The global transition towards sustainable energy has accelerated the development and deployment of offshore wind turbines. Jacket foundations, commonly installed in intermediate to deep water depths to access available space and higher load capacities, are built to withstand intensified hydrodynamic loads. Due to their structural complexity near the seabed, however, they are prone to local and global scour, which can compromise stability and increase maintenance costs. While extensive research has addressed scour protections around monopiles, limited attention has been given to complex foundation geometries or even hybrid configurations that combine energy-harvesting devices with structural support. These hybrid systems introduce highly unsteady flow fields and amplified turbulence effects that current design frameworks appear to be unable to capture. This study provides an experimental characterisation of scour damage in riprap-protected jackets as well as additional tests for a hybrid jacket foundation. A novel adaptation of a high-resolution overlapping sub-area methodology was employed. For the first time, it was successfully applied to quantify the damage to riprap protections for a complex offshore foundation. Results revealed that, although hybrid jackets showed the capacity to attenuate incident waves, the scour protection experienced damage numbers (S3D) two to six times higher than conventional jackets due to flow amplifications. The findings highlight the need for revised design guidelines that can account for the complex hydrodynamic-structural interactions of next-generation marine harvesting technologies integrated into complex foundations.
Background: Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death, particularly in patients with comorbid chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) and chronic kidney disease(CKD). While trends in each condition have been studied, a potential intersection among all three has not been explored. Research Question: The objective of this study was to examine national trends in V-fib-related mortality among adults ≥25 years with comorbid CIHD and CKD in the U.S from 1999 to 2023 and how these patterns vary by year, gender, race, and region in the U.S. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of mortality data among U.S. adults aged ≥25 years from 1999 to 2023, using the CDC WONDER database(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research). International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10 codes) were used to identify deaths attributed to V-fib (I49), CIHD (I25), and CKD (N18). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 population were calculated, and annual percentage changes (APCs) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. Outcomes were stratified by year, sex, race and census region. Results: Between 1999 and 2023, there were 136,584 V-fib-related deaths among adults aged ≥ 25 with comorbid CIHD and CKD. The AAMR value declined from 5.63 in 1999 to 3.84 in 2002 (APC: -11.90%, 95% CI: -13.38 to -10.38), then to 2.44 in 2007 (APC: -9.07%, 95% CI: -10.24 to -7.89). A slower decline continued to 1.73 in 2018 (APC: -3.10%, 95% CI: -3.45 to -2.75), followed by a brief rise to 1.83 in 2021 (APC: +2.01%, 95% CI: -3.34 to +7.65), and then again, a drop to 1.61 in 2023 (APC: -5.51%, 95% CI: -9.89 to -0.92). AAMR was higher in males than females throughout (1999:8.8 vs 3.38, 2023: 2.63 vs 0.75). In 2023, AAMR by race was highest in Black/African Americans: 1.93, Whites: 1.61, Asian/Pacific Islanders: 1.26, and American Indian/Alaska Natives: 1.13. Regionally, the highest AAMR was in the South (1.82), followed by the Midwest (1.54), with the West and Northeast having similar values (1.43). Conclusion: Despite significant early declines, V-fib-related mortality in adults with CIHD and CKD has plateaued in recent years. Men and Black/African American individuals remained disproportionately affected. Although regional differences were modest, rates were highest in the South. These trends highlight the need for targeted prevention in this high-risk group.
Cousin marriages or consanguineous marriages in Pakistan are a health pandemic we can no longer overlook. Marrying within the family, especially between first cousins, is a tradition passed down through generations. However, over the last two decades, increasing research indicates that this decision incurs significant costs, e.g., increased prevalence of genetic abnormalities, newborn mortality rates, and cognitive implications in subsequent generations, imposing burdens on both families and the national public health structure.
Background: Malocclusion during adolescence may negatively influence perceived oral function, self-image, and social participation, making orthodontic treatment relevant to both clinical and psychosocial well-being. Objective: To assess changes in oral health-related quality of life, esthetic self-perception, and social confidence before and after orthodontic treatment initiation in adolescents. Methods: A descriptive observational pre–post study was conducted in South Punjab, Pakistan, over three months. Adolescents aged 12–18 years undergoing orthodontic treatment for the first time were recruited using consecutive sampling. Standardized self-administered questionnaires were completed at baseline and at three months to assess oral health-related quality of life, esthetic self-perception, and social confidence. Data were summarized using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages, with changes presented descriptively. Results: A total of 68 adolescents completed baseline and follow-up assessments (mean age 15.2 ± 1.8 years; 52.9% female). Oral health-related quality of life increased from 42.6 ± 8.9 at baseline to 63.8 ± 7.4 at three months (Δ +21.2). Esthetic self-perception increased from 28.4 ± 6.7 to 46.1 ± 5.9 (Δ +17.7), and social confidence increased from 31.9 ± 7.2 to 52.3 ± 6.5 (Δ +20.4), with reduced variability across outcomes at follow-up. Conclusion: Orthodontic treatment initiation was associated with early descriptive improvements in oral health-related quality of life, esthetic self-perception, and social confidence among adolescents
This study focuses on developing a comprehensive and reliable wind and wave hindcast for the Oman Sea and Arabian Sea, spanning a significant 45-year period (1979-2024). The objective is to capture the intricate wind and wave climate of the region, characterized by distinct monsoon cycles and occasional tropical cyclones. The availability of extensive wave data over four decades would be an irreplaceable tool for researchers and engineers, enabling improved accuracy in extreme value analysis, sediment transport studies, and wave-induced current simulations. Despite limited field observations, all available measured data within the region were collected, analyzed for configuration of the models and utilized for model calibration and validation. The hindcast data was generated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for winds and WAVEWATCH III (WW3) model for waves, and evaluated against observational and measured wind and wave parameters. A comprehensive statistical analysis of the hindcast model's performance reveals adequate agreement with measured data, as evidenced by root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 1.23 m/s for wind speeds and 0.37 m for significant wave heights in average. These results underscore the model's reliability for research and engineering applications, particularly in the Arabian Sea, with a focus on the northern coastlines of the Oman Sea. The specific model configuration employed in this study holds significant potential for future investigations in the northern Indian Ocean, offering a valuable tool for understanding and predicting climatical conditions in this region.
