| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Tran, K. B., et al.
(author)
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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
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In: Lancet. - 0140-6736. ; 400:10352, s. 563-591
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 3. |
- Ruilope, LM, et al.
(author)
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Design and Baseline Characteristics of the Finerenone in Reducing Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease Trial
- 2019
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In: American journal of nephrology. - : S. Karger AG. - 1421-9670 .- 0250-8095. ; 50:5, s. 345-356
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- <b><i>Background:</i></b> Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. <b><i>Patients and</i></b> <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥25 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup> and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 to ≤5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level α = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Frostad, J. J., et al.
(author)
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Mapping development and health effects of cooking with solid fuels in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000-18: a geospatial modelling study
- 2022
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In: Lancet Global Health. - 2214-109X. ; 10:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although local patterns in cooking vary systematically, subnational trends in use of solid fuels have yet to be comprehensively analysed. We estimated the prevalence of solid-fuel use with high spatial resolution to explore subnational inequalities, assess local progress, and assess the effects on health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) without universal access to clean fuels. Methods We did a geospatial modelling study to map the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking at a 5 km x 5 km resolution in 98 LMICs based on 2.1 million household observations of the primary cooking fuel used from 663 population-based household surveys over the years 2000 to 2018. We use observed temporal patterns to forecast household air pollution in 2030 and to assess the probability of attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target indicator for clean cooking. We aligned our estimates of household air pollution to geospatial estimates of ambient air pollution to establish the risk transition occurring in LMICs. Finally, we quantified the effect of residual primary solid-fuel use for cooking on child health by doing a counterfactual risk assessment to estimate the proportion of deaths from lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 5 years that could be associated with household air pollution. Findings Although primary reliance on solid-fuel use for cooking has declined globally, it remains widespread. 593 million people live in districts where the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking exceeds 95%. 66% of people in LMICs live in districts that are not on track to meet the SDG target for universal access to clean energy by 2030. Household air pollution continues to be a major contributor to particulate exposure in LMICs, and rising ambient air pollution is undermining potential gains from reductions in the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking in many countries. We estimated that, in 2018, 205000 (95% uncertainty interval 147000-257000) children younger than 5 years died from lower respiratory tract infections that could be attributed to household air pollution. Interpretation Efforts to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking fuels need to be substantially increased and recalibrated to account for subnational inequalities, because there are substantial opportunities to improve air quality and avert child mortality associated with household air pollution. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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- 2019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 10. |
- Kanoni, Stavroula, et al.
(author)
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Implicating genes, pleiotropy, and sexual dimorphism at blood lipid loci through multi-ancestry meta-analysis.
- 2022
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In: Genome biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-760X .- 1465-6906 .- 1474-7596. ; 23:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic variants within nearly 1000 loci are known to contribute to modulation of blood lipid levels. However, the biological pathways underlying these associations are frequently unknown, limiting understanding of these findings and hindering downstream translational efforts such as drug target discovery.To expand our understanding of the underlying biological pathways and mechanisms controlling blood lipid levels, we leverage a large multi-ancestry meta-analysis (N=1,654,960) of blood lipids to prioritize putative causal genes for 2286 lipid associations using six gene prediction approaches. Using phenome-wide association (PheWAS) scans, we identify relationships of genetically predicted lipid levels to other diseases and conditions. We confirm known pleiotropic associations with cardiovascular phenotypes and determine novel associations, notably with cholelithiasis risk. We perform sex-stratified GWAS meta-analysis of lipid levels and show that 3-5% of autosomal lipid-associated loci demonstrate sex-biased effects. Finally, we report 21 novel lipid loci identified on the X chromosome. Many of the sex-biased autosomal and X chromosome lipid loci show pleiotropic associations with sex hormones, emphasizing the role of hormone regulation in lipid metabolism.Taken together, our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms through which associated variants lead to altered lipid levels and potentially cardiovascular disease risk.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Duong, M., et al.
(author)
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Global differences in lung function by region (PURE): An international, community-based prospective study
- 2013
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In: The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. - 2213-2600. ; 1:8, s. 599-609
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Despite the rising burden of chronic respiratory diseases, global data for lung function are not available. We investigated global variation in lung function in healthy populations by region to establish whether regional factors contribute to lung function. Methods: In an international, community-based prospective study, we enrolled individuals from communities in 17 countries between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2009 (except for in Karnataka, India, where enrolment began on Jan 1, 2003). Trained local staff obtained data from participants with interview-based questionnaires, measured weight and height, and recorded forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). We analysed data from participants 130-190 cm tall and aged 34-80 years who had a 5 pack-year smoking history or less, who were not affected by specified disorders and were not pregnant, and for whom we had at least two FEV1 and FVC measurements that did not vary by more than 200 mL. We divided the countries into seven socioeconomic and geographical regions: south Asia (India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), east Asia (China), southeast Asia (Malaysia), sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Chile), the Middle East (Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey), and North America or Europe (Canada, Sweden, and Poland). Data were analysed with non-linear regression to model height, age, sex, and region. Findings: 153 996 individuals were enrolled from 628 communities. Data from 38 517 asymptomatic, healthy non-smokers (25 614 women; 12 903 men) were analysed. For all regions, lung function increased with height non-linearly, decreased with age, and was proportionately higher in men than women. The quantitative effect of height, age, and sex on lung function differed by region. Compared with North America or Europe, FEV1 adjusted for height, age, and sex was 31·3% (95% CI 30·8-31·8%) lower in south Asia, 24·2% (23·5-24·9%) lower in southeast Asia, 12·8% (12·4-13·4%) lower in east Asia, 20·9% (19·9-22·0%) lower in sub-Saharan Africa, 5·7% (5·1-6·4%) lower in South America, and 11·2% (10·6-11·8%) lower in the Middle East. We recorded similar but larger differences in FVC. The differences were not accounted for by variation in weight, urban versus rural location, and education level between regions. Interpretation: Lung function differs substantially between regions of the world. These large differences are not explained by factors investigated in this study; the contribution of socioeconomic, genetic, and environmental factors and their interactions with lung function and lung health need further clarification. Funding: Full funding sources listed at end of the paper (see Acknowledgments). © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Cheema, H. A., et al.
