| 1. |
- Mushtaq, Irrum, et al.
(författare)
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Ferrocene-Based Terpolyamides and Their PDMS-Containing Block Copolymers: Synthesis and Physical Properties
- 2022
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Ingår i: Polymers. - : MDPI. - 2073-4360. ; 14:23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aromatic polyamides are well-known as high-performance materials due to their outstanding properties making them useful in a wide range of applications. However, their limited solubility in common organic solvents restricts their processability and becomes a hurdle in their applicability. This study is focused on the synthesis of processable ferrocene-based terpolyamides and their polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-containing block copolymers, using low-temperature solution polycondensation methodology. All the synthesized materials were structurally characterized using FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopic techniques. The ferrocene-based terpolymers and block copolymers were soluble in common organic solvents, while the organic analogs were found only soluble in sulfuric acid. WXRD analysis showed the amorphous nature of the materials, while the SEM analysis exposed the modified surface of the ferrocene-based block copolymers. The structure–property relationship of the materials was further elucidated by their water absorption and thermal behavior. These materials showed low to no water absorption along with their high limiting oxygen index (LOI) values depicting their good flame-retardant behavior. DFT studies also supported the role of various monomers in the polycondensation reaction where the electron pair donation from HOMO of diamine monomer to the LUMO of acyl chloride was predicted, along with the calculation of various other parameters of the representative terpolymers and block copolymers.
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| 2. |
- Shamshad, Hasib, et al.
(författare)
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Forecasting and Trading of the Stable Cryptocurrencies With Machine Learning and Deep Learning Algorithms for Market Conditions
- 2023
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Ingår i: IEEE Access. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 2169-3536. ; 11, s. 122205-122220
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The digital market trend is rapidly expanding due to key characteristics like decentralization, accessibility, and market diversity enabled by blockchain technology. This study proposes a Predictive Analytics System to provide simplified reporting for the three most popular cryptocurrencies with varying digits, namely ADA Cardano, Ethereum, and Binance coin, for ten days to contribute to this emerging technology. Thus, this proposed system employs a data science-based framework and six highly advanced data-driven Machine learning and Deep learning algorithms: Support Vector Regressor, Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Facebook Prophet, Unidirectional LSTM, Bidirectional LSTM, Stacked LSTM. Moreover, the research experiments are repeated several times to achieve the best results by employing hyperparameter tuning of each algorithm. This involves selecting an appropriate kernel and suitable data normalization technique for SVR, determining ARIMA's (p, d, q) values, and optimizing the loss function values, number of neurons, hidden layers, and epochs in LSTM models. For the model validation, we utilize widely used evaluation techniques: Mean Absolute Error, Root Mean Squared Error, Mean Absolute Percentage Error, and R-squared. Results demonstrate that ARIMA outperforms the other models in all cases, accurately projecting the price variability within the actual price range. Conversely, Facebook Prophet exhibits good performance to some extent. The paper suggests that the ARIMA technique offers practical implications for market analysts, enabling them to make well-informed decisions based on accurate price projections. © 2013 IEEE.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Alvarez, E. M., et al.
(författare)
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The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
- 2022
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Ingår i: Lancet Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1470-2045. ; 23:1, s. 27-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Asif, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic Performance and Appropriate Cut-Offs of Different Anthropometric Indicators for Detecting Children with Overweight and Obesity
- 2021
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Ingår i: BioMed Research International. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 2314-6133 .- 2314-6141.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the clinical settings, different anthropometric indicators like neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC), midupper arm circumference (MUAC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and arm-to-height ratio (AHtR) have been suggested for evaluating overweight and obesity in children. The comparative ability of these indicators in Pakistan is yet unknown. This study is aimed at examining the validity of different anthropometric indicators of overweight and obesity simultaneously and at determining their superlative cut-off values that would correctly detect overweight and obesity in children. For this purpose, the dataset of anthropometric measurements height, weight, WC, MUAC, and NC of 5,964 Pakistani children, aged 5-12 years collected in a cross-sectional multiethnic anthropometric survey (MEAS), was used. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the validity of different anthropometric indicators. The most sensitive and specific cut-off points, positive and negative predictive values of each indicator were also calculated. The results of the ROC curve indicated that all the studied indicators had a good performance but the indicators AHtR and WHtR had the highest value of the area under the curve (AUC) for the screening of children with overweight and obesity (AUC > 0.80). In the overall sample, AHtR, WHtR, MUAC, WC, and NC cut-off points indicative of overweight, in both boys and girls, were 0.14, 0.46, 18.41 cm, 62.86 cm, and 26.36 cm and 0.14, 0.47, 18.16 cm, 64.39 cm, and 26.54 cm, respectively; the corresponding values for obesity were 0.14, 0.47, 18.67 cm, 62.10 cm, and 26.36 cm and 0.14, 0.48, 20.19 cm, 64.39 cm, and 25.27 cm. We concluded that the sex-specific cut-off points for AHtR, WHtR, MUAC, WC, and NC can be used to diagnose overweight and obesity in Pakistani children.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Chen, I-Hua, et al.
