| 1. |
- Asif, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
-
Diagnostic Performance and Appropriate Cut-Offs of Different Anthropometric Indicators for Detecting Children with Overweight and Obesity
- 2021
-
Ingår i: BioMed Research International. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 2314-6133 .- 2314-6141.
-
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.
|
|
| 2. |
- Khan, Asif, et al.
(författare)
-
Multivariate statistical analysis of heavy metals and physico-chemical parameters in the groundwater of Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. - : Estonian Academy Publishers. - 1736-6046 .- 1736-7530. ; 70:3, s. 297-306
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Groundwater heavy metal pollution is a major concern all around the world. For the assessment of heavy metals and physico-chemical characteristics. groundwater samples were collected from different locations of the Karak District, Pakistan. With the help of the global information system device (GIS), groundwater samples were collected and studied from 47 locations. The present study focused on the water table (WT), water source depth (WSD), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), lead (Pb(II)), silver (Ag(I)), iron (Fe(II)) and chromium (Cr(VI)) parameters. Heavy metals were analyzed by the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The Pearson's matrix of correlation showed relationships between several parameters, such as the EC and the TDS which had close interactions between all the three different groundwater samples (collected by hand pump (HP), bore holes (BH) and tube wells (TW)). The strong correlation was detected in all the sources of water between the TDS and the EC, the regression coefficient (r) of which was 1. In the hierarchical clustering (by dendrograms) the HP samples show two clusters: Cluster 1 contains seven parameters and Cluster 2 has four parameters. The BH samples have two clusters: Cluster 1 contains three parameters and Cluster 2 has eight parameters. The TW dendrogram also shows two clusters: Cluster 1 contains six parameters while Cluster 2 has five parameters.
|
|
| 3. |
- Fajar, Jonny Karunia, et al.
(författare)
-
Global Prevalence and Potential Influencing Factors of COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy : A Meta-Analysis
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Vaccines. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-393X. ; 10:8
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Countries worldwide have deployed mass COVID-19 vaccination drives, but there are people who are hesitant to receive the vaccine. Studies assessing the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy are inconclusive. This study aimed to assess the global prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and determine the potential factors associated with such hesitancy. We performed an organized search for relevant articles in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Extraction of the required information was performed for each study. A single-arm meta-analysis was performed to determine the global prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy; the potential factors related to vaccine hesitancy were analyzed using a Z-test. A total of 56 articles were included in our analysis. We found that the global prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was 25%. Being a woman, being a 50-year-old or younger, being single, being unemployed, living in a household with five or more individuals, having an educational attainment lower than an undergraduate degree, having a non-healthcare-related job and considering COVID-19 vaccines to be unsafe were associated with a higher risk of vaccination hesitancy. In contrast, living with children at home, maintaining physical distancing norms, having ever tested for COVID-19, and having a history of influenza vaccination in the past few years were associated with a lower risk of hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination. Our study provides valuable information on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy, and we recommend special interventions in the sub-populations with increased risk to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
|
|
| 4. |
- Haris, Abdullah, et al.
(författare)
-
Prolonged Repellent Activity of Plant Essential Oils against Dengue Vector, Aedes aegypti
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Molecules. - : MDPI AG. - 1431-5157 .- 1420-3049. ; 28:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Repellents are effective personal protective means against outdoor biting mosquitoes. Repellent formulations composed of EOs are finding increased popularity among consumers. In this study, after an initial screening of 11 essential oils (EOs) at the concentration of 33 μg/cm2, five of the most repellent EOs, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Citrus reticulata (fruit peels), C. reticulata (leaves), Mentha longifolia, and Dysphania ambrosioides were further investigated for repellent activity against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in time span bioassays. When tested at the concentrations of 33 μg/cm2, 165 μg/cm2 and 330 μg/cm2, the EO of P. atriplicifolia showed the longest repellent effect up to 75, 90 and 135 min, respectively, which was followed by C. reticulata (peels) for 60, 90 and 120 min, M. longifolia for 45, 60 and 90 min, and C. reticulata (leaves) for 30, 45 and 75 min. Notably, the EO of P. atriplicifolia tested at the dose of 330 μg/cm2 showed complete protection for 60 min which was similar to the commercial mosquito repellent DEET. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses of the EOs revealed camphor (19.7%), limonene (92.7%), sabinene (24.9%), carvone (82.6%), and trans-ascaridole (38.8%) as the major constituents of P. atriplicifolia, C. reticulata (peels), C. reticulata (leaves), M. longifolia, and D. ambrosioides, respectively. The results of the present study could help develop plant-based commercial repellents to protect humans from dengue mosquitoes.