(author)
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Molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 outpatients : An updated meta-analysis
- 2024
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In: Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. - : Elsevier BV. - 1684-1182. ; 57:3, s. 396-402
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The majority of available data on molnupiravir come from an unvaccinated COVID-19 population. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to integrate evidence from recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as well as observational studies stratified by vaccination status to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of molnupiravir in COVID-19 outpatients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, medRxiv, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to November 2023. We conducted our meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4 with risk ratio (RR) as the effect measure. Results: We included 8 RCTs and 5 observational studies in our meta-analysis. Molnupiravir reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (RR 0.28; 95% CI: 0.20–0.79, I2 = 0%) but did not decrease the hospitalization rate (RR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.45–1.00, I2 = 53%) in the overall population; in the immunized population, no benefits were observed. Molnupiravir lowered the rate of no recovery (RR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.76–0.81, I2 = 0%) and increased virological clearance at day 5 (RR 2.68; 95% CI: 1.94–4.22, I2 = 85%). There was no increase in the incidence of adverse events. Conclusions: Molnupiravir does not decrease mortality and hospitalization rates in immunized patients with COVID-19. However, it does shorten the disease course and increases the recovery rate. The use of molnupiravir will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis in the context of the prevailing social circumstances, the resource setting, drug costs, and the healthcare burden.
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| 16. |
- Iqbal, M. S., et al.
(author)
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FSS inspired polarization insensitive chipless RFID tag
- 2017
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In: IEICE Electronics Express. - : Institute of Electronics Information Communication Engineers. - 1349-2543. ; 14:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A polarization insensitive, compact, fully-passive bit encoding structure exhibiting 1 : 1 resonator-to-bit correspondence is presented. Inspired by frequency selective surface (FSS) based microwave absorbers, the structure readily operates as a chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The unit cell is composed of several concentric hexagonal loops. Finite repetitions of the unit cell constitute the proposed RFID tag in its entirety. The required bit sequence is encoded in the frequency domain by addition or omission of corresponding nested resonant elements. A functional prototype is fabricated on a commercial-grade grounded FR4 substrate, occupying a physical footprint of 23 × 10mm2 while offering a capacity of 14 bits. The proposed tag boasts a minuscule profile, and demonstrates polarization insensitivity as well as stable oblique angular performance.
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| 17. |
- Jahan, Yasmin, et al.
(author)
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Increasing Awareness and Use of Mobile Health Technology Among Individuals With Hypertension in a Rural Community of Bangladesh: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2020
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In: JMIR Research Protocols. - : JMIR PUBLICATIONS, INC. - 1929-0748. ; 9:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Hypertension remains one of the foremost noncommunicable diseases that most often lead to cardiovascular diseases and its different complications. The prevalence of hypertension in Bangladesh has been increasing. However, there are very limited studies that have evaluated the impact of health education and awareness development in mitigating the burden of hypertension and its complications in Bangladesh. Objective: This study aims to increase awareness, enhance knowledge, and change lifestyle behaviors through health education and the use of mobile health (mHealth) technology among individuals with hypertension living in a rural community of Bangladesh. Methods: A randomized controlled trial is underway in a Mirzapur subdistrict of Bangladesh. This trial compares two groups of individuals with hypertension: The comparison arm receives health education and the intervention arm receives health education and a periodic mobile phone-based text message intervention. The trial duration is 5 months. The primary end point is participants actual behavior changes brought about by increased awareness and knowledge. Results: Enrollment of participants started in August 2018, and collection of follow-up data was completed at the end of July 2019. A total of 420 participants volunteered to participate, and among them, 209 and 211 were randomly allocated to the intervention group and the control group, respectively. Among them, the ratio of males/females was 12.0/88.0 in the intervention group and 16.1/83.9 in the control group. Data cleaning and analyses have been completed and the results have been submitted for publication. Conclusions: Periodic short education using mHealth technology in addition to face-to-face health education may be an effective method for increasing awareness and knowledge about behavioral changes and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors.
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| 18. |
- Shahid, M., et al.
(author)
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Serratia sp. CP-13 augments the growth of cadmium (Cd)-stressed Linum usitatissimum L. by limited Cd uptake, enhanced nutrient acquisition and antioxidative potential
- 2019
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In: Journal of Applied Microbiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1364-5072 .- 1365-2672. ; 126:6, s. 1708-1721
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: The current study was aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects and bioremediation potential of a Cd-tolerant bacterial strain, Serratia sp. CP-13, on the physiological and biochemical functions of Linum usitatissimum L., under Cd stress.Methods and Results: The bacterial strain was isolated from the wastewater collection point of Chakera, Faisalabad, Pakistan, as this place contains industrial wastewater of the Faisalabad region. The Serratia sp. CP-13, identified through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, exhibited a significant phyto-beneficial potential in terms of in vitro inorganic phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity. Effects of Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation on L. usitatissimum were evaluated by growing the plants in CdCl2 (0, 5 or 10 mg kg(-1) dry soil)-spiked soil. Without inoculation of Serratia sp. CP-13, Cd stress significantly reduced the plant biomass as well as the quantity of proteins and photosynthetic pigments due to enhanced H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and impaired nutrient homeostasis. Subsequently, Serratia sp. CP-13 increased the plant fresh and dry biomass, plant antioxidation capacity, whereas it decreased the lipid peroxidation under Cd stress. In parallel, Serratia sp. inoculation assisted the Cd-stressed plants to maintain an optimum level of nutrients (K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe and Mn).Conclusions: The isolated bacterial strain (Serratia sp. CP-13) when applied to Cd-stressed L. usitatissimum inhibited the Cd uptake, reduced Cd-induced lipid peroxidation, maintained the optimum level of nutrients and thereby, enhanced L. usitatissimum growth. The analysis of bio-concentration and translocation factor revealed that L. usitatissimum with Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation sequestered Cd in plant rhizospheric zone.Significance and Impact of the Study: Serratia sp. CP-13 inoculation is a potential candidate for the development of low Cd-accumulating linseed and could be used for phytostabilization of Cd-contaminated rhizosphere/soil colloids.
