Cryogenic Process Optimization for Natural Gas Purification: Predictive Modeling of Methane-CO2 Solid-Vapor Phase Equilibrium Using Response Surface Methodology.

This research combines industrial engineering principles with chemical process modeling to explore the capture of CO2 from natural gas under cryogenic conditions. The study specifically investigates the Solid-Vapor (S-V) phase equilibrium in a methane-carbon dioxide (CH4-CO2) system. The study employs Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to develop a robust model for predicting phase behavior in industrial gas separation processes. The model is validated using experimental data, offering enhanced operational insights into cryogenic CO2 capture in industrial applications. The developed RSM model is particularly valuable as it can predict the mole fractions of methane and CO2 at various temperatures and pressures in the solid-vapor region of phase equilibrium, where limited experimental data make it difficult to estimate these components accurately. The key contribution of this study is to validate the RSM model's available experimental data, and the model can further be used to predict the process conditions at which high methane composition (yCH4) can be achieved. The developed model showed good agreement when the results were compared with previous experimental studies. The utilization of chemical engineering data to forecast previously unknown conditions in gas separation processes broadens the scope of industrial process optimization in this work.

Tuberculosis research advances and future trends: A bibliometric knowledge mapping approach.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are more vulnerable to many transmissible diseases, including tuberculosis (TB). This study is to identify the scientific publications related to TB in the GCC countries using topic modeling and co-word analysis. A bibliometric analytic study. The R-package, VOSviewer software, IBM SPPS, and Scopus Analytics were used to analyze performance, hotspots, knowledge structure, thematic evolution, trend topics, and inter-gulf and international cooperation on TB in the past 30 years (1993-2022). A total of 1999 publications associated with research on GCC-TB were published. The annual growth rate of documents was 7.76%. Saudi Arabia is the most highly published, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. The most-cited GC country is Kingdom Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait. One hundred sixty research institutions contributed to the dissemination of TB-related knowledge in the GCC, where the highest publishing organizations were King Saud University (Kingdom Saudi Arabia; n = 518). The number of publications related to TB is high in GCC Countries. The current tendencies indicated that GCC scholars are increasingly focused on deep learning, chest X-ray, molecular docking, comorbid covid-19, risk factors, and Mycobacterium bovis.

Optimization of Operational Parameters Using Artificial Neural Network and Support Vector Machine for Bio-oil Extracted from Rice Husk.

Bio-oil production from rice husk, an abundant agricultural residue, has gained significant attention as a sustainable and renewable energy source. The current research aims to employ artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) modeling techniques for the optimization of operating parameters for bio-oil extracted from rice husk ash (RHA) through pyrolysis. ANN and SVM methods are employed to model and optimize the operational conditions, including temperature, heating rate, and feedstock particle size, to enhance the yield and quality of bio-oil. Additionally, ANN modeling is utilized to create a predictive model for bio-oil properties, allowing for the efficient optimization of pyrolysis conditions. This research provides valuable insights into the production and properties of bio-oil from RHA. By harnessing the capabilities of ANN and SVM, this research not only aids in understanding the intricate relationships between process variables and bio-oil properties but also provides a means to systematically enhance the production process. The predictive results obtained from the ANN were found to be good when compared with the SVM. Several models with different numbers of neurons have been trained with different transfer functions. R values for the training, validation, and test phases are around 1.0, i.e., 0.9981, 0.9976, and 0.9978, respectively. The overall R-value was 0.9960 for the proposed network. The findings were considered acceptable, as the overall R-value was close to 1.0. The optimized operational parameters contribute to the efficient conversion of RHA into bio-oil, thereby promoting the use of this sustainable resource for renewable energy production. This approach aligns with the growing emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of traditional fossil fuels and advancing the utilization of alternative and environmentally friendly energy sources.

