Analytical Assessment of (Al2O3–Ag/H2O) Hybrid Nanofluid Influenced by Induced Magnetic Field for Second Law Analysis with Mixed Convection, Viscous Dissipation and Heat Generation

The current study is an attempt to analytically characterize the second law analysis and mixed convective rheology of the (Al2O3–Ag/H2O) hybrid nanofluid flow influenced by magnetic induction effects towards a stretching sheet. Viscous dissipation and internal heat generation effects are encountered in the analysis as well. The mathematical model of partial differential equations is fabricated by employing boundary-layer approximation. The transformed system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is solved using the homotopy analysis method. The entropy generation number is formulated in terms of fluid friction, heat transfer and Joule heating. The effects of dimensionless parameters on flow variables and entropy generation number are examined using graphs and tables. Further, the convergence of HAM solutions is examined in terms of defined physical quantities up to 20th iterations, and confirmed. It is observed that large λ1 upgrades velocity, entropy generation and heat transfer rate, and drops the temperature. High values of δ enlarge velocity and temperature while reducing heat transport and entropy generation number. Viscous dissipation strongly influences an increase in flow and heat transfer rate caused by a no-slip condition on the sheet

Measles Induced Encephalitis: Recent Interventions to Overcome the Obstacles Encountered in the Management Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Encephalitis, a well-known complication of measles, is inflammation of the brain parenchyma which is mostly due to the viral invasion of neurons. It presents with a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe depending on the extent of the damaged neurons. The diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms such as fever, headache, altered level of consciousness, focal neurological deficits, etc. A detailed history and physical examination facilitate the diagnosis. Investigations include blood tests for measles-specific antibodies, CT, MRI, and analysis of the CSF. The management of measles-induced encephalitis mainly revolves around prevention against contracting the disease and providing supportive care if acquired. The administration of the measles vaccine is the major means of preventing this disease in childhood. Two doses are required to achieve sufficient immunity against measles, the first at the age of 12–15 months and the second at 4–6 years of age. Supportive care includes administering acetaminophen for fever, oral rehydrating salt (ORS) for diarrhea and vomiting, antibiotics for otitis media and pneumonia, and using anti-epileptics such as sodium valproate for seizures. Vitamin A can be given to prevent severe effects in children. The specific treatment would depend on the type of encephalitis the patient has developed

Synthesis of Geopolymer from a Novel Aluminosilicate-Based Natural Soil Precursor Using Electric Oven Curing for Improved Mechanical Strength

Natural soil (NS)-based geopolymers (GPs) have shown promise as environmentally friendly construction materials. The production of ordinary Portland cement is known to release significant amounts of greenhouse gas (CO2) into the atmosphere. The main objective of this work is to synthesize a geopolymer (GP) from an uncommon aluminosilicate-based NS and a sodium silicate (SS) activating solution that would not only minimize the emission of harmful gases, but also offer improved mechanical strength. Samples of different compositions were produced by varying the wt.% of NS from 50% to 80% and adding a balancing amount of SS solution. The drying and curing of the samples were carried out in an electric oven at specific temperatures. The degree of geopolymerization in the samples was measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and microstructural analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscope. Mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the range of compressive strength values of the prepared GP samples. A minimum compressive strength of 10.93 MPa at a maximum porosity of 37.56% was observed in a sample with an NS to SS ratio of 1:1; while a ratio of 3:1 led to the maximum compressive strength of 26.39 MPa and the minimum porosity of 24.60%. The maximum strength (26.39 MPa) was found to be more than the reported strength values for similar systems. Moreover, an improvement in strength by a factor of three has been observed relative to previously developed NS-based GPs. It may be inferred from the findings that for the given NS, with almost 90% aluminosilicate content, the extent of geopolymerization increases significantly with its increasing proportions, yielding better mechanical strength

Additions of Tropospheric Ozone (O3) in Regional Climates (A case study: Saudi Arabia)