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| 19. |
- Afrasiabi, Roodabeh, et al.
(author)
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Microwave mediated synthesis of semiconductor quantum dots
- 2012
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In: Physica Status Solidi. C, Current topics in solid state physics. - : Wiley. - 1610-1634 .- 1610-1642. ; 9:7, s. 1551-1556
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Colloidal quantum dots (QD) have tuneable optoelectronic properties and can be easily handled by simple solution processing techniques, making them very attractive for a wide range of applications. Over the past decade synthesis of morphology controlled high quality (crystalline, monodisperse) colloidal QDs by thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors has matured and is well studied. Recently, synthesis of colloidal QDs by microwave irradiation as heating source is being studied due to the inherently different mechanisms of heat transfer, when compared to solvent convection based heating. Under microwave irradiation, polar precursor molecules directly absorb the microwave energy and heat up more efficiently. Here we report synthesis of colloidal II-VI semiconductor QDs (CdS, CdSe, CdTe) by microwave irradiation and compare it with conventional synthesis based on convection heating. Our findings show that QD synthesis by microwave heating is more efficient and the chalcogenide precursor strongly absorbs the microwave radiation shortening the reaction time and giving a high reaction yield.
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| 20. |
- Ahmed, Naeem, et al.
(author)
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Germination and growth improvement of papaya utilizing oxygen (O2) plasma treatment
- 2022
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In: Journal of Physics D. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0022-3727 .- 1361-6463. ; 55:25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In general, cold plasma treatment improves crop germination and growth. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of low-pressure O2 plasma treatment on the germination and growth kinetics of papaya seeds. Seeds were treated for 40 s at a discharge power of 80 W using O2 as a monomer. Physical and chemical changes were studied to understand the mechanism of germination and growth improvement. Furthermore, changes in phytohormones and antioxidant activity that were beneficial to germination were also examined. O2 plasma treatment improved wettability, surface etching, and oxidation, and affected other molecular-level changes leading to a 16% germination improvement in papaya.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Batool, Atika, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis of Polyoxometalates-Ionic Liquids@Fe3O4@SiO2 composites for the extraction of atrazine and deltamethrin pesticides residues from food samples and their determination by HPLC
- 2024
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In: Microchemical journal (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0026-265X .- 1095-9149. ; 200
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The excessive use of pesticides in food production has adverse effects on both the environment and human health. In the present study, atrazine and deltamethrin were employed as pesticides in the cultivation of tomatoes, cucumbers, and brinjal. The HPLC method was utilized for thesimultaneous determination of these two pesticides, employing a cleanup approach based on polyoxometalates (POMs)ionic liquids magnetic nanocompositesCuILPOM-Fe3O4@SiO2 and ZnILPOM-Fe3O4@SiO2. These magnetic nanocomposites were synthesized and subjected to comprehensive characterization using various analytical techniques, including fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), UV–visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction(P-XRD),transmission electron microscope(TEM),scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX),thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and rheology. Thedispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) method was effectively employed for the extraction of pesticidesresidues using CuILPOM-Fe3O4@SiO2 and ZnILPOM-Fe3O4@SiO2. Under the optimized conditions, the linear concentration ranges for atrazine and deltamethrin were found to be 0.01–100.0 µg/L and 0.05–100 µg/L, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R2) for both compounds was notably high at 0.997 and 0.994, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.01 µg/L to 0.05 µg/L, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) fell within the range of 5.1 % to 7.2 %. Ultimately, the method's performance in various food samples was assessed, resulting in satisfactory recoveries ranging from 80.9 % to 98.6 %.
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| 23. |
- Cheema, H. A., et al.
(author)
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Colchicine for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 : an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- 2024
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 14:4
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of colchicine treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, medRxiv and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to January 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the efficacy of colchicine treatment in patients with COVID-19 as compared with placebo or standard of care were included. There were no language restrictions. Studies that used colchicine prophylactically were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We extracted all information relating to the study characteristics, such as author names, location, study population, details of intervention and comparator groups, and our outcomes of interest. We conducted our meta-analysis by using RevMan V.5.4 with risk ratio (RR) and mean difference as the effect measures. RESULTS: We included 23 RCTs (28 249 participants) in this systematic review. Colchicine did not decrease the risk of mortality (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.05; I2=0%; 20 RCTs, 25 824 participants), with the results being consistent among both hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients. There were no significant differences between the colchicine and control groups in other relevant clinical outcomes, including the incidence of mechanical ventilation (RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.18; p=0.22; I2=40%; 8 RCTs, 13 262 participants), intensive care unit admission (RR 0.77; 95% CI 0.49 to 1.22; p=0.27; I2=0%; 6 RCTs, 961 participants) and hospital admission (RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.16; p=0.19; I2=70%; 3 RCTs, 8572 participants). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis do not support the use of colchicine as a treatment for reducing the risk of mortality or improving other relevant clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. However, RCTs investigating early treatment with colchicine (within 5 days of symptom onset or in patients with early-stage disease) are needed to fully elucidate the potential benefits of colchicine in this patient population. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022369850.
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| 24. |
- Figueiredo, S., et al.
