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1.
  • Lozano, Rafael, et al. (author)
  • Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
  • 2018
  • In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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2.
  • Murray, Christopher J. L., et al. (author)
  • Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
  • 2018
  • In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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3.
  • Stanaway, Jeffrey D., et al. (author)
  • Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
  • 2018
  • In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1923-1994
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Background The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk-outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk-outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk- outcome associations. Methods We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk-outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017.
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4.
  • Arslan, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Impact of Varying Load Conditions and Cooling Energy Comparison of a Double-Inlet Pulse Tube Refrigerator
  • 2020
  • In: Processes. - : MDPI. - 2227-9717. ; 8:3
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Modeling and optimization of a double-inlet pulse tube refrigerator (DIPTR) is very difficult due to its geometry and nature. The objective of this paper was to optimize-DIPTR through experiments with the cold heat exchanger (CHX) along the comparison of cooling load with experimental data using different boundary conditions. To predict its performance, a detailed two-dimensional DIPTR model was developed. A double-drop pulse pipe cooler was used for solving continuity, dynamic and power calculations. External conditions for applicable boundaries include sinusoidal pressure from an end of the tube from a user-defined function and constant temperature or limitations of thermal flux within the outer walls of exchanger walls under colder conditions. The results of the system's cooling behavior were reported, along with the connection between the mass flow rates, heat distribution along pulse tube and cold-end pressure, the cooler load's wall temp profile and cooler loads with varied boundary conditions i.e. opening of 20% double-inlet and 40-60% orifice valves, respectively. Different loading conditions of 1 and 5W were applied on the CHX. At 150 K temperature of the cold-end heat exchanger, a maximum load of 3.7 W was achieved. The results also reveal a strong correlation between computational fluid dynamics modeling results and experimental results of the DIPTR.
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5.
  • Azeem, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Chemical composition and repellent activity of native plants essential against dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti
  • 2019
  • In: Industrial crops and products (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-6690 .- 1872-633X. ; 140
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito is an important vector of chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. Plant based essential oils may serve as good alternatives to commercially available mosquito repellent, DEET. Steam distillation was used for the extraction of essential oils from fresh collected aerial parts of plants viz Chenopodium ambrosioides, Conyza sumatrensis, Erigeron canadensis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Mentha spicata, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Tagetes minuta. The essential oils were tested for mosquito repellent activity against laboratory reared female Ae. aegypti by human bait technique. Identification of chemical constituents of essential oils was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil of M. spicata, E. canadensis, P. hysterophorus, C. sumatrensis, T. minuta, C. ambrosioides, and E. camaldulensis exhibited 100%, 80%, 63.9%, 51.4%, 50.2%, 39.7%, and 13.7% mosquito repellent activity respectively, at the tested dose of 30 mu g/cm(2). The most abundant constituents of M. spicata, E. canadensis, P. hysterophorus, C. sumatrensis and T. minuta essential oils were piperitenone oxide (47.1%), limonene (41.3%), germacrene D (36.6%), cis-lachnophyllum ester (33.3%) and dihydrotagetone (20.9%) respectively. M. spicata essential oil completely inhibited the attractiveness of human hands toward female mosquitoes for more than 45 min thus showed bioactivity comparable to that of commercially used mosquito repellent, DEET. This study suggests that the dilute solution of M. spicata essential oil could be used as potent mosquito repellent against Ae. aegypti alternative to commercially available synthetic mosquito repellents.
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6.
  • Fatima, Iza, et al. (author)
  • Individual and synergistic effects of different fertilizers and gibberellin on growth and morphology of chili seedlings
  • 2024
  • In: Ecological Frontiers. - 1872-2032. ; 44:2, s. 275-281
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Gibberellins (GA3), as well as the basic elements phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and potassium (K), are crucial to the growth of chili. This study investigates the effect of different fertilizers and plant growth regulator on the growth and morphology of chili seedlings. Soil application of NPK, urea, SOP, and DAP (2.5 g/L) was applied during sowing, and N in two splits at sowing and after twenty days of sowing while foliar application of GA3 (50 mg/L) was applied after fifteen days of germination. The result of five seedlings' traits plant height (PH), plant girth (PG), plant spread (PS), number of leaves (NOF), and root length (RL) demonstrated a significant difference among growth-related traits in chili seedlings owing to the use of fertilizers, GA3, and their combinations. An optimum level of K and P alone or in combination with GA3 had a significant effect on all traits. PH was particularly influenced by the combination of GA3 with K and P whereas other traits like PG, NOF, PS, and RL are greatly influenced by the application of NPK, urea, SOP, DAP, and their combination with GA3. The study results showed an increase in chili seedlings' growth and morphology in response to various fertilizers and GA3.
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7.
  • Feigin, Valery L., et al. (author)
  • Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990–2016 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
  • 2019
  • In: Lancet Neurology. - : Elsevier. - 1474-4422 .- 1474-4465. ; 18:5, s. 459-480
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Background: Neurological disorders are increasingly recognised as major causes of death and disability worldwide. The aim of this analysis from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 is to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date estimates of the global, regional, and national burden from neurological disorders.Methods: We estimated prevalence, incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs; the sum of years of life lost [YLLs] and years lived with disability [YLDs]) by age and sex for 15 neurological disorder categories (tetanus, meningitis, encephalitis, stroke, brain and other CNS cancers, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron diseases, idiopathic epilepsy, migraine, tension-type headache, and a residual category for other less common neurological disorders) in 195 countries from 1990 to 2016. DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, was the main method of estimation of prevalence and incidence, and the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm) was used for mortality estimation. We quantified the contribution of 84 risks and combinations of risk to the disease estimates for the 15 neurological disorder categories using the GBD comparative risk assessment approach.Findings: Globally, in 2016, neurological disorders were the leading cause of DALYs (276 million [95% UI 247–308]) and second leading cause of deaths (9·0 million [8·8–9·4]). The absolute number of deaths and DALYs from all neurological disorders combined increased (deaths by 39% [34–44] and DALYs by 15% [9–21]) whereas their age-standardised rates decreased (deaths by 28% [26–30] and DALYs by 27% [24–31]) between 1990 and 2016. The only neurological disorders that had a decrease in rates and absolute numbers of deaths and DALYs were tetanus, meningitis, and encephalitis. The four largest contributors of neurological DALYs were stroke (42·2% [38·6–46·1]), migraine (16·3% [11·7–20·8]), Alzheimer's and other dementias (10·4% [9·0–12·1]), and meningitis (7·9% [6·6–10·4]). For the combined neurological disorders, age-standardised DALY rates were significantly higher in males than in females (male-to-female ratio 1·12 [1·05–1·20]), but migraine, multiple sclerosis, and tension-type headache were more common and caused more burden in females, with male-to-female ratios of less than 0·7. The 84 risks quantified in GBD explain less than 10% of neurological disorder DALY burdens, except stroke, for which 88·8% (86·5–90·9) of DALYs are attributable to risk factors, and to a lesser extent Alzheimer's disease and other dementias (22·3% [11·8–35·1] of DALYs are risk attributable) and idiopathic epilepsy (14·1% [10·8–17·5] of DALYs are risk attributable).Interpretation: Globally, the burden of neurological disorders, as measured by the absolute number of DALYs, continues to increase. As populations are growing and ageing, and the prevalence of major disabling neurological disorders steeply increases with age, governments will face increasing demand for treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for neurological disorders. The scarcity of established modifiable risks for most of the neurological burden demonstrates that new knowledge is required to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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8.
  • Klar, Joakim, 1974-, et al. (author)
  • Altered paracellular cation permeability due to a rare CLDN10B variant causes anhidrosis and kidney damage
  • 2017
  • In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 13:7
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Claudins constitute the major component of tight junctions and regulate paracellular permeability of epithelia. Claudin-10 occurs in two major isoforms that form paracellular channels with ion selectivity. We report on two families segregating an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by generalized anhidrosis, severe heat intolerance and mild kidney failure. All affected individuals carry a rare homozygous missense mutation c.144C>G, p.(N48K) specific for the claudin-10b isoform. Immunostaining of sweat glands from patients suggested that the disease is associated with reduced levels of claudin-10b in the plasma membranes and in canaliculi of the secretory portion. Expression of claudin-10b N48K in a 3D cell model of sweat secretion indicated perturbed paracellular Na+ transport. Analysis of paracellular permeability revealed that claudin-10b N48K maintained cation over anion selectivity but with a reduced general ion conductance. Furthermore, freeze fracture electron microscopy showed that claudin-10b N48K was associated with impaired tight junction strand formation and altered cis-oligomer formation. These data suggest that claudin-10b N48K causes anhidrosis and our findings are consistent with a combined effect from perturbed TJ function and increased degradation of claudin-10b N48K in the sweat glands. Furthermore, affected individuals present with Mg2+ retention, secondary hyperparathyroidism and mild kidney failure that suggest a disturbed reabsorption of cations in the kidneys. These renal-derived features recapitulate several phenotypic aspects detected in mice with kidney specific loss of both claudin-10 isoforms. Our study adds to the spectrum of phenotypes caused by tight junction proteins and demonstrates a pivotal role for claudin-10b in maintaining paracellular Na+ permeability for sweat production and kidney function.
