and females. Apart from this, it was found that 2014 cohort interns performed better than earlier cohorts (before 2014).  The study reveals other significant findings such as location of internship (public or private sector) did not affect performance of interns. Similarly, type of institution (educational or non-educational) was not a significant factor of performance, however, interns in non-educational institutions performed better (though not significantly) than interns in educational institutions). Interns with higher GPAs outperformed their colleagues with lower GPAs. Keywords: Internship evaluation, supervisors’ ratings of interns, teaching and learning technolog

Human Resources Practices in Non-profit Organizations: Evidence from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are essential to the economic planning process in Saudi Arabia. This study examines the Human Resource (HR) practices of Saudi Arabian non-profit organizations. It is based on a primary survey administered to 201 employees of the four types of existing non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Saudi Arabia (Qur'an Memorization Society, Dawah Society, Specialized Society, and Development Committee) using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was intended for the eight existing HR practices: work design, HR planning, polarization, selection, training and development, motivation, performance evaluation, and job satisfaction. The ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests were performed on the eight segments of the HR instruments to investigate the perspectives of HR professionals in the NPO sector. The findings of the study indicate that the HR practices are moderated by the gender, age, education, and years of experience of the employees. The work design has the highest awareness among the employees, with a mean of 4.05, while job satisfaction has the lowest awareness, with a mean of 3.18 on a 5-point scale. A correlation between HR practices shows that work design improves performance evaluation, polarization affects HR planning, and training and development influence performance evaluation

Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to combat COVID-19 and existing opportunities for LMIC: A scoping review

Background: In the face of the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the limited capacity of healthcare systems resulted in an emerging need to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) have a vast potential to exponentially optimize health care research. The use of AI-driven tools in LMIC can help in eradicating health inequalities and decrease the burden on health systems.Methods: The literature search for this Scoping review was conducted through the PubMed database using keywords: COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Forty-three articles were identified and screened for eligibility and 13 were included in the final review. All the items of this Scoping review are reported using guidelines for PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).Results: Results were synthesized and reported under 4 themes. (a) The need of AI during this pandemic: AI can assist to increase the speed and accuracy of identification of cases and through data mining to deal with the health crisis efficiently, (b) Utility of AI in COVID-19 screening, contact tracing, and diagnosis: Efficacy for virus detection can a be increased by deploying the smart city data network using terminal tracking system along-with prediction of future outbreaks, (c) Use of AI in COVID-19 patient monitoring and drug development: A Deep learning system provides valuable information regarding protein structures associated with COVID-19 which could be utilized for vaccine formulation, and (d) AI beyond COVID-19 and opportunities for Low-Middle Income Countries (LMIC): There is a lack of financial, material, and human resources in LMIC, AI can minimize the workload on human labor and help in analyzing vast medical data, potentiating predictive and preventive healthcare.Conclusion: AI-based tools can be a game-changer for diagnosis, treatment, and management of COVID-19 patients with the potential to reshape the future of healthcare in LMIC

Perceptions of government employees About the introduction of Accrual-based accounting into the Jordanian public sector

The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of accrual-based accounting into the Jordanian public sector. The focus of interest is to test a number of hypotheses about the perceptions of government employees toward the implementation of accrual-based accounting in the Jordanian public sector. The views of accountants and finance officers working in the health and education departments, which have been attempting to employ accrual-based accounting since the introduction of Program and Performance Budgeting (PPB) in 1996, are compared with those of accountants and finance officers working at departments which do not, for the purpose of determining whether there are any significant differences in the perceptions of the two groups regarding the feasibility of adopting accrual-based accounting into the Jordanian public sector. A survey questionnaire was distributed to a representative sample of 611 government accountants and finance officers who work within different Jordanian public sector departments. The findings have revealed a support in principle for the introduction of accrual-based accounting. However, technical difficulties (i.e. assets valuation) were associated with its implementation, which may have prevented the government from achieving the intended outcomes of the reform. Different opinions have emerged between the users and non-users sample groups as to the implementation of accrual-based accounting into the Jordanian public sector. Regardless of the preference amongst the majority of respondents from both groups for using accrual-based accounting, the debate seems to continue over the implementation of accrual accounting into public sector

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Increases Arrhythmic Triggers and Substrates; Potential Anti-arrhythmic Pharmacological Targets.