|
|
| 5. |
- Abbas, Muhammad Ghazanfar, et al.
(författare)
-
Chemical Composition, Larvicidal and Repellent Activities of Wild Plant Essential Oils against Aedes aegypti
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Biology. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-7737. ; 12:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bio-degradable and eco-friendly essential oils (EOs) extracted from Mentha longifolia, Salsola imbricata, Erigeron bonariensis, E. canadensis, Ailanthus altissima, and Zanthoxylum armatum were investigated for their repellent and larvicidal potential against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, E. canadensis, A. altissima, and Z. armatum exhibited 99.0%, 96.8%, 40.2%, 41.7%, 29.1%, and 13.2% repellency against mosquitoes at a tested dose of 33.3 μg/cm2, respectively. In time span bioassays, the EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, and E. canadensis showed more than 40% repellency for 60 min at a tested dose of 330 μg/cm2. Larvicidal bioassays revealed that larvae of Ae. aegypti were the most susceptible to M. longifolia (LC50, 39.3 mg/L), E. bonariensis (LC50, 26.0 mg/L), E. canadensis (LC50, 35.7 mg/L), and Z. armatum (LC50, 35.9 mg/L) EOs upon 48 h exposure. The most abundant constituents in the EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, E. canadensis and A. altissima were piperitone oxide (45.5%), carvone (39.9%), matricaria ester (43.1%), (31.7%) and eugenol (24.4%), respectively. Our study demonstrates that EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, and E. canadensis might be used to control Ae. aegypti mosquitoes without harming humans or the environment.
|
|
| 6. |
- Abbas, Muhammad Tahir, et al.
(författare)
-
An adaptive approach to vehicle trajectory prediction using multimodel Kalman filter
- 2020
-
Ingår i: European transactions on telecommunications. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1124-318X .- 2161-3915.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the aim to improve road safety services in critical situations, vehicle trajectory and future location prediction are important tasks. An infinite set of possible future trajectories can exit depending on the current state of vehicle motion. In this paper, we present a multimodel-based Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), which is able to predict a set of possible scenarios for vehicle future location. Five different EKF models are proposed in which the current state of a vehicle exists, particularly, a vehicle at intersection or on a curve path. EKF with Interacting Multiple Model framework is explored combinedly for mathematical model creation and probability calculation for that model to be selected for prediction. Three different parameters are considered to create a state vector matrix, which includes vehicle position, velocity, and distance of the vehicle from the intersection. Future location of a vehicle is then used by the software-defined networking controller to further enhance the safety and packet delivery services by the process of flow rule installation intelligently to that specific area only. This way of flow rule installation keeps the controller away from irrelevant areas to install rules, hence, reduces the network overhead exponentially. Proposed models are created and tested in MATLAB with real-time global positioning system logs from Jeju, South Korea.
