| 1. |
- Wang, Haidong, et al.
(författare)
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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
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 388:10053, s. 1459-1544
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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.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Singh, Om Prakash, et al.
(författare)
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Xenodiagnosis to evaluate the infectiousness of humans to sandflies in an area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar, India : a transmission-dynamics study
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Lancet Microbe. - : Elsevier. - 2666-5247. ; 2:1, s. e23-e31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Visceral leishmaniasis, also known on the Indian subcontinent as kala-azar, is a fatal form of leishmaniasis caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bites of the vector sandfly Phlebotomus argentipes. To achieve and sustain elimination of visceral leishmaniasis, the transmission potential of individuals exposed to L donovani from across the infection spectrum needs to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative infectiousness to the sandfly vector of patients with visceral leishmaniasis or post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, before and after treatment, and individuals with asymptomatic infection.Methods: In this prospective xenodiagnosis study done in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India, we included patients with clinically confirmed active visceral leishmaniasis or post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis who presented to the Kala-Azar Medical Research Center. These participants received treatment for L donovani infection. We also included asymptomatic individuals identified through a serosurvey of 17 254 people living in 26 high-transmission clusters. Eligible participants were aged 12–64 years, were HIV negative, and had clinically or serologically confirmed L donovani infection. During xenodiagnosis, the forearms or lower legs of participants were exposed to 30–35 female P argentipes sandflies for 30 min. Blood-engorged flies were held in an environmental cabinet at 28°C and 85% humidity for 60–72 h, after which flies were dissected and evaluated for L donovani infection by microscopy and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with visceral leishmaniasis or post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, before and after treatment, as well as asymptomatic individuals, who were infectious to sandflies, with a participant considered infectious if promastigotes were observed in one or more individual flies by microscopy, or if one or more of the pools of flies tested positive by qPCR.Findings: Between July 12, 2016, and March 19, 2019, we recruited 287 individuals, including 77 with active visceral leishmaniasis, 26 with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, and 184 with asymptomatic infection. Of the patients with active visceral leishmaniasis, 42 (55%) were deemed infectious to sandflies by microscopy and 60 (78%) by qPCR before treatment. No patient with visceral leishmaniasis was found to be infectious by microscopy at 30 days after treatment, although six (8%) were still positive by qPCR. Before treatment, 11 (42%) of 26 patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis were deemed infectious to sandflies by microscopy and 23 (88%) by qPCR. Of 23 patients who were available for xenodiagnosis after treatment, one remained infectious to flies by qPCR on the pooled flies, but none remained positive by microscopy. None of the 184 asymptomatic participants were infectious to sandflies.Interpretation: These findings confirm that patients with active visceral leishmaniasis and patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis can transmit L donovani to the sandfly vector and suggest that early diagnosis and treatment could effectively remove these individuals as infection reservoirs. An important role for asymptomatic individuals in the maintenance of the transmission cycle is not supported by these data. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 4. |
- Forouzanfar, Mohammad H, et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 386:10010, s. 2287-2323
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.METHODS: Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk-outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks at the first level of the hierarchy. The next level in the hierarchy includes nine clusters of related risks and two individual risks, with more detail provided at levels 3 and 4 of the hierarchy. Compared with GBD 2010, six new risk factors have been added: handwashing practices, occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, childhood wasting, childhood stunting, unsafe sex, and low glomerular filtration rate. For most risks, data for exposure were synthesised with a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR 2.0, or spatial-temporal Gaussian process regression. Relative risks were based on meta-regressions of published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden for clusters of risks and all risks combined took into account evidence on the mediation of some risks such as high body-mass index (BMI) through other risks such as high systolic blood pressure and high cholesterol.FINDINGS: All risks combined account for 57·2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 55·8-58·5) of deaths and 41·6% (40·1-43·0) of DALYs. Risks quantified account for 87·9% (86·5-89·3) of cardiovascular disease DALYs, ranging to a low of 0% for neonatal disorders and neglected tropical diseases and malaria. In terms of global DALYs in 2013, six risks or clusters of risks each caused more than 5% of DALYs: dietary risks accounting for 11·3 million deaths and 241·4 million DALYs, high systolic blood pressure for 10·4 million deaths and 208·1 million DALYs, child and maternal malnutrition for 1·7 million deaths and 176·9 million DALYs, tobacco smoke for 6·1 million deaths and 143·5 million DALYs, air pollution for 5·5 million deaths and 141·5 million DALYs, and high BMI for 4·4 million deaths and 134·0 million DALYs. Risk factor patterns vary across regions and countries and with time. In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risk factors are child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing. In women, in nearly all countries in the Americas, north Africa, and the Middle East, and in many other high-income countries, high BMI is the leading risk factor, with high systolic blood pressure as the leading risk in most of Central and Eastern Europe and south and east Asia. For men, high systolic blood pressure or tobacco use are the leading risks in nearly all high-income countries, in north Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. For men and women, unsafe sex is the leading risk in a corridor from Kenya to South Africa.INTERPRETATION: Behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks can explain half of global mortality and more than one-third of global DALYs providing many opportunities for prevention. Of the larger risks, the attributable burden of high BMI has increased in the past 23 years. In view of the prominence of behavioural risk factors, behavioural and social science research on interventions for these risks should be strengthened. Many prevention and primary care policy options are available now to act on key risks.FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 5. |
- Kassebaum, Nicholas J., et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 388:10053, s. 1603-1658
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Healthy life expectancy (HALE) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) provide summary measures of health across geographies and time that can inform assessments of epidemiological patterns and health system performance, help to prioritise investments in research and development, and monitor progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We aimed to provide updated HALE and DALYs for geographies worldwide and evaluate how disease burden changes with development. Methods We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost (YLLs) and years of life lived with disability (YLDs) for each geography, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using the Sullivan method, which draws from age-specific death rates and YLDs per capita. We then assessed how observed levels of DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends calculated with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator constructed from measures of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Findings Total global DALYs remained largely unchanged from 1990 to 2015, with decreases in communicable, neonatal, maternal, and nutritional (Group 1) disease DALYs off set by increased DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Much of this epidemiological transition was caused by changes in population growth and ageing, but it was accelerated by widespread improvements in SDI that also correlated strongly with the increasing importance of NCDs. Both total DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates due to most Group 1 causes significantly decreased by 2015, and although total burden climbed for the majority of NCDs, age-standardised DALY rates due to NCDs declined. Nonetheless, age-standardised DALY rates due to several high-burden NCDs (including osteoarthritis, drug use disorders, depression, diabetes, congenital birth defects, and skin, oral, and sense organ diseases) either increased or remained unchanged, leading to increases in their relative ranking in many geographies. From 2005 to 2015, HALE at birth increased by an average of 2.9 years (95% uncertainty interval 2.9-3.0) for men and 3.5 years (3.4-3.7) for women, while HALE at age 65 years improved by 0.85 years (0.78-0.92) and 1.2 years (1.1-1.3), respectively. Rising SDI was associated with consistently higher HALE and a somewhat smaller proportion of life spent with functional health loss; however, rising SDI was related to increases in total disability. Many countries and territories in central America and eastern sub-Saharan Africa had increasingly lower rates of disease burden than expected given their SDI. At the same time, a subset of geographies recorded a growing gap between observed and expected levels of DALYs, a trend driven mainly by rising burden due to war, interpersonal violence, and various NCDs. Interpretation Health is improving globally, but this means more populations are spending more time with functional health loss, an absolute expansion of morbidity. The proportion of life spent in ill health decreases somewhat with increasing SDI, a relative compression of morbidity, which supports continued efforts to elevate personal income, improve education, and limit fertility. Our analysis of DALYs and HALE and their relationship to SDI represents a robust framework on which to benchmark geography-specific health performance and SDG progress. Country-specific drivers of disease burden, particularly for causes with higher-than-expected DALYs, should inform financial and research investments, prevention efforts, health policies, and health system improvement initiatives for all countries along the development continuum.