(author)
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ARCADIAN-IoT - Enabling Autonomous Trust, Security and Privacy Management for IoT
- 2022
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In: Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 5th The Global IoT Summit, GIoTS 2022. Dublin 20 June 2022 through 23 June 2022. - Cham : Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. - 9783031209352 ; , s. 348-359
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cybersecurity incidents have been growing both in number and associated impact, as a result from society’s increased dependency in information and communication technologies - accelerated by the recent pandemic. In particular, IoT. technologies, which enable significant flexibility and cost-efficiency, but are also associated to more relaxed security mechanisms, have been quickly adopted across all sectors of the society, including critical infrastructures (e.g. smart grids) and services (e.g. eHealth). Gaps such as high dependence on 3rd party IT suppliers and device manufacturers increase the importance of trustworthy and secure solutions for future digital services. This paper presents ARCADIAN-IoT, a framework aimed at holistically enabling trust, security, privacy and recovery in IoT systems, and enabling a Chain of Trust between the different IoT entities (persons, objects and services). It builds on features such as federated AI for effective and privacy-preserving cybersecurity, distributed ledger technologies for decentralized management of trust, or transparent, user-controllable and decentralized privacy. © 2022, The Author(s)
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Inqiad, Waleed Bin, et al.
(author)
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Comparative analysis of various machine learning algorithms to predict 28-day compressive strength of Self-compacting concrete
- 2023
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In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier. - 2405-8440. ; 9:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Construction industry is indirectly the largest source of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, due to the use of cement in concrete. These emissions can be reduced by using industrial waste materials in place of cement. Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is a promising material to enhance the use of industrial wastes in concrete. However, there are very few methods available for accurate prediction of its strength, therefore, reliable models for estimating 28-day Compressive Strength (C–S) of SCC are developed in current study by using three Machine Learning (ML) algorithms including Multi Expression Programming (MEP), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Random Forest (RF). The ML models were meticulously developed using a dataset of 231 points collected from internationally published literature considering seven most influential parameters including cement content, quantities of fly ash and silica fume, water content, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, and superplasticizer dosage to predict C–S. The developed models were evaluated using different statistical errors including Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), coefficient of determination (R2) etc. The results showed that the XGB model outperformed the MEP and RF model in terms of accuracy with a correlation R2 = 0.998 compared to 0.923 for MEP and 0.986 for RF. Similar trend was observed for other error metrices. Thus, XGB is the most accurate model for estimating C–S of SCC. However, it is pertinent to mention here that it does not give its output in the form of an empirical equation like MEP model. The construction of these empirical models will help to efficiently estimate C–S of SCC for practical purposes.
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| 27. |
- Javed, Muhammad Sufyan, et al.
(author)
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Electrochemical studies of perovskite cathode material for direct natural gas fuel cell
- 2016
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In: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 41:4, s. 3072-3078
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Natural gas is the most promising renewable energy source and its widespread availability ensured its importance for early applications in stationary fuel cells as a reliable and low cost fuel. Therefore it is very important to efficiently utilization of natural gas in low temperature fuel cells. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of perovskite material of Yttrium doped Sr0.92FexTi1-xO3-delta (x = 0.25, 030) (YSFT) by solid state reaction method and further investigated as a new cathode material for a low temperature solid oxide fuel cell fueled by natural gas. The YSFT is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and scanning electron microscopy. The perovskite structure is achieved at relatively low temperature (850 degrees C). The average crystalline size is found 28 nm and 36 nm for x = 0.25 and 0.30 respectively. TGA results showed the lattice oxygen loss of YSFT is about 0.206% in its original weight in the temperature range of 25-1000 degrees C. The maximum electronic conductivities of 2.3 Scm(-1) and 2.07 Scm(-1) are achieved for x = 025 and x = 0.30 at 550 degrees C in air atmosphere respectively. It is observed that the oxygen reduction is enhanced due to the perovskite crystal structure and oxygen vacancies play an important role in the redox reaction to improve the performance of fuel cell. The YSFT perovskite cathode material based fuel cell with natural gas have achieved the power density of 250 mWcm(-2) for x = 025 at 550 degrees C. The fuel cell device has demonstrated very stable results by running continuously for 5 h with domestic available natural gas.
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| 28. |
- Jones, Geraint H., et al.
(author)
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The Comet Interceptor Mission
- 2024
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In: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Nature. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 220:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Khan, Aisha, et al.
(author)
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Epidemiological and Pathological Characteristics of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis from Baluchistan Province of Pakistan
- 2021
-
In: Parasitology. - : Cambridge University Press. - 0031-1820 .- 1469-8161. ; 148:5, s. 591-597
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is considered a neglected tropical disease which in Pakistan can now be considered as growing public health problem. The exact figures on the magnitude of disease are lacking both at national and regional level and only a few health centers are available for diagnosis of CL. The present study was designed to identify the epidemiology of CL infection from August 2018 to December 2019 and to assess clinical aspects of CL in Baluchistan Province of Pakistan. A total of 4072 clinically suspected CL cases were analysed statistically. The highest number of CL cases were reported in May, followed by April, January and then July, February, and June and lowest number of cases were observed in March and November. The highest prevalence rate was found in males where 38% of reported cases were aged 0-9 years. The majority (24.4%) of lesions were found on the hands followed by the face in which cheeks, ears and nose were the effected organs. About 50% of the participants have single lesion while 14% of the participants had two and nearly 3% of the participants have six lesions. The atypical clinical presentations were observed in Baluchistan and common unusual presentations were lupus erythematosus. The study findings suggest that more epidemiological studies and health education campaigns are needed for the population awareness regarding CL in Baluchistan. It is recommended that risk factors should be evaluated to establish the control and management strategies to prevent disease at individual and community level.
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| 31. |
- Khan, Yusra Habib, et al.