Anthropogenic activities are responsible for enhancing the concentration of various toxic gases that produces bad Ozone in the troposphere which is harmful to human health. The specific objective of this research was to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in a vertical column of Ozone (O3) over Saudi Arabia during 2006-2016 using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard AQUA platform and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data. The results show that the optical depth of Ozone column varied from 252 Dobson Units (DU) to 264 DU. The main reason of this variation corresponds to the increase in O3 precursors including Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). The concentration of CO2 varied between (379-401) Parts Per Million (PPM), SO2 varied (3.5x10-6 - 4x10-6kg m-2) kg m-2 and NO2 varies (2.25x1015 - 2.5x1015)1/cm2 during the investigated timeframe. The results confirm that NO2 and SO2 have contributed directly in O3 formation while CO2 just increased regional temperatures that enhanced the optical depth of O3. Full Tex

Health Education and General Practitioner Training in Hypertension Management: Long-Term Effects on Kidney Function.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation trial, a 2×2 factorial design study (2004-2007), the combined home health education and trained general practitioner intervention delivered over 2 years was more effective than no intervention (usual care) in lowering systolic BP among adults with hypertension in urban Pakistan. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the interventions on kidney function. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, SETTINGS, & METHODS: In 2012-2013, we conducted extended follow-up of a total of 1271 individuals aged ≥40 years with hypertension (systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or receipt of antihypertensive treatment) and serum creatinine measurements with 2 years in-trial and 5 years of post-trial period in 12 randomly selected low-income communities in Karachi, Pakistan. The change in eGFR from baseline to 7 years was assessed among randomized groups using a generalized estimating equation method with multiple imputation of missing values. RESULTS: At 7 years of follow-up, adjusted mean eGFR remained unchanged, with a change of -0.3 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], -3.5 to 2.9) ml/min per 1.73 m(2) among adults randomly assigned to the combined home health education plus trained general practitioner intervention compared with a significant decline of -3.6 (95% CI, -5.7 to -2.0) ml/min per 1.73 m(2) in those assigned to usual care (P=0.01, modified intention-to-treat analysis). The risk for the combined intervention of death from kidney failure or >20% decline in eGFR relative to usual care was significantly reduced (risk ratio, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The combined home health education plus trained general practitioner intervention is beneficial in preserving kidney function among adults with hypertension in communities in Karachi. These findings highlight the importance of scaling up simple strategies for renal risk reduction in low- and middle-income countries

Immunologic resilience and COVID-19 survival advantage.

BackgroundThe risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies significantly among persons of similar age and is higher in males. Age-independent, sex-biased differences in susceptibility to severe COVID-19 may be ascribable to deficits in a sexually dimorphic protective attribute that we termed immunologic resilience (IR).ObjectiveWe sought to examine whether deficits in IR that antedate or are induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection independently predict COVID-19 mortality.MethodsIR levels were quantified with 2 novel metrics: immune health grades (IHG-I [best] to IHG-IV) to gauge CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell count equilibrium, and blood gene expression signatures. IR metrics were examined in a prospective COVID-19 cohort (n = 522); primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Associations of IR metrics with outcomes in non-COVID-19 cohorts (n = 13,461) provided the framework for linking pre-COVID-19 IR status to IR during COVID-19, as well as to COVID-19 outcomes.ResultsIHG-I, tracking high-grade equilibrium between CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell counts, was the most common grade (73%) among healthy adults, particularly in females. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with underrepresentation of IHG-I (21%) versus overrepresentation (77%) of IHG-II or IHG-IV, especially in males versus females (P < .01). Presentation with IHG-I was associated with 88% lower mortality, after controlling for age and sex; reduced risk of hospitalization and respiratory failure; lower plasma IL-6 levels; rapid clearance of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 burden; and gene expression signatures correlating with survival that signify immunocompetence and controlled inflammation. In non-COVID-19 cohorts, IR-preserving metrics were associated with resistance to progressive influenza or HIV infection, as well as lower 9-year mortality in the Framingham Heart Study, especially in females.ConclusionsPreservation of immunocompetence with controlled inflammation during antigenic challenges is a hallmark of IR and associates with longevity and AIDS resistance. Independent of age, a male-biased proclivity to degrade IR before and/or during SARS-CoV-2 infection predisposes to severe COVID-19