Perception of Digital Privacy Protection:An Empirical Study using GDPR Framework

Perception of privacy is a contested concept, which is also evolving along with the rapid proliferation and expansion of technological advancements. Information systems (IS) applications incorporate various sensing infrastructures, high-speed networks, and computing components that enable pervasive data collection about people. Any digital privacy breach within such systems can result in harmful and far-reaching impacts on individuals and societies. Accordingly, IS organisations have a legal and ethical responsibility to respect and protect individuals’ digital privacy rights. This study investigates people’s perception of digital privacy protection of government data using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) framework. Findings suggest a dichotomy of perception in protecting people’s privacy rights. For example, people perceive the right to be informed as the most respected and protected in Information Technology (IT) systems. On the contrary, the right to object by granting and with- drawing consent is perceived as the least protected. Second, the study shows evidence of a social dilemma in people’s perception of digital privacy based on their context and culture

Perception of Digital Privacy Protection: An Empirical Study using GDPR Framework

Perception of privacy is a contested concept, which is also evolving along with the rapid proliferation and expansion of technological advancements. Information systems (IS) applications incorporate various sensing infrastructures, high-speed networks, and computing components that enable pervasive data collection about people. Any digital privacy breach within such systems can result in harmful and far-reaching impacts on individuals and societies. Accordingly, IS organisations have a legal and ethical responsibility to respect and protect individuals’ digital privacy rights. This study investigates people’s perception of digital privacy protection of government data using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) framework. Findings suggest a dichotomy of perception in protecting people’s privacy rights. For example, people perceive the right to be informed as the most respected and protected in Information Technology (IT) systems. On the contrary, the right to object by granting and with- drawing consent is perceived as the least protected. Second, the study shows evidence of a social dilemma in people’s perception of digital privacy based on their context and culture

Mobility-shift-Affinitätskapillarelektrophorese zur Untersuchung von Protein-Metallionen-Wechselwirkungen: Aspekte der Methodenentwicklung, -validierung und des High-Throughput-Screenings

