Performance-oriented Cloud Provisioning: Taxonomy and Survey

Cloud computing is being viewed as the technology of today and the future. Through this paradigm, the customers gain access to shared computing resources located in remote data centers that are hosted by cloud providers (CP). This technology allows for provisioning of various resources such as virtual machines (VM), physical machines, processors, memory, network, storage and software as per the needs of customers. Application providers (AP), who are customers of the CP, deploy applications on the cloud infrastructure and then these applications are used by the end-users. To meet the fluctuating application workload demands, dynamic provisioning is essential and this article provides a detailed literature survey of dynamic provisioning within cloud systems with focus on application performance. The well-known types of provisioning and the associated problems are clearly and pictorially explained and the provisioning terminology is clarified. A very detailed and general cloud provisioning classification is presented, which views provisioning from different perspectives, aiding in understanding the process inside-out. Cloud dynamic provisioning is explained by considering resources, stakeholders, techniques, technologies, algorithms, problems, goals and more.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

Numerical Schemes for Fractional Energy Balance Model of Climate Change with Diffusion Effects

This study aims to propose numerical schemes for fractional time discretization of partial differential equations (PDEs). The scheme is comprised of two stages. Using von Neumann stability analysis, we ensure the robustness of the scheme. The energy balance model for climate change is modified by adding source terms. The local stability analysis of the model is presented. Also, the fractional model in the form of PDEs with the effect of diffusion is given and solved by applying the proposed scheme. The proposed scheme is compared with the existing scheme, which shows a faster convergence of the presented scheme than the existing one. The effects of feedback, deep ocean heat uptake, and heat source parameters on global mean surface and deep ocean temperatures are displayed in graphs. The current study is cemented by the fact-based popular approximations of the surveys and modeling techniques, which have been the focus of several researchers for thousands of years.Mathematics Subject Classification:65P99, 86Axx, 35Fxx. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-011 Full Text: PD

A Computational Approach to a Mathematical Model of Climate Change Using Heat Sources and Diffusion

The present work aims to extend the climate change energy balance models using a heat source. An ordinary differential equations (ODEs) model is extended to a partial differential equations (PDEs) model using the effects of diffusion over the spatial variable. In addition, numerical schemes are presented using the Taylor series expansions. For the climate change model in the form of ODEs, a comparison of the presented scheme is made with the existing Trapezoidal method. It is found that the presented scheme converges faster than the existing scheme. Also, the proposed scheme provides fewer errors than the existing scheme. The PDEs model is also solved with the presented scheme, and the results are displayed in the form of different graphs. The impact of the climate feedback parameter, the heat uptake parameter of the deep ocean, and the heat source parameter on global mean surface temperature and deep ocean temperature is also portrayed. In addition, these recently developed techniques exhibit a high level of predictability. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-07-04 Full Text: PD

Hijab or Niqab interacts with facemasks usage at healthcare settings in Kabul, Afghanistan: a multi-center observational study

We aimed to understand the extent of facemask usage resulting from the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in an Afghan context. In Afghanistan, new COVID-19 variants, low vaccination rates, political turmoil, and poverty interact not only with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic but also with facemask usage. Methods: We collected data (n = 1970) by visually observing the usage and type of facemasks used among visitors entering healthcare facilities in Kabul. We conducted an observational study observing the use of facemasks among 1279 men and 691 women. Results: While 71% of all participants adhered to wearing facemasks, 94% of these users wore surgical masks, and 86% wore all types of facemasks correctly. Interestingly, women adhered to wearing facemasks more than men. Specifically, of all the participants who were not wearing masks, 20% were men, and only 8% were women. Even though men were more in number in our study (64.9%), women have a higher adherence rate to wearing facemasks than men. Conclusions: We conclude that gender socialization and expectations of women to wear the niqab or hijab interact with their adherence to wearing facemasks. Additionally, since Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, which has witnessed a considerable period of political turmoil, we spotlight that our findings are rare in scholarship as they represent a distinct non-Western Islamic society with a low scale of COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, more research is needed to assess the general population’s socioeconomic and geopolitical barriers to facemask use, given that Afghanistan is an underrepresented social context. Our findings are expected to aid health policymakers in developing novel prevention strategies for the country

Endovascular embolisation of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms

