| 1. |
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Bravo, L, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 5. |
- Thomas, HS, et al.
(författare)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 6. |
- Tabiri, S, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 7. |
- Glasbey, JC, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 8. |
- Kanai, M, et al.
(författare)
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- 2023
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Khatri, C, et al.
(författare)
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Outcomes after perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with proximal femoral fractures: an international cohort study
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMJ open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 11:11, s. e050830-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies have demonstrated high rates of mortality in people with proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, but there is limited published data on the factors that influence mortality for clinicians to make informed treatment decisions. This study aims to report the 30-day mortality associated with perioperative infection of patients undergoing surgery for proximal femoral fractures and to examine the factors that influence mortality in a multivariate analysis.SettingProspective, international, multicentre, observational cohort study.ParticipantsPatients undergoing any operation for a proximal femoral fracture from 1 February to 30 April 2020 and with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection (either 7 days prior or 30-day postoperative).Primary outcome30-day mortality. Multivariate modelling was performed to identify factors associated with 30-day mortality.ResultsThis study reports included 1063 patients from 174 hospitals in 19 countries. Overall 30-day mortality was 29.4% (313/1063). In an adjusted model, 30-day mortality was associated with male gender (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.68 to 3.13, p<0.001), age >80 years (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.31, p=0.013), preoperative diagnosis of dementia (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.16, p=0.005), kidney disease (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.55, p=0.005) and congestive heart failure (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.48, p=0.025). Mortality at 30 days was lower in patients with a preoperative diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.6 (0.42 to 0.85), p=0.004). There was no difference in mortality in patients with an increase to delay in surgery (p=0.220) or type of anaesthetic given (p=0.787).ConclusionsPatients undergoing surgery for a proximal femoral fracture with a perioperative infection of SARS-CoV-2 have a high rate of mortality. This study would support the need for providing these patients with individualised medical and anaesthetic care, including medical optimisation before theatre. Careful preoperative counselling is needed for those with a proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, especially those in the highest risk groups.Trial registration numberNCT04323644
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| 11. |
- Khan, Kifayatullah, et al.
(författare)
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Heavy Metal Occurrence, Pathways, and Associated Socio-ecological Risks in Riverine Water : Application of Geographic Information System, Multivariate Statistics, and Risk Assessment Models
- 2023
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Ingår i: Water, Air and Soil Pollution. - 0049-6979 .- 1573-2932. ; 234:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heavy metal (HM) pollution is one of the major issues of concern in the world due to its serious health consequences on humans and ecology. In this study, riverine water from the River Kabul in Pakistan was studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the variation, routes, and possible socio-ecological hazards of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). The results revealed significant HMs variation (p < 0.05) in the sequence of Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cd > Pb > Mn > Co > Hg, indicating prevalent metal contaminations in the river. Multivariate statistics showed significant strong positive correlations (p ≤ 0.01) between the individual HMs contents along the monitoring sites. The strong-moderate levels of Cu, Co, Zn, Mn, Pb, and Cd in riverine systems were observed to be caused by surrounding industrial, agrochemicals, mining, and domestic wastewater discharges along with geogenic sources, the weak levels of Cr and Ni could be induced by erosion of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and mining activities, whereas the low contamination of Hg suggests minimal atmospheric deposition with fewer industrial discharges in the environment. The overall mass flux of the ∑HMs was estimated to be around 164.10 kg/year, with significant HM pollution index (HPI) and pollution index (PI) variations along the river characterizing the potential risk of HMs in decreasing order of Cd > Hg > Cr > Ni > Co > Pb > Mn > Cu > Zn and Cd > Hg > Ni > Pb > Cr > Co > Cu > Mn > Zn, respectively. Individual HM contamination was within the ecological risk threshold (ERI < 110), where, the chronic daily intake (CDIs), hazard quotients (HQs), health indices (HIs), and cancer risks (CRs) of Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, and Pb by daily riverine water ingestion and dermal contact posing considerable human health concerns. To protect the environment and public health, our findings suggest that untreated anthropogenic wastewater discharge into the river system be strictly controlled and regulated through public awareness campaigns and legislation prohibiting the use of herbicides and fertilizers containing high levels of Cr, Ni, Co, Cd, and Pb.
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| 12. |
- Munir, Muhammad Akhtar, et al.
