Studies on Polybenzimidazole and Methanesulfonate Protic-Ionic-Liquids-Based Composite Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Funding Information: This project was funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (MAARIFAH), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award Number (2-17-01-001-0042). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.In the present work, different methanesulfonate-based protic ionic liquids (PILs) were synthesized and their structural characterization was performed using FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Their thermal behavior and stability were studied using DSC and TGA, respectively, and EIS was used to study the ionic conductivity of these PILs. The PIL, which was diethanolammonium-methanesulfonate-based due to its compatibility with polybenzimidazole (PBI) to form composite membranes, was used to prepare proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for prospective high-temperature fuel cell application. The prepared PEMs were further characterized using FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM, and EIS. The FTIR results indicated good interaction among the PEM components and the DSC results suggested good miscibility and a plasticizing effect of the incorporated PIL in the PBI polymer matrix. All the PEMs showed good thermal stability and good proton conductivity for prospective high-temperature fuel cell application.publishersversionpublishe

Characterization of Thermal, Ionic Conductivity and Electrochemical Properties of Some p-Tosylate Anions-Based Protic Ionic Compounds

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award Number (2-17-01-001-0042In the present work, six protic ionic liquid (PIL) compounds based on p-toluene sulfonic acid [PTSA] anion along with different cations viz. tetraethylenepentammonium [TEPA], triethy-lammonium [TEA], pyridinium [Py], N-methylpiperidinium [Pip], 1-methylimidazolium [Im], and N-methylpyrrolidinium [Pyrr] were synthesized using the standard neutralization reaction method. The structural characterization of these compounds was achieved using FTIR,1H and13C NMR spectroscopies. Thermal behavior was studied using differential scanning calorimetry to determine the melting point (Tm) and crystallization (Tc ) temperatures. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to determine the thermal stability and degradation temperatures (Tdec) and to ascertain the hygroscopic or hydrophobic nature of the synthesized compounds. Structural effects on the outcome of various properties were witnessed and discussed in detail. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was utilized to study the electrical transport properties of the PILs at different temperatures. Cyclic voltammetry was performed to analyze the electrochemical stability of these PILs. Low values of activation energy indicating easy proton transportation along with good electrochemical stability make the PILs a potential candidate for use in the preparation of polymer electrolytes membranes for fuel cell applications.publishersversionpublishe

Hospital acquired blood stream infection as an adverse outcome for patients admitted to hospital with other principle diagnosis

Background: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) have emerged as an important public health problem and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They affect both developed and resource-poor countries and constitute a significant burden both for the patient and for the health care system. Specific objectives in this study are assessment of HAI rate among patients admitted with other principle diagnosis, to identifying the causative agents of hospital acquired infections and to identify some possible risk factors associated with each type of infection, both health related and non-health related. Patients and Methods: The study was done on selected diagnosis groups during year 2010. The infections were found among 250 patients (43.6% males) have been exposed to episodes of infections. Median age of patients was 56. Data were abstracted from the archived patients′ files in medical record department using the annually infection control log-book prepared by the infection control department. The Data collected were demographic information about the patients (age and sex), clinical condition (diagnosis and the length of hospital stay) and possible risk factors for infection as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and exposure to invasive devices or exposure to surgical procedures. Results: Liver diseases 22.8%, cardiac diseases 22.8%, Gastro-Intestinal System diseases 20%, urinary system diseases 13.6%, and endocrinal disorder 13.6% Prostate gland diseases 7.2%. Episodes of infections caused by 9 types of organisms divided into 47.2% for blood stream infection and 52.8% for other types. 66% acquired blood stream infection were exposed to central venous line. Conclusion: Most common type of HAIs was blood stream infections. Liver, cardiac diseases and gastro-intestinal diseased patients show more proportion of HAIs while urinary system and prostate disease patients show less proportion of HAIs. Gram negative bacilli were the most common organisms found in our study (60%)

Novel management of methylene blue extravasation: A case report and review of literature

Methylene blue is a highly irritant drug and has been used intraoperatively. Its accidental extravasation can lead to tissue necrosis. In this report, a unique management is described, and the patient recovered without any morbidity

Measurement of endotracheal tube cuff pressure: Instrumental versus conventional method

Objective: To evaluate the conventional practice of endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff inflation and pressure measurement as compared to the instrumental method. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anaesthesia, King Saud University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (June 2014–July 2014). Methods: A total of 100 adult patients were observed according to the syringe size used Group-1 (10 ml) and Group-2 (20 ml) for ETT cuff inflation in general anesthesia. Patients with anticipated difficult intubation, risk for aspiration, known anatomical laryngotracheal abnormalities, and emergency cases were excluded. Trachea was intubated with size 8 or 8.5 mm and 7.0 or 7.5 mm ETT in male and female patients respectively. The ETT cuff was inflated with air by one of the anesthesia technician. Cuff pressures were measured using aneroid manometer. ETT cuff pressure of 20–30 cm of water was considered as standard. Results: In 69% of the patients, the cuff pressure measurements were above the standard. Age (P = 0.806), weight (P = 0.527), height (P = 0.850), and gender (P = 1.00) were comparable in both groups. The mean cuff pressure in Group-1 and Group-2 was 32.52 ± 6.39 and 38.90 ± 6.60 cm of water (P = 0.001). The cuff inflation with 20 ml syringe resulted in higher cuff pressure as compared to 10cc syringe 37.73 ± 4.23 versus 40.74 ± 5.01 (86% vs. 52%, P = 0.013). Conclusion: The conventional method for ETT cuff inflation and pressure measuring is unreliable. As a routine instrumental cuff pressure, monitoring is suggested

Programmed death‐ligand 1 expression in Epstein‐Barr virus positive nasopharyngeal cancer

Abstract Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is common in Saudi Arabia; Most cases are related to the Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), which is associated with treatment failure and a high recurrence rate. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and Programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) inhibitors emerged as breakthroughs in cancer treatment, including head and neck cancers. The benefit of these therapies was seen in patients with high expression of PD‐L1, which is unknown in our population.  We aim to assess PD‐L1 expression in EBV‐related NPC patients presented to King Fahd Medical City (KFMC). We identified 41 cases of EBV‐related NPC diagnosed between 2016 and 2019. PD‐L1 expression was assessed using the Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) and Combined Positive Scores (CPS). Results showed that PD‐L1 expression was negative in 51% and 29% using TPS and CPS scores, respectively. High expression of PD‐L1, more than 50%, was seen in 17% using TPS and 22% using CPS. There was no statistically significant correlation between the degree of PD‐L1 expression by TPS or CPS and many variables, including gender, comorbidities, BMI, TNM staging, and smoking status. Over a median follow‐up of 29.7 months, Kaplan‐Meier survival curves did not show a statistically significant difference between all groups of PD‐L1 expression for O.S. or PFS; However, there were shorter O.S noted with CPS 1%–9%, log‐rank p‐value = 0.031. These findings support investigating the role of Immunotherapy, especially in the high expression subgroup. Data for these patients' outcomes and further studies to explore the role of PD‐L1 in NPC are needed

Difficulty in the removal of epidural catheter for labor analgesia

For labor pain management epidural analgesia is a popular and an effective method. Difficult removal of epidural catheters occasionally occurs, and several maneuvers have been recommended. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the problem of retained epidural catheter fragments and identify the potential impact of complications