(author)
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Barriers and facilitators of childhood COVID-19 vaccination among parents : A systematic review
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Pediatrics. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2360. ; 10
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundThe acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 among parents of young children plays a significant role in controlling the current pandemic. A wide range of factors that influence vaccine hesitancy in adults has been reported worldwide, but less attention has been given to COVID-19 vaccination among children. Vaccine hesitancy is considered a major challenge in achieving herd immunity, and it is more challenging among parents as they remain deeply concerned about their child's health. In this context, a systematic review of the current literature is inevitable to assess vaccine hesitancy among parents of young children to ensure a successful ongoing vaccination program.MethodA systematic search of peer-reviewed English literature indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Embase, and Web of science was performed using developed keywords between 1 January 2020 and August 2022. This systematic review included only those studies that focused on parental concerns about COVID-19 vaccines in children up to 12 years without a diagnosis of COVID-19. Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 108 studies were included. The quality appraisal of the study was performed by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).ResultsThe results of 108 studies depict that vaccine hesitancy rates differed globally with a considerably large number of factors associated with it. The highest vaccine hesitancy rates among parents were reported in a study from the USA (86.1%) and two studies from Saudi Arabia (> 85%) and Turkey (89.6%). Conversely, the lowest vaccine hesitancy rates ranging from 0.69 and 2% were found in two studies from South Africa and Switzerland, respectively. The largest study (n = 227,740) was conducted in Switzerland while the smallest sample size (n = 12) was represented by a study conducted in the USA. The most commonly reported barriers to childhood vaccination were mothers' lower education level (N = 46/108, 43%), followed by financial instability (N = 19/108, 18%), low confidence in new vaccines (N = 13/108, 12%), and unmonitored social media platforms (N = 5/108, 4.6%). These factors were significantly associated with vaccine refusal among parents. However, the potential facilitators for vaccine uptake among respondents who intended to have their children vaccinated include higher education level (N = 12/108, 11%), followed by information obtained through healthcare professionals (N = 9/108, 8.3%) and strong confidence in preventive measures taken by the government (N = 5/81, 4.6%).ConclusionThis review underscores that parents around the globe are hesitant to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19. The spectrum of factors associated with vaccine hesitancy and uptake varies across the globe. There is a dire need to address vaccine hesitancy concerns regarding the efficacy and safety of approved vaccines. Local context is inevitable to take into account while developing programs to reduce vaccine hesitancy. There is a dire need to devise strategies to address vaccine hesitancy among parents through the identification of attributing factors.
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| 32. |
- Majeed, Iftekhar, et al.
(author)
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Preparation of polyoxometalate ionic liquids (POM-ILs) coated on metal coins for anticorrosion activity
- 2023
-
In: Polyhedron. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0277-5387 .- 1873-3719. ; 243
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Corrosion is globally a serious problem for metallic structure and materials in recent decades. When there is interaction between acid and metallic structure, a large amount of corrosion produced. Herein, we have synthesized two energetic polyoxometalates (POMs) based ionic liquids by ion exchange method of smaller cations with larger cations tetraalkyl ammonium (CnH2n+1)4N+ (n = 7). FT-IR, SEM, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Optical Imaging Microscopy(OIM), Rheological analysis, 1HNMR and TGA techniques were used to characterize the corresponding ionic liquids. Metals can easily be protected by using hydrophobic polyoxometalate-ionic liquids (POM-ILs). At room-temperature the metallic coins were coated with W17@POM-IL andV3W15@POM-IL, comprising of Dawson anions and quaternary tetraheptylammonium cations (Q7). The acid resistant V3W15@POM-IL and W17@POM-IL were used for coating of coins samples. The un-coated coins have shown corrosion with holes production when treated with HCl while POM-ionic liquid coated coins expressed excellent resistant against corrosion and obviously, no cracking was observed. TGA results of W17@POM-IL revealed minimum weight loss of 4.3% and V3W15@POM-IL has maximum weight loss (9.2%) at highest temperature (500 °C). We have analyzed from the results that coins without coating of POM-ILs have demonstrated the weight loss of 14.3% while the coins coated with V3W15@POM-IL and W17@POM-ILs expressed less weight lost with 3.7% and 1.7% respectively. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance measurement (EIS) has charge transfer ratio of 7.03 Ω, 5.23 Ω and 3.78 Ω for W17@POM-IL, V3W15@POM-IL and un-coated coins respectively. Rheological analysis with highest elastic modulus (103 Pa) and viscous modulus (103 Pa) of W17@POM-IL has given best coating properties. Hence, the POM-ILs have variety of applications as coherent, adherent, chemical stability. Comparison of V3W15@POM-IL with W17@POM-IL inferring us that later is best for protection of metal coins against corrosion and damage production with highest thermal stability.
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| 33. |
- Maroufpoor, Saman, et al.
(author)
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A novel hybridized neuro-fuzzy model with an optimal input combination for dissolved oxygen estimation
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Environmental Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-665X. ; 10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dissolved oxygen (DO) is one of the main prerequisites to protect amphibian biological systems and to support powerful administration choices. This research investigated the applicability of Shannon’s entropy theory and correlation in obtaining the combination of the optimum inputs, and then the abstracted input variables were used to develop three novel intelligent hybrid models, namely, NF-GWO (neuro-fuzzy with grey wolf optimizer), NF-SC (subtractive clustering), and NF-FCM (fuzzy c-mean), for estimation of DO concentration. Seven different input combinations of water quality variables, including water temperature (TE), specific conductivity (SC), turbidity (Tu), and pH, were used to develop the prediction models at two stations in California. The performance of proposed models for DO estimation was assessed using statistical metrics and visual interpretation. The results revealed the better performance of NF-GWO for all input combinations than other models where its performance was improved by 24.2–66.2% and 14.9–31.2% in terms of CC (correlation coefficient) and WI (Willmott index) compared to standalone NF for different input combinations. Additionally, the MAE (mean absolute error) and RMSE (root mean absolute error) of the NF model were reduced using the NF-GWO model by 9.9–46.0% and 8.9–47.5%, respectively. Therefore, NF-GWO with all water quality variables as input can be considered the optimal model for predicting DO concentration of the two stations. In contrast, NF-SC performed worst for most of the input combinations. The violin plot of NF-GWO-predicted DO was found most similar to the violin plot of observed data. The dissimilarity with the observed violin was found high for the NF-FCM model. Therefore, this study promotes the hybrid intelligence models to predict DO concentration accurately and resolve complex hydro-environmental problems.
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| 34. |
- Masood, Asad, et al.