(författare)
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Bridging Precision and Confidence: A Train-Time Loss for Calibrating Object Detection
- 2023
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Ingår i: 2023 IEEE/CVF CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER VISION AND PATTERN RECOGNITION (CVPR). - : IEEE COMPUTER SOC. - 9798350301298 - 9798350301304 ; , s. 11474-11483
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deep neural networks (DNNs) have enabled astounding progress in several vision-based problems. Despite showing high predictive accuracy, recently, several works have revealed that they tend to provide overconfident predictions and thus are poorly calibrated. The majority of the works addressing the miscalibration of DNNs fall under the scope of classification and consider only in-domain predictions. However, there is little to no progress in studying the calibration of DNN-based object detection models, which are central to many vision-based safety-critical applications. In this paper, inspired by the train-time calibration methods, we propose a novel auxiliary loss formulation that explicitly aims to align the class confidence of bounding boxes with the accurateness of predictions (i.e. precision). Since the original formulation of our loss depends on the counts of true positives and false positives in a mini-batch, we develop a differentiable proxy of our loss that can be used during training with other application-specific loss functions. We perform extensive experiments on challenging in-domain and out-domain scenarios with six benchmark datasets including MS-COCO, Cityscapes, Sim10k, and BDD100k. Our results reveal that our train-time loss surpasses strong calibration baselines in reducing calibration error for both in and out-domain scenarios. Our source code and pre-trained models are available at https://github.com/akhtarvision/bpc_calibration
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| 13. |
- Shakir, Nida, et al.
(författare)
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Pirarubicin loaded biodegradable nanoparticles downregulate IL-6, COX-II and TNF-alpha along with oxidative stress markers in comparison to conventional pirarubicin in healthy albino rats
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. - : Elsevier. - 1773-2247. ; 84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pirarubicin (PRB) is an anthracycline antibiotic that has shown equal or superior cytotoxicity compared to doxorubicin. However, the detailed toxicological profile for Pirarubicin has not yet been investigated. The present study was designed to access the acute and chronic toxicity of the nanoformulation coupled with in-flammatory and oxidative stress responses. PRB was encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles and was physico-chemically evaluated. The nanoparticle size was found to be 420.0 +/- 8.2 nm with an encapsulation efficiency of 80.3 +/- 3.1%. The SEM images showed spherical nanoparticles while the drug release in PBS (pH 7.4) was estimated to be 72.5 +/- 3.5%. Acute toxicity in female albino rats was conducted for 14 days at two dosage levels (i.e., 5 and 300 mg/kg) once a week through an intravenous route. A repeated toxicity study was conducted for 28 days at 3 different dosage levels (i.e., 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg) weekly. No mortality was observed during the experimentation period. Toxicity assessment of body weights, hematological parameters, blood biochemistry, histopathological evaluation of internal organs and relative organ weight percentage was done. Inflammatory markers quantification (COX-II, TNF-alpha, IL-6) along with the generation of oxidative stress (SOD, GSH-ST, GSH-PX, MDA, and H2O2) was also investigated in a repeated 28 days toxicity study. The nanoformulation did not have any effect on the behavioral pattern, food, water consumption or body weights. The abnormalities in function and morphology of the organs produced by nano-formulated PRB were dose-dependent and reversible. The serum sample of rats treated with nanoparticles exhibited a non-significant difference in levels of COX-II, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 as compared to the normal saline (NS) group. Altogether the results offered us evidence about the safety profile of Pirarubicin loaded PLGA nanoparticles (PRB-NP) as compared to PRB alone.
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| 14. |
- Niemi, MEK, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 15. |
- Khan, Muhammad Farooq, et al.
