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| 2. |
- Munk, P., et al.
(författare)
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Genomic analysis of sewage from 101 countries reveals global landscape of antimicrobial resistance
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global health. Understanding the emergence, evolution, and transmission of individual antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is essential to develop sustainable strategies combatting this threat. Here, we use metagenomic sequencing to analyse ARGs in 757 sewage samples from 243 cities in 101 countries, collected from 2016 to 2019. We find regional patterns in resistomes, and these differ between subsets corresponding to drug classes and are partly driven by taxonomic variation. The genetic environments of 49 common ARGs are highly diverse, with most common ARGs carried by multiple distinct genomic contexts globally and sometimes on plasmids. Analysis of flanking sequence revealed ARG-specific patterns of dispersal limitation and global transmission. Our data furthermore suggest certain geographies are more prone to transmission events and should receive additional attention.
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| 3. |
- Kumar, Rohan, et al.
(författare)
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Transforming the transportation sector : Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through electric vehicles (EVs) and exploring sustainable pathways
- 2024
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Ingår i: AIP Advances. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 2158-3226. ; 14:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transportation-related emissions in Pakistan have been rapidly increasing in recent years. This study aims to determine how important it is to electrify road transportation in Pakistan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector. Motivated by the need to tackle the growing environmental issues related to conventional fuel-powered automobiles, this research explores the application of electrification techniques in the context of Pakistan’s transportation system. During the 2019 fiscal year, the transportation industry in Pakistan consumed 23 × 106 tonnes of energy from the burning of fossil fuels and produced 52.9 × 106 metric tons of CO2, which made up 31% of the country’s total carbon emissions. In this research, different scenarios, such as business as usual, low carbon, strengthen low carbon, and Pakistan National Electric Vehicle Policy 2040, are evaluated for the transportation sector of the country. Using the LEAP model, this study projects the effects of electrification on Pakistan road transportation over 30 years. When estimating how electrification will affect road transportation in Pakistan over the next 30 years, several factors were taken into account, including policy frameworks, changing consumer behavior, technology advancements, and infrastructure improvements. The analysis covered the emission levels, adoption hurdles, and possible advantages of transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs). The outcomes illustrate that adopting EVs can produce substantial drops in fuel consumption and environmental emissions, providing a sustainable solution to mitigate global warming. This work is directly associated with various Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG3 (good health and well-being), SDG7 (affordable and clean energy), and SDG13 (climate action). The results of this study highlight the considerable potential for GHG reduction associated with the widespread adoption of EVs, offering crucial insights to stakeholders and policymakers.
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| 4. |
- Abdullah, Gamil M. S., et al.
(författare)
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Effect of titanium dioxide as nanomaterials on mechanical and durability properties of rubberised concrete by applying RSM modelling and optimizations
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Materials. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-8016. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of rubber aggregates derived from discarded rubber tyres in concrete is a pioneering approach to replacing natural aggregate (NA) and promoting sustainable building practices. Recycled aggregate in concrete serves the dual purpose of alleviating the accumulation of discarded rubber tyres on the planet and providing a more sustainable alternative to decreasing natural aggregate. Due to fact that the crumb rubber (CR) decreases the strength when used in concrete, incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a nanomaterial to counteract the decrease in strength of crumb rubber concrete is a potential solution. Response Surface Methodology was developed to generate sixteen RUNs which contains different mix design by providing two input parameters like TiO2 at 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by cement weight and CR at 10%, 20%, and 30% as substitutions for volume of sand. These mixtures underwent testing for 28 days to evaluate their mechanical, deformation, and durability properties. Moreover, the compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength and elastic modulus were recorded by 51.40 MPa, 4.47 MPa, 5.91 MPa, and 40.15 GPa when 1.5% TiO2 and 10% CR were added in rubberised concrete after 28 days respectively. Furthermore, the incorporation of TiO2 led to reduced drying shrinkage and sorptivity in rubberized concrete, especially with increased TiO2 content. The study highlights that TiO2 inclusion refines pore size and densifies the interface between cement matrix and aggregate in hardened rubberized concrete. This transformative effect results in rubberized concrete demonstrating a commendable compressive strength comparable to normal concrete.
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| 5. |
- Ahlstrom, Christina A., et al.
