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Severe cutaneous injuries may not heal spontaneously and may necessitate the use of supplementary therapeutic methods. Electrospun nanofibers possess high porosity and specific surface area, which provide the necessary microenvironment for wound healing. Here in, the nanofibers of Soluplus-soy protein isolate (Sol-SPI) containing mupirocin (Mp) were fabricated via electrospinning for wound treatment. The fabricated nanofibers exhibited water absorption capacities of about 300.83 ± 29.72% and water vapor permeability values of about 821.8 ± 49.12 g/m 2 day. The Sol/SPI/Mp nanofibers showed an in vitro degradability of 33.73 ± 3.55% after 5 days. The ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation of the Sol/SPI/Mp nanofibers were measured as 3.61 ± 0.29 MPa, 39.15 ± 5.08 MPa, and 59.11 ± 1.94%, respectively. Additionally, 85.90 ± 6.02% of Mp loaded in the nanofibers was released in 5 days in vitro, and by applying the Mp-loaded nanofibers, 93.06 ± 5.40% and 90.40 ± 5.66% of S. aureus and E. coli bacteria were killed, respectively. Human keratinocyte cells (HaCat) demonstrated notable biocompatibility with the prepared nanofibers. Furthermore, compare to other groups, Sol-SPI-Mp nanofibers caused the fastest re-epithelialization and wound healing in a rat model. The findings of this study present a novel nanofiber-based wound dressing that accelerates the healing of severe skin wounds with the risk of infection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Understanding the mechanical properties of porous carbon-based materials can lead to advancements in various applications, including energy storage, filtration, and lightweight structural components. Also, investigating how silicon doping affects these materials can help optimize their mechanical properties, potentially improving strength, durability, and other performance metrics. This research investigated the effects of atomic doping (Si particle up to 10 %) on the mechanical properties of the porous carbon matrix using molecular dynamics methods. Young's modulus, ultimate strength, radial distribution function, interaction energy, mean square displacement and potential energy of designed samples were reported. MD outputs predict the Si doping process improved the mechanical performance of porous structures. Numerically, Young's modulus of the C-based porous matrix increased from 234.33 GPa to 363.82 GPa by 5 % Si inserted into a pristine porous sample. Also, the ultimate strength increases from 48.54 to 115.93 GPa with increasing Si doping from 1 % to 5 %. Silicon doping enhances the bonding strength and reduces defects in the carbon matrix, leading to improved stiffness and load-bearing capacity. This results in significant increases in mechanical performance. However, excess Si may disrupt the optimal bonding network, leading to weaker connections within the matrix. Also, considering the negative value of potential energy in different doping percentages, it can be concluded that the amount of doping added up to 10 % does not disturb the initial structure and stability of the system, and the structure still has structural stability. So, we expected our introduced atomic samples to be used in actual applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aluminum nanosheets are a form of Al nanoparticle that have been recently manufactured on an industrial scale and have a variety of uses. Al nanoparticles are extensively used in a variety of sectors, including aerospace, construction, medical, chemistry, and marine industries. Crack propagation in various constructions must be investigated thoroughly for structural design purposes. Cracks in nanoparticles may occur during the production of nanosheets (NSs) or when different mechanical or thermal pressures were applied. In this work, the effect of a continuous electric field on the fracture formation process of aluminum nanosheets was investigated. For this study, molecular dynamics simulation and LAMMPS software were used. The effects of various electric fields on several parameters, including as stress, velocity (Velo), and fracture length, were explored, and numerical data were retrieved using software. The results show that the amplitude of the electric field parameter affected the atomic development of modeled Al nanosheets throughout the fracture operation. This effect resulted in atomic resonance (amplitude) fluctuations, which affected the mean interatomic forces and led the temporal evolution of atoms to converge to certain specified initial conditions. The crack length in our modeled samples ranged from 22.88 to 32.63 Å, depending on the electric field parameter (0.1-1 V/Å). Finally, it was determined that the crack growth of modeled Al nanosheets may be controlled using CEF parameters in real-world situations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The welding process and the properties of welding instruments may improve the mechanical performance of an item. One of these properties is the length of the welding tool. This approach has a substantial effect on the mechanical strength of the metallic matrix. The current study used molecular dynamics modeling and LAMMPS software to evaluate the effect of welding tool length on the mechanical properties of a welded Cu-Ag metallic matrix. This simulation makes use of the Lennard-Jones potential function and the embedded atom model. First, the equilibrium phase of modeled samples was verified by changing the computation of kinetic and total energies. Next, the mechanical properties of the welded matrix were studied using the stated Young's modulus and ultimate strength. The stress-strain curve of samples demonstrated that the mechanical strength of atomic samples increased as the length of the welding tool (penetration depth) increased. Numerically, by increasing the tool penetration depth of Fe tools from 2 Å to 8 Å, Young's modulus and ultimate strength of the matrixes sample increase from 34.360 GPa to 1390.84 MPa to 38.44 GPa and 1510 MPa, respectively. This suggested that the length of the Fe welding tool significantly affected the mechanical properties of the welded metallic matrix. The longer the length of Fe welding tools, the more particles were involved, and consequently, more bonds were formed among the particles. Bonding among the particles caused changes in mechanical properties, such as greater ultimate strength. This method can optimize mechanical structures and be useful in various industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors listed