(författare)
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High mobility ReSe2 field effect transistors : Schottky-barrier-height-dependent photoresponsivity and broadband light detection with Co decoration
- 2020
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Ingår i: 2D Materials. - : IOP Publishing. - 2053-1583. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 2D transition metal dichalcogenides are promising in various electronics and optoelectronics applications and have gained popularity owing to their carrier transport and strong light-matter interactions. To fully realize their potential in field-effect transistors (FETs) and photodetectors, high mobility and high responsivity are imperative. Here, we demonstrate the highest mobility of ∼166 cm2 V-1 s-1 at 200 K for single-layer rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) FETs encapsulated between h-BN flakes at V g = 47 V. The high mobility is attributed to low-resistance contacts of scandium/gold (Sc/Au), with a low Schottky barrier height and reduced charge scattering platform of h-BN. Further, we elucidated the Schottky-barrier-height dependent high photoresponsivity (∼3.2 × 106 A W-1) of few-layer ReSe2 (FL-ReSe2) at 532 nm-wavelength laser light on an h-BN substrate with Sc/Au contacts. Moreover, broadband light detection of undoped and Co-doped few-layer (FL) ReSe2 was performed under different laser wavelengths (400-1100 nm). After the deposition of Co nanoparticles, the photocurrent of FL-ReSe2 increased due to n-doping, as confirmed by the transfer curves of the FL-ReSe2-based undoped and co-doped FETs. Further, the work function decreased from 4.856 to 4.791 eV in FL-ReSe2, as measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy. No light signal was observed at 1100 nm for the undoped ReSe2 (1050 nm < λ cut-off < 1100 nm); however, after doping with Co nanoparticles, the cut-off wavelength exceeded to (λ cut-off > 1100 nm), due to the additional trap states generated in the energy band gap of ReSe2 after Co doping. Further, the transient response of ReSe2 and Co + ReSe2 FETs was estimated so that the rise and decay times are decreased from 1.9 s & 2.7 s to 1.1 s & 1.8 s, respectively. ReSe2 is therefore a promising semiconducting material for electrical and optoelectrical applications.
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| 16. |
- Mubeen, Iqra, et al.
(författare)
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Formulation of Modified-Release Bilayer Tablets of Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe : An In-Vitro and In-Vivo Analysis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Polymers. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4360. ; 14:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this work was to formulate co-loaded bilayer tablets containing ezetimibe (EZB) and atorvastatin (ATC). ATC loaded in the immediate-release (IR) layer is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, while EZB, added in the sustained-release (SR) layer, is a lipid-lowering agent. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of polymer on the formulation and characterization of bilayer tablets, as well as the therapeutic impact of the concurrent use of both drugs having a sequential release pattern. To obtain the optimized results, four different formulations with variable compositions were developed and evaluated for different parameters. The drug release studies were carried out using a type II dissolution apparatus, using phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of 1.2 pH for IR of EZB for an initial 2 h, followed by 24 h studies for ATC in PBS 6.8 pH. The IR layer showed rapid drug release (96%) in 2 h, while 80% of the ATC was released in 24 h from the SR layer. Locally obtained, 6-week-old female albino rats were selected for in vivo studies. Both preventive and curative models were applied to check the effects of the drug combination on the lipid profile, atherosclerosis and physiology of different organs. Studies have shown that the administration of both drugs with different release patterns has a better therapeutic effect (p < 0.05), both in preventing and in curing hyperlipidemia. Conclusively, through the sequential release of ATC and EZB, a better therapeutic response could be obtained.
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| 17. |
- Nadeem, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of mechanical properties of cored interlocking blocks – A step toward affordable masonry material
- 2023
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Ingår i: Results in Engineering (RINENG). - : Elsevier. - 2590-1230. ; 18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research study is about the evaluation of mechanical properties of locally prepared Cored 6” self-interlocking blocks. Currently, all the construction practices, whether brick masonry, block masonry, or reinforced concrete, are time consuming, relatively energy inefficient, not eco-friendly, and non-sustainable. Another issue in masonry construction is that the strength and behavior of bricks or blocks masonry depend upon the properties of the binding material (mortar) used in masonry wall joints. Considering these issues, Eco Blocks are newly introduced interlocking blocks with different sizes and shapes. Construction with interlocking blocks is faster, economical, and easier, as they do not require binding material. The aim of this study was to obtain the mechanical properties such as the compressive strength (individual block and prism), diagonal tensile strength, shear parameters, modulus of elasticity, shear modulus, and flexural strength of Cored 6′′ Eco Blocks through comprehensive experimental investigation. These showed encouraging results as compared with typical interlocking compressed earth blocks and also satisfied the threshold set forth by the international standards regulating earth construction. The compressive and flexural strengths of the blocks have been obtained as 6.03 MPa and 1.66 MPa, respectively. Based on the results outcomes, Cored 6” Eco Blocks can be utilized in load bearing walls.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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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.
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| 20. |
- Ahmed, A., et al.
