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Hypertension is a potentially unsafe health ailment, which can be indicated directly from the blood pressure (BP). Hypertension always leads to other health complications. Continuous monitoring of BP is very important; however, cuff-based BP measurements are discrete and uncomfortable to the user. To address this need, a cuff-less, continuous, and noninvasive BP measurement system is proposed using the photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal and demographic features using machine learning (ML) algorithms. PPG signals were acquired from 219 subjects, which undergo preprocessing and feature extraction steps. Time, frequency, and time-frequency domain features were extracted from the PPG and their derivative signals. Feature selection techniques were used to reduce the computational complexity and to decrease the chance of over-fitting the ML algorithms. The features were then used to train and evaluate ML algorithms. The best regression models were selected for systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) estimation individually. Gaussian process regression (GPR) along with the ReliefF feature selection algorithm outperforms other algorithms in estimating SBP and DBP with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 6.74 and 3.59, respectively. This ML model can be implemented in hardware systems to continuously monitor BP and avoid any critical health conditions due to sudden changes.

Emphasizing the global commitment to universal health coverage, this research addresses geographical variations and challenges faced by young females across low and lower-middle-income countries. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the factors that influence the decision-making of young females when it comes to seeking healthcare services in low or lower-middle-income countries. We examined healthcare usage among female youth across eight countries. We used data from the DHS and employed regression and Chi2 tests for our analysis. Our focus was on females aged 15 to 24 and their visits to healthcare facilities. To ensure the validity of our findings, we used weighted sampling to represent the population. We had a total sample of 51,298 female youth groups between the ages of 15 and 24 who participated in our study. When it comes to the demographics of the participants, most of those in the 15-19 age group were from Burkina Faso (54.26%), while most of those in the 20-24 age group were from Ghana (50.19%). The impact of education varied across countries; primary education led to increased healthcare utilization in Kenya, Tanzania, and Cambodia, but unexpected trends were observed in Burkina Faso. Education significantly influences healthcare utilization, positively impacting both primary and secondary education. Rural residents face challenges accessing timely healthcare. Geographical challenges, like diseases and limited accessibility, contribute to varied healthcare usage in Kenya and the Philippines. Addressing infrastructure issues is critical, emphasizing education and promoting transparency to enhance healthcare equity.

Melatonin, a pineal gland synthesized neurohormone is known as a multifunctioning pleiotropic agent which has a wide range of neuroprotective role in manifold age-related neurodegenerative disorders especially Alzheimer’s diseases (AD). AD is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder and common form of dementia which is defined by abnormal and excessive accumulation of several toxic peptides including amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The Alzheimer’s dementia relates to atrophic changes in the brain resulting in loss of memory, cognitive dysfunction, and impairments of the synapses. Aging, circadian disruption, Aβ accumulation, and tau hyperphosphorylation are the utmost risk factor regarding AD pathology. To date, there is no exact treatment against AD progression. In this regard, melatonin plays a crucial role for the inhibition of circadian disruption by controlling clock genes and also attenuates Aβ accumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation by regulating glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) and cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK5) signaling pathway. In this review, we highlight the possible mechanism of AD etiology and how melatonin influences neurogenesis by attenuating circadian disruption, Aβ formation, as well as tau hyperphosphorylation. Furthermore, we also find out and summarize the neuroprotective roles of melatonin by the blockage of Aβ production, Aβ oligomerization and fibrillation, tau hyperphosphorylation, synaptic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuronal death during AD progression.

Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge. Methods We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. Results We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies. Conclusions Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.

Nonlinear fractional partial differential equations are highly applicable for representing a wide variety of features in engineering and research, such as shallow-water, oceanography, fluid dynamics, acoustics, plasma physics, optical fiber system, turbulence, nonlinear biological systems, and control theory. In this research, we chose to construct some new closed form solutions of traveling wave of fractional order nonlinear coupled type Boussinesq–Burger (BB) and coupled type Boussinesq equations. In beachside ocean and coastal engineering, the suggested equations are frequently used to explain the spread of shallow-water waves, depict the propagation of waves through dissipative and nonlinear media, and appears during the investigation of the flow of fluid within a dynamic system. The subsidiary extended tanh-function technique for the suggested equations is solved for achieve new results by conformable derivatives. The fractional order differential transform was used to simplify the solution process by converting fractional differential equations to ordinary type differential equations by using the mentioned method. Using this technique, some applicable wave forms of solitons like bell type, kink type, singular kink, multiple kink, periodic wave, and many other types solution were accomplished, and we express our achieve solutions by 3D, contour, list point, and vector plots by using mathematical software such as MATHEMATICA to express the physical sketch much more clearly. Moreover, we assured that the suggested technique is more reliable, pragmatic, and dependable, that also explore more general exact solutions of close form traveling waves.

Background Distinct regional variations are observed in terms of factors influencing intimate partner violence (IPV) when women are empowered. This is a noticeable gap, and no comprehensive studies explore these influencing factors across different continents. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between women’s empowerment, autonomy, and IPV across different continental regions. Method The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) dataset across 26 countries with low and lower-middle-income countries was used in this study. We focused on a sample of 56,175 women aged 15–49 who had experienced IPV. For data analysis purposes, we have used the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression using Stata. We also account for complexities related to the survey and incorporate sampling weights. Results Among 56,175 women from all six continents, 22,236 experienced IPV. IPV prevalence varies across regions, ranging from 12.81% in Cambodia [95% CI: 11.75%-13.92%] to 69.61% in Sierra Leone [95% CI: 66.93%-72.18%], with an overall prevalence of 39.46%. Empowered women demonstrated reduced odds of experiencing IPV, with notable protective effects in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., Burundi: OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.29–0.44) and South and Southeast Asia (e.g., Cambodia: OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.30–0.50), However, exceptions such as Nigeria (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.30–1.79) underscore regional disparities in the impact of empowerment. Conclusions Empowering women socially through employment opportunities and autonomy significantly reduces the prevalence of IPV. Notably, women living below the poverty line and with limited education face heightened vulnerability. It is crucial for policymakers, organizations, and communities to utilize these findings to create more comprehensive environments for working women.