(författare)
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Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) : Evidence of Measurement Invariance Across Five Countries
- 2022
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Ingår i: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. - : DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD. - 1179-1594. ; 15, s. 435-445
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The percentage of individuals who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 was 53% worldwide, 62% in Asia, and 11% in Africa at the time of writing (February 9, 2022). In addition to administrative issues, vaccine hesitancy is an important factor contributing to the relatively low rate of vaccination. The Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) was developed to assess COVID-19 vaccination acceptance levels. However, it has only been tested among Taiwanese, mainland Chinese, and Ghanaian populations (Chen et al, 2021; Fan et al, 2021; Yeh et al, 2021). Therefore, the present study examined the construct validity and measurement invariance of the MoVac-COVID19S among individuals from five countries (ie, Taiwan, mainland China, India, Ghana, and Afghanistan). Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study recruited 6053 participants across five countries who completed the survey between January and March 2021. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) fit indices were used to examine factor structure and measurement invariance across the five countries. Results: The fit indices of the CFA were relatively good across the countries except for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Moreover, the four-factor structure (either nine or 12 items) had a better fit than the one-factor structure. However, the four-factor model using nine MoVac-COVID19S items was the only model that had measurement invariance support for both factor loadings and item intercepts across the five countries. Conclusion: The present study confirmed that the MoVac-COVID19S has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to assess an individual's willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination.
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| 9. |
- Cromwell, EA, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting the environmental suitability for onchocerciasis in Africa as an aid to elimination planning
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLoS neglected tropical diseases. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1935-2735. ; 15:7, s. e0008824-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent evidence suggests that, in some foci, elimination of onchocerciasis from Africa may be feasible with mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin. To achieve continental elimination of transmission, mapping surveys will need to be conducted across all implementation units (IUs) for which endemicity status is currently unknown. Using boosted regression tree models with optimised hyperparameter selection, we estimated environmental suitability for onchocerciasis at the 5 × 5-km resolution across Africa. In order to classify IUs that include locations that are environmentally suitable, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to identify an optimal threshold for suitability concordant with locations where onchocerciasis has been previously detected. This threshold value was then used to classify IUs (more suitable or less suitable) based on the location within the IU with the largest mean prediction. Mean estimates of environmental suitability suggest large areas across West and Central Africa, as well as focal areas of East Africa, are suitable for onchocerciasis transmission, consistent with the presence of current control and elimination of transmission efforts. The ROC analysis identified a mean environmental suitability index of 0·71 as a threshold to classify based on the location with the largest mean prediction within the IU. Of the IUs considered for mapping surveys, 50·2% exceed this threshold for suitability in at least one 5 × 5-km location. The formidable scale of data collection required to map onchocerciasis endemicity across the African continent presents an opportunity to use spatial data to identify areas likely to be suitable for onchocerciasis transmission. National onchocerciasis elimination programmes may wish to consider prioritising these IUs for mapping surveys as human resources, laboratory capacity, and programmatic schedules may constrain survey implementation, and possibly delaying MDA initiation in areas that would ultimately qualify.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- James, SL, et al.
(författare)
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Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality: methods and data used in the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. - : BMJ. - 1475-5785. ; 26:SUPP_1Supp 1, s. 125-153
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria.MethodsIn this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced.ResultsGBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in terms of incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life-years for a 28-year period for 22 age groups, 195 countries and both sexes.ConclusionsGBD 2017 demonstrated a complex and sophisticated series of analytical steps using the largest known database of morbidity and mortality data on injuries. GBD 2017 results should be used to help inform injury prevention policy making and resource allocation. We also identify important avenues for improving injury burden estimation in the future.
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| 12. |
- James, SL, et al.
(författare)
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Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2020
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Ingår i: Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. - : BMJ. - 1475-5785. ; 26:SUPP_1Supp 1, s. 96-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries.MethodsWe reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).FindingsIn 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505).InterpretationInjuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.
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| 13. |
- Khan, Amir Sada, et al.
(författare)
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Efficient Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Levulinic Acid Using Acidic Ionic Liquids
- 2018
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Ingår i: Carbohydrate Polymers. - : Elsevier. - 0144-8617 .- 1879-1344. ; 181, s. 208-214
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present research work, dicationic ionic liquids, containing 1,1-Bis(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl) butylene ([C4(Mim)2]) cation with counter anions [(2HSO4)(H2SO4)0], [(2HSO4)(H2SO4)2] and [(2HSO4)(H2SO4)4] were synthesised. ILs structures were confirmed using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Thermal stability, Hammett acidity, density and viscosity of ILs were determined. Various types of lignocellulosic biomass such as rubber wood, palm oil frond, bamboo and rice husk were converted into LA. Among the synthesized ionic liquids, [C4(Mim)2][(2HSO4)(H2SO4)4] showed higher % yield of LA up to 47.52 from bamboo biomass at 100 °C for 60 min, which is the better yield at low temperature and short time compared to previous reports. Surface morphology, surface functional groups and thermal stability of bamboo before and after conversion into LA were studied using SEM, FTIR and TGA analysis, respectively. This one-pot production of levulinic acid from agro-waste will open new opportunity for the conversion of sustainable biomass resources into valuable chemicals.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Kocarnik, J. M., et al.