(författare)
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Highly efficient composite electrolyte for natural gas fed fuel cell
- 2016
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Ingår i: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 41:16, s. 6972-6979
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the ability to operate with different variants of hydro carbon fuel such as biogas, natural gas, methane, ethane, syngas, methanol, ethanol, hydrogen and any other hydrogen rich gas. Utilization of these fuels in SOFC, especially the natural gas, would significantly reduce operating cost and would enhance the viability for commercialization of FC technology. In this paper, the performance of two indigenously manufactured nanocomposite electrolytes; barium and samarium doped ceria (BSDC-carbonate); and lanthanum and samarium doped ceria (co-precipitation method LSDC-carbonate) using natural gas as fuel is discussed. The nanocomposite electrolytes were synthesized using co-precipitation and wet chemical methods (here after referred to as nano electrolytes). The structure and morphology of the nano electrolytes were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fuel cell performance (OCV) was tested at temperature (300-600 °C). The ionic conductivity of the nano electrolytes were measured by two probe DC method. The detailed composition analysis of nano electrolytes was performed with the help of Raman Spectroscopy. Electrochemical study has shown an ionic conductivity of 0.16 Scm-1 at 600 °C for BSDC-carbonate in hydrogen atmosphere, which is higher than conventional electrolytes SDC and GDC under same conditions. In this article reasonably good ionic conductivity of BSDC-carbonate, at 600 °C, has also been achieved in air atmosphere which is comparatively greater than the conventional SDC and GDC electrolytes.
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| 21. |
- Akhtar, M., et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of the oral inactivated multivalent enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli vaccine ETVAX in Bangladeshi adults in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I trial using electrochemiluminescence and ELISA assays for immunogenicity analyses
- 2019
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X. ; 37:37, s. 5645-5656
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The safety and immunogenicity of the second generation oral enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) vaccine ETVAX, consisting of inactivated recombinant E. coli strains over-expressing the colonization factors (CFs) CFA/I, CS3, CS5 and CS6 and the heat labile toxoid LCTBA, were evaluated in Bangladeshi volunteers. To enable analysis of antibody responses against multiple vaccine antigens for subsequent use in small sample volumes from children, a sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay for analysis of intestine-derived antibody-secreting cell responses using the antibodies in lymphocyte secretions (ALS) assay was established using Meso Scale Discovery technology. Three groups of Bangladeshi adults (n = 15 per group) received two oral doses of ETVAX with or without double mutant LT (dmLT) adjuvant or placebo in the initial part of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, age-descending, dose-escalation trial. CF- and LTB-specific ALS and plasma IgA responses were analyzed by ECL and/or ELISA. ETVAX was safe and well tolerated in the adults. Magnitudes of IgA ALS responses determined by ECL and ELISA correlated well (r = 0.85 to 0.98 for the five primary antigens, P < 0.001) and ECL was selected as the ALS readout method. ALS IgA responses against each of the primary antigens were detected in 87-100% of vaccinees after the first and in 100% after the second vaccine dose. Plasma IgA responses against different CFs and LTB were observed in 62-93% and 100% of vaccinees, respectively. No statistically significant adjuvant effect of dmLT on antibody responses to any antigen was detected, but the overall anti-genic breadth of the plasma IgA response tended to favor the adjuvanted vaccine when responses to 4 or more or 5 vaccine antigens were considered. Responses in placebo recipients were infrequent and mainly detected against single antigens. The promising results in adults supported testing ETVAX in descending age groups of children.
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| 22. |
- Akhtar, M., et al.
