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- Glasbey, JC, et al.
(author)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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- Thomas, HS, et al.
(author)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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10. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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11. |
- Abgrall, N., et al.
(author)
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The large enriched germanium experiment for neutrinoless double beta decay (LEGEND)
- 2017
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In: AIP Conference Proceedings. - : Author(s). - 1551-7616 .- 0094-243X. ; 1894
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) would show that lepton number is violated, reveal that neu-trinos are Majorana particles, and provide information on neutrino mass. A discovery-capable experiment covering the inverted ordering region, with effective Majorana neutrino masses of 15 - 50 meV, will require a tonne-scale experiment with excellent energy resolution and extremely low backgrounds, at the level of ∼0.1 count /(FWHM·t·yr) in the region of the signal. The current generation 76Ge experiments GERDA and the Majorana Demonstrator, utilizing high purity Germanium detectors with an intrinsic energy resolution of 0.12%, have achieved the lowest backgrounds by over an order of magnitude in the 0νββ signal region of all 0νββ experiments. Building on this success, the LEGEND collaboration has been formed to pursue a tonne-scale 76Ge experiment. The collaboration aims to develop a phased 0νββ experimental program with discovery potential at a half-life approaching or at 1028 years, using existing resources as appropriate to expedite physics results.
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12. |
- Zhou, Bin, et al.
(author)
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Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: A pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants
- 2016
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In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 387:10027, s. 1513-1530
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are aff ecting the number of adults with diabetes.Methods: We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence-defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7.0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs-in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue.Findings: We used data from 751 studies including 4372000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4.3% (95% credible interval 2.4-17.0) in 1980 to 9.0% (7.2-11.1) in 2014 in men, and from 5.0% (2.9-7.9) to 7.9% (6.4-9.7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28.5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39.7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31.8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target.Interpretation: Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults aff ected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
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- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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In: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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- Zahmatkesh, E, et al.
(author)
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Tissue-Specific Microparticles Improve Organoid Microenvironment for Efficient Maturation of Pluripotent Stem-Cell-Derived Hepatocytes
- 2021
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In: Cells. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4409. ; 10:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Liver organoids (LOs) are receiving considerable attention for their potential use in drug screening, disease modeling, and transplantable constructs. Hepatocytes, as the key component of LOs, are isolated from the liver or differentiated from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). PSC-derived hepatocytes are preferable because of their availability and scalability. However, efficient maturation of the PSC-derived hepatocytes towards functional units in LOs remains a challenging subject. The incorporation of cell-sized microparticles (MPs) derived from liver extracellular matrix (ECM), could provide an enriched tissue-specific microenvironment for further maturation of hepatocytes inside the LOs. In the present study, the MPs were fabricated by chemical cross-linking of a water-in-oil dispersion of digested decellularized sheep liver. These MPs were mixed with human PSC-derived hepatic endoderm, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stromal cells to produce homogenous bioengineered LOs (BLOs). This approach led to the improvement of hepatocyte-like cells in terms of gene expression and function, CYP activities, albumin secretion, and metabolism of xenobiotics. The intraperitoneal transplantation of BLOs in an acute liver injury mouse model led to an enhancement in survival rate. Furthermore, efficient hepatic maturation was demonstrated after ex ovo transplantation. In conclusion, the incorporation of cell-sized tissue-specific MPs in BLOs improved the maturation of human PSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells compared to LOs. This approach provides a versatile strategy to produce functional organoids from different tissues and offers a novel tool for biomedical applications.
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- Mansurbeg, Howri, et al.
(author)
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Meteoric-water diagenesis in late Cretaceous canyon-fill turbidite reservoirs from the Espirito Santo Basin, eastern Brazil
- 2012
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In: Marine and Petroleum Geology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-8172 .- 1873-4073. ; 37:1, s. 7-26
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parameters controlling the diagenetic evolution of passive margin, marine turbidites, which are important targets of hydrocarbon exploration, are poorly constrained in the literature. This study aims to unravel the conditions of diagenesis and its impact on the reservoir quality evolution from late Cretaceous canyon-filling turbiditic sandstones of the onshore portion of Espirito Santo Basin, eastern Brazil. Kaolinization (delta O-18 = +13.3 parts per thousand to +15.2 parts per thousand; delta D = 96.6 parts per thousand to -79.6 parts per thousand) and dissolution of framework silicate grains is attributed to meteoric water incursion during eodiagenesis in response to a considerable fall in relative sea-level. Eogenetic alterations also include cementation by siderite (average delta O-18 = -72 parts per thousand; delta C-13 = +9.3 parts per thousand) and pyrite. Progressive sediment burial (present depths = 1530-2027 m) resulted in the formation of poikilotopic calcite, ferroan dolomite-ankerite (average delta O-18 = -7.9 parts per thousand; delta C-13 = +2.9 parts per thousand), minor amounts of quartz overgrowths and in partial dickitization of kaolinite. Isotopic values of calcite and dolomite-ankerite follow two trends of co-variance of delta C-13 with decreasing delta O-18 and increasing temperature. From a composition closer to marine (approximate to 0 parts per thousand), one trend goes towards positive delta C-13 values (up to +22.4 parts per thousand for calcite; +18.6 parts per thousand for dolomite-ankerite), indicating increasing input of carbonate from methanogenic fermentation. The other trend develops towards negative delta C-13 values (down to -17.2 parts per thousand for calcite; 15 parts per thousand for dolomite-ankerite), suggesting increasing contribution from thermal decarboxylation with increasing temperature and depth. Despite the presence of various cement types, mechanical compaction was more important than cementation in reducing depositional porosity in the onshore Urucutuca sandstones.
