| 1. |
- Stanaway, Jeffrey D., et al.
(author)
-
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
-
In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1923-1994
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk-outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk-outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk- outcome associations. Methods We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk-outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017.
|
|
| 2. |
- Sepanlou, Sadaf G., et al.
(author)
-
The global, regional, and national burden of cirrhosis by cause in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2020
-
In: The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - 2468-1253. ; 5:3, s. 245-266
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases (collectively referred to as cirrhosis in this paper) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, although the burden and underlying causes differ across locations and demographic groups. We report on results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 on the burden of cirrhosis and its trends since 1990, by cause, sex, and age, for 195 countries and territories. Methods We used data from vital registrations, vital registration samples, and verbal autopsies to estimate mortality. We modelled prevalence of total, compensated, and decompensated cirrhosis on the basis of hospital and claims data. Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of years of life lost due to premature death and years lived with disability. Estimates are presented as numbers and age-standardised or age-specific rates per 100 000 population, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). All estimates are presented for five causes of cirrhosis: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol-related liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and other causes. We compared mortality, prevalence, and DALY estimates with those expected according to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) as a proxy for the development status of regions and countries. Findings In 2017, cirrhosis caused more than 1.32 million (95% UI 1.27-1.45) deaths (440000 [416 000-518 000; 33.3%] in females and 883 000 [838 000-967 000; 66.7%] in males) globally, compared with less than 899 000 (829 000-948 000) deaths in 1990. Deaths due to cirrhosis constituted 2.4% (2.3-2.6) of total deaths globally in 2017 compared with 1.9% (1.8-2.0) in 1990. Despite an increase in the number of deaths, the age-standardised death rate decreased from 21.0 (19.2-22.3) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 16.5 (15.8-18-1) per 100 000 population in 2017. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest age-standardised death rate among GBD super-regions for all years of the study period (32.2 [25.8-38.6] deaths per 100 000 population in 2017), and the high-income super-region had the lowest (10.1 [9.8-10-5] deaths per 100 000 population in 2017). The age-standardised death rate decreased or remained constant from 1990 to 2017 in all GBD regions except eastern Europe and central Asia, where the age-standardised death rate increased, primarily due to increases in alcohol-related liver disease prevalence. At the national level, the age-standardised death rate of cirrhosis was lowest in Singapore in 2017 (3.7 [3.3-4.0] per 100 000 in 2017) and highest in Egypt in all years since 1990 (103.3 [64.4-133.4] per 100 000 in 2017). There were 10.6 million (10.3-10.9) prevalent cases of decompensated cirrhosis and 112 million (107-119) prevalent cases of compensated cirrhosis globally in 2017. There was a significant increase in age-standardised prevalence rate of decompensated cirrhosis between 1990 and 2017. Cirrhosis caused by NASH had a steady age-standardised death rate throughout the study period, whereas the other four causes showed declines in age-standardised death rate. The age-standardised prevalence of compensated and decompensated cirrhosis due to NASH increased more than for any other cause of cirrhosis (by 33.2% for compensated cirrhosis and 54.8% for decompensated cirrhosis) over the study period. From 1990 to 2017, the number of prevalent cases snore than doubled for compensated cirrhosis due to NASH and more than tripled for decompensated cirrhosis due to NASH. In 2017, age-standardised death and DALY rates were lower among countries and territories with higher SDI. Interpretation Cirrhosis imposes a substantial health burden on many countries and this burden has increased at the global level since 1990, partly due to population growth and ageing. Although the age-standardised death and DALY rates of cirrhosis decreased from 1990 to 2017, numbers of deaths and DALYs and the proportion of all global deaths due to cirrhosis increased. Despite the availability of effective interventions for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and C, they were still the main causes of cirrhosis burden worldwide, particularly in low-income countries. The impact of hepatitis B and C is expected to be attenuated and overtaken by that of NASH in the near future. Cost-effective interventions are required to continue the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis, and to achieve early diagnosis and prevention of cirrhosis due to alcohol-related liver disease and NASH.
|
|
| 3. |
- Barzegar, Hamid Reza, et al.