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| 6. |
- Gill, J. P. S., et al.
(författare)
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Pesticide Residues in Peri-Urban Bovine Milk from India and Risk Assessment : A Multicenter Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pesticides residue poses serious concerns to human health. The present study was carried out to determine the pesticide residues of peri-urban bovine milk (n=1183) from five different sites (Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Ludhiana and Udaipur) in India and dietary exposure risk assessment to adults and children. Pesticide residues were estimated using gas chromatography with flame thermionic and electron capture detectors followed by confirmation on gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The results noticed the contamination of milk with hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), endosulfan, cypermethrin, cyhalothrin, permethrin, chlorpyrifos, ethion and profenophos pesticides. The residue levels in some of the milk samples were observed to be higher than the respective maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticide. Milk samples contamination was found highest in Bhubaneswar (11.2%) followed by Bangalore (9.3%), Ludhiana (6.9%), Udaipur (6.4%) and Guwahati (6.3%). The dietary risk assessment of pesticides under two scenarios i.e. lower-bound scenario (LB) and upper-bound (UB) revealed that daily intake of pesticides was substantially below the prescribed acceptable daily intake except for fipronil in children at UB. The non-cancer risk by estimation of hazard index (HI) was found to be below the target value of one in adults at all five sites in India. However, for children at the UB level, the HI for lindane, DDT and ethion exceeded the value of one in Ludhiana and Udaipur. Cancer risk for adults was found to be in the recommended range of United States environment protection agency (USEPA), while it exceeded the USEPA values for children.
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| 7. |
- Singh Tuli, Hardeep, et al.
(författare)
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Luteolin, a Potent Anticancer Compound : From Chemistry to Cellular Interactions and Synergetic Perspectives
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 14:21
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increasing rates of cancer incidence and the toxicity concerns of existing chemotherapeutic agents have intensified the research to explore more alternative routes to combat tumor. Luteolin, a flavone found in numerous fruits, vegetables, and herbs, has exhibited a number of biological activities, such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory. Luteolin inhibits tumor growth by targeting cellular processes such as apoptosis, cell-cycle progression, angiogenesis and migration. Mechanistically, luteolin causes cell death by downregulating Akt, PLK-1, cyclin-B1, cyclin-A, CDC-2, CDK-2, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL, while upregulating BAX, caspase-3, and p21. It has also been reported to inhibit STAT3 signaling by the suppression of STAT3 activation and enhanced STAT3 protein degradation in various cancer cells. Therefore, extensive studies on the anticancer properties of luteolin reveal its promising role in chemoprevention. The present review describes all the possible cellular interactions of luteolin in cancer, along with its synergistic mode of action and nanodelivery insight.
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| 8. |
- Baruah, Sanjoy, et al.
(författare)
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Fixed-Parameter Analysis of Preemptive Uniprocessor Scheduling Problems
- 2022
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Ingår i: 2022 IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS 2022). - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 9781665453462 - 9781665453479 ; , s. 185-196
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The algorithmic technique of fixed-parameter analysis of computationally intractable problems seeks to obtain a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of the intractability, with a view to identifying conditions under which the problem becomes tractable. We apply fixed-parameter analysis to the fixed-priority and EDF scheduling of recurrent (periodic and sporadic) task systems upon preemptive uniprocessor platforms.
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| 9. |
- Bhambri, Aksheev, et al.
(författare)
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Large scale changes in the transcriptome of Eisenia fetida during regeneration
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Earthworms show a wide spectrum of regenerative potential with certain species like Eisenia fetida capable of regenerating more than two-thirds of their body while other closely related species, such as Paranais litoralis seem to have lost this ability. Earthworms belong to the phylum Annelida, in which the genomes of the marine oligochaete Capitella telata and the freshwater leech Helobdella robusta have been sequenced and studied. Herein, we report the transcriptomic changes in Eisenia fetida (Indian isolate) during regeneration. Following injury, E. fetida regenerates the posterior segments in a time spanning several weeks. We analyzed gene expression changes both in the newly regenerating cells and in the adjacent tissue, at early (15days post amputation), intermediate (20days post amputation) and late (30 days post amputation) by RNAseq based de novo assembly and comparison of transcriptomes. We also generated a draft genome sequence of this terrestrial red worm using short reads and mate-pair reads. An in-depth analysis of the miRNome of the worm showed that many miRNA gene families have undergone extensive duplications. Sox4, a master regulator of TGF-beta mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition was induced in the newly regenerated tissue. Genes for several proteins such as sialidases and neurotrophins were identified amongst the differentially expressed transcripts. The regeneration of the ventral nerve cord was also accompanied by the induction of nerve growth factor and neurofilament genes. We identified 315 novel differentially expressed transcripts in the transcriptome, that have no homolog in any other species. Surprisingly, 82% of these novel differentially expressed transcripts showed poor potential for coding proteins, suggesting that novel ncRNAs may play a critical role in regeneration of earthworm.
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| 10. |
- Bursill, D., et al.