(författare)
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Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019 A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
- 2022
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Ingår i: Jama Oncology. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2374-2437 .- 2374-2445. ; 8:3, s. 420-488
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IMPORTANCE The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. OBJECTIVE To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. EVIDENCE REVIEW The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite measure of educational attainment, income per capita, and total fertility rate for those younger than 25 years. Estimates include 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). FINDINGS In 2019, there were an estimated 23.6 million (95% UI, 22.2-24.9 million) new cancer cases (17.2 million when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10.0 million (95% UI, 9.36-10.6 million) cancer deaths globally, with an estimated 250 million (235-264 million) DALYs due to cancer. Since 2010, these represented a 26.3%(95% UI, 20.3%-32.3%) increase in new cases, a 20.9%(95% UI, 14.2%-27.6%) increase in deaths, and a 16.0% (95% UI, 9.3%-22.8%) increase in DALYs. Among 22 groups of diseases and injuries in the GBD 2019 study, cancer was second only to cardiovascular diseases for the number of deaths, years of life lost, and DALYs globally in 2019. Cancer burden differed across SDI quintiles. The proportion of years lived with disability that contributed to DALYs increased with SDI, ranging from 1.4%(1.1%-1.8%) in the low SDI quintile to 5.7%(4.2%-7.1%) in the high SDI quintile. While the high SDI quintile had the highest number of new cases in 2019, the middle SDI quintile had the highest number of cancer deaths and YDALYs. From 2010 to 2019, the largest percentage increase in the numbers of cases and deaths occurred in the low and low-middle SDI quintiles. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results of this systematic analysis suggest that the global burden of cancer is substantial and growing, with burden differing by SDI. These results provide comprehensive and comparable estimates that can potentially inform efforts toward equitable cancer control around the world.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Micah, Angela E., et al.
(författare)
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Tracking development assistance for health and for COVID-19 : a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 204 countries and territories, 1990-2050
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 398:10308, s. 1317-1343
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The rapid spread of COVID-19 renewed the focus on how health systems across the globe are financed, especially during public health emergencies. Development assistance is an important source of health financing in many low-income countries, yet little is known about how much of this funding was disbursed for COVID-19. We aimed to put development assistance for health for COVID-19 in the context of broader trends in global health financing, and to estimate total health spending from 1995 to 2050 and development assistance for COVID-19 in 2020. Methods We estimated domestic health spending and development assistance for health to generate total health-sector spending estimates for 204 countries and territories. We leveraged data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to produce estimates of domestic health spending. To generate estimates for development assistance for health, we relied on project-level disbursement data from the major international development agencies' online databases and annual financial statements and reports for information on income sources. To adjust our estimates for 2020 to include disbursements related to COVID-19, we extracted project data on commitments and disbursements from a broader set of databases (because not all of the data sources used to estimate the historical series extend to 2020), including the UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance Financial Tracking Service and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. We reported all the historic and future spending estimates in inflation-adjusted 2020 US$, 2020 US$ per capita, purchasing-power parity-adjusted US$ per capita, and as a proportion of gross domestic product. We used various models to generate future health spending to 2050. Findings In 2019, health spending globally reached $8. 8 trillion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8.7-8.8) or $1132 (1119-1143) per person. Spending on health varied within and across income groups and geographical regions. Of this total, $40.4 billion (0.5%, 95% UI 0.5-0.5) was development assistance for health provided to low-income and middle-income countries, which made up 24.6% (UI 24.0-25.1) of total spending in low-income countries. We estimate that $54.8 billion in development assistance for health was disbursed in 2020. Of this, $13.7 billion was targeted toward the COVID-19 health response. $12.3 billion was newly committed and $1.4 billion was repurposed from existing health projects. $3.1 billion (22.4%) of the funds focused on country-level coordination and $2.4 billion (17.9%) was for supply chain and logistics. Only $714.4 million (7.7%) of COVID-19 development assistance for health went to Latin America, despite this region reporting 34.3% of total recorded COVID-19 deaths in low-income or middle-income countries in 2020. Spending on health is expected to rise to $1519 (1448-1591) per person in 2050, although spending across countries is expected to remain varied. Interpretation Global health spending is expected to continue to grow, but remain unequally distributed between countries. We estimate that development organisations substantially increased the amount of development assistance for health provided in 2020. Continued efforts are needed to raise sufficient resources to mitigate the pandemic for the most vulnerable, and to help curtail the pandemic for all. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Salam, Abdus, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of the atmospheric aerosol particle size distribution in a highly polluted mega-city in Southeast Asia (Dhaka-Bangladesh)
- 2012
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1352-2310 .- 1873-2844. ; 59, s. 338-343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aerosol particle size distribution was measured with an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) spectrometer continuously from January 21 to April 24, 2006 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Particles number, surface and mass distributions data were stored automatically with Aerosol Instrument Manager (AIM) software on average every half an hour in a computer attached to the APS. The grand total average of number, surface and mass concentrations were 8.2 x 10(3) +/- 7.8 x 10(3) particles cm(-3), 13.3 x 10(3) +/- 11.8 x 10(3) mu m(2) cm(-3) and 3.04 +/- 2.10 mg m(-3), respectively. Fine particles with diameter smaller than 1.0 mu m aerodynamic diameter (AD) dominated the number concentration, accounted for 91.7% of the total particles indicating vehicular emissions were dominating in Dhaka air either from fossil fuel burning or compressed natural gas (CNGs). The surface and mass concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 mu m AD were about 56.0% and 26.4% of the total particles, respectively. Remarkable seasonal differences were observed between winter and pre-monsoon seasons with the highest monthly average in January and the lowest in April. Aerosol particles in winter were 3.79 times higher for number, 3.15 times for surface and 2.18 times for mass distributions than during the pre-monsoon season. Weekends had lower concentrations than weekdays due to less vehicular traffic in the streets. Aerosol particles concentrations were about 15.0% (ranging from 9.4% to 17.3%) higher during traffic peak hours (6:00am-8:00pm) than off hours (8:00pm-6:00am). These are the first aerosol size distribution measurements with respect to number, surface and mass concentrations in real time at Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- 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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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Sharma, R., et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