Lifestyle Satisfaction Among Jazan University Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Lifestyle Choices and Influencing Factors.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle includes habits, behaviors, values, attitudes, and economic levels that define an individual or group's way of living for people living in the same region at a specific time. In the last few decades, with urbanization and modernization, most adults, especially in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have adopted a sedentary, less active lifestyle. This study aims to assess lifestyle choices and satisfaction among employees of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted in the Jazan University campus in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through personal interviews conducted by trained medical students. A structured questionnaire was filled out during the interviews. Data analysis was conducted using R software (version 4.2.3) (R Development Core Team, Vienna, Austria). RESULTS: This study involved 1126 employees of Jazan University, with a response rate of 75%. The occupational distribution was as follows: 576 (51%) in administrative positions, 516 (46%) as faculty members, and 34 (3%) as healthcare workers. In terms of physical activity, 488 (43%) engaged in less than 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, while 363 (32%) reported no physical activity at all. Regarding body weight satisfaction, 590 (52%) were satisfied, while 536 (48%) were not. Males reported a higher satisfaction in body weight, physical activity, and eating behavior. Dietary choices, such as eating fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats, and avoiding high-sugar foods, positively correlated with satisfaction in eating behavior and body weight. The assessment of satisfaction with body weight, physical activity level, and eating behavior indicates that some university affiliates are satisfied with their lifestyle despite having unhealthy lifestyle choices. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that Jazan University affiliates are experiencing a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, especially in terms of low levels of physical activity, selection of unhealthy food items, and overweight and obesity. This study should be followed up by interventional designs to investigated best evidence-based approaches for lifestyle behavior change, especially among aging populations such as university affiliates.

Navigating the Cancer Journey: Experiences and Perspectives of Young Adult Patients in Tunisia.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of young adult cancer patients within the Tunisian context. Methods: A total of 104 patients between the ages of 20 and 40, undergoing treatment for various types and stages of cancer, participated in a questionnaire-based survey. The survey encompassed topics related to the socioeconomic and psychological impacts of cancer, coping mechanisms, relationships, sexuality, and future aspirations. Results: Of the participants, 78 were women (75%) and 26 were men (25%), with an average age of 33 years. Financial difficulties were reported by 60 patients (57.7%). The most common emotional responses to the diagnosis were sadness (54.8%), followed by denial (18.3%) and anger (5.8%). Thirteen patients (12.5%) choose not to receive information about the stage of their disease. In addition, 42 patients (40.4%) experienced a decrease in perceived physical attractiveness, while negative effects on sexuality were observed in 44.2% of cases. The primary concerns reported by patients were the fear of recurrence or progression (48%) and infertility (48%). Furthermore, 43 patients (41.3%) expressed a decrease in self-confidence, notably influenced by financial difficulties (OR: 2.77 [95% CI: 1.12-6.87]), physical alterations (OR: 0.18 [95% CI: 0.07-0.45]), and sexual issues (OR: 0.17 [95% CI: 0.06-0.48]). Notably, 78 patients (75%) continued to make future plans, particularly those under 30 years of age (OR: 0.2 [95% CI: 0.04-0.96]). Moreover, 47.1% of patients expressed an inclination toward immigration to developed countries, primarily due to perceived superior health care systems (61.5%). Conclusions: Young cancer patients face a range of social and psychological challenges, suggesting the necessity for a specialized care approach.

Awareness of Seizure First Aid among the population in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A survey Study.