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20. |
- Soletormos, Gyorgy, et al.
(author)
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Clinical Use of Cancer Biomarkers in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Updated Guidelines From the European Group on Tumor Markers
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. - 1048-891X .- 1525-1438. ; 26:1, s. 43-51
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective:To present an update of the European Group on Tumor Markers guidelines for serum markers in epithelial varian cancer. Methods: Systematic literature survey from 2008 to 2013. The articles were evaluated by level of evidence and strength of recommendation. Results: Because of its low sensitivity (50-62% for early stage epithelial ovarian cancer) and limited specificity (94-98.5%), cancer antigen (CA) 125 (CA125) is not recommended as a screening test in asymptomatic women. The Risk of Malignancy Index, which includes CA125, transvaginal ultrasound, and menopausal status, is recommended for the differential diagnosis of a pelvic mass. Because human epididymis protein 4 has been reported to have superior specificity to CA125, especially in premenopausal women, it may be considered either alone or as part of the risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm, in the differential diagnosis of pelvic masses, especially in such women. CA125 should be used to monitor response to first-line chemotherapy using the previously published criteria of the Gynecological Cancer Intergroup, that is, at least a 50% reduction of a pretreatment sample of 70 kU/L or greater. The value of CA125 in posttherapy surveillance is less clear. Although a prospective randomized trial concluded that early administration of chemotherapy based on increasing CA125 levels had no effect on survival, European Group on Tumor Markers state that monitoring with CA125 in this situation should occur, especially if the patient is a candidate for secondary cytoreductive surgery. Conclusions: At present, CA125 remains the most important biomarker for epithelial ovarian cancer, excluding tumors of mucinous origin.
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21. |
- Yang, B, et al.
(author)
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Protein-altering and regulatory genetic variants near GATA4 implicated in bicuspid aortic valve
- 2017
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In: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8, s. 15481-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a heritable congenital heart defect and an important risk factor for valvulopathy and aortopathy. Here we report a genome-wide association scan of 466 BAV cases and 4,660 age, sex and ethnicity-matched controls with replication in up to 1,326 cases and 8,103 controls. We identify association with a noncoding variant 151 kb from the gene encoding the cardiac-specific transcription factor, GATA4, and near-significance for p.Ser377Gly in GATA4. GATA4 was interrupted by CRISPR-Cas9 in induced pluripotent stem cells from healthy donors. The disruption of GATA4 significantly impaired the transition from endothelial cells into mesenchymal cells, a critical step in heart valve development.
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22. |
- Girgis, Emad, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis, magnetic and optical properties of core/shell Co(1-x)Zn(x)Fe(2)O(4)/SiO(2) nanoparticles
- 2011
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In: Nanoscale Research Letters. - 1931-7573 .- 1556-276X. ; 6, s. 460-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The optical properties of multi-functionalized cobalt ferrite (CoFe(2)O(4)), cobalt zinc ferrite (Co(0.5)Zn(0.5)Fe(2)O(4)), and zinc ferrite (ZnFe(2)O(4)) nanoparticles have been enhanced by coating them with silica shell using a modified Stober method. The ferrites nanoparticles were prepared by a modified citrate gel technique. These core/shell ferrites nanoparticles have been fired at temperatures: 400 degrees C, 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C, respectively, for 2 h. The composition, phase, and morphology of the prepared core/shell ferrites nanoparticles were determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The diffuse reflectance and magnetic properties of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles at room temperature were investigated using UV/VIS double-beam spectrophotometer and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. It was found that, by increasing the firing temperature from 400 degrees C to 800 degrees C, the average crystallite size of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles increases. The cobalt ferrite nanoparticles fired at temperature 800 degrees C; show the highest saturation magnetization while the zinc ferrite nanoparticles coated with silica shell shows the highest diffuse reflectance. On the other hand, core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanoparticles fired at 400 degrees C show a ferromagnetic behavior and high diffuse reflectance when compared with all the uncoated or coated ferrites nanoparticles. These characteristics of core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanostructures make them promising candidates for magneto-optical nanodevice applications.