(författare)
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Kinetics of antibody-secreting cell and fecal IgA responses after oral cholera vaccination in different age groups in a cholera endemic country
- 2017
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X. ; 35:2, s. 321-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immune responses to oral enteric vaccines in children and infants may be influenced by factors such as age, previous priming with related microorganisms and breast feeding. In this study, we aimed to determine optimal time points to assess immune responses to oral enteric vaccines in different clinical specimens. This was done by investigating antibody secreting cell (ASC) and fecal antibody responses on different days after vaccination using the licensed oral cholera vaccine Dukoral, containing cholera toxin B-subunit (rCTB) and inactivated Vibrio cholerae bacteria, as a model vaccine. Two vaccine doses were given 2 weeks apart to infants (6-11 months), young children (12-18 months), toddlers (19 months-5 years) and adults in a cholera endemic country (Bangladesh). IgA ASC responses, as determined by the antibodies in lymphocyte supernatant (ALS) assay, plasma IgA and IgG responses and secretory IgA (SIgA) responses in extracts of fecal samples were evaluated 4/5 and 7 days after each vaccination. After the first vaccine dose, anti-CTB ALS IgA responses in adults and toddlers were high and comparable on day 5 and 7, while responses were low and infrequent in young children. After the second dose, highest ALS responses were detected on day 5 among the time points studied in all age groups and the responses declined until day 7. In contrast, plasma IgA and IgG anti-CTB responses were high both on day 5 and 7 after the second dose. Fecal SIgA responses in young children and infants were highest on day 7 after the second dose. Our results suggest that ASC/ALS responses to two doses of the oral cholera vaccine Dukoral and related oral vaccines should be analyzed earlier than previously recommended (day 7) at all ages. Fecal antibody responses should preferably be analyzed later than ASC/ALS responses to detect the highest antibody responses. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 23. |
- Akhtar, Muneeba, et al.
(författare)
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Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach to formulate and optimize the bilayer combination tablet of Tamsulosin and Finasteride
- 2024
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Ingår i: Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1319-0164 .- 2213-7475. ; 32:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An orally administered bilayer tablet with Tamsulosin (TAM) as the sustained release (SR) and Finasteride (FIN) as immediate release (IR) was manufactured. A response surface methodology was employed to formulate bilayer tablets with individual release layers, i.e., sustained and immediate release (SR and IR). Independent variables selected in both cases comprise hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as SR polymer, and avicel PH102 in the inner layer while Triacetin and talc in the outer layer, respectively. Tablets were prepared by direct compression, a total of 11 formulations were prepared for inner layer TAM, and 9 formulations for outer layer FIN were designed; these formulations were evaluated for hardness, friability, thickness, %drug content, and %drug release. A central composite design was employed in response surface methodology to design and optimize the formulation. The percentage of drug released was evaluated by in-vitro USP dissolution method of optimized formulation for 0.5, 2, and 6 hrs, and results were 24.63, 52.96, and 97.68 %, respectively. Drug release data was plotted in various kinetic models using a D.D solver, where drug release was first order that is concentration dependent and was best explained by Korsmeyer–Peppa kinetics, as the highest linearity was observed (R2 = 0.9693). However, a very close relationship was also noted with Higuchi kinetics (R2 = 0.9358). The mechanism of drug release was determined through the Korsmeyer model, and exponent "n" was found to be 0.4, indicative of an anomalous diffusion mechanism or diffusion coupled with erosion.
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| 24. |
- Akhtar, Nadia, et al.
(författare)
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Uncovering Barriers for Industrial Symbiosis : Assessing Prospects for Eco-Industrialization through Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Developing Regions
- 2022
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 14:11, s. 6898-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Industrialization is indispensable for socio-economic development but poses far-reaching implications for resources and the environment. Consequently, industrial symbiosis-based collaborations are gaining recognition as a viable strategy to manage resource consumption for mitigating environmental distress. However, these types of synergistic collaborations are more prevalent in developed regions and are linked to larger-sized industries. Admittedly, such collaborative partnerships are less focused in developing regions and small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs). This calls for discovering the potentials for synergistic partnerships among the small and medium scaled industrial entities in developing economies. Therefore, the study was designed to identify, assess and explore the prospects of symbiotic collaborations among SMEs in Pakistan. Moreover, the inputs are equally relevant for developing and expanding such productive associations in developing regions. Data regarding inputs and outputs was collected from sixty-one (61) SMEs through field survey during the year 2019. It was processed and analyzed to uncover existing and potential synergies among SMEs. The significant findings transpired that the majority of collaborative linkages are bilateral and are driven to maximize economic gains. However, informal networks of recyclers and absence of a stringent regulatory regime are the ground realities in developing/transforming economies. These factors symptomatically interfere with the process of formal/informal exchanges between and among firms. Furthermore, it was observed that the lack of awareness and impulsiveness of SMEs, as well as the inconsistent supply of by-products, act as barriers for such partnerships in developing countries. It calls for proactive engagements and facilitations from the state institutions through policy instruments. The study addresses a broad audience including industrialists, investors, policy makers and researchers engaged in IS studies. Moreover, the inputs will provide impetus for stimulating eco-industrial progress in developing regions such as Pakistan.
