| 1. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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| 2. |
- Asif, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic Performance and Appropriate Cut-Offs of Different Anthropometric Indicators for Detecting Children with Overweight and Obesity
- 2021
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Ingår i: BioMed Research International. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 2314-6133 .- 2314-6141.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the clinical settings, different anthropometric indicators like neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC), midupper arm circumference (MUAC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and arm-to-height ratio (AHtR) have been suggested for evaluating overweight and obesity in children. The comparative ability of these indicators in Pakistan is yet unknown. This study is aimed at examining the validity of different anthropometric indicators of overweight and obesity simultaneously and at determining their superlative cut-off values that would correctly detect overweight and obesity in children. For this purpose, the dataset of anthropometric measurements height, weight, WC, MUAC, and NC of 5,964 Pakistani children, aged 5-12 years collected in a cross-sectional multiethnic anthropometric survey (MEAS), was used. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the validity of different anthropometric indicators. The most sensitive and specific cut-off points, positive and negative predictive values of each indicator were also calculated. The results of the ROC curve indicated that all the studied indicators had a good performance but the indicators AHtR and WHtR had the highest value of the area under the curve (AUC) for the screening of children with overweight and obesity (AUC > 0.80). In the overall sample, AHtR, WHtR, MUAC, WC, and NC cut-off points indicative of overweight, in both boys and girls, were 0.14, 0.46, 18.41 cm, 62.86 cm, and 26.36 cm and 0.14, 0.47, 18.16 cm, 64.39 cm, and 26.54 cm, respectively; the corresponding values for obesity were 0.14, 0.47, 18.67 cm, 62.10 cm, and 26.36 cm and 0.14, 0.48, 20.19 cm, 64.39 cm, and 25.27 cm. We concluded that the sex-specific cut-off points for AHtR, WHtR, MUAC, WC, and NC can be used to diagnose overweight and obesity in Pakistani children.
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| 3. |
- Khalid, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Frontier molecular, natural bond orbital, UV-VIS spectral study, solvent influence on geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies and solvation energies of 8-hydroxyquinoline
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. - : International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. - 0975-8232. ; 8:2, s. 457-469
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- N-heterocyclic compounds have extensive biological and pharmaceutical applications. 8-Hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) also plays a significant role in many fields of life. The excellent biological significance of the 8-HQ prompted us to extend the DFT based studies. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), UV-VIS and solvation model based studies remained unknown. Therefore, we intended to study the natural bond orbital, FMOs, UV-VIS, thermodynamic properties and medium influence on solvation energies, dipole moment, FTIR and FT-Raman using polarizable continuum model (PCM) and density-based solvation model (SMD). The electronic properties of molecule were calculated by M06-2X/6-31G (d,P) and B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) level of theories. The solvent influence on the geometric parameters, FT-IR and FT-Raman were studied by B3LYP /6-31G(d) method. A good correspondence is found between the optimized parameters and the reported X-ray data. Natural bond orbital reveals that the maximum stabilization energy reached up to 39.64kJ/mol which is responsible for extra stability of the molecule. In solvated 8-HQ, a significant medium effects on FT-IR and FT-Raman intensities is observed. The intensities enhanced from gas to solvent phase. The solvation free energies are found to be -28.710 and -39.456 kJ/mol in PCM and SMD models respectively. FMOs suggested that this molecule contain less hardness and larger softness values. These findings reveal that the molecule might be bioactive.
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| 4. |
- Amin, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Influence diagnostics in gamma ridge regression model
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0094-9655 .- 1563-5163. ; 89:3, s. 536-556
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we proposed some influence diagnostics for the gamma regression model (GRM) and the gamma ridge regression model (GRRM). We assess the impact of influential observations on the GRM and GRRM estimates by extending the work of Pregibon [Logistic regression diagnostics. Ann Stat. 1981;9:705–724] and Walker and Birch [Influence measures in ridge regression. Technometrics. 1988;30:221–227]. Comparison of both models is made and demonstrated with the help of a simulation study and a real data set. We report some momentous results in detecting the influential observations and their effects on the GRM and GRRM estimates.
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| 5. |
- Mallhi, Tauqeer Hussain, et al.
(författare)
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Mental Health and Coping Strategies among University Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Cross-Sectional Analysis from Saudi Arabia
- 2023
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 15:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examined psychological health and coping strategies among faculty and staff at a Saudi Arabian university. A web-based self-administered survey was used to assess probable anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and coping strategies by using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Brief-COPE scale, respectively. Of 502 participants (mean age 36.04 +/- 10.32 years, male: 66.3%), 24.1% (GAD-7 >= 10) had probable anxiety. Anxiety score was significantly higher in females (p < 0.001), those with a history of COVID-19 infection (p = 0.036), and participants with less work experience (p = 0.019). Approximately 40% of participants met the criteria of probable depression, with females (p < 0.001) and participants with less experience having more depressive symptoms. Around one-fourth (27.7%) of study participants indicated probable PTSD (score +/- 33), with higher symptoms in females (p <0.001), less experienced staff (p < 0.00 1), and academic staff (p = 0.006). Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between anxiety and depression (r = 0.844, p < 0.001), anxiety and PTSD (r = 0.650, p < 0.001), and depression and PTSD (r = 0.676, p < 0.001). Active coping, religious/spiritual coping, and acceptance were common coping strategies, while substance use was the least adopted coping method among the study participants. This study indicated a high prevalence of probable psychological ailments among university staff.
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| 6. |
- Naqvi, Salman Raza, et al.