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23. |
- Hashim, Ahmed, et al.
(author)
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Pattern of novel psychoactive substance use among patients presented to the poison control centre of Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt : A cross-sectional study
- 2022
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In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-8440. ; 8:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are relatively new substances in the illicit drug market, notpreviously listed in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). Strox and Voodoo are consideredsome of the most popular blends of NPS in the Egyptian drug market.Objectives: The current study was conducted to assess NPS's use pattern: Voodoo and Strox among acutelyintoxicated patients presented to the poison control center of Ain Shams University Hospitals (PCC- ASUH).Methods: A single center based cross-sectional study was carried out in the PCC-ASUH among acutely intoxicatedpatients presenting to the emergency department (ED) over four months (from January–April 2019. using apreviously adopted and validated Fahmy and El-Sherbini socioeconomic scale (SES). Data were presented asmean, median and range as appropriate. Both smoking and crowding indexes were calculated and presented aspreviously reported.Results: Fifty-one patients were presented to the ED of PCC-ASUH during the study period. A total of 96.1% (n ¼49) were males. The mean age was 25 7.5 years. The most common NPS used was Strox: 54.9% (n ¼ 28),followed by Voodoo: 27.4% (n ¼ 14). Neurological and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were the most frequentpresentations. The most common motive behind NPS use was the desire to give a trial of new psychoactivesubstances. The mean SES score was 35.1 13.17. Most patients have the preparatory as the highest education36.0% (n ¼ 18).Conclusions: NPS use is common among young males in preparatory education from different social classes,starting it most commonly as a means to experiencing a new high. Neurological and GI manifestations are themost common presenting symptoms of NPS intoxication.
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- Nijs, Jo, et al.
(author)
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Nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic low back pain? : The low back pain phenotyping (BACPAP) consortium's international and multidisciplinary consensus recommendations
- 2024
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In: The Lancet Rheumatology. - : Elsevier. - 2665-9913. ; 6:3, s. e178-e188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The potential to classify low back pain as being characterised by dominant nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic mechanisms is a clinically relevant issue. Preliminary evidence suggests that these low back pain phenotypes might respond differently to treatments; however, more research must be done before making specific recommendations. Accordingly, the low back pain phenotyping (BACPAP) consortium was established as a group of 36 clinicians and researchers from 13 countries (five continents) and 29 institutions, to apply a modified Nominal Group Technique methodology to develop international and multidisciplinary consensus recommendations to provide guidance for identifying the dominant pain phenotype in patients with low back pain, and potentially adapt pain management strategies. The BACPAP consortium's recommendations are also intended to provide direction for future clinical research by building on the established clinical criteria for neuropathic and nociplastic pain. The BACPAP consortium's consensus recommendations are a necessary early step in the process to determine if personalised pain medicine based on pain phenotypes is feasible for low back pain management. Therefore, these recommendations are not ready to be implemented in clinical practice until additional evidence is generated that is specific to these low back pain phenotypes.
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29. |
- Tan, LK, et al.
