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This paper aims to suggest a time-fractional

The Mirpur earthquake of Mw 5.8 on 24 September 2019 severely damaged villages in the epicentral area. The earthquake-triggered ground dynamics produced widespread liquefaction features on the surface (e.g., fractured road structure and sand boils) and in the shallow subsurface (e.g., elevated groundwater table, fractures, and sand dikes). Due to complexity of liquefaction-induced deformation and timing of field surveys, the structural and hydrogeologic features that develop in the near surface during seismic events are often poorly resolved on ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) profiles. To track and delineate the internal architecture and coseismic changes in groundwater levels and/or pressures due to liquefaction, a GPR survey was carried out soon after the Mirpur earthquake. The sudden pore water pressure changes in the shallow aquifer system caused a rise in the water table via upward groundwater movement and fracturing followed by rapid infiltration. This cascade phenomenon has adverse effects on soil, water resources, civil infrastructure, and public health and safety. To better understand induced changes in the physical properties of road infrastructure and the shallow subsurface, we performed synthetic modeling of electromagnetic wave propagation by employing the finite-difference time-domain method. Based on the available information at multiple scales (borehole and geophysical), subsurface physical models representing the most common and important coseismic features were considered for synthetic modeling. Likewise, synthetic tests of paved road were conducted to simulate the radar response of structural discontinuities (fractures) developed at different angles. To validate synthetic results by identifying a similar dynamic response of the induced hydrogeologic changes in the form of coseismic liquefaction features, a field GPR survey was conducted. Our results clearly demonstrate that the GPR technique is a potential candidate for hydrogeophysical detection and characterization of features of interest in the case of paved roads as well as agricultural and residential areas. Additionally, the successful application of GPR proves it to be a cost-effective, high-resolution, and speedy tool for better assessment of hydrogeologic hazard, socioeconomic consequences, and mitigation in the Mirpur area. The proposed approach may find applications in other seismically active regions around the world.

Numerous computational and learning theory models have been studied using probabilistic functional equations. Especially in two-choice scenarios, the vast bulk of animal behavior research divides such situations into two different events. They split these actions into two possibilities according to the animals’ progress toward a particular decision. However, reward plays a crucial role in such experiments because, based on the selected side and the food placement, such scenarios may be classified into four distinct categories. This article aims to explore the animals’ reactions to such circumstances by presenting a generic stochastic functional equation. By using the well-known fixed point theory results, we examine the existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions to the suggested functional equation. Moreover, an example is included to emphasize the significance of our findings.

The model of decision practice reflects the evolution of moral judgment in mathematical psychology, which is concerned with determining the significance of different options and choosing one of them to utilize. Most studies on animals behavior, especially in a two-choice situation, divide such circumstances into two events. Their approach to dividing these behaviors into two events is mainly based on the movement of the animals towards a specific choice. However, such situations can generally be divided into four events depending on the chosen side and placement of the food. This article aims to fill such gaps by proposing a generic stochastic functional equation that can be used to describe several psychological and learning theory experiments. The existence, uniqueness, and stability analysis of the suggested stochastic equation are examined by utilizing the notable fixed point theory tools. Finally, we offer two examples to substantiate our key findings.

Chemical graph theory is a branch of mathematics that combines graph theory and chemistry and discusses the effect of research on “serious” or “pure” mathematics. A range of new graph ideas can be identified in the current development of mathematical chemistry and chemical graph theory. These advances include chemical kinetics as well as biomacromolecules. On star graphs, a few researchers have studied fractional differential equations. They used star graphs because their approach requires a common point that has edges with other nodes, whereas there are no edges between them. Our aim is to broaden the approach by using the idea of an ethane graph, which is an organic chemical compound with the chemical formula C 2 H 6 and having more than one junction nodes. In this work, we analyze the existence of solutions on such graphs for the fractional boundary value problem in the sense of Caputo fractional derivative. Inspired by a graph describing ethane’s chemical compound, we assume a graph with labeled vertices of 0 or 1 and describe fractional differential equations on each edge of this graph. We use the notable fixed point theorems to find the existence and uniqueness of a solution to the proposed fractional differential equation. An example is also presented to support our main results.

