SwePub
Sök i SwePub databas

  Utökad sökning

Träfflista för sökning "WFRF:(Iqbal Muhammad) "

Sökning: WFRF:(Iqbal Muhammad)

  • Resultat 1-50 av 178
Sortera/gruppera träfflistan
   
NumreringReferensOmslagsbildHitta
1.
  • Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al. (författare)
  • Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
  •  
2.
  • Lozano, Rafael, et al. (författare)
  • 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
  • Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
  • 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.
  •  
3.
  • Murray, Christopher J. L., et al. (författare)
  • Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  •  
4.
  • Stanaway, Jeffrey D., et al. (författare)
  • 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
  • Ingår i: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1923-1994
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)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.
  •  
5.
  • Jabbar, Abdul, et al. (författare)
  • Epidemiology and antibiogram of common mastitis-causing bacteria in Beetal goats
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Veterinary World. - : Veterinary World. - 0972-8988 .- 2231-0916. ; 13:12, s. 2596-2607
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background and Aim: Mastitis has been identified as the most prevalent and economically imperative disease among dairy animals. Thus, understanding its common bacterial pathogens and risk factors is necessary to improve udder health at herd, region, or country level. However, scientific research on caprine mastitis, especially on Beetal breed, has remained to be insufficient in Pakistan. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and antibiogram assay of common mastitis-causing bacterial agents, that is, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli, in dairy goats.Materials and Methods: In total, 500 Beetal goats, irrespective of age and those that were not treated with any kind of antimicrobial agents during the past 120 h, were screened using California Mastitis Test in Pattoki, Kasur District, whereas epidemiological factors were recorded. The milk samples of mastitic goats were then collected and processed using standard methods. Each sample was primarily cultured on nutrient agar. Using a specific medium, each bacterial colony was separated using several streak methods. Six antibiotic disks belonging to different antibiotic groups were used for antibiogram profiling of bacterial isolates. Chi-square test was used to assess the association of baseline characteristics and mastitis occurrence. Meanwhile, multivariable logistic regression (p<0.001) was utilized to determine the risk factors associated with positive and negative dichotomous outcome of mastitis.Results: The results revealed that the overall prevalence of goat mastitis was 309 (61.8%), in which 260 (52%) and 49 (9.8%) cases were positive for subclinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis (CM), respectively. Streptococcus and E. coli were found to be the predominant isolates causing SCM and CM, respectively (p<0.001). It was observed that amoxicillin+clavulanic acid was highly sensitive to isolates of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus and ceftiofur sodium to isolates of Streptococcus and E. coli, while enrofloxacin was found to be sensitive to isolates of Streptococcus and E. coli. Risk factors such as herd structure, deworming, vaccination, presence of ticks, use of teat dip and mineral supplements, feeding type, age, parity, housing, blood in the milk, milk leakage, milk taste, and milk yield were found to have the strongest association with mastitis occurrence, while ease of milking has moderate association.Conclusion: In the area examined, cases of SCM were found to be higher compared with that of CM, and ceftiofur sodium has been identified as the preferred treatment in both clinical and subclinical forms of caprine mastitis in Beetal goats. Risk factors for mastitis that was identified in this study can form the basis for the creation of an udder health control program specific for dairy goats. We hope our findings could raise awareness of the risk factors and treatment approaches for common mastitis-causing bacterial agents. 
  •  
6.
  • Zaman, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Application of Nanoprecipitation Technique to Develop Poloxamer-407 Facilitated Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for the Controlled Delivery of Tacrolimus
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: International Journal of Polymer Science. - : HINDAWI LTD. - 1687-9422 .- 1687-9430. ; 2023
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Currently, the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are utilized as a novel approach for the controlled drug delivery system (CDDS). Tacrolimus (TCM), a lipophilic drug, can easily be encapsulated in the hydrophobic core of these SLNs using nanoprecipitation technique. The current aim was to develop the controlled release Poloxamer (PLX) facilitated TCM loaded SLNs (PLX/TCM-SLNs), followed by their physicochemical evaluations, including chemical compatibility, particle size, surface charge, surface morphology, nature of SLNs, loading efficiency (LE), entrapment efficiency (EE), in vitro drug release studies, release kinetic modeling, and statistical evaluation. Here we also evaluate physicochemical properties of TCM and investigate solubility profile for improvement and dissolution rate of PLX/TCM-SLNs. PLX was used in the process as a polymer due to its low toxicity and weak immunogenic properties. The prepared formulation was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has confirmed the compatibility of the selected ingredients, whereas particle size analysis showed that prepared PLX/TCM-SLNs were of nanosized (120:6 +/- 9nm) having zeta potential of - 21.3 Mv. On the other hand, SEM had revealed the smooth and uniform surface of the particle, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the uniform surface as crystalline structure of TCM in PLX/TCM-SLNs masked. A satisfactory level of EE (94:5 +/- 2:74%) has also been noticed. Furthermore, in vitro drug release studies have explored the controlled release of drug during 8 hours, following zero order release kinetics and diffusion type of release mechanism. Outcomes of the studies have advocated the successful preparation of SLNs, as controlled release PLX/TCM-SLNs have been prepared efficiently.
  •  
7.
  • Naqvi, Salman Raza, et al. (författare)
  • Agro-industrial residue gasification feasibility in captive power plants : A South-Asian case study
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 214
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The objective of this study is to build knowledge on the potential of agro-industrial residue gasification (AIRG) for use in captive power generation through a comprehensive case study. In order to evaluate the economic viability, key performance indicators, such as net present value (NPV), levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and operating costs etc. are studied. The major textile industry located in the Raiwind area of Punjab province of Pakistan has been selected. The effect and variations of the capacity factor has also been studied coupled with the levelized cost of electricity. The agricultural residue as feedstock to the gasifier is rice husk that is the abundantly available in South Asia. Furthermore, the impact of government subsidies on natural gas is also under the scope of the study. The agro-industrial residue gasification system is found to be a potential alternative to furnace oil (FO) or gas-based captive power plants (CPPs). The results of residue-based gasification system imply a large potential when comparing the cost of electricity with national grid electricity during the peak hours. Therefore, the proposed gasification system offers economic incentives when the textile industry potentially utilizes gasification-based electricity during peak hours and national grid electricity during off-peak hours. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  •  
8.
  • Zaman, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Fabrication of PEGylated Chitosan Nanoparticles Containing Tenofovir Alafenamide : Synthesis and Characterization
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Molecules. - : MDPI. - 1431-5157 .- 1420-3049. ; 27:23
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is an antiretroviral (ARV) drug that is used for the management and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The clinical availability of ARV delivery systems that provide long-lasting protection against HIV transmission is lacking. There is a dire need to formulate nanocarrier systems that can help in revolutionizing the way to fight against HIV/AIDS. Here, we aimed to synthesize a polymer using chitosan and polyethylene glycol (PEG) by the PEGylation of chitosan at the hydroxyl group. After successful modification and confirmation by FTIR, XRD, and SEM, TAF-loaded PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles were prepared and analyzed for their particle size, zeta potential, morphology, crystallinity, chemical interactions, entrapment efficacy, drug loading, in vitro drug release, and release kinetic modeling. The fabricated nanoparticles were found to be in a nanosized range (219.6 nm), with similar to 90% entrapment efficacy, similar to 14% drug loading, and a spherical uniform distribution. The FTIR analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of PEGylated chitosan and nanoparticles. The in vitro analysis showed similar to 60% of the drug was released from the PEGylated polymeric reservoir system within 48 h at pH 7.4. The drug release kinetics were depicted by the Korsmeyer-Peppas release model with thermodynamically nonspontaneous drug release. Conclusively, PEGylated chitosan has the potential to deliver TAF from a nanocarrier system, and in the future, cytotoxicity and in vivo studies can be performed to further authenticate the synthesized polymer.
  •  
9.
  • Adnan, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Fine Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Triphenylamine Based Donor Molecules for Organic Solar Cells
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Zeitschrift fur physikalische Chemie (Munchen. 1991). - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0942-9352 .- 2196-7156. ; 231:6, s. 1127-1139
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Geometrical parameters, electronic structures and photophysical properties of three new triphenylamine (TPA) and diphenylamine (DPA) based electron donor materials M1-M3 (for organic solar cells) have been investigated through density functional theory (DFT) methods at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of the theory. TPA and DPA are used as donor moieties due to their electron donating ability while benzothiazole, cyanide and cyanomethylacetate (CMA) moieties have been taken as acceptor moieties. The time dependent-DFT (TD-DFT) method has been employed [TD-B3LYP/6-31G (d)] for the computation of excited state properties in the gas phase and in solvent (chloroform). The polarization continuum model is applied for calculations in the solvent phase. The designed molecules exhibited broad absorption in the visible and near infra-red region of spectrum with respect to a reference molecule "R" of a similar class of compounds. Based on reorganization energies calculations, these materials could act as excellent hole transport materials.
  •  
10.