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| 33. |
- Lindahl, Roger, et al.
(författare)
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Development of a method for the determination of naphthalene and phenanthrene in workplace air using diffusive sampling and thermal desorption GC-MS analysis
- 2011
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Ingår i: Annals of Occupational Hygiene. - : Oxford University Press. - 0003-4878 .- 1475-3162. ; 55:6, s. 681-687
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diffusive sampling methods have been validated for the determination of naphthalene and phenanthrene in workplace air. The diffusive sampler tested was the Perkin Elmer ATD tube, and the analysis was performed with thermal desorption, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometric detection. The sampling methods were validated in controlled test atmospheres, mainly according to the protocol proposed in the European standard EN 838. For the determination of naphthalene, the diffusive sampling rate was 0.41 ml min21 with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 19%. The mean sampling rate for phenanthrene was 0.49 ml min21 with a CV of 21%. Field tests confirmed the naphthalene results but could not be used to confirm the phenanthrene results. The method is not recommended for phenanthrene sampling unless the method has been tested in the specific environment and the results confirm the laboratory tests.
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| 34. |
- Martin, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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A bibliometric analysis of contemporary research regarding industrial symbiosis: A path towards urban environmental resilience.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Applied Ecology and Environmental Research. - 1589-1623 .- 1785-0037. ; 17:1, s. 1159-1221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The conceptual framework of industrial symbiosis (IS) is gaining recognition for ensuring the conservation of natural resources and resilience of socio-ecological surroundings. Significant scholastic strides have been made for explaining the conceptual paradigm of IS. The current study relied upon the Bibliometric mapping technique to decipher the contemporary orientations in the recent publications (2007-2017). The findings revealed that China, UK and the USA are the pivot for promoting research interests in the field. The loci of IS research was observed more skewed in favour of economically developed and industrialized countries. The findings of this study also acknowledge a growing propensity towards research collaboration between and among nations.
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| 35. |
- Munsif, Fazal, et al.
(författare)
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Dual-purpose wheat technology : a tool for ensuring food security and livestock sustainability in cereal-based cropping pattern
- 2021
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Ingår i: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0365-0340 .- 1476-3567. ; 67:13, s. 1889-1900
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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.
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| 36. |
- Murari, A., et al.
(författare)
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A control oriented strategy of disruption prediction to avoid the configuration collapse of tokamak reactors
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - 2041-1723 .- 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of thermonuclear fusion consists of producing electricity from the coalescence of light nuclei in high temperature plasmas. The most promising route to fusion envisages the confinement of such plasmas with magnetic fields, whose most studied configuration is the tokamak. Disruptions are catastrophic collapses affecting all tokamak devices and one of the main potential showstoppers on the route to a commercial reactor. In this work we report how, deploying innovative analysis methods on thousands of JET experiments covering the isotopic compositions from hydrogen to full tritium and including the major D-T campaign, the nature of the various forms of collapse is investigated in all phases of the discharges. An original approach to proximity detection has been developed, which allows determining both the probability of and the time interval remaining before an incoming disruption, with adaptive, from scratch, real time compatible techniques. The results indicate that physics based prediction and control tools can be developed, to deploy realistic strategies of disruption avoidance and prevention, meeting the requirements of the next generation of devices.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
- Paulus, A, et al.
(författare)
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Coinhibition of the deubiquitinating enzymes, USP14 and UCHL5, with VLX1570 is lethal to ibrutinib- or bortezomib-resistant Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia tumor cells
- 2016
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Ingår i: Blood cancer journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2044-5385. ; 6:11, s. e492-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The survival of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) tumor cells hinges on aberrant B-cell receptor (BCR) and MYD88 signaling. WM cells upregulate the proteasome function to sustain the BCR-driven growth while maintaining homeostasis. Clinically, two treatment strategies are used to disrupt these complementary yet mutually exclusive WM survival pathways via ibrutinib (targets BTK/MYD88 node) and bortezomib (targets 20 S proteasome). Despite the success of both agents, WM patients eventually become refractory to treatment, highlighting the adaptive plasticity of WM cells and underscoring the need for development of new therapeutics. Here we provide a comprehensive preclinical report on the anti-WM activity of VLX1570, a novel small-molecule inhibitor of the deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L5 (UCHL5). Both DUBs reside in the 19 S proteasome cap and their inhibition by VLX1570 results in rapid and tumor-specific apoptosis in bortezomib- or ibrutinib-resistant WM cells. Notably, treatment of WM cells with VLX1570 downregulated BCR-associated elements BTK, MYD88, NFATC, NF-κB and CXCR4, the latter whose dysregulated function is linked to ibrutinib resistance. VLX1570 administered to WM-xenografted mice resulted in decreased tumor burden and prolonged survival (P=0.0008) compared with vehicle-treated mice. Overall, our report demonstrates significant value in targeting USP14/UCHL5 with VLX1570 in drug-resistant WM and carries a high potential for clinical translation.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- Qadri, F., et al.