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9.
  • Munir, M. Adeel, et al. (author)
  • Blockchain Adoption for Sustainable Supply Chain Management : Economic, Environmental, and Social Perspectives
  • 2022
  • In: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-598X. ; 10
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Due to the rapid increase in environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, the focus of researchers is shifted from economic to socio-environmental problems. Blockchain is a disruptive technology that has the potential to restructure the entire supply chain for sustainable practices. Blockchain is a distributed ledger that provides a digital database for recording all the transactions of the supply chain. The main purpose of this research is to explore the literature relevant to blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. The focus of this review is on the sustainability of the blockchain-based supply chain concerning environmental conservation, social equality, and governance effectiveness. Using a systematic literature review, a total of 136 articles were evaluated and categorized according to the triple bottom-line aspects of sustainability. Challenges and barriers during blockchain adoption in different industrial sectors such as aviation, shipping, agriculture and food, manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical, and textile industries were critically examined. This study has not only explored the economic, environmental, and social impacts of blockchain but also highlighted the emerging trends in a circular supply chain with current developments of advanced technologies along with their critical success factors. Furthermore, research areas and gaps in the existing research are discussed, and future research directions are suggested. The findings of this study show that blockchain has the potential to revolutionize the entire supply chain from a sustainability perspective. Blockchain will not only improve the economic sustainability of the supply chain through effective traceability, enhanced visibility through information sharing, transparency in processes, and decentralization of the entire structure but also will help in achieving environmental and social sustainability through resource efficiency, accountability, smart contracts, trust development, and fraud prevention. The study will be helpful for managers and practitioners to understand the procedure of blockchain adoption and to increase the probability of its successful implementation to develop a sustainable supply chain network.
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10.
  • Naqvi, Salman Raza, et al. (author)
  • Recent developments on sewage sludge pyrolysis and its kinetics : Resources recovery, thermogravimetric platforms, and innovative prospects
  • 2021
  • In: Computers and Chemical Engineering. - : Elsevier. - 0098-1354 .- 1873-4375. ; 150
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Sewage sludge is a by-product of the wastewater treatment process, which has the potential to be a source of transport fuels, heat, and power using the pyrolysis process. Considering the prevalence and disposal issues associated with sewage sludge, the objective of this study is to critically review the recent advancements in sewage sludge pyrolysis and its kinetics obtained using the thermogravimetric techniques, and other associated different kinetic models documented in the literature. The study will identify optimum operating conditions and design parameters to obtain high yields. The state-of-the-art perspectives and the challenges associated with full-scale implementation are highlighted for biofuels and resource recovery from the sewage sludge. Furthermore, machine-learning approaches in thermal kinetics of pyrolysis are presented and discussed in terms of their effectiveness in predicting thermal kinetics data. Finally, the challenges for a successful implementation and commercial viability of sewage sludge pyrolysis are discussed.
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11.
  • Nawaz, Sadia, et al. (author)
  • WNT10A missense mutation associated with a complete odonto-onycho-dermal dysplasia syndrome
  • 2009
  • In: European Journal of Human Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1018-4813 .- 1476-5438. ; 17:12, s. 1600-1605
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Wnt signalling is one of a few pathways that are crucial for controlling genetic programs during embryonic development as well as in adult tissues. WNT10A is expressed in the skin and epidermis and it has shown to be critical for the development of ectodermal appendages. A nonsense mutation in WNT10A was recently identified in odonto-onycho-dermal dysplasia (OODD; MIM 257980), a rare syndrome characterised by severe hypodontia, nail dystrophy, smooth tongue, dry skin, keratoderma and hyperhydrosis of palms and soles. We identified a large consanguineous Pakistani pedigree comprising six individuals affected by a complete OODD syndrome. Autozygosity mapping using SNP array analysis showed that the affected individuals are homozygous for the WNT10A gene region. Subsequent mutation screening showed a homozygous c.392C>T transition in exon 3 of WNT10A, which predicts a p.A131V substitution in a conserved alpha-helix domain. We report here on the first inherited missense mutation in WNT10A with associated ectodermal features.
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12.
  • Shakir, Nida, et al. (author)
  • Pirarubicin loaded biodegradable nanoparticles downregulate IL-6, COX-II and TNF-alpha along with oxidative stress markers in comparison to conventional pirarubicin in healthy albino rats
  • 2023
  • In: Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. - : Elsevier. - 1773-2247. ; 84
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Pirarubicin (PRB) is an anthracycline antibiotic that has shown equal or superior cytotoxicity compared to doxorubicin. However, the detailed toxicological profile for Pirarubicin has not yet been investigated. The present study was designed to access the acute and chronic toxicity of the nanoformulation coupled with in-flammatory and oxidative stress responses. PRB was encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles and was physico-chemically evaluated. The nanoparticle size was found to be 420.0 +/- 8.2 nm with an encapsulation efficiency of 80.3 +/- 3.1%. The SEM images showed spherical nanoparticles while the drug release in PBS (pH 7.4) was estimated to be 72.5 +/- 3.5%. Acute toxicity in female albino rats was conducted for 14 days at two dosage levels (i.e., 5 and 300 mg/kg) once a week through an intravenous route. A repeated toxicity study was conducted for 28 days at 3 different dosage levels (i.e., 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg) weekly. No mortality was observed during the experimentation period. Toxicity assessment of body weights, hematological parameters, blood biochemistry, histopathological evaluation of internal organs and relative organ weight percentage was done. Inflammatory markers quantification (COX-II, TNF-alpha, IL-6) along with the generation of oxidative stress (SOD, GSH-ST, GSH-PX, MDA, and H2O2) was also investigated in a repeated 28 days toxicity study. The nanoformulation did not have any effect on the behavioral pattern, food, water consumption or body weights. The abnormalities in function and morphology of the organs produced by nano-formulated PRB were dose-dependent and reversible. The serum sample of rats treated with nanoparticles exhibited a non-significant difference in levels of COX-II, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 as compared to the normal saline (NS) group. Altogether the results offered us evidence about the safety profile of Pirarubicin loaded PLGA nanoparticles (PRB-NP) as compared to PRB alone.
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13.
  • Afroz, Laila, et al. (author)
  • Nanocomposite Catalyst (1 – x)NiO-xCuO/yGDC for Biogas Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
  • 2023
  • In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0962. ; 6:21, s. 10918-10928
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • The composites of Ni–Cu oxides with gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) are emerging as highly proficient anode catalysts, owing to their remarkable performance for solid oxide fuel cells operated with biogas. In this context, the nanocomposite catalysts (1 – x)NiO-xCuO/yGDC (x = 0.2–0.8; y = 1,1.3) are synthesized using a solid-state reaction route. The cubic and monoclinic structures are observed for NiO and CuO phases, respectively, while CeO2 showed cubic fluorite structure. The scanning electron microscopic images revealed a rise in the particle size with an increase in the copper and GDC concentration. The optical band gap values are calculated in the range 2.82–2.33 eV from UV–visible analysis. The Raman spectra confirmed the presence of vibration modes of CeO2 and NiO. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite anodes is increased as the concentration of copper and GDC increased and reached at 9.48 S cm–1 for 0.2NiO-0.8CuO/1.3GDC composition at 650 °C. The electrochemical performance of (1 – x)NiO-xCuO/yGDC (x = 0.2–0.8; y = 1,1.3)-based fuel cells is investigated with biogas fuel at 650 °C. Among all of the as-synthesized anodes, the fuel cell with composition 0.2NiO-0.8CuO/1.3GDC showed the best performance, such as an open circuit voltage of 0.84 V and peak power density of 72 mW cm–2. However, from these findings, it can be inferred that among all other compositions, the 0.2NiO-0.8CuO/1.3GDC anode is a superior combination for the high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells fueled with biogas.