Approximately one third of all proteins are metalloproteins, which means the metal ions are important for their biological functions. Therefore, investigation and characterization of interactions between proteins and metal ions are interesting. Several techniques can be used for these purposes. Mobility shift-affinity capillary electrophoresis has been selected over the other techniques due to its rapid analysis, small injection volume (nano-level), high separation efficiency, direct injection of impure samples and the ability to perform under physiological-like conditions. In order to facilitate the implementation of a mobility shift-affinity capillary electrophoresis method into routine binding studies, method acceleration, transfer and precision improvement were investigated. The mobility shift-affinity capillary electrophoresis method was successfully accelerated by using shorter capillaries, lower sample concentrations and smaller injection volumes. Fast run time of 4 min has been achieved. The precision of results was enhanced by slightly pushing the sample into the capillary, refreshing the buffer vials after each 30 runs and employing extra flushing after each 60 subsequent runs and using 0.1 M EDTA within the rinsing protocols. The accelerated mobility shift-affinity capillary electrophoresis method has been successfully applied for the interaction study of Li+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ga3+, La3+, Pd2+, Ir3+, Ru3+, Rh3+, Pt2+, Pt4+, Os3+, Au3+, Au+, Ag+, Cu+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, V3+, MoO42- and SeO32- with bovine serum albumin, β-lactoglobulin, human serum albumin, myoglobin and ovalbumin. Excellent precision for mobility ratios was achieved for all protein-metal ion interactions (RSD% of 0.05-1.0%, n > 324). The calculated normalized difference of mobility ratio and its sign (positive and negative) for each protein-metal ion interaction have been successfully used to detect the interaction and estimate further coordination of the bound metal ion, respectively. Furthermore, the results were successfully discussed in view of the properties of the metal ions and proteins, and the HSAB concept as well. The comprehensive platform summarizes all the obtained interaction results, and is valuable for any future protein-metal ion investigation.Schätzungsweise ein Drittel aller Proteine sind Metalloproteine, dies bedeutet, dass Metallionen für ihre biologische Funktion von Bedeutung sind. Somit ist die Untersuchung und Charakterisierung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Proteinen und Metallionen von Interesse. Einige Techniken können für diesen Zweck verwendet werden. Der Mobility-shift-Affinitätskapillarelektrophorese wurde gegenüber anderen Techniken der Vorzug gegeben, da sie kurze Analysenzeiten, Injektionen von geringen Probenvolumina (im Nanoliterbereich), hohe Trennungseffizienz, direkte Injektion von nicht aufgearbeitet Proben und die Möglichkeit unter physiologischen Bedingungen zu arbeiten vereint. Um das Einbinden einer Mobility-shift-Affinitätskapillarelektrophoresemethode in Routinebindungsstudien zu erleichtern, wurden eine Verkürzung der Analysendauer, der Methodentransfer und die Verbesserung der Präzision untersucht. Die Mobility-shift-Affinitätskapillarelektrophoresemethode wurde erfolgreich beschleunigt durch Verkürzen der Kapillare, Verwenden geringerer Probenkonzentrationen und geringerer Probenvolumina. Hierbei wurden kurze Analysezeiten von 4 Minuten erreicht. Die Präzision der Ergebnisse wurden durch ein leichtes Drücken der Probe in die Kapillare nach der Injektion, das Tauschen der Puffergefäße nach 30 Läufen, Einführen eines weiteren Spülschrittes nach 60 aufeinanderfolgenden Läufen und Verwendung von 0.1 M EDTA-Lösungen im Spülprotokoll verbessert. Diese verbesserte Mobility-shift-Affinitätskapillarelektrophoresemethode wurde erfolgreich verwendet um Interaktionsstudien zwischen Li+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ga3+, La3+, Pd2+, Ir3+, Ru3+, Rh3+, Pt2+, Pt4+, Os3+, Au3+, Au+, Ag+, Cu+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, V3+, MoO42- und SeO32- mit bovinem Serumalbumin, β-Lactoglobulin, humanem Serumalbumin, Myoglobin und Ovalbumin. Ausgezeichnete Präzision wurde für den Mobilitätsquotienten jeder Protein-Metallionen-Interaktion (RSD% von 0,05-1,0%, n > 324). Die berechnete, normalisierte Differenz der Mobilitätsquotienten und deren Vorzeichen (positiv und negativ) jeder Protein-Metalionen-Interaktion konnten erfolgreich verwendet werden um Interaktionen zu erkennen und die weitere Koordination der Metallionen abzuschätzen. Des Weiteren konnten die Ergebnisse in Hinblick auf die Eigenschaften der Metallionen und Proteine sowie des HSAB-Konzepts erfolgreich diskutiert werden. Die Gesamtübersicht fasst alle erhaltenen Interaktionsergebnisse zusammen und ist wertvoll für zukünftige Protein-Metallionenuntersuchungen

Steady improvement of infection control services in six community hospitals in Makkah following annual audits during Hajj for four consecutive years

BACKGROUND: the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of annual review of the infection control practice in all Ministry of Health hospitals in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during the Hajj period of four lunar Islamic years, 1423 to 1426 corresponding to 2003 to 2006. METHODS: audit of infection control service was conducted annually over a 10-day period in six community hospitals with bed capacities ranging from 140 to 557 beds. Data were collected on standardized checklists on various infection control service items during surprise visits to the medical, pediatric, surgical, and critical care units, and the kitchens. Percentage scores were calculated for audited items. The results of the audit for hospitals were confidentially sent to them within four weeks after the end of Hajj. RESULTS: deficiencies observed in the first audit included lack of infection control committees, infection control units, infection control educational activities, and surveillance system and shortage of staff. These deficiencies were resolved in the subsequent audits. The average (range) scores of hospitals in 11 infection control items increased from 43% (20–67%) in the first audit to 78% (61–93%) in the fourth audit. CONCLUSION: regular hospital infection control audits lead to significant improvement of infection control practice. There is a need to build a rigorous infection control audit into hospitals' ongoing monitoring and reporting to the Ministry of Health and to provide these hospitals with feed back on such audits to continuously strengthen the safety standards for patients, visitors, and employees