- 2022
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Ingår i: Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-1253. ; 7:7, s. 627-647
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Given the recent increasing trends in colorectal cancer incidence globally, up-to-date information on the colorectal cancer burden could guide screening, early detection, and treatment strategies, and help effectively allocate resources. We examined the temporal patterns of the global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors in 204 countries and territories across the past three decades. Methods Estimates of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for colorectal cancer were generated as a part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 by age, sex, and geographical location for the period 1990-2019. Mortality estimates were produced using the cause of death ensemble model. We also calculated DALYs attributable to risk factors that had evidence of causation with colorectal cancer. Findings Globally, between 1990 and 2019, colorectal cancer incident cases more than doubled, from 842 098 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 810 408-868 574) to 2.17 million (2.00-2.34), and deaths increased from 518 126 (493 682-537 877) to 1.09 million (1.02-1.15). The global age-standardised incidence rate increased from 22.2 (95% UI 21.3-23.0) per 100 000 to 26.7 (24.6-28.9) per 100 000, whereas the age-standardised mortality rate decreased from 14.3 (13.5-14.9) per 100 000 to 13.7 (12.6-14.5) per 100 000 and the age-standardised DALY rate decreased from 308.5 (294.7-320.7) per 100 000 to 295.5 (275.2-313.0) per 100 000 from 1990 through 2019. Taiwan (province of China; 62.0 [48.9-80.0] per 100 000), Monaco (60.7 [48.5-73.6] per 100 000), and Andorra (56.6 [42.8-71.9] per 100 000) had the highest age-standardised incidence rates, while Greenland (31.4 [26.0-37.1] per 100 000), Brunei (30.3 [26.6-34.1] per 100 000), and Hungary (28.6 [23.6-34.0] per 100 000) had the highest age-standardised mortality rates. From 1990 through 2019, a substantial rise in incidence rates was observed in younger adults (age <50 years), particularly in high Socio-demographic Index (SDI) countries. Globally, a diet low in milk (15.6%), smoking (13.3%), a diet low in calcium (12.9%), and alcohol use (9.9%) were the main contributors to colorectal cancer DALYs in 2019. Interpretation The increase in incidence rates in people younger than 50 years requires vigilance from researchers, clinicians, and policy makers and a possible reconsideration of screening guidelines. The fast-rising burden in low SDI and middle SDI countries in Asia and Africa calls for colorectal cancer prevention approaches, greater awareness, and cost-effective screening and therapeutic options in these regions. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 26. |
- Tran, K. B., et al.
(författare)
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The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Lancet. - 0140-6736. ; 400:10352, s. 563-591
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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| 27. |
- Ullah, Imdad, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of enrichment on the development of behaviour in an endangered fish mahseer (Tor putitora)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 186, s. 93-100
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Structural enrichment in the rearing environment, not only promotes fish welfare, but also affects several aspects of behavioural biology of fish in aquaculture. Here an attempt was made to use physical enrichment to improve the behaviour of hatchery-reared fish. In this study, three groups of 15 days old mahseer (Tor putitora) hatchlings were reared up to advanced fry stage in barren (without any substrate), physically-enriched (gravel bed, substrate and plants) and semi-natural environments (earthen pond having a natural feed) respectively and the behavioural profiles of fish from these environments were compared. We illustrate that increased structural complexity during early life significantly affect various behavioural characteristics of the fish. Exploratory behaviour, predation and anti-predatory response were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in fish reared in physical enrichment and semi-natural environment than in barren-reared fish. These results have important implications for a possible way of improving the outcomes of restocking program of endangered fish species by modifying conventional hatchery-rearing environments.
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| 28. |
- Ullah, I., et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence of depression and anxiety among general population in Pakistan during COVID-19 lockdown : An online-survey
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Current Psychology. - : Springer. - 1046-1310 .- 1936-4733.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study's aim is to find the prevalence of two of the common indicators of mental health - depression and anxiety – and any correlation with socio-demographic indicators in the Pakistani population during the lockdown from 5 May to 25 July 2020. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire sent to volunteer participants. A total of 1047 participants over 18 were recruited through convenience sampling. The survey targeted depression and anxiety levels, which were measured using a 14 item self-reporting Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Out of the total sample population (N=354), 39.9% suffered from depression and 57.7% from anxiety. Binary logistical regressions indicated significant predictive associations of gender (OR=1.410), education (OR=9.311), residence (OR=0.370), household income (OR=0.579), previous psychiatric problems (OR=1.671), and previous psychiatric medication (OR=2.641). These were the key factors e associated with a significant increase in depression. Increases in anxiety levels were significantly linked to gender (OR=2.427), residence (OR=0.619), previous psychiatric problems (OR=1.166), and previous psychiatric medication (OR=7.330). These results suggest depression and anxiety were prevalent among the Pakistani population during the lockdown. Along with other measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, citizens' mental health needs the Pakistani government's urgent attention as well as that of mental health experts. Further large-scale, such as healthcare practitioners, should be undertaken to identify other mental health indicators that need to be monitored.
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| 29. |
- Ullah, Kaleem, et al.