on the manuscript are not employed by a government agency that has a primary function other than research and/or education. Also, the authors declare they are not belong to an official representative or on behalf of the government., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this research, aligned with global policies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from traditional power plants, we developed a holistic energy system utilizing solar, wind, and ocean thermal energy sources, tailored to regions optimal for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). The selected site, characterized by favorable wind and solar conditions close to areas with high OTEC potential, is designed to meet the electricity needs of a coastal community. The system's core components include an Organic Rankine Cycle, turbines, thermoelectric elements, pumps, a heat exchanger, a wind turbine, and a solar collector. A detailed system analysis and thermodynamic evaluation based on thermodynamic principles were carried out using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software. Key factors such as wind speed, solar radiation, and collector area were critical in determining system performance. To enhance the system's effectiveness, we conducted a comprehensive comparison of optimization algorithms, incorporating the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) and utilizing a Pareto front for value optimization. This approach significantly outperformed other algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Simulated Annealing (SA) in terms of system efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The developed system achieved an exergy efficiency of 14.46 % and a cost rate of $74.98 per hour, demonstrating its suitability for its intended functions. Moreover, exergoenvironmental evaluation was conducted for the proposed plant. The findings revealed that key component HEX has a high exergoenvironmental factor due to their use of hot water, which has zero unit exergoenvironmental impact. Additionally, pumps demonstrated a zero exergoenvironmental impact factor, indicating negligible component-related environmental impacts. Sensitivity analysis further evaluated critical performance parameters, revealing that increases in solar irradiation lead to decreased total system cost rates, while higher turbine temperatures resulted in a remarkable 14.08 % reduction in the system's cost rate. These results underscore the economic viability of operating the system at higher temperatures and strengthen the argument for its adoption from a financial perspective., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The vulnerability of patients on hemodialysis (HD) to infections is evident by their increased susceptibility to infections in general and to resistant organisms in particular. Unnecessary, inappropriate, or suboptimal antimicrobial prescribing is common in dialysis units. This underscores the need for dedicated antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions that can be implemented both in the inpatient and outpatient settings. In this review, we provide a comprehensive approach for clinicians with the most updated coordinated AMS principles in HD setting in six areas: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, education and empowerment, monitoring, and research., Competing Interests: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the importance of critical care. The aim of the current study was to compare the number of adult critical care beds in relation to population size in Asian countries and regions before (2017) and during (2022) the pandemic., Methods: This observational study collected data closest to 2022 on critical care beds (intensive care units and intermediate care units) in 12 middle-income and 7 high-income economies (using the 2022-2023 World Bank classification), through a mix of methods including government sources, national critical care societies, personal contacts, and data extrapolation. Data were compared with a prior study from 2017 of the same countries and regions., Findings: The cumulative number of critical care beds per 100,000 population increased from 3.0 in 2017 to 9.4 in 2022 (p = 0.003). The median figure for middle-income economies increased from 2.6 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.7-7.8) to 6.6 (IQR 2.2-13.3), and that for high-income economies increased from 11.4 (IQR 7.3-22.8) to 13.9 (IQR 10.7-21.7). Only 3 countries did not see a rise in bed capacity. Where data were available in 2022, 10.9% of critical care beds were in single rooms (median 5.0% in middle-income and 20.3% in high-income economies), and 5.3% had negative pressure (median 0.7% in middle-income and 18.5% in high-income economies)., Interpretation: Critical care bed capacity in the studied Asian countries and regions increased close to three-fold from 2017 to 2022. Much of this increase was attributed to middle-income economies, but substantial heterogeneity exists., Funding: None., Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Introduction: The environmental impact of hospitals and healthcare providers practices is substantial, although often unnoticed and infrequently tracked. A green and healthy hospital is one that promotes public health by continuously monitoring and reducing its environmental impact., Methods: We adopted a descriptive case study design with a multi-dimensional evaluation and monitoring of carbon emission equivalence (CO2e) using two examples from a tertiary care hospital practice in Oman. One example (1) was related to inhalation anaesthetic gases (IAG) consumption and the second example (2) was related to estimation of telemedicine clinics (TMCs) CO2e travel-related savings., Results: The cumulative consumption of three different (1) IAG over three years (2019, 2020, 2021) was generated with estimated CO2e for each year for sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane. Desflurane had the lowest consumption with a yearly cumulative consumption of 6000 mL, 1500 mL, and 3000 mL for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The (2) TMCs during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic travel related CO2e savings were in the range of 12.65-3483.1 tonnes. In the second year of launching this service it doubled to a range of 24-6610.5 tonnes of CO2e savings., Conclusion: A green and healthy hospital approach of tracking and monitoring environmental impact of healthcare providers practices is critical for health planning and management of the environmental