  •  
14.
  • Akram, Talia, et al. (author)
  • Aberrant splicing due to a novel RPS7 variant causes Diamond-Blackfan Anemia associated with spontaneous remission and meningocele
  • 2020
  • In: International Journal of Hematology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0925-5710 .- 1865-3774. ; 112:6, s. 894-899
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is a congenital pure red cell aplasia caused by heterozygous variants in ribosomal protein genes. The hematological features associated with DBA are highly variable and non-hematological abnormalities are common. We report herein on an affected mother and her daughter presenting with transfusion-dependent anemia. The mother showed mild physical abnormalities and entered spontaneous remission at age 13 years. Her daughter was born with occipital meningocele. Exome sequencing of DNA from the mother revealed a heterozygous novel splice site variant (NM_001011.4:c.508-3T > G) in the Ribosomal Protein S7 gene (RPS7) inherited by the daughter. Functional analysis of the RPS7 variant expressed from a mini-gene construct revealed that the exon 7 acceptor splice site was replaced by a cryptic splice resulting in a transcript missing 64 bp of exon 7 (p.Val170Serfs*8). Our study confirms a pathogenic effect of a novel RPS7 variant in DBA associated with spontaneous remission in the mother and meningocele in her daughter, thus adding to the genotype-phenotype correlations in DBA.
  •  
15.
  • Ali, Imtiaz, et al. (author)
  • Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses of dried oily sludge pyrolysis
  • 2021
  • In: Journal of the Energy Institute. - : Elsevier. - 1743-9671 .- 1746-0220. ; 95, s. 30-40
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Oily sludge has the potential to utilize in pyrolysis process effectively because of higher product recovery and lower harmful emissions. Due to the complex nature of reactions, it is necessary to evaluate the thermo-kinetic behavior of the process to make it commercially feasible. This study includes thermal degradation behavior, the kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of dry oily sludge by applying Friedman and Vyazovkin method (model-free approach), and Coats-Redfern method (model-fitting approach) with the help of thermogravimetric analysis TGA at different heating rates (5, 20, 40 °C/min). The active region was from 20 to 60% conversion range because the maximum conversion occurs in this region. The overall activation energy decreases as the conversion increases from a lower range (60%) to a higher range (80%) for all satisfied models. The estimated range of pre-exponential coefficient for each model was to 4.91E+15 to 2.30E-01min−1 in the conversion range of 20–60% and 9.80E+02 to 4.89E-04min−1 in the conversion range 60–80%. The overall value of the change in enthalpy ΔH and change in Gibbs free energy ΔG decrease as the conversion increases from the lower range to the higher range.
  •  
16.
  • Ali, Qasim, et al. (author)
  • Drought tolerance potential of Vigna mungo L. lines as deciphered by modulated growth, antioxidant defense, and nutrient acquisition patterns
  • 2016
  • In: Revista Brasileira de Botânica. - : Springer. - 0100-8404 .- 1806-9959. ; 39:3, s. 801-812
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Water shortage is one of the major environmental constraints that hamper the crop productivity worldwide. The present study was aimed to examine the drought tolerance potential of seven cultivars/lines of Vigna mungo L. depending upon their germination behavior, seedling growth, antioxidative defense mechanism, and nutrient acquisition. An experiment was conducted in the growth chamber using petri-plates and laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). Hoagland's nutrient solution supplemented with 12 % PEG-8000 (drought treatment) or without PEG-800 (control) was used. Drought stress significantly altered the germination attributes as well as biomass production of all the studied cultivars/lines. Least adversative effects of drought stress were recorded in lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21, respectively. The studied cultivars/lines exhibited differential response for various biochemical attributes under drought stress. The maximum increase in MDA and SOD activities and protein content was recorded in line M-603621, while the maximum AsA was recorded in line M-01001-1. Drought stress resulted in a significant reduction of plant N, P, K, Ca, and Mg contents, while the plant iron (Fe) contents remained unaffected. Results revealed that cultivars/lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21 exhibited enhanced performance in terms of nutrient acquisition when stressed by drought. Based upon seed germination behavior, plant biomass production, biochemical attributes and mineral elements, the cultivars/lines M-01001-1 and M-6036-21 were identified as drought tolerant, while M-97 and Arroj-II were identified as drought sensitive.
  •  
17.
  • Amin, Muhammad Umair, et al. (author)
  • Co-delivery of carbonic anhydrase IX inhibitor and doxorubicin as a promising approach to address hypoxia-induced chemoresistance
  • 2022
  • In: Drug Delivery. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1071-7544 .- 1521-0464. ; 29:1, s. 2072-2085
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Hypoxia, an oxygen-deprived condition of the tumor, is one of the major reasons for resistance to chemotherapy. Carbonic anhydrases are generally involved in pH homeostasis in normal conditions, but in solid tumors having a strong relation with hypoxia, the carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) enzyme is overexpressed and results in an extracellular acidic environment. For most weakly basic anticancer drugs, including doxorubicin (Dox), the ionization in an acidic environment limits their cellular uptake, and consequently, the tumor exposure to the drug at sub-therapeutic concentration comes out as chemoresistance. Herein, a combined drug delivery system of liposomes and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) was developed for the co-delivery of the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor and Dox in hypoxic condition. The unique structure of MSNPs with higher surface area was utilized for higher drug loading and sustained release of Dox. Additionally, the biocompatible nature of liposomal coating as a second loading site for the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor has provided gatekeeping effects at pore opening to avoid premature drug release. Lipid coated MSNPs as a co-delivery system for Dox and the CA-IX inhibitor have synergistic cytotoxic effects against MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells in hypoxic conditions. These findings assure the potential of this drug delivery system to overcome hypoxia-related chemoresistance.
  •  
18.
  • Amin, Muhammad Umair, et al. (author)
  • Ultrasound-Responsive Smart Drug Delivery System of Lipid Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
  • 2021
  • In: Pharmaceutics. - : MDPI. - 1999-4923. ; 13:9
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • The immediate release of chemotherapeutics at the target site, along with no premature release in circulation is always challenging. The purpose of this study was to develop a stimuli responsive drug delivery system, composed of lipid supported mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for triggered drug release at the target site and simultaneously avoiding the premature release. MSNPs with a higher drug loading capacity and very slow release were designed so as to enhance release by FDA approved US-irradiation. Doxorubicin, as a model drug, and perfluoropentane (PFP) as a US responsive material, were entrapped in the porous structure of MSNPs. Lipid coating enhanced the cellular uptake and in addition provided a gatekeeping effect at the pore opening to reduce premature release. The mechanical and thermal effects of US induced the conversion of liquid PFP to a gaseous form that was able to rupture the lipid layer, resulting in triggered drug release. The prolonged stability profile and non-toxic behavior made them suitable candidate for the delivery of anticancer drugs. This smart system, with the abilities of better cellular uptake and higher cytotoxic effects on US-irradiation, would be a good addition to the applied side of chemotherapeutic advanced drug delivery systems.
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19.
  •  
20.
  • Ashraf, Muhammad Waqas, et al. (author)
  • Predicting mechanical properties of sustainable green concrete using novel machine learning: Stacking and gene expression programming
  • 2024
  • In: Reviews on Advanced Materials Science. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1606-5131 .- 1605-8127. ; 63:1
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Using rice husk ash (RHA) as a cement substitute in concrete production has potential benefits, including cement consumption and mitigating environmental effects. The feasibility of RHA on concrete strength was investigated in this research by predicting the split tensile strength (SPT) and flexural strength (FS) of RHA concrete (RHAC). The study used machine learning (ML) methods such as ensemble stacking and gene expression programming (GEP). The stacking model was improved using base learner configurations ML models, such as, random forest (RF), support vector regression, and gradient boosting regression. The proposed models were validated by statistical tests and external validation criteria. Moreover, the effect of input parameters was investigated using Shapley adaptive exPlanations (SHAP) for RF and parametric analysis for GEP-based models. The analysis revealed that the stacking ensemble integrates base learner predictions and demonstrated superior performance, with R values greater than 0.98 and 0.96. Mean absolute error and root mean square error values for both SPT and FS were 0.23, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 MPA, respectively. The SHAP analysis demonstrated water, cement, superplasticizer, and age as influential parameters for the RHAC strength. Furthermore, the SPT and FS of RHAC can be predicted with an acceptable error using the GEP expressions in the standard design procedure.