  • Ahmad, Tausif, et al. (författare)
  • Controllable phytosynthesis of gold nanoparticles and investigation of their size and morphology-dependent photocatalytic activity under visible light
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A. - : Elsevier. - 1010-6030 .- 1873-2666. ; 392, s. 1-11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Plants mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) containing desired characteristics for their suitable potential applications has been a challenging task, which is causing a major hindrance towards its commercialization. Therefore, herein phytosynthesis of AuNPs with required size and morphology has been achieved through manipulating the reaction conditions including reaction temperature and volume of Elaeis guineensis leaves (EGL) extract. Furthermore, photocatalytic potential of EGL mediated AuNPs having different size and shape has also been explored for the removal of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The reaction temperature and volume of EGL strongly influenced the size and morphology of AuNPs, which are directly associated with the photocatalytic activities. The experimental results revealed that predominantly spherical and ultra-smaller size AuNPs with particle size of 16.26 ± 5.84 nm, formed at 70 °C showed the highest removal efficiency up to 92.55 % in 60 min. This highest photocatalytic activity of AuNPs could be attributed to the availability of higher number of low-coordinated gold (Au) atoms in the MB aqueous solution, which might have boosted the adsorption of the MB on the surface of particles and accelerated the degradation phenomenon. The proposed photocatalytic degradation mechanism of AuNPs for MB was also explained. The highly photoactive EGL mediated AuNPs with controllable morphology and size could be an advance step in future in chemical and biomedical applications.
  •  
11.
  • Ans, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Designing of non-fullerene 3D star-shaped acceptors for organic solar cells
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Modeling. - : Springer. - 1610-2940 .- 0948-5023. ; 25:5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The design and fabrication of solar cells have recently witnessed the exploration of non-fullerene-based acceptor molecules for higher efficiency. In this study, the optical and electronic properties of four new three-dimensional (3D) star-shaped acceptor molecules (M1, M2, M3, and M4) are evaluated for use as acceptor molecules in organic solar cells. These molecules contain a triphenylamine donor core with diketopyrrolopyrrole acceptor arms linked via a thiophene bridge unit. Molecules M1–M4 are characterized by different end-capped acceptor moieties, including 2-(5-methylene-6-oxo-5,6-dihydrocyclopenta-b-thiophen-4-ylidene)malononitrile (M1), 2-(2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (M2), 2-(5-methyl-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (M3), and 3-methyl-5-methylnene-thioxothiazolidin-4-one (M4). The properties of the newly designed molecules were compared with a well-known reference compound R, which was recently reported as an excellent acceptor molecule for organic solar cells. Molecules M1–M4 exhibit suitable frontier molecular orbital patterns for charge mobility. M2 shows maximum absorption (λmax) at 846.8 nm in dichloromethane solvent, which is ideal for the design of transparent solar cells. A strong electron withdrawing end-capped acceptor causes a red shift in absorption spectra. All molecules are excellent for hole mobility due to a lower value of λh compared to the reference R.
  •  
12.
  • Azeem, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Chemical composition and repellent activity of native plants essential against dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Industrial crops and products (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-6690 .- 1872-633X. ; 140
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito is an important vector of chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. Plant based essential oils may serve as good alternatives to commercially available mosquito repellent, DEET. Steam distillation was used for the extraction of essential oils from fresh collected aerial parts of plants viz Chenopodium ambrosioides, Conyza sumatrensis, Erigeron canadensis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Mentha spicata, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Tagetes minuta. The essential oils were tested for mosquito repellent activity against laboratory reared female Ae. aegypti by human bait technique. Identification of chemical constituents of essential oils was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil of M. spicata, E. canadensis, P. hysterophorus, C. sumatrensis, T. minuta, C. ambrosioides, and E. camaldulensis exhibited 100%, 80%, 63.9%, 51.4%, 50.2%, 39.7%, and 13.7% mosquito repellent activity respectively, at the tested dose of 30 mu g/cm(2). The most abundant constituents of M. spicata, E. canadensis, P. hysterophorus, C. sumatrensis and T. minuta essential oils were piperitenone oxide (47.1%), limonene (41.3%), germacrene D (36.6%), cis-lachnophyllum ester (33.3%) and dihydrotagetone (20.9%) respectively. M. spicata essential oil completely inhibited the attractiveness of human hands toward female mosquitoes for more than 45 min thus showed bioactivity comparable to that of commercially used mosquito repellent, DEET. This study suggests that the dilute solution of M. spicata essential oil could be used as potent mosquito repellent against Ae. aegypti alternative to commercially available synthetic mosquito repellents.
  •  
13.
  • Hussain, Muhammad Mahroz, et al. (författare)
  • Arsenic biogeochemical cycling in paddy soil-rice system : Interaction with various factors, amendments and mineral nutrients
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 773
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Arsenic (As) contamination is a well-recognized environmental and health issue, threatening over 200 million people worldwide with the prime cases in South and Southeast Asian and Latin American countries. Rice is mostly cultivated under flooded paddy soil conditions, where As speciation and accumulation by rice plants is controlled by various geo-environmental (biotic and abiotic) factors. In contrast to other food crops, As uptake in rice has been found to be substantially higher due to the prevalence of highly mobile and toxic As species, arsenile (As(Ill)), under paddy soil conditions. In this review, we discussed the biogeochemical cycling of As in paddy soil-rice system, described the influence of critical factors such as pH, iron oxides, organic matter, microbial species, and pathways affecting As transformation and accumulation by rice. Moreover, we elucidated As interaction with organic and inorganic amendments and mineral nutrients. The review also elaborates on As (im) mobilization processes and As uptake by rice under the influence of different mineral nutrients and amendments in paddy soil conditions, as well as their role in mitigating As transfer to rice grain. This review article provides critical information on As contamination in paddy soil-rice system, which is important to develop suitable strategies and mitigation programs for limiting As exposure via rice crop, and meet the UN's key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (climate action)).
  •  
14.
  • Iqbal, Muhammad Ahsan, et al. (författare)
  • MgAl-LDH/graphene protective film : Insight into LDH-graphene interaction
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 401
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • MgAl-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) thin films, exhibiting two distinct surface morphologies (Platelet and Cauliflower-like), were synthesized directly on the aluminum substrate. The as-prepared films were further modified with graphene due to the chemical inertness of graphene and its capability to act as a possible physical barrier against ionic media. The morphology and structure of MgAl-LDH/graphene composite films are fully characterized. The corrosion resistance properties were analyzed through Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the results were further fitted using “ZSimpWin” software to evaluate coating behavior. The graphene was found to interact with the LDH structure and provide another pathway for the corrosion reactions and results in improve LDHs corrosion resistance properties. The sealing effect of graphene resists the aggressive media penetration and caused an increase of one order magnitude in impedance modulus of MgAl-LDHs. The enhancement in corrosion resistance properties is attributed to the graphene impermeable behavior against corrosive species confirmed by physical and electrochemical characterizations.
  •  
15.
  • Iqbal, Wasif, et al. (författare)
  • Techno-economic and emission analysis of solar assisted desiccant dehumidification: An experimental and numerical study
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Energy Reports. - : ELSEVIER. - 2352-4847. ; 10, s. 2640-2654
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In humid climates, it is challenging to maintain moisture content in the air for human thermal comfort and industrial applications. Commercial dehumidifiers rely on conventional electric heaters to regenerate desiccant material, which accounts for significant energy consumption by such dehumidifiers. As a green solution to this problem, the present study integrates a flat plate solar air collector (FPSAC) with a desiccant dehumidifier to effectively use solar thermal energy and reduce electrical consumption. Performance evaluation of glazed and unglazed FPSAC-assisted desiccant dehumidifier has been conducted at process air flow rates of 33, 51 and 62 m3/h with a constant regeneration flow rate of 42 m3/h. Both glazed and unglazed FPSAC assisted desiccant dehumidification systems had the highest dehumidification effectiveness and percentage increase in temperature at the flow rate of 33 m3/h, while the highest moisture removal capacity was at 51 m3/h. Maximum dehumidification effectiveness, percentage temperature increase, and moisture removal capacity for the glazed case were 0.4, 66.67%, and 6.14 kg/h, respectively. Experimental results showed that the glazed FPSAC-integrated desiccant dehumidification system outperforms unglazed FPSAC in all performance evaluation parameters. Using Transient System Simulation software (TRNSYS), the proposed glazed and unglazed assisted desiccant dehumidification system was modeled and validated with experimental results. Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis of the solar hybrid desiccant dehumidification system has been carried out. The FPSAC used in this study showcased a 33.57% yearly solar fraction with a solar hybrid system having a payback period of 4.23 years. In addition, the hybrid system can reduce greenhouse gas emissions yearly by 0.352 tons of CO2 equivalents.
  •  
16.
  • Khan, Muhammad Saad, et al. (författare)
  • Physicochemical and FTIR Study of Diesel-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Blend
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH (IC-STAR). - : Institute of Physics (IOP).
  • Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Physicochemical properties of combustion fuels play a key role in determining the qualitative and quantitative characteristics, reliability and health effects associated with emissions. This paper reports the preparation of polysaccharide (PS) based emulsifier for stable blending of petroleum diesel-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and investigated the influence of H2O2 as diesel fuel blends on the physicochemical properties and characteristics. The quantity of PS-emulsifier was kept at 5 volume % (vol. %) and the volume ratio of H2O2 were varied 5-15 vol. % to reference diesel (RD), respectively. The blended diesel/H2O2 fuel were prepared under inert oxygen (O2) gas closed heating system; afterthought, physiochemical properties of diesel/H2O2 blend were evaluated at standard ASTM D-975 testing method. The kinetic properties show the interaction of RD and H2O2 blend at presence of PS emulsifier which exhibit the phenomenon to diminish the interfacial tension among the two different phases to form a homogenized stable solution. Results revealed that H2O2 is capable of enhancing the diesel fuel properties and showed that the addition of H2O2 in a diesel fuel blend are lied within the ranges of standard ASTM D-975. Due to further oxygen atom present in H2O2, it can facilitate the combustion process which ultimately effect on exhaust emission.
  •  
17.
  • Khan, Yusra Habib, et al. (författare)
  • Barriers and facilitators of childhood COVID-19 vaccination among parents : A systematic review
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Pediatrics. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2360. ; 10
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BackgroundThe acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 among parents of young children plays a significant role in controlling the current pandemic. A wide range of factors that influence vaccine hesitancy in adults has been reported worldwide, but less attention has been given to COVID-19 vaccination among children. Vaccine hesitancy is considered a major challenge in achieving herd immunity, and it is more challenging among parents as they remain deeply concerned about their child's health. In this context, a systematic review of the current literature is inevitable to assess vaccine hesitancy among parents of young children to ensure a successful ongoing vaccination program.MethodA systematic search of peer-reviewed English literature indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Embase, and Web of science was performed using developed keywords between 1 January 2020 and August 2022. This systematic review included only those studies that focused on parental concerns about COVID-19 vaccines in children up to 12 years without a diagnosis of COVID-19. Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 108 studies were included. The quality appraisal of the study was performed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).ResultsThe results of 108 studies depict that vaccine hesitancy rates differed globally with a considerably large number of factors associated with it. The highest vaccine hesitancy rates among parents were reported in a study from the USA (86.1%) and two studies from Saudi Arabia (> 85%) and Turkey (89.6%). Conversely, the lowest vaccine hesitancy rates ranging from 0.69 and 2% were found in two studies from South Africa and Switzerland, respectively. The largest study (n = 227,740) was conducted in Switzerland while the smallest sample size (n = 12) was represented by a study conducted in the USA. The most commonly reported barriers to childhood vaccination were mothers' lower education level (N = 46/108, 43%), followed by financial instability (N = 19/108, 18%), low confidence in new vaccines (N = 13/108, 12%), and unmonitored social media platforms (N = 5/108, 4.6%). These factors were significantly associated with vaccine refusal among parents. However, the potential facilitators for vaccine uptake among respondents who intended to have their children vaccinated include higher education level (N = 12/108, 11%), followed by information obtained through healthcare professionals (N = 9/108, 8.3%) and strong confidence in preventive measures taken by the government (N = 5/81, 4.6%).ConclusionThis review underscores that parents around the globe are hesitant to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19. The spectrum of factors associated with vaccine hesitancy and uptake varies across the globe. There is a dire need to address vaccine hesitancy concerns regarding the efficacy and safety of approved vaccines. Local context is inevitable to take into account while developing programs to reduce vaccine hesitancy. There is a dire need to devise strategies to address vaccine hesitancy among parents through the identification of attributing factors.
  •  
18.
  • Latif, Umar, et al. (författare)
  • In situ growth of nickel ammonium phosphate ribbons on nickel foam for supercapacitor applications
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Journal of Energy Storage. - : Elsevier. - 2352-152X .- 2352-1538. ; 73:Part B
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report the in-situ growth of the nickel ammonium phosphate (NAP) ribbons on nickel (Ni) foam in a single step process using hydrothermal approach. The morphology, structure and elemental analysis of the NAP-ribbons grown on Ni foam were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) and x-ray diffraction. The NAP-coated Ni foam sample was sonicated in ethanol and the obtained suspension was observed through AFM analysis to analyze the lateral dimensions of the NAP-ribbons. The obtained NAP ribbons powder was also characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Further, the NAP ribbons based electrodes were electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge discharge analysis (GCD). NAP ribbons grown on Ni foam as electrodes achieved a specific capacitance (Csp) of 1196 Fg- 1 at 1 mVs- 1 and 1188 Fg- 1 at 1 Ag-1. The charge storage mechanism was identified and quantified by evaluating the CV data in 1-10 mVs- 1 scan rate range. It was established that at low scan rate the charge was dominantly stored by diffusion of electrolyte ions within the gaps of the NAP ribbons resulting in high energy density of 105.5 WhKg-1 at 1 Ag-1. NAP electrodes also demonstrated good cyclic stability by showing 92 % charge retention after 5000 cycles. A symmetric 2-elec-trode device comprised of NAP ribbons electrodes gave Csp of 309 Fg-1 at 1 mVs- 1 with energy density of 42.06 Wh/Kg and power density of 0.5 KW/Kg at 1 A/g current density, which is an exceptional for a symmetric supercapacitor device. The study confirms that NAP ribbons have a promising potential to be employed in the next-generation energy storage devices.
  •  
19.
  • Muzaffar, Nimra, et al. (författare)
  • Designing of VCuS@MXene nanocomposite electrode for energy storage device and electrochemical glucose sensor
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics. - : Springer Nature. - 0957-4522 .- 1573-482X. ; 35:9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • MXene, a two-dimensional (2D) material composed of transition metal carbides (TMCs) and nitrides, have fascinated substantial scientific interest. This increased interest results from their exceptional properties, which include extraordinary conductivity, transparency, outstanding absorbing capacity, and significant charge storage capacities. In this work, the MXene-doped vanadium copper sulfide (VCuS) was synthesized through the hydrothermal method. In three electrode measurement system, the VCuS/MXene composite electrode showed exhibited a specific capacity (Qs) of 1620 Cg−1. As application point of view, the hybrid device is designed and measured the electrochemical properties. The hybrid device showed the remarkable Qs of 1528 C.g−1, power density (Pd) of 2347 Wkg−1 and an energy density (Ed) of 34.99 Whkg−1. Further, the VCuS/MXene//AC device is measured up to 6000 cycles to check the stability and durability. The device showed the capacity retention (CR) of 88.5% and a high Coulombic efficiency of 82.6%. Additionally, the VCuS/MXene electrode material is utilized as an electrochemical glucose sensor for the precise detection of H2O2 down to a minimal concentration of H2O2/mm, exhibiting exceptional precision. The use of multifunctional VCuS/MXene nanocomposite electrode material presents novel possibilities for the construction of hybrid energy harvesting systems.
  •  
20.
  • Nisa, Zaib Un, et al. (författare)
  • A comparative metabolomic study on desi and kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes under rainfed and irrigated field conditions
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - BERLIN GERMANY : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Chickpea is considered among the most important leguminous crops in the world. However, in recent years drought conditions and/or limited availability of water have significantly reduced the production of chickpea. The current study was aimed to understand the legume stress response at the metabolic level for the determination of chickpea genotypes which can resist yield losses and could be cultivated with limited water availability. Here, we have analyzed two genotypes of chickpea, desi and kabuli under rainfed condition using a GC-MS based untargeted metabolomics approach. Results revealed significant differences in several metabolite features including oxalic acid, threonic acid, inositol, maltose and L-proline between studied groups. Accumulation of plant osmoprotectants such as L-proline, sugars and sugar alcohols was higher in desi genotype than kabuli genotype of chickpea when grown under the rainfed condition. Metabolic pathway analysis suggests that the inositol phosphate metabolism was involved in plant defense mechanisms against the limited water availability.
  •  
21.
  • Tounkara, Fode, et al. (författare)
  • Analyzing the seismic attributes, structural and petrophysical analyses of the Lower Goru Formation: A case study from Middle Indus Basin Pakistan
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Earth Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-6463. ; 10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The purpose of this research is to delineate the structures of the Lower Goru Formation, investigate fluid properties, and clarify the hydrocarbon-prone areas through seismic attributes analysis. First, the acquired data was matched by the interpretation datum. Structural analysis was done by performing horizon interpretation, fault interpretation, and contour mapping on the C-Interval of the Lower Goru Formation. Hydrocarbon zones were marked with the help of attribute analysis on seismic sections and were justified by petrophysical analysis. An integrated approach such as seismic structural interpretation, seismic attribute, spectral decomposition, and petrophysical analyses was used in current research to better understand geological structure and features. This research showed that normal faults are present in the area showing negative flower structure, horst and graben, and faults oriented north-west to south-east. The contour map shows structural inclination and faults bound closure near well locations. Variance attribute and spectral decomposition attribute were used to verify horizon lineation and fault behavior. Instantaneous amplitude and instantaneous phase attributes justify hydrocarbon bearing zones, and bright spots are present on seismic sections at C–Interval of Lower Goru Formation. Petrophysical analysis of the available wells showed a number of significant hydrocarbon zones having more than 55% of hydrocarbon saturation at the C-Interval of the Lower Goru Formation. The four possible reservoir zones in Sawan-02 well, two zones in Sawan-07 well, and three zones in Sawan-09 well are identified based on well data interpretation. Based on these analyses, the area of interest has a very good reservoir potential, structural closure, and visible bright spots. The current finding of this research will be helpful for future exploration and development of the Sawan area.