(författare)
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Gout, Hyperuricaemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network (G-CAN) consensus statement regarding labels and definitions of disease states of gout
- 2019
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 78:11, s. 1592-1600
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective There is a lack of standardisation in the terminology used to describe gout. The aim of this project was to develop a consensus statement describing the recommended nomenclature for disease states of gout. Methods A content analysis of gout-related articles from rheumatology and general internal medicine journals published over a 5-year period identified potential disease states and the labels commonly assigned to them. Based on these findings, experts in gout were invited to participate in a Delphi exercise and face-to-face consensus meeting to reach agreement on disease state labels and definitions. Results The content analysis identified 13 unique disease states and a total of 63 unique labels. The Delphi exercise (n=76 respondents) and face-to-face meeting (n=35 attendees) established consensus agreement for eight disease state labels and definitions. The agreed labels were as follows: 'asymptomatic hyperuricaemia', 'asymptomatic monosodium urate crystal deposition', 'asymptomatic hyperuricaemia with monosodium urate crystal deposition', 'gout', 'tophaceous gout', 'erosive gout', 'first gout flare' and 'recurrent gout flares'. There was consensus agreement that the label 'gout' should be restricted to current or prior clinically evident disease caused by monosodium urate crystal deposition (gout flare, chronic gouty arthritis or subcutaneous tophus). Conclusion Consensus agreement has been established for the labels and definitions of eight gout disease states, including 'gout' itself. The Gout, Hyperuricaemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network recommends the use of these labels when describing disease states of gout in research and clinical practice.
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| 11. |
- Desai, Nikita, et al.
(författare)
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Performance of four computer-coded verbal autopsy methods for cause of death assignment compared with physician coding on 24,000 deaths in low- and middle-income countries
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 1741-7015. ; 12:1, s. 20-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Physician-coded verbal autopsy (PCVA) is the most widely used method to determine causes of death (CODs) in countries where medical certification of death is uncommon. Computer-coded verbal autopsy (CCVA) methods have been proposed as a faster and cheaper alternative to PCVA, though they have not been widely compared to PCVA or to each other.METHODS: We compared the performance of open-source random forest, open-source tariff method, InterVA-4, and the King-Lu method to PCVA on five datasets comprising over 24,000 verbal autopsies from low- and middle-income countries. Metrics to assess performance were positive predictive value and partial chance-corrected concordance at the individual level, and cause-specific mortality fraction accuracy and cause-specific mortality fraction error at the population level.RESULTS: The positive predictive value for the most probable COD predicted by the four CCVA methods averaged about 43% to 44% across the datasets. The average positive predictive value improved for the top three most probable CODs, with greater improvements for open-source random forest (69%) and open-source tariff method (68%) than for InterVA-4 (62%). The average partial chance-corrected concordance for the most probable COD predicted by the open-source random forest, open-source tariff method and InterVA-4 were 41%, 40% and 41%, respectively, with better results for the top three most probable CODs. Performance generally improved with larger datasets. At the population level, the King-Lu method had the highest average cause-specific mortality fraction accuracy across all five datasets (91%), followed by InterVA-4 (72% across three datasets), open-source random forest (71%) and open-source tariff method (54%).CONCLUSIONS: On an individual level, no single method was able to replicate the physician assignment of COD more than about half the time. At the population level, the King-Lu method was the best method to estimate cause-specific mortality fractions, though it does not assign individual CODs. Future testing should focus on combining different computer-coded verbal autopsy tools, paired with PCVA strengths. This includes using open-source tools applied to larger and varied datasets (especially those including a random sample of deaths drawn from the population), so as to establish the performance for age- and sex-specific CODs.
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| 12. |
- Gangwar, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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IrisSeg : A Fast and Robust Iris Segmentation Framework for Non-Ideal Iris Images
- 2016
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Ingår i: 2016 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOMETRICS (ICB). - Piscataway : IEEE. - 9781509018697
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a state-of-the-art iris segmentation framework specifically for non-ideal irises. The framework adopts coarse-to-fine strategy to localize different boundaries. In the approach, pupil is coarsely detected using an iterative search method exploiting dynamic thresholding and multiple local cues. The limbic boundary is first approximated in polar space using adaptive filters and then refined in Cartesianspace. The framework is quite robust and unlike the previously reported works, does notrequire tuning of parameters for different databases. The segmentation accuracy (SA) is evaluated using well known measures; precision, recall and F-measure, using the publicly available ground truth data for challenging iris databases; CASIAV4-Interval, ND-IRIS-0405, and IITD. In addition, the approach is also evaluated on highly challenging periocular images of FOCS database. The validity of proposed framework is also ascertained by providing comprehensive comparisons with classical approaches as well asstate-of-the-art methods such as; CAHT, WAHET, IFFP, GST and Osiris v4.1. The results demonstrate that our approach provides significant improvements in segmentation accuracy as well as in recognition performance that too with lower computational complexity. © 2016 IEEE.
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| 13. |
- Gurung, Rejina, et al.
(författare)
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REFINE (Rapid Feedback for quality Improvement in Neonatal rEsuscitation): an observational study of neonatal resuscitation training and practice in a tertiary hospital in Nepal.
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC pregnancy and childbirth. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2393. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simulation-based training in neonatal resuscitation is more effective when reinforced by both practice and continuous improvement processes. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a quality improvement program combined with an innovative provider feedback device on neonatal resuscitation practice and outcomes in a public referral hospital of Nepal.A pre- and post-intervention study will be implemented in Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, a hospital with 8610 deliveries per year. The intervention package will include simulation-based training (Helping Babies Breathe) enhanced with a real-time feedback system (the NeoBeat newborn heart rate meter with the NeoNatalie Live manikin and upright newborn bag-mask with PEEP) accompanied by a quality improvement process. An independent research team will collect perinatal data and conduct stakeholder interviews.This study will provide further information on the efficiency of neonatal resuscitation training and implementation in the context of new technologies and quality improvement processes.https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN18148368 , date of registration-31 July 2018.
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| 14. |
- Hembrom, M. E., et al.
(författare)
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Morphology and phylogeny reveal a novel hydnoid taxon from India: Mycorrhaphoides stalpersii gen. and sp. nov
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Botany. - : Wiley. - 0107-055X. ; 35:1, s. 85-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mycorrhaphoides gen. nov. and Mycorrhaphoides stalpersii sp. nov. are described and defined based on morphological details and phylogenetic inference of a hydnoid macrofungus collected in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah (India). It is characterized by stipitate basidiomata with duplex context in stipe, presence of multi-clamped septa, and smooth and hyaline cystidia.
