Physicians' Perspectives on the Impact of Insurance Status on Clinical Decision-Making in Saudi Arabia.

Background The decision-making process in clinical practice depends heavily on collaboration and information sharing. Physicians' decision-making processes are profoundly influenced by the patient's insurance status, which warrants focused investigation. Hence, this study aimed to investigate how physicians perceive the influence of insurance status on treatment options and medical interventions and to explore the extent to which physicians discuss insurance-related considerations with patients during the shared decision-making process. Methodology This was a cross-sectional exploratory study conducted in various healthcare facilities all over Saudi Arabia. The electronic questionnaire was the primary tool for data collection. Data were then coded, entered, and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results The study involved 430 physicians, primarily male (n = 230, 53.5%), aged 31-40 years (n = 215, 50%), and mostly non-Saudi (n = 285, 66.3%). Medical officers constituted the majority of the study population (n = 258, 60%), with one to five years of experience (n = 187, 43.5%), and engaged in private practice (n = 230, 70%). Concerning insurance, 287 (66.7%) physicians considered patient's insurance when discussing treatment options, while 318 (74%) physicians discussed the financial implications of different treatment options with the patients. Regarding outcomes, 373 (86.7%) physicians believed that insurance status affected patient outcomes and treatment modalities. Significant factors, such as age between 31 and 40 years (P < 0.001), over 10 years of clinical experience (P = 0.002), engagement in both governmental and private practice (P = 0.012), and being a medical officer (P = 0.005), demonstrated a high impact on the insurance status influencing clinical decision-making. Overall, recognizing the influence of insurance on decision-making is crucial for equitable healthcare. Conclusions More than half of the physicians demonstrated high scores indicating the impact of insurance status on the clinical decision-making process. This impact was influenced by specific physician parameters such as age, experience, specialty, and type of practice. Moreover, the financial situation and insurance status of the patients significantly affected treatment and patient outcomes.

Digital image determination of copper in food and water after preconcentration and magnetic tip separation for in-cavity desorption/color development.

A new analytical method for measuring copper in food and water was developed and validated, employing a solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique combined with digital-image-based (DIB) detection. A novel magnetic adsorbent of zinc ferrite/Citrullus colocynthis biochar (ZF@C.BC) was used to preconcentrate copper. A magnetic tip was used to separate the copper-loaded adsorbent from the extraction medium and to dispense it to the DIB plate. In-situ desorption and development of the spot color with iodide-starch reagent were carried out, and a digital image of the developed spots was captured using a smartphone and processed using ImageJ software. The copper adsorption capacity was 91.3 mg g-1. Desorption was effected using a 0.3 mol L-1 hydrochloric acid. The preconcentration factor was 300, the limit of detection was 4.8 µg L-1, the linearity was 16-600 µg L-1 and the sample throughput was 12 h-1. The developed approach was validated by analyzing food and water samples, confirming recoveries ≥ 91 % and 88 %, respectively, with RSD ≤ 8.4 %, n = 3.

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of MSNs/PS nanocomposite membranes for effective removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions.

Contamination of heavy metal (Cd2+ & Pb2+) ions in drinking water is producing major impacts on the environment and public health and is considered one of the greatest dangers to humanity. Membrane technology has been chosen over other processing methods due to its simplicity and high capacity for more effective removal of hazardous heavy metals. In the current study, amine, thiol, and bi-thiol functional groups were used to functionalize mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to improve the efficiency of the silica nanoparticle. The morphology of the MSNs as well as the existence of amine and thiol on the surface of MSNs was demonstrated by a variety of characterization techniques, including FTIR, TEM, and SEM examination. The impact of surface-modified MSNs on the morphology, properties, and performance of polysulfone (PS) nanofiltration (NF) membranes was also evaluated. The membrane that incorporated amine with thiol-based MSNs (DiMP-MSNs/PS-NF membrane) had the highest pure water permeability (6.7 LMH bar-1). As a result of the functional groups, the surface-modified MSNs/PS nanofiltration are extremely effective at removing heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The surface-modified MSNs/PS nano-filtration membranes exhibit unprecedented Cd2+ and Pb2+ removal rates of approximately 82% and 99%, respectively. This research indicates the possible application of the surface-modified MSNs/PS nanofiltration membrane as a promising platform to remove heavy metal ions from polluted water.