ObjectivesBangladesh is highly prone to recurrent flooding that disrupts all four pillars of food security. This study aimed to explore the effect of household food insecurity on the underweight status of women in flood-affected areas of Bangladesh, which remains underexplored.DesignThis is a cross-sectional analysis.SettingThis study was conducted in eight sub-districts (upazilas) across eight districts in Bangladesh that experience severe to moderate river flooding, flash floods and substantial tidal surges.ParticipantsA total of 532 women participated in the study. The inclusion criteria for participation were as follows: (1) being at least 18 years of age, (2) residing in the household for at least 1 year and (3) having experienced limited food access in the 4 weeks before data collection due to flood-related constraints.Primary outcome measuresHousehold food insecurity was measured using the U.S. Agency for International Development Household Food Insecurity Access Scale questionnaire. An underweight status was evaluated through anthropometric measurements of women. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were estimated using robust log-linear models.ResultsModerate food insecurity was the most common (58.3%) among the participants. The prevalence of underweight was the highest (52.1%) in the severely food-insecure group and decreased significantly with improved food security. Severe household food insecurity was strongly associated with a higher prevalence of underweight individuals (aPR = 4.12; 95% CI, 1.60 to 10.60). An underweight status was also prevalent in women from moderately food-insecure households (aPR = 1.75; 95% CI, 0.68 to 4.55).ConclusionThis study reveals a significant association between household food insecurity and underweight status, highlighting the major challenges faced by women living in flood-prone areas of Bangladesh. These findings emphasise the urgent need to address household food insecurity to improve nutritional outcomes for women in vulnerable communities.

The current framework uses a theoretical and computational model based on both second-order momentum and temperature slips to simulate momentum, angular momentum, heat transport, nanoparticle volume fraction transport, and the density of microorganism transport phenomena past a cone located in a Darcy porous medium. These types of flows happen in typical nanodevice components such as nanocapillaries, nanovalves, nanorotors, and nanobearings and in low-pressure environments. With this in mind, the governing highly partial differential equations were converted to similarity ordinary differential equations via invariant transformations developed through Lie symmetry analysis before being simulated using the efficient finite element method. Tables and graphs illustrate the impact of emerging parameters on flow characteristics as well as heat, mass, and microorganism transfer rates. It is found that friction increases, while heat, mass, and microorganism transfer decrease with the micropolar parameter for both isothermal and non-isothermal cones. Friction decreases with the first-order thermal slip parameter in the absence of second-order slip, but it follows reverse behavior in the presence of second-order slip. Heat transfer rate decreases, while mass and microorganism transfer rates increase with the first-order thermal slip parameter when considering the second-order slip parameter. The decrement of 20% in maximum stream function is noticed if micropolar nanofluid ( Δ = 1 ) is used instead of Newtonian nanofluid, which further regulates heat transfer significantly.

The transition to sustainable energy has ushered in the era of electrofuels (e-fuels), which are synthesised using electricity from renewable sources, water, and CO2 as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This paper presents a systematic review of the techno-economic (TEA) and life cycle assessments (LCAs) of e-fuel production. We critically evaluate advancements in production technologies, economic feasibility, environmental implications, and potential societal impacts. Our findings indicate that while e-fuels offer a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions, their economic viability depends on optimising production processes and reducing input material costs. The LCA highlights the necessity of using renewable energy for hydrogen production to ensure the genuine sustainability of e-fuels. This review also identifies knowledge gaps, suggesting areas for future research and policy intervention. As the world moves toward a greener future, understanding the holistic implications of e-fuels becomes paramount. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview to guide stakeholders in their decision-making processes.

Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by early childhood-onset impairments in communication and social interaction alongside restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. This review summarizes recent developments in human genetics research in autism, complemented by epigenetic and transcriptomic findings. The clinical heterogeneity of autism is mirrored by a complex genetic architecture involving several types of common and rare variants, ranging from point mutations to large copy number variants, and either inherited or spontaneous (de novo). More than 100 risk genes have been implicated by rare, often de novo, potentially damaging mutations in highly constrained genes. These account for substantial individual risk but a small proportion of the population risk. In contrast, most of the genetic risk is attributable to common inherited variants acting en masse, each individually with small effects. Studies have identified a handful of robustly associated common variants. Different risk genes converge on the same mechanisms, such as gene regulation and synaptic connectivity. These mechanisms are also implicated by genes that are epigenetically and transcriptionally dysregulated in autism. Major challenges to understanding the biological mechanisms include substantial phenotypic heterogeneity, large locus heterogeneity, variable penetrance, and widespread pleiotropy. Considerable increases in sample sizes are needed to better understand the hundreds or thousands of common and rare genetic variants involved. Future research should integrate common and rare variant research, multi-omics data including genomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics, and refined phenotype assessment with multidimensional and longitudinal measures.