Background: First aid during a seizure is critical, but many people in Jazan, Saudi Arabia may not know what to do. This is because epilepsy is often stigmatized in the region and regarded as a spiritual or mental disorder. This study investigated the awareness of seizure first aid among the population living in Jazan. Methods: An online survey was conducted. Healthcare workers and people who had never heard of epilepsy were excluded. Participants were asked to identify correct measures of seizure first aid from a list of 20 statements [9 correct and 11 incorrect]. A composite awareness score was calculated by subtracting the number of incorrect statements from the number of correct statements. Participants were classified into three groups: high, intermediate, and low awareness. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with high awareness. Results: Of the 1215 participants, 80.5 % had low awareness of seizure first aid. The most common correct responses were clearing the area of dangerous objects (91.3 %), putting a pillow under the neck (69.3 %), and timing the seizure (68.5 %). However, only 32.2 % knew to tell the person what happened after the seizure. The most common misconception was that an ambulance should be called immediately, regardless of the details (88.3 %). Other common misconceptions included putting something in the person's mouth (87.5 %), holding them down (83.0 %), taking out their contact lenses (79.9 %), and giving antiseizure medications orally (73.2 %). People who previously watched an educational video on seizure first aid (OR = 4.27, 95 % CI = 1.48-12.34, p = .007) or who knew someone with epilepsy (OR = 9.01, 95 % CI = 2.82-28.83, p < .001) were more likely to have a high awareness of seizure first aid. Conclusion: The study found that most people in Jazan, Saudi Arabia do not know how to provide first aid for seizures. The findings inform future research and highlight the need for increased education and training on seizure first aid in this region.

Safety and efficacy of paromomycin/miltefosine/liposomal amphotericin B combinations for the treatment of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in Sudan: A phase II, open label, randomized, parallel arm study.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in Sudan is currently recommended only for patients with persistent or severe disease, mainly because of the limitations of current therapies, namely toxicity and long hospitalization. We assessed the safety and efficacy of miltefosine combined with paromomycin and liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) for the treatment of PKDL in Sudan. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An open-label, phase II, randomized, parallel-arm, non-comparative trial was conducted in patients with persistent (stable or progressive disease for ≥ 6 months) or grade 3 PKDL, aged 6 to ≤ 60 years in Sudan. The median age was 9.0 years (IQR 7.0-10.0y) and 87% of patients were ≤12 years old. Patients were randomly assigned to either daily intra-muscular paromomycin (20mg/kg, 14 days) plus oral miltefosine (allometric dose, 42 days)-PM/MF-or LAmB (total dose of 20mg/kg, administered in four injections in week one) and oral miltefosine (allometric dose, 28 days)-LAmB/MF. The primary endpoint was a definitive cure at 12 months after treatment onset, defined as clinical cure (100% lesion resolution) and no additional PKDL treatment between end of therapy and 12-month follow-up assessment. 104/110 patients completed the trial. Definitive cure at 12 months was achieved in 54/55 (98.2%, 95% CI 90.3-100) and 44/55 (80.0%, 95% CI 70.2-91.9) of patients in the PM/MF and AmB/MF arms, respectively, in the mITT set (all randomized patients receiving at least one dose of treatment; in case of error of treatment allocation, the actual treatment received was used in the analysis). No SAEs or deaths were reported, and most AEs were mild or moderate. At least one adverse drug reaction (ADR) was reported in 13/55 (23.6%) patients in PM/MF arm and 28/55 (50.9%) in LAmB/MF arm, the most frequent being miltefosine-related vomiting and nausea, and LAmB-related hypokalaemia; no ocular or auditory ADRs were reported. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The PM/MF regimen requires shorter hospitalization than the currently recommended 60-90-day treatment, and is safe and highly efficacious, even for patients with moderate and severe PKDL. It can be administered at primary health care facilities, with LAmB/MF as a good alternative. For future VL elimination, we need new, safe oral therapies for all patients with PKDL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03399955, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03399955 ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov.

Psychotropic Medication Adherence and Its Associated Factors Among Schizophrenia Patients: Exploring the Consistency of Adherence Scales.