A New Zn(II) Metal Hybrid Material of 5-Nitrobenzimidazolium Organic Cation (C7H6N3O2)2[ZnCl4]: Elaboration, Structure, Hirshfeld Surface, Spectroscopic, Molecular Docking Analysis, Electric and Dielectric Properties.

The slow solvent evaporation approach was used to create a single crystal of (C7H6N3O2)2[ZnCl4] at room temperature. Our compound has been investigated by single-crystal XRD which declares that the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic crystallographic system with the P21/c as a space group. The molecular arrangement of the compound can be described by slightly distorted tetrahedral ZnCl42- anionic entities and 5-nitrobenzimidazolium as cations, linked together by different non-covalent interaction types (H-bonds, Cl…Cl, π…π and C-H…π). Hirshfeld's surface study allows us to identify that the dominant contacts in the crystal building are H…Cl/Cl…H contacts (37.3%). FT-IR method was used to identify the different groups in (C7H6N3O2)2[ZnCl4]. Furthermore, impedance spectroscopy analysis in 393 ≤ T ≤ 438 K shows that the temperature dependence of DC conductivity follows Arrhenius' law. The frequency-temperature dependence of AC conductivity for the studied sample shows one region (Ea = 2.75 eV). In order to determine modes of interactions of compound with double stranded DNA, molecular docking simulations were performed at molecular level.

Thiazole: A Versatile Standalone Moiety Contributing to the Development of Various Drugs and Biologically Active Agents.

For many decades, the thiazole moiety has been an important heterocycle in the world of chemistry. The thiazole ring consists of sulfur and nitrogen in such a fashion that the pi (π) electrons are free to move from one bond to other bonds rendering aromatic ring properties. On account of its aromaticity, the ring has many reactive positions where donor-acceptor, nucleophilic, oxidation reactions, etc., may take place. Molecules containing a thiazole ring, when entering physiological systems, behave unpredictably and reset the system differently. These molecules may activate/stop the biochemical pathways and enzymes or stimulate/block the receptors in the biological systems. Therefore, medicinal chemists have been focusing their efforts on thiazole-bearing compounds in order to develop novel therapeutic agents for a variety of pathological conditions. This review attempts to inform the readers on three major classes of thiazole-bearing molecules: Thiazoles as treatment drugs, thiazoles in clinical trials, and thiazoles in preclinical and developmental stages. A compilation of preclinical and developmental thiazole-bearing molecules is presented, focusing on their brief synthetic description and preclinical studies relating to structure-based activity analysis. The authors expect that the current review may succeed in drawing the attention of medicinal chemists to finding new leads, which may later be translated into new drugs.

Post-Bariatric Surgery Patients: A Quality of Life Assessment in Saudi Arabia.

Background Bariatric surgery has emerged as the most successful and long-lasting treatment for weight loss because of its effect on losing weight, diminution or elimination of sedentary lifestyle-related comorbidities, and a concomitant decrease in mortality and healthcare expenditures. Understanding its effects on the quality of life of patients is a crucial aspect of treatment. This study aims to assess the quality of life and its associated factors following bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia. Methodology In this cross-sectional study, 400 adult patients who had undergone bariatric surgery were recruited from different regions in Saudi Arabia between December 2021 and February 2022. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Of the 400 participants, 160 (40%) were males and 240 (60%) were females. The average weight of the participants before surgery was 113.9 ± 18.7 kg (range = 84-146 kg) and after surgery was 84.8 ± 18.3 kg (range = 58-138 kg). The average quality of life score was -0.13 ± 2.0 (range = -3-3). Most of the participants (35%) had a fair quality of life, 25% had very poor quality, 20% had very good quality, 15% had good quality, and 5% had poor quality of life. A statistically significant association (p < 0.001) was found with the following factors: gender, age, nationality, educational level, marital status, and history of chronic diseases. Conclusions Quality of life following bariatric surgery was mostly reported to be fair or average. Several sociodemographic factors were found to be associated with the reported quality of life including age, gender, nationality, educational level, marital status, and history of chronic disease or comorbidities.