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21.
  • Asif, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Comprehensive genomic analysis of Bacillus paralicheniformis strain BP9, pan-genomic and genetic basis of biocontrol mechanism
  • 2023
  • In: Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2001-0370. ; 21, s. 4647-4662
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Many Bacillus species are essential antibacterial agents, but their antibiosis potential still needs to be elucidated to its full extent. Here, we isolated a soil bacterium, BP9, which has significant antibiosis activity against fungal and bacterial pathogens. BP9 improved the growth of wheat seedlings via active colonization and demonstrated effective biofilm and swarming activity. BP9 sequenced genome contains 4282 genes with a mean G-C content of 45.94% of the whole genome. A single copy concatenated 802 core genes of 28 genomes, and their calculated average nucleotide identity (ANI) discriminated the strain BP9 from Bacillus licheniformis and classified it as Bacillus paralicheniformis. Furthermore, a comparative pan-genome analysis of 40 B. paralicheniformis strains suggested that the genetic repertoire of BP9 belongs to open-type genome species. A comparative analysis of a pan-genome dataset using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Cluster of Orthologous Gene groups (COG) revealed the diversity of secondary metabolic pathways, where BP9 distinguishes itself by exhibiting a greater prevalence of loci associated with the metabolism and transportation of organic and inorganic substances, carbohydrate and amino acid for effective inhabitation in diverse environments. The primary secondary metabolites and their genes involved in synthesizing bacillibactin, fencing, bacitracin, and lantibiotics were identified as acquired through a recent Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) event, which contributes to a significant part of the strain`s antimicrobial potential. Finally, we report some genes essential for plant-host interaction identified in BP9, which reduce spore germination and virulence of multiple fungal and bacterial species. The effective colonization, diverse predicted metabolic pathways and secondary metabolites (antibiotics) suggest testing the suitability of strain BP9 as a potential bio-preparation in agricultural fields.
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22.
  • Azeem, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Pesticidal potential of some wild plant essential oils against grain pests Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) and Aspergillus flavus (Link, 1809)
  • 2022
  • In: Arabian Journal of Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-5352 .- 1878-5379. ; 15:1
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, and the mold Aspergillus flavus are well known threats of stored grain commodities, causing nutritional loss and poisoning of stored products, respectively. T. castaneum has developed resistance against most insecticides, leading to the use of extensive amounts of synthetic insecticides to protect stored grains. Synthetic pesticides not only toxify the environment but also cause serious health issues in humans using pesticide treated grains. This study aimed to identify plant-based natural pesticides to control T. castaneum and A. flavus. Essential oils were extracted from fresh aerial parts of Chenopodium ambrosioides, Conyza sumatrensis, Erigeron canadensis, and Tagetes minuta through steam distillation and investigated for insecticidal and anti-fungal activities against adult T. castaneum and A. flavus, respectively. GC-MS analysis of C. sumatrensis revealed the presence of 37.7% cis-lachnophyllum ester, 13.4% germa-crene D, and 21.6% limonene, whereas in E. canadensis the major compounds were limonene, ger-macrene D, and cis-lachnophyllum ester (43.4%, 12.9% and 5.9%, respectively). In bioassays with treated grain, C. sumatrensis and E. canadensis essential oils exhibited excellent toxicity against adult T. castaneum with LD50 of 3.7 and 5.6 mg per 10 g grains whereas in a fumigation bioassay they showed LD50 of 6.6 and 10.6 mg/L, respectively. The essential oils extracted from C. ambrosioides and E. canadensis exhibited good anti-fungal activity against A. flavus. Our findings suggest that essential oils of C. sumatrensis and E. canadensis can play an important role in protecting stored grains from T. castaneum and A. flavus contamination. 
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23.
  • Aziz, Maria, et al. (author)
  • Efficient Removal of Lead and Chromium From Aqueous Media Using Selenium Based Nanocomposite Supported by Orange Peel
  • 2022
  • In: Frontiers in Environmental Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-665X. ; 10
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • This study presents the synthesis of activated orange peel, derived from bio-waste (orange peel) and its doping with selenium nano-particles to enhance the adsorption capacity. The synthesized nanocomposite orange peel/Selenium (OP/Se) was applied as adsorbents for the removal of Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) from synthetic waste water as an economical water cleaning technology. Orange peel/Selenium nanocomposite was characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Scanning electron microscopy results showed the porous structure of OP/Se nanocomposite and distinct peaks observed in XRD and FTIR spectra depicted the successful synthesis of nanocomposite. Batch experiments were conducted to figure out the effect of different parameters on adsorption of Pb and Cr by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of 99.9% was achieved for both lead and chromium at acidic pH. While at temperature of 60°C the maximum adsorption of 98.3 and 95.9% was found for Pb and Cr respectively. Furthermore the experimental data was examined with Pseudo-first order, first-order and Pseudo-second order kinetic model, as well as Morris Intraparticle diffusion model where the pseudo second order was best fitted which indicated the chemisorption mechanism in adsorption process. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model verified that OP/Se nanocomposite was found to be favorable for the process of adsorption. The adsorption thermodynamics indicate that adsorption of heavy metals ions is spontaneous (ΔG° < 0) and the adsorption increases with increase in temperature which means that reaction was endothermic in nature. This study revealed that the synthesized bio-activated nanocomposite was an efficient adsorbent material for the removal of heavy metals from waste water.
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24.
  • Beal, Jacob, et al. (author)
  • Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
  • 2020
  • In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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25.
  • Jameel, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • A novel AP4M1 mutation in autosomal recessive cerebral palsy syndrome and clinical expansion of AP-4 deficiency
  • 2014
  • In: BMC Medical Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2350. ; 15, s. 133-
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • BACKGROUND:Cerebral palsy (CP) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability in one-third of cases. Recent findings support Mendelian inheritance in subgroups of patients with the disease. The purpose of this study was to identify a novel genetic cause of paraplegic CP with intellectual disability in a consanguineous Pakistani family.METHODS:We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in two brothers with CP and intellectual disability. Analysis of AP4M1 mRNA was performed using quantitative real-time PCR on total RNA from cultured fibroblasts. The brothers were investigated clinically and by MRI.RESULTS:We identified a novel homozygous AP4M1 mutation c.194_195delAT, p.Y65Ffs*50 in the affected brothers. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed markedly reduced AP4M1 mRNA levels suggesting partial non-sense mediated mRNA decay. Several clinical and MRI features were consistent with AP-4 complex deficiency. However, in contrast to previously reported cases with AP4M1 mutations our patients show an aggressive behavior and a relatively late onset of disease.CONCLUSION:This study shows an AP4M1 mutation associated with aggressive behavior in addition to mild dysmorphic features, intellectual disability, spastic paraparesis and reduced head circumference. Our findings expand the clinical spectrum associated with AP-4 complex deficiency and the study illustrates the importance of MRI and WES in the diagnosis of patients with CP and intellectual disability.
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26.
  • Khan, Tahir Naeem, et al. (author)
  • Novel missense mutation in the RSPO4 gene in congenital hyponychia and evidence for a polymorphic initiation codon (p.M1l)
  • 2012
  • In: BMC Medical Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2350. ; 13, s. 120-
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Background: Anonychia/hyponychia congenita is a rare autosomal recessive developmental disorder characterized by the absence (anonychia) or hypoplasia (hyponuchia) of finger- and/or toenails frequently caused by mutations in the R-spondin 4 (RSPO4) gene. Methods: Three hypo/anonychia consanguineous Pakistani families were ascertained and genotyped using microsatellite markers spanning the RSPO4 locus on chromosome 20p13. Mutation screening of the RSPO4 gene was carried out by direct sequencing of the entire coding region and all intron-exon boundaries. Results: Mutations in the RSPO4 gene were identified in all families including a novel missense mutation c.178C>T (p.R60W) and two recurrent variants c.353G>A (p.C118Y) and c.3G>A (p.M1l). The c.3G>A variant was identified in unaffected family members and a control sample in a homozygous state. Conclusions: This study raises to 17 the number of known RSPO4 mutations and further expands the molecular repertoire causing hypo/anonychia. The c.353G>A emerges as a recurrent change with a possible founder effect in the Pakistani population. Our findings suggest that c.3G>A is not sufficient to cause the disorder and could be considered a polymorphism.