policy. This case study illustrated the importance of closely tracking hospital-based practices from an environmental perspective towards a green hospital approach., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood brain tumor with an unfavorable prognosis and limited options of harmful treatments that are associated with devastating long-term side effects. Therefore, the development of safe, noninvasive, and effective therapeutic approaches is required to save the quality of life of young medulloblastoma survivors. We postulated that therapeutic targeting is a solution. Thus, we used a recently designed tumor-targeted bacteriophage (phage)-derived particle, named transmorphic phage/AAV, TPA, to deliver a transgene expressing the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) for targeted systemic therapy of medulloblastoma. This vector was engineered to display the double-cyclic RGD4C ligand to selectively target tumors after intravenous administration. Furthermore, the lack of native phage tropism in mammalian cells warrants safe and selective systemic delivery to the tumor microenvironment. In vitro RGD4C.TPA.TNFα treatment of human medulloblastoma cells generated efficient and selective TNFα expression, subsequently triggering cell death. Combination with the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin used clinically against medulloblastoma resulted in augmented effect through the enhancement of TNFα gene expression. Systemic administration of RGD4C.TPA.TNFα to mice-bearing subcutaneous medulloblastoma xenografts resulted in selective tumor homing of these particles and consequently, targeted tumor expression of TNFα, apoptosis, and destruction of the tumor vasculature. Thus, our RGD4C.TPA.TNFα particle provides selective and efficient systemic delivery of TNFα to medulloblastoma, yielding a potential TNFα anti-medulloblastoma therapy while sparing healthy tissues from the systemic toxicity of this cytokine., (© 2023 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Density Functional Theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the interaction between cyanogen chloride (ClCN) and the surface of a carbon nanocone (CNC). The findings of this research revealed that pristine CNC is not an ideal material to detect ClCN gas due to its minimal alterations in electronic properties. In order to enhance the properties of carbon nanocones, multiple methods were implemented. These included functionalizing the nanocones with pyridinol (Pyr) and pyridinol oxide (PyrO) as well as decorating them with metals such as boron (B), aluminium (Al) and gallium (Ga). Additionally, the nanocones were also doped with the same third-group metal (B, Al and Ga). The simulation results indicated that doping it with aluminium and gallium atoms yielded promising results. After a comprehensive optimization process, two stable configurations were obtained between the ClCN gas and the CNC-Al, and CNC-Ga structures (configurations S21, and S22) with E ads respectively, using M06-2X/6-311G(d) level. The adsorption of ClCN on CNC-Al and CNC-Ga surfaces leads to a marked alteration in the electrical properties of these structures. Calculations reveal that the energy gap between the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) levels ( -1 ) of these configurations increased in the range of 9.03% and 12.54%, respectively, thereby giving off a chemical signal. An analysis conducted by the NCI confirms that there is a strong interaction between ClCN and Al and Ga atoms in CNC-Al and CNC-Ga structures, which is represented by the red color in the RDG isosurfaces. Additionally, the NBO charge analysis reveals that significant charge transfer is present in S21 and S22 configurations (190 and 191 |me|, respectively). These findings suggest that the adsorption of ClCN on these surfaces impacts the electron-hole interaction, which subsequently alters the electrical properties of the structures. Based on the DFT results, the CNC-Al and CNC-Ga structures, which have been doped with aluminium and gallium atoms, respectively, have the potential to serve as good candidates for detecting ClCN gas. Among these two structures, the CNC-Ga structure emerged as the most desirable one for this purpose.E g ) of these configurations increased in the range of 9.03% and 12.54%, respectively, thereby giving off a chemical signal. An analysis conducted by the NCI confirms that there is a strong interaction between ClCN and Al and Ga atoms in CNC-Al and CNC-Ga structures, which is represented by the red color in the RDG isosurfaces. Additionally, the NBO charge analysis reveals that significant charge transfer is present in S21 and S22 configurations (190 and 191 |me|, respectively). These findings suggest that the adsorption of ClCN on these surfaces impacts the electron-hole interaction, which subsequently alters the electrical properties of the structures. Based on the DFT results, the CNC-Al and CNC-Ga structures, which have been doped with aluminium and gallium atoms, respectively, have the potential to serve as good candidates for detecting ClCN gas. Among these two structures, the CNC-Ga structure emerged as the most desirable one for this purpose., Competing Interests: The authors declare that we have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Affect is involved in many psychological phenomena, but a descriptive structure, long sought, has been elusive. Valence and arousal are fundamental, and a key question-the focus of the present study-is the relationship between them. Valence is sometimes thought to be independent of arousal, but, in some studies (representing too few societies in the world) arousal was found to vary with valence. One common finding is that arousal is lowest at neutral valence and increases with both positive and negative valence: a symmetric V-shaped relationship. In the study reported here of self-reported affect during a remembered moment ( N = 8,590), we tested the valence-arousal relationship in 33 societies with 25 different languages. The two most common hypotheses in the literature-independence and a symmetric V-shaped relationship-were not supported. With data of all samples pooled, arousal increased with positive but not negative valence. Valence accounted for between 5% (Finland) and 43% (China Beijing) of the variance in arousal. Although there is evidence for a structural relationship between the two, there is also a large amount of variability in this relation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