The Mirpur area of Pakistan was severely damaged by extensive coseismic liquefaction following an earthquake of Mw5.8 on 24 September 2019. Villages within 6 km of the epicenter were adversely affected due to extensive coseismic liquefaction-induced surface and shallow subsurface deformations. The earthquake affected all types of buildings and key infrastructure (e.g., the Upper Jhelum Canal and the main Jhelum–Jatlan road). Field observations and associated effects are presented, including horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) data sets acquired from three sites to evaluate the site response characteristics of the liquefaction-affected soil profiles. As a result, rupture events strongly influenced spectral features (amplitude and frequency) and site-specific 1D shear-wave velocity profiles at sites S1 and S2. The dynamic behavior of HVSRs across ruptures at sites S1 and S2 corresponds to varied levels of seismic amplification, demonstrating the impact of liquefaction-induced ruptures of seismic origin on the site response that have not been reported previously in the literature. The consistent HVSR pattern of well-established high-frequency peaks at site S3 adjacent to partially damaged to completely collapsed buildings of different types further indicates the susceptibility of potential liquefaction hazard. These results agree with the surface liquefaction signatures in the field, revealed by inverted electrical resistivity tomography models in terms of liquified sand plugs, clay lenses and associated fractures, and increasing trends of radon concentration in the soil with decrease in the distance toward ruptures. Additionally, the successful application of HVSR as a cost-effective and speedy tool attests to the potential of the proposed approach in furnishing complementary information for better assessment of liquefaction hazards in the developing world, where financial constraints are a major issue. This can help with seismic hazard analysis and mitigation in the Mirpur area and may have applications in other seismically active regions of the world.

Paper has attracted significant attention recently as a microfluidic component and platform, especially in passive pumping devices due to its porous and uniform absorbing nature. Many investigations on 1D and 2D fluid flows were carried out. However, no experimental work has been reported on the three-dimensional effect in porous geometry to improve pumping characteristics in microchannels. Therefore, in this study, the fluid flow in 3D paper-based passive pumps was investigated in microchannels using cylindrical pumps. The effect of pump diameter, porosity, and programmability was investigated to achieve desired flow variations. The results indicated that the flow rate of water increased with an increase in the diameter and porosity of paper pumps. Maximum flow rates achieved for 14 mm diameter pumps of 0.5 and 0.7 porosities were 5.29 mm3/s (317.4 μl/min) and 6.97 mm3/s (418.2 μl/min), respectively. The total volume of fluid imbibition ranged between 266 and 567 μl for 8 and 14 mm diameter pumps, respectively. Moreover, 3D passive pumps can transport larger volumes of liquid with an improved flow rate, programmability, and control, in addition to being inexpensive and simple to design and fabricate. Most importantly, a single 3D paper pump showed an increasing, decreasing, and constant flow rate all in a single microchannel. With these benefits, the passive pumps can further improve the pumping characteristics of microfluidic platforms enabling a cost effective and programmable point-of-care diagnostic device.

(1) Background: Antimicrobial resistance causes significant disease burden in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this paper is to describe antibiotic dispensing/prescribing practices and underlying factors associated with these practices among community-based healthcare workers. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from private and public health facilities in 14 union councils, Lahore Pakistan. Respondents included physicians, nurses, lady health workers/volunteers, midwives, pharmacy and medicine shop employees, and medical technicians. Descriptive and bivariate analysis are used to present the data; (3) Results: 177 respondents completed the survey. In terms of weekly dispensing of antibiotics, the most common were Amoxicillin/Augmentin (2.3 [SD 1.5]), Cefixine (2.4 [SD 1.6]), and Azithromycin (2.5 [SD 2.1]). For children, antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed/dispensed for sore throat (54.3%/95) and diarrhea (48.9%/86). For adults, antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed/dispensed for sore throat (67.0%/118), diarrhea (59.7%/105) and burning sensation when urinating (55.7%/176). In total, 55.4% of respondents stated that they have sold partial antibiotic courses to patients/customers. A total of 44.6% of respondents incorrectly answered that antibiotics could be used for viral infections; (4) Conclusions: Data from this study and similar research emphasize the urgent need to implement community-based stewardship programs for all healthcare workers.

An electrical resistivity tomography survey was conducted to assess the subsurface conditions associated with the coseismic liquefaction phenomenon in the epicentral region following the Mw 5.8 Mirpur earthquake (Pakistan) on 24 September 2019. The Mirpur earthquake produced extensive coseismic liquefaction‐induced surface deformations, including: sand blows, ground failure and lateral spreading along the Upper Jhelum Canal and in the nearby villages. Electrical resistivity data were acquired along three profiles and calibrated with available borehole data. The inverted electrical resistivity tomography profiles reveal three regional geoelectric layers, which consist of an upper 2–‐5‐m‐thick discontinuous zones of medium resistivity values ranging from 25 Ωm to 60 Ωm, underlain by a 7–8‐m‐thick zone of low resistivity ( 100 Ωm). Based on geological and geophysical data, we infer that. (1) disrupted geoelectric layers in the shallow subsurface and spatially extended low electrical resistivity (