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27.
  • Khokhar, Javeria, et al. (author)
  • Prevalence and determinants of anemia among resident female university students from Southern Punjab, Pakistan
  • 2022
  • In: Women and Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0363-0242 .- 1541-0331. ; 62:6, s. 488-501
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Health and nutritional status of the women of reproductive age (WRA) is expected to be influenced with women literacy status alongside other sociodemographic indicators. However, data are scant to validate if literate young women have lower incidence of anemia prevalence. Nexus to the problem stated, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,541 female resident university students (FRUS) aged 17–35 years from a public sector university located in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Hemoglobin (Hb) led screening for anemia was performed followed by nutritional assessment and structured questionnaire-based sociodemographic and dietary assessment. The data generated were analyzed using independent t-test, Chi-square, and response surface regression models. Response rate for the prevalence of anemia in FRUS was 38 percent with mean Hb levels 10.5 g/dL. With a significant effect (p =.001) of participants’ weight on anemia prevalence, 22.45 percent of the sample population was recorded as underweight. Sociodemographic and dietary parameters analyzed suggested low daily food expenditure (x 2 = 20.59; p =.000) and reduced intake of meat (x 2 = 12.14; p =.01), beans & pulses (x 2 = 18.56; p =.001) to significantly influence rate of anemia prevalence in FRUS. The study concludes high prevalence rate of anemia among FRUS to strongly relate with students’ low monthly stipend, little daily food expenditure, and substandard dietary quality.
  •  
28.
  • Malik, Shairyar, et al. (author)
  • An Improved Skin Lesion Boundary Estimation for Enhanced-Intensity Images Using Hybrid Metaheuristics
  • 2023
  • In: Diagnostics. - : MDPI. - 2075-4418. ; 13:7, s. 1285-1285
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • The demand for the accurate and timely identification of melanoma as a major skin cancer type is increasing daily. Due to the advent of modern tools and computer vision techniques, it has become easier to perform analysis. Skin cancer classification and segmentation techniques require clear lesions segregated from the background for efficient results. Many studies resolve the matter partly. However, there exists plenty of room for new research in this field. Recently, many algorithms have been presented to preprocess skin lesions, aiding the segmentation algorithms to generate efficient outcomes. Nature-inspired algorithms and metaheuristics help to estimate the optimal parameter set in the search space. This research article proposes a hybrid metaheuristic preprocessor, BA-ABC, to improve the quality of images by enhancing their contrast and preserving the brightness. The statistical transformation function, which helps to improve the contrast, is based on a parameter set estimated through the proposed hybrid metaheuristic model for every image in the dataset. For experimentation purposes, we have utilised three publicly available datasets, ISIC-2016, 2017 and 2018. The efficacy of the presented model is validated through some state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms. The visual outcomes of the boundary estimation algorithms and performance matrix validate that the proposed model performs well. The proposed model improves the dice coefficient to 94.6% in the results.
  •  
29.
  • Munsif, Fazal, et al. (author)
  • Dual-purpose wheat technology : a tool for ensuring food security and livestock sustainability in cereal-based cropping pattern
  • 2021
  • In: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0365-0340 .- 1476-3567. ; 67:13, s. 1889-1900
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Wheat cultivation under a dual-purpose (DP) system holds great potential to provide additional fodder for livestock with marginal grain reduction. This study explores the potential of wheat as a DP crop for improving both, forage and grain cropping system by finding out optimal sowing dates and cultivars suitable for DP cropping. Field experiments with four cultivars (Saleem-2000, Bathoor-2007, Fakhre Sarhad-99 (FS-99) and Siran-2008), three sowing dates (October 15, October 30 and November 15) and two cutting treatments (cut and no-cut) determines the effects on yield and physiology of wheat. Wheat sown either in mid or end of October resulted in 11 and 8% increase in grain yield while 13 and 9% in biological yield over mid November sowing, respectively. This increase in yield was due to higher grain spike(-1), chlorophyll content, transpiration rate and relative water content. The cultivars Siran-2008 and Saleem-2000 had higher biological and grain yields than other cultivars across cutting and sowing dates treatments. Biological and grain yields were reduced by 4% and 3%, respectively under the DP wheat compared with no-cut treatment, but grains N content was unaffected. Conclusively, DP wheat system (cut treatment) had higher profitability (11.2%) than wheat crop sown only for grain purposes.
  •  
30.
  • Naqvi, Salman Raza, et al. (author)
  • Pyrolysis of high ash sewage sludge : Kinetics and thermodynamic analysis using Coats-Redfern method
  • 2019
  • In: Renewable energy. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0960-1481 .- 1879-0682. ; 131, s. 854-860
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • This study aims to investigate the thermo-kinetics of high-ash sewage sludge using thermogravimetric analysis. Sewage sludge was dried, pulverized and heated non-isothermally from 25 to 800 °C at different heating rates (5, 10 and 20 °C/min) in N2 atmosphere. TG and DTG results indicate that the sewage sludge pyrolysis may be divided into three stages. Coats-Redfern integral method was applied in the 2nd and 3rd stage to estimate the activation energy and pre-exponential factor from mass loss data using five major reaction mechanisms. The low-temperature stable components (LTSC) of the sewage sludge degraded in the temperature regime of 250–450 °C while high-temperature stable components (HTSC) decomposed in the temperature range of 450–700 °C. According to the results, first-order reaction model (F1) showed higher Ea with better R2 for all heating rates. D3, N1, and S1 produced higher Ea at higher heating rates for LTSC pyrolysis and lower Ea with the increase of heating rates for HTSC pyrolysis. All models showed positive ΔH except F1.5. Among all models, Diffusion (D1, D2, D3) and phase interfacial models (S1, S2) showed higher ΔG as compared to reaction, nucleation, and power-law models in section I and section II.
  •  
31.
  • Nawaz, Sadia, et al. (author)
  • Report of a recurrent mutation in ARS (component B) gene with severe Mal de Meleda in a large consanguineous Pakistani family
  • 2011
  • In: Pakistan journal of medical sciences print. - 1682-024X .- 1681-715X. ; 27:3, s. 686-689
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Objective: To characterize the disease causing mutation in a large consanguineous Pakistani family with severe Mat de Meleda (MDM) or keratosis palmoplantaris transgrediens, a rare autosomal recessive skin disorder. Methodology: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) genotyping was performed using the Gene Chip Mapping 250K array (Affymetrix). Homozygosity mapping and sorting of genomic regions were performed with dedicated software called AutoSNPa. Selected regions were further investigated by genotyping with microsatellite markers derived from known and novel pOlymorphic repeats. Two-point LOD score calculation was performed by using the MLINK of Fast link computer package. All three coding exons of ARS (component B) gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Conclusion: Sequencing of all the coding exons of ARS (component B) gene in the affected individuals revealed a recurrent missense mutation in exon 3 at base pair 256 from Guanine to Alanine (256G>A) and as a result the amino acid Glycine is replaced by Arginine at position 86 (G86R). This finding will facilitate control of affected MDM births in the Pakistani families.
  •  
32.
  • Nisa, Zaib Un, et al. (author)
  • A comparative metabolomic study on desi and kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes under rainfed and irrigated field conditions
  • 2020
  • In: Scientific Reports. - BERLIN GERMANY : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Chickpea is considered among the most important leguminous crops in the world. However, in recent years drought conditions and/or limited availability of water have significantly reduced the production of chickpea. The current study was aimed to understand the legume stress response at the metabolic level for the determination of chickpea genotypes which can resist yield losses and could be cultivated with limited water availability. Here, we have analyzed two genotypes of chickpea, desi and kabuli under rainfed condition using a GC-MS based untargeted metabolomics approach. Results revealed significant differences in several metabolite features including oxalic acid, threonic acid, inositol, maltose and L-proline between studied groups. Accumulation of plant osmoprotectants such as L-proline, sugars and sugar alcohols was higher in desi genotype than kabuli genotype of chickpea when grown under the rainfed condition. Metabolic pathway analysis suggests that the inositol phosphate metabolism was involved in plant defense mechanisms against the limited water availability.
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33.