(författare)
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Expanding the living liver donor pool in countries having limited deceased donor activity : Pakistani perspective
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Transplant Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0966-3274 .- 1878-5492. ; 75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the last decades, liver transplantation (LT) has evolved into a life-saving procedure. Due to limited deceased donor activities in the eastern world, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) had flourished tremendously in most Asian countries. Yet, these LDLT activities fall short of meeting the expected demands. Pakistan, a developing country, bears a major burden of liver diseases. Currently, only few centers offer LDLT services in the country. On the other hand, deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) activities have not started due to social, cultural, and religious beliefs. Various strategies can be adopted successfully to overcome the scarcity of live liver donors (LLDs) and to expand the donor pool, keeping in view donor safety and recipient outcome. These include consideration of LLDs with underlying clinical conditions like G6PD deficiency and Hepatitis B core positivity. Extended donor criteria can also be utilized and relaxation can be made in various donors' parameters including upper age and body mass index after approval from the multidisciplinary board. Also, left lobe grafts, grafts with various anatomical variations, and a low graft-to-recipient ratio can be considered in appropriate situations. ABO-incompatible LT and donor swapping at times may help in expanding the LLDs pool. Similarly, legislation is needed to allow live non-blood-related donors for organ donations. Finally, community education and awareness through various social media flat forms are needed to promote deceased organ donation.
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| 30. |
- Ullah, S., et al.
(författare)
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Future Population Exposure to Daytime and Nighttime Heat Waves in South Asia
- 2022
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Ingår i: Earth's Future. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2328-4277. ; 10:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is expected to result in more frequent and intense heat waves (HWs) in South Asia (SA). The simultaneous increases in temperature and population will exacerbate the population exposure to future HWs. Here we estimate the future population exposure to daytime and nighttime HWs in SA using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) models under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) during 2061-2100, relative to 1975-2014. The results show that the projected frequency and spatial extent of the daytime (nighttime) HWs will be higher under scenario SSP5-8.5, followed by SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP1-2.6 (SSP5-8.5, followed by SSP3-7.0, SSP2-4.5, and SSP1-2.6), relative to the historical period. The approach presented here allows decomposing the effects of climate change and future population on the overall exposure. The results reveal that the compounding effects of projected trends in population and HWs will significantly escalate the population exposure to HWs. Under the selected SSPs, the total population exposure to daytime and nighttime HWs ranges from 185 to 492 and 204-555 million people-event, respectively, with the maximum exposure occurring in the Indo-Gigantic Plain. The wide range of exposed populations highlights the sensitivity of the overall exposure to our future socioeconomic pathway decisions, emphasizing the importance of curbing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and adopting sustainable urban planning solutions to minimize the potential socioeconomic and health impacts of HWs.
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| 31. |
- Yasmin, Farah, et al.
(författare)
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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States : A Systematic Review
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2565. ; 9
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vaccine hesitancy in the US throughout the pandemic has revealed inconsistent results. This systematic review has compared COVID-19 vaccine uptake across US and investigated predictors of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance across different groups. A search of PUBMED database was conducted till 17th July, 2021. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were screened and 65 studies were selected for a quantitative analysis. The overall vaccine acceptance rate ranged from 12 to 91.4%, the willingness of studies using the 10-point scale ranged from 3.58 to 5.12. Increased unwillingness toward COVID-19 vaccine and Black/African Americans were found to be correlated. Sex, race, age, education level, and income status were identified as determining factors of having a low or high COVID-19 vaccine uptake. A change in vaccine acceptance in the US population was observed in two studies, an increase of 10.8 and 7.4%, respectively, between 2020 and 2021. Our results confirm that hesitancy exists in the US population, highest in Black/African Americans, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and low in the male sex. It is imperative for regulatory bodies to acknowledge these statistics and consequently, exert efforts to mitigate the burden of unvaccinated individuals and revise vaccine delivery plans, according to different vulnerable subgroups, across the country.
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| 32. |
- Abbas, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of Multiplierless Implementation of Nonlinear-Phase Versus Linear-Phase FIR filters
- 2008
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- FIR filters are often used because of their linear-phase response. However, there are certain applications where the linear-phase property is not required, such as signal energy estimation, but IIR filters can not be used due to the limitation of sample rate imposed by the recursive algorithm. In this work, we discuss multiplierless implementation of minimum order, and therefore nonlinear-phase, FIR filters and compare it to the linear-phase counterpart.
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| 33. |
- Abbas, Shahrukh, et al.
(författare)
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Impact Analysis of Large-Scale Wind Farms Integration in Weak Transmission Grid from Technical Perspectives
- 2020
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Ingår i: Energies. - : MDPI. - 1996-1073. ; 13:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The integration of commercial onshore large-scale wind farms into a national grid comes with several technical issues that predominately ensure power quality in accordance with respective grid codes. The resulting impacts are complemented with the absorption of larger amounts of reactive power by wind generators. In addition, seasonal variations and inter-farm wake effects further deteriorate the overall system performance and restrict the optimal use of available wind resources. This paper presented an assessment framework to address the power quality issues that have arisen after integrating large-scale wind farms into weak transmission grids, especially considering inter-farm wake effect, seasonal variations, reactive power depletion, and compensation with a variety of voltage-ampere reactive (Var) devices. Herein, we also proposed a recovery of significant active power deficits caused by the wake effect via increasing hub height of wind turbines. For large-scale wind energy penetration, a real case study was considered for three wind farms with a cumulative capacity of 154.4 MW integrated at a Nooriabad Grid in Pakistan to analyze their overall impacts. An actual test system was modeled in MATLAB Simulink for a composite analysis. Simulations were performed for various scenarios to consider wind intermittency, seasonal variations across four seasons, and wake effect. The capacitor banks and various flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) devices were employed for a comparative analysis with and without considering the inter-farm wake effect. The power system parameters along with active and reactive power deficits were considered for comprehensive analysis. Unified power flow controller (UPFC) was found to be the best compensation device through comparative analysis, as it maintained voltage at nearly 1.002 pu, suppressed frequency transient in a range of 49.88-50.17 Hz, and avoided any resonance while maintaining power factors in an allowable range. Moreover, it also enhanced the power handling capability of the power system. The 20 m increase in hub height assisted the recovery of the active power deficit to 48%, which thus minimized the influence of the wake effect.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Afshin, Ashkan, et al.