|
|
| 7. |
- Alay-e-Abbas, Syed Muhammad, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
-
Structure inversion asymmetry enhanced electronic structure and electrical transport in 2D A3SnO (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba) anti-perovskite monolayers
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Nano Reseach. - : Springer Nature. - 1998-0124 .- 1998-0000. ; 16:1, s. 1779-1791
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anti-perovskites A3SnO (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba) are an important class of materials due to the emergence of Dirac cones and tiny mass gaps in their band structures originating from an intricate interplay of crystal symmetry, spin-orbit coupling, and band overlap. This provides an exciting playground for modulating their electronic properties in the two-dimensional (2D) limit. Herein, we employ first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations by combining dispersion-corrected SCAN + rVV10 and mBJ functionals for a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the structural, thermodynamic, dynamical, mechanical, electronic, and thermoelectric properties of bulk and monolayer (one unit cell thick) A3SnO anti-perovskites. Our results show that 2D monolayers derived from bulk A3SnO anti-perovskites are structurally and energetically stable. Moreover, Rashba-type splitting in the electronic structure of Ca3SnO and Sr3SnO monolayers is observed owing to strong spin-orbit coupling and inversion asymmetry. On the other hand, monolayer Ba3SnO exhibits Dirac cone at the high-symmetry Γ point due to the domination of band overlap. Based on the predicted electronic transport properties, it is shown that inversion asymmetry plays an essential character such that the monolayers Ca3SnO and Sr3SnO outperform thermoelectric performance of their bulk counterparts.
|
|
| 8. |
- Batool, Javaria, et al.
(författare)
-
Oxygen-vacancy-induced magnetism in anti-perovskite topological Dirac semimetal Ba3SnO
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 23:43, s. 24878-24891
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The thermodynamic, structural, magnetic and electronic properties of the pristine and intrinsic vacancy-defect-containing topological Dirac semimetal Ba3SnO are studied using first-principles density functional theory calculations. The thermodynamic stability of Ba3SnO has been evaluated with reference to its competing binary phases Ba2Sn, BaSn and BaO. Subsequently, valid limits of the atomic chemical potentials derived from the thermodynamic stability were used for assessing the formation of Ba, Sn and O vacancy defects in Ba3SnO under different synthesis environments. Based on the calculated defect-formation energies, we find that the charge-neutral oxygen vacancies are the most favourable type of vacancy defect under most chemical environments. The calculated electronic properties of pristine Ba3SnO show that inclusion of spin–orbit coupling in exchange–correlation potentials computed using generalized gradient approximation yields a semimetallic band structure exhibiting twin Dirac cones along the Γ–X path of the Brillouin zone. The effect of spin–polarization and spin–orbit coupling on the physical properties of intrinsic vacancy defects containing Ba3SnO has been examined in detail. Using Bader charges, electron localization function (ELF), electronic density of states (DOS) and spin density, we show that the isolated oxygen vacancy is a magnetic defect in anti-perovskite Ba3SnO. Our results show that the origin of magnetism in Ba3SnO is the accumulation of unpaired charges at the oxygen vacancy sites, which couple strongly with the 5d states of the Ba atom. Owing to the metastability observed in earlier theoretically predicted magnetic topological semimetals, the present study reveals the important role of intrinsic vacancy defects in giving rise to magnetism and also provides opportunities for engineering the electronic structure of a Dirac semimetal.
|
|
| 9. |
- Bilal, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
-
DFT insights into surface properties of anti-perovskite 3D topological crystalline insulators : A case study of (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Physics Letters A. - : Elsevier. - 0375-9601 .- 1873-2429. ; 408
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this letter density functional theory calculations are used for investigating the structural, energetic and electronic properties of CaSn- and Ca2O-terminated (001) surfaces of anti-perovskite Ca3SnO. Our calculations indicate larger structural changes in case of the CaSn-terminated (001) surface of Ca3SnO, however, both CaSn- and Ca2O-terminated surfaces of Ca3SnO are found to be energetically stable. The electronic properties of (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO are examined by taking spin-orbit coupling into account. Comparison of the simulated results of electronic properties for the two (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO with experimentally reported hole carrier densities observed in p-type polycrystalline samples show good agreement.
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