(author)
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Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization of Carvone: A Promising Approach for Antimicrobial Coatings
- 2023
-
In: Coatings. - : Mdpi. - 2079-6412. ; 13:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Medical devices are often vulnerable to colonization by nosocomial pathogens (bacteria), leading to infections. Traditional sterilization methods may not always be effective, and as a result, alternative options are being explored to prevent microbial contamination. Recently, scientists are emphasizing using plant-derived essential oils that possess inherent antibacterial properties to produce antimicrobial coatings using plasma polymerization technology carried out at atmospheric pressure (AP). This approach shows promise compared to other coating strategies that need several processing steps, including a high-vacuum system, and are laborious, such as the immobilization of antimicrobial materials on precoated layers in the low-pressure plasma polymerization approach. The present study demonstrates the potential of AP plasma polymerization for producing thin films with excellent antibacterial properties and surface characteristics. The resulting coatings are stable, smooth, and have high wettability, making them ideal for repelling bacteria. The calculated zeta potential and deposition rate for the films are also favorable. These AP plasma-polymerized thin films created from carvone show a reduction rate of more than 90% for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Our computational docking studies also reveal strong binding interactions between the original carvone monomer and both bacteria. The study suggests that these AP plasma-produced coatings have great potential as antibacterial coatings for biomedical devices.
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| 35. |
- Masood, KI, et al.
(author)
-
Upregulated type I interferon responses in asymptomatic COVID-19 infection are associated with improved clinical outcome
- 2021
-
In: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1, s. 22958-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding key host protective mechanisms against SARS-CoV-2 infection can help improve treatment modalities for COVID-19. We used a blood transcriptome approach to study biomarkers associated with differing severity of COVID-19, comparing severe and mild Symptomatic disease with Asymptomatic COVID-19 and uninfected Controls. There was suppression of antigen presentation but upregulation of inflammatory and viral mRNA translation associated pathways in Symptomatic as compared with Asymptomatic cases. In severe COVID-19, CD177 a neutrophil marker, was upregulated while interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) were downregulated. Asymptomatic COVID-19 cases displayed upregulation of ISGs and humoral response genes with downregulation of ICAM3 and TLR8. Compared across the COVID-19 disease spectrum, we found type I interferon (IFN) responses to be significantly upregulated (IFNAR2, IRF2BP1, IRF4, MAVS, SAMHD1, TRIM1), or downregulated (SOCS3, IRF2BP2, IRF2BPL) in Asymptomatic as compared with mild and severe COVID-19, with the dysregulation of an increasing number of ISGs associated with progressive disease. These data suggest that initial early responses against SARS-CoV-2 may be effectively controlled by ISGs. Therefore, we hypothesize that treatment with type I interferons in the early stage of COVID-19 may limit disease progression by limiting SARS-CoV-2 in the host.
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| 36. |
- Perrings, Charles, et al.
(author)
-
Ecosystem services, targets, and indicators for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
- 2011
-
In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. - : Wiley. - 1540-9295 .- 1540-9309. ; 9:9, s. 512-520
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- After the collective failure to achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD's) 2010 target to substantially reduce biodiversity losses, the CBD adopted a plan composed of five strategic goals and 20 “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, and Time-bound) targets, to be achieved by 2020. Here, an interdisciplinary group of scientists from DIVERSITAS – an international program that focuses on biodiversity science – evaluates these targets and considers the implications of an ecosystem-services-based approach for their implementation. We describe the functional differences between the targets corresponding to distinct strategic goals and identify the interdependency between targets. We then discuss the implications for supporting research and target indicators, and make several specific suggestions for target implementation.
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| 37. |
- Riaz, M. A., et al.
(author)
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Novel T-shaped resonator based chipless RFID tag
- 2017
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In: IEICE Electronics Express. - : Institute of Electronics Information Communication Engineers. - 1349-2543. ; 14:18
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel, frequency selective surface (FSS) based, data encoding structure amenable to be used as a chipless RFID tag is proposed. The data encoding structure is made up of finite repetitions of a unit cell fabricated on commercially available grounded FR4 substrate having physical dimensions of 15 × 15mm2. The unit cell is composed of numerous T-shaped resonant elements arranged as two atypical sets of concentric nested loops. Alteration in geometry of the encoding circuit, attained by inclusion or omission of nested resonators, corresponds to a particular data sequence. Each encoded data sequence is manifested in the frequency domain as a distinct spectral signature. The proposed 10-bit tag is both compact and robust, and remains interrogable in response to illuminating electromagnetic waves at various angles of incidence.
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| 38. |
- Sammen, Saad Sh., et al.
(author)
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Assessment of climate change impact on probable maximum floods in a tropical catchment
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology. - : Springer. - 0177-798X .- 1434-4483. ; 148:1-2, s. 15-31
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increases in extreme rainfall could increase the probable maximum flood (PMF) and pose a severe threat to the critical hydraulic infrastructure such as dams and flood protection structures. This study is conducted to assess the impact of climate change on PMF in a tropical catchment. Climate and inflow data of the Tenmengor reservoir, located in the state of Perak in Malaysia, have been used to calibrate and validate the hydrological model. The projected rainfall from regional climate model is used to generate probable maximum precipitation (PMP) for future periods. A hydrological model was used to simulate PMF from PMP estimated for the historical and two future periods, early (2031 − 2045) and late (2060 − 2075). The results revealed good performance of the hydrological model with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, 0.74, and the relative standard error, 0.51, during validation. The estimated rainfall depths were 89.5 mm, 106.3 mm, and 143.3 mm, respectively, for 5, 10, and 50 years of the return period. The study indicated an increase in PMP by 162% to 507% and 259% to 487% during early and late periods for different return periods ranging from 5 to 1000 years. This would cause an increase in PMF by 48.9% and 122.6% during early and late periods. A large increase in PMF indicates the possibility of devastating floods in the future in his tropical catchment due to climate change.
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| 39. |
- Shahid, N S, et al.
(author)
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Rapid technique for detection of pneumococcal pneumonia.
