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This research paper examines the role of cloud computing in promoting sustainable development. Cloud Computing (CC) has emerged as a transformative technology that has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of businesses and organizations, while also enabling economic growth and social development. The paper explores the environmental benefits of cloud computing, including energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and the potential for renewable energy integration. It also examines the economic and social benefits of cloud computing, including cost savings, increased productivity, and improved access to technology. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of cloud computing for sustainable development and identifies key areas for future research and policy action. Overall, the paper argues that cloud computing has the potential to play a critical role in promoting sustainable development, and that further research and policy action are needed to realize its full potential.

This research paper aims to explore the relationship between water pollution and sustainable development. Water pollution is a significant environmental challenge that threatens the sustainability of ecosystems, human health, and economic development. Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The research methodology involves a comprehensive review of relevant literature on water pollution and sustainable development, including empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and policy documents. The research will explore the impact of water pollution on sustainable development, the drivers of water pollution, and the policy and regulatory frameworks that promote sustainable water management. The findings of this research paper will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between water pollution and sustainable development and provide insights into effective strategies and policies that can promote sustainable water management. The research will also highlight the importance of public awareness and education in promoting sustainable practices and behaviors that can help to prevent and mitigate water pollution. This research paper will provide valuable insights into achieving sustainable water management practices that promote environmental sustainability and socio-economic development.

This paper examines sight loss, identity, uncertain borders and power, using postcolonial theory. The novel explored in this paper, Blindsided, follows a British-Egyptian ophthalmologist to Mali and back to the UK. She experiences sight loss, and a consequent shift from doctor to patient, from subject to object, which forces her to explore her identity issues. She becomes no longer the observer but the examined. This novel sits in an underexplored intersection between postcolonial theory, literature, disability theory and medical humanities. It offers a perspective on the shifts in power that occur within sight loss, within relationships; it offers this paradigm in order to examine how we may unlearn privilege, and explore becoming other. The critical paper continues this exploration, providing a unique analysis of how people with sight loss have written about the subject in academia, literature and creative non-fiction. It delves into the porous boundaries between these different types of writing, and demonstrates that writing about sight loss is a way that people who experience it can seize back the power that society takes from them, gain authority, and take control of their own narrative.

Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods are a class of Monte Carlo methods that are used to obtain random samples of a high dimensional random variable in a sequential fashion. Many problems encountered in applications often involve different types of constraints. These constraints can make the problem much more challenging. In this paper, we formulate a general framework of using SMC for constrained sampling problems based on forward and backward pilot resampling strategies. We review some existing methods under the framework and develop several new algorithms. It is noted that all information observed or imposed on the underlying system can be viewed as constraints. Hence the approach outlined in this paper can be useful in many applications.

This research paper aims to study the axes of the transition towards blockchain technology, how to apply it in Islamic financial institutions, obstacles of actual implementations and the proposed solutions. Islamic financial institutions must keep pace with technological developments, especially with regard to strategic changes, development of work mechanism, performance efficiency, accuracy of operations performance, service speed with cost and security of operations, and the impact of this on the competitiveness of Islamic financial institutions with international and traditional financial institutions, and the impact of all of this on the success and effectiveness of financial institutions. The role of blockchain technology in developing the performance of financial institutions and the huge change in the way of work that has emerged is the importance and severity of the need for technology, especially during the pandemic, for an effective transformation towards blockchain technology considering cases studies is very important to manage the change through the following three main axes: Technology: how to choose the right technology and the right technology partner. Procedures: The development of procedures has a major and effective role in improving and controlling all operations in general, achieving the best productivity, reducing waste of time and money, and controlling better workflow and costs and removing obstacles. Employees: One of the most important factors affecting the application of modern technologies and the success of development and change is the mechanism of work in financial institutions. Keywords: Islamic, Financial, Blockchain, institutions, Transformation.

A man in his 70s was referred to the endocrine surgery department after incidental finding of hypercalcaemia during preoperative work-up for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The patient reported severe fatigue and malaise with no previous history of nephrolithiasis or osteoporosis. After biochemical confirmation of primary hyperparathyroidism, localisation studies suggested multiple gland disease. Intraoperatively, three enlarged parathyroid adenomas were found and excised. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination revealed triple water clear cell (WCC) parathyroid adenomas. Adenomas being entirely composed of WCCs are rare. In addition, triple adenomas are so rare that their existence is disputed by some authors. The present paper reports on an extremely rare case of a patient suffering from triple parathyroid adenomas composed entirely of WCCs. To our knowledge, this is the first such reported case in the English language literature.

The definition of the mandibular angle profile is a common challenge for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Accurate diagnosis and treatment planning are mandatory in order to properly manage soft and hard tissues. The use of several biomaterials is described in the literature. The present paper reports the treatment of a defect in the right mandibular angle in otomandibular syndrome sequelae by positioning polyetheretherketone (PEEK) patient-specific implants (PSI) in a 25-year-old patient who previously underwent orthognathic surgery. Satisfactory aesthetic results were achieved with no complications 12 months after surgery. Considering its advantageous physical properties and the low rate of postoperative complications reported in the literature, PEEK can increase the treatment options for recontouring not only the upper third and the middle third of the face, but also of the lower third, in particular in cases of large three-dimensional defects.

A man in his twenties with a history of recurrent sinusitis was urgently referred to the emergency department (ED) by an out-of-hours general practitioner following a 2-day history of increasing right eye pain, redness and swelling after a week of coryzal symptoms. He denied visual impairment and any history of recent dental pain or procedures. Initial assessment in ED noted fever, tachycardia and hypotension. Video consultation with ophthalmologist in the ED identified proptosis, periorbital erythema and chemosis with full eye movement solely affecting the right eye. Visual acuity of 6/6 was confirmed in both eyes. After review by the ear, nose and throat (ENT) team, a diagnosis of sinogenic right orbital cellulitis was made, empirical antibiotics started and care transferred to the ENT team for immediate surgical intervention. 48 hours postoperatively, the patient acutely deteriorated, developing ophthalmoplegia and visual acuity of 6/95 in the right eye. Repeat imaging demonstrated a deteriorating picture and urgent surgery was organised at a neighbouring hospital’s specialist ENT unit combined with a change to his antibiotics. On day 4, 1 day following transfer, an anaerobic bacterium,Eggerthia catenaformis,was isolated from blood cultures collected on admission. The patient improved clinically following the second surgery and targeted antimicrobial therapy, eventually being discharged 10 days after initial presentation. In addition toE. catenaformis, the Anaerobic Reference Unit (Cardiff) identified two further anaerobic bacteria,Parvimonas micraandDialister pneumosintes. This paper presents the first documented case of polymicrobial anaerobic orbital cellulitis secondary to acute bacterial sinusitis. Moreover, this case underpins the importance of broad empirical antibiotics coupled with surgical source control to effectively manage a rare but sight-threatening and life-threatening disease.

How are abstract concepts such as ‘freedom' and ‘democracy' represented in the mind? One prominent proposal suggests that abstract concepts are grounded in emotion. Supporting this ‘affective embodiment' account, abstract concepts are rated to be more strongly positive or more strongly negative than concrete concepts. This paper demonstrates that this finding generalizes across languages by synthesizing rating data from Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish and Spanish. However, a deeper look at the same data suggests that the idea of emotional grounding only characterizes a small subset of abstract concepts. Moreover, when the concreteness/abstractness dimension is not operationalized using concreteness ratings, it is actually found that concrete concepts are rated as more emotional than abstract ones. Altogether, these results suggest limitations to the idea that emotion is an important factor in the grounding of abstract concepts. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.