  • Rasool, Mahmood, et al. (author)
  • A novel missense mutation in the EDA gene associated with X-linked recessive isolated hypodontia
  • 2008
  • In: Journal of Human Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-5161 .- 1435-232X. ; 53:10, s. 894-8
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Isolated hypodontia, or congenital absence of one to six permanent teeth (OMIM 300606), is a common condition that affects about 20% of individuals worldwide. We identified two extended Pakistani pedigrees segregating X-linked hypodontia with variable expressivity. Affected males show no other associated anomalies, and obligate carrier females have normal dentition. We analyzed the families with polymorphic markers in the ectodysplasin A (EDA) gene region and obtained significant linkage to the phenotype in each pedigree (Z(max) 3.29 and 2.65, respectively, at theta = 0.00). Sequence analysis of the coding regions of EDA revealed a novel missense mutation c.1091T>C resulting in a methionine to threonine substitution (p.M364T) in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) homology domain. Met364 is a highly conserved residue located on the outer surface of the EDA protein. From our findings, we suggest that the mutation disturbs but does not destroy the EDA structure, resulting in the partial and unusually mild ED phenotype restricted to hypodontia.
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34.
  • Raykova, Doroteya, et al. (author)
  • Autosomal Recessive Transmission of a Rare KRT74 Variant Causes Hair and Nail Ectodermal Dysplasia : Allelism with Dominant Woolly Hair/Hypotrichosis
  • 2014
  • In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:4, s. e93607-
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Pure hair and nail ectodermal dysplasia (PHNED) comprises a heterogeneous group of rare heritable disorders characterized by brittle hair, hypotrichosis, onychodystrophy and micronychia. Autosomal recessive (AR) PHNED has previously been associated with mutations in either KRT85 or HOXC13 on chromosome 12p11.1-q14.3. We investigated a consanguineous Pakistani family with AR PHNED linked to the keratin gene cluster on 12p11.1 but without detectable mutations in KRT85 and HOXC13. Whole exome sequencing of affected individuals revealed homozygosity for a rare c.821T> C variant (p.Phe274Ser) in the KRT74 gene that segregates AR PHNED in the family. The transition alters the highly conserved Phe274 residue in the coil 1B domain required for long-range dimerization of keratins, suggesting that the mutation compromises the stability of intermediate filaments. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses confirmed a strong keratin-74 expression in the nail matrix, the nail bed and the hyponychium of mouse distal digits, as well as in normal human hair follicles. Furthermore, hair follicles and epidermis of an affected family member stained negative for Keratin-74 suggesting a loss of function mechanism mediated by the Phe274Ser substitution. Our observations show for the first time that homozygosity for a KRT74 missense variant may be associated with AR PHNED. Heterozygous KRT74 mutations have previously been associated with autosomal dominant woolly hair/ hypotrichosis simplex (ADWH). Thus, our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum associated with KRT74 mutations and imply that a subtype of AR PHNED is allelic with ADWH.
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35.
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36.
  • Tariq, Imran, et al. (author)
  • Ameliorative delivery of docetaxel and curcumin using PEG decorated lipomers : A cutting-edge in-vitro/ in-vivo appraisal
  • 2024
  • In: Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. - : Elsevier. - 1773-2247. ; 97
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • The development of a PEG-decorated lipid-polymer hybrid system camouflaged with natural and synthetic chemotherapeutic moieties is an influential approach melding the biomimetic properties of long-circulating vesicles to utilize different mechanisms to dwindle the tumor growth. Therefore, a safe and efficient lipid-coated nano-particulate system (LCNPs) was proposed to investigate the in-vitro, ex-vivo and in-vivo demeanors of such amalgamation.Docetaxel loaded PLGA nanoparticles (DTX-NPs) were prepared by solvent evaporation while curcumin liposomes were mapped out using the film hydration method. Physicochemical characterizations were executed in terms of size, surface morphology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In-vitro cytotoxicity was effectuated using MCF-7 cell line. Hemolysis, erythrocyte aggregation and acute in-vivo toxicity were carried out to establish the biocompatibility. The hydrodynamic diameters of samples were in the nano-range and corresponded to the findings of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The absence of distinctive peaks of DTX-NPs in FTIR and DSC analysis of LCNPs depicts the shielding of the lipid bilayer over the nanoparticle. Cytotoxicity induced by the LCNPs represented the efficient delivery of cargo to the tumor cells. LCNPs also exhibited the least toxicity under ex-vivo and in-vivo circumstances compared to free drugs. Additionally, histological studies showed no evidence of substantial necrosis. Additionally, histological studies showed no evidence of notable necrosis.
  •  
37.
  • Tariq, Nimra, et al. (author)
  • Orientation Independent Chipless RFID Tag Using Novel Trefoil Resonators
  • 2019
  • In: IEEE Access. - : IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC. - 2169-3536. ; 7, s. 122398-122407
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • In this paper, a compact and fully passive bit encoding circuit, capable of operating as a chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is presented. The structure consists of novel concentric trefoil-shaped slot resonators realized using Rogers RT/duroid (R) 5880 laminate, occupying a physical footprint of 13.55 x 13.55 mm(2). Each resonating element is associated with a particular data bit, having a 1:1 resonator-to-bit correspondence. Bit sequences are configured through introducing modifications in the geometric structure either by addition or exclusion of each nested slot resonator. Such changes manifest directly in the electromagnetic signature of the tag as presence or absence of corresponding resonant peaks. The proposed 10-bit tag offers minimized inter-resonator mutual coupling and insensitivity to changes in polarization and incident angles thereby demonstrating orientation independent functionality. Moreover, error-free encoding is achieved through stabilizing the shift in resonant frequencies for a variety of different geometric configurations and orientation of the structure. The tag operates within the license-free ultrawideband ranging from 5.4 to 10.4 GHz, providing spectral bit capacity and bit density of 2 bits/GHz and 5.44 bits/cm(2) respectively.
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38.
  • Waseem, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Effect of Microwave Heat Processing on Nutritional Indices, Antinutrients, and Sensory Attributes of Potato Powder-Supplemented Flatbread
  • 2022
  • In: Journal of Food Quality. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0146-9428 .- 1745-4557. ; 2022
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • This study aims at evaluating nutritional, toxicological, and sensory attributes of microwave heat-treated potato powder-supplemented unleavened flatbread. Straight-grade wheat flour (SGF) was substituted with potato powder at the rate of 2.5-10% d.w. A comparison was made for nutritional, antinutrient, and organoleptic attributes of microwave heat-treated potato powder and SGF - potato powder composite flour-based flatbreads. The results suggest processed potato powder supplementation in SGF to significantly (p<0.05) improve ash (0.48 to 0.63 g/100 g), dietary fiber (2.15 to 2.61 g/100 g), and protein (8.33 to 9.91 g/100 g) contents of composite chapatis. Likewise, significant (p<0.05) improvement in the concentration of microelements and trace elements was observed including Ca, Na, K, Fe, and Zn contents, which were increased from 29.7 to 33.5 mg/100 g, 2.8 to 6.3 mg/100 g, 376 to 466 mg/100 g, 3.1 to 3.4 mg/100 g, and 3.17 to 3.25 mg/100 g, respectively. Microwave heating of potato powder was observed to reduce the load of alkaloids, oxalates, tannins, and phytates of the raw potato powder at the rate of 76%, 80%, 84%, and 82%, respectively, thus anticipating a promising response to minimize toxicant load in supplemented flatbread. Supplementing potato powder in SGF elucidated significant (p<0.05) improvement in color values, i.e., a∗ (1.89-2.32) and b∗ (10.95-13.22), and increased product hardness from 3.17 to 7.9 N. The study concludes that microwave heat-treated potato powder yield improved nutritional and safety concerns of the consumers when used alone or as a supplement for developing composite flours based on value-added products.
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39.
  • Zakaria, Muhammad, et al. (author)
  • Primary microcephaly, primordial dwarfism, and brachydactyly in adult cases with biallelic skipping of RTTN exon 42
  • 2019
  • In: Human Mutation. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1059-7794 .- 1098-1004. ; 40:7, s. 899-903
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Biallelic and pathogenic variants in the RTTN gene, encoding the centrosomal protein Rotatin, are associated with variable degrees of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, microcephaly, and extracranial malformations. To date, no reported case has reached their third decade. Herein, we report on a consanguineous family with three adult members, age 43, 57, and 60 years respectively, with primary microcephaly, developmental delay, primordial dwarfism, and brachydactyly segregating a homozygous splice site variant NM_173630.3:c.5648–5T>A in RTTN. The variant RTTN allele results in a nonhypomorphic skipping of exon 42 and a frameshift [(NP_775901.3:p.Ala1883Glyfs*6)]. Brain MRI of one affected individual showed markedly reduced volume of cerebral lobes and enlarged sulci but without signs of neural migration defects. Our assessment of three adult cases with a biallelic RTTN variant shows that a predicted shortened Rotatin, lacking the C‐terminal end, are associated with stationary clinical features into the seventh decade. Furthermore, our report adds brachydactyly to the phenotypic spectrum in this pleiotropic entity.