- 1982
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In: Bangladesh Medical Research Council bulletin. - 0377-9238. ; 8:2, s. 47-51
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tracheal aspirates from patients with diarrhoea and pneumonia were tested for the presence of pneumococci by both quantitative culture and counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE). Antigen was demonstrated by CIE in 33/48 of these confirmed cases of pneumonia. The technique is easy to use and gives rapid results.
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| 40. |
- Shahid, Robina, et al.
(author)
-
Low temperature synthesis of cubic phase zinc sulfide quantum dots
- 2012
-
In: Central European Journal of Chemistry. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1895-1066 .- 1644-3624. ; 10:1, s. 54-58
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we report on a new method for the synthesis of ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The synthesis was carried out at low temperature by a chemical reaction between zinc ions and freshly reduced sulfide ions in ethanol as reaction medium. Zinc chloride and elemental sulfur were used as zinc and sulfur sources, respectively and hydrazine hydrate was used as a strong reducing agent to convert elemental sulfur (S(8)) into highly reactive sulfide ions (S(2-)) which react spontaneously with zinc ions. This facile, less toxic, inexpensive route has a high yield for the synthesis of high quality metal sulfide QDs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image analysis and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) reveal that ZnS QDs are less than 3 nm in diameter and are of cubic crystalline phase. The UV-Vis absorption spectrum shows an absorption peak at 253 nm corresponding to a band gap of 4.9 eV, which is high when compared to the bulk value of 3.68 eV revealing strong quantum confinement. PL emission transitions are observed at 314 nm and 439 nm and related to point defects in ZnS QDs.
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| 41. |
- Shahid, Robina, et al.
(author)
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Microwave-assisted low temperature synthesis of wurtzite ZnS quantum dots
- 2012
-
In: Journal of Solid State Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4596 .- 1095-726X. ; 187, s. 130-133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work we report, for the first time, on microwave assisted synthesis of wurtzite ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in controlled reaction at temperature as low as 150 degrees C. The synthesis can be done in different microwave absorbing solvents with multisource or single source precursors. The QDs are less than 3 nm in size as characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns to confirm the wurtzite phase of ZnS QDs. The optical properties were investigated by UV-Vis absorption which shows blue shift in absorption compared to bulk wurtzite ZnS due to quantum confinement effects. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of QDs reveal point defects related emission of ZnS QDs.
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| 42. |
- Shahid, Robina, et al.
(author)
-
Microwave assisted synthesis of ZnS quantum dots using ionic liquids
- 2012
-
In: Materials letters (General ed.). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-577X .- 1873-4979. ; 89, s. 316-319
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work we report results from microwave (MW) assisted synthesis of highly crystalline ZnS quantum dots (QDs) using ionic liquid (ILs) as MW absorbing medium. Two types of ionic liquids, imidazolium and phosphonium based, were used. The QDs are less than 5 nm in size and of wurtzite ZnS type, as characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern. The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis absorption and show a blue shift in absorption as compared to bulk wurtzite ZnS due to quantum confinement effects. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the QDs show different trap state emissions.
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| 43. |
- Shahid, Robina, et al.
(author)
-
Synthesis, COSMO-RS analysis and optical properties of surface modified ZnS quantum dots using ionic liquids
- 2015
-
In: Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3697 .- 1879-2553. ; 85, s. 34-38
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zinc sulfide (ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized using the microwave assisted ionic liquid (MAIL) route. Three ionic liquids (ILs), namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]), trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) amide ([P-6,P-6,P-6,P-14][TSFA]) and trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium chloride ([P-6,P-6,P-6,P-14][Cl]) were used in this study. The size and structure of the QDs were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern, respectively. The synthesized QDs were of wurtzite crystalline structure with size less than 5 nm. The QDs were more uniformly distributed while using the phosponium based ILs as a reaction medium during synthesis. The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy. The optical properties of QDs showed the quantum confinement effect in their absorption and the effect of cation and anion structural moiety was observed on their bandedge emission. The QDs emission intensity was measured higher for [P-6,P-6,P-6,P-14][Cl] due to their better dispersion as well as high charge density of Cl anion. The capability of the ILs in stabilizing the QDs was interpreted by density functional theory (DFT) computations. The obtained results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.
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| 44. |
- Siyal, Shahid Hussain, et al.
(author)
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A preliminary assessment of wind generated hydrogen production potential to reduce the gasoline fuel used in road transport sector of Sweden
- 2015
-
In: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 40, s. 6501-6511
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrogen produced with the help of local wind energy resource can be considered as a key energy carrier, which can play a major role in switching the transport fuels from fossil to renewable. In this paper, we preliminary assessed the wind generated hydrogen production potential in order to provide the environmentally clean, renewable and cheap fuel to the road transport sector of Sweden. Vestas-112 wind turbine (V-112) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer were used as main components. Land use restrictions related to wind to hydrogen energy installation were also taken into account. Geographic Information System (GIS) tool was used for this study. We estimated that in Sweden, 25,580 ktons/year of hydrogen can be produced by using local wind energy resource, which is equivalent to 860 TWh of energy. Moreover, by using per capita gasoline consumption of Sweden, it was also estimated that during year 2011, 2900 ktons of imported gasoline was used in transport sector, which emitted 8700 ktons of CO2 into the local atmosphere of country. It was also estimated that in Sweden, gasoline consumption and CO2 emission can be reduced to 50% by using only 530 ktons i.e. (2%) of total local wind generated hydrogen production.
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| 45. |
- Sorokowska, Agnieszka, et al.