(author)
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EXPOSURE TO DENGUE INFECTION DO NOT RAISE RISK OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: FINDINGS FROM THE MALAYSIAN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (MYEIRA) CASE-CONTROL STUDY
- 2021
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In: ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 80, s. 53-53
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Dengue infection is associated with joints pain mimicking disease onset symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there is lack of epidemiological studies on exposure to dengue infection and risk of future RA.Objectives:We investigated the relationship between exposure to dengue infection and risk of developing different subsets of RA, defined by the presence of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population.Methods:Serum samples from 1,235 RA cases (i.e. 516 Malay, 254 Chinese, 405 Indians and 60 others/mixed-ethnicity) and 1,624 epidemiological matched population-based controls (i.e. 1,023 Malay, 208 Chinese, 297 Indians and 96 others/mixed-ethnicity) were assayed for presence of dengue IgG antibody using World Health Organization recommended ELISA kits. Positive results of dengue IgG antibodies indicates previous exposure to dengue infection(s). We performed chi-square and Mann-Whitney U analysis to determine the association of ever-exposed dengue infection with ACPA-positive/ACPA-negative RA and to investigate the antibody frequency and levels among the studied populations.Results:We observed high occurrence of dengue IgG antibody in the overall RA cases (79.7%) and matched controls (77.3%), with no significant differences detected between the ACPA subsets of RA. Ethnicity stratification analysis revealed a decrease risk of developing ACPA-positive RA in the Indian patients with positive dengue IgG antibody (OR=0.59, 95% CI=0.37-0.94, p=0.03), and in particular patients with elevated level of dengue IgG antibody (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.25-0.78, p<0.05). On the other hand, the significant decrease mean levels of dengue IgG antibody were observed in the ACPA-positive RA subset for all three major ethnic groups (i.e. Malay, p<0.0001, Chinese, p<0.01 and Indian<0.05) (Figure 1). No association was observed between presence of dengue IgG antibody and ACPA-negative RA subset.Figure 1.Comparison of mean dengue IgG antibody level between ever-exposed dengue infection RA cases, stratified by ACPA status. Comparison of median dengue IgG antibody level between the ever-exposed dengue infection ACPA-positive RA and normal controls in the four ethnic groups. The red line indicates the mean level of dengue IgG antibody levelConclusion:Our findings demonstrated that exposure to dengue infection do not increase the risk of developing future RA in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population. The inverse associations observed in the Indian ethnic group are in line with the other studies investigating exposure to viral infection and risk of RA.References:[1]Sherina et al (2017) Low levels of antibodies against common viruses associate with anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis; implications for disease aetiology. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2017, 19:2169[2]Gissel García et. al. (2011) Long-term persistence of clinical symptoms in dengue-infected persons and its association with immunological disorders. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 15 (2011) e38–e43Acknowledgements:The authors would like to thank the Director General of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia for supporting this study. The authors are also indebted to participants for their kind participation. This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia (JPP-IMR 17-025) and the short-term research grant by UniKL RCMP (str16037).Disclosure of Interests:None declared
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30. |
- Al-Mukhtar Othman, Jwan, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Childhood nocturnal enuresis-a marker for pelvic floor disorders and urinary tract symptoms in women?
- 2021
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In: International Urogynecology Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0937-3462 .- 1433-3023.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction and hypothesis A systematic survey on the association between childhood nocturnal enuresis (CNE) and adult pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) has not been presented previously. The aim was to describe the prevalence of PFDs and lower urinary tract symptoms in nulliparous women, with or without a history of CNE, at the age of >= 5 years. Methods This national survey of urinary (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI) and symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (sPOP) was a random sample of 20,000 nulliparous women aged 25-64 years conducted in 2014. Women >= 5 years of age having CNE were compared with those without the condition. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression adjusted for BMI and age were used to analyze differences between groups. Results The response rate was 52% and 10.2% of adult women reporting CNE. One or more PFDs occurred in 38.3% of women with CNE compared to 23.8% in those without CNE (p < 0.0001). Mixed UI had the strongest association with CNE, odds ratio (OR) 2.63 (95% CI 2.03-3.40). The rate of FI was 11.2% in the non-CNE group and 16.8% in those with CNE (p < 0.0001) and sPOP 2.6% in the non-CNE and 4.8% in the CNE group (p = 0.0004), respectively. The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms was consistently higher in women with a history of CNE: overactive bladder 32.6% versus 18.4% (OR 2.34 95% CI 2.03-3.40), daytime micturition >= 8/day 29.6% versus 24.0% (p < 0.0001), and nocturia >= 2/night 12.4% versus 7.8% (p < 0.0001) in the CNE group. Conclusion PFDs and lower urinary tract symptoms in nulliparous women were approximately doubled in women with a history of CNE and could therefore act as a strong confounding factor.
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31. |
- Branham, Kari, et al.
(author)
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Mutations in RPGR and RP2 Account for 15% of Males with Simplex Retinal Degenerative Disease
- 2012
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In: Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. - : Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). - 1552-5783. ; 53:13, s. 8232-8237
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE. To determine the proportion of male patients presenting simplex retinal degenerative disease (RD: retinitis pigmentosa [RP] or cone/cone-rod dystrophy [COD/CORD]) with mutations in the X-linked retinal degeneration genes RPGR and RP2. METHODS. Simplex males were defined as patients with no known affected family members. Patients were excluded if they had a family history of parental consanguinity. Blood samples from a total of 214 simplex males with a diagnosis of retinal degeneration were collected for genetic analysis. The patients were screened for mutations in RPGR and RP2 by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified genomic DNA. RESULTS. We identified pathogenic mutations in 32 of the 214 patients screened (15%). Of the 29 patients with a diagnosis of COD/CORD, four mutations were identified in the ORF15 mutational hotspot of the RPGR gene. Of the 185 RP patients, three patients had mutations in RP2 and 25 had RPGR mutations (including 12 in the ORF15 region). CONCLUSIONS. This study represents mutation screening of RPGR and RP2 in the largest cohort, to date, of simplex males affected with RP or COD/CORD. Our results demonstrate a substantial contribution of RPGR mutations to retinal degenerations, and in particular, to simplex RP. Based on our findings, we suggest that RPGR should be considered as a first tier gene for screening isolated males with retinal degeneration. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:8232-8237) DOI:10.1167/iovs.12-11025
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33. |
- Fischer, Katrin, et al.