(författare)
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Recent developments on sewage sludge pyrolysis and its kinetics : Resources recovery, thermogravimetric platforms, and innovative prospects
- 2021
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Ingår i: Computers and Chemical Engineering. - : Elsevier. - 0098-1354 .- 1873-4375. ; 150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sewage sludge is a by-product of the wastewater treatment process, which has the potential to be a source of transport fuels, heat, and power using the pyrolysis process. Considering the prevalence and disposal issues associated with sewage sludge, the objective of this study is to critically review the recent advancements in sewage sludge pyrolysis and its kinetics obtained using the thermogravimetric techniques, and other associated different kinetic models documented in the literature. The study will identify optimum operating conditions and design parameters to obtain high yields. The state-of-the-art perspectives and the challenges associated with full-scale implementation are highlighted for biofuels and resource recovery from the sewage sludge. Furthermore, machine-learning approaches in thermal kinetics of pyrolysis are presented and discussed in terms of their effectiveness in predicting thermal kinetics data. Finally, the challenges for a successful implementation and commercial viability of sewage sludge pyrolysis are discussed.
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| 7. |
- Naveed, Muhammad Hamza, et al.
(författare)
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Cellulosic biomass fermentation for biofuel production : Review of artificial intelligence approaches
- 2024
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Ingår i: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 189
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Scarcity in fossil fuel reserves and their environmental impacts has forced the world towards the production of clean and environment-friendly fuels called biofuels. This review focuses on the importance of different machine learning models and optimization techniques to simulate and optimize process conditions, yield and parameters in the fermentation of cellulosic biomass from fifty recent studies. The superiority of ML models, especially ANN dominance in 70 % of studies with highest coefficient of regression over conventional techniques in the production of bioethanol and biohydrogen is comprehensively reviewed. Research gaps and studies directed toward the usage of most optimum ML models in future are directed after the sensitivity analysis with 5 % variation that suggest the stability of ML models. It is intended to spur further investigation into the development and use of ML models combined with optimization methods and CFD in the fermentation process to produce bioethanol and biohydrogen.
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| 8. |
- Nawaz, Sadia, et al.
(författare)
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WNT10A missense mutation associated with a complete odonto-onycho-dermal dysplasia syndrome
- 2009
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Ingår i: European Journal of Human Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1018-4813 .- 1476-5438. ; 17:12, s. 1600-1605
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wnt signalling is one of a few pathways that are crucial for controlling genetic programs during embryonic development as well as in adult tissues. WNT10A is expressed in the skin and epidermis and it has shown to be critical for the development of ectodermal appendages. A nonsense mutation in WNT10A was recently identified in odonto-onycho-dermal dysplasia (OODD; MIM 257980), a rare syndrome characterised by severe hypodontia, nail dystrophy, smooth tongue, dry skin, keratoderma and hyperhydrosis of palms and soles. We identified a large consanguineous Pakistani pedigree comprising six individuals affected by a complete OODD syndrome. Autozygosity mapping using SNP array analysis showed that the affected individuals are homozygous for the WNT10A gene region. Subsequent mutation screening showed a homozygous c.392C>T transition in exon 3 of WNT10A, which predicts a p.A131V substitution in a conserved alpha-helix domain. We report here on the first inherited missense mutation in WNT10A with associated ectodermal features.
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| 9. |
- Ahmad, Nafees, et al.
(författare)
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Pitx3 directly regulates Foxe3 during early lens development.
- 2013
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Ingår i: The International journal of developmental biology. - : UPV/EHU Press. - 1696-3547 .- 0214-6282. ; 57, s. 741-751
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pitx3 is a bicoid-related homeodomain transcription factor critical for the development of the ocular lens, mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons and skeletal muscle. In humans, mutations in PITX3 are responsible for cataracts and anterior segment abnormalities of varying degree; polymorphisms are associated with Parkinsons disease. In aphakia (ak) mice, two deletions in the promoter region of Pitx3 cause abnormal lens development. Here, we investigated systematically the role of Pitx3 in lens development including its molecular targets responsible for the ak phenotype. We have shown that ak lenses exhibit reduced proliferation and aberrant fiber cell differentiation. This was associated with loss of Foxe3 expression, complete absence of Prox1 expression, reduced expression of epsilon-tubulin and earlier expression of gamma-crystallin during lens development. Using EMSA and ChIP assays, we demonstrated that Pitx3 binds to an evolutionary conserved bicoid-binding site on the 5-upstream region of Foxe3. Finally, Pitx3 binding to 5-upstream region of Foxe3 increased transcriptional activity significantly in a cell-based reporter assay. Identification of Foxe3 as a transcriptional target of Pitx3 explains at least in part some of the phenotypic similarities of the ak and dyl mice (dysgenic lens, a Foxe3 allele). These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular cascades which subserve lens development.
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| 10. |
- Aslam, Bilal, et al.
(författare)
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A low profile miniature RFID tag antenna dedicated to IoT applications
- 2019
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Ingår i: Electromagnetics. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0272-6343 .- 1532-527X. ; 39:6, s. 393-406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RFID tag antennas with stable performance on the diverse electromagnetic mounting platforms are an integral part of the ubiquitous RFID systems. This research article presents a novel tag antenna design that facilitates the said objective. The proposed antenna consists of a modified H-shaped slot structure that ensures considerable robustness from the application environment through confining the surface current density within the antenna structure. The antenna offers a tunable bandwidth of 40 MHz within the microwave band of (2.4-2.5) GHz. The proposed tag antenna exhibits excellent response on metallic platforms of different sizes and thicknesses with an effective gain of almost four times of that in free space. Furthermore, the designed tag antenna performs adequately well on low-medium permittivity dielectrics (glass, paper, and plastic) and RF absorbers (water). The free space and on-metal performance of the proposed tag antenna are verified by testing a prototype realized on the FR4 substrate.
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