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AbstractThe dynamics of nanofluid by considering the role of imposed Lorentz forces, thermal radiations and velocity slip effects over a vertically convectively heated surface is a topic of huge interest. Therefore, the said study is conducted for Al2O3-H2O nanofluid. Mathematical modelling of the problem is done via nanofluid effective correlations comprising the influences of freezing temperature, molecular diameter and similarity transformations. The results for multiple parameters are plotted and provide comprehensive discussion. From the analysis, it is examined that Al2O3-H2O nanofluid motion drops by strengthening Lorentz forces. The temperature in the nanofluid (Al2O3-H2O) is improved by inducing viscous dissipation effects (Ec number), surface convection (Biot number) and thermal radiations (Rd). Moreover, the shear stresses at the surface decreased due to higher magnetic field effects and rises due to velocity slip. A significant rise in Local Nusselt number is observed due to thermal radiations and Biot effects. Finally, enhanced heat transport mechanism in Al2O3-H2O is examined than a conventional liquid. Therefore, nanofluids are better for industrial applications and the uses of conventional liquids are limited due to low thermal conductivity.

Over the past decade, there has been a significant rise in assets managed under passive and systematic strategies. Such strategies hold and trade portfolios in a coordinated manner, often concentrating trading around the end of the trading session. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in activity from market participants that act as liquidity providers, themselves trading along portfolio directions. In “Cross-Sectional Variation of Intraday Liquidity, cross-impact, and Their Effect on Portfolio Execution,” Min, Maglaras, and Moallemi investigate the implications of these two observations, specifically exploring how the phenomenon of portfolio liquidity provision leads to cross-security impact and influences the optimal execution schedules of risk-neutral traders that seek to minimize their expected execution costs. They show that the optimized schedules deviate from the naïve approach that trades each security separately and instead, couple the trading intensity across stocks so as to benefit from the liquidity provided along attractive portfolio trading directions. Empirical analysis demonstrates that coupled optimized schedules could lower costs by as much as 15% relative to the naïve approach.

Background: Evidence suggests that bioactive peptides reduce hypertension and affect certain metabolic pathways. Methods: Fifty-four volunteers with stage 1 prehypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia and/or basal glucose >100 mg/dL were recruited and randomized to pork dry-cured ham (n = 35) or cooked ham (placebo group; n = 19) for 28 days. After a wash-out period, meat products were changed for 28 additional days. Bioactive peptides composition and enzyme inhibitory activities of both products were characterized. Treatment comparisons for the main effects were made using a two (treatment) × two (times) repeated measures minus the effect of cooked ham (placebo). Results: 24 h mean systolic and diastolic pressures decreased up to 2.4 mmHg in the dry-cured ham period (treatment effect, p = 0.0382 y p = 0.0233, respectively) as well as the number of systolic pressure measures > 135 mmHg (treatment effect, p = 0.0070). Total cholesterol levels also decreased significantly after dry-cured ham intake (p = 0.049). No significant differences were observed between the two treatments for basal glucose, HOMA-IR index and insulin levels (p > 0.05). However, a significant rise of ghrelin levels was observed (treatment effect, p = 0.0350), while leptin plasma values slightly decreased (treatment effect, p = 0.0628). Conclusions: This study suggested the beneficial effects of regular dry-cured ham consumption on the improvement of systolic/diastolic blood pressures and facilitated the maintenance of metabolic pathways, which may be beneficial in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Armenia. Over the past two decades, the country has seen a significant rise in cancer morbidity and mortality. This review aims to provide up-to-date info about the state of cancer control in Armenia and identify priority areas of research. The paper analyzes published literature and local and international statistical reports on Armenia and similar countries to put numbers into context. While cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment are improving, the prevalence of risk factors is still quite high and smoking is widespread. Early detection rates are low and several important screening programs are absent. Diagnosis and treatment methods are not standardized; there is a lack of treatment accessibility due to insufficient government coverage and limited availability of essential medicines. Overall, there is room for improvement in this sector, as research is limited and multidisciplinary approaches to the topic are rare.

Background: Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been a decline in pediatric emergency department visits. Our aim was to assess the pattern of pediatric foreign body aspiration (FBA) during the first year of the COVID-19, in comparison to the prior years. Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, we compared the number of children that presented with FBA during the COVID-19 year (March 1st, 2020 to February 28, 2021), to the annual average of the years 2016-2019. We also compared the lockdown periods to the post-lockdown periods and the percentage of missed FBA, proven FBA, and flexible bronchoscopy as the removal procedure. Results: 345 children with FBA from six centers were included, 276 in the pre-COVID-19 years (average 69 per year) and 69 in the COVID-19 year. There was no difference in the prevalence of FBA between the COVID-19 year and any of the prior four years. Examining the lockdown effect, the monthly incidence of FBA dropped from a pre-COVID-19 average of 5.75 cases to 5.1 cases during lockdown periods and increased to 6.3 cases in post-lockdown periods. No difference in the percentage of missed FB or proven FB was observed. There was a significant rise in the usage of flexible bronchoscopy as the removal procedure (Average of 15.4% vs 30.4%, p=0.001) Conclusion: There was no difference in the prevalence of FBA during the COVID-19 year. However, there were fewer cases during lockdown periods, compared to post-lockdown periods, presumably related to better parental supervision.