Objective. To evaluate the technical success, safety, and outcome of endovascular embolization procedure in management of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms. Materials and Methods. 46 patients were treated for 53 visceral pseudoaneurysms at our institution. Preliminary diagnostic workup in all cases was performed by contrast enhanced abdominal CT scan and/or duplex ultrasound. In all patients, embolization was performed as per the standard departmental protocol. For data collection, medical records and radiology reports of all patients were retrospectively reviewed. Technical success, safety, and outcome of the procedure were analyzed. Results. Out of 46 patients, 13 were females and 33 were males. Mean patient age was 44.79 ± 13.9 years and mean pseudoaneurysm size was 35 ± 19.5mm. Technical success rate for endovascular visceral pseudoaneurysm coiling was 93.47% (n = 43). Complication rate was 6.52% (n = 3). Followup was done for a mean duration of 21 ± 1.6 months (0.5-69 months). Complete resolution of symptoms or improvement in clinical condition was seen in 36 patients (80%) out of those 45 in whom procedure was technically successful. Conclusion. Results of embolization of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms with coils at our center showed high success rate and good short term outcome

Assessment of apparent diffusion coefficient values as predictor of aggressiveness in peripheral zone prostate cancer: comparison with Gleason score

Purpose. To determine association between apparent diffusion coefficient value on diffusion-weighted imaging and Gleason score in patients with prostate cancer. Methods. This retrospective case series was conducted at Radiology Department of Aga Khan University between June 2009 and June 2011. 28 patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer were included who underwent ultrasound guided sextant prostate biopsy and MRI. MRI images were analyzed on diagnostic console and regions of interest were drawn. Data were entered and analyzed on SPSS 20.0. ADC values were compared with Gleason score using one-way ANOVA test. Results. In 28 patients, 168 quadrants were biopsied and 106 quadrants were positive for malignancy. 89 lesions with proven malignancy showed diffusion restriction. The mean ADC value for disease with a Gleason score of 6 was 935mm(2)/s (SD = 248.4mm(2)/s); Gleason score of 7 was 837mm(2)/s (SD = 208.5mm(2)/s); Gleason score of 8 was 614mm(2)/s (SD = 108mm(2)/s); and Gleason score of 9 was 571mm(2)/s (SD = 82mm(2)/s). Inverse relationship was observed between Gleason score and mean ADC values. Conclusion. DWI and specifically quantitative ADC values may help differentiate between low-risk (Gleason score, 6), intermediate-risk (Gleason score, 7), and high-risk (Gleason score 8 and 9) prostate cancers, indirectly determining the aggressiveness of the disease

The role playing by social media in COVID-19 to exacerbate anxiety and depression among Pakistani community

Introduction: The purpose of the worldwide lockdown was to impede the spread of this virus via social distancing. WHO detected symptoms like anxiety, stress, fear which have affected people’s psychology across the globe due to loneliness, substance abuse, depression and constant fear?  With the surge of information regarding COVID-19 on social media (myths and beliefs), it certainly played a major role for communities’ psychology all around the globe. Methods: A cross sectional study design was chosen with convenient sampling size of 800 via online. Questionnaire shared through online social media platforms. Statistical analysis was done through SPSS version 21 and responses were taken as frequencies, percentages and chi-square test. Results:  there was a significant association between highly educated peoples and social media usage with p-value less than 0.000 suggestive of myths generating decline of mental health.  Conclusion: COVID-19 information available over social media was used by everyone and considered as authentic. Therefore, control measures and legislation should be applied on them to restrict the ambiguity.  Key-words:  Social media; COVID-19; Myths; life worth; save humanity; Attitude;

Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 among healthcare workers: an online survey in 10 countries in the eastern Mediterranean region

BACKGROUND: Willingness of healthcare workers to be vaccinated is an important factor to be considered for a successful COVID-19 vaccination programme. This study aims to understand the willingness of health workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and its associated concerns across 10 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 among healthcare workers in EMR using an online survey. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. RESULTS: A total of 2806 health workers (physicians, nurses and pharmacists) completed and returned the informed consent along with the questionnaire electronically. More than half of the respondents (58.0%) were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, even if the vaccination is not mandatory for them. On the other hand, 25.7% of respondents were not willing to take COVID-19 vaccine while 16.3 % were undecided. The top three reasons for not willing to be vaccinated were unreliability of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials (62.0%), fear of the side effects of the vaccine (45.3%), and that COVID-19 vaccine will not give immunity for a long period of time (23.1%). CONCLUSION: Overall, the study revealed suboptimal acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among the respondents in the EMR. Significant refusal of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare professionals can reverse hard-won progress in building public trust in vaccination program. The findings suggest the need to develop tailored strategies to address concerns identified in the study in order to ensure optimal vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in the EMR