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| 15. |
- Jana, Somnath, et al.
(författare)
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LaSrVMoO6 : A case study for A-site covalency-driven local cationic order in double perovskites
- 2012
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Ingår i: Physical Review B. Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. - 1098-0121 .- 1550-235X. ; 86:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An unusual atomic scale chemical fluctuation in LaSrVMoO6, in terms of narrow patches of La, V and Sr,Mo-rich phases, has been probed in detail to understand the origin of such a chemical state. Exhaustive tuning of the equilibrium synthesis parameters showed that the extent of phase separation can never be melted down below a unit cell dimension making it impossible to achieve the conventional B-site ordered structure, which establishes that the observed "inhomogeneous" patchlike structure with minimum dimension of few angstroms is a reality in LaSrVMoO6. Therefore another type of local chemical order, hitherto unknown in double perovskites, gets introduced here. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy elemental mapping, magnetic, and various spectroscopic studies have been carried out on samples, synthesized under different conditions. These experimental results in conjunction with ab initio electronic structure calculation revealed that it is the energy stability, gained by typical La-O covalency as in LaVO3, that leads to the preferential La, V and Sr,Mo ionic proximity, and the consequent patchy structure.
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| 16. |
- Jang, Kyung-Jin, et al.
(författare)
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Reproducing human and cross-species drug toxicities using a Liver-Chip
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Science Translational Medicine. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 11:517
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nonclinical rodent and nonrodent toxicity models used to support clinical trials of candidate drugs may produce discordant results or fail to predict complications in humans, contributing to drug failures in the clinic. Here, we applied microengineered Organs-on-Chips technology to design a rat, dog, and human Liver-Chip containing species-specific primary hepatocytes interfaced with liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, with or without Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells, cultured under physiological fluid flow. The Liver-Chip detected diverse phenotypes of liver toxicity, including hepatocellular injury, steatosis, cholestasis, and fibrosis, and species-specific toxicities when treated with tool compounds. A multispecies Liver-Chip may provide a useful platform for prediction of liver toxicity and inform human relevance of liver toxicities detected in animal studies to better determine safety and human risk.
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| 17. |
- KC, Ashish, 1982, et al.
(författare)
-
Quality of Care for Maternal and Newborn Health in Health Facilities in Nepal.
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Maternal and child health journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-6628 .- 1092-7875. ; 24:Suppl 1, s. 31-38
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nepal has pledged to substantially reduce maternal and newborn death by 2030. Improving quality of intrapartum health services will be vital to reduce these deaths. This paper examines quality of delivery and newborn services in health facilities of Nepal.Data were sourced from the Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015, which covered a national representative sample of health facilities. The datasets were analysed to assess service readiness, availability and quality of delivery and newborn care in a sample of 992 health facilities.Of the 992 facilities in the sample, 623 provided delivery and newborn care services. Of the 623 facilities offering delivery and newborn care services, 13.3% offered comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmONC), 19.6% provided basic emergency obstetric care (BEmONC) and 53.9% provided basic delivery and newborn service. The availability of essential equipment for delivery and newborn care was more than 80% in health facilities. Except for the coverage of vitamin K injection, the coverage of immediate newborn care was more than 85% in all health facilities. The coverage of use of chlorhexidine ointment to all newborns was more than 70% in government hospitals and primary health care centers (PHCCs) and only 32.3% in private hospitals.These findings show gaps in equipment and drugs, especially in PHCCs and private health facilities. Improving readiness and availability of equipment and drugs in PHCCs and private health facility will help improve the quality of care to further reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Nepal.
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| 18. |
- KC, Ashish, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Scaling up quality improvement intervention for perinatal care in Nepal (NePeriQIP); study protocol of a cluster randomised trial
- 2017
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Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ. - 2059-7908. ; 2:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Nepal Perinatal Quality Improvement Project (NePeriQIP) intends to scale up a quality improvement (QI) intervention for perinatal care according to WHO/National guidelines in hospitals of Nepal using the existing health system structures. The intervention builds on previous research on the implementation of Helping Babies Breathe-quality improvement cycle in a tertiary healthcare setting in Nepal. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of this scaled-up intervention on perinatal health outcomes.METHODS/DESIGN: Cluster-randomised controlled trial using a stepped wedged design with 3 months delay between wedges will be conducted in 12 public hospitals with a total annual delivery rate of 60 000. Each wedge will consist of 3 hospitals. Impact will be evaluated on intrapartum-related mortality (primary outcome), overall neonatal mortality and morbidity and health worker's performance on neonatal care (secondary outcomes). A process evaluation and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed to understand the functionality of the intervention and to further guide health system investments will also be performed.DISCUSSION: In contexts where resources are limited, there is a need to find scalable and sustainable implementation strategies for improved care delivery. The proposed study will add to the scarce evidence base on how to scale up interventions within existing health systems. If successful, the NePeriQIP model can provide a replicable solution in similar settings where support and investment from the health system is poor, and national governments have made a global pledge to reduce perinatal mortality.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN30829654.
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| 19. |
- Korhonen, Emilia A., et al.
(författare)
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Lymphangiogenesis requires Ang2/Tie/PI3K signaling for VEGFR3 cell-surface expression
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - : American Society for Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 132:15
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) induces lymphangiogenesis via VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR3), which is encoded by the most frequently mutated gene in human primary lymphedema. Angiopoietins (Angs) and their Tie receptors regulate lymphatic vessel development, and mutations of the ANGPT2 gene were recently found in human primary lymphedema. However, the mechanistic basis of Ang2 activity in lymphangiogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we used gene deletion, blocking Abs, transgene induction, and gene transfer to study how Ang2, its Tie2 receptor, and Tie1 regulate lymphatic vessels. We discovered that VEGF-C???induced Ang2 secretion from lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) was involved in full Akt activation downstream of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K). Neonatal deletion of genes encoding the Tie receptors or Ang2 in LECs, or administration of an Ang2-blocking Ab decreased VEGFR3 presentation on LECs and inhibited lymphangiogenesis. A similar effect was observed in LECs upon deletion of the PI3K catalytic p110?? subunit or with small -molecule inhibition of a constitutively active PI3K located downstream of Ang2. Deletion of Tie receptors or blockade of Ang2 decreased VEGF-C???induced lymphangiogenesis also in adult mice. Our results reveal an important crosstalk between the VEGF-C and Ang signaling pathways and suggest new avenues for therapeutic manipulation of lymphangiogenesis by targeting Ang2/Tie/PI3K signaling.