(author)
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Affective Interpersonal Touch in Close Relationships : A Cross-Cultural Perspective
- 2021
-
In: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. - : Sage Publications. - 0146-1672 .- 1552-7433. ; 47:12, s. 1705-1721
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Interpersonal touch behavior differs across cultures, yet no study to date has systematically tested for cultural variation in affective touch, nor examined the factors that might account for this variability. Here, over 14,000 individuals from 45 countries were asked whether they embraced, stroked, kissed, or hugged their partner, friends, and youngest child during the week preceding the study. We then examined a range of hypothesized individual-level factors (sex, age, parasitic history, conservatism, religiosity, and preferred interpersonal distance) and cultural-level factors (regional temperature, parasite stress, regional conservatism, collectivism, and religiosity) in predicting these affective-touching behaviors. Our results indicate that affective touch was most prevalent in relationships with partners and children, and its diversity was relatively higher in warmer, less conservative, and religious countries, and among younger, female, and liberal people. This research allows for a broad and integrated view of the bases of cross-cultural variability in affective touch.
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| 46. |
- Sorokowski, Piotr, et al.
(author)
-
Universality of the Triangular Theory of Love : Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Triangular Love Scale in 25 Countries
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Sex Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0022-4499 .- 1559-8519. ; 58:1, s. 106-115
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Triangular Theory of Love (measured with Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale - STLS) is a prominent theoretical concept in empirical research on love. To expand the culturally homogeneous body of previous psychometric research regarding the STLS, we conducted a large-scale cross-cultural study with the use of this scale. In total, we examined more than 11,000 respondents, but as a result of applied exclusion criteria, the final analyses were based on a sample of 7332 participants from 25 countries (from all inhabited continents). We tested configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance, all of which confirmed the cultural universality of the theoretical construct of love analyzed in our study. We also observed that levels of love components differ depending on relationship duration, following the dynamics suggested in the Triangular Theory of Love. Supplementary files with all our data, including results on love intensity across different countries along with STLS versions adapted in a few dozen languages, will further enable more extensive research on the Triangular Theory of Love.
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| 47. |
- Tadesse, BT, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence and Correlates of Pre-Treatment HIV Drug Resistance among HIV-Infected Children in Ethiopia
- 2019
-
In: Viruses. - : MDPI AG. - 1999-4915. ; 11:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care in resource-limited settings remains a major challenge to achieving global HIV treatment and virologic suppression targets, in part because the administration of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) is inherently complex in this population and because viral load and drug resistance genotyping are not routinely available in these settings. Children may also be at elevated risk of transmission of drug-resistant HIV as a result of suboptimal antiretroviral administration for prevention of mother-to-child transmission. We investigated the prevalence and the correlates of pretreatment HIV drug resistance (PDR) among HIV-infected, cART-naive children in Ethiopia. We observed an overall PDR rate of 14%, where all cases featured resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs): ~9% of participants harbored resistance solely to NNRTIs while ~5% harbored resistance to both NNRTIs and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). No resistance to protease inhibitors was observed. No sociodemographic or clinical parameters were significantly associated with PDR, though limited statistical power is noted. The relatively high (14%) rate of NNRTI resistance in cART-naive children supports the use of non-NNRTI-based regimens in first-line pediatric treatment in Ethiopia and underscores the urgent need for access to additional antiretroviral classes in resource-limited settings.
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| 48. |
- Tao, Hai, et al.
(author)
-
Groundwater level prediction using machine learning models: A comprehensive review
- 2022
-
In: Neurocomputing. - : Elsevier. - 0925-2312 .- 1872-8286. ; 489, s. 271-308
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Developing accurate soft computing methods for groundwater level (GWL) forecasting is essential for enhancing the planning and management of water resources. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in GWL prediction using machine learning (ML) models. Several review articles have been published, reporting the advances in this field up to 2018. However, the existing review articles do not cover several aspects of GWL simulations using ML, which are significant for scientists and practitioners working in hydrology and water resource management. The current review article aims to provide a clear understanding of the state-of-the-art ML models implemented for GWL modeling and the milestones achieved in this domain. The review includes all of the types of ML models employed for GWL modeling from 2008 to 2020 (138 articles) and summarizes the details of the reviewed papers, including the types of models, data span, time scale, input and output parameters, performance criteria used, and the best models identified. Furthermore, recommendations for possible future research directions to improve the accuracy of GWL prediction models and enhance the related knowledge are outlined.
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| 49. |
- Ullah, Hameed, et al.
(author)
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Polyoxometalate based ionic liquids reinforced on magnetic nanoparticles: A sustainable solution for microplastics and heavy metal ions elimination from water
- 2024
-
In: Microchemical journal (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0026-265X .- 1095-9149. ; 204
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To purify water from contaminents is essential for life on universe. Here, in this manuscript we introduces an innovative approach to overcome the intricate challenge of eliminating heavy metal ions and microplastics from water. We designed a mesoporous composite materials by synergistically integrating polyoxometalates (POMs) based ionic liquids with silica coated magnetic nanoparticles. The synthesis process initiates with the utilization of highly reduced molybdenum aggregates in polyoxometalate-ionic liquids, reinforced onto magnetic nanoparticles (POM–IL–MNPs). Crafted composites, including Q8[Mo64Ni8La6]@SiO2@Fe3O4, Q10[Mo64Ni8La6]@SiO2@Fe3O4, Q8[Mo176/Mo248]@SiO2@Fe3O4, and Q10[Mo176/Mo248]@SiO2@Fe3O4, are meticulously designed by substituting POM counter cations with long-chain alkyl-based quaternary ammonium salts. The ionic liquids and composites exhibit remarkable hydrophobicity and thermal stability due to large anions and long-chain organic counter cations. Comprehensive characterization, including FT–IR, UV–vis spectroscopy, TGA, DSC, CV, rheological study, elemental analysis, and ICP-AES, ensures a thorough investigation. Additional analyses, such as Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), SEM, EDX, DLS, N2 adsorption, and VSM, reveal amorphous crystallinity, distinctive surface morphology, and substantial specific surface area. Core shell structure of POM-IL-MNPs was determined by Transmision electron microscope (TEM), ICP-AES analysis demonstrates metal ion removal efficiencies from 87.35% to 99.98%, with DLS confirming 100% efficiency in PVC beads elimination. This research not only advances water decontamination but also provides valuable insights into designing and characterizing novel materials with promising environmental applications.
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