A high lift wing’s design is a critical aerodynamic parameter of aircraft. Research has been performed to enhance the wing performance by altering the wing planform, out-of-plan transformation, and airfoil modification. Herein, the wing planforms, airflow velocity (5 – 35 m/s), and their effect on aerodynamic parameters as a function of an angle of attack (-20° - +50°) are investigated numerically. The NACA 0012 profile 3D wing with varying aspects, taper ratios, and sweptback angles is investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The study exposed that, a rectangular wing has a high lift and drag coefficient among all the wing planforms. It also reveals that there will be no lift generation for symmetric airfoil at an angle of attack (AoA) of 0°. Furthermore, the effect of changing the leading-edge sweptback angle (LESA) on the lift and drag is prominent at higher AoA. It changes airflow from wing root to wing tip however, it also increases the tip vortices. The lift and drag increase with the increase of flow velocity and taper ratio (TR) and becomes more prominent after an AoA of 9°. Similarly, with the increase of aspect ratio (AR), lift and drag decrease to a certain limit (in this case AR 10), beyond this limit, it starts increasing with an increase in AR and its effect is more visible at an AoA of 15°. The TR and LESA are the best parameters for the aircraft wing to get better flight conditions depending upon the applications.

Objective:To estimate the total energy and micronutrient intakes of children 9–24 months of age and evaluate the probability of adequacy (PA) of the diet in seven MAL-ED sites.Design:Cohort study. Food intake was registered monthly using 24-h recalls beginning at 9 months. We estimated PA for thirteen nutrients and overall mean PA (MPA) by site and 3-month periods considering estimated breast milk intake.Setting:Seven sites in Asia, Africa and Latin America.Participants:1669 children followed from birth to 24 months of age.Results:Median estimated %energy from breast milk ranged from 4 to 70 % at 9–12 months, and declined to 0–39 % at 21–24 months. Iron bioavailability was low for all sites, but many diets were of moderate bioavailability for zinc. PA was optimal for most nutrients in Brazil and South Africa, except for iron and vitamin E (both), calcium and zinc (South Africa). PA for zinc increased only for children consuming a diet with moderate bioavailability. MPA increased 12–24 months as the quantity of complementary foods increased; however, PA for vitamin A remained low in Bangladesh and Tanzania. PA for vitamins D and E and iron was low for most sites and age groups.Conclusions:MPA increased from 12 to 24 months as children consumed higher quantities of food, while nutrient density remained constant for most nutrients. Ways to increase the consumption of foods containing vitamins D, E and A, and calcium are needed, as are ways to increase the bioavailability of iron and zinc.

Radon (222Rn), a radioactive gas resulted from the natural decay of other radioactive elements, pose a threat to the exposed human population. Radon gas emits along the seismically active faults and increased the 222Rn contamination in sorrounding water and soil. This study investigated the concentration of 222Rn in drinking water and soil after the September 24, 2019, Mw 5.8 earthquake, Mirpur District, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir (AJK). For this purpose, water (n = 24) samples were collected from the bore wells of orderly located houses and soil field sampling (n = 12) along with the NE-SW directions of fracture in the Mirpur District. Determined 222Rn in drinking water surpassed the maximum contamination level (MCL, 11.1 kBq/m3) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in 83%, 50%, and 33% of the sampling point at the site I, site II, and site III, respectively. However, that of soil 222Rn concentration was observed with the normal range (10–50 kBq/m3). Potential exposure of 222Rn consumption in drinking water was the mean effective dose through ingestion (EWing, 0.003 ±

International audience; Rifting of the Red Sea resulted in the formation of one of the highest escarpments on our planet: the Great Escarpment of southwestern Saudi Arabia. Published low-temperature geochronology ages are around the Paleogene-Neogene transition, but geomorphic features like the height, the steepness and the preservation of the escarpment may indicate a younger aspect to the exhumation history. Here we use apatite fission track (AFT) and (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) cooling ages in combination with a geomorphic analysis of the region from Jeddah to Jizan to test this idea. Pooled AFT ages range from to Ma (1σ). The base of the AFT partial annealing zone prior to rock uplift is at ∼200 m elevation in most of the studied area, but track length data show that the amount of exhumation is insufficient to affect all coastal plain samples. Consistent with earlier estimates in the literature, the total amount of rock uplift is estimated to be ∼4 km. Single grain AHe ages range from to Ma (1σ) and do not have a clear trend with distance from the escarpment. Overall, the distribution of data appears to indicate widespread downwearing of the elevated topography around the rift flank. In contrast, geomorphic analysis that indicates escarpment retreat including a flexural uplift response. We suggest that the conflict between geomorphological and geochronological data can be resolved by invoking a two-stage erosion model. The first stage involved dome-shaped rift flank uplift since initiation of the Afar plume, downwearing of this topography and cooling recorded by the AFT ages. The second stage involved the massive erosion that excavated the present day Saudi escarpment and reset the AHe ages. We suggest that this second stage is related to the formation of oceanic lithosphere since 13 Ma in the Red Sea, associated downwarping of the margin and flexural updoming of the eastern rift flank. The consequential orographic precipitation initiated asymmetric erosion and formation of a retreating escarpment. This model is consistent with the large age difference between Miocene AFT and Pliocene AHe ages and the geomorphic metrics.