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| 20. |
- Leitao, Jordana, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of physician-certified verbal autopsy with computer-coded verbal autopsy for cause of death assignment in hospitalized patients in low- and middle-income countries : systematic review
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 1741-7015. ; 12:1, s. 22-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Computer-coded verbal autopsy (CCVA) methods to assign causes of death (CODs) for medically unattended deaths have been proposed as an alternative to physician-certified verbal autopsy (PCVA). We conducted a systematic review of 19 published comparison studies (from 684 evaluated), most of which used hospital-based deaths as the reference standard. We assessed the performance of PCVA and five CCVA methods: Random Forest, Tariff, InterVA, King-Lu, and Simplified Symptom Pattern.METHODS: The reviewed studies assessed methods' performance through various metrics: sensitivity, specificity, and chance-corrected concordance for coding individual deaths, and cause-specific mortality fraction (CSMF) error and CSMF accuracy at the population level. These results were summarized into means, medians, and ranges.RESULTS: The 19 studies ranged from 200 to 50,000 deaths per study (total over 116,000 deaths). Sensitivity of PCVA versus hospital-assigned COD varied widely by cause, but showed consistently high specificity. PCVA and CCVA methods had an overall chance-corrected concordance of about 50% or lower, across all ages and CODs. At the population level, the relative CSMF error between PCVA and hospital-based deaths indicated good performance for most CODs. Random Forest had the best CSMF accuracy performance, followed closely by PCVA and the other CCVA methods, but with lower values for InterVA-3.CONCLUSIONS: There is no single best-performing coding method for verbal autopsies across various studies and metrics. There is little current justification for CCVA to replace PCVA, particularly as physician diagnosis remains the worldwide standard for clinical diagnosis on live patients. Further assessments and large accessible datasets on which to train and test combinations of methods are required, particularly for rural deaths without medical attention.
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| 21. |
- Mahapatra, Sayanta, et al.
(författare)
-
Substoichiometric Hsp104 regulates the genesis and persistence of self-replicable amyloid seeds of Sup35 prion domain
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 298:8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Prion-like self-perpetuating conformational conversion of proteins is involved in both transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in mammals and non-Mendelian inheritance in yeast. The transmissibility of amyloid-like aggregates is dependent on the stoichiometry of chaperones such as heat shock proteins (Hsps), including disaggregases. To provide the mechanistic underpinnings of the formation and persistence of prefibrillar amyloid seeds, we investigated the role of substoichiometric Hsp104 on the in vitro amyloid aggregation of the prion domain (NM-domain) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sup35. At low substoichiometric concentrations, we show Hsp104 exhibits a dual role: it considerably accelerates the formation of prefibrillar species by shortening the lag phase but also prolongs their persistence by introducing unusual kinetic halts and delaying their conversion into mature amyloid fibers. Additionally, Hsp104-modulated amyloid species displayed a better seeding capability compared to NM-only amyloids. Using biochemical and biophysical tools coupled with site-specific dynamic readouts, we characterized the distinct structural and dynamical signatures of these amyloids. We reveal that Hsp104-remodeled amyloidogenic species are compositionally diverse in prefibrillar aggregates and are packed in a more ordered fashion compared to NM-only amyloids. Finally, we show these Hsp104-remodeled, conformationally distinct NM aggregates display an enhanced autocatalytic self-templating ability that might be crucial for phenotypic outcomes. Taken together, our results demonstrate that substoichiometric Hsp104 promotes compositional diversity and conformational modulations during amyloid formation, yielding effective prefibrillar seeds that are capable of driving prion-like Sup35 propagation. Our findings underscore the key functional and pathological roles of substoichiometric chaperones in prion-like propagation.
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| 22. |
- Mahida, Hardipinh, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the Potential of Substituted and Defected Magnesium Dichloride Monolayers for Optoelectronic Applications
- 2024
-
Ingår i: ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2637-6113. ; 6:1, s. 163-173
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the effects of vacancy defects and substitutional doping on the structural, electronic, and linear optical characteristics of the magnesium dichloride (MgCl2) monolayer are investigated using density functional theory. The GGA-PBE functional is used to derive optical characteristics such as real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function, absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient, refractive index, reflectivity, and electron energy loss function. The results reveal that creating a Cl atom vacancy inside the MgCl2 monolayer is energetically favorable, and the study provides insights into how vacancy defects and substitutional doping can be utilized to modulate the electronic and optical properties of the MgCl2 monolayer for potential applications in optoelectronics. The outcomes of this research can potentially lead to the growth of more efficient and effective optoelectronic devices.
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| 23. |
- Mahida, H. R., et al.
(författare)
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First-principles calculations to investigate electronic structure and optical properties of 2D MgCl2 monolayer
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Superlattices and Microstructures. - : Elsevier. - 0749-6036 .- 1096-3677. ; 162
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present work, we have concentrated on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of single-layer phase MgCl2. When bulk MgCl2 reduces to monolayer form, then it exhibited indirect to direct bandgap transformation. The result indicates that the monolayer MgCl2 exhibits insulating characteristics with a direct bandgap of 7.377 eV whereas its bulk form has an indirect bandgap of 7.02 eV. It means that when reducing the dimensionally of the MgCl2 materials than its bandgap significantly increased. The optical properties of the monolayer MgCl2 have been investigated using DFT within the random phase approximation. The calculated refractive index values are very near to water, which means that monolayer MgCl2 material will be a transparent material. Also, the optical absorption coefficient is found to be very high in the ultraviolet (UV) region. From optical properties, the out-of-plane (E perpendicular to Z) direction of polarizations is shifted towards the higher photon energy as compared to the in-plane (E||X) direction. From the optical properties profile, the polarizations along in-plane and out-of-plane are different therefore it shows anisotropic behavior. These investigated results show the monolayer MgCl2 could be a promising material for optoelectronic nanodevices such as deep UV emitters and detectors, electrical insulators, atomically thin coating materials.
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| 24. |
- Mehta, Raghav, et al.