  •  
22.
  • Wang, Haidong, et al. (författare)
  • Estimates of global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and mortality of HIV, 1980-2015 : the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: The lancet. HIV. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3018. ; 3:8, s. e361-e387
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: Timely assessment of the burden of HIV/AIDS is essential for policy setting and programme evaluation. In this report from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 (GBD 2015), we provide national estimates of levels and trends of HIV/AIDS incidence, prevalence, coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and mortality for 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015.METHODS: For countries without high-quality vital registration data, we estimated prevalence and incidence with data from antenatal care clinics and population-based seroprevalence surveys, and with assumptions by age and sex on initial CD4 distribution at infection, CD4 progression rates (probability of progression from higher to lower CD4 cell-count category), on and off antiretroviral therapy (ART) mortality, and mortality from all other causes. Our estimation strategy links the GBD 2015 assessment of all-cause mortality and estimation of incidence and prevalence so that for each draw from the uncertainty distribution all assumptions used in each step are internally consistent. We estimated incidence, prevalence, and death with GBD versions of the Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) and Spectrum software originally developed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). We used an open-source version of EPP and recoded Spectrum for speed, and used updated assumptions from systematic reviews of the literature and GBD demographic data. For countries with high-quality vital registration data, we developed the cohort incidence bias adjustment model to estimate HIV incidence and prevalence largely from the number of deaths caused by HIV recorded in cause-of-death statistics. We corrected these statistics for garbage coding and HIV misclassification.FINDINGS: Global HIV incidence reached its peak in 1997, at 3·3 million new infections (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1-3·4 million). Annual incidence has stayed relatively constant at about 2·6 million per year (range 2·5-2·8 million) since 2005, after a period of fast decline between 1997 and 2005. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS has been steadily increasing and reached 38·8 million (95% UI 37·6-40·4 million) in 2015. At the same time, HIV/AIDS mortality has been declining at a steady pace, from a peak of 1·8 million deaths (95% UI 1·7-1·9 million) in 2005, to 1·2 million deaths (1·1-1·3 million) in 2015. We recorded substantial heterogeneity in the levels and trends of HIV/AIDS across countries. Although many countries have experienced decreases in HIV/AIDS mortality and in annual new infections, other countries have had slowdowns or increases in rates of change in annual new infections.INTERPRETATION: Scale-up of ART and prevention of mother-to-child transmission has been one of the great successes of global health in the past two decades. However, in the past decade, progress in reducing new infections has been slow, development assistance for health devoted to HIV has stagnated, and resources for health in low-income countries have grown slowly. Achievement of the new ambitious goals for HIV enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the 90-90-90 UNAIDS targets will be challenging, and will need continued efforts from governments and international agencies in the next 15 years to end AIDS by 2030.
  •  
23.
  • Wang, Haidong, et al. (författare)
  • Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 388:10053, s. 1459-1544
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: Improving survival and extending the longevity of life for all populations requires timely, robust evidence on local mortality levels and trends. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive assessment of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015. These results informed an in-depth investigation of observed and expected mortality patterns based on sociodemographic measures.METHODS: We estimated all-cause mortality by age, sex, geography, and year using an improved analytical approach originally developed for GBD 2013 and GBD 2010. Improvements included refinements to the estimation of child and adult mortality and corresponding uncertainty, parameter selection for under-5 mortality synthesis by spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, and sibling history data processing. We also expanded the database of vital registration, survey, and census data to 14 294 geography-year datapoints. For GBD 2015, eight causes, including Ebola virus disease, were added to the previous GBD cause list for mortality. We used six modelling approaches to assess cause-specific mortality, with the Cause of Death Ensemble Model (CODEm) generating estimates for most causes. We used a series of novel analyses to systematically quantify the drivers of trends in mortality across geographies. First, we assessed observed and expected levels and trends of cause-specific mortality as they relate to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary indicator derived from measures of income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Second, we examined factors affecting total mortality patterns through a series of counterfactual scenarios, testing the magnitude by which population growth, population age structures, and epidemiological changes contributed to shifts in mortality. Finally, we attributed changes in life expectancy to changes in cause of death. We documented each step of the GBD 2015 estimation processes, as well as data sources, in accordance with Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER).FINDINGS: Globally, life expectancy from birth increased from 61·7 years (95% uncertainty interval 61·4-61·9) in 1980 to 71·8 years (71·5-72·2) in 2015. Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa had very large gains in life expectancy from 2005 to 2015, rebounding from an era of exceedingly high loss of life due to HIV/AIDS. At the same time, many geographies saw life expectancy stagnate or decline, particularly for men and in countries with rising mortality from war or interpersonal violence. From 2005 to 2015, male life expectancy in Syria dropped by 11·3 years (3·7-17·4), to 62·6 years (56·5-70·2). Total deaths increased by 4·1% (2·6-5·6) from 2005 to 2015, rising to 55·8 million (54·9 million to 56·6 million) in 2015, but age-standardised death rates fell by 17·0% (15·8-18·1) during this time, underscoring changes in population growth and shifts in global age structures. The result was similar for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with total deaths from these causes increasing by 14·1% (12·6-16·0) to 39·8 million (39·2 million to 40·5 million) in 2015, whereas age-standardised rates decreased by 13·1% (11·9-14·3). Globally, this mortality pattern emerged for several NCDs, including several types of cancer, ischaemic heart disease, cirrhosis, and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. By contrast, both total deaths and age-standardised death rates due to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional conditions significantly declined from 2005 to 2015, gains largely attributable to decreases in mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS (42·1%, 39·1-44·6), malaria (43·1%, 34·7-51·8), neonatal preterm birth complications (29·8%, 24·8-34·9), and maternal disorders (29·1%, 19·3-37·1). Progress was slower for several causes, such as lower respiratory infections and nutritional deficiencies, whereas deaths increased for others, including dengue and drug use disorders. Age-standardised death rates due to injuries significantly declined from 2005 to 2015, yet interpersonal violence and war claimed increasingly more lives in some regions, particularly in the Middle East. In 2015, rotaviral enteritis (rotavirus) was the leading cause of under-5 deaths due to diarrhoea (146 000 deaths, 118 000-183 000) and pneumococcal pneumonia was the leading cause of under-5 deaths due to lower respiratory infections (393 000 deaths, 228 000-532 000), although pathogen-specific mortality varied by region. Globally, the effects of population growth, ageing, and changes in age-standardised death rates substantially differed by cause. Our analyses on the expected associations between cause-specific mortality and SDI show the regular shifts in cause of death composition and population age structure with rising SDI. Country patterns of premature mortality (measured as years of life lost [YLLs]) and how they differ from the level expected on the basis of SDI alone revealed distinct but highly heterogeneous patterns by region and country or territory. Ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes were among the leading causes of YLLs in most regions, but in many cases, intraregional results sharply diverged for ratios of observed and expected YLLs based on SDI. Communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases caused the most YLLs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with observed YLLs far exceeding expected YLLs for countries in which malaria or HIV/AIDS remained the leading causes of early death.INTERPRETATION: At the global scale, age-specific mortality has steadily improved over the past 35 years; this pattern of general progress continued in the past decade. Progress has been faster in most countries than expected on the basis of development measured by the SDI. Against this background of progress, some countries have seen falls in life expectancy, and age-standardised death rates for some causes are increasing. Despite progress in reducing age-standardised death rates, population growth and ageing mean that the number of deaths from most non-communicable causes are increasing in most countries, putting increased demands on health systems.
  •  
24.