Chemical graph theory is a field of mathematics that studies ramifications of chemical network interactions. Using the concept of star graphs, several investigators have looked into the solutions to certain boundary value problems. Their choice to utilize star graphs was based on including a common point connected to other nodes. Our aim is to expand the range of the method by incorporating the graph of hexasilinane compound, which has a chemical formula $\mathrm{H}_{12} \mathrm{Si}_{6}$ H 12 Si 6 . In this paper, we examine the existence of solutions to fractional boundary value problems on such graphs, where the fractional derivative is in the Caputo sense. Finally, we include an example to support our significant findings.

The study of the interconnections between chemical systems is known as chemical graph theory. Through the use of star graphs, a limited group of researchers has examined the space of possible solutions for boundary-value problems. They recognized that for their strategy to function, they needed a core node related to other nodes but not to itself; as a result, they opted to use star graphs. In this sense, the graphs of neopentane will be helpful in extending the scope of our technique. It has the CAS number 463-82-1 and the chemical formula C5H12, and it is a component of a petrochemical precursor. In order to determine whether or not the suggested boundary-value problems on these graphs have any known solutions, we use the theorems developed by Schaefer and Krasnoselskii on fixed points. In addition, we illustrate our preliminary results with the help of an example that we present.

Given active tectonism, rough terrain, and climate, the mountainous ranges in northern Pakistan are prone to geohazards, including earthquakes, unstable slopes, and landslides. The frequent landsliding in the region poses a risk to communities, economic activities, and transportation networks. In this context, the unstable slope above Mayun village calls for a multi-method approach for better assessment of the slope for planning interventions aimed at hazard mitigation. We conducted an integrated study including uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in coordination with geomorphic field observations to image the possible slip surfaces for a comprehensive understanding of a potential future rockslide with significant socioeconomic consequences. UAV-derived results helped delineate the overall extent of the unstable slope and its downslope area in a quick, remote, and safe way. GPR profiles have enabled the reconstruction of the bedrock’s morphology and its internal structure and the depth distribution of cracks running through the overburden and bedrock. The results provided insight into the stable and unstable compartments of the slope due to the thin cover of surficial deposits, high impedance contrast at the overburden-bedrock interface, lateral heterogeneities, and presence of open cracks, and almost detached blocks, respectively. These data on the dynamic properties of a landslide-prone slope could be used for the correct planning of civil infrastructure to minimize the potential risk of building damage in the seismically active Hunza valley.

Background: Puerperal sepsis (PS) is one of the major causes of maternal death, contributing to 26,000 deaths per year in developing countries. Early recognition and treatment are essential to managing PS, but numerous social, cultural and technical barriers prevent or delay access to care and necessary medical attention. Through this qualitative study, we identified barriers to care seeking for puerperal sepsis among recently delivered women in Matiari, Pakistan. Methods: We conducted 20 in-depth interviews among recently delivered women with and without sepsis and their family members in September 2012. Key informant interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare providers and traditional birth attendants. The themes used for content analysis were knowledge of danger signs, factors affecting care seeking and local treatment practices for postpartum sepsis. Results: A total of 34 interviews were conducted. Recently delivered women, their family members and traditional birth attendants were unaware of the word PS or the local translated term for PS. However, they were familiar with most of the individual symptoms associated with PS. Healthcare providers were aware of the condition and the associated symptoms. The healthcare providers’ understanding of the seriousness of PS was directly proportional their age and clinical experience. The most common barriers to care seeking was the division of labor within the household, obtaining permission from the primary decision maker, access to transportation, lack of financial resources and support from family members. Conclusion: To improve maternal care seeking behaviors for PS, interventions focusing on increasing knowledge of PS, addressing gender inequality, implementing an affordable community transport service and enhancing TBA’s knowledge and skills to manage PS need to be implemented.

