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Hypertension is a worldwide epidemic that affects healthcare costs and public health. As a result, self-management of this disease and, in this context, mobile health (mHealth) can be used as a cost-effective management tool. Self-management of hypertension remains of great significance due to the rising number of hypertension cases. As a result, this study aimed to assess the various mobile health interventions used in the self-management of hypertension, their user acceptability, compliance, and adherence to hypertension treatment, and their effectiveness. Some mobile health techniques are automated text and video messages. These mobile applications allow for self-monitoring and communication between the patients and the health service providers, reminders, and automated signals. The abovementioned interventions are promising tools in helping manage blood pressure (BP), but resources are limited. This review involved selecting studies associated with mobile health interventions in managing hypertension and extracting data from available resources. Thirteen studies were selected using the inclusion criteria, and relevant data were extracted and discussed in the review. This review reported the role of mobile health interventions in the management of blood pressure, as most studies noted a decrease in blood pressure and increased medication adherence and self-efficacy. It also reported a reliable communication channel between the participants and their health service providers.

In pursuit of higher Gas production targets in Kuwait, a major campaign was initiated to increase reservoir contact in a tight carbonate limestone formation associated with depositional uncertainties. The primary challenge was to overcome lack of sufficient offset data and ambiguous seismic interpretation. To add to the complexity, the well was overlapping a major fault plane, resulting in several anomalies. A combination of deep-reading mapping and accurate imaging tools in real time was a must to properly land and steer the lateral within less than 9 feet thickness at 14,475 feet true vertical depth. Several sub-seismic faults were encountered while drilling and further complications were present with high temperature anomalies while drilling that exceeded tool temperature rating. A pre-well model was completed to predict formation behavior and develop an initial trajectory with expected responses for different scenarios as well as identifying optimum landing point parameters. Bottom-hole assembly (BHA) was optimized according to required setup and outputs. Latest well placement solutions combining ultra-deep resistivity reservoir mapping and spectral gamma ray imaging tools were deployed. Tool output was used to correlate to the model and anticipate anomalies in formation behavior while crossing any sub-seismic faults or react to sudden change in dip angles. During drilling, a steep increase in temperature was observed exceeding tool specifications. This resulted in premature trips, increasing the complexity of the challenge, especially as longer open hole section became exposed. An analysis bases on collecting circulating and non-circulating temperature in different runs, along with correlated mud flow and rotation parameters helped establishing best practices to mitigate the high temperature while drilling within tool operating envelope. The established best practice helped to extend tool life to continue drilling to the required objective, with no compromise to the reservoir data transmitted in real-time for steering purposes. The final outcome was achieving field record in deep drilling group by completing successfully and precisely the longest and deepest lateral in north Kuwait Jurassic asset area while remaining inside the required reservoir unit and providing insight on further units more than 30 ft. away. The final run was the deepest in terms of true vertical depth in which ultra-deep reservoir mapping tool was utilized for steering worldwide. The paper focuses on how the output of latest well placement technologies helped achieve the objectives and the approach to develop and apply drilling best practices in real time to achieve this field record. The knowledge and methodology is considered crucial in Kuwait Oil Company's path to achieve the set gas production targets, especially with the increase in planned number of laterals in Jurassic asset.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by inadequate insulin secretion by the pancreas or the lack in ability of the existing insulin to function properly. So, diabetes forms a fertile media for many diseases and embodies a risk to human-being’s health. Unfortunately, the incidence of diabetes is increasing every year. Over decades, several strategies have been tried by specialists to control diabetes, some of which are medical and herbal. Although diabetes mellitus represents a growing global epidemic disease, at the moment there is no absolute solution at the molecular level that targets the disease. Despite the fact that bacterial functions, such as gut barrier stability and butyrate production, are crucial for preserving normal blood sugar and insulin levels, a growing body of evidence suggests that some naturally occurring gut bacteria are underrepresented in the intestinal tracts of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D){Sharma, 2019 #8}. In fact, we need to look at the possibility of using probiotics in the outpatient clinic. Probiotics have been demonstrated to be helpful for patients with diabetes mellitus, particularly at the cellular level, based on clinical trials and animal research, as well as their high tolerability. In preclinical investigations and human trials{Kocsis, 2020 #7}, probiotics have shown that they can lower insulin and fasting blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. Recently, probiotics have been used to treat a range of ailments, such as autoimmune conditions, allergic reactions, andinflammation. However, there was a lot of heterogeneity in these trials. Examples include the kind of species used, how many probiotics are used, and the level of effectiveness. In our review, we focused on reviewing the role of using probiotics as an adjuvant therapy for lowering blood levels of sugar and troubled metabolism of our body sugar. Keywords: probiotics; diabetes; type 2 DM; inflammation; adjuvant therapy.