Background and objective Non-adherence to psychotropic medication can aggravate an individual's illness, diminish treatment efficacy, or make patients less responsive to future therapeutic interventions. There are several scales available to measure non-adherence to medications. In this study, we aimed to measure psychotropic medication adherence and its associated factors among schizophrenic outpatients in Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted with a view to measuring psychotropic medication adherence and its associated factors. The Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) and the Drug Attitude Inventory-10 (DAI-10) were translated into Arabic, and their internal consistency was measured. The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using logistic regression in the IBM SPSS Statistics software version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Spearman's rho correlation indicated a negative association between DAI-10 and MARS scores (r = -0.579; p<0.05). The Arabic version of MARS was more reliable than DAI-10, as evidenced by Cronbach's alpha value. Of note, 60.20% (n = 59) of the sample demonstrated high adherence levels. The adherence level based on MARS scoring remained unaffected (p>0.05) in terms of gender, age, employment, marital status, educational level, income level, and duration of sickness. These results were obtained by using the multivariate logistic regression model; 89% of respondents reported not using psychiatric drugs given by someone else, despite the adherence rate not affecting this number. Conclusion The rate of non-adherence to psychotropic treatment was found to be high in our cohort. Hence, it is imperative to develop comprehensive intervention methods targeting the causes of non-adherence to psychiatric medication.

Effect of TiO2 on Thermal, Mechanical, and Gas Separation Performances of Polyetherimide-Polyvinyl Acetate Blend Membranes.

Blend membranes consisting of two polymer pairs improve gas separation, but compromise mechanical and thermal properties. To address this, incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles has been suggested, to enhance interactions between polymer phases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of TiO2 as a filler on the thermal, surface mechanical, as well as gas separation properties of blend membranes. Blend polymeric membranes consisting of polyetherimide (PEI) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) with blend ratios of (99:1) and (98:2) were developed via a wet-phase inversion technique. In the latter, TiO2 was incorporated in ratios of 1 and 2 wt.% while maintaining a blend ratio of (98:2). TGA and DSC analyses were used to examine thermal properties, and nano-indentation tests were carried out to ascertain surface mechanical characteristics. On the other hand, a gas permeation set-up was used to determine gas separation performance. TGA tests showed that blend membranes containing TiO2 had better thermal characteristics. Indentation tests showed that TiO2-containing membranes exhibited greater surface hardness compared to other membranes. The results of gas permeation experiments showed that TiO2-containing membranes had better separation characteristics. PEI-PVAc blend membranes with 2 wt.% TiO2 as filler displayed superior separation performance for both gas pairs (CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2). The compatibility between the rubbery and glassy phases of blend membranes was improved as a result of the inclusion of TiO2, which further benefited their thermal, surface mechanical, and gas separation performances.

Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome revealing an acromegaly: a case report.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common neuropathy in acromegalic patients and is often the initial complaint. However, the diagnosis of acromegaly is often made years after the diagnosis of CTS. In our case report, we describe the case of a patient in whom acromegaly was discovered after presenting bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, without having acrofacial signs. Increased awareness of signs of acromegaly in patients with CTS might help to shorten the diagnostic delay in acromegaly.

Cross-sectional community-based study in Saudi Arabian population with inclusion of behavioral studies of osteoporosis patients.

Purpose: Osteoporosis is especially prevalent in the older population and in women. Fractures lead to many health complications, placing an enormous burden on the health system. Improved knowledge will encourage healthy practices that prevent osteoporosis and help community members avoid unhealthy lifestyles and habits. The goal of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to osteoporosis among male and female students of the Jazan community. Methods: The Jazan region has 13 governorates and a population of more than 1.5 million. For this study, 440 participants were selected from seven different governorates, and the osteoporosis knowledge assessment tool (OKAT) was used together with five background variables and some questions on attitude and practice. A Chi-squared test was implemented to identify any significant relationships between the background variables and the knowledge and practice scores. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 440 participants, 53% were men and 47% women. Thirty-three percent of them held government jobs, 73% had completed university, and 50% had a monthly income of less than 5,000 riyals. Regarding the risk factors for osteoporosis, 62 (14%) smoked, 37 (8.4%) used steroids, 184 (41.8%) had a family history of osteoporosis, and 393 (89.3%) had not attended an education campaign on osteoporosis. The highest number of correct answers in the OKAT was to the question "osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures" (423, 96.1%), and the lowest number of correct answers was to the question "osteoporosis is more common in men" (60, 13.6%). Regarding protective behaviors against osteoporosis, namely physical activity, daily intake of dairy products, attending an education campaign, and background characteristics, attending an education campaign was statistically significant, with a P value of 0.003, but marital status, education level, body mass index (BMI), and occupation were not statistically significant. For the risk factors, sex was statistically significant, along with the daily soft drink intake and smoking but not with the use of steroids. Other background characteristics, such as education level and BMI, were not statistically significant as osteoporosis risk factors. Conclusions: The participants' level of knowledge was high, and the risk factors for osteoporosis were still present together with a low level of achievement for protective measures. It is highly recommended that education campaigns be implemented to increase knowledge and encourage improved attitudes and practices.