Background Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is thought to increase the risk of micronutrient deficiencies, but few studies adjust for dietary intakes and systemic inflammation. Objective We tested whether EED is associated with micronutrient deficiency risk independent of diet and systemic inflammation, and whether it mediates the relation between intake and micronutrient status. Methods Using data from 1283 children in the MAL-ED (Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health) birth cohort we evaluated the risk of anemia, low retinol, zinc, and ferritin, and high transferrin receptor (TfR) at 15 mo. We characterized gut inflammation and permeability by myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and α-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentrations from asymptomatic fecal samples averaged from 9 to 15 mo, and averaged the lactulose:mannitol ratio z-score (LMZ) at 9 and 15 mo. Nutrient intakes from complementary foods were quantified monthly from 9 to 15 mo and densities were averaged for analyses. α-1-Acid glycoprotein at 15 mo characterized systemic inflammation. Relations between variables were modeled using a Bayesian network. Results A greater risk of anemia was associated with LMZ [1.15 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.31)] and MPO [1.16 (1.01, 1.34)]. A greater risk of low ferritin was associated with AAT [1.19 (1.03, 1.37)] and NEO [1.22 (1.04, 1.44)]. A greater risk of low retinol was associated with LMZ [1.24 (1.08, 1.45)]. However, MPO was associated with a lower risk of high transferrin receptor [0.86 (0.74, 0.98)], NEO with a lower risk of low retinol [0.75 (0.62, 0.89)], and AAT with a lower risk of low plasma zinc [0.83 (0.70, 0.99)]. Greater nutrient intake densities (vitamins A and B6, calcium, protein, and zinc) were negatively associated with EED. Inverse associations between nutrient densities and micronutrient deficiency largely disappeared after adjustment for EED, suggesting that EED mediates these associations. Conclusions EED is independently associated with an increased risk of low ferritin, low retinol, and anemia. Greater nutrient density from complementary foods may reduce EED, and the control of micronutrient deficiencies may require control of EED.

Summary Background Climate change threatens to undermine recent progress in reducing global deaths from diarrhoeal disease in children. However, the scarcity of evidence about how individual environmental factors affect transmission of specific pathogens makes prediction of trends under different climate scenarios challenging. We aimed to model associations between daily estimates of a suite of hydrometeorological variables and rotavirus infection status ascertained through community-based surveillance. Methods For this analysis of multisite cohort data, rotavirus infection status was ascertained through community-based surveillance of infants in the eight-site MAL-ED cohort study, and matched by date with earth observation estimates of nine hydrometeorological variables from the Global Land Data Assimilation System: daily total precipitation volume (mm), daily total surface runoff (mm), surface pressure (mbar), wind speed (m/s), relative humidity (%), soil moisture (%), solar radiation (W/m 2 ), specific humidity (kg/kg), and average daily temperatures (°C). Lag relationships, independent effects, and interactions were characterised by use of modified Poisson models and compared with and without adjustment for seasonality and between-site variation. Final models were created with stepwise selection of main effects and interactions and their validity assessed by excluding each site in turn and calculating Tjur's Coefficients of Determination. Findings All nine hydrometeorological variables were significantly associated with rotavirus infection after adjusting for seasonality and between-site variation over multiple consecutive or non-consecutive lags, showing complex, often non-linear associations that differed by symptom status and showed considerable mutual interaction. The final models explained 5·9% to 6·2% of the variability in rotavirus infection in the pooled data and their predictions explained between 0·0% and 14·1% of the variability at individual study sites. Interpretation These results suggest that the effect of climate on rotavirus transmission was mediated by four independent mechanisms: waterborne dispersal, airborne dispersal, virus survival on soil and surfaces, and host factors. Earth observation data products available at a global scale and at subdaily resolution can be combined with longitudinal surveillance data to test hypotheses about routes and drivers of transmission but showed little potential for making predictions in this setting. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center; Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and NASA's Group on Earth Observations Work Programme.

Double-sided electrohydrodynamic jet printing of circuitry using silver nanowires (AgNWs) and dispensing of high viscosity silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is demonstrated for the first time in the fabrication of a two-dimensional array of electrodes (3D circuitry) on a single sheet of paper. The penetration of AgNW ink through the paper’s thickness by capillary imbibition allows for multilayer electrical access to connect the individual electrodes. This makes it an automated and efficient choice as the functional area of the device is conserved and the surface of the paper is preserved. This allows for two-dimensional droplet manipulation on a paper-based digital microfluidics (PBDMF) platform. Compared to printed circuit board technology, paper-based electronics offer a range of desirable properties: they are light weight, portable, economical, flexible, biodegradable, and the materials are abundantly available. The fabricated PBDMF chip is demonstrated to be a low-cost, fully reconfigurable, and disposable point-of-care diagnostic platform for the environmental sensing of pesticide using organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme through colorimetric detection via smartphone.