(author)
-
Nitrogen Doping Mechanism in Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes : Impact on Electronic Properties and Growth Selectivity
- 2013
-
In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 117:48, s. 25805-25816
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitrogen doping in carbon nanostructures has attracted interest for more than a decade, and recent implementation of such structures in energy conversion systems has boosted the interest even more. Despite numerous studies, the structural conformation and stability of nitrogen functionalities in small diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), and the impact of these functionalities on the electronic and mechanical properties of the SWNTs, are incomplete. Here we report a detailed study on nitrogen doping in SWNTs with diameters in the range of 0.8?1.0 nm, with well-defined chirality. We show that the introduction of nitrogen in the carbon framework significantly alters the stability of certain tubes, opening for the possibility to selectively grow nitrogen-doped SWNTs with certain chirality and diameter. At low nitrogen concentration, pyridinic functionalities are readily incorporated and the tubular structure is well pertained. At higher concentrations, pyrrolic functionalities are formed, which leads to significant structural deformation of the nanotubes and hence a stop in growth of crystalline SWNTs. Raman spectroscopy is an important tool to understand guest atom doping and electronic charge transfer in SWNTs. By correlating the influence of defined nitrogen functionalities on the electronic properties of SWNTs with different chirality, we make precise interpretation of experimental Raman data. We show that the previous interpretation of the double-resonance G?-peak in many aspects is wrong and instead can be well-correlated to the type of nitrogen doping of SWNTs originating from the p- or n-doping nature of the nitrogen incorporation. Our results are supported by experimental and theoretical data.
|
|
| 4. |
- Barzegar, Hamid R., et al.
(author)
-
Simple Dip-Coating Process for the Synthesis of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes-Effect of Catalyst Composition and Catalyst Particle Size on Chirality and Diameter
- 2012
-
In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 116:22, s. 12232-12239
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on a dip-coating method to prepare catalyst particles (mixture of iron and cobalt) with a controlled diameter distribution on silicon wafer substrates by changing the solution's concentration and withdrawal velocity. The size and distribution of the prepared catalyst particles were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. Carbon nanotubes were grown by chemical vapor deposition on the substrates with the prepared catalyst particles. By decreasing the catalyst particle size to below 10 nm, the growth of carbon nanotubes can be tuned from few-walled carbon nanotubes, with homogeneous diameter, to highly pure single-walled carbon nanotubes. Analysis of the Raman radial breathing modes, using three different Raman excitation wavelengths (488, 633, and 785 nm), showed a relatively broad diameter distribution (0.8-1.4 nm) of single-walled carbon nanotubes with different chiralities. However, by changing the composition of the catalyst particles while maintaining the growth parameters, the chiralities of single-walled carbon nanotubes were reduced to mainly four different types, (12, 1), (12, 0), (8, 5), and (7, 5), accounting for about 70% of all nanotubes.
|
|
| 5. |
- Geerts, Jaason M., et al.