(författare)
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Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2019
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 393:10184, s. 1958-1972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Suboptimal diet is an important preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs); however, its impact on the burden of NCDs has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the consumption of major foods and nutrients across 195 countries and to quantify the impact of their suboptimal intake on NCD mortality and morbidity.Methods: By use of a comparative risk assessment approach, we estimated the proportion of disease-specific burden attributable to each dietary risk factor (also referred to as population attributable fraction) among adults aged 25 years or older. The main inputs to this analysis included the intake of each dietary factor, the effect size of the dietary factor on disease endpoint, and the level of intake associated with the lowest risk of mortality. Then, by use of diseasespecific population attributable fractions, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), we calculated the number of deaths and DALYs attributable to diet for each disease outcome.Findings: In 2017, 11 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 10-12) deaths and 255 million (234-274) DALYs were attributable to dietary risk factors. High intake of sodium (3 million [1-5] deaths and 70 million [34-118] DALYs), low intake of whole grains (3 million [2-4] deaths and 82 million [59-109] DALYs), and low intake of fruits (2 million [1-4] deaths and 65 million [41-92] DALYs) were the leading dietary risk factors for deaths and DALYs globally and in many countries. Dietary data were from mixed sources and were not available for all countries, increasing the statistical uncertainty of our estimates.Interpretation: This study provides a comprehensive picture of the potential impact of suboptimal diet on NCD mortality and morbidity, highlighting the need for improving diet across nations. Our findings will inform implementation of evidence-based dietary interventions and provide a platform for evaluation of their impact on human health annually.
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| 36. |
- Agback, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Root morphology and cluster root formation by seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in response to nitrogen, phosphorus and iron deficiency
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plant and Soil. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0032-079X .- 1573-5036. ; 397, s. 75-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aims were to investigate effects of availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) on root properties of seabuckthorn (HippophaA << rhamnoides) and to test the hypothesis that seabuckthorn is able to form cluster roots (CRs).Two sources of seabuckthorn were used: the seabuckthorn cultivar BHi10726 originating from a breeding programme based on H.r. ssp mongolica and carried out in rich agricultural field soil in the black earth (chernozem) region of Russia and the seabuckthorn accession named Pk originating in a natural population of H.r. ssp turkestanica in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan. Three cultivation systems giving different water availabilities were used at two levels each of N, P and Fe. Root morphology of seedlings and clones was characterized and metabolite content in extracts of young and old CRs of Pk was analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Availability of N affected growth and distribution of biomass between shoot and root, while P and Fe deficiency modified root system architecture towards more lateral roots. Densely positioned rootlets with a determinate type of growth consistent with the definition of CR were observed under low P and low Fe. Pk formed on average 12 CRs per plant, which was 3 to 4-fold higher compared to BHi10726 also when normalized per root length. Malate and glycine were most abundant of the organic acids and amino acids, respectively, and decreased in old CRs.Seabuckthorn has the ability to form cluster roots especially in Pk and under deficiency of P and Fe. The two sources of seabuckthorn with different histories showed distinctly different root system architectures. The high contents of malate and glycine and their decrease in old CRs may reflect roles in CR metabolism.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Ahmad, Ikhlas, et al.
(författare)
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Highly Compact GCPW-Fed Multi-Branch Structure Multi-Band Antenna for Wireless Applications
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Antennas and Propagation. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-5869 .- 1687-5877. ; 2022, s. 1-9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, we present a highly compact multi-branch structure multi-band antenna with a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW)-fed structure printed on 26 x 13 x 1.6 mm(3) sized FR-4 substrate having dielectric constant epsilon r of 4.3 and loss tangent delta of 0.02. In the proposed antenna, five branches are extended from the main radiator to provide multi-band behavior. Two branches are introduced at the upper end of the main radiator, effectively covering the lower bands, while the other three branches are introduced near the center of the main radiator to extend operation to higher bands. The designed antenna covers five different bands: 2.4 GHz, 4.5 GHz, 5.5 GHz, 6.5 GHz, and 7.8 GHz, with respective gain values of 1.34, 1.60, 1.83, 1.80, and 3.50 dBi and respective radiation efficiency values of 90, 88, 84, 75, and 89%. The antenna shows a good impedance bandwidth, ranging from 170 MHz to 3070 MHz. The proposed antenna is simulated in CST Microwave Studio, while its performance is experimentally validated by the fabrication and testing process. The antenna has potential applications for IoT, sub-6 GHz 5G and WLAN (both enablers for IoT), C-band, and X-band services.
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| 39. |
- Ahmad, Naveed, et al.