(författare)
-
QU-BraTS : MICCAI BraTS 2020 Challenge on QuantifyingUncertainty in Brain Tumor Segmentation - Analysis of Ranking Scores and Benchmarking Results
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Machine Learning for Biomedical Imaging. - 2766-905X. ; , s. 1-54
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deep learning (DL) models have provided the state-of-the-art performance in a wide variety of medical imaging benchmarking challenges, including the Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) challenges. However, the task of focal pathology multi-compartment segmentation (e.g., tumor and lesion sub-regions) is particularly challenging, and potential errors hinder the translation of DL models into clinical workflows. Quantifying the reliability of DL model predictions in the form of uncertainties, could enable clinical review of the most uncertain regions, thereby building trust and paving the way towards clinical translation. Recently, a number of uncertainty estimation methods have been introduced for DL medical image segmentation tasks. Developing scores to evaluate and compare the performance of uncertainty measures will assist the end-user in making more informed decisions. In this study, we explore and evaluate a score developed during the BraTS 2019-2020 task on uncertainty quantification (QU-BraTS), and designed to assess and rank uncertainty estimates for brain tumor multi-compartment segmentation. This score (1) rewards uncertainty estimates that produce high confidence in correct assertions, and those that assign low confidence levels at incorrect assertions, and (2) penalizes uncertainty measures that lead to a higher percentages of under-confident correct assertions. We further benchmark the segmentation uncertainties generated by 14 independent participating teams of QU-BraTS 2020, all of which also participated in the main BraTS segmentation task. Overall, our findings confirm the importance and complementary value that uncertainty estimates provide to segmentation algorithms, and hence highlight the need for uncertainty quantification in medical image analyses. Our evaluation code is made publicly available at https://github.com/RagMeh11/QU-BraTS
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| 25. |
- Mojumder, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Mitigating the barriers to green procurement adoption : An exploratory study of the Indian construction industry
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Science Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 372
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The construction sector in India is in the governments intense focus on creating a world-class infrastructure balancing environmental conservation. Adopting green procurement practices by mitigating adoption barriers is necessary for Indian construction firms to achieve the goal. However, none of the existing research identified the comprehensive list of barriers, analysed their impacts on green procurement adoption, prioritized the barriers and formulated the solution strategies to mitigate them and maximize green procurement adoption for the Indian construction sector. To bridge this gap, this study has identified barriers, analysed their impact, prioritized the criticality, and developed the solution strategies to alleviate them. Questionnaire surveys and descriptive sta-tistics are first performed for data analysis of the firms based on the firms size and domain of expertise. Later, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) is performed and identified the significant differences in the impact of the barriers on Indian construction firms having different sizes or domains of expertise. The fuzzy best-worst method (FBWM) is then used to identify the most significant barriers as "reduced commitment from higher management ", "lack of management support ", and "perception of higher cost for adhering to green procurement ". Finally, the Delphi technique and assessment of various portals of the Government of India (GOI) have been carried out to identify the solutions to mitigate the barriers. The research results in an original and unique approach to identifying and analysing the critical barriers to green procurement adoption and their impact on different categories of Indian construction firms. It has identified the topmost barriers and then the solution strategies Indian construction firms and GOI need to focus on to embrace green procurement. The procurement managers can identify the top -rated barriers derived from the present study to closely focus and make strategies to eliminate them, helping their organisations adopt green procurement practices. The solution strategies derived from the study may be ready to implement action plans for construction and infrastructure companies of India, environmental and social development of the country, and assisting the GOI in developing and implementing the policy of green pro-curement for the Indian construction industry.
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| 26. |
- Patel, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
-
Bulk and monolayer As2S3 as promising thermoelectric material with high conversion performance
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Computational materials science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-0256 .- 1879-0801. ; 183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The electronic and thermoelectric properties of recently synthesized As2S3 in the form of 2D by experiment have been investigated in this work. The thermoelectric properties of As2S3 has been studied by the first-principles calculations and the Boltzmann Transport theory. The result shows that As2S3 has indirect band gap of 2.31 eV for monolayer and 2.08 eV for bulk. From phonon dispersion spectra, both bulk and monolayer have dynamical stability. The Seebeck coefficient (S) as a function of temperature is investigated for monolayer and bulk of As2S3 and its values at 300 K temperature are 188 and 298 mu V/K. Also, the values of S are drastically decreasing when temperature increases in bulk As2S3 while in case of monolayer As2S3, the values of S have less variation with increasing temperature. The electronic figure of merit (ZT(e)) for bulk As2S3 is found to be 5.04 at 300 K while at higher temperature ZT(e) values significantly reduced to 3.76. For monolayer As2S3, the electronic figure of merit, ZT(e) is also showed higher value of 1.84 at 300 K and at higher temperature it has similar to 2.75. These investigation shows that the bulk and monolayer have new materials for the potential applications in the thermoelectric devices.
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| 27. |
- Patel, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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High Thermoelectric Performance in Two-Dimensional Janus Monolayer Material WS-X (X = Se and Te)
- 2020
-
Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : NLM (Medline). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 12:41, s. 46212-46219
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present work, Janus monolayers WSSe and WSTe are investigated by combining first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. Janus WSSe and WSTe monolayers show a direct band gap of 1.72 and 1.84 eV at K-points, respectively. These layered materials have an extraordinary Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. This combination of high Seebeck coefficient and high electrical conductivity leads to a significantly large power factor. In addition, the lattice thermal conductivity in the Janus monolayer is found to be relatively very low as compared to the WS2 monolayer. This leads to a high figure of merit (ZT) value of 2.56 at higher temperatures for the Janus WSTe monolayer. We propose that the Janus WSTe monolayer could be used as a potential thermoelectric material due to its high thermoelectric performance. The result suggests that the Janus monolayer is a better candidate for excellent thermoelectric conversion.
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| 28. |
- Patel, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of stacking on the optoelectronic properties of 2D ZrS2/GaS heterostructure
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Materials today. - : Elsevier. - 2214-7853. ; , s. 526-528
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present study, we have systematically investigated the structural, electronic and optical properties of 2D ZrS2/GaS (with van der Waals interaction) heterostructure by using first-principles calculations. The pristine ZrS2 and GaS monolayers have semiconducting behavior with band gap of 0.99 eV and 2.39 eV, respectively. It is found that the ZrS2 and GaS monolayers interact with each other through strong van der Waals interactions due to that the band gap significantly reduces 0.88 eV. Our results indicate that the considered three stacking configurations AA, AB and AC shows semiconducting behavior. Promisingly, the optical properties display that the ZrS2/GaS heterostructures strongly absorbs light with energies from visible to ultraviolet (UV) regions. From the result, considered heterostructures may be utilized for optoelectronic devices applications.