(author)
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The scaffold protein p62 regulates adaptive thermogenesis through ATF2 nuclear target activation
- 2020
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During beta -adrenergic stimulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), p38 phosphorylates the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) which then translocates to the nucleus to activate the expression of Ucp1 and Pgc-1 alpha. The mechanisms underlying ATF2 target activation are unknown. Here we demonstrate that p62 (Sqstm1) binds to ATF2 to orchestrate activation of the Ucp1 enhancer and Pgc-1 alpha promoter. P62(Delta 69-251) mice show reduced expression of Ucp1 and Pgc-1 alpha with impaired ATF2 genomic binding. Modulation of Ucp1 and Pgc-1 alpha expression through p62 regulation of ATF2 signaling is demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in p62(Delta 69-251) mice, global p62(-/-) and Ucp1-Cre p62(flx/flx) mice. BAT dysfunction resulting from p62 deficiency is manifest after birth and obesity subsequently develops despite normal food intake, intestinal nutrient absorption and locomotor activity. In summary, our data identify p62 as a master regulator of BAT function in that it controls the Ucp1 pathway through regulation of ATF2 genomic binding. Beta-adrenergic stimulation of brown adipose tissue leads to thermogenesis via the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) mediated expression of the thermogenic genes Ucp1 and Pgc-1 alpha. Here, the authors show that the scaffold protein p62 regulates brown adipose tissue function through modifying ATF2 genomic binding and subsequent Ucp1 and Pgc-1 alpha induction.
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35. |
- Mousavi, Arash, et al.
(author)
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A method for Human Resource Risk Management in Mobile Workforce Brokering Systems
- 2011
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In: American Journal of Applied Sciences. - : Science Publications. - 1546-9239 .- 1554-3641. ; 8:12, s. 1287-1294
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Problem statement: Human Resource Risk Management is one of the crucial issues in Mobile Workforce Management Systems (MWM) in general, and in Mobile Workforce Brokering Systems (MWBS) in Particular. It is important because, if not properly managed, it will cause reduction in accuracy of the automated MWBS, which in turn necessitates more human involvement in the task allocation process. Thus, no reliable planning and scheduling schema can be made or achieved. Approach: However, a proven approach to tackle this problem is via contingency planning. In this study, we examined a specific type of HR risk called Unexpected Absence of mobile workforces in the context of an ontology-driven and multiagent-based MWBS. Our contingency plan that mainly consists of a statistical method is incorporated into the body of a coordination medium represented in OWL ontology format. Results: The proposed statistical method evaluates the past history and the current claims of an MW in order to find out a realistic plan for the next period of the system's run. Conclusion: Finally, via a case study we have illustrated that this method increases the accuracy and reliability of a periodical plan, made for MWBS in its initialization phase.
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36. |
- Mousavi, Arash, et al.
(author)
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An ontology driven, procedural reasoning system-like agent model, for multi-agent based mobile workforce brokering systems
- 2010
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In: Journal of Computer Science. - 0973-2926. ; 6:5, s. 557-565
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Problem statement: It has been proven that Believe, Desire, Intention (BDI) agent architecture, performs suitably in dynamic and unpredictable environments. Although BDI architecture has been formulated rigorously, implementing BDI architecture is not as straightforward as it has been promised. Nevertheless, the preeminent implementation of BDI architecture is Procedural Reasoning System (PRS) and Jadex is a Java-based platform that successfully applies PRS BDI architecture to implement BDI agents. However, Jadex utilizes XML format to represent plans, beliefs and goals which are the core of the PRS BDI agents. Although XML is a suitable format for exchanging data, it does not add any semantic to the data that it represents. Approach: In contrast, in our proposed Ontology driven PRS like model (O-PRS), we used Ontology with OWL format to represent Believes, Plans and Events. Our Ontology had been designed particularly for implementing BDI agents which are used in Mobile Workforce Brokering Systems (MWBS), a multi-agent system that automated the process of allocating tasks to Mobile Workforces. Results: This research was an endeavor to equip the PRS model with Ontology and semantic knowledge representation and reasoning capability. In this study firstly, our proposed model was formulated, then the model was been examined using a simulation tool (MWBS-SIM) which simulated MWBS in its Initialization phase. We used JADE to implement the Agents, Protégé OWL to create the Ontology and Jena as a semantic web platform by means of which MWBS is able to connect to the Ontology and apply the O-PRS model. Conclusion: The result of our simulation showed that O-PRS is a feasible approach. Furthermore, Ontology provided better means for knowledge sharing and navigation therefore, multi-agent systems constructed using O-PRS, were more generic and more adaptable in comparison with those that use XML.