  • Ali, Qasim, et al. (författare)
  • Drought tolerance potential of Vigna mungo L. lines as deciphered by modulated growth, antioxidant defense, and nutrient acquisition patterns
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Revista Brasileira de Botânica. - : Springer. - 0100-8404 .- 1806-9959. ; 39:3, s. 801-812
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Water shortage is one of the major environmental constraints that hamper the crop productivity worldwide. The present study was aimed to examine the drought tolerance potential of seven cultivars/lines of Vigna mungo L. depending upon their germination behavior, seedling growth, antioxidative defense mechanism, and nutrient acquisition. An experiment was conducted in the growth chamber using petri-plates and laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). Hoagland's nutrient solution supplemented with 12 % PEG-8000 (drought treatment) or without PEG-800 (control) was used. Drought stress significantly altered the germination attributes as well as biomass production of all the studied cultivars/lines. Least adversative effects of drought stress were recorded in lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21, respectively. The studied cultivars/lines exhibited differential response for various biochemical attributes under drought stress. The maximum increase in MDA and SOD activities and protein content was recorded in line M-603621, while the maximum AsA was recorded in line M-01001-1. Drought stress resulted in a significant reduction of plant N, P, K, Ca, and Mg contents, while the plant iron (Fe) contents remained unaffected. Results revealed that cultivars/lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21 exhibited enhanced performance in terms of nutrient acquisition when stressed by drought. Based upon seed germination behavior, plant biomass production, biochemical attributes and mineral elements, the cultivars/lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21 were identified as drought tolerant, while M-97 and Arroj-II were identified as drought sensitive.
  •  
25.
  • Ans, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Designing Three‐dimensional (3D) Non‐Fullerene Small Molecule Acceptors with Efficient Photovoltaic Parameters
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: ChemistrySelect. - : WILEY-VCH VERLAG GMBH. - 2365-6549. ; 3:45, s. 12797-12804
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Three dimensional (3D) acceptor‐donor‐acceptor (A−D‐A) type small molecules (M1, M2, M3 and M4) are theoretically investigated for optoelectronic properties. The designed molecules contain spirobifluorene as core unit linked with end capped acceptors through four four thieno‐[3,2‐b]Thiophene (TT) units. The end capped acceptors are (3‐methyl‐2‐thioxothiazolidin‐4‐one) (M1), 2‐(2‐ethylidene‐5,6‐difluoro‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydroinden‐1‐ylidene)malononitrile (M2), 2‐(3‐ethyl‐4‐oxothiazolidin‐2‐ylidine)malononitrile (M3) and 2‐(2‐ethylidene‐5,6‐dicyano‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydroinden‐1‐ylidene)malononitrile (M4). The photovoltaic parameters of the designed molecules are compared with the recently reported reference compound R. Among all designed molecules, M4 is a low energy gap material (2.28 eV), broad absorption which is attributed to excellent communication between strong electron withdrawing end capped acceptors through extended conjugation. All newly designed molecules have lower binding energy as compared to reference molecule R which results in higher exciton dissociation in excited state. The reorganization energy calculations indicate good charge transfer ability of the designed molecules. M4 shows the lowest λe (0.0022) value with respect to the reference molecule R (0.034) which signifies its enhanced electronic transport behavior. The calculated open circuit voltages (Voc) ranges from 1.97 to 2.36 eV, 2.11 to 2.49 eV and 1.9 eV to 2.28 eV with respect to three different well known donor materials PTB7‐Th, PBDB−T and P3HT, respectively.
  •  
26.
  • Ans, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Opto-electronic properties of non-fullerene fused-undecacyclic electron acceptors for organic solar cells
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Computational materials science. - : Elsevier. - 0927-0256 .- 1879-0801. ; 159, s. 150-159
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Due to limitations of fullerene based acceptor molecules for solar cell applications, research is recently diverted to explore non-fullerene acceptor molecules. In this regard, four new A-D-A type fused ring electron acceptor molecules (M1, M2, M3 and M4) are evaluated for their opto-electronic properties for transparent organic solar cells. These molecules contain strong electron donor undecacyclic linked with four different acceptor moieties, 2-(3-ethly-5-methylene-4-oxothiazolidin-2-yluidene)malononitrile (M1), 2-(5,6-dicyano-2-methylene-3-oxo -2,3-dihydroindene-1-ylidene)malononitrile (M2), 2-(5-methylene-6-oxo-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta-thiophene-4(5H)-ylidene)malononitrile (M3), and 3-ethyl-5-methylene-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one (M4). The electronic and optical properties of these molecules are compared with the reference molecule R, which is recently reported as excellent non-fullerene based acceptor molecule. Among all molecules, M2 exhibits the maximum red shift where absorption appears 893.5 nm with B3LYP/6-31 + + G(d,p) level of theory due to highly extended conjugation between electron withdrawing end-capped acceptor moieties. The calculated Open circuit voltage (V-oc) of reference molecule R is 1.78 eV with donor polymer PTB7-Th while molecule M2 exhibits the V-oc value of 1.86 eV.
  •  
27.
  • Aribowo, Agus, et al. (författare)
  • Finite element method on topology optimization applied to laminate composite of fuselage structure
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Curved and Layered Structures. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 2353-7396. ; 10:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • This research applies a numerical study of topology optimization of laminate composite structures by using a finite element method (FEM). In this methodology, the plies orientation is excluded from the optimization. The geometry-based optimization from frames of a MALE UAV fuselage structure is presented. The minimum strain energy with an optimization constraint of 20% of weight reduction is used in the objective function. Before the primary analysis, benchmark studies of topology optimization without considering orientations from previously published literature are performed. The convergence studies were taken to acquire the appropriate mesh size in the FEM technique, which utilized a four-noded shell element. The finite element analysis and optimization results showed that the structural design of the newly framed composite fuselage MALE UAV meets the structural strength requirements specified in the airworthiness standard STANAG 4671.
  •  
28.
  • Beal, Jacob, et al. (författare)
  • Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
  •  
29.
  • Bentham, James, et al. (författare)
  • A century of trends in adult human height
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
  •  
30.
  • Bentham, James, et al. (författare)
  • A century of trends in adult human height
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
  •  
31.
  •  
32.
  • Ehsan, Muhsan, et al. (författare)
  • An integrated study for seismic structural interpretation and reservoir estimation of Sawan gas field, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Heliyon. - : Elsevier. - 2405-8440. ; 9:5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The information about the subsurface structure, type of fluids present in the reservoir, and physical properties of the rocks is essential for identifying potential leads. The integrated approach of petrophysical analysis, seismic data interpretation, seismic attributes analysis, lithology, mineralogy identification, and Gassmann fluid substitution were used for this purpose. The structural interpretation with the help of seismic data indicated the extensional regime with horst and graben structures in the study area. The two negative flower structures are cutting the entire Cretaceous deposits. The depth contour map also indicate favorable structures for hydrocarbon accumulation. The four possible reservoir zones in the Sawan-01 well and two zones in the Judge-01 well at B sand and C sand levels are identified based on well data interpretation. The main lithology of the Lower Goru Formation is sandstone with thin beds of shale. The clay types confirm the marine depositional environment for Lower Goru Formation. The water substitution in the reservoir at B sand and C sand levels indicated increased P-wave velocity and density. The water substitution affected the shear wave velocity varies slightly due to density changes. The cross plots of P-impedance versus Vp/Vs ratio differentiate the sandstone with low P-impedance and low Vp/Vs ratio from shaly sandstone with high values in the reservoir area. The P-impedance and S-impedance cross plot indicate increasing gas saturation with a decrease in impedance values. The low values of Lambda-Rho and Mu-Rho indicated the gas sandstone in the cross plot.
  •  
33.
  • Hameed, Arslan, et al. (författare)
  • ZIF-12/Fe-Cu LDH Composite as a High Performance Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Chemistry. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2646. ; 9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are being used as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OERs). However, low current densities limit their practical applications. Herein, we report a facile and economic synthesis of an iron-copper based LDH integrated with a cobalt-based metal-organic framework (ZIF-12) to form LDH-ZIF-12 composite (1) through a co-precipitation method. The as-synthesized composite 1 requires a low overpotential of 337 mV to achieve a catalytic current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a Tafel slope of 89 mV dec−1. Tafel analysis further demonstrates that 1 exhibits a slope of 89 mV dec−1 which is much lower than the slope of 284 mV dec−1 for LDH and 172 mV dec−1 for ZIF-12. The slope value of 1 is also lower than previously reported electrocatalysts, including Ni-Co LDH (113 mV dec−1) and Zn-Co LDH nanosheets (101 mV dec−1), under similar conditions. Controlled potential electrolysis and stability test experiments show the potential application of 1 as a heterogeneous electrocatalyst for water oxidation.
  •  
34.