Giant Morgagni hernia with transthoracic herniation of the left liver lobe and transverse colon: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A Morgagni hernia is a rare diaphragmatic hernia that is usually asymptomatic but can present with gastrointestinal and chest symptoms and is reported in many cases with strangulation. Here we report a rare case of a Morgagni hernia with transthoracic herniation of the left lobe of the liver and transverse colon that presented with abdominal pain. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old Saudi female presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Chest radiography revealed an air-containing viscus and a wide mediastinum. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of a right-sided Morgagni hernia. Reduction of the defect contents and repair of the hernia together with cholecystectomy were successfully performed using the laparoscopic approach. The patient recovered smoothly with complete resolution of preoperative symptoms. CONCLUSION: A Morgagni hernia is a rare diaphragmatic defect with an increased risk of incarceration. In addition to the omentum, transverse colon, and small bowel, the defect may involve the left lobe of the liver. Surgical repair is recommended in all cases of Morgagni hernia, to avoid the risk of incarceration.

Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Urinary Tract Infection among Diabetic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common long-term complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Additionally, various factors, such as socio-demographics, type of DM, fasting blood glucose, regular diabetes monitoring, comorbid chronic diseases, HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and duration of DM, are also thought to predispose individuals to developing UTIs more frequently when they have DM. This research aims to evaluate the risk factors for UTIs and their prevalence among people with DM in Saudi Arabia (KSA). This cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 adults with type 1, type 2, and gestational DM. The participants had to be at least 18 years old, of both genders, and had been suffering from DM for any period of time. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect data on demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, height, weight, material state, education level, income, and clinical profiles of DM and UTI. The crude (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using logistic regression in the IBM SPSS software. The incidence of types 1 and 2 DM and gestational diabetes reached 34.1, 60.9, and 5%, respectively. Most of the participants had first-degree relatives with DM (65.9%). UTI was common in 39.3% of participants. A chi-squared statistical analysis revealed that the frequency of UTI varied depending (χ2 = 5.176, P = 0.023) on the type of DM. Burning urination and abdominal pain were the most common symptoms. The CORs for sex, marital status, hypertension, and BMI were significant (P < 0.05) and had values of 2.68 (95% CI = 1.78-4.02), 0.57 (95% CI = 0.36-0.92), 1.97 (95% CI = 1.14-3.43), and 2.83 (95% CI = 1.19-2.99), respectively. According to the adjusted model, only sex influenced the occurrence of UTIs. The AOR for sex was 3.45 (95% CI = 2.08-5.69). Based on this study, the authorities related to the health of DM patients can use its findings to guide awareness programs and clinical preparedness.

Comparison of the accuracy of intraoperative lateral fluoroscopy versus postoperative computed tomography in spinal fusions.