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37. |
- Mousavi, Arash, et al.
(author)
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Ontology-driven coordination model for multiagent-based mobile workforce brokering systems
- 2012
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In: Applied intelligence (Boston). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0924-669X .- 1573-7497. ; 36:4, s. 768-787
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coordination has been recognized by many researchers as the most important feature of multi-agent systems. Coordination is defined as managing interdependencies amongst activities (Malone and Crowston in ACM Comput. Surv. 26(1):87-119, 1994). The traditional approach of implementing a coordination mechanism is to hard-wire it into a coordination system at design time. However, in dynamic and open environments, many attributes of the system cannot be accurately identified at the design time. Therefore, dynamic coordination, capable of coordinating activities at run-time, has emerged. On the other hand, a successful dynamic coordination model for multi-agent systems requires knowledge sharing as well as common vocabulary. Therefore, an ontological approach is an appropriate way in proposing dynamic coordination models for multi-agent systems. In this paper, an Ontology-Driven Dynamic Coordination Model (O-DC) for Multiagent-Based Mobile Workforce Brokering Systems (MWBS) (Mousavi et al. in Int. J. Comput. Sci. 6:(5):557-565, 2010; Mousavi et al. in Proceedings of 4th IEEE international symposium on information technology, ITSim'10, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 15-17 June 2010, vol. 3, pp. 1416-1421, 2010; Mousavi and Nordin in Proceedings of the IEEE international conference on electrical engineering and informatics, Bandung, Indonesia, 17-19 June 2007, pp. 294-297, 2007) is proposed and formulated. Subsequently, the applicability of O-DC is examined via simulation based on a real-world scenario
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38. |
- Musher, Benjamin L., et al.
(author)
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LOAd703, an oncolytic virus-based immunostimulatory gene therapy, combined with chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer (LOKON001) results from arm 1 of a non-randomised, single-centre, phase 1/2 study
- 2024
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In: The Lancet Oncology. - : Elsevier. - 1470-2045 .- 1474-5488. ; 25:4, s. 488-500
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterised by low immunogenicity and an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. LOAd703, an oncolytic adenovirus with transgenes encoding TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL, lyses cancer cells selectively, activates cytotoxic T cells, and induces tumour regression in preclinical models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of combining LOAd703 with chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods LOKON001 was a non-randomised, phase 1/2 study conducted at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA, and consisted of two arms conducted sequentially; the results of arm 1 are presented here. In arm 1, patients 18 years or older with previously treated or treatment-naive unresectable or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were treated with standard 28-day cycles of intravenous nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m 2 plus gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 (up to 12 cycles) and intratumoural injections of LOAd703 every 2 weeks. Patients were assigned using Bayesian optimal interval design to receive 500 mu L of LOAd703 at 5 x 10 10 (dose 1), 1 x 10 11 (dose 2), or 5 x 10 11 (dose 3) viral particles per injection, injected endoscopically or percutaneously into the pancreatic tumour or a metastasis for six injections. The primary endpoints were safety and treatment-emergent immune response in patients who received at least one dose of LOAd703, and antitumour activity was a secondary endpoint. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02705196, arm 2 is ongoing and open to new participants. Findings Between Dec 2, 2016, and Oct 17, 2019, 23 patients were assessed for eligibility, leading to 22 patients being enrolled. One patient withdrew consent, resulting in 21 patients (13 [62%] men and eight [38%] women) assigned to a dose group (three to dose 1, four to dose 2, and 14 to dose 3). 21 patients were evaluable for safety. Median follow-up time was 6 months (IQR 4-10), and data cutoff was Jan 5, 2023. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events overall were anaemia (96 [8%] of 1237 events), lymphopenia (86 [7%] events), hyperglycaemia (70 [6%] events), leukopenia (63 [5%] events), hypertension (62 [5%] events), and hypoalbuminaemia (61 [5%] events). The most common adverse events attributed to LOAd703 were fever (14 [67%] of 21 patients), fatigue (eight [38%]), chills (seven [33%]), and elevated liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase in five [24%], alkaline phosphatase in four [19%], and aspartate aminotransferase in four [19%]), all of which were grade 1-2, except for a transient grade 3 aminotransferase elevation occurring at dose 3. A maximum tolerated dose was not reached, thereby establishing dose 3 as the highest-evaluated safe dose when combined with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine. Proportions of CD8 + effector memory cells and adenovirus-specific T cells increased after LOAd703 injections in 15 (94%) of 16 patients for whom T-cell assays could be performed. Eight (44%, 95% CI 25-66) of 18 patients evaluable for activity had an objective response. Interpretation Combining LOAd703 with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was feasible and safe. To build upon this novel chemoimmunotherapeutic approach, arm 2 of LOKON001, which combines LOAd703, nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine, and atezolizumab, is ongoing.