  • Huang, Bingzhang, et al. (författare)
  • Evolutionary Algorithms for Strength Prediction of Geopolymer Concrete
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Buildings. - : MDPI. - 2075-5309. ; 14:5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Geopolymer concrete (GPC) serves as a sustainable substitute for conventional concrete by employing alternative cementitious materials such as fly ash (FA) instead of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), contributing to environmental and durability benefits. To increase the rate of utilization of FA in the construction industry, distinctive characteristics of two machine learning (ML) methods, namely, gene expression programming (GEP) and multi-expression programming (MEP), were utilized in this study to propose precise prediction models for the compressive strength and split tensile strength of GPC comprising FA as a binder. A comprehensive database was collated, which comprised 301 compressive strength and 96 split tensile strength results. Seven distinct input variables were employed for the modeling purpose, i.e., FA, sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate, water, superplasticizer, and fine and coarse aggregates contents. The performance of the developed models was assessed via numerous statistical metrics and absolute error plots. In addition, a parametric analysis of the finalized models was performed to validate the prediction ability and accuracy of the finalized models. The GEP-based prediction models exhibited better performance, accuracy, and generalization capability compared with the MEP-based models in this study. The GEP-based models demonstrated higher correlation coefficients (R) for predicting the compressive and split tensile strengths, with the values of 0.89 and 0.87, respectively, compared with the MEP-based models, which yielded the R values of 0.76 and 0.73, respectively. The mean absolute errors for the GEP- and MEP-based models for predicting the compressive strength were 5.09 MPa and 6.78 MPa, respectively, while those for the split tensile strengths were 0.42 MPa and 0.51 MPa, respectively. The finalized models offered simple mathematical formulations using the GEP and Python code-based formulations from MEP for predicting the compressive and tensile strengths of GPC. The developed models indicated practical application potential in optimizing geopolymer mix designs. This research work contributes to the ongoing efforts in advancing ML applications in the construction industry, highlighting the importance of sustainable materials for the future.
  •  
35.
  • Iqbal, Javed, et al. (författare)
  • A Novel Single-Fed Dual-Band Dual-Circularly Polarized Dielectric Resonator Antenna for 5G Sub-6GHz Applications
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Applied Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-3417. ; 12:10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In this research article, a single-fed dual-band circular polarized (CP) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) for dual-function communication, such as GPS and WLAN, was made. Initially, the proposed design process was initiated by designing a linearly polarized singly fed-DRA. To attain CP fields, the cross-shape conformal metal strip was optimized to excite the fundamental and the high-order mode in the two frequency bands. The metallic strip (parasitic) was utilized on top of the rectangular DRA to improve and widen the impedance and axial ratio (AR) bandwidth. This step led to a 2.73% improvement on the lower band and an impact of 6.5% on the upper band while on the other side a significant improvement was witnessed in the AR bandwidth in both frequency bands. A prototype was designed and fabricated in order to validate its operations. The measurement outcomes of the proposed antennas authenticated wideband impedance bandwidths of 6.4% and 25.26%, and 3-dB axial ratios (AR) of 21.26% and 27.82% respectively. The prototype is a decent candidate for a global positioning system (GPS) and wireless local area network (WLAN).
  •  
36.
  • Iqbal, Sajid, et al. (författare)
  • Essential oils of four wild plants inhibit the blood seeking behaviour of female Aedes aegytpi
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Experimental parasitology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0014-4894 .- 1090-2449. ; 244
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito is an important vector of many disease-causing pathogens. An effective way to escape from these mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent mosquito bites. In the current study, essential oils of Lepidium pinnatifidum, Mentha longifolia, Origanum vulgare, and Agrimonia eupatoria were evaluated for their repellent potential against Ae. aegypti females. Essential oils were extracted using steam distillation from freshly collected aerial parts of the plants and tested against 4–5 day old females of Ae. aegypti through the human bait technique for repellency and repellent longevity assays. The chemical composition of extracted essential oils was explored by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oils of L. pinnatifidum, M. longifolia, O. vulgare, and A. eupatoria at a dose of 33 μg/cm2 showed 100%, 94%, 87%, and 83% mosquito repellent activity, respectively. Furthermore, M. longifolia and O. vulgare essential oils exhibited 100% repellency at a dose of 165 μg/cm2, whereas A. eupatoria essential oil showed 100% repellency only at 330 μg/cm2. In the time-span bioassay, M. longifolia and O. vulgare essential oils showed protection against Ae. aegypti bites for 90 and 75 min, respectively whereas both A. eupatoria and L. pinnatifidum were found active for 45 min. Phenylacetonitrile (94%), piperitone oxide (34%), carvacrol (20%) and α-pinene (62%) were the most abundant compounds in L. pinnatifidum, M. longifolia, O. vulgare and A. eupatoria essential oils, respectively. The current study demonstrates that M. longifolia and O. vulgare essential oils possess the potential to be used as an alternative to synthetic chemicals to protect humans from mosquito bites.
  •  
37.
  • Irfan, Muhammad, et al. (författare)
  • Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Naphtho-Dithiophene-Based A-D-A Type Small Donor Molecules for Bulk Hetero-Junction Organic Solar Cells
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: ChemistrySelect. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2365-6549. ; 3:8, s. 2352-2358
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Four acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) type small molecules using naphtho-dithiophene as central building block, trithiophene as -bridges, malononitrile and 2-Thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one as end acceptor groups were designed by using density functional theory (DFT) and investigated as donor materials for organic solar cells (OSCs). The effects of end acceptor groups on absorption, charge transport, morphology, energy level and photovoltaic properties of the molecules were investigated and compared with reference molecule (R1= NDTP-CNCOO). These designed molecules showed relatively low HOMO levels of -5.46 to -5.56eV, strong absorption between 440-650nm by using chloroform as solvent. The designed donor molecules have an excellent electron mobility from 0.0161 to 0.0201V, hole mobility from 0.0275 to 0.0307V and open circuit voltage (Voc) from 1.76 to 1.86V. This study revealed that the designed donor materials are suitable and recommended for high performance organic solar cell devices.
  •  
38.
  • Jabeen, Sobia, et al. (författare)
  • Tuning Optoelectronic Properties of Dithienopyrrole Donor Molecules for Organic Solar Cells
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry. - : Maik Nauka/Interperiodica. - 0036-0244 .- 1531-863X. ; 93:11, s. 2233-2243
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Theoretical analysis of physical properties of organic solar cells (OSCs) are important in order to reveal the correlation between power conversion efficiencies (PCE), structure and properties. Five new A-D-A type small molecules M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4, and M-5 were designed by using dithienopyrrole (DTP) as electron rich donor unit with different types of pi-spacers and end capped acceptor units. Functional MPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) level of theory was used to optimize the geometry of all molecules. For excited state calculation TD-MPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) level of theory was used. The geometries, electronic structures, dipole moment, open circuit voltage, reorganization energies and charge transport properties of designed molecules M-5) have been scrutinized comparing with the reported compound R. The results revealed that the HOMO energy levels of molecules M-1, M-2, M-3, and M-5 were lower while M-4 was of high energy level thus facilitate the donation of electron as compared to references molecule R. While LUMO energy level of all the molecules were slightly high energy due electron withdrawing effects of spacer and acceptor moiety. Highest energy gap of HOMO-LUMO was observed in M-1 which was 2.48 eV and M-3 showed low energy gap (2.11 eV) as compared to other designed molecules. All molecules showed low values for lambda(e), so they have high rate of electron transfer as compared to R. All designed molecules exhibited higher value of dipole moment as compared to reference molecule R except M-1. Higher value of dipole moment of donor molecules contrary to reference means good solubility towards organic solvents which is beneficial for further solar cell device fabrication. All designed molecules show higher V-oc values except M-4 which has comparable V-oc with respect to reference molecule R. In short, choice of appropriate electron withdrawing and donating groups is very important for improving power conversion efficiencies of OSCs.
  •  
39.
  • Javed, Iqbal, et al. (författare)
  • Quinacridone-Based Small Acceptor Molecule for Obtaining High Open Circuit Voltage in Solution Processed Organic Solar Cells
  • 2015
  • Ingår i: Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan. - : Chemical Society of Pakistan. - 0253-5106. ; 37:3, s. 418-425
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Dioctylquinacridone di(cyanoimine) CN-DOQA was synthesized according to previously reported method. CN-DOQA having suitable HOMO-LUMO energy levels due to -CN groups as electron withdrawing groups was used in organic solar cells as an acceptor in a blend with poly (3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) as donor. The photovoltaic devices have shown reasonable high open circuit voltage (Voc) although solar cells have not been fully optimized. Photovoltaic study was supported by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC) of CN-DOQA and morphological study of the blend films by atomic force microscopy (AFM).
  •  
40.
  • Khan, Bakht Yawar A., et al. (författare)
  • A Study on Serum Biochemistry and Hematological Profiling of Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) in Multan (Punjab, Pakistan)
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Pakistan Journal of Zoology. - 0030-9923. ; 43:5, s. 1012-1014
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Thirty wild blue rock pigeons (Columba livia) were caught from Multan city (Pakistan). Hematological values were established for total red blood cells, total white blood cells, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and differential leukocyte count. Serum bio chemistry values were determined for glucose (294 +/- 95.1), urea (17.9 +/- 4.9 mg/di), cholesterol (250.3 +/- 57.2 mg/di), creatinine (0.41 +/- 0.2 mg/dl), lactate dehydrogenase (1069 +/- 581), total protein (9.8 +/- 0.7 mg/dl), alanine aminotransferase (75.9 +/- 64.3) and aspratate aminotransferase (297.2 +/- 177) as indicator of bird health and can be used in the future as a reference values in hematology and serum biochemistry of blue rock pigeon.