A theory of chemical graphs is a part of mathematical chemistry concerned with the effects of connectedness in chemical graphs. Several researchers have studied the solutions of fractional differential equations using the concept of star graphs. They employed star graphs because their technique requires a central node with links to adjacent vertices but no edges between nodes. The purpose of this paper is to extend the method’s range by introducing the concept of an octane graph, which is an essential organic compound having the formula C8H18. In this manner, we analyze a graph with vertices annotated by 0 or 1, which is influenced by the structure of the chemical substance octane, and formulate a fractional boundary value problem on each of the graph’s edges. We use the Schaefer and Krasnoselskii fixed point theorems to investigate the existence of solutions to the presented boundary value problems in the framework of the Caputo fractional derivative. Finally, two examples are provided to highlight the importance of our results in this area of study.

Solar thermal energy is clean, most promising and abundant renewable energy source. A solar collector collects radiation from the sun and converts these radiation into heat, which is then transferred to working fluid. The purpose of this study was to design, fabricate and analyse an energy efficient and cost effective parabolic trough solar collector with evacuated tube mounted on its focal axis to obtain hot water. A mathematical model of the system was developed and required dimensions of parabolic trough solar collector and copper tubes placed inside evacuated tubes were determined. The whole system was designed to operate on solar energy by improved focused radiations onto water carrying copper tubes to maximize outlet temperature. An arrangement of parabolic trough solar collectors connected in series was fabricated. The inlet feed temperature of water was 35°C and then it was heated to a range of temperatures between 35 °C and 70°C depending upon the required flow rate. Solar system was analysed for various operating parameters and their results signified that performance of collector was greatly affected by the intensity of solar radiations which changes throughout the day. Moreover, impact of different radial positions of tubes on the collector performance was also analysed.

BackgroundNeonatal infections are a leading cause of mortality globally. They should ideally be treated in a hospital. However, in resource constraint settings refusal to hospitalization is high. To address this, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a guideline for managing Possible Serious Bacterial Infections (PSBI) on an outpatient basis when referral to a hospital is not feasible. The objective of this research was to achieve high coverage of PSBI treatment and evaluate enablers and barriers to implementation of WHO guideline. Methods: We implemented the WHO PSBI guideline in the programme setting at 10 Basic Health Units (BHU) in two rural districts of Sindh (Thatta and Sujawal) in Pakistan using implementation research. We conducted policy dialogue with federal and provincial decision-makers and held discussions with programme managers and community leaders. A Technical Supporting Unit supported the programme to operationalize guidelines, capacity building of health workers, monitored their skills and mentored them and assured quality. The community-based health workers visited households to identify sick infants and referred them to the nearest BHU for further management. Data was collected by the research team. Results: Of 17,600 identified births, 1860 young infants with any sign of PSBI sought care at study BHUs and 1113 (59.8%) were brought by families. We achieved treatment coverage of 95%, assuming an estimated 10% incidence of PSBI in the first two months of life and that 10% of young infants came from outside the study catchment area. A total of 923 infants (49%; 923/1860) 7-59 days old with only fast breathing (pneumonia) were treated with oral amoxicillin without referral and all survived. A hospital referral was offered to 937 young infants, but 781 families (83.4%, 781/937) refused and accepted outpatient treatment. Among 344 (18.5%; 344/1860)

This article focuses on a specific type of the predator-prey model under some experimenter-subject-controlled events. Our goal is to study predator animals’ behavior in these circumstances and establish a suitable mathematical model that encompasses all facets of these relationships. The Banach fixed point theorem is used to obtain the existence and uniqueness results of the suggested probabilistic model.

This chapter covers the fundamental theory related to paper-based microfluidics. A brief introduction of the field is presented followed by description of the physical and electrical properties of paper which play a key role in accurate prediction of flow rate. The theory related to fluid flow in paper is then described in detail and categorized into wet-out (Lucas-Washburn equation) and fully wetted (Darcy’s Law) flow for various boundary conditions, geometries, and external factors. Finally, the theory of electro-kinetics in paper is presented with electro-osmosis, electrophoresis, and electrowetting on a dielectric as potential techniques for fluid or particle manipulation in paper-based microfluidic devices.