This study reports light energy harvesting characteristics of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) and BiFO 3 doped with rare-earth metals such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and gadolinium (Gd) dye solutions that were prepared by using the co-precipitation method. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of synthesized materials were studied, confirming that 5-50 nm sized synthesized particles have a well-developed and non-uniform grain size due to their amorphous nature. Moreover, the peaks of photoelectron emission for bare and doped BiFeO 3 were observed in the visible region at around 490 nm, while the emission intensity of bare BiFeO 3 was noticed to be lower than that of doped materials. Photoanodes were prepared with the paste of the synthesized sample and then assembled to make a solar cell. The natural and synthetic dye solutions of Mentha, Actinidia deliciosa, and green malachite, respectively, were prepared in which the photoanodes were immersed to analyze the photoconversion efficiency of the assembled dye-synthesized solar cells. The power conversion efficiency of fabricated DSSCs, which was confirmed from the I-V curve, is in the range from 0.84 to 2.15%. This study confirms that mint (Mentha) dye and Nd-doped BiFeO 3 materials were found to be the most efficient sensitizer and photoanode materials among all the sensitizers and photoanodes tested., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI 3 ) is the most promising perovskite material for producing efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we develop a facile method to obtain an α-phase FAPbI 3 layer with passivated grain boundaries and weakened non-radiative recombination. For this aim, during the FAPbI 3 fabrication process, cetrimonium bromide + 5% potassium thiocyanate (CTABr + 5% KSCN) vapor post-treatment is introduced to remove non-perovskite phases in the FAPbI 3 layer. Incorporation of CTA + along with SCN - ions induces FAPbI 3 crystallization and stitch grain boundaries, resulting in PSCs with lower defect losses. The vapor-assisted deposition increases the carriers' lifetime in the FAPbI 3 and facilitates charge transport at the interfacial perovskite/hole transport layer via a band alignment phenomenon. The treated α-FAPbI 3 layers bring an excellent PCE of 22.34%, higher than the 19.48% PCE recorded for control PSCs. Besides, the well-oriented FAPbI 3 and its higher hydrophobic behavior originating from CTABr materials lead to improved stability in the treated PSCs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of novel ultrafiltration and mixed matrix membrane (MMM) composed of hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) for the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In the polycarbonate (PC) MMM, the weight percent of HMO and Ag-NP has been increased from 5% to 10%. A neural network (ANN) was used in this study to compare PC-HMO and Ag-NP. MMM was evaluated in combination with HMO and Ag-NP loadings in order to assess their effects on pure water flux, mean pore size, porosity, and efficacy in removing BOD and COD. HMO and Ag-NPs can decrease membrane porosity in the casting solution while increasing mean pore size. According to the study's findings, the artificial neural network model appears to be highly appropriate for predicting the removal of BOD and COD. To develop a successful model, a suitable input dataset was selected, which consisted of BOD and COD. An ideal model architecture for MMM was proposed based on an optimal number of hidden layers (2 layers) and neurons (5-8 neurons). Experiments and predicted data show a strong correlation between the developed models. BOD was predicted with an excellent R2 and a low root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.99 and 0.05%, respectively, while COD was predicted with an excellent R2 and a low RMSE of 0.99 and 0.09%, respectively. Based on the results, Ag-NP was found to be an excellent candidate for the preparation of MMMs as well as convenient for the removal of BOD and COD from polluted water sources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

(1) Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly evolved into a pandemic affecting virtually every country in the world. We evaluated the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and all-cause mortality of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Oman during the different COVID-19 waves and variant types. (2) Methods: A case-series retrospective study was carried out between 12 March 2020 and 30 June 2022. All adults over the age of 18 with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled. Analyses were performed using univariate and multivariate statistics. (3) Results: A total of 1462 confirmed cases enrolled with the mean age of the cohort was 55 ± 17 years with significant differences among the groups (p = 0.006). A total of 63% and 80% of the patients were males and citizens of Oman, respectively. Patients infected with the Alpha COVID-19 variant type were more likely to have acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (p < 0.001), stay longer in the hospital (p < 0.001), and get admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (p < 0.001). At the same time, those who had the Omicron COVID-19 type were more likely to have renal impairment (p < 0.001) and less likely to be associated with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) (p = 0.001) compared with other COVID-19 variant types. The Delta (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22−2.66; p = 0.003) and Omicron (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI: 1.09−3.22; p = 0.022) COVID-19 variant types were associated with higher all-cause mortality when compared to the initial COVID-19 variant. Old age (aOR, 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04−1.06; p < 0.001), the presence of respiratory disease (aOR, 1.58; 95% CI: 1.02−2.44; p = 0.04), ICU admission (aOR, 3.41; 95% CI: 2.16−5.39; p < 0.001), lower eGFR (aOR, 1.61; 95% CI: 1.17−2.23; p = 0.004), and ARDS (aOR, 5.75; 95% CI: 3.69−8.98; p < 0.001) were also associated with higher mortality while NIV requirements were associated with lower odds of dying (aOR, 0.65; 95% CI: 0.46−0.91; p = 0.012). (4) Conclusions: Alpha and Delta variants were associated with a longer hospital stay, need for intensive care, mechanical ventilation, and increased mortality. Old age, cardiac renal dysfunction were commonly associated with Omicron variants. Large-scale national studies to further assess the risk factors for mortality related to COVID-19 waves are warranted.