Background: Thailand has recently experienced the most prominent COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in a new record for COVID-19 cases and deaths. To assess the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on mortality, we aimed to estimate excess mortality in Thailand. Methods: We estimated the baseline number of deaths in the absence of COVID-19 using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). The models were adjusted for seasonality and demographics. We evaluated the excess mortality from April to October 2021 in Thailand. Results: We found that the estimated cumulative excess death from April to October 2021 was 14.3% (95% CI: 8.6%-18.8%) higher than the baseline. The results also showed that the excess deaths in males were higher than in females by approximately 26.3%. The excess deaths directly caused by the COVID-19 infections accounted for approximately 75.0% of the all-cause excess deaths. Furthermore, the cumulative COVID-19 cases were found to be correlated with the cumulative excess deaths with a correlation coefficient of 0.9912 (95% CI, 0.9392-0.9987). Conclusions: The recent COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand significantly impacts mortality and affects people for specific ages and sex. During the outbreak in 2021, there was a significant rise in excess fatalities, especially in the older age groups. The increase in mortality was higher in men than in women.

Abstract Objectives Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a serious public health problem. Environmental toxins, other than infectious agents or exposures can stimulate immune responses which are associated with the occurrence of T2DM. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes that leads to changes in the structure and function of the kidneys. The study aimed to detect diagnostic biomarkers for (DN), at an early stage, to prevent disease progression in these patients and improve their outcomes. Methods This study was performed on 102 T2DM patients and 80 normal controls. Blood glucose, HbA1c, serum homocysteine (Hcy) and urinary periostin were assessed. Patients were divided into: controlled (n=46) (HbA1c <6.5%) and uncontrolled diabetics (n=56) (HbA1c >6.5%). Results The study results revealed a significant rise in blood glucose and HbA1c as well as serum Hcy levels in diabetic groups compared to controls. Also, urinary periostin exhibited significant elevation in diabetic groups. Serum glucose, HbA1c and serum Hcy revealed a highly significant difference between diabetic subgroups and control groups, while urinary periostin demonstrated a non-significant difference. Only, urinary periostin showed a significant increase in uncontrolled diabetics. Conclusions The highest levels of serum Hcy and urinary periostin were recorded only in the uncontrolled diabetics. Urinary periostin was demonstrated as a more preferable biomarker being a non-invasive sample for predicting renal insult in diabetic subjects. This biomarker could be performed regularly for early detection of DN. Also, it could be added to the periodic medical examinations of workers occupationally exposed to workplace pollutants inducing diabetes.

Objective: The extreme and constant use of internet use has been reported to be associated with depression and other adverse physical health conditions. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the frequency of internet usage among the university students of Visakhapatnam, India, and their health problems and depression levels. Methods: The study sample consists of 100 university students studying at a university in Visakhapatnam, India. Distribution of the sample by gender was 43 males and 50 females. Questionnaires were administered to students in groups, in a class environment, by the author. Participation was voluntary. In total, 100 students participated in this study. Seven of them had to be excluded for not responding properly to all questionnaires, so the final sample consisted of 93 participants. Results: The results indicate a significant association between depression and the intense internet usage (>5–7 h/daily), with Chi-square value 23.80 and p<0.01. Furthermore, as the internet usage increases, there is a significant rise in systolic blood pressure with F=3.74 and p<0.05. Conclusion: This study indicates that intense internet usage is definitely leading to mental health problems like depression and also other physical health issues like increased blood pressure.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. With the emergence of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP), treatment has become challenging. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) in 2008 revised its guidelines for S. pneumoniae and recommended separate penicillin breakpoints for meningeal and non-meningeal strains. Similar to penicillin’s, resistance to other classes of antibiotics has emerged globally. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the trend of resistance to antimicrobials in S. pneumoniae infections and the impact of new CLSI guidelines on penicillin susceptibility among meningeal isolates. Methodology: Twenty-four years (1993-2016) data from S. pneumoniae isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility was retrieved from the computerized database. Data was divided into two groups for analysis, pre-2008 and post 2008. Results: Penicillin resistance remained unchanged in non-meningeal isolates during both study periods. A significant rise in penicillin resistance in meningeal isolates was observed in the second period 2008-2016 (2.9% vs 36.2%). High resistance rates were observed for co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and erythromycin. Increased trend of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains were also noted, from 11% in 1999 to 36% in 2016.  Conclusion: The emergence of MDR strains is evident from our dataset. It seems like the rise in PRSP in meningeal isolates is due to revised CLSI guidelines. Overall low resistance to penicillin in non-meningeal isolates and no resistance to ceftriaxone is encouraging and will assist in drafting local guidelines. Cautious use of antimicrobials are essential to reduce further emergence of antimicrobial resistance in indigenous isolates.  

Cultural tourism is an increasingly visible trend in the tourism industry. The chapter is one of the first academic studies to specifically analyze the possible impacts of cultural tourism on the local culture itself and the wellbeing of the host community while highlighting cultural conservation as a mediator. The study utilizes primary data collected from rural areas in the Himalayan Gilgit Baltistan region in Northern Pakistan. This region has experienced a significant rise in cultural tourism due to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As a result, there has been a significant and visible development of touristic facilities in the region. Hence, there is a visible shift from earlier tourism, which was mostly linked to mountaineering adventure, to more relatively mass cultural tourism. The results suggest that cultural conservation serves as a partial mediator and that cultural tourism tends to positively and significantly influence the host community's wellbeing, and cultural conservation partially mediates this relationship.