Background: This study compared the accuracy of intraoperative lateral fluoroscopic images versus postoperative computed tomography (CT) 3D studies in the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal fusions. Methods: In a tertiary care hospital (study duration 6 months), we compared the use of lateral fluoroscopic images with the postoperative CT scans in 64 patients with thoracic or lumbar fractures undergoing spinal fusions. Results: Out of the 64 patients, 61% were lumbar followed by 39% thoracic fractures. In the lumbar spine, the accuracy of screw placement utilizing lateral fluoroscopy versus postoperative CT 3D was 97.4%, while in thoracic spine, accuracy was reduced to 84.4%. Of the 64 patients, just 4 (6.2%) patients demonstrated lateral pedicle cortex penetration, 1 (1.5%) patient had a medial pedicle cortex breach, while none exhibited anterior vertebral body cortex penetration. Conclusion: This study documented the efficacy of lateral fluoroscopy in intraoperative thoracic and lumbar spinal fixation as confirmed by postoperative CT 3D studies. These findings support the continued use of fluoroscopy rather than CT intraoperatively to lower the risk of radiation exposure to both patients and surgeons.

Blend membranes comprising polyetherimide and polyvinyl acetate with improved methane enrichment performance.

A clean and sustainable energy source, biogas is widely accessible worldwide. The caloric value of biogas is related to its methane content, and therefore removal of other gases is essential for reaping the benefits of this cleaner resource. In contrast to other classical techniques, membrane technology is relatively new yet extremely promising for methane enrichment. The methane enrichment performance of polymeric membranes is constrained, hence newer material combinations have been investigated to enhance membrane performance. In this study, blend membranes comprised of polyetherimide (PEI) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) in varying proportions were prepared by adopting the wet-phase inversion technique. The generated pure, and blend membranes were characterized for the morphological, thermal, and structural study. The interactions of PEI and PVAc in blend samples were verified by FTIR analysis. On the other hand, SEM investigation indicated that the membranes have an anisotropic porous structure with a dense skin layer at the top. Subsequently, a single glass transition temperature (Tg), as validated by DSC analysis, indicates that the blended polymers are miscible. Furthermore, membranes' performance for gas separation was assessed regarding selectivity and permeance at feed pressures ranging from 2 to 6 bar. The permeation results showed that the CO2 permeance has increased by 40.47% with the addition of 4 wt % PVAc at 2 bar pressure. Furthermore, ideal selectivity improves as the blend ratio increases; nonetheless, the highest value for CO2/CH4 ideal selectivity was attained with a 2 wt % PVAc addition and at 2 bar pressure, which is approximately 26% greater than the pure PEI membrane. At 4 bar pressure, optimum CO2/N2 selectivity value of 22.50 was achieved. The findings indicate that PVAc is an excellent option for expanding the separation performance of blended polymeric membranes for biogas enrichment.

Modelling and optimization study to improve the filtration performance of fibrous filter.

Fibrous filter made up of non-woven material was utilized in many industrial applications for increasing the collection efficiency and the quality factor. But there exists a competing effect among the fibre diameter, filtration efficiency, pressure drop, and sometime type of aerosol (liquid or solid) plays a crucial role in the performance of the fibrous filter. To avoid overdesigning of the filter along with better performance, optimum set of parameters are to be decided before the manufacturing process. In the current effort, the desirability approach and along with the "Response Surface Methodology (RSM)" were considered to optimize filtration efficiency and pressure drop simultaneously. In this perspective, the impact of Filtration velocity (v), Basis weight (φ), Particle diameter (dp), and Packing fraction (α) on filtration efficiency (η) and pressure drop (Pd) was studied. Based on the outcome, the predicted values lie within experimental data through smart agreement. The maximum percentage (%) error was only 3% and 6% filtration efficiency (η) and pressure drop (Pd), which determine the effectiveness of this useful model. The most dominant factor which affects the filtration efficiency (η) was found to be the Basis weight (φ), followed by packing fraction. However, in the case of pressure drop, the most dominant factors were filtration speed followed by the pachining fraction. Moreover, artificial neural network (ANN) models are developed for the prediction of filtration efficiency and pressure drop. The model accuracy has been estimated by calculating "Mean Square Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2)". Both models show promising results when compared with experimental data with the R2 value of 98.50-99.86. The optimized values of the maximum filtration efficiency and minimum pressure drop simultaneously were obtained for v = 5, φ = 59.60, dp = 52.23, α = 0.24 according to desirability approach.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Organ Donation among Students of Jazan University: A Cross-sectional Study.

