Background: Although there is evidence of peer support in high-income countries, the use of peer support as an intervention for cardiometabolic disease management, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is unclear. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used to search the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, LILACS, CDSR, and CENTRAL. Results: Twenty-eight studies were included in this scoping review. Of these, 67% were developed in Asia, 22% in Africa, and 11% in the Americas. The definition of peer support varied; however, peer support offered a social and emotional dimension to help individuals cope with negative emotions and barriers while promoting disease management. Conclusio

One of the most serious health disasters in recent memory is the COVID-19 epidemic. Several restriction rules have been forced to reduce the virus spreading. Masks that are properly fitted can help prevent the virus from spreading from the person wearing the mask to others. Masks alone will not protect against COVID-19; they must be used in conjunction with physical separation and avoidance of direct contact. The fast spread of this disease, as well as the growing usage of prevention methods, underscore the critical need for a shift in biometrics-based authentication schemes. Biometrics systems are affected differently depending on whether are used as one of the preventive techniques based on COVID-19 pandemic rules. This study provides an

Background: The bond strength of the root canal sealers to dentin seems to be a very important property for maintaining the integrity and the seal of root canal filling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of four different obturation systems using push-out test. Materials and methods: Forty straight palatal roots of the maxillary first molars teeth were used in this study, these roots were instrumented using crown down technique and ProTaper system, instrumentation were done with copious irrigation of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite and 17% buffered solution of EDTA was used as final irrigant followed by distilled water, roots were randomly divided into four groups according to the obturation system (ten teeth for each g

Free-Space Optical (FSO) can provide high-speed communications when the effect of turbulence is not serious. However, Space-Time-Block-Code (STBC) is a good candidate to mitigate this seriousness. This paper proposes a hybrid of an Optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA) and STBC in FSO communication for last mile solutions, where access to remote areas is complicated. The main weakness effecting a FSO link is the atmospheric turbulence. The feasibility of employing STBC in OCDMA is to mitigate these effects. The current work evaluates the Bit-Error-Rate (BER) performance of OCDMA operating under the scintillation effect, where this effect can be described by the gamma-gamma model. The most obvious finding to emerge from the analysis

In composite steel-concrete structures, shear connectors in the form of headed steel studs are commonly utilized to transfer longitudinal shear force developed at the interface between the two materials. To overcome the shortcomings of design codes, which frequently understate shear capacity and fail to take advantage of sophisticated computational methods, this paper presents an optimization attempt to estimate the shear strength of headed steel studs utilizing the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) technique using MATLAB software. Data from 234 experimental tests are employed to identify and highlight key input parameters influencing the shear strength of headed steel studs. These key parameters include concrete compressive strength (f’c

“Smart city” projects have become fully developed and are actively using video analytics. Our study looks at how video analytics from surveillance cameras can help manage urban areas, making the environment safer and residents happier. Every year hundreds of people fall on subway and railway lines. The causes of these accidents include crowding, fights, sudden health problems such as dizziness or heart attacks, as well as those who intentionally jump in front of trains. These accidents may not cause deaths, but they cause delays for tens of thousands of passengers. Sometimes passers-by have time to react to the event and try to prevent it, or contact station personnel, but computers can react faster in such situations by using ethical

Aphid Aphis spp (Hemiptera:Aphididae) and Thrips Thrips spp (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) an economically important pests on several crops in the world and Iraq, that transfer many viruses diseases to it. Field studies were conducted to assessment the population density of these insects and susceptibility of six varieties (Barin, Revera, Divela, Rudlph, Alazata and Pleny) to infestation during 2013 spring season. The results were showed that all Potato varieties were infested by Aphis and Thrips on spring plantation but with different percentage. The Divela variety was higher percentage of infestation and high population density of aphid which averaged 1.47 insect/ leaf while in Alazata was the lower population density which averaged 1.02 in

Five subsurface sections covering the entire length of the Jeribe Limestone Formation (Early Middle Miocene) were studied from four oilfields in northern Iraq. It is hoped to unravel this formation microfacies ; depositional environment; diagenetic attributes and their parental processes; and the relationship between these processes and the observed porosity patterns. The microfacies were found to include mudstone, wackestone, packstone, and grainstone, which have been deposited respectively in open platform, restricted platform, and edge platform which represent the lagoonal environment, while the deposits of the lower parts of the Jeribe formation especially in well Hamrin- 2 reflect a deeper fore slope environment. By using the lithofac