(författare)
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Genomically diverse carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae from wild birds provide insight into global patterns of spatiotemporal dissemination
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 824
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a threat to public health globally, yet the role of the environment in the epidemiology of CRE remains elusive. Given that wild birds can acquire CRE, likely from foraging in anthropogenically impacted areas, and may aid in the maintenance and dissemination of CRE in the environment, a spatiotemporal comparison of isolates from different regions and timepoints may be useful for elucidating epidemiological information. Thus, we characterized the genomic diversity of CRE from fecal samples opportunistically collected from gulls (Larus spp.) inhabiting Alaska (USA), Chile, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine and from black kites (Milvus migrans) sampled in Pakistan and assessed evidence for spatiotemporal patterns of dissemination. Within and among sampling locations, a high diversity of carbapenemases was found, including Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM), oxacillinase (OXA), and Verona integron Metallo beta-lactamase (VIM). Although the majority of genomic comparisons among samples did not provide evidence for spatial dissemination, we did find strong evidence for dissemination among Alaska, Spain, and Turkey. We also found strong evidence for temporal dissemination among samples collected in Alaska and Pakistan, though the majority of CRE clones were transitory and were not repeatedly detected among locations where samples were collected longitudinally. Carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent K. pneumoniae was isolated from gulls in Spain and Ukraine and some isolates harbored antimicrobial resistance genes conferring resistance to up to 10 different antibiotic classes, including colistin. Our results are consistent with local acquisition of CRE by wild birds with spatial dissemination influenced by intermediary transmission routes, likely involving humans. Furthermore, our results support the premise that anthropogenicallyassociated wild birds may be good sentinels for understanding the burden of clinically-relevant antimicrobial resistance in the local human population.
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| 6. |
- Ilyas, Muhammad Tasaduq, et al.
(författare)
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Substantial performance of copper sulfide nanotubes at high current densities for energy storage applications
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Energy Storage. - : Elsevier. - 2352-152X .- 2352-1538. ; 85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents the direct growth of CuS nanotubes (NTs) on nickel foam using a facile solution synthesis route. The structural, elemental and morphological analyses of CuS NTs grown Ni foam were conducted through X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and field emission scanning electron microscope. The electrochemical performance of the prepared electrodes was comprehensively characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The CuS NTs grown electrodes delivered a specific capacitance of 1539 Fg−1 at 1 mVs−1 and 1365 Fg−1 at 5 Ag−1, demonstrating a remarkable rate capability of 66 % at an extremely high current density of 25 Ag−1. Notably, the CuS NTs electrode demonstrated good cyclic stability, as evidenced by a charge retention of 75.5 % after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 20 Ag−1. The charge storage mechanism was predominantly diffusion controlled, accomplished by analyzing CV data. Overall, this work evinces that the as-synthesized CuS NTs hold a significant promise as electrode materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage applications.
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| 7. |
- Mohammed, Mohsin, et al.
(författare)
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Ice coating –A new method of brain device insertion to mitigate acute injuries
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0270. ; 343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Reduction of insertion injury is likely important to approach physiological conditions in the vicinity of implanted devices intended to interface with the surrounding brain. New methods: We have developed a novel, low-friction coating around frozen, gelatin embedded needles. By introducing a layer of thawing ice onto the gelatin, decreasing surface friction, we mitigate damage caused by the implantation. Results and comparison with existing methods: The acute effects of a transient stab on neuronal density and glial reactions were assessed 1 and 7 days post stab in rat cortex and striatum both within and outside the insertion track using immunohistochemical staining. The addition of a coat of melting ice to the frozen gelatin embedded needles reduced the insertion force with around 50 %, substantially reduced the loss neurons (i.e. reduced neuronal void), and yielded near normal levels of astrocytes within the insertion track 1 day after insertion, as compared to gelatin coated probes of the same temperature without ice coating. There were negligible effects on glial reactions and neuronal density immediately outside the insertion track of both ice coated and cold gelatin embedded needles. This new method of implantation presents a considerable improvement compared to existing modes of device insertion. Conclusions: Acute brain injuries following insertion of e.g. ultra-flexible electrodes, can be reduced by providing an outer coat of ultra-slippery thawing ice. No adverse effect of lowered implant temperature was found, opening the possibility of locking fragile electrode construct configurations in frozen gelatin, prior to implantation into the brain.
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| 8. |
- Mohammed, Mohsin, et al.