Background: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented restrictions on children’s ability to participate in adequate movement behaviours. This international longitudinal study compared young children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep behaviours before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Parents of children aged 3-5 years, from 14 countries (8 low- and middle-income countries, LMICs) completed surveys to assess changes in physical activity, sedentary behaviour (screen-time) and sleep and how these changes were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys were completed in the 12 months up to March 2020 and again between May and June 2020 (at the height of restrictions). PA, sedentary screen time (SST) and sleep were assessed via parent questionnaire. At Time 2, COVID-19 factors including level of restriction, environmental conditions, and parental stress were measured. Results: 948 parents completed the survey at both time points. Children from LMICs were more likely to meet the PA (AdjOR=2.0, 95%CI 1.0 to 3.8) and SST (2.2, CI 1.2 to 3.9) guidelines than their high-income country (HIC) counterparts. Children who could go outside during COVID-19 were more likely to meet all WHO recommendations (AdjOR 3.3, CI 1.1 to 9.8) than those who were not. Children of caregivers with higher compared to lower stress were less likely to meet all three guidelines (0.5, CI 0.3 to 0.9). Conclusion: PA and SST levels of children from LMICs have been less impacted by COVID-19 than in HICs. Ensuring children can access an outdoor space, and supporting caregivers’ mental health are important prevention strategies.

The purpose of this short note is to present some corrections and clarifications concerning the proof of the main result given in the paper “On analytic model for two-choice behavior of the paradise fish based on the fixed point method, J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 2019, 21:56”.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a special type of functional equation that describes the relationship between the predator animals and their two choices of prey with their corresponding probabilities. Our aim is to find the existence and uniqueness results of the proposed functional equation using the Banach fixed point theorem. Finally, we give an illustrative example that supports our main results.

Background Puerperal sepsis (PS) is one of the major causes of maternal death, contributing to 26 000 deaths per year in developing countries. Early recognition and treatment are essential to managing PS but numerous social, cultural and technical barriers prevent or delay access to care and necessary medical attention. Through this qualitative study, we identified barriers to care seeking for puerperal sepsis among recently delivered women in Matiari, Pakistan. Methods We conducted 20 in-depth interviews among recently delivered women with and without sepsis and their family members. Key informant interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare providers and traditional birth attendants. The themes used for content analysis were knowledge of danger signs, factors affecting care seeking and local treatment practices for postpartum sepsis. Results Recently delivered women, their family members and traditional birth attendants were unaware of the word PS or the local translated term for PS. However, they were familiar with most of the individual symptoms associated with PS. Healthcare providers were aware of the condition and the associated symptoms. The healthcare providers understanding of the seriousness of PS was directly proportional their age and clinical experience. The most common barriers to care seeking was the division of labor within the household, obtaining permission from the primary decision maker, access to transportation, lack of financial resources and support from family members. Discussion In rural Pakistan, limited knowledge of PS, division of labor within the household, obtaining permission from primary decision maker and access to transportation and financial resources were identified as barriers to seeking care among recently delivered women. Conclusion To improve maternal care seeking behaviors for PS, interventions focusing on increasing knowledge of PS, addressing gender inequality, implementing an affordable community transport service and enhancing TBAs knowledge and skills to manage PS need to be implemented.

In this paper, we are dealing with a particular type of predator–prey model in which a predator has two choices of preys with probabilities x and $$1-x$$ , respectively. Our aims are to analyze the behavior of predator animals in such situation and to construct a general functional equation for it, which covers all the aspects of such type of relationship. The Banach fixed point theorem is being used to investigate the existence and uniqueness results of the proposed predator–prey model; Hyers–Ulam and Hyers–Ulam–Rassias type stability of the functional equation has also been discussed in it.

This paper deals with a specific type of traumatic avoidance for the learning process of normal dogs enclosed into a small compartment with a steel grid floor. Our aim is to analyze the behavior of the dogs in such situations and to construct a suitable mathematical model for it. The existence and uniqueness results of the proposed traumatic avoidance learning model are being investigated by the use of the Banach fixed point theorem.

Simple birth–death phenomena are frequently examined in mathematical modeling and probability theory courses since they serve as an excellent foundation for stochastic modeling. Such mechanisms are inherent stochastic extensions of the deterministic population paradigm for population expansion of a particular species in a habitat with constant resource availability and many other organisms. Most animal behavior research differentiates such circumstances into two different events when it comes to two-choice scenarios. On the other hand, in this kind of research, the reward serves a significant role, because, depending on the chosen side and food placement, such situations may be divided into four groups. This article presents a novel stochastic equation that may be used to describe the vast majority of models discussed in the current studies. It is noteworthy that they are connected to the symmetry of the progression of a solution of stochastic equations. The techniques of fixed point theory are employed to explore the existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions to the proposed functional equation. Additionally, some examples are offered to emphasize the significance of our findings.