Increased emergency calls during the covid-19 pandemic in saudi arabia: A national retrospective study

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a direct and indirect effect on the different healthcare systems around the world. In this study, we aim to describe the impact on the utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied cumulative data from emergency calls collected from the SRCA. Data were separated into three periods: before COVID-19 (1 January–29 February 2020), during COVID-19 (1 March–23 April 2020), and during the Holy Month of Ramadan (24 April–23 May 2020). A marked increase of cases was handled during the COVID-19 period compared to the number before pandemic. Increases in all types of cases, except for those related to trauma, occurred during COVID-19, with all regions experiencing increased call volumes during COVID-19 compared with before pandemic. Demand for EMS significantly increased throughout Saudi Arabia during the pandemic period. Use of the mobile application ASAFNY to request an ambulance almost doubled during the pandemic but remained a small fraction of total calls. Altered weekly call patterns and increased call volume during the pandemic indicated not only a need for increased staff but an alteration in staffing patterns

Exploring the impact of smart cities on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

By using advanced technologies and data analytics, smart cities can establish conditions that are both inclusive and accessible, addressing the distinctive needs of disabled people. This research aims to examine the benefits of smart city technologies and develop strategies for developing environments that serve the requirements of individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Using a sequential mixed method, the study uses the social disability model. The initial phase involves gathering quantitative data from 427 individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Further, qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with a sample of four professionals employed in Saudi smart city initiatives. Quantitative data is analyzed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), while qualitative data is analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative findings revealed the robustness of the measurement model, confirming the significant effects of Smart City Initiatives on Accessibility Enhancement, Inclusive Information, and Health and Wellbeing Improvement. The respondents indicated that they are satisfied with the initiatives and their effectiveness, providing them with equal services and opportunities without discrimination. The qualitative analysis further revealed themes, i.e., Technology Integration for Accessibility, Inclusive Design, Inclusive Planning for Health, and others. Participants indicated special consideration for implementing the designs and approaches to ensure inclusivity and availability of services to disabled people. Besides, implementing infrastructure and policies to ensure the health and wellbeing of disabled people also remained prevalent. Hence, it is concluded that smart city initiatives break obstacles and improve the wellbeing of individuals with disabilities. Improved healthcare services and inclusive urban planning highlight the transformative effect of these initiatives on health and wellbeing, promoting an equitable and sustainable services environment. Finally, research implications and limitations are discussed

Sustainable green approach to synthesize Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite using waste pulp of Syzygium cumini and its application in functional stability of microbial cellulases

Synthesis of nanomaterials following green routes have drawn much attention in recent years due to the low cost, easy and eco-friendly approaches involved therein. Therefore, the current study is focused towards the synthesis of Fe(3)O(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) nanocomposite using waste pulp of Jamun (Syzygium cumini) and iron nitrate as the precursor of iron in an eco-friendly way. The synthesized Fe(3)O(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) nanocomposite has been extensively characterized through numerous techniques to explore the physicochemical properties, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope, high resolution transmission electron microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer. Further, efficiency of the Fe(3)O(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) nanocomposite has been evaluated to improve the incubation temperature, thermal/pH stability of the crude cellulase enzymes obtained from the lab isolate fungal strain Cladosporium cladosporioides NS2 via solid state fermentation. It is found that the presence of 0.5% Fe(3)O(4)/α-Fe(2)O(3) nanocomposite showed optimum incubation temperature and thermal stability in the long temperature range of 50–60 °C for 15 h along with improved pH stability in the range of pH 3.5–6.0. The presented study may have potential application in bioconversion of waste biomass at high temperature and broad pH range

