Residues of phosphamidon in rice fields

Thirty-day-old seedlings of rice plants (IR-20 variety) from the nursery were transplanted into experimental plots and after 52 days were sprayed with phosphamidon (Dimecron 85% EC) at two dose-rates (0.38 kg a.i. ha(-1) and 0.76 kg a.i. ha(-1)). Residues of phosphamidon in the plant, soil and water were analysed by GLC, at various time intervals, and were found to decrease steadily up to 15 days. A second application of the pesticide was made on day 113 and grains harvested on day 138. The residue level in the plants was 0.12 microg g(-1) and in the grains 0.04 microg g(-1) with the high dose. This is slightly below the EPA prescribed tolerance level of 0.05 microg g(-1). The residues in both soil and water were very low, 24 h after spraying.     

Adaptive particle swarm optimization–based deep neural network for productivity enhancement of solar still

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water is considered one of the most superabundant resources on the earth that covers 75% of the entire earth’s surface, yet numerous countries...     

Sleepy driving and risk of obstructive sleep apnea among truck drivers in Saudi Arabia

Objective: Truck drivers represent a group at a particularly higher risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). Sleepy driving and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among truck drivers are major risk factors for MVAs. No study has assessed the prevalence of sleepy driving and risk of OSA among truck drivers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess sleepy driving and risk of OSA among these truck drivers.

Methods: This study included 338 male truck drivers working in Saudi Arabia. A validated questionnaire regarding sleepy driving and OSA was used. The questionnaire included sociodemographic assessment, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), and driving-related items.

Results: The drivers had a mean age of 42.9?±?9.7 years. The majority (94.7%) drove more than 5?h a day. A history of MVAs during the last 6 months was reported by 6.5%. Approximately 95% of the participants reported that they had accidentally fallen asleep at least once while driving over the past 6 months, and 49.7% stated that this had happened more than 5 times during the last 6 months. Based on the BQ score, a high risk of OSA was detected in 29% of the drivers. “Not getting good-quality sleep” (odds ratio [OR]?=?2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–7.75; P = .014) and driving experience from 6 to 10 years (OR = 3.37; 95% CI, 1.28–8.91; P = .034) were the only independent predictors of MVAs in the past 6 months.

Conclusions: Sleepy driving and a high risk of OSA was prevalent among the study population of male truck drivers in Saudi Arabia. Not getting good-quality sleep and driving experience from 6 to 10 years contributes to the accident risk among these truck drivers.