For several end-stage diseases, the only treatment option is organ transplantation, but the availability of organs is a challenge. More thorough knowledge and more positive attitudes toward organ donation among university students may encourage greater willingness to donate an organ. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding organ donation among students of Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, via a 30-item questionnaire. Of the 558 respondents, 71.1% were males, 28.9% were females, and 92.1% were <25 years old. The participants were categorized as either in health-related colleges or other colleges. Differences in the level of knowledge were significant among age groups, with 19.5% of those aged 21-25 years having a high level compared with 2.3% of those aged 26+ years. Participants in health-related colleges had significantly higher levels of knowledge than those in other colleges. Differences between males and females were not significant. Regarding attitudes toward organ donation, some factors were significant (P ≤0.05). Positive attitudes were reported by 72% of males compared with 58% of females. Students in a health-related specialty and those in other specialties showed significant differences, but these were not found for educational level. In practice, 9.86% had an organ donation card; the only significant factors were age and specialty. Here, the participants' level of knowledge was low to medium, attitudes were negative, and most were not ready to donate organs. We recommend establishing educational campaigns on organ donation to increase knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to participate in this vital public service.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of the Population in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia Regarding Dengue Fever and Its Prevention Measures: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

In previous studies, there was an apparent lack of health education about dengue fever (DF) among the Saudi population. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) about dengue fever among the Jazan region population, which is one of the most prevalent diseases in the region in Saudi Arabia (KSA). This was a cross-sectional and community-based study. The adult population was divided into governorates according to the regions that were close to each other, and then a convenient stratum was selected from each region. Next, random sampling was applied. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Exclusion criteria were young people (<18 years old) and health workers. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression. Of the 392 participants in this cross-sectional study, 59.18% were male, 76.28% were aged 18-35 years, 72.96% had a university degree, and 63% had a monthly income of less than SAR 5000 (USD1 = 3.76). The scores (mean ± SD) for KAP regarding DF among the responders were 22.77 ± 7.9, 22.68 ± 7.24, and 25.62 ± 9.4, respectively. KAP constructs were positively correlated according to the Pearson's coefficient. In multiple linear regression analysis, males were favorably and substantially linked with attitude score (ß = 2.76, p = 0.001) and negatively associated with practice score (ß = -2.45, p = 0.023). No-degree participants scored lower on knowledge (ß = -2.78, p = 0.003). There is potential for more research in Saudi Arabia to increase the generalizability to reduce the impact of dengue epidemics.

Exploring awareness, attitude, and practices toward mental illnesses: A cross-sectional survey among university students in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Mental illness is a serious condition requiring early intervention. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and stigma toward mental illness among university students in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional survey was conducted during the academic year 2018-2019 in a university in Saudi Arabia. Stratified random sampling was adopted to select students (n = 778). A standardized self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: The students had an adequate level of knowledge on mental illness (44.1%), and almost half of them had a positive attitude (52.2%) toward mental illness. The female students (55.9%) exhibited a significantly higher positive attitude than the males (48.4%) (P = 0.038). The students' knowledge level increased significantly with an increase in the academic year (P = 0.010). The students from urban places showed a significantly higher knowledge level (50.5%) than those from the rural areas (40.5%) (P = 0.007). The students from health-related colleges (59.7%) showed higher positive attitudes, but without statistical significance (P = 0.104) than those from other colleges. The female gender (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.88, P = 0.020) was an important factor associated with positive attitudes. The important independent predictors of adequate mental illness knowledge were living in urban places (OR = 1.47, 95% CI, 1.09-1.98, P = 0.012) and studying in the sixth year (OR = 2.1, 95% CI, 1.1-3.9, P = 0.028). Conclusions: Although students showed a favorable attitude toward mental illness, their knowledge level can be improved. Research outcomes can be used to design health educational interventions to enhance university students' mental health literacy.