In this study, Fe 2 O 3 powder was synthesized using the co-precipitation method from scrap iron, which was then treated with varying concentrations of copper. Afterwards, the modified Fe 2 O 3 was reinforced in the PVC matrix by using the solution-casting method to synthesize PVC composite films, which were subjected to a UV-visible spectrophotometer, a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, an X-ray diffractometer, and a thermal gravimetric analyzer to evaluate the optical, chemical, structural, and thermal properties. FTIR analysis reveals the formation of the composite through vibrational bands pertaining to both components present, whereas no significant changes in the XRD patterns of PVC were observed after the doping of modified iron oxide, which reveals the compatibility of fillers with the PVC matrix. The optical properties of the copper-doped iron oxide-PVC composites, including absorbance, refractive index, urbach energy, and optical as well as electrical conductivity are measured, and show an increase in optical activity when compared to the pure PVC compound. Moreover, the increased thermal stability of the synthesized composite was also observed and compared with conventional compounds, which, in accordance with all the other mentioned properties, makes the copper-dopped iron oxide-PVC composite an effective material for electronic, photonic, and optical device applications.

The structural and optoelectronic characteristics of Zn 1- x Cd x S ( x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1) semiconductors are reported using density functional theory within GGA, EV-GGA, and mBJ functionals. These semiconductors are observed in cubic symmetry at all Cd-concentrations and the lattice constant increases linearly with Cd-concentration while the bulk modulus shows a reverse behavior. These materials are direct bandgap semiconductors at all Cd-concentrations and their bandgap energy decreases from 3.67 eV to 2.59 eV. The isotropic optical properties of these direct bandgap semiconductors vary with Cd concentration as well, with absorption coefficients decreasing and absorbed near-UV light converting to visible blue light. Optical properties like refractive index, dielectric constant, conductivity, extinction coefficient, and reflectance are also displayed and discussed. These results provide useful theoretical understanding for the application of CdZnS semiconductors in photonic, photovoltaic, and optoelectronic devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Immunotherapy is a powerful tool for cancer treatment, but the pleiotropic nature of cytokines and immunological agents strongly limits clinical translation and safety. To address this unmet need, we designed and characterised a systemically targeted cytokine gene delivery system through transmorphic encapsidation of human recombinant adeno-associated virus DNA using coat proteins from a tumour-targeted bacteriophage (phage). We show that Transmorphic Phage/AAV (TPA) particles provide superior delivery of transgenes over current phage-derived vectors through greater diffusion across the extracellular space and improved intracellular trafficking. We used TPA to target the delivery of cytokine-encoding transgenes for interleukin-12 (IL12), and novel isoforms of IL15 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF α ) for tumour immunotherapy. Our results demonstrate selective and efficient gene delivery and immunotherapy against solid tumours in vivo, without harming healthy organs. Our transmorphic particle system provides a promising modality for safe and effective gene delivery, and cancer immunotherapies through cross-species complementation of two commonly used viruses., (© 2022 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.)