(författare)
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A CSR perspective to foster employee creativity in the banking sector : The role of work engagement and psychological safety
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-6989. ; 67
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The entire service sector has acknowledged the importance of employee creativity. However, the underlying mechanism due to which employees are engaged in creativity has been relatively unexplored. Moreover, where the banking service sector in advanced countries has realized the potential role of employee creativity for a bank's success, the same was not fully realized in the context of a developing country, especially in Pakistan. Against this backdrop, the current study is an effort to explore the underlying mechanism of employee creativity as an outcome of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the mediating effects of work engagement (WE) and psychological safety (PS) in the banking sector of Pakistan. Data were collected (n = 483) from banking employees through a self-administered questionnaire, which used the paper and pencil method. The hypotheses of the current survey were validated by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS software. The results confirmed that employee creativity, as an outcome of CSR, was significantly influenced by the CSR orientation of a bank. Furthermore, PS and WE produced a significant mediation effect (41%) between the relationship of CSR and employee creativity. The findings of the current study are helpful to the banking sector of Pakistan in understanding the CSR-employee creativity mechanism, which is of utmost importance from the standpoint of competition.
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| 40. |
- Ahmad, Naveed, et al.
(författare)
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Corporate social responsibility at the micro-level as a “new organizational value” for sustainability : Are females more aligned towards it?
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While prior studies have largely addressed corporate social responsibility (CSR) at a macro or institutional level, its importance at the micro or individual level is to date underexplored, especially in the context of developing economies. Further, it is not clear from the studies in the extant literature how the role of females is more important in the context of environmental management as compared to males. Similarly, micro-level CSR (MCSR) is emerging as a “new organizational value”, and the organizations that acknowledge this “new organizational value” and incorporate it into their business operations are likely to achieve sustainability objectives far better as compared to their counterparts. The present study investigates the impact of MCSR on employees’ pro-environmental behavior with the moderating effect of gender in the healthcare sector of Pakistan. The data were collected from five large hospitals in the city of Lahore through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS software. A total of 533 out of 800 responses were received, which were used for data analysis of the present study. The results revealed that MCSR positively influences employee’s pro-environmental behavior, and gender moderates this relationship but the moderating effect of females is stronger as compared to males. The findings of the present study would help policymakers understand the importance of MCSR as a “new organizational value” to influence employees’ pro-environmental behavior with a special focus to promote the proactive role of females at workplaces.
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| 41. |
- Ahmad, Naveed, et al.
(författare)
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Improving Firm’s Economic and Environmental Performance Through the Sustainable and Innovative Environment : Evidence From an Emerging Economy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Businesses in the present era are dealing with a complex and unprecedented brew of social, environmental, and technological trends. This requires sophisticated, sustainability-based management. Yet organizations are often reluctant to place sustainability core to their business strategies with the mistaken belief that the costs associated with environmental investments outweigh the benefits. The Global Climate Risk Index has placed Pakistan on 5th position in the list of nations, most susceptible to climate change in its recent report. Pakistan lost the lives of 9,989 people, incurred economic losses of $ 3.8 billion, and faced 152 shocking climates between 1999 and 2018. Based on this information, it is established that Pakistan’s susceptibility to climate change is growing unprecedentedly and industrial pollution is one of the biggest contributors in this respect. The country needs to take emergency measures to address this issue. With this background, the present study aims to investigate the impact of environmental sustainability on environmental and economic performance (EP) with the mediating effect of environmental innovation (EI) in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The results show that environmental sustainability is a significant predictor of environmental performance and EP and EI mediates this relationship. The findings of the present study provide better insights to policymakers to address the environmental degradation, resulting from industrial pollution.
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| 42. |
- Ahmad, Naveed, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship between corporate social responsibility at the micro-level and environmental performance : The mediating role of employee pro-environmental behavior and the moderating role of gender
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-5509. ; 27, s. 1138-1148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since Pakistan is vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, the country needs emergency measures at every level to mitigate their effect. Many studies have addressed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the macro or institutional level, but its effect at the micro-level is largely ignored in the contemporary literature. The present study aims at filling this gap by highlighting the role of micro-level CSR on Environmental Performance (ENP) and how it is influenced by employees’ pro-environmental (PEB) behavior and gender. This study has been carried out in the context of deteriorating environmental conditions, scarce CSR activities and a male dominant society. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire targeting the manufacturing and the service sectors of Pakistan and analyzed through the structural equation modeling technique, using AMOS and SPSS software. The results of this study confirm that micro-level CSR initiatives directly (β = 0.39⁎⁎) and indirectly (β = 0.031⁎⁎) influence the environmental performance of an organization by means of employees’ PEB. A conditional indirect gender effect on this interaction was also observed, with women (β =0.17⁎⁎) exerting a stronger effect than men (β = 0.031⁎⁎). These findings may be helpful for policymakers involved in environmental management: It is possible to reduce the environmental footprint of Pakistan's organizations by encouraging employee's PEB and particularly by actively involving women which are systematically set apart from decision making in Pakistan.
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| 43. |
- Ahmad, Naveed, et al.
(författare)
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The nexus of csr and co-creation : A roadmap towards consumer loyalty
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainability (Switzerland). - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 13:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is regarded as an effort to be undertaken by the businesses to contribute towards society at large positively. The idea behind the concept of CSR is that businesses are required to pursue the notion of pro-social objectives along with economic objectives. Research has long established that corporate social responsibility, along with its philanthropic nature, can also produce extraordinary marketing results for businesses. The relationship between CSR and consumer loyalty is well acknowledged in extant literature. Likewise, involving consumers through co-creation in the product/service development process may provide an exciting experience to consumers, which is likely to influence their loyalty. With these arguments, the present research investigates the impact of CSR on consumer loyalty with the mediating role of co-creation in the banking sector of an emerging economy such as Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used for data analysis in the present study. The results validate that CSR improves consumer loyalty, and co-creation partially mediates this relationship. The results of the current survey will help banking institutions to identify how they can develop core strategic considerations based on CSR and co-creation.