Spectral characterization, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanolic extract of Calotropis procera leaf and dry latex from Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Traditional healers have used the shrub Calotropis procera (CP) for many years for various therapies. The present study investigated the bioactive constituents of ethanolic extract of CP leaf and dried latex using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. The identification and characterization of the compounds were confirmed by examining the constituents' mass spectrum fragmentations and FT-IR spectra and comparing the results with those in the literature. The tail-flick method was used to investigate the analgesic properties of the extract and its anti-inflammatory activities using a rat model of formalin-induced oedema. Acute oral toxicity in rats was studied per OECD recommendations. Twenty male rats were divided into four groups and received an ethanolic extract of the leaves and dried milky sap of CP (200 mg/Kg) in groups 1, 2, and 3. Group 4 rats were administered aspirin 50 mg/kg as a positive control. The CP dried latex extract has the highest content of lupeol and its acetate derivative compared to its leaf extract. The CP dried latex extract inhibited inflammation more significantly than the ethanolic leaf extract and the drug indomethacin at a higher dosage (200 mg/kg). The ethanolic extracts showed analgesia comparable to aspirin. It suggests that fatty acids and their esters, particularly ethyl linoleate (8.96%), ethyl palmitate (7.99%), ethyl linoleate (6.98%), and palmitic acid (5.18%), may be valuable biomarkers for characterizing leaf and latex samples and describing the medicinal potential of CP

A novel superframe structure and optimal time slot allocation algorithm for IEEE 802.15.4–based Internet of things

IEEE 802.15.4 standard is specifically designed for a low-rate and low-processing Internet of things (IoT) applications and offers guaranteed time slots. A beacon-enabled IEEE 802.15.4 consists of a superframe structure that comprises of the contention access period and contention-free period. During contention-free period, nodes transfer their data using guaranteed time slots without any collision. The coordinator node receives data transmission requests in one cycle and allocates guaranteed time slots to the nodes in the next cycle. This allocation process may cause large delay that may not be acceptable for few applications. In this work, a novel superframe structure is proposed that significantly reduces guaranteed time slots allocation delay for the nodes with data requests. The proposed superframe structure comprises of two contention access periods and one contention-free period, where contention-free period precedes both contention access periods with reduced slot size. In addition, the knapsack algorithm is modified for better guaranteed time slots allocation by allowing more guaranteed time slots requesting nodes to send their data as compared to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The simulation and analytical results show that the proposed superframe structure reduces the network delay by up to 80%, increases contention-free period utilization up to 50%, and allocates guaranteed time slots up to 16 nodes in a single superframe duration. © The Author(s) 2020.1

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Ducrosia flabellifolia: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approaches

Ducrosia flabellifolia Boiss. is a rare desert plant known to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, we report for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique. The results obtained showed the richness of the tested extract in phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Twenty-three phytoconstituents were identified, represented mainly by chlorogenic acid, followed by ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and sinapic acid. The tested hydroalcoholic extract was able to inhibit the growth of all tested bacteria and yeast on agar Petri dishes at 3 mg/disc with mean growth inhibition zone ranging from 8.00 ± 0.00 mm for Enterococcus cloacae (E. cloacae) to 36.33 ± 0.58 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 12.5 mg/mL to 200 mg/mL and the hydroalcoholic extract from D. flabellifolia exhibited a bacteriostatic and fungistatic character. In addition, D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract possessed a good ability to scavenge different free radicals as compared to standard molecules. Molecular docking studies on the identified phyto-compounds in bacterial, fungal, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptors were performed to corroborate the in vitro results, which revealed good binding profiles on the examined protein targets. A standard atomistic 100 ns dynamic simulation investigation was used to further evaluate the interaction stability of the promising phytocompounds, and the results showed conformational stability in the binding cavity. The obtained results highlighted the medicinal use of D. flabellifolia as source of bioactive compounds, as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal agent