  •  
41.
  • Khan, Muhammad Ahsan Iqbal, et al. (författare)
  • An Experimental and Comparative Performance Evaluation of a Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric System
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-598X. ; 9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The majority of incident solar irradiance causes thermalization in photovoltaic (PV) cells, attenuating their efficiency. In order to use solar energy on a large scale and reduce carbon emissions, their efficiency must be enhanced. Effective thermal management can be utilized to generate additional electrical power while simultaneously improving photovoltaic efficiency. In this work, an experimental model of a hybrid photovoltaic-thermoelectric generation (PV-TEG) system is developed. Ten bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric modules are attached to the rear side of a 10 W polycrystalline silicon-based photovoltaic module in order to recover and transform waste thermal energy to usable electrical energy, ultimately cooling the PV cells. The experiment was then carried out for 10 days in Lahore, Pakistan, on both a simple PV module and a hybrid PV-TEG system. The findings revealed that a hybrid system has boosted PV module output power and conversion efficiency. The operating temperature of the PV module in the hybrid system is reduced by 5.5%, from 55 degrees C to 52 degrees C. Due to a drop in temperature and the addition of some recovered energy by thermoelectric modules, the total output power and conversion efficiency of the system increased. The hybrid system's cumulative output power increased by 19% from 8.78 to 10.84 W, compared to the simple PV system. Also, the efficiency of the hybrid PV-TEG system increased from 11.6 to 14%, which is an increase of 17% overall. The results of this research could provide consideration for designing commercial hybrid PV-TEG systems.
  •  
42.
  • Mallhi, Tauqeer Hussain, et al. (författare)
  • Evaluation of knowledge and barriers of influenza vaccine uptake among university students in Saudi Arabia : a cross-sectional analysis
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: PeerJ. - : PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background. Influenza vaccine hesitancy is a significant threat to global maneuvers for reducing the burden of seasonal and pandemic influenza. This study estimated the vaccine uptake, barriers, and willingness for influenza vaccines among university students in Saudi Arabia. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among health science (HS) and non-health science (NHS) university students. A 31-item questionnaire was used to ascertain the vaccination rate, barriers, and willingness for the flu vaccine. Results. This study included 790 students (mean age: 21.40 +/- 1.94 years), 246 (31.1%) from HS and 544 (68.9%) from NHS disciplines. About 70% did not take flu shots before the arrival of the winter. The mean knowledge score was 7.81 +/- 1.96, where 20.4%, 67.6%, and 12% of respondents had good, moderate, and poor knowledge regarding flu vaccines. The relative importance index (RII) analysis showed a lack of recommendation from physicians (51.5%, RI ranked: 1) was a top-ranked barrier to vaccine uptake, followed by negative perceptions and accessibility issues. Only 36.6% of the participants were willing to get vaccinated every year, 70% were willing to receive a vaccine on their doctor's recommendations, and 46% agreed to vaccinate if vaccines were freely available in the university. The knowledge, barriers, and willingness widely varied across students from two disciplines. Conclusions. Our analysis underscored low flu vaccine uptake among university students. In addition, the study participants' knowledge was unsatisfactory, and they were less inclined to receive the flu vaccine in the future. Lack of recommendation from the physicians, negative perceptions towards the flu vaccine, and difficult accessibility were found as significant barriers to the vaccine uptake. A multidimensional approach at educational institutes to cover the knowledge gap and address the barriers curtailing the vaccination rate among students is recommended.
  •  
43.
  • Munsif, Fazal, et al. (författare)
  • Dual-purpose wheat technology : a tool for ensuring food security and livestock sustainability in cereal-based cropping pattern
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0365-0340 .- 1476-3567. ; 67:13, s. 1889-1900
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Wheat cultivation under a dual-purpose (DP) system holds great potential to provide additional fodder for livestock with marginal grain reduction. This study explores the potential of wheat as a DP crop for improving both, forage and grain cropping system by finding out optimal sowing dates and cultivars suitable for DP cropping. Field experiments with four cultivars (Saleem-2000, Bathoor-2007, Fakhre Sarhad-99 (FS-99) and Siran-2008), three sowing dates (October 15, October 30 and November 15) and two cutting treatments (cut and no-cut) determines the effects on yield and physiology of wheat. Wheat sown either in mid or end of October resulted in 11 and 8% increase in grain yield while 13 and 9% in biological yield over mid November sowing, respectively. This increase in yield was due to higher grain spike(-1), chlorophyll content, transpiration rate and relative water content. The cultivars Siran-2008 and Saleem-2000 had higher biological and grain yields than other cultivars across cutting and sowing dates treatments. Biological and grain yields were reduced by 4% and 3%, respectively under the DP wheat compared with no-cut treatment, but grains N content was unaffected. Conclusively, DP wheat system (cut treatment) had higher profitability (11.2%) than wheat crop sown only for grain purposes.
  •  
44.
  • Nizami, Abdul-Sattar, et al. (författare)
  • Energy, economic and environmental savings by waste recycling : A case study of Madinah City
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON APPLIED ENERGY. - : Elsevier. ; 142, s. 910-915
  • Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), millions of worshippers come from across the globe to perform religious rituals of Pilgrimage (Hajj) and Umrah. Madinah-tul-Munawara is one of the holiest city, where pilgrims come after performing rituals in Makkah. In this city, most of the collected municipal solid waste (MSW) is disposed of in the landfills after a partial recycling of paper, cardboard, and metals (similar to 10-20% of total MSW). The Saudi's government has recently launched a new policy of Vision 2030, which outlined the safeguard of local environment through increased efficiency of waste recycling and management, pollution prevention strategies and generating renewable energy from indigenous sources, including the waste. Currently, the recycling practices in KSA are mainly regulated by an informal sector through waste pickers or waste scavengers. This has led to the need of recycling schemes, especially in the holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah through a public-private partnership (PPP). Huge amounts of energy can be conserved, that would otherwise be spent on raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing of materials, through recycling into the same materials. Around 10,009 TJ of energy can be saved through recycling of 24.21% of MSW in Madinah city, including glass, metals, aluminum, cardboard, and paper. It is estimated that around 10,200 tons of methane (CH4) emissions and 254,600 Mt center dot CO2 eq. of global warming potential (GWP) can also be saved. In addition, carbon credit revenue of US $5.92 million, and landfill diversion worth of US $32.78 million can be achieved with a net revenue of US $49.01 million every year only by recycling 24.21% of MSW in Madinah city. The waste recycling doesn't require high technical skills and labor, and complicated technologies for large-scale implementation, and therefore, can be implemented easily in the holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah to achieve multiple economic and environmental benefits. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
  •  
45.
  • Nizami, Abdul-Sattar, et al. (författare)
  • Waste biorefineries : enabling circular economies in developing countries
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Bioresource Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0960-8524 .- 1873-2976. ; 241, s. 1101-1117
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • This paper aims to examine the potential of waste biorefineries in developing countries as a solution to current waste disposal problems and as facilities to produce fuels, power, heat, and value-added products. The waste in developing countries represents a significant source of biomass, recycled materials, chemicals, energy, and revenue if wisely managed and used as a potential feedstock in various biorefinery technologies such as fermentation, anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, incineration, and gasification. However, the selection or integration of biorefinery technologies in any developing country should be based on its waste characterization. Waste biorefineries if developed in developing countries could provide energy generation, land savings, new businesses and consequent job creation, savings of landfills costs, GHG emissions reduction, and savings of natural resources of land, soil, and groundwater. The challenges in route to successful implementation of biorefinery concept in the developing countries are also presented using life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  •  
46.
  • Rauf, Shahid, et al. (författare)
  • Triangular loop resonator based compact chipless RFID tag
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: IEICE Electronics Express. - : IEICE-INST ELECTRONICS INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS ENG. - 1349-2543. ; 14:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • A novel, frequency selective surface (FSS) inspired, fully passive, chipless data encoding circuit capable of being operated as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is presented. The tag is composed of finite repetitions of the unit cell realized on a grounded FR4 substrate having an overall size of 27.5 x 30mm(2). The unit cell is made up of several triangle-shaped resonators patterned in a looped fashion. Variation in the geometric structure of the tag, achieved by addition or removal of nested loops, corresponds to a specific bit sequence. Each sequence is represented in the spectral domain as a unique frequency signature of the resonators. The proposed 10-bit tag covers the spectral range from 4 to 11 GHz. The tag is compact, robust, and exhibits a stable response to impinging signals at different angles of incidence.
  •  
47.