Background: The discovery of the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent rapid pandemic has had a significant impact not only on public health but also on clinical education. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) had to be adapted, especially regarding the methods of delivery. Social distancing was a requirement from the Public Health directives, impacting the practicalities of face-to-face didactic and simulated clinical educational sessions. Given the challenges that the pandemic generated across the globe in terms of education, new ways of offering education were required as a matter of urgency. This evaluative study was undertaken to describe the PHCC Workforce Training and Development’s (WTD) response to achieve maximum efficacy of our delivered CPD. Methods: The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the interventions utilized by the WTD directorate within PHCC. The evaluation and comparison of teaching and learning interventions (in terms of subject matter and delivery method) were described. It was based upon a three-month period from pre-COVID-19 (2019) and mid-COVID19 (2020). Staff who attend CPD programs within PHCC included: Physicians, Nurses, Dentists, and allied health care professionals. Results: During a three-month period from the pre-COVID-19 year (2019), 68 CPD courses were delivered mainly face-to-face, and individual accreditation varied from 1 to 30.25 educational accreditation points. During the mid-COVID year (2020), 38 CPD courses were delivered as online webinars and individual accreditation varied from 1 to 3.75 educational accreditation points. It was found that a greater number of participants were able to undertake web-based learning with individual sessions than face-to-face ones. Microsoft Teams was successfully utilized. The remote online host lecturer has facilitated significant interaction with most participants. The lecturers received the Learning Management System (LMS) training prior to the Pandemic; thus, we have experienced an easier integration of ongoing online clinical education during these challenging times. Conclusion: It was acknowledged that the WTD directorate at PHCC was in a fortunate position, due to the integration of the online LMS training prior to the pandemic. Both the clinical and educational staff were able to implement and deliver this method effectively at short notice, with similar academic accredited standards and quality. It is expected that following the pandemic, a higher uptake, demand, and motivation for innovative learning approaches will occur. It is thought that the use of the blended learning approach will dramatically increase.

Under the League of Arab States’ human rights regime, Arab countries are governed by the Arab Charter of Human Rights 2004. The Charter, however, lacks an enforcement mechanism. The Statute of the Arab Court of Human Rights 2014 aims to fill this enforcement void. This article addresses the criticism that, because it fails to provide for a direct right of individual petition, the Statute is not fit for purpose. It is argued contrarily that, within the context of an Arab human rights system, the Court should be welcomed as an important step in the process of establishing an effective regime.