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| 29. |
- Patel, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Optoelectronic properties of 2D van der Waals heterostructure As/PtS2 by first-principles calculations
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Materials Today. - : Elsevier. - 2214-7853. ; 67:Part 1, s. 250-253
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the recent work, the structural, electronic and optical properties of the 2D van der Waals heterostructure As/PtS2 have been studied within the framework of the first-principles calculations. In the electronic properties, the band-structure and projected density of the van der Waals(vdW) heterostructure As/PtS2 have been systematically examined. The heterostructure As/PtS2 exhibits semiconducting nature with reduced electronic bandgap in comparison with pristine monolayer As and monolayer PtS2. The optical properties of heterostructure As/PtS2 have been also investigated thoroughly. From the present investigation, the heterostructure As/PtS2 is suggested as promising material for the optoelectronic applications at nano-scale.Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Recent Advancements in Materials Science and Nanotechnology.
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| 30. |
- Sharma, Shikha, et al.
(författare)
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Emerging challenges in antimicrobial resistance : implications for pathogenic microorganisms, novel antibiotics, and their impact on sustainability
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - 1664-302X. ; 15
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Overuse of antibiotics is accelerating the antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic microbes which is a growing public health challenge at the global level. Higher resistance causes severe infections, high complications, longer stays at hospitals and even increased mortality rates. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has a significant impact on national economies and their health systems, as it affects the productivity of patients or caregivers due to prolonged hospital stays with high economic costs. The main factor of AMR includes improper and excessive use of antimicrobials; lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for humans and animals; poor infection prevention and control measures in hospitals; poor access to medicines and vaccines; lack of awareness and knowledge; and irregularities with legislation. AMR represents a global public health problem, for which epidemiological surveillance systems have been established, aiming to promote collaborations directed at the well-being of human and animal health and the balance of the ecosystem. MDR bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Klebsiella pneumonia can even cause death. These microorganisms use a variety of antibiotic resistance mechanisms, such as the development of drug-deactivating targets, alterations in antibiotic targets, or a decrease in intracellular antibiotic concentration, to render themselves resistant to numerous antibiotics. In context, the United Nations issued the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to serve as a worldwide blueprint for a better, more equal, and more sustainable existence on our planet. The SDGs place antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of global public health and socioeconomic issues; also, the continued growth of AMR may hinder the achievement of numerous SDGs. In this review, we discuss the role of environmental pollution in the rise of AMR, different mechanisms underlying the antibiotic resistance, the threats posed by pathogenic microbes, novel antibiotics, strategies such as One Health to combat AMR, and the impact of resistance on sustainability and sustainable development goals.
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| 31. |
- Sharma, Vishal, et al.
(författare)
-
A Write-Improved Half-Select-Free Low-Power 11T Subthreshold SRAM with Double Adjacent Error Correction for FPGA-LUT Design
- 2019
-
Ingår i: VLSI Design and Test. - Singapore : Springer. ; , s. 551-564
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work presents a new bit-interleaving low-power 11T subthreshold SRAM cell with the Data-Dependent Partial-Feedback Cutting to improve the write ability. The isolated read path of 11T enhances the read static noise margin (RSNM) which is equivalent to that of its hold SNM (HSNM), while the incorporated PMOS stacking in each of the inverter helps to reduce the leakage power of the cell. The half-select free behavior of the proposed 11T cell facilitates the bit-interleaving architecture of memory array that reduces the multi-bits error occurrence in a single word of data, and thus enhance the soft error tolerance. Using the proposed cell, a four-input FPGA lookup table (LUT) has been implemented working on 0.4V supply, which consumes 0.59× less leakage power as compared to that of 6T LUT. Finally, a two adjacent bits error correction technique is also suggested to incorporate with the proposed bit-interleaving 11T array, so that the effect of soft error can almost be neglected. It consumes comparable leakage and read access energy to that of one-bit error correcting conventional hamming code.
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| 32. |
- Sharma, Vishal, et al.
(författare)
-
Half-select free bit-line sharing 12T SRAM with double-adjacent bits soft error correction and a reconfigurable FPGA for low-power applications
- 2019
-
Ingår i: AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications. - : Elsevier. - 1434-8411 .- 1618-0399. ; 104:May, s. 10-22
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work presents a half-select free 12T SRAM cell with Data-Dependent Feedback Cutting approach to improve the write ability and isolated read path to enhance the read stability. The enhanced read and write ability is 1.95×" role="presentation"> and 2.84×" role="presentation"> larger respectively than that of the conventional 6T cell at 0.4 V. The half-select free behavior of proposed cell using the cross-point read/write structure facilitates the bit-interleaving memory architecture to effectively reduce the multi-bits soft error occurrence. The incorporated PMOS stacking effect in inverter pairs of the proposed cell offers the reduced leakage power which is 0.59×" role="presentation"> to that of 6T, at 0.4 V supply. To further minimize the leakage power at array level, the bit lines between two adjacent cells have been shared that consumes only 0.38×" role="presentation"> leakage power than that of the conventional 6T array for a 1 KB macro. Moreover, a Reconfigurable FPGA architecture is proposed for low power applications. The simulated static and active power consumption of 12T SRAM based reconfigurable FPGA is 0.22×" role="presentation"> and 0.45×" role="presentation"> when compared with the regular 12T FPGA. Finally, a Double Adjacent-bits Error Detection and Correction (DAEDC) scheme is suggested for the proposed bit-interleaved 12T SRAM array, to reduce the soft error effects.
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| 33. |
- Shivakumar, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
-
Drivers of renewable energy deployment in the EU : An analysis of past trends and projections
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Energy Strategy Reviews. - : Elsevier. - 2211-467X .- 2211-4688. ; 26
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU's RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU's energy targets.
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| 34. |
- Shivakumar, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
-
DRIVERS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY DEPLOYMENT IN THE EU: AN ANALYSIS OF PAST TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS
-
Ingår i: Energy Strategy Reviews. - 2211-467X .- 2211-4688.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is driven by the objective to transition to an affordable, reliable, and low carbon energy system. To achieve this objective, the EU has explicitly stated targets for greenhouse reduction, shares of renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency improvements for 2020 and 2030. In this paper, we focus on the drivers, barriers and enablers to achieving the EU’s RES targets (20% by 2020 and 27% by 2030). Effective energy policies play a key role in the deployment of RES technologies. In order to design effective policies, a clear understanding of past trends and projections for future deployment is required. In this paper, we first analyse the past deployment of RES technologies for electricity supply (RES-E) in selected EU Member States. This highlights the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for deployment of RES in the past. In a second step, we conduct a meta-analysis of projections for RES-E shares from multiple well-established studies. Such an analysis will help in supporting the design of more effective energy policies and successfully achieving the EU’s energy targets.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Singh, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
-
Uniprocessor scheduling of real-time synchronous dataflow tasks
- 2019
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Ingår i: Real-time systems. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6443 .- 1573-1383. ; 55:1, s. 1-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The synchronous dataflow graph (SDFG) model is widely used today for modeling real-time applications in safety-critical application domains. Schedulability analysis techniques that are well understood within the real-time scheduling community are applied to the analysis of recurrent real-time workloads that are represented using this model. An enhancement to the standard SDFG model is proposed, which supports the specification of a real-time latency constraint between a specified input and a specified output of an SDFG. A polynomial-time algorithm is derived for representing the computational requirement of each such enhanced SDFG task in terms of the notion of the demand bound function (dbf), which is widely used in real-time scheduling theory for characterizing computational requirements of recurrent processes represented by, e.g., the sporadic task model. By so doing, the extensive dbf-centered machinery that has been developed in real-time scheduling theory for the hard-real-time schedulability analysis of systems of recurrent tasks may be applied to the analysis of systems represented using the SDFG model as well. The applicability of this approach is illustrated by applying prior results from real-time scheduling theory to construct an exact preemptive uniprocessor schedulability test for collections of independent recurrent processes that are each represented using the enhanced SDFG model.