(författare)
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Safety and immunogenicity of the oral, inactivated, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli vaccine ETVAX in Bangladeshi children and infants: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: Lancet Infectious Diseases. - : Elsevier BV. - 1473-3099. ; 20:2, s. 208-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coil causes diarrhoea, leading to substantial mortality and morbidity in children, but no specific vaccine exists. This trial tested an oral, inactivated, enterotoxigenic E coli vaccine (ETVAX), which has been previously shown to be safe and highly immuongenic in Swedish and Bangladeshi adults. We tested the safety and immunogenicity of ETVAX, consisting of four E coli strains overexpressing the most prevalent colonisation factors (CFA/I, CS3, CSS, and CS6) and a toxoid (LCTBA) administered with or without a double-mutant heat-labile enterotoxin (dmLT) as an adjuvant, in Bangladeshi children. Methods We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation, age-descending, phase 1/2 trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Healthy children in one of three age groups (24-59 months, 12-23 months, and 6-11 months) were eligible. Children were randomly assigned with block randomisation to receive either ETVAX, with or without dmLT, or placebo. ETVAX (half [5.5 x 10(10) cells], quarter [2.5 x 10(10) cells], or eighth [1.25 x 10(10) cells] adult dose), with or without dmLT adjuvant (2.5 mu g, 5.0 mu g, or 10.0 mu g), or placebo were administered orally in two doses 2 weeks apart. Investigators and participants were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability, assessed in all children who received at least one dose of vaccine. Antibody responses to vaccine antigens, defined as at least a two-times increase in antibody levels between baseline and post-immunisation, were assessed as secondary endpoints. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02531802. Findings Between Dec 7, 2015, and Jan 10, 2017, we screened 1500 children across the three age groups, of whom 430 were enrolled and randomly assigned to the different treatment groups (130 aged 24-59 months, 100 aged 12-23 months, and 200 aged 6-11 months). All participants received at least one dose of vaccine. No solicited adverse events occurred that were greater than moderate in severity, and most were mild. The most common solicited event was vomiting (ten [8%] of 130 patients aged 24-59 months, 13 [13%] of 100 aged 12-23 months, and 29 115%1 of 200 aged 6-11 months; mostly of mild severity), which appeared related to dose and age. The addition of dmLT did not modify the safety profile. Three serious adverse events occurred but they were not considered related to the study drug. Mucosal IgA antibody responses in lymphocyte secretions were detected against all primary vaccine antigens (CFA/I, CS3, CSS, CS6, and the LCTBA toxoid) in most participants in the two older age groups, whereas such responses to four of the five antigens were less frequent and of lower magnitude in infants aged 6-11 months than in older children. Faecal secretory IgA immune responses were recorded against all vaccine antigens in infants aged 6-11 months. 78 (56%) of 139 infants aged 6-11 months who were vaccinated developed mucosal responses against at least three of the vaccine antigens versus 14 (29%) of 49 of the infants given placebo. Addition of the adjuvant dmLT enhanced the magnitude, breadth, and kinetics (based on number of responders after the first dose of vaccine) of immune responses in infants. Interpretation The encouraging safety and immunogenicity of ETVAX and benefit of dmLT adjuvant in young children support its further assessment for protective efficacy in children in enterotoxigenic E coli-endemic areas. Copyright (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 45. |
- Raza, Rizwan, et al.