In this article, the stagnation point flow of Walters-B fluid induced by a Riga plate is investigated. Heat transfer properties are investigated with thermal radiation effect and Newtonian heating. An electromagnetic actuator is a Riga-plate where a span wise associated array of irregular electrodes and permanent magnets mounted on a flat surface. Lorentz force is parallel to a surface which is generated by this array and it reduces exponentially in the direction normal to the surface. The non-linear ordinary differential equations through the fundamental laws of mass, linear momentum and energy are obtained using the suitable transformation. The optimal values of convergence control parameters are computed by means of Optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM) via BVPh2.0. Graphical results for the dimensionless velocity and temperature are presented and discussed for various physical parameters. Local skin friction and Local Nusselt numbers are computed analytically using OHAM.

Improving understanding of the pathogen-specific seasonality of enteric infections is critical to informing policy on the timing of preventive measures and to forecast trends in the burden of diarrhoeal disease. Data obtained from active surveillance of cohorts can capture the underlying infection status as transmission occurs in the community. The purpose of this study was to characterise rotavirus seasonality in eight different locations while adjusting for age, calendar time and within-subject clustering of episodes by applying an adapted Serfling model approach to data from a multi-site cohort study. In the Bangladesh and Peru sites, within-subject clustering was high, with more than half of infants who experienced one rotavirus infection going on to experience a second and more than 20% experiencing a third. In the five sites that are in countries that had not introduced the rotavirus vaccine, the model predicted a primary peak in prevalence during the dry season and, in three of these, a secondary peak during the rainy season. The patterns predicted by this approach are broadly congruent with several emerging hypotheses about rotavirus transmission and are consistent for both symptomatic and asymptomatic rotavirus episodes. These findings have practical implications for programme design, but caution should be exercised in deriving inferences about the underlying pathways driving these trends, particularly when extending the approach to other pathogens.

Children in low-income countries experience multiple illness symptoms in early childhood. Breastfeeding is protective against diarrhea and respiratory infections, and these illnesses are thought to be risk factors of one another, but these relationships have not been explored simultaneously. In the eight-site MAL-ED study, 1,731 infants were enrolled near birth and followed for 2 years. We collected symptoms and diet information through twice-weekly household visits. Poisson regression was used to determine if recent illness history was associated with incidence of diarrhea or acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI), accounting for exclusive breastfeeding. Recent diarrhea was associated with higher risk of incident diarrhea after the first 6 months of life (relative risk [RR] 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04, 1.16) and with higher risk of incident ALRI in the 3- to 5-month period (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03, 1.47). Fever was a consistent risk factor for both diarrhea and ALRI. Exclusive breastfeeding 0–6 months was protective against diarrhea (0–2 months: RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.32, 0.49; 3–5 months: RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75, 0.93) and ALRI (3–5 months: RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68, 0.98). Children with recent illness who were exclusively breastfed were half as likely as those not exclusively breastfed to experience diarrhea in the first 3 months of life. Recent illness was associated with greater risk of new illness, causing illnesses to cluster within children, indicating that specific illness-prevention programs may have benefits for preventing other childhood illnesses. The results also underscore the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life for disease prevention.

Having a mild acidic pH of 5-6.5, Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a harmless disinfectant having excellent sterilizing capability for use in agriculture, medicine and food industry. Recently, the use of non-diaphragm electrolytic cell has shown great potential in producing Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW). However, the effect of various physical properties such as electrode gap, flow rate, current, bubble formation and temperature conditions are still under investigation. In this study, we produced 40 ppm SAEW by using a self-developed non-diaphragm electrolytic cell that electrolyzed 6 % Hydrochloric acid (HCl) with H2 and Cl2 gas as by products. The tested range of electrolyte flow rate was 2-4 mL/min. The effect of current was studied in the range of 10-15 A. The results indicate that bubble generation by increased current decreased the average convection heat transfer coefficient between the electrode and electrolyte resulting in increased temperature. Moreover, the bubbles reduced the surface area for an efficient electrolytic reaction resulting in a decrease in available chlorine concentration. Hence, an optimized flow rate of 3 mL/min at 13 A current were found to be best process conditions for SAEW generation when the electrode size is 4 cm by 14 cm. Furthermore, the produced high concentrated HOCl showed excellent sanitization efficacy against various Escherichia coli concentrations (105-108 cfu/mL).

The choice behavior model is the model which describes the spiritual process of thinking which is concerned with the process of judging the merits of the numerous options and making the decision to determine one of them for action. The aim of this paper is to analyze the one specific type of choice behavior model for the learning process of the paradise fish. The existence and uniqueness results of the solution of the proposed choice behavior model are investigated via the fixed point tool.