Incidence of cardiac arrhythmias increases significantly with age. In order to effectively stratify arrhythmic risk in the aging population it is crucial to elucidate the relevant underlying molecular mechanisms. The changes underlying age-related electrophysiological disruption appear to be closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, the present review examines the mechanisms by which age-related mitochondrial dysfunction promotes arrhythmic triggers and substrate. Namely, via alterations in plasmalemmal ionic currents (both sodium and potassium), gap junctions, cellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and cardiac fibrosis. Stratification of patients' mitochondrial function status permits application of appropriate anti-arrhythmic therapies. Here, we discuss novel potential anti-arrhythmic pharmacological interventions that specifically target upstream mitochondrial function and hence ameliorates the need for therapies targeting downstream changes which have constituted traditional antiarrhythmic therapy

Assement of Severity of Community Acquired Pneumonia By CURB-65

Background:Community-acquired pneumonia. is a disease in which individuals who have not recently been hospitalized develop an infection of the lungs, which can affect people at all ages.  Pneumonia affecting about 2/1000 of the population per year.The initial assessment of the severity of community-acquired pneumonia is important for patient management. Severity assessment is an important early step in the management of patients presenting with community-acquired pneumonia. Various pneumonia-specific scores, generic sepsis scores and predictive biomarkers have been proposed as tools to aid clinicians in key management decisions. Objective:The study was conducted to determine the efficacy of CURB-65 in the management of the Pneumonia. Patients and Methods: 200  consecutive  patients attending   Baquba  Teaching   Hospital  (108 female and 92 male)   at   a median age  of 68 year , male(46%) and female(54%) between April 2017 and November 2018, diagnosed as CAP . Results: CURB65 is useful in the evaluation of patients with CAP and determining the severity of the illness  a  clinical  prediction  rule  suitable for use in busy casualty departments or admission units. Conclusion: Iit include clinical features of  prognostic  importance, which  were  easily measurable at the time of initial assessment

Histopathologic profile of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula

Purpose Few reports are available in the literature on the histology of the congenital atretic esophagus in humans. Histologic abnormalities  including congenital esophageal stenosis (CES) may contribute toward the abnormal esophageal motility after successful repair of esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). The main aim of this study is to document the histopathologic profile in cases of EA.Methods One hundred and nineteen surgical specimens were collected from 69 consecutive EA patients who underwent surgical repair at the Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, and Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region, Saudi Arabia, from May 1999 through May 2009. This included 62 cases with EA and distal TEF, five cases of pure EA, and two cases of N-type TEF. Samples from tips of the upper pouch (UP), lower pouch (LP), and mid portion of the TEF were preserved in 10% formalin, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.Results The combined three elements of tracheobronchial tissue were observed in only three LP specimens. Gastrictype mucosa was seen in one UP and one LP specimen. Except for one N-type fistula, all sections showed fullthickness muscle coats. Distortion of muscles by fibrosis was most commonly seen in the UP. The muscle layer in the LP was more commonly distorted by glands with or without cartilage. Fourteen samples (10.8%) showed a histological picture consistent with CES.Conclusion Glands in the submucosa may be abnormal innumber and type, and may extend to different esophageal  coats. Muscle distortion by fibrosis, glands, or cartilage and associated CES may contribute toward esophageal dysmotility and stricture after surgery. Cutting the TEF B3–5mm distal to its origin from the trachea is adequate histologically for primary anastomosis of the atretic esophagus. The histological changes associated with the TEF need to be revised.Keywords: congenital esophageal stenosis, esophageal atresia,  esophageal dysmotility, histopatholog

Secondary antiphospholipid syndrome on oral anticoagulant presented with subdural hematoma

A 50-year-old female known case of systemic lupus erythematosus with positive antiphospholipid antibody warfarin, presented to hospital complaining of severe headache and vomiting for four days. CT brain showed bilateral chronic subdural haemorrhage more on the left side. Her laboratory investigation showed normal Platelet and INR of 3.10. Warfarin reversed and the patient treated conservatively. Later on, admission, she became drowsy again CT brain repeated and showed extensions of hematoma and increased effacement of brain parenchyma. She underwent left sided burr hole to evacuate hematoma. More studies are needed to guide the management of APLS with bleeding