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| 44. |
- Ahmad, Sajjad, et al.
(författare)
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Novel mutations in genes of the IL-12/IFN-γ axis cause susceptibility to tuberculosis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Infection and Public Health. - : Elsevier. - 1876-0341 .- 1876-035X. ; 16:9, s. 1368-1378
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The IL-12/23/ISG15-IFN-γ pathway is the main immunological pathway for controlling intra-macrophagic microorganisms such as Mycobacteria, Salmonella, and Leishmania spp. Consequently, upon mutations in genes of the IL-12/23/ISG15-IFN-γ pathway cause increased susceptibility to intra-macrophagic pathogens, particularly to Mycobacteria. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the mutations in genes of the IL-12/23/ISG15-IFN-γ pathway in severe tuberculosis (TB) patients.Methods: Clinically suspected TB was initially confirmed in four patients (P) (P1, P2, P3, and P4) using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF and culturing techniques. The patients' Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were then subjected to ELISA to measure Interleukin 12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Flow cytometry was used to detect the surface expressions of IFN-γR1 and IFN-γR2 as well as IL-12Rβ1and IL-12Rβ2 on monocytes and T lymphocytes, respectively.The phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1(STAT1) on monocytes and STAT4 on T lymphocytes were also detected by flow cytometry. Sanger sequencing was used to identify mutations in the IL-12Rβ1, STAT1, NEMO, and CYBB genes.Results: P1's PBMCs exhibited reduced IFN-γ production, while P2's and P3's PBMCs exhibited impaired IL-12 induction. Low IL-12Rβ1 surface expression and reduced STAT4 phosphorylation were demonstrated by P1's T lymphocytes, while impaired STAT1 phosphorylation was detected in P2's monocytes. The impaired IκB-α degradation and abolished H2O2 production in monocytes and neutrophils of P3 and P4 were observed, respectively. Sanger sequencing revealed novel nonsense homozygous mutation: c.191 G>A/p.W64 * in exon 3 of the IL-12Rβ1 gene in P1, novel missense homozygous mutation: c.107 A>T/p.Q36L in exon 3 of the STAT1 gene in P2, missense hemizygous mutation:: c.950 A>C/p.Q317P in exon 8 of the NEMO gene in P3, and nonsense hemizygous mutation: c.868 C>T/p.R290X in exon 8 of CYBB gene in P4.Conclusion: Our findings broaden the clinical and genetic spectra associated with IL-12/23/ISG15-IFN-γ axis anomalies. Additionally, our data suggest that TB patients in Pakistan should be investigated for potential genetic defects due to high prevalence of parental consanguinity and increased incidence of TB in the country.
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| 45. |
- Ahmad, Tausif, et al.
(författare)
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Controllable phytosynthesis of gold nanoparticles and investigation of their size and morphology-dependent photocatalytic activity under visible light
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A. - : Elsevier. - 1010-6030 .- 1873-2666. ; 392, s. 1-11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plants mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) containing desired characteristics for their suitable potential applications has been a challenging task, which is causing a major hindrance towards its commercialization. Therefore, herein phytosynthesis of AuNPs with required size and morphology has been achieved through manipulating the reaction conditions including reaction temperature and volume of Elaeis guineensis leaves (EGL) extract. Furthermore, photocatalytic potential of EGL mediated AuNPs having different size and shape has also been explored for the removal of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The reaction temperature and volume of EGL strongly influenced the size and morphology of AuNPs, which are directly associated with the photocatalytic activities. The experimental results revealed that predominantly spherical and ultra-smaller size AuNPs with particle size of 16.26 ± 5.84 nm, formed at 70 °C showed the highest removal efficiency up to 92.55 % in 60 min. This highest photocatalytic activity of AuNPs could be attributed to the availability of higher number of low-coordinated gold (Au) atoms in the MB aqueous solution, which might have boosted the adsorption of the MB on the surface of particles and accelerated the degradation phenomenon. The proposed photocatalytic degradation mechanism of AuNPs for MB was also explained. The highly photoactive EGL mediated AuNPs with controllable morphology and size could be an advance step in future in chemical and biomedical applications.
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| 46. |
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- 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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- Ahmed, Mukhtiar, et al.
(författare)
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Aromatic Heterocyclic Anion Based Ionic Liquids and Electrolytes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 25:4, s. 3502-3512
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Five new ionic materials comprising fluorine-free aromatic heterocyclic anions based on pyridine and pyrazine combined with a common n-tetrabutylphosphonium cation, (P4444)+, result in two room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), one semi-solid, and two organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) with melting points >20 °C. The OIPCs showed a plastic crystalline phase, multiple solid–solid transitions, and plastic crystalline and melt phases. For both the neat RTILs and the Li+ conducting electrolytes, the nature and strength of the ion–ion interactions mainly depend on the position of the nitrogen atom with respect to the carboxylate group in the anions. Furthermore, for the RTILs the ionic conductivity is effected by the electronic structure and flexibility of the ions and the anions diffuse faster than the (P4444)+ cation, but are slowed down in the electrolytes due to the strong electrostatic interactions between the carboxylate group of the anions and the Li+, as shown both experimentally and computationally. Overall, this study describes the effect of structural tuning of aromatic anions on the ion–ion interactions and introduces new ionic materials with promising properties to be used as solid and liquid electrolytes in energy storage devices.
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