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39. |
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40. |
- Omar, Eslam M., et al.
(author)
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Crushing corn pollen grains increased diet digestibility and hemolymph protein content while decreasing honey bee consumption
- 2022
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In: Apidologie. - : Springer Nature. - 0044-8435 .- 1297-9678. ; 53:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A honey bee colony's ability to grow and develop is dependent on adequate nutrition. Bees collect pollen from flowers as a source of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The crude protein content of corn pollen is considered low, around 15%; however, bees frequently visit the male flowers of the tassels for pollen. In this study, we aimed for the first time to improve the nutritious value of corn pollen by mechanically crushing its external pollen wall. We then compared the effect of feeding crushed vs. non-crushed corn pollen grains on honey bee diet consumption, digestibility, hemolymph protein content, hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) size, and thorax weight under laboratory conditions. We found that crushing corn pollen grains increased diet digestibility and hemolymph protein content while decreasing honey bee pollen consumption (- 39.88%). Crushing pollen however had no effect on HPG size or thorax weight. These findings may be beneficial to beekeepers in areas where corn monoculture is prevalent. The effect of crushed corn pollen on larval development and growth, as well as colony development and vitality, should be investigated in future studies.
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41. |
- Othman, Amal, et al.
(author)
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Hydrogeophysical and hydrochemical characteristics of Pliocene groundwater aquifer at the area northwest El Sadat city, West Nile Delta, Egypt
- 2019
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In: Journal of African Earth Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 1464-343X. ; 150, s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to the overpopulation in the main cities and shortage of water in Egypt, finding new possible reclamation areas becomes an urgent necessity. The area northwest of El Sadat city can be considered one of the most promising new reclamation areas. This study focuses on detecting the groundwater aquifers, delineating the best localities to drill groundwater boreholes, and evaluation of the groundwater quality. To achieve these goals, an integrated study of vertical electric sounding (VES), time domain electromagnetic (TEM) sounding, and hydrochemical analyses has been executed. The results show that the Pliocene aquifer is the main groundwater aquifer in the survey area where it is divided into two sub-aquifers. The first aquifer is encountered at depth ranging from 30 m to 70 m, where it's thickness range is 20–60 m and its resistivity is varying from 28 to 70 Ωm. The second aquifer is recorded at depth range from 95 m to 135 m with resistivity values of 33–57 Ωm. Moreover, the suitability of 57 groundwater boreholes for drinking and irrigation purposes was assessed as they were compared with the known standard guidelines values. Piper's tri-linear diagram shows the dominance of Alkaline earth (Ca2++Mg2+) and strong acids (SO4 2−+ Cl−) in most of the water samples. According to the concentrations of major ions, the water types in the area are: Ca–HCO3 (22.8%), Ca–SO4 (17.5%), Na–SO4 (15.8%), Na–Cl (14.0%), Ca–Cl (14.0%), Na–HCO3 (10.5%), Mg–HCO3 (3.5%), and Mg–SO4 (1.8%). The electric conductivity (EC) and the total dissolved solids (TDS) values suggest fresh to brackish water. The groundwater is classified according to its total hardness (TH) based on the calcium carbonate concentration into moderately hard, hard and very hard water. Water quality indices such sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium content (SC), permeability index (PI), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) were considered to evaluate the groundwater quality for agricultural activities. These parameters suggest a safe and suitable groundwater for agricultural activities. Before exploitation further studies are however essential in order to establish a sustainable level of abstraction from the aquifer, as well as assessing the vulnerability to protect it from pollution.
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42. |
- Othman, M B, et al.