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| 37. |
- Sonagara, Abhishek Maganbhai, et al.
(författare)
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Ultra-Thin Flexible Uniplanar Antenna Based on SSPP for B5G Radio Stripe Network
- 2023
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Ingår i: IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1536-1225 .- 1548-5757. ; 22:8, s. 1947-1951
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this letter, a flexible and ultra-thin uniplanar end fire antenna employing spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) is proposed. The single-metal layered groundless structure is an inherent advantage of the SSPP. At the SSPP transmission line's end, a metallic strip is added asymmetrically for wideband radiation, resulting in an observed tilting of the main lobe in the azimuthal plane. Three C-shaped directors are used to enhance the directivity. The proposed antenna is fabricated and measured over flat and curved surfaces of brick wall and wood with two different radii. The proposed antenna has a low profile of 0.001710 and a small volume of 0.0058?(3)(0), where 10 is the free-space wavelength at the center frequency of the operating bandwidth. The antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 33.7% with a peak gain of 8.5 dBi. Measurements indicate no significant degradation in the proposed antenna's performance in different scenarios. Due to features like flexibility, ultra-thin profile, very low volume, tilted beam with high gain, and wideband operation, the proposed antenna is highly suitable for beyond fifth-generation (B5G) radio stripe applications.
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| 38. |
- Tiwari, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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A loss of constraint assessment using δ∗-π∗approach to describe the effect of crack depth on reference transition temperature T0
- 2016
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Ingår i: Procedia Structural Integrity. - : Elsevier BV. - 2452-3216. ; 2, s. 690-696
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The assessment of fracture behaviour of ferritic/ferritic martensitic steels in Ductile to Brittle Transition (DBT) region iscrucial for shallower cracks. In this work the fracture behavior of In-RAFM steels isinvestigated with systematically varying a/W using Master Curve approach. This a/W effect is investigated using σ∗-V∗approach by calculating the active volume at simulated crack front. It is observed that the fitting parameter of σ∗-V∗approach is in direct correlation with changing constraint parameter ΔT stress . The constraint effect with varying crack depth is also captured by a novel constraint parameter referred as Weibull triaxiality.
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| 39. |
- Tiwari, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of effect of ductile tearing on cleavage failure probability in ductile to brittle transition region
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Fracture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0376-9429 .- 1573-2673. ; 209:1-2, s. 53-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fracture behaviour of ferritic and ferritic martensitic steels in ductile to brittle transition (DBT) region has been extensively studied in recent years and a probabilistic approach of master curve method is generally used to describe the fracture toughness of BCC steels in DBT region as a function of temperature. The assessment of cleavage failure probability however is still untouched in the upper region of ductile to brittle transition, although various extensions of master curve approach and various local approaches has been explored. Additionally the geometry and loading in tension and bending also adds up to the difficulties when cleavage failure is assisted with prior ductile tearing. In this work the cleavage fracture is investigated in upper region of DBT and a modified master curve approach is presented which can satisfactorily describe the fracture toughness as a function of temperature as well as amount of ductile tearing preceded by cleavage.
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| 40. |
- Tiwari, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Determination of reference transition temperature of In-RAFMS in ductile brittle transition regime using numerically corrected Master Curve approach
- 2015
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Ingår i: Engineering Fracture Mechanics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7315 .- 0013-7944. ; 142, s. 79-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The structural material for test blanket module of fusion reactor developed in India is called Indian Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic Steel (In-RAFMS). In this study fracture toughness behaviour of In-RAFM steel is investigated using 0.2T bend samples in ductile brittle transition regime. The conventional MC estimates a non-conservative reference transition temperature, T-0, due to Large Scale Yielding (LSY) in small size specimens. Finite element analysis was used to correct the experimental K-JC to equivalent Small Scale Yielding (SSY) values. The numerical approach used in this study is based on critical maximum principal stress (sigma*) - critical stressed volume (V*) method. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 41. |
- Tiwari, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Fracture study of ferritic/martensitic steels using Weibull stress analysis at quasi-static and higher loading rates
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Fracture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0376-9429 .- 1573-2673. ; 205:1, s. 103-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Effect of loading rate on cleavage failure probability for ferritic/martensitic steels using Weibull stress analysis is studied. Calibration of Weibull slope for two grades of fusion reactor blanket steels namely, Indian Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic Steel referred as In-RAFMS, F 82H and a non fusion grade modified 9Cr-1Mo steel (P91) are performed for the first time. The calibrated values of Weibull slope is used to predict the fracture behaviour of In-RAFMS at three different loading rates. The effect of loading rate is also examined on reference transition temperature using Wallin’s correlation based on Zener-Hollomon strain rate parameter.
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| 42. |
- Tiwari, Abhishek, et al.
(författare)
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Master curve in upper region of ductile brittle transition : A modification based on local damage approach
- 2016
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Ingår i: Procedia Structural Integrity. - : Elsevier BV. - 2452-3216. ; 2, s. 1553-1560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fracture behaviour of ferritic/ferritic martensitic steels in Ductile to Brittle Transition (DBT) region is well captured by Master Curve approach, except in the upper region of transition due to ductile tearing prior to cleavage. The fracture toughness behavior in the upper region of DBT is generally censored by Master Curve. In this work the Master Curve approach is modified to extend its applicability to the upper region of transition. The ductile tearing in the upper region of transition, increased sampled volume and constraint increment are addressed in this work using constraint parameter T stress and numerical analyses using GTN damage.
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| 43. |
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