Purpose: The incidence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has increased in the last two decades, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Our study investigated the factors associated with mortality from CRE bloodstream infection in a single center in Oman., Methods: Data from adult patients with CRE bacteremia, over a 10-year period, were retrospectively collected. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared according to intensive care unit (ICU) admission status and mortality. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate factors associated with mortality., Results: 169 cases of CRE bacteremia were identified, of whom 93 (55%) required ICU admission and 96 (56.8%) died. Patients who required ICU care were more likely to require organ transplant (15% vs 4.0%; p  = 0.02), be on immunosuppressants (31% vs 17%; p  = 0.035), be transferred from other hospitals (40% vs 14%; p < 0.001), be colonized with CRE (73% vs 43%; p < 0.001), have vascular lines (85% vs 42%; p < 0.001), be on mechanical ventilation (91% vs 9.2%; p < 0.001), require a longer stay (37 vs 17 days; p < 0.001), and have increased mortality (80% vs 29%; p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, mechanical ventilation (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 15.3; 95% confidence interval 5.39-43.2; p < 0.001) and prior use of the broad-spectrum antibiotics meropenem ( p  = 0.01) and piperacillin/tazobactam ( p  = 0.026) were associated with CRE mortality., Conclusion: CRE bacteremia carries a high mortality rate in patients requiring ICU care. Implementation of infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship programs are essential in reducing the rates of CRE BSI., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Objective: To develop and validate a clinical score that will identify potential admittance to an intensive care unit (ICU) for a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case., Materials and Methods: The clinical scoring system was developed using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression. The prediction algorithm was constructed and cross-validated using a development cohort of 313 COVID-19 patients, and was validated using an independent retrospective set of 64 COVID-19 patients., Results: The majority of patients were Omani in nationality (n = 181, 58%). Multivariate logistic regression identified eight independent predictors of ICU admission that were included in the clinical score: hospitalization (OR, 1.079; 95% CI, 1.058-1.100), absolute lymphocyte count (OR, 0.526; 95% CI, 0.379-0.729), C-reactive protein (OR, 1.009; 95% CI, 1.006-1.011), lactate dehydrogenase (OR, 1.0008; 95% CI, 1.0004-1.0012), CURB-65 score (OR, 2.666; 95% CI, 2.212-3.213), chronic kidney disease with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 70 (OR, 0.249; 95% CI, 0.155-0.402), shortness of breath (OR, 3.494; 95% CI, 2.528-6.168), and bilateral infiltrates in chest radiography (OR, 6.335; 95% CI, 3.427-11.713). The mean area under a curve (AUC) for the development cohort was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.85-0.87), and for the validation cohort, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88)., Conclusion: This study presents a web application for identifying potential admittance to an ICU for a COVID-19 case, according to a clinical risk score based on eight significant characteristics of the patient (http://3.14.27.202/cov19-icu-score/)., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs) is widely reported. Here we report on the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and the factors associated with it in a sample of non-vaccinated HCWs. Data from 433 not vaccinated medical and non-medical HCWs from various health care facilities after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination in Oman were analyzed. Most of the participants were nurses (41.5%) followed by physicians (37.5%) and non-medical HCWs (21%). Forty percent of HCWs were willing to uptake the COVID-19 vaccines. Physicians and male HCWs had more positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines than nurses and female HCWs. Concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines including unknown health issues, efficacy and safety were stated by the participants. Our results show a low level of willingness to uptake the COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs, an issue that must be urgently addressed., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

A high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) system was employed to prepare a Fe 49.7 Cr 18 Mn 1.9 Mo 7.4 W 1.6 B 15.2 C 3.8 Si 2.4 amorphous coating on mild steel. The electrochemical behavior of the resultant coatings, namely as-sprayed coating and vacuum heat-treated coating (at 650 °C and 800 °C), were investigated in a 3.5% NaCl solution at variable temperatures using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization, optical microscopy (OM), and XRD diffraction. Moreover, COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.5 software were employed for predicting the galvanic corrosion of amorphous material immersed in an aqueous NaCl solution, using the software finite element kit. The experiments demonstrated that the coatings' pitting resistance was significantly affected by temperature. The results also showed that temperature affected the pitting corrosion rate and changed the shape of the pits. However, the changes were not as extreme as those observed in stainless steel. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the as-sprayed coating and the vacuum-heat-treated coating at 650 °C. At low NaCl concentrations at and temperatures below the critical pitting temperature, the resulting pits were significantly small with a hemisphere-like. By contrast, at a higher NaCl concentration at 70 °C, particularly in the case of heating at 650 °C, the pits appearing on the Fe-based amorphous coating were vast and sometimes featured a lacy cover.

Objectives: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic continues to spread globally without an effective treatment. In search of the cure, convalescent plasma (CP) containing protective antibodies from survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has shown potential benefit in a non-intensive care unit setting. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of CP therapy for patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)., Methods: We conducted an open-label trial in a single center, Royal Hospital, in Oman. The study was conducted from 17 April to 20 June 2020. The trial included 94 participants with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The primary outcomes included extubation rates, discharges from the hospital and overall mortality, while secondary outcomes were the length of stay and improvement in respiratory and laboratory parameters. Analyses were performed using univariate statistics., Results: The overall mean age of the cohort was 50.0±15.0 years, and 90.4% (n = 85) were males. A total of 77.7% (n = 73) of patients received CP. Those on CP were associated with a higher extubation rate (35.6% vs. 76.2%; p < 0.001), higher extubation/home discharges rate (64.4% vs. 23.8%; p = 0.001), and tendency towards lower overall mortality (19.2% vs. 28.6%; p = 0.354; study power = 11.0%) when compared to COVID-19 patients that did not receive CP., Conclusions: CP was associated with higher extubation/home discharges and a tendency towards lower overall mortality when compared to those that did not receive CP in COVID-19 patients on MV or in those with ARDS. Further studies are warranted to corroborate our findings., (The OMJ is Published Bimonthly and Copyrighted 2021 by the OMSB.)