CO elimination through oxidation over highly active and cost-effective catalysts is a way forward for many processes of industrial and environmental importance. In this study, doped CeO2 with transition metals (TM = Cu, Co, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zr, and Zn) at a level of 20 at. % was tested for CO oxidation. The oxides were prepared using microwave-assisted sol-gel synthesis to improve catalyst's performance for the reaction of interest. The effect of heteroatoms on the physicochemical properties (structure, morphology, porosity, and reducibility) of the binary oxides M-Ce-O was meticulously investigated and correlated to their CO oxidation activity. It was found that the catalytic activity (per gram basis or TOF, s-1) follows the order Cu-Ce-O > Ce-Co-O > Ni-Ce-O > Mn-Ce-O > Fe-Ce-O > Ce-Zn-O > CeO2. Participation of mobile lattice oxygen species in the CO/O2 reaction does occur, the extent of which is heteroatom-dependent. For that, state-of-the-art transient isotopic 18O-labeled experiments involving 16O/18O exchange followed by step-gas CO/Ar or CO/O2/Ar switches were used to quantify the contribution of lattice oxygen to the reaction. SSITKA-DRIFTS studies probed the formation of carbonates while validating the Mars-van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. Scanning transmission electron microscopy-high-angle annular dark field imaging coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy proved that the elemental composition of dopants in the individual nanoparticle of ceria is less than their composition at a larger scale, allowing the assessment of the doping efficacy. Despite the similar structural features of the catalysts, a clear difference in the Olattice mobility was also found as well as its participation (as expressed with the α descriptor) in the reaction, following the order αCu > αCo> αMn > αZn. Kinetic studies showed that it is rather the pre-exponential (entropic) factor and not the lowering of activation energy that justifies the order of activity of the solids. DFT calculations showed that the adsorption of CO on the Cu-doped CeO2 surface is more favorable (-16.63 eV), followed by Co, Mn, Zn (-14.46, -4.90, and -4.24 eV, respectively), and pure CeO2 (-0.63 eV). Also, copper compensates almost three times more charge (0.37e-) compared to Co and Mn, ca. 0.13e- and 0.10e-, respectively, corroborating for its tendency to be reduced. Surface analysis (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), apart from the oxidation state of the elements, revealed a heteroatom-ceria surface interaction (Oa species) of different extents and of different populations of Oa species.

Liver is a vital organ in the body that perform very important functions to keep health hemostasis. Liver function tests are a group of tests that determine the liver health in physiological and pathological conditions. The main objectives of the present study were to assess liver function using a panel of liver function tests among a sample of liver patients and to compare their levels with a sample of subjects who had no liver disease. To achieve the study objectives, we analyzed a dataset posted on Kaggle. The dataset described Indian liver patients and included 583 subjects among which 414 patients with liver disease and 167 subjects without liver disease. The results showed that demographic variables including age and gender were predictors of liver disease. On the other hand, liver function tests including bilirubin, ALT, AST, albumin, albumin globulin ratio, alkaline phosphatase were significantly associated with liver disease. The level of total proteins was not significantly associated with liver disease. Taken together, liver function tests can be used to assess liver disease. The interpretation of total proteins and AST should be considered with cautious

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has severely affected global health and caused a significant health burden worldwide, particularly in patients with cardiovascular insult. Worldwide, the COVID-19 confirmed cases number reached 81,658,440 cases with 1,802,206 deaths stated to the world health organization by January 1, 2021. Many risk factors, such as the elderly, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cardiovascular illness, like coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, and hypertension; put people at high vulnerability with COVID-19 infection. Many cardiovascular insults directly occur because of COVID-19 infection as myocarditis, pericarditis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, thromboembolic events, or arrhythmias. This review aims to shed light on different management modalities for COVID-19 and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on underlying cardiovascular comorbidities. Our hope lies in the COVID-19 vaccine as the best promising plan against the pandemic with the antiviral medications. Till the availability of antiviral agents and effective vaccines, repurposing drugs therapy would continue to be the mainstream. Cardiovascular diseases may be caused by or precedent conditions in COVID-19 patients. The physicians and the medical staff should be up-to-date regarding probable complications with COVID-19.

