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Background: Insulin pump therapy improves glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes but is associated with technical and dermatological complications that can impact adherence. Research on these adverse effects in pediatric populations is limited. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate short- and long-term complications of insulin pump therapy in pediatric patients in Saudi Arabia, focusing on technical malfunctions, dermatological issues, and patient satisfaction. Design: A cross-sectional survey-based study conducted in multiple centers in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Fifty-nine parents of children with type 1 diabetes who used insulin pumps provided data for the study. Participants reported technical issues, skin-related complications, and overall satisfaction. IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0.1 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results: Technical complications were frequent, with 64.4% experiencing tube blockages, 39.0% reporting needle dislodgment, and 39.0% observing air bubbles in the tubing. Dermatological issues included discomfort at the infusion site (54.2%), skin pigmentation (45.8%), and scarring (55.9%), with lipohypertrophy (22.0%) posing a concern for insulin absorption. Longer pump use was significantly associated with increased complications, particularly tube blockages and skin pigmentation. Despite these challenges, 84.7% of participants recommended insulin pumps over multiple daily injections. Conclusion: Technical and dermatological complications were common, increasing with longer pump use. Proper infusion site rotation, infusion set management, and improved patient education are key to reducing adverse effects. To improve safety and efficacy, future studies should concentrate on infusion set change patterns, newer pump technologies, and standardized guidelines. Plain language summary Understanding complications of insulin pump therapy in children and teens with type 1 diabetes: insights from Saudi Arabia Insulin pumps are increasingly used to manage type 1 diabetes in children, but there is limited knowledge about their complications in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated the challenges associated with insulin pump use among children and adolescents in Taif. Conducted over a year, the study included participants aged 18 or younger who used insulin pumps and excluded those who did not meet these criteria. Findings revealed that technical issues were common. Users who preferred pumps over injections frequently reported login problems (71.4%), and Medtronic MiniMed 670G users faced difficulties with data downloading and login (42.9%). Longer pump use (over one year) was linked to higher rates of occlusion (66.7%). Females experienced more synchronization issues, while males reported increased water damage. Abdominal pain at injection sites was a prevalent skin issue. Complications such as login errors, data download challenges, and catheter kinking were associated with lower satisfaction scores. The results underscore the importance of improved support and design for insulin pumps to enhance user experience and outcomes for young patients managing type 1 diabetes.

Drug resistance (DR) to antituberculosis drugs is a growing global problem that threatens the successful control of tuberculosis (TB) globally and within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the GCC, TB remains a major public health issue. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of drug resistance to antituberculosis drugs is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. Hence, the present systematic review is aimed at assessing the prevalence, pattern, and risk factors of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) in GCC countries. We conducted this systematic review adhering to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 Statement. Using the relevant keywords in the major databases, we included peer-reviewed articles that were published from 01 January 2014 and onwards in English language journals. The prevalence and patterns of DR-TB levels in different countries were different. Isoniazid monoresistance was the most commonly found type of resistance, with varying degrees of prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Risk factors for DR-TB included diabetes mellitus, past TB treatment, younger age, female gender, and renal failure. There was a positive correlation between expatriate status and DR-TB. Collaborative actions by relevant stakeholders are essential to implement evidence-based interventions that reduce the DR-TB burden and improve overall community health. Ongoing research and surveillance activities are necessary for monitoring patterns, identifying new risk factors, and providing focused interventions to lessen the threat of DR-TB on public health in GCC countries.

We report an advanced passivation strategy for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by introducing core–shell structured perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), composed of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) cores and tetraoctylammonium lead bromide (tetra-OAPbBr3) shells, during the antisolvent-assisted crystallization step. The epitaxial compatibility between the PQDs and the host perovskite matrix enables effective passivation of grain boundaries and surface defects, thereby suppressing non-radiative recombination and facilitating more efficient charge transport. At an optimal PQD concentration of 15 mg/mL, the modified PSCs demonstrated a remarkable increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 19.2% to 22.85%. This enhancement is accompanied by improved device metrics, including a rise in open-circuit voltage (Voc) from 1.120 V to 1.137 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) from 24.5 mA/cm2 to 26.1 mA/cm2, and fill factor (FF) from 70.1% to 77%. Spectral response analysis via incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) revealed enhanced photoresponse in the 400–750 nm wavelength range. Additionally, long-term stability assessments showed that PQD-passivated devices retained more than 92% of their initial PCE after 900 h under ambient conditions, outperforming control devices which retained ~80%. These findings underscore the potential of in situ integrated PQDs as a scalable and effective passivation strategy for next-generation high-efficiency and stable perovskite photovoltaics.

Introduction: Toxic microcystins (MCs) produced by cyanoprokaryotes -particularly by the cosmopolitan cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa - pose adverse effects on aquatic organisms and their ecosystem and may also cause serious impacts on human health. These harmful monocyclic heptapeptides are the most prevalent cyanotoxins reported in freshwaters and must be eliminated for avoiding MCs release in receiving water bodies. Hence, this work aimed to test the efficacy of Moringa oleifera seeds water-based extract (MO) as a natural coagulant for removing cyanobacteria (especially M. aeruginosa ), microalgae, and its associated MCs from pre-treated municipal wastewaters. Methodology: Four different MO coagulant doses (25, 50, 75 and 100 mg L −1 ) were investigated for cyanobacteria and microalgae removal by conventional coagulation assays and morphology-based taxonomy studies. Additionally, water turbidity and chlorophyll a (Chl a ) content were also determined. Further, the presence and concentration of MCs soluble in water, remaining in the particulate fraction, and flocculated within the residual sludge were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Results: The treatment with MO at 100 mg L −1 substantially reduced the number of cyanobacterial and microalgal species in the treated samples (average removal rate of 93.8% and 86.9%, respectively). These results agreed with a ∼44% concomitant reduction in Chl a and ∼97% reduction in water turbidity (a surrogate marker for suspended solids content). Notably, MCs concentrations in the treated water were significantly lowered to 0.6 ± 0.1 µg L −1 after addition of 100 mg L −1 MO. This value is below the WHO recommended limits for MCs presence in drinking water (<1.0 µg L −1 ). Discussion: The present study provides promising insights into the applicability of MO as a cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable natural coagulant, particularly for using in developing countries, to eliminate harmful cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in municipal water treatment facilities.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1329431.].

We report the case of a postpartum patient who presented to the emergency department in status epilepticus. She was initially treated for eclampsia; however, she was subsequently found to have simultaneous cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). While thromboembolic events may be seen frequently in the postpartum period, the combination of CVT and PE is an unusual occurrence. Although a challenging diagnosis, the emergency physicians played a critical role in the early recognition and rapid treatment of CVT in this case.