(författare)
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Nanocomposite BaZr0.7Sm0.1Y0.2O3-delta-La0.8Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta materials for single layer fuel cell
- 2017
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Ingår i: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 42:34, s. 22280-22287
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Single layer fuel cell (SLFC) is a novel breakthrough in energy conversion technology. This study is to realize the physical-electrochemical co-driving mechanism of a single component device composed of mixed ionic and semiconductor material. This paper is focused on investigating the mechanism and characterization of synthesized nanocomposite BaZr0.7Sm0.1Y0.2O3-delta (BZSY) La0.8Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF) in proportion 1:1 and 3:7 for SLFC. The crystallographic structure and morphology is studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nano-particles lie in the range of 100 210 nm. Ultraviolet (UV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used to analyze the semiconducting nature of nanocomposite (BZSY LSCF). The performance of SLFC was carried out at different temperatures ranging between 400 and 650 degrees C. The mixed conductivity of the synthesized material was about 2.3 S cm(-1). The synergic effect of junction and energy band gap towards charge separation as well as the promotion of ion transport by junction built in field contributes to the working principle and high power output in the SLFC. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 46. |
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| 47. |
- Shah, Faiz Ullah, et al.
(författare)
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Solid-state 13C, 15N and 29Si NMR characterization of block copolymers with CO2 capture properties
- 2016
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Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0749-1581 .- 1097-458X. ; 54:9, s. 734-739
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Natural abundance solid-state multinuclear (13C, 15N and 29Si) cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning NMR was used to study structures of three block copolymers based on polyamide and dimethylsiloxane and two polyamides, one of which including ferrocene in its structure. Assignment of most of the resonance lines in 13C, 15N and 29Si cross-polarization magic angle-spinning NMR spectra were suggested. A comparative analysis of 13C isotropic chemical shifts of polyamides with and without ferrocene has revealed a systematic shift towards higher δ -values (de-shielding) explained as the incorporation of paramagnetic ferrocene into the polyamide backbone. In addition, the 13C NMR resonance lines for ferrocene-based polyamide were significantly broadened, because of paramagnetic effects from ferrocene incorporated in the structure of this polyamide polymer. Single resonance lines with chemical shifts ranging from 88.1 to 91.5ppm were observed for 15N sites in all of studied polyamide samples. 29Si chemical shifts were found to be around 22.4ppm in polydimethylsiloxane samples that falls in the range of chemical shifts for alkylsiloxane compounds. The CO2 capture performance of polyamide-dimethylsiloxane-based block copolymers was measured as a function of temperature and pressure. The data revealed that these polymeric materials have potential to uptake CO2 (up to 9.6 cm3 g1) at ambient pressures and in the temperature interval 30–40 °C. Copyright ©2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 48. |
- Tahir, M. J., et al.
(författare)
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Internet addiction and sleep quality among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic : A multinational cross-sectional survey
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 16:11 November
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of many people, including medical students. The present study explored internet addiction and changes in sleep patterns among medical students during the pandemic and assessed the relationship between them. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in seven countries, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guyana, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and Sudan, using a convenience sampling technique, an online survey comprising demographic details, information regarding COVID-19, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Results In total, 2749 participants completed the questionnaire. Of the total, 67.6% scored above 30 in the IAT, suggesting the presence of an Internet addiction, and 73.5% scored equal and above 5 in the PSQI, suggesting poor sleep quality. Internet addiction was found to be significant predictors of poor sleep quality, causing 13.2% of the variance in poor sleep quality. Participants who reported COVID-19 related symptoms had disturbed sleep and higher internet addiction levels when compared with those who did not. Participants who reported a diagnosis of COVID-19 reported poor sleep quality. Those living with a COVID-19 diagnosed patient reported higher internet addiction and worse sleep quality compared with those who did not have any COVID-19 patients in their surroundings. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that internet addiction and poor sleep quality are two issues that require addressing amongst medical students. Medical training institutions should do their best to minimize their negative impact, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Wallin, Mathias, et al.
(författare)
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A constitutive model for glassy polymers based on a chain orientation distribution function
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Symposiym on Plasticity.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this contribution a constitutive model for glassy polymers is developed. To incorporate the distribution of the polymer chains, a homogenization procedure involving a chain orientation distribution function is employed. During loading the polymer chains orient in a certain manner, leading to an evolution of the macroscopic anisotropic properties. This phenomenon is modeled by use of evolution equations for the polymer chains at the microscopic level.
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