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40.
  • Zulfiqar, Shumaila, et al. (author)
  • Identification of a novel variant in GPR56/ADGRG1 gene through whole exome sequencing in a consanguineous Pakistani family
  • 2021
  • In: Journal of clinical neuroscience. - : Elsevier. - 0967-5868 .- 1532-2653. ; 94, s. 8-12
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • GPR56 gene is best known for its pivotal role in cerebral cortical development. Mutations in GPR56 give rise to cobblestone-like brain malformation, white matter changes and cerebellar dysplasia. This study aimed to identify causative variant in a consanguineous family having five individuals affected with developmental delay, mild to severe intellectual disability, speech impairment, strabismus and seizures. Whole exome sequencing was performed to identify mutation in affected individuals. Variants were filtered and further validated by Sanger sequencing and segregation analysis. A novel frameshift variant c.1601dupT leading to p.Ala535GlyfsTer17) was identified in GPR56 gene by whole exome sequencing and subsequent filtering. All five affected individuals were homozygous for the mutant allele while four asymptomatic individuals carried the variant in heterozygous state. Radiological findings of a representative patient presented features of GPR56-associated cobblestone like brain malformation. MRI findings suggested paucity of sulci, dilated ventricular system and brainstem atrophy. The microgyria were observed in a simplified gyral pattern (cobblestone). This single bp insertion, and the consequent frame-shift, results in the truncation of GPR56 protein. This could result in a malformed cortex giving the brain a cobblestone like shape. Our study identified a 7th novel frameshift variant from Pakistani population in GPR56 gene, thus broadening mutation spectrum.
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41.
  • Ahsan, Amimul, et al. (author)
  • Modeling the impacts of best management practices (BMPs) on pollution reduction in the Yarra River catchment, Australia
  • 2023
  • In: Applied water science. - : Springer. - 2190-5487 .- 2190-5495. ; 13
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Pollution of a watershed by different land uses and agricultural practices is becoming a major challenging factor that results in deterioration of water quality affecting human health and ecosystems. Sustainable use of available water resources warrants reduction of Non-Point Source (NPS) pollutants from receiving water bodies through best management practices (BMPs). A hydrologic model such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) can be used for analyzing the impacts of various BMPs and implementing of different management plans for water quality improvement, which will help decision makers to determine the best combination of BMPs to maximize benefits. The objective of this study is to assess the potential reductions of sediments and nutrient loads by utilizing different BMPs on the Yarra River watershed using the SWAT model. The watershed is subdivided into 51 sub-watersheds where seven different BMPs were implemented. A SWAT model was developed and calibrated against a baseline period of 1998–2008. For calibration and validation of the model simulations for both the monthly and annual nutrients and sediments were assessed by using the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) statistical index. The values of the NSE were found more than 0.50 which indicates satisfactory model predictions. By utilizing different BMPs, the highest pollution reduction with minimal costs can be done by 32% targeted mixed-crop area. Furthermore, the combined effect of five BMPs imparts most sediments and nutrient reductions in the watershed. Overall, the selection of a BMP or combinations of BMPs should be set based on the goals set in a BMP application project. 
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42.
  • Akbari, Hesam, et al. (author)
  • Recognizing seizure using Poincaré plot of EEG signals and graphical features in DWT domain
  • 2023
  • In: Bratislava Medical Journal. - : AEPress. - 0006-9248 .- 1336-0345. ; 124:1, s. 12-24
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are considered one of the oldest techniques for detecting disorders in medical signal processing. However, brain complexity and the non-stationary nature of EEG signals represent a challenge when applying this technique. The current paper proposes new geometrical features for classification of seizure (S) and seizure-free (SF) EEG signals with respect to the Poincaré pattern of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) coefficients. DWT decomposes EEG signal to four levels, and thus Poincaré plot is shown for coefficients. Due to patterns of the Poincaré plot, novel geometrical features are computed from EEG signals. The computed features are involved in standard descriptors of 2-D projection (STD), summation of triangle area using consecutive points (STA), as well as summation of shortest distance from each point relative to the 45-degree line (SSHD), and summation of distance from each point relative to the coordinate center (SDTC). The proposed procedure leads to discriminate features between S and SF EEG signals. Thereafter, a binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) is developed as an appropriate technique for feature selection. Finally, k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers are used for classifying features in S and SF groups. By developing the proposed method, we have archived classification accuracy of 99.3 % with respect to the proposed geometrical features. Accordingly, S and SF EEG signals have been classified. Also, Poincaré plot of SF EEG signals has more regular geometrical shapes as compared to S group. As a final remark, we notice that the Poincaré plot of coefficients in S EEG signals has occupied more space as compared to SF EEG signals (Tab. 3, Fig. 11, Ref. 57).
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43.
  • Akhtar, Saeed, et al. (author)
  • An Overview of Plant-Based Protein Rich Products
  • 2022
  • In: Plant Protein Foods. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783030912062 - 9783030912055 ; , s. 27-60
  • Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Deleterious impact of animal meat production and consumption on environment and consumers health has developed interests for exploring relatively safer, healthier, and sustainable food sources. Promoting the production and consumption of plants as alternative to meat proteins do not merely conserve the ecosystem but also promote consumers health and well-being by consistent modification of their food consumption behaviors. Grains, legumes, nuts and edible seeds resources are being consumed as staple foods at various global regions and are referred as poor man’s meat. However, proteins and bioactive peptides from different sources differ in their functional properties depending on their composition and concentration but having good biological value as essential components in human diet. Incorporation of grains, legumes and nuts protein isolates in various formulated food products (seitan, tofu, hummus, Ezekiel bread, flakes, snacks, meat analogues, dairy alternatives) possess potential health benefits by reducing the risk of malnutrition and enhance the utility of these products to fight against the challenges of food insecurity and improve the environmental sustainability of food production. The chapter in hand thus provides a deeper insight of potential plant protein sources and their intended uses in food value-addition and food enrichment.
  •  
44.
  • Azhar, Aysha, et al. (author)
  • A novel mutation in Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 6 gene in autosomal recessive hypotrichosis and evidence for a founder effect
  • 2012
  • In: EJD. European journal of dermatology. - : John Libbey Eurotext. - 1167-1122 .- 1952-4013. ; 22:4, s. 464-466
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Mutations in the lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 (LPAR6) gene cause localized autosomal recessive hypotrichosis. We report six consanguineous families from Pakistan with segregating hypotrichosis localized to the scalp. Genetic investigation using polymorphic microsatellite markers revealed homozygosity spanning the LAH3 locus on chromosome 13 in affected individuals of all six families. Sequence analysis of the LPAR6 gene showed a novel insertion resulting in a frameshift and a premature termination (p.I194FfsX11) in affected members of one family. In the remaining five families we identified a previously described missense mutation (p.G146R) in a homozygous state in affected members. The closest flanking polymorphic marker showed an identical allele size in the five families segregating with the p. G146R mutation, supporting a single origin of this variation. These findings extend the spectrum of known LPAR6 mutations and suggest a founder effect of the p. G146R mutation in the Pakistani population.
  •  
45.
