Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Youssif

The adaptive membrane, capable of intelligently adjusting its permeability and selectivity based on environmental conditions, is critically important in separation technology. Here, MXene nanosheets were anchored with carboxyl pillararenes (CP6), effectively crosslinking the hybrid MXene nanosheets and further assembling them into a regular two-dimensional (2D) channel membrane using a vacuum-assisted approach. The rigid CP6 structure creates a stable channel, suppressing material aggregation and enhancing water permeance to 119 ± 6.7 L m-2h−1 bar−1. This membrane also controls the repulsion of organic dye molecules with an applied voltage. When the membrane operates as a cathode, the retention rate of methyl green reaches 98 %. Conversely, when it functions as an anode, the retention rate drops to 0 %. The change of the interlayer spacing within membrane is responsible for adjusting water purification toward voltage stimuli. These studies offer a novel approach to creating voltage-gated smart membranes and provides fresh perspectives on water treatment solutions.

Water resource sustainability poses challenges in arid regions due to limited freshwater availability, climate variability, and growing demand. Kuwait, as a predominantly arid country, faces acute water management challenges driven by heavy reliance on desalination, rapid urbanization, and groundwater depletion. The Mutla’a-Jahra coastal area is particularly vulnerable to these pressures, emphasizing the need for comprehensive water resource assessments. Despite previous research on groundwater and desalination, there is a gap in integrating hydrological, environmental, and sustainability-focused analyses to address these challenges holistically.This study aims to bridge this gap by evaluating key challenges affecting water resource sustainability in the Mutla’a-Jahra coastal area. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the research investigates the impacts of climate change, groundwater depletion, and desalination dependency. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) framework, and the water evaluation and planning (WEAP) model were employed to assess water supply and demand dynamics. Findings reveal that desalination operations, primarily at the Doha East and West plants, were found to be energy-intensive, with multistage flash (MSF) systems emitting twice the carbon footprint of reverse osmosis (RO) systems while consuming more energy and chemical resources. However, treated wastewater from the Sulaibiya and Kabd plants meets regulatory standards, making it a viable alternative for agricultural irrigation and reducing dependency on desalinated water.To address these challenges, the study proposes integrating renewable energy, adopting energy-efficient technologies, and implementing sustainable water practices. These strategies align with Kuwait’s Vision 2035, providing actionable pathways to ensure water sustainability in arid regions.

Noise is an inevitable part of life, particularly in the workplace. Our goal was to determine psychological and cognitive morbidities associated with occupational noise exposure and their relation to serum GSK 3β. We recruited 80 male workers in a cross-sectional design ; 40 were the exposed group, and 40 were the control. Arabic version of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS 21), Montreal Cognitive Examination Basic (MoCA B) test, and serum GSK 3β were done for the studied groups. Noise-exposed workers were subjected to noise levels ranging from 80 to 86 dB. 37.5% of the exposed group showed statistically significant mild cognitive impairment compared to 15% of the controls. A statistically significant negative correlation existed between MoCA scores and noise exposure duration among the exposed. Serum GSK 3β levels were significantly higher among the exposed group compared to the control group . Additionally, workers with more severe psychological distress and cognitive deterioration also had higher levels of GSK 3β. Occupational noise exposure could negatively affect the cognitive and psychological health .

The World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS), founded in 1974, serves as a global umbrella organization representing pediatric surgical associations from over 100 countries. In 2001, WOFAPS adopted the Kyoto Declaration of Pediatric Surgery, which affirms the right of every infant and child to receive surgical care from trained pediatric specialists within appropriately equipped facilities. In alignment with this vision, WOFAPS established April 7 as World Pediatric Surgery (WPS) Day in 2023, with the inaugural observance held in 2024. WPS Day aims to raise public and professional awareness of pediatric surgical conditions, promote education and training, support global equity in surgical care, and reaffirm the principles of the Kyoto Declaration. Celebrated globally, the 2024 and 2025 WPS Days focused on the themes “What is Pediatric Surgery?” and “Why is Pediatric Surgery Important?” respectively. The events included multilingual awareness campaigns, institutional outreach, and a global public health webinar series. Participation spanned over a dozen countries, highlighting both common surgical challenges and regional initiatives. WPS Day has become an essential platform for advocacy, education, and collaboration, reinforcing the commitment to ensuring that all children, irrespective of geographic or socioeconomic status, have access to safe, timely, and specialized surgical care.

This study investigates multiple sets of fracture parameters that yield the same global behavior for tensile, Compact Tension (CT) and Single Edge Notch Bending (SENB), using a cohesive zone model within the framework of the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) in Abaqus software. The cohesive zone model uses fracture energy and maximum principal strain as input parameters to determine damage initiation and crack propagation. By carefully balancing these two fracture parameters across different materials, it is possible to achieve comparable global responses in terms of fracture toughness. Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD) and Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) are used to evaluate fracture toughness for tensile, CT, and SENB specimens. Fracture behavior of specimens is presented through Force-CMOD and Force-CTOD curves for various sets of fracture parameters and compared for those sets, showing similar behaviors. The comparison includes an analysis of total crack length, cohesive damage area, and longitudinal strain (LE22) at different locations along the Force-CMOD curves where the CMOD values are identical. Additionally, this study examines the damage initiation location during crack propagation through maximum longitudinal strain perpendicular to the crack surface within region of interest. While the results show that multiple sets of XFEM fracture parameters can produce similar global Force-CMOD/CTOD responses, the local behavior around the crack tip differs significantly. For instance, the crack length varied by 10.46 % (tensile), 6.89 % (CT), and 4.96 % (SENB), and the maximum longitudinal strain near the crack surface changed by 20.80 %, 27.53 %, and 39.69 %, respectively. These findings reveal that global behavior alone is insufficient for selecting accurate XFEM fracture parameters and emphasize the need to also consider local behavior near the crack tip.

This paper explores the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable-based distributed generation (RDG) into distribution systems (DSs) as a strategy for sustainable development. This integration offers benefits such as reducing emissions and enhancing renewable energy use. However, improper integration can compromise the reliability of DSs, particularly due to issues like overvoltage, overload, and under voltage during peak demand. A key challenge for distribution network operators (DNOs) is determining the optimal hosting capacity for both DG and EVs, known as distributed generation hosting capacity (DG-HC) and electric vehicles hosting capacity (EV-HC), to prevent these technical issues. Recent studies have introduced the concept of 'combined hosting capacity' (CHC), which addresses the simultaneous management of both RDG and EV demands. This paper aims to provide a precise definition of CHC, addressing whether the minimum or maximum values of DG-HC and EV-HC can determine it. A multi-objective optimization function is proposed to maximize both DG-HC and EV-HC, evaluated using three algorithms, with the Ant Lion Optimizer (ALO) performing best. The study examines two scenarios, setting DG and EV power outputs to either maximum or minimum values while considering three different time-varying load profiles to reflect real conditions.