(author)
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MIMO-OFDM WDM PON with DM-VCSEL for femtocells application
- 2011
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In: Optics Express. - : Optical Society of America. - 1094-4087. ; 19:26, s. 537-542
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on experimental demonstration of 2x2 MIMO-OFDM 5.6-GHz radio over fiber signaling over 20 km WDM-PON with directly modulated (DM) VCSELs for femtocells application. MIMO-OFDM algorithms effectively compensate for impairments in the wireless link. Error-free signal demodulation of 64 subcarrier 4-QAM signals modulated at 198.5 Mb/s net data rate is achieved after fiber and 2 m indoor wireless transmission. We report BER of 7x10(-3) at the receiver for 16-QAM signals modulated at 397 Mb/s after 1 m of wireless transmission. Performance dependence on different wireless transmission path lengths, antenna separation, and number of subcarriers have been investigated.
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43. |
- Othman, Z., et al.
(author)
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Adaptive genetic algorithm for fixed-charge transportation problem
- 2011
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In: IMECS - Int. MultiConference Eng. Comput. Scientists. - 9789881821034 ; , s. 96-101
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Competitive global markets oblige the firms to reduce their overall costs while maintaining the same customer service level and this can be achieved just through a precise and efficient management of their supply chain network. The Fixed Charge Transportation Problem (FCTP) which is a more comprehensive type of Transportation Problem (TP) has several applications from different aspects in this network. Since the problem is NP-hard and solving this problem with decisive methods and heuristics will be computationally time consuming and expensive, two Genetic Algorithm are applied for this problem and also two fuzzy logic controllers are developed to automatically tune two critical parameters (Pc and Pm) of one of these two GAs. Finally the results from the simple conventional GA and automatically tuned GA are compared together. This comparison demonstrated that the GA that is tuned with FLC reach the local optimum remarkably faster.
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44. |
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45. |
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46. |
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47. |
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48. |
- Topuz, G, et al.
(author)
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Silurian anorogenic basic and acidic magmatism in Northwest Turkey: Implications for the opening of the Paleo-Tethys
- 2020
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In: Lithos. - : Elsevier BV. - 0024-4937. ; 356-357
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2019 Elsevier B.V. The Sakarya Zone (northern Turkey) is a Gondwana-derived continental block accreted to northern Laurussia during the Carboniferous, and is regarded as the eastward extension of Armorica. Timing of its detachment from the northern margin of Gondwana, thus opening of the Paleo-Tethys, is poorly known. Here, we report on metagranite and amphibolite with Silurian igneous crystallization ages from the Early Carboniferous high-temperature/middle to low-pressure amphibolite-facies metamorphic rocks of the Sarıcakaya Massif within the Sakarya Zone (NW Turkey). The metagranite-amphibolite complex is exposed mainly along the southern margin of the Sarıcakaya Massif over an area of ca. 12 km by 1.5 km. The metagranite contains preserved domains of porphyric texture, indicative of derivation from a former granite porphyry. The amphibolite is devoid of any relict igneous texture. Both the metagranite and amphibolite are crosscut by late up to 50 cm thick felsic veins. Uranium-Pb dating on igneous zircons from both metagranite and amphibolite yielded Silurian ages of ca. 419 ± 6 to 434 ± 7 Ma (2σ), and on those from a felsic vein an age of 319 ± 5 Ma (2σ) (Late Carboniferous). Geochemically, amphibolite displays anorogenic transitional tholeiitic to alkaline signatures. Initial εHf values of the igneous zircons from both metagranite and amphibolite show a large variation with medial values of −16 to −9 and + 3 to +6, respectively. Thus, the protoliths of amphibolite were derived from melts of depleted mantle, and those of the metagranite, on the other hand, from melts of reworked crustal material. We suggest that the Silurian anorogenic magmatism is related to a rifting event at the northern margin of Gondwana leading to the detachment of the Sakarya Zone and hence placing an age on the initial opening of the Paleo-Tethys. This interpretation is based on (i) the presence of Late Silurian to Devonian deep-sea sedimentary blocks in the Paleo-Tethyan accretionary complexes, and (ii) the resemblance of the U[sbnd]Pb age spectra of detrital zircons in the metaclastic sequence of the Sarıcakaya Massif to those of Cambro-Ordovician sandstones in Jordan (Gondwana), and (iii) the local occurrence of anorogenic A-type granites of Late Ordovician-Silurian age in the Anatolide-Tauride Block, a continental block which rifted from Gondwana during the Early Triassic. Wholly anorogenic nature of the Late Ordovician to Silurian igneous rocks in the Sarıcakaya Massif and reported in literature does not support the opening of the Paleo-Tethys as back-arc ocean, as suggested in most paleogeographic reconstructions.
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