(author)
-
Guidance for Health Care Leaders During the Recovery Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic A Consensus Statement
- 2021
-
In: JAMA Network Open. - : American Medical Association. - 2574-3805. ; 4:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IMPORTANCE: The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global test of health leadership of our generation. There is an urgent need to provide guidance for leaders at all levels during the unprecedented preresolution recovery stage.OBJECTIVE: To create an evidence- and expertise-informed framework of leadership imperatives to serve as a resource to guide health and public health leaders during the postemergency stage of the pandemic.EVIDENCE REVIEW: A literature search in PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase revealed 10 910 articles published between 2000 and 2021 that included the terms leadership and variations of emergency, crisis, disaster, pandemic, COVID-19, or public health. Using the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence reporting guideline for consensus statement development, this assessment adopted a 6-round modified Delphi approach involving 32 expert coauthors from 17 countries who participated in creating and validating a framework outlining essential leadership imperatives.FINDINGS: The 10 imperatives in the framework are; (1) acknowledge staff and celebrate successes; (2) provide support for staff well-being; (3) develop a clear understanding of the current local and global context, along with informed projections; (4) prepare for future emergencies (personnel, resources, protocols, contingency plans, coalitions, and training); (5) reassess priorities explicitly and regularly and provide purpose, meaning, and direction; (6) maximize team, organizational, and system performance and discuss enhancements; (7) manage the backlog of paused services and consider improvements while avoiding burnout and moral distress; (8) sustain learning, innovations, and collaborations, and imagine future possibilities; (9) provide regular communication and engender trust; and (10) in consultation with public health and fellow leaders, provide safety information and recommendations to government, other organizations, staff, and the community to improve equitable and integrated care and emergency preparedness systemwide.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Leaders who most effectively implement these imperatives are ideally positioned to address urgent needs and inequalities in health systems and to cocreate with their organizations a future that best serves stakeholders and communities.
|
|
| 6. |
- Gracia-Espino, Eduardo, et al.
(author)
-
Fabrication of One-Dimensional Zigzag [6,6]-Phenyl-C-61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Nanoribbons from Two-Dimensional Nanosheets
- 2015
-
In: ACS Nano. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 9:10, s. 10516-10522
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One-dimensional (10) zigzag [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) nanoribbons are produced by folding two-dimensional ultrathin PCBM nanosheets in a simple solvent process. The unique 1D PCBM nanostructures exhibit uniform width of 3.8 +/- 0.3 nm, equivalent to four PCBM molecules, and lengths of 20-400 nm. These nanoribbons show well-defined crystalline structure, comprising PCBM molecules in a hexagonal arrangement without trapped solvent molecules. First-principle calculations and detailed experimental characterization provide an insight into the structure and formation mechanism of the 1D PCBM nanoribbons. Given their dimensions and physical properties, we foresee that these nanostructures should be ideal as acceptor material in organic solar cells.
|
|
| 7. |
- Haghighi, Ali Torabi, et al.
(author)
-
When rain does not run, a fingerprint of uncoordinated water resources development
- 2024
-
In: Journal of Hydrology. - 0022-1694. ; 629
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The management of water resources in a basin can be challenging due to the sharing of water resources among multiple stakeholders and conflicting interests. This often results in imbalanced water resource development across the basin. While small and medium-sized projects are efficiently implemented in the headwater and upstream areas, the commissioning of large reservoirs faces delays due to the substantial investment required and regulatory processes involved. Also, the lack of coordination and synchronization in water resource development between upstream and downstream regions can lead to water scarcity and inefficient utilization of resources in the lower part of the basin. In this study, we assess the occurrence of water scarcity by comparing the frequency of hydrological and meteorological droughts before and after the detected abrupt change in river flow. To facilitate this assessment, we introduced two new indices: the positive to negative phases of hydrological and meteorological droughts. These indices highlight the increasing occurrence of hydrological droughts, which may not necessarily be linked to meteorological droughts during the identified periods. Furthermore, we propose a Monotone drought analysis method to examine the correlation between meteorological and hydrological droughts and address the impact of anthropogenic activities. We applied this analysis in the Sefid-Rud basin, the largest sub-basin in the southern Caspian Sea situated in Iran, which hosts several dams and reservoirs while more dams are in the construction and planning phase. The assessment took place in 24 gauges across the basin from 1978 to 2017 to detect and evaluate the alterations in flow regimes. Our analysis revealed that the unbalanced development of upstream water resources, driven by uncoordinated water infrastructure projects implemented by various decision-makers, has resulted in a decline of available water at critical points within the basin, which will be aggravated with the commissioning of new dams.
|
|
| 8. |
- Hu, Guangzhi, et al.