  • Raykova, Doroteya, et al. (författare)
  • Autosomal Recessive Transmission of a Rare KRT74 Variant Causes Hair and Nail Ectodermal Dysplasia : Allelism with Dominant Woolly Hair/Hypotrichosis
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:4, s. e93607-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Pure hair and nail ectodermal dysplasia (PHNED) comprises a heterogeneous group of rare heritable disorders characterized by brittle hair, hypotrichosis, onychodystrophy and micronychia. Autosomal recessive (AR) PHNED has previously been associated with mutations in either KRT85 or HOXC13 on chromosome 12p11.1-q14.3. We investigated a consanguineous Pakistani family with AR PHNED linked to the keratin gene cluster on 12p11.1 but without detectable mutations in KRT85 and HOXC13. Whole exome sequencing of affected individuals revealed homozygosity for a rare c.821T> C variant (p.Phe274Ser) in the KRT74 gene that segregates AR PHNED in the family. The transition alters the highly conserved Phe274 residue in the coil 1B domain required for long-range dimerization of keratins, suggesting that the mutation compromises the stability of intermediate filaments. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses confirmed a strong keratin-74 expression in the nail matrix, the nail bed and the hyponychium of mouse distal digits, as well as in normal human hair follicles. Furthermore, hair follicles and epidermis of an affected family member stained negative for Keratin-74 suggesting a loss of function mechanism mediated by the Phe274Ser substitution. Our observations show for the first time that homozygosity for a KRT74 missense variant may be associated with AR PHNED. Heterozygous KRT74 mutations have previously been associated with autosomal dominant woolly hair/ hypotrichosis simplex (ADWH). Thus, our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum associated with KRT74 mutations and imply that a subtype of AR PHNED is allelic with ADWH.
  •  
48.
  • Raza, Mohsin Ali, et al. (författare)
  • Synthesis and characterization of zinc aluminate electrodes for supercapacitor applications
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Electrochimica Acta. - : Elsevier. - 0013-4686 .- 1873-3859. ; 475
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report, for the first time, the thorough electrochemical characterization of zinc aluminate spinel. Four different stoichiometric composition of zinc aluminate (ZnAl1.5O3.25, ZnAl2O4, ZnAl2.87O5.30, and ZnAl4O7) were prepared by solution combustion method. The obtained powders after calcination at 1000 °C were characterized through scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffraction to analyze the morphology, elemental composition and structure, respectively, of the zinc aluminate compositions. The electrodes were prepared by coating slurry of zinc aluminate, carbon black and polyvinylidene fluoride on nickel foam in a ratio of 8:1:1. The electrochemical characterization was carried out by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). ZnAl1.5O3.25 exhibited the highest specific capacity of 546 C/g at 1 mV/s and 336 C/g at 1 A/g, as appraised by CV and GCD analysis, respectively. EIS test revealed that ZnAl1.5O3.25 had the modest impedance value. The energy density value for ZnAl1.5O3.25 sample was 16.79 Wh/kg at 1 A/g with a power density of 179.9 W/kg. The as developed electrodes showed predominantly pseudo-capacitive charge storage mechanism.
  •  
49.
  • Sahil, Mehran, et al. (författare)
  • Seismic performance evaluation of exterior reinforced concrete beam-column connections retrofitted with economical perforated steel haunches
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Results in Engineering (RINENG). - : Elsevier. - 2590-1230. ; 22
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The exterior beam-column joint (BCJ) within reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures is acknowledged as a vulnerable component prone to seismic failure. This article proposes a practical and economical strengthening method for exterior BCJs using a perforated steel haunch system. This method is designed to mitigate damage in BCJs and improve the seismic performance of the structure. Employing finite element modeling (FEM) techniques, the study evaluates the impact of perforated steel haunches on the BCJs’ behavior and performance. The investigation involves creating nine distinct models, each representing a BCJ with a steel haunch system. These models include a control model without any perforations and eight variations with different levels of perforation (ranging from 10% to 50%) within the steel haunch system. Furthermore, the study analyzes the influence of perforation shapes on the connections’ performance, considering square, circular, hexagonal, and triangular shapes. The results reveal that utilizing a steel haunch without perforations significantly increases the load-carrying capacity of a BCJ by about 89%. Additionally, circular or square-shaped perforations, up to 30–35% within the steel haunch, effectively prevent the joints’ failure and promote the ductile behavior. These findings hold the potential to advance the design methodology for RC joints subjected to seismic loads, thereby enhancing the structural resilience in earthquake-prone regions.
  •  
50.
  • Ul Haq, Faraz, et al. (författare)
  • Metabolite Profiling and Quantitation of Cucurbitacins in Cucurbitaceae Plants by Liquid Chromatography coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Cucurbitaceae is an important plant family because many of its species are consumed as food, and used in herbal medicines, cosmetics, etc. It comprises annual vines and is rich in various bioactive principles which include the cucurbitacins. These steroidal natural products, derived from the triterpene cucurbitane, are mainly the bitter principles of the family Cucurbitaceae. Their biological activities include anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer activities. A total of 10 species belonging to 6 genera of the Cucurbitaceae family along with Cissampelos pareira (Menispermaceae) were included in this study. A comprehensive profiling of certain natural products was developed using HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis and a distribution profile of several major natural products in this family was obtained. A total of 51 natural products were detected in both positive and negative ionization modes, based on accurate masses and fragmentation patterns. Along with this, quantitation of four bioactive cucurbitacins, found in various important plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, was carried out using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) approach on an ion trap mass spectrometer. Cucurbitacin Q was found to be the most abundant in C. pareira, while Citrullus colocynthis contained all four cucurbitacins in abundant quantities. The developed quantitation method is simple, rapid, and reproducible.
  •  
Skapa referenser, mejla, bekava och länka
  • Resultat 1-50 av 178
Typ av publikation
tidskriftsartikel (132)
konferensbidrag (30)
forskningsöversikt (7)
annan publikation (3)
doktorsavhandling (3)
rapport (1)
visa fler...
licentiatavhandling (1)
patent (1)
visa färre...
Typ av innehåll
refereegranskat (163)
övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt (14)
populärvet., debatt m.m. (1)
Författare/redaktör
Iqbal, Muhammad Imra ... (19)
Iqbal, Javed (17)
Eliasson, Bertil (13)
Ayub, Khurshid (11)
Khader, Yousef Saleh (11)
Koyanagi, Ai (10)
visa fler...
Farzadfar, Farshad (10)
Jonas, Jost B. (10)
Lotufo, Paulo A. (10)
Malekzadeh, Reza (10)
Sepanlou, Sadaf G. (10)
McKee, Martin (9)
Geleijnse, Johanna M ... (9)
Kasaeian, Amir (9)
Khang, Young-Ho (9)
Qorbani, Mostafa (9)
Alkerwi, Ala'a (9)
Topor-Madry, Roman (9)
Cooper, Cyrus (8)
Brenner, Hermann (8)
Schutte, Aletta E. (8)
Bensenor, Isabela M. (8)
Kumar, G. Anil (8)
Tran, Bach Xuan (8)
Bennett, Derrick A. (8)
Majeed, Azeem (8)
Shiri, Rahman (8)
Hankey, Graeme J. (7)
Wijeratne, Tissa (7)
Irfan, Muhammad (7)
Koul, Parvaiz A. (7)
Bengtsson, Tore (7)
Dandona, Lalit (7)
Dandona, Rakhi (7)
Esteghamati, Alireza (7)
Hamidi, Samer (7)
Mendoza, Walter (7)
Mokdad, Ali H. (7)
Nagel, Gabriele (7)
Uthman, Olalekan A. (7)
Werdecker, Andrea (7)
Xu, Gelin (7)
Yonemoto, Naohiro (7)
Murray, Christopher ... (7)
Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar (7)
Hafezi-Nejad, Nima (7)
Santos, Itamar S. (7)
Singh, Jasvinder A. (7)
Tonelli, Marcello (7)
Norrving, Bo (7)
visa färre...
Lärosäte
Uppsala universitet (28)
Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (26)
Umeå universitet (24)
Stockholms universitet (24)
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (16)
Linnéuniversitetet (16)
visa fler...
Karolinska Institutet (16)
Luleå tekniska universitet (11)
Linköpings universitet (11)
Göteborgs universitet (10)
Lunds universitet (10)
Högskolan Dalarna (9)
Chalmers tekniska högskola (8)
Högskolan i Gävle (7)
Karlstads universitet (6)
Mälardalens universitet (5)
Jönköping University (3)
Mittuniversitetet (3)
Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (3)
Högskolan i Halmstad (2)
Högskolan Kristianstad (1)
Örebro universitet (1)
Södertörns högskola (1)
Högskolan i Skövde (1)
Högskolan i Borås (1)
visa färre...
Språk
Engelska (178)
Forskningsämne (UKÄ/SCB)
Naturvetenskap (85)
Teknik (59)
Medicin och hälsovetenskap (42)
Lantbruksvetenskap (7)
Samhällsvetenskap (1)
Humaniora (1)

År

Kungliga biblioteket hanterar dina personuppgifter i enlighet med EU:s dataskyddsförordning (2018), GDPR. Läs mer om hur det funkar här.
Så här hanterar KB dina uppgifter vid användning av denna tjänst.

 
pil uppåt Stäng

Kopiera och spara länken för att återkomma till aktuell vy