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Various epidemics have occurred throughout history, which has led to the investigation and understanding of their transmission dynamics. As a result, non-local operators are used for mathematical modeling in this study. Therefore, this research focuses on developing a dysentery diarrhea model with the use of a fractional operator using a one-parameter Mittag-Leffler kernel. The model consists of three classes of the human population, whereas the fourth one belongs to the pathogen population. The model carefully deals with the dimensional homogeneity among the parameters and the fractional operator. In addition, the model was validated by fitting the actual number of dysentery diarrhea infected cases covering 52 weeks in 2017, which occurred in Ethiopia. The biological parameters were fitted, and fractional order ν was optimized. The basic reproduction numbers R0 were 1.7031 and 1.9581, which correspond to the fractional and integer-order models, respectively. The fractional model showed smaller discrepancies compared to the integer-order model when the models were fitted and validated with the actual cases of infected humans. Qualitative theory for the existence and uniqueness of the solutions was extensively explored, and the stability of equilibria was investigated. The most influential parameters were found via forward sensitivity indices. This multidisciplinary research shows and explains the results of numerical simulations applied to a biological issue.

This work aimed to investigate the effect of different shim techniques, voxel sizes, and repetition time (TR) on using theT2 and T2* sequences to determine their optimum settings to investigate the quantification of iron in transfused dependent sickle cell patients. The effect of each of these parameters was investigated on phantoms of different Gadolinium (Gd) concentrations, on 10 volunteers and 25 patients using a1 5T MRI Philips scanner. No significant difference between the three shim techniques was noticed in either T2 or T2* sequence measurements. Pixel sizes of 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 mm provided optimum results for T2 measurements. At 1 × 1 mm pixel size the T2* measurements experienced less error in measurements than the size of 2.5 × 2.5 mm used in the literature. Even though the slice thickness variation did not provide any changes in T2 measurements, the 12 mm provided optimum T2* measurements. TR variation did not yield significant changes on either T2 or T2* measurements. These results indicate that both T2 and T2* sequences can be further improved by providing more reliable measurements and reducing acquisition time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been widely employed in the medical field in recent years in such areas as image segmentation, medical image registration, and computer-aided detection. This study explores one application of using AI in adaptive radiation therapy treatment planning by predicting the tumor volume reduction rate (TVRR). Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of twenty rectal cancer patients were collected to observe the change in tumor volume over the course of a standard five-week radiotherapy treatment. In addition to treatment volume, patient data including patient age, gender, weight, number of treatment fractions, and dose per fraction were also collected. Application of a stepwise regression model showed that age, dose per fraction and weight were the best predictors for tumor volume reduction rate.

We study an evolutionary inspection game where agents can chose between working and shirking. The evolutionary process is staged on a small-world network, through which agents compare their incomes and, based on the outcome, decide which strategy to adopt. Moreover, we introduce union members that have certain privileges, of which the extent depends on the bargaining power of the union. We determine how the union affects the overall performance of the firm that employs the agents and what are its influences on the employees. We find that, depending on its bargaining power, the union has significant leverage to deteriorate the productivity of a firm and consequently also to lower the long-run benefits of the employees.

The study aimed to assess the effect of chronic diseases on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among university students. A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University, involving 1173 students. Questionnaire on chronic diseases, HRQoL using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), alongside other factors was distributed electronically. Regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HRQoL. The mean ± SD scores across SF-36 dimensions varied, with physical functioning scoring the highest (74.81 ± 27.82) and energy/fatigue the lowest (38.52 ± 24.03). The physical and mental component summary scores were 68.07 ± 18.67 and 49.20 ± 23.17, respectively. The study found a 23.1% prevalence of multimorbidity. Multimorbidity was associated with significantly lower HRQoL across all dimensions. Female sex, low family income, and lack of exercise were predictors of poor HRQoL. High-impact diseases were strongly associated with poorer physical health. The study revealed significant burden of multimorbidity that demands targeted interventions. Focus on modifiable risk factors, such as exercise and socioeconomic support, could enhance overall well-being and prevent negative health outcomes.

High atomic number nanoparticles are of increasing interest in radiotherapy due to their significant positive impact on the local dose applied to the treatment site. In this work, three types of metal nanoparticles were utilized to investigate their dose enhancement based on the GATE Monte Carlo simulation tool. Gold, gadolinium, and silver were implanted at three different concentrations to a 1 cm radius sphere to mimic a cancerous tumor inside a 10 × 10 × 30 cm3 water phantom. The innermost layer of the tumor represents a necrotic region, where the metal nanoparticles uptake is assumed to be zero, arising from hypoxic conditions. The nanoparticles were defined using the mixture technique, where nanoparticles are added to the chemical composition of the tumor. A directional 2 × 2 cm2 monoenergetic photon beam was used with several energies ranging from 50 keV to 4000 keV. The dose enhancement factor (DEF) was measured for all three metal nanoparticles under all beam energies. The maximum DEF was ~7 for silver nanoparticles with the 50 keV beam energy at the highest nanoparticle concentration of 30 mg/g of water. Gold followed the same trend as it registered the highest DEF at the 50 keV beam energy with the highest concentration of nanoparticles at 30 mg/g, while gadolinium registered the highest at 100 keV.

Actinium-225 is used in nuclear medicine for the treatment of malignant tumours. It can be applied to produce Bi-213 in a reusable generator or can be used alone as an agent for radiation therapy, in particular for targeted alpha therapy. However, the availability of Ac-225 for worldwide use, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is limited. We present a feasibility study employing GATE, an open-source Monte Carlo simulation toolkit, on the production of Ac-225 from a neutron generator. This work suggests that a design consisting of three concentric cylinders, the innermost a Cf-252 neutron source, the middle nickel cylinder acting as a proton-producing target and the outer cylinder a RaCl2 target may provide a feasible design outline for an Ac-225 generator.

Quartz is the most common mineral in continental crust rocks. It has been used for multiple industrial purposes. Herein, we have investigated the effect of aluminum (Al) additions on the electrical/dielectric properties of the natural quartz. The natural quartz was collected and ground to form fine powders; Al has been added to and mixed with the natural powders et al. ratios of 0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.% under powerful stirrer and sonication. The obtained powders were calcined at 900 K; then, their morphological features, chemical element compositions, crystal phases, and chemical group functions were identified respectively by SEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR. Then, the electrical and dielectric features of the fabricated natural quartz-Al composites were evaluated in the temperature and frequency ranges of 300–900 K and 5 kHz-8 MHz, respectively. The XRD patterns and FTIR spectra showed no significant changes in the crystallinity and structure between natural quartz and its composites with Al while adding Al. Remarkably, adding Al to the natural quartz enhanced the electrical and dielectric properties considerably, particularly at the high ratio of Al. At room temperature, the electrical conductivity of the prepared natural quartz-aluminum composites recorded 1.45, 11.13, 17.22, and 45.90 S/cm with the Al ratios of 0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.%, respectively. At the same time, their dielectric constant recorded 15.75, 60.09, 91.59, and 167.75. These results could be illustrated that being the Al as a conductor might take shape distributed areas in the natural quartz, resulting in the increasing values of the electrical conductivity, the dielectric constant, and the dielectric loss.