(author)
-
Palladium nanocrystals supported on helical carbon nanofibers for highly efficient electro-oxidation of formic acid, methanol and ethanol in alkaline electrolytes
- 2012
-
In: Journal of Power Sources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 209, s. 236-242
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the synthesis of palladium nanocrystals self-assembled on helical carbon nanofibers functionalized with benzyl mercaptan (Pd-S-HCNFs) and their electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of formic acid, methanol and ethanol. Helical carbon nanofibers (HCNFs) were first functionalized with benzyl mercaptan based on the pi-pi interactions between phenyl rings and the graphitic surface of HCNFs. Palladium nano crystals (PdNC) were fixed on the surface of functionalized HCNF by Pd-S bonds in a simple self-assembly method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and fuel cell tests. CV characterization of the as-prepared materials shows a very high electrocatalytic activity for oxidation of formic acid, ethanol and methanol in strong alkaline electrolyte. In comparison to commercial catalyst Vulcan XC-72 decorated with Pd nanoparticles, the proposed Pd-S-HCNFs nano composite material shows oxidation currents for formic acid, ethanol and methanol at the Pd-S-HCNF-modified electrode that are higher than that at the Pd/XC-72 modified electrode with a factor of 2.0, 1.5, and 2.3, respectively. In a formic acid fuel cell the Pd-S-HCNF modified electrode yields equal power density as commercial Pd/XC-72 catalyst. Our results show that Pd-decorated helical carbon nanofibers with diameters around 40-60 nm have very high potential as active material in fuel cells, electrocatalysts and sensors.
|
|
| 9. |
- Hu, Guangzhi, et al.
(author)
-
Phase-transfer synthesis of amorphous palladium nanoparticle-functionalized 3D helical carbon nanofibers and its highly catalytic performance towards hydrazine oxidation
- 2012
-
In: Chemical Physics Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2614 .- 1873-4448. ; 543, s. 96-100
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amorphous palladium nanoparticles functionalized helical carbon nanofibers (ApPd-HCNFs) were synthesized using a phase-transfer method. Palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NP) were first prepared using n-dodecyl sulfide as reducing agent and stabilizing ligands in ethanol. The Pd-NPs were then modified with benzyl mercaptan and transferred into a toluene solution with HCNFs which were decorated with amorphous palladium. The materials were characterized with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry showing that amorphous palladium nanoparticles were uniformly anchored at the HCNFs surface and that the ApPd-HCNFs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity towards hydrazine oxidation.
|
|
| 10. |
- Hu, Guangzhi, et al.
(author)
-
Reduction free room temperature synthesis of a durable and efficient Pd/ordered mesoporous carbon composite electrocatalyst for alkaline direct alcohols fuel cell
- 2014
-
In: RSC Advances. - : RSC Publishing. - 2046-2069. ; 4:2, s. 676-682
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of easy and environmentally benign synthesis methods of efficient electrocatalysts for use in energy conversion applications motivates researchers all over the world. Here we report a novel and versatile method to synthesize well-dispersed palladium-functionalized ordered mesoporous carbons (Pd/OMCs) at room temperature without any reducing agent by one-pot mixing of tri(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium(0) (Pd2DBA3) and OMCs together in a common N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The formation of Pd nanoparticles and their crystallization on the OMC is catalyzed by protons in the solution and can thus be controlled by the solution pH. The complete process and the as-prepared nanocomposite was characterized by UV-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (HTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrocatalytic property of the as-decorated material was examined with cyclic voltammetry (CV). The Pd/OMC composite shows up to two times higher electrocatalytic ability with a significantly better durability towards ethanol and methanol oxidation in alkaline media compared to commercial high surface area conductive carbon black Vulcan XC-72 decorated with equivalent Pd nanoparticles. Our described method provides new insight for the development of highly efficient carbon based nanocatalysts by simple and environmentally sound methods.
|
|