(författare)
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Microelectrode clusters enable therapeutic deep brain stimulation without noticeable side-effects in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0270. ; 365
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, side effects often limit the usefulness of the treatment. New method: To mitigate this problem, we developed a novel cluster of ultrathin platinum-iridium microelectrodes (n = 16) embedded in a needle shaped gelatin vehicle. In an established rodent PD-model (6-OHDA unilateral lesion), the clusters were implanted in the subthalamic area for up to 8 weeks. In an open field setting, combinations of microelectrodes yielding therapeutic effects were identified using statistical methods. Immunofluorescence techniques were used for histological assessments of biocompatibility. Results: In all rats tested (n = 5), we found subsets of 3–4 microelectrodes which, upon stimulation (160 Hz, 60 μs pulse width, 25–40 μA/microelectrode), prompted normal movements without noticeable side effects. Other microelectrode subsets often caused side effects such as rotation, dyskinesia and tremor. The threshold (per microelectrode) to elicit normal movements strongly depended on the number of activated microelectrodes in the selected subset. The histological analysis revealed viable neurons close to the electrode contacts, minor microglial and astrocytic reactions and no major changes in the vasculature, indicating high biocompatibility. Comparison to existing methods and conclusion: By contrast to the continuous and relatively large stimulation fields produced by existing DBS electrodes, the developed microelectrode cluster enables a fine-tuned granular and individualized microstimulation. This granular type of stimulation pattern provided powerful and specific therapeutic effects, free of noticeable side effects, in a PD animal model.
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| 9. |
- Rehman, Atiq Ur, et al.
(författare)
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Salp Swarm Algorithm for Drift Compensation in E-nose
- 2023
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Ingår i: 2023 15th International Conference on Advanced Computational Intelligence, ICACI 2023. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. - 9798350321456
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- E-nose technology relies on the proper functioning of sensors to identify and discriminate between different chemicals and odors. The long-term reliability of e-nose technology is hindered by the phenomenon of sensor drift. The effect of sensor drift is seen as a random and unpredictable shift in the data domain. This random shift in data deteriorates the performance of machine learning algorithms used in e-nose technology. Swarm intelligence based optimization has been successfully applied in different domains to deal with NP-hard optimization problems. In this paper, a swarm intelligence-based metaheuristic is proposed to deal with the sensors drift issue in e-nose technology. The proposed framework is validated using a benchmark dataset of sensor drift, and a significant improvement is observed in terms of the classification accuracy of different industrial gases. The proposed framework has the following benefits over conventional approaches: (i) there is no need for sensor re-calibration; (ii) there is no need for sensor replacement; (iii) there is no need for target domain data; and (iv) there is no need for domain transformation. Instead, the proposed work relies only on the source domain data and optimizes the feature space to deal with sensor drift. This makes the proposed framework more suitable for real applications of E-nose technology.
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| 10. |
- Stephan, Ute, et al.
(författare)
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Act or Wait-and-See? Adversity, Agility, and Entrepreneur Wellbeing across Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2023
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Ingår i: Entrepreneurship. - : Sage Publications. - 1042-2587 .- 1540-6520. ; 47:3, s. 682-723
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- How can entrepreneurs protect their wellbeing during a crisis? Does engaging agility (namely, opportunity agility and planning agility) in response to adversity help entrepreneurs safeguard their wellbeing? Activated by adversity, agility may function as a specific resilience mechanism enabling positive adaption to crisis. We studied 3162 entrepreneurs from 20 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that more severe national lockdowns enhanced firm-level adversity for entrepreneurs and diminished their wellbeing. Moreover, entrepreneurs who combined opportunity agility with planning agility experienced higher wellbeing but planning agility alone lowered wellbeing. Entrepreneur agility offers a new agentic perspective to research on entrepreneur wellbeing.
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| 11. |
- Stephan, Ute, et al.
(författare)
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Agility or Wait-and-See? : How the Covid-19 Crisis Impacts Entrepreneurs’ Well-being across Countries
- 2021
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Ingår i: Academy of management annual meeting proceedings. - Briarcliff Manor, NY, USA : Academy of Management.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We study how entrepreneurs and their well-being are impacted by crises and which entrepreneurs are able to safeguard their well-being. We examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in a multilevel study of 3,149 entrepreneurs from 20 countries and draw attention to entrepreneur agility (flexible and adaptive action) both as a crisis response strategy and as a possible way for entrepreneurs to protect their well-being. We find that agile entrepreneurs, especially those that recognized new opportunities for their business in the pandemic, had better well-being during the pandemic (life satisfaction and vitality). Our findings offer further insights into agility as a response to adversity and whether it is enabled by cultural contexts supporting agility and entrepreneurs? human capital.
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