Chondrosarcoma is a cartilage-forming bone tumor, well known for intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We have designed a targeted chondrosarcoma gene therapy using a bacteriophage (phage) particle to deliver therapeutic genes. Phage has no tropism for mammalian cells, allowing engineered phage to be targeted to specific cell surface receptors in cancer. We modified the phage capsid to display the RGD4C ligand on the pIII minor coat proteins to specifically bind to αvβ3 or αvβ5 integrin receptors. The endosomal escape peptide, H5WYG, was also displayed on recombinant pVIII major coat proteins to enhance gene delivery. Finally, a human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) therapeutic transgene expression cassette was incorporated into the phage genome. First, we found that human chondrosarcoma cells (SW1353) have high expression of αvβ3, αvβ5 integrin receptors, and both TNFα receptors. Targeted particle encoding a luciferase reporter gene efficiently and selectively mediated gene delivery to these cells. When SW1353 cells were treated with the targeted particle encoding a TNFα transgene, significant cell killing was evident and was associated with high expression of TNFα and apoptosis-related genes. In vivo, mice with established human chondrosarcoma showed suppression of tumors upon repetitive intravenous administrations of the targeted phage. These data show that our phage-based particle is a promising, selective, and efficient tool for targeted chondrosarcoma therapy., (© 2021 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of favipiravir combined with inhaled interferon beta-1b in adult patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia., Methods: A randomized, open-label controlled trial of oral favipiravir in adults hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia from June 22nd 2020 to August 13th 2020 was conducted. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of favipiravir with interferon beta-1b by inhalation aerosol or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). The outcome endpoints included improvement in inflammatory markers, lower length of hospital stay (LOS), discharges and lower overall 14-day mortality., Results: A total of 89 patients underwent randomization with 49% (n = 44) assigned to favipiravir and 51% (n = 45) assigned HCQ. The overall mean age was 55 ± 14 years and 58% (n = 52) were males. There were no significant differences in the inflammatory biomarkers at hospital discharge between the two groups; C-reactive protein (p = 0.413), ferritin (p = 0.968), lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.259) and interleukin 6 (p = 0.410). There were also no significant differences between the two groups with regards to the overall LOS (7 vs 7 days; p = 0.948), transfers to the ICU (18.2% vs 17.8%; p = 0.960), discharges (65.9% vs 68.9%; p = 0.764) and overall mortality (11.4% vs 13.3%; p = 0.778)., Conclusions: No differences in clinical outcomes were found between favipiravir plus inhaled interferon beta-1b and hydroxychloroquine in adults hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This was a retrospective study documenting all pacemaker implantations (PMIs) secondary to postoperative atrioventricular block. A total of 26 patients were included between 2011 and 2020. The incidence rate was 1.8%, with a median follow-up time of 4.5 years. At the time of the initial PMI, the median weight was 5 kg, and the median generator longevity was 45 months. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamp times were significantly longer among surgeries complicated with PMI (P≤ 0.05). Trisomy 21 patients were 4 times more likely to need a PMI (95% CI 1.8-9, P < 0.001). The mean Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgery scores were higher in patients with PMI. All initial PMIs were epicardial (18 single chamber). Most patients underwent ventricular septal defect closure (isolated or complex), except for 5 patients who underwent left-sided surgery. Pacing-induced dilated cardiomyopathy occurred in 3 patients. All implanted leads were functional except for 2 leads with high thresholds and another biventricular system infection. There was a 31% rate of pacing reintervention.Conclusion: PMI resulted in significant morbidity but without mortality. The highest risk for PMI was left ventricular outflow tract repair, trisomy 21, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic cross times. What is Known: •Incidence rate for postoperative atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker was at 1.8%, similar to previously published reports. •Longer cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were associated with higher risk for developing postoperative persistent atrioventricular block. What is New: •Incidence for persistent atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker was highest among left ventricular outflow tract surgery at 8.6%. •Following all intracardiac repair, Down syndrome patients were 4 times more likely to need a pacemaker implantation compared to the non-syndromic group.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic use of plasma exchange in COVID-19 patients compared to controls., Methods: A case series of critically ill adult men and non-pregnant women, ≥18 years of age, with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, was studied at the Royal Hospital, Oman, from April 17 to May 11, 2020. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) was performed on patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with confirmed or imminent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or severe pneumonia. The analysis was performed using univariate statistics., Results: A total of 31 COVID-19 patients were included with an overall mean age of 51±15 years (range: 27-76 years); 90% (n=28) were males, and 35% (n=11) of the patients had TPE as a mode of treatment. The TPE group was associated with higher extubation rates than the non-TPE cohort (73% versus 20%; p=0.018). Additionally, patients on TPE had a lower 14 days (0 versus 35%; p=0.033) and 28 days (0 versus 35%; p=0.033) post plasma exchange mortality compared to patients not on TPE. However, all-cause mortality was only marginally lower in the TPE group compared to the non-TPE group (9.1% versus 45%; p=0.055; power=66%). Laboratory and ventilatory parameters also improved post TPE (n = 11)., Conclusions: The use of TPE in severe COVID-19 patients has been associated with improved outcomes, however, randomized controlled clinical trials are warranted to draw final, conclusive