Objectives: Recently, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and since then, many studies have examined its symptomatology. In this study, we aimed to focus on Saudi patients with COVID-19 who also experienced smell dysfunction. We hypothesized that there would be a high percentage of COVID-19 patients with smell dysfunction in the Saudi population. Methodology: A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in August 2020 and was designed to assess anosmia and hyposmia in Saudi patients with a positive COVID-19 test. Only Saudi adults with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. We distributed an electronic, self-administered questionnaire through social media platforms, and personal contact to query the patients who had a positive COVID-19 test. Results: The study included 1005 patients, of whom 63.5% were female. More than three quarters (76.7%) were between the ages of 18 and 38 years. Most of them (74.1%) were healthy, while some of them (25%) reported associated comorbidities. Overall, approximately three-quarters (72%) of the participants developed smell dysfunction during the infection period, with (17.3%) experiencing a partial loss of smell (hyposmia), and (54%) experiencing a complete loss of smell (anosmia). Conclusions: Our study revealed that approximately three-quarters (72%) of the participants with COVID-19 developed smell dysfunction during the infection period, which supports our hypothesis. © 2021 Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine.

The article begins with the presentation of evidence indicating that a number of member states of the League of the Arab States (LAS), namely, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Libya, have failed to impleme...

PurposeThe purposes of this study are to identify the reasons that prevent students from attending lectures, to examine the impact of absenteeism on their academic performance and to explore the role of gender in their attendance.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey made up of statements was distributed to accounting students. Descriptive measures, a five-point Likert scale, Pearson's chi-square test and phi test were employed to achieve the study's objectives.FindingsThe study shows that most of the accounting students surveyed are aware of the importance of attending lectures, since they believe that attendance will have a positive impact on their understanding of course material and on their academic performance. The study indicates that overall academic performance and student attendance are related. It also indicates that there is a statistically significant association between the overall academic performance of accounting students and their gender.Practical implicationsTo gain greater insight into educators, academic institutes, researchers and parents concerning the reasons that lie behind students not attending accounting lectures in public higher education institutions in Kuwait and the effect of attendance on academic performance.Originality/valueMost prior studies have been conducted in developed countries and Western contexts. Especially, with the potential perceived differences in cultures and norms, this empirical study is expected to contribute to fill the gap in this research field.

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a known cause of morbidity and mortality after bariatric surgery. However, the data concerning appropriate thromboprophylaxis after bariatric surgery is uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended duration thromboprophylaxis in post-bariatric surgery patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent bariatric surgery from November 2014 to October 2018 at King Fahad General Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All included patients were treated with extended duration thromboprophylaxis. Results We identified 374 patients who underwent bariatric surgery during the study period. Of these, 312 patients (83%) were followed for at least 3 months. The most common type of surgery was a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (N=357) and the median weight was 110 kg. The cumulative incidence of symptomatic postoperative VTE at 3 months was 0.64% (95% confidence interval, 0.20-1.52). All events occurred after hospital discharge. The most commonly used pharmacological prophylaxis (91%) for VTE prevention after bariatric surgery was enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously twice daily for 10-14 days after hospital discharge. There were no reported cases of bleeding or VTE related mortality after 3 months. Conclusion Extended thromboprophylaxis after bariatric surgery appears to be an effective and safe strategy for VTE prevention. Large prospective studies are needed to evaluate the optimal thromboprophylaxis regimen after bariatric surgery.

A 2-D periodic leaky-wave antenna (LWA) is a planar structure that radiates from high-order space harmonics (Floquet waves) of a leaky mode that propagates radially outward on a structure. The structure chosen here consists of a 2-D periodic cross-shaped distribution of metal patches on top of a grounded dielectric substrate and is designed to produce a highly directive elliptical beam at broadside. The beam at broadside is produced by two high-order space harmonics of a leaky TM0 surface-wave mode that propagates radially outward from a dipole source. It is shown here that the structure can be truncated to the shape of a cross, maintaining similar radiation characteristics as the full structure, while reducing undesirable grating beams. The results from theoretical analysis, full-wave simulations, and measurements for a fabricated 2-D periodic cross LWA are presented here and are found to be in good agreement.