The Coordination Behavior of Two New Complexes, [(C7H10NO2)CdCl3]n(I) and [(C7H9NO2)CuCl2] (II), Based on 2,6-Dimethanolpyridine; Elaboration of the Structure and Hirshfeld Surface, Optical, Spectroscopic and Thermal Analysis.

Two novel complexes, [(C7H10NO2)CdCl3]n(I) and [(C7H9NO2)CuCl2],havebeen synthesized and characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that in compound (I), 2,6-dimethanol pyridinium acts as a monodentate ligand through the O atom of the hydroxyl group. Contrarily, the 2,6-dimethanol pyridine ligand interacts tridentately with the Cu(II) ion via the nitrogen atoms and the two oxygen (O, O') atoms of the two hydroxyl groups. The structure's intermolecular interactions were studied using contact enrichment ratios and Hirshfeld surfaces. Following metal coordination, numerous hydrogen connections between entities and parallel displacement stacking interactions between pyridine rings dictate the crystal packing of both compounds. The aromatic cycles generate layers in the crystal for both substances. Powder XRD measurements confirmed the crystalline sample phase purity. SEM confirmed the surface homogeneity, whereas EDX semi-quantitative analysis corroborated the composition. IR spectroscopy identified vibrational absorption bands, while optical UV-visible absorption spectroscopy investigated optical properties. The thermal stability of the two materials was tested using TG-DTA.

Fabrication of Polysulfone-Surface Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanocomposite Membranes for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Wastewater.

Membranes are an efficient way to treat emulsified heavy metal-based wastewater, but they generally come with a trade-off between permeability and selectivity. In this research, the amine and sulphonic groups on the inner and outer surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were first modified by a chemical approach. Then, MSNs with amine and sulphonic groups were utilized as new inorganic nanofiller to fabricate mixed matrix polysulfone (PSU) nanocomposite membranes using the classical phase inversion approach. The resultant nanoparticles and membranes were characterized by their physico-chemical characteristics as well as determination of pure water permeability along with cadmium and zinc ion removal. Embedding nanoparticles resulted in a significant rise in the water permeability as a result of changes in the surface properties and porosity of the membrane. Furthermore, the efficiency of developed membranes to remove cadmium and zinc was significantly improved by more than 90% due to the presence of functional groups on nanoparticles. The functionalized-MSNs/PSU nanocomposite membrane has the potential to be an effective industrial effluent removal membrane.

Polyaniline: Doping and Functionalization with Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Photovoltaic and Photocatalytic Application.

Polyaniline (PANI) was chemically doped and functionalized with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Various characterization methods were employed to study the structure and optical properties of PANI/SWCNTs nanocomposite, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical absorption, and stationary photoluminescence. Additionally, a theoretical study using density functional theory calculations was also carried out. It has been demonstrated that the doping process may reduce the band gap without affecting the molecular structure, leading to a better compatibility with the solar spectrum. Moreover, the functionalization process with SWCNTs was able to significantly improve the properties of the resulting nanocomposite. The final interpenetrating network of PANI/SWCNTs exhibited an optical gap of nearly 2.28 eV, from which localized states induced by the charge transfer were created at nearly 1.70 eV. In addition, the resulting donor-acceptor network leads to a separation of electron holes pairs rather than their recombination, which can be used as an active layer in photovoltaic applications and a photocatalyst for advanced oxidation processes.