findings., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: To identify the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Oman., Methods: A case series of hospitalized COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed patients between February 24th through April 24th, 2020, from two hospitals in Oman. Analyses were performed using univariate statistics., Results: The cohort included 63 patients with an overall mean age of 48±16 years and 84% (n=53) were males. A total of 38% (n=24) of the hospitalized patients were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). Fifty one percent (n=32) of patients had at least one co-morbidity with diabetes mellitus (DM) (32%; n=20) and hypertension (32%; n=20) as the most common co-morbidities followed by chronic heart and renal diseases (12.8%; n=8). The most common presenting symptoms at onset of illness were fever (84%; n=53), cough (75%; n=47) and shortness of breaths (59%; n=37). All except two patients (97%; n=61) were treated with either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, while the three most prescribed antibiotics were ceftriaxone (79%; n=50), azithromycin (71%; n=45), and the piperacillin/tazobactam combination (49%; n=31). A total of 59% (n=37), 49% (n=31) and 24% (n=15) of the patients were on lopinavir/ritonavir, interferons, or steroids, respectively. Mortality was documented in (8%; n=5) of the patients while 68% (n=43) of the study cohort recovered. Mortality was associated with those that were admitted to ICU (19% vs 0; p=0.009), mechanically ventilated (31% vs 0; p=0.001), had DM (20% vs 2.3%; p=0.032), older (62 vs 47 years; p=0.045), had high total bilirubin (43% vs 2.3%; p=0.007) and those with high C-reactive protein (186 vs 90mg/dL; p=0.009) and low corrected calcium (15% vs 0%; p=0.047)., Conclusions: ICU admission, those on mechanical ventilation, the elderly, those with high total bilirubin and low corrected calcium were associated with high mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Gene therapy has long been regarded as a promising treatment for cancer. However, cancer gene therapy is still facing the challenge of targeting gene delivery vectors specifically to tumors when administered via clinically acceptable non-invasive systemic routes (i.e. intravenous). The bacteria virus, bacteriophage (phage), represents a new generation of promising vectors in systemic gene delivery since their targeting can be achieved through phage capsid display ligands, which enable them to home to specific tumor receptors without the need to ablate any native eukaryotic tropism. We have previously reported a tumor specific bacteriophage vector named adeno-associated virus/phage, or AAVP, in which gene expression is under a recombinant human rAAV2 virus genome targeted to tumors via a ligand-directed phage capsid. However, cancer gene therapy with this tumor-targeted vector achieved variable outcomes ranging from tumor regression to no effect in both experimental and natural preclinical models. Herein, we hypothesized that combining the natural dietary genistein, with proven anticancer activity, would improve bacteriophage anticancer safe therapy. We show that combination treatment with genistein and AAVP increased targeted cancer cell killing by AAVP carrying the gene for Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) in 2D tissue cultures and 3D tumor spheroids. We found this increased tumor cell killing was associated with enhanced AAVP-mediated gene expression. Next, we established that genistein protects AAVP against proteasome degradation and enhances vector genome accumulation in the nucleus. Combination of genistein and phage-guided virotherapy is a safe and promising strategy that should be considered in anticancer therapy with AAVP., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

This study examines adolescents' coping styles, with relation to their gender and age and level, of six types of problems. The participants were 1843 adolescents (51.7% female and 48.3% male) from the Sultanate of Oman with a mean age of 15.75. Two scales examining general adaptive and maladaptive coping styles and levels of school, economic, personal, health, family, and emotional problems were administered. The findings showed that adolescents' high levels of perceived problems were associated with higher levels of maladaptive coping styles than those with low levels of problems. Furthermore, female adolescents seem to use maladaptive coping styles (across all levels of the six types of problems) more than males. The use of adaptive and maladaptive coping styles increase with age., (Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Relieving preoperative anxiety is an important concern for the pediatric anesthesiologist. Midazolam has become the most frequently used premedication in children. However, new drugs such as the α(2) -agonists have emerged as alternatives for premedication in pediatric anesthesia., Methods: One hundred and twenty children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy were enrolled in this prospective, double-blind, randomized study. The children were divided into two equal groups to receive either intranasal dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg (group D), or oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg (group M) at approximately 60 and 30 mins, respectively, before induction of anesthesia. Preoperative sedative effects, anxiety level changes, and the ease of child-parent separation were assessed. Also, the recovery profile and postoperative analgesic properties were assessed., Results: Children premedicated with intranasal dexmedetomidine achieved significantly lower sedation levels (P=0.042), lower anxiety levels (P=0.036), and easier child-parent separation (P=0.029) than children who received oral midazolam at the time of transferring the patients to the operating room. Postoperatively, the time to achieve an Aldrete score of 10 was similar in both the groups (P=0.067). Also, the number of children who required fentanyl as rescue analgesia medication was significantly less (P=0.027) in the dexmedetomidine group., Conclusion: Intranasal dexmedetomidine appears to be a better choice for preanesthetic medication than oral midazolam in our study. Dexmedetomidine was associated with lower sedation levels, lower anxiety levels, and easier child-parent separation at the time of transferring patients to the operating room than children who received oral midazolam. Moreover, intranasal dexmedetomidine has better analgesic property than oral midazolam with discharge time from postanesthetic care unit similar to oral midazolam.