  • Bokhari, Rida, et al. (author)
  • Land subsidence analysis using synthetic aperture radar data
  • 2023
  • In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier. - 2405-8440. ; 9:3
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Land subsidence is considered a threat to developing cities and is triggered by several natural (geological and seismic) and human (mining, groundwater withdrawal, oil and gas extraction, constructions) factors. This research has gathered datasets consisting of 80 Sentinel-1A ascending and descending SLC images from July 2017 to July 2019. This dataset, concerning InSAR and PS-InSAR, is processed with SARPROZ software to determine the land subsidence in Gwadar City, Balochistan, Pakistan. Later, the maps were created with ArcGIS 10.8. Due to InSAR’s limitations in measuring millimeter-scale surface deformation, Multi-Temporal InSAR techniques, like PS-InSAR, are introduced to provide better accuracy, consistency, and fewer errors of deformation analysis. This remote-based SAR technique is helpful in the Gwadar area; for researchers, city mobility is constrained and has become more restricted post-Covid-19. This technique requires multiple images acquired of the same place at different times for estimating surface deformation per year, along with surface uplifting and subsidence. The InSAR results showed maximum deformation in the Koh-i-Mehdi Mountain from 2017 to 2019. The PS-InSAR results showed subsidence up to −92 mm/year in ascending track and −66 mm/year in descending track in the area of Koh-i-Mehdi Mountain, and up to −48 mm/year in ascending track and −32 mm/year in descending track in the area of the deep seaport. From our experimental results, a high subsidence rate has been found in the newly evolving Gwadar City. This city is very beneficial to the country’s economic development because of its deep-sea port, developed by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The research is associated with a detailed analysis of Gwadar City, identifying the areas with significant subsidence, and enlisting the possible causes that are needed to be resolved before further developments. Our findings are helpful to urban development and disaster monitoring as the city is being promoted as the next significant deep seaport with the start of CPEC.
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46.
  • Brynielsson, Joel, 1974-, et al. (author)
  • Using Cyber Defense Exercises to Obtain Additional Data for Attacker Profiling
  • 2016
  • In: Proceedings of the 14th IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI 2016). - Piscataway, New Jersey : IEEE conference proceedings. - 9781509038657 ; , s. 37-42
  • Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • In order to be able to successfully defend an IT system it is useful to have an accurate appreciation of the cyber threat that goes beyond stereotypes. To effectively counter potentially decisive and skilled attackers it is necessary to understand, or at least model, their behavior. Although the real motives for untraceable anonymous attackers will remain a mystery, a thorough understanding of their observable actions can still help to create well-founded attacker profiles that can be used to design effective countermeasures and in other ways enhance cyber defense efforts. In recent work empirically founded attacker profiles, so-called attacker personas, have been used to assess the overall threat situation for an organization. In this paper we elaborate on 1) the use of attacker personas as a technique for attacker profiling, 2) the design of tailor-made cyber defense exercises for the purpose of obtaining the necessary empirical data for the construction of such attacker personas, and 3) how attacker personas can be used for enhancing the situational awareness within the cyber domain. The paper concludes by discussing the possibilities and limitations of using cyber defense exercises for data gathering, and what can and cannot be studied in such exercises.
  •  
47.
  • Das, Sushil K., et al. (author)
  • Calibration, validation and uncertainty analysis of a SWAT water quality model
  • 2024
  • In: Applied water science. - : Springer Nature. - 2190-5487 .- 2190-5495. ; 14:4
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Sediment and nutrient pollution in water bodies is threatening human health and the ecosystem, due to rapid land use changes and improper agricultural practices. The impact of the nonpoint source pollution needs to be evaluated for the sustainable use of water resources. An ideal tool like the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) can assess the impact of pollutant loads on the drainage area, which could be beneficial for developing a water quality management model. This study aims to evaluate the SWAT model’s multi-objective and multivariable calibration, validation, and uncertainty analysis at three different sites of the Yarra River drainage area in Victoria, Australia. The drainage area is split into 51 subdrainage areas in the SWAT model. The model is calibrated and validated for streamflow from 1990 to 2008 and sediment and nutrients from 1998 to 2008. The results show that most of the monthly and annual calibration and validation for streamflow, nutrients, and sediment at the three selected sites are found with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values greater than 0.50. Furthermore, the uncertainty analysis of the model shows satisfactory results where the p-factor value is reliable by considering 95% prediction uncertainty and the d-factor value is close to zero. The model's results indicate that the model performs well in the river's watershed, which helps construct a water quality management model. Finally, the model application in the cost-effective management of water quality might reduce pollution in water bodies due to land use and agricultural activities, which would be beneficial to water management managers. 
  •  
48.
  • Farooq, Umer, et al. (author)
  • Multi-Mobile Agent Trust Framework for Mitigating Internal Attacks and Augmenting RPL Security
  • 2022
  • In: Sensors. - : MDPI. - 1424-8220. ; 22:12
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as an important way to connect diverse physical devices to the internet. The IoT paves the way for a slew of new cutting-edge applications. Despite the prospective benefits and many security solutions offered in the literature, the security of IoT networks remains a critical concern, considering the massive amount of data generated and transmitted. The resource-constrained, mobile, and heterogeneous nature of the IoT makes it increasingly challenging to preserve security in routing protocols, such as the routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL). RPL does not offer good protection against routing attacks, such as rank, Sybil, and sinkhole attacks. Therefore, to augment the security of RPL, this article proposes the energy-efficient multi-mobile agent-based trust framework for RPL (MMTM-RPL). The goal of MMTM-RPL is to mitigate internal attacks in IoT-based wireless sensor networks using fog layer capabilities. MMTM-RPL mitigates rank, Sybil, and sinkhole attacks while minimizing energy and message overheads by 25–30% due to the use of mobile agents and dynamic itineraries. MMTM-RPL enhances the security of RPL and improves network lifetime (by 25–30% or more) and the detection rate (by 10% or more) compared to state-of-the-art approaches, namely, DCTM-RPL, RBAM-IoT, RPL-MRC, and DSH-RPL. 
  •  
49.
  • Isa, Awang Abdul Hadi, et al. (author)
  • Battery Monitoring System and Control Using LoRa Technology for Battery Behavior and Analysis
  • 2024
  • In: 4th International Conference on Innovative Research in Applied Science, Engineering and Technology, IRASET 2024. - : IEEE.
  • Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • Batteries are intricate electrochemical devices that demonstrate stochastic and nonlinear behavior contingent upon environmental and operational conditions; therefore, battery monitoring is an essential component throughout their application. This paper introduces a web-based battery monitoring and control system that utilizes Long Range (LoRa) communication technology, an element of Internet of Things (IoT), utilizing the ESP32 microcontroller. The system provides comprehensive online data in real-time through the integration of a multitude of sensors. The proposed system aims to overcome the constraints of current communication technology by capitalizing on the advantages of LoRa, a technology known for its efficient long-range and low-energy transmission, which renders it highly suitable for applications involving real-time monitoring. Furthermore, a control operation allows users to manage critical battery functions, including charging and discharging. The study performed a thorough experimental assessment of the proposed system across various operations, and the outcomes effectively corresponded with the primary objective and goals of the research. The system under consideration successfully facilitates remote monitoring and user control in real-time, provides long-term data visualization through data logging, and enables battery condition evaluation. The implementation of data logging was intended to optimize the utilization of future battery evaluation metrics, including State-of-Charge (SOC), State-of-Health (SOH), and Remaining Useful Life (RUL). Consequently, the developed system is well-suited for numerous applications that demand efficient energy storage solutions, including Electric Vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy.
  •  
50.
  • Ismail, Tariq, et al. (author)
  • Effect of crop maturity stages and lactic acid fermentation on nutrient absorption properties, and bioaccessibility of Fe, Zn and Ca in Spinacia oleracea L
  • 2024
  • In: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. - 0889-1575. ; 133
  • Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
    • This study explores the variability in nutritional composition of spinach at different maturity stages and assesses the effects of fermentation on reducing oxalates and enhancing minerals bioaccessibility. Spinach harvested at the age of 4th to 6th weeks was processed as raw, blanched, and fermented to develop freeze-dried powders. The growth stages of spinach from the 4th to the 6th week showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in crude fiber (12.1 – 16.1 g/100 g), protein (6.6 – 12.1 g/100 g), inorganic residues (9.7 – 12.3 g/100 g), total carbohydrates (75.0 – 65.4 g/100 g), Fe (150 – 297 mg/kg), Ca (147 – 236 mg/kg), vitamin C (96 – 111 mg/100 g), and total oxalates (1.46 – 2.35 g/100 g) on a dry weight basis (d.w.). The lowest levels of oxalates were recorded in 4 week-old raw, blanched and fermented spinach, i.e., 1.46, 1.07 and 1.01 g/100 g d.w., respectively. The bioaccessibility of Fe, Zn, and Ca were the lowest in 6th week old spinach, while fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum v299® improved the bioaccessibility of Fe, Zn and Ca from 19.6 % to 26.7 %, from 32.4 % to 41.6 %, and, from 19 % to 33.9 %, respectively. In conclusion, the findings showed that blanching in combination with lactic acid fermentation in spinach was effective in reducing antinutrients, specifically oxalates, and increasing mineral bioaccessibility.
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