How critical is SME financial literacy and digital financial access for financial and economic development in the expanded BRICS block?

Introduction: The expanded BRICS block presents significant opportunities for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), but challenges related to financial literacy and digital access hinder their potential. While global efforts emphasize financial literacy and digitization as key drivers of economic growth, especially in developing regions, their specific impact on SMEs in the BRICS block remains underexplored. This paper contributes to the literature by contextualizing how financial literacy and digital financial access influence SME sustainability and economic progress, particularly in light of ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide.

Investigation of the Association of Acute Pancreatitis Outcomes with Social Vulnerability Indicators.

Background And Aim: Geospatial analyses integrate location-based sociodemographic data, offering a promising approach to investigate the impact of social determinants on acute pancreatitis outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association of social vulnerability index (SVI) and its constituent 16 attributes in 4 domains (socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation), with outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Methods: This study included acute pancreatitis patients hospitalized between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2021 and recorded their demographics and clinical outcomes.

Non-invasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis Using Shear Wave Elastography in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Having Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) frequently coexist due to overlapping risk factors such as metabolic syndrome and obesity. T2DM exacerbates the progression of NAFLD, increasing the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, early detection of liver fibrosis is crucial to prevent severe liver disease.

Impact of Interhospital Transfer on Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis: Implications for Healthcare Quality.

: Effective management of acute pancreatitis (AP) hinges on prompt volume resuscitation and is adversely affected by delays in diagnosis. Given diverse clinical settings (tertiary care vs. community hospitals), further investigation is needed to understand the impact of the initial setting to which patients presented on clinical outcomes and quality of care.

HEARRING group genetic marker study: genetic background of CI patients.

Background: While cochlear implantation (CI) and electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) have a positive outcome in most cases, their effectiveness varies depending on the etiology of the hearing loss. Among the various etiologies, genetic factors are the leading cause of hearing loss and may impact CI and EAS outcomes.

Aims/objectives: To reveal the genetic background of the hearing loss in CI/EAS patients in each ethnic population, we undertook a multi-center study involving the genetic testing of hearing loss in CI/EAS patients from 10 centers.