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- Frostad, J. J., et al.
(author)
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Mapping development and health effects of cooking with solid fuels in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000-18: a geospatial modelling study
- 2022
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In: Lancet Global Health. - 2214-109X. ; 10:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although local patterns in cooking vary systematically, subnational trends in use of solid fuels have yet to be comprehensively analysed. We estimated the prevalence of solid-fuel use with high spatial resolution to explore subnational inequalities, assess local progress, and assess the effects on health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) without universal access to clean fuels. Methods We did a geospatial modelling study to map the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking at a 5 km x 5 km resolution in 98 LMICs based on 2.1 million household observations of the primary cooking fuel used from 663 population-based household surveys over the years 2000 to 2018. We use observed temporal patterns to forecast household air pollution in 2030 and to assess the probability of attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target indicator for clean cooking. We aligned our estimates of household air pollution to geospatial estimates of ambient air pollution to establish the risk transition occurring in LMICs. Finally, we quantified the effect of residual primary solid-fuel use for cooking on child health by doing a counterfactual risk assessment to estimate the proportion of deaths from lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 5 years that could be associated with household air pollution. Findings Although primary reliance on solid-fuel use for cooking has declined globally, it remains widespread. 593 million people live in districts where the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking exceeds 95%. 66% of people in LMICs live in districts that are not on track to meet the SDG target for universal access to clean energy by 2030. Household air pollution continues to be a major contributor to particulate exposure in LMICs, and rising ambient air pollution is undermining potential gains from reductions in the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking in many countries. We estimated that, in 2018, 205000 (95% uncertainty interval 147000-257000) children younger than 5 years died from lower respiratory tract infections that could be attributed to household air pollution. Interpretation Efforts to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking fuels need to be substantially increased and recalibrated to account for subnational inequalities, because there are substantial opportunities to improve air quality and avert child mortality associated with household air pollution. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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- Kinyoki, DK, et al.
(author)
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Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017
- 2020
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In: Nature medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-170X .- 1078-8956. ; 26:5, s. 750-759
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic.
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- Antel, C., et al.
(author)
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Feebly-interacting particles : FIPs 2022 Workshop Report
- 2023
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In: European Physical Journal C. - : Springer. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 83:12
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Particle physics today faces the challenge of explaining the mystery of dark matter, the origin of matter over anti-matter in the Universe, the origin of the neutrino masses, the apparent fine-tuning of the electro-weak scale, and many other aspects of fundamental physics. Perhaps the most striking frontier to emerge in the search for answers involves new physics at mass scales comparable to familiar matter, below the GeV-scale, or even radically below, down to sub-eV scales, and with very feeble interaction strength. New theoretical ideas to address dark matter and other fundamental questions predict such feebly interacting particles (FIPs) at these scales, and indeed, existing data provide numerous hints for such possibility. A vibrant experimental program to discover such physics is under way, guided by a systematic theoretical approach firmly grounded on the underlying principles of the Standard Model. This document represents the report of the FIPs 2022 workshop, held at CERN between the 17 and 21 October 2022 and aims to give an overview of these efforts, their motivations, and the decadal goals that animate the community involved in the search for FIPs.
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- Sen, P, et al.
(author)
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Vaccine hesitancy decreases in rheumatic diseases, long-term concerns remain in myositis: a comparative analysis of the COVAD surveys
- 2023
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In: Rheumatology (Oxford, England). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1462-0332 .- 1462-0324. ; 62:10, s. 3291-3301
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectiveCOVID-19 vaccines have a favorable safety profile in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) such as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs); however, hesitancy continues to persist among these patients. Therefore, we studied the prevalence, predictors and reasons for hesitancy in patients with IIMs, other AIRDs, non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (nrAIDs) and healthy controls (HCs), using data from the two international COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) e-surveys.MethodsThe first and second COVAD patient self-reported e-surveys were circulated from March to December 2021, and February to June 2022 (ongoing). We collected data on demographics, comorbidities, COVID-19 infection and vaccination history, reasons for hesitancy, and patient reported outcomes. Predictors of hesitancy were analysed using regression models in different groups.ResultsWe analysed data from 18 882 (COVAD-1) and 7666 (COVAD-2) respondents. Reassuringly, hesitancy decreased from 2021 (16.5%) to 2022 (5.1%) (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.30, P < 0.001). However, concerns/fear over long-term safety had increased (OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 2.9, 4.6, P < 0.01). We noted with concern greater skepticism over vaccine science among patients with IIMs than AIRDs (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.2, P = 0.023) and HCs (OR: 4; 95% CI: 1.9, 8.1, P < 0.001), as well as more long-term safety concerns/fear (IIMs vs AIRDs – OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.9, P = 0.001; IIMs vs HCs – OR: 5.4 95% CI: 3, 9.6, P < 0.001). Caucasians [OR 4.2 (1.7–10.3)] were likely to be more hesitant, while those with better PROMIS physical health score were less hesitant [OR 0.9 (0.8–0.97)].ConclusionVaccine hesitancy has decreased from 2021 to 2022, long-term safety concerns remain among patients with IIMs, particularly in Caucasians and those with poor physical function.
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- Jacobsson, Jesper, 1984-, et al.
(author)
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An open-access database and analysis tool for perovskite solar cells based on the FAIR data principles
- 2022
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In: Nature Energy. - : Springer Nature. - 2058-7546. ; 7:1, s. 107-115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large datasets are now ubiquitous as technology enables higher-throughput experiments, but rarely can a research field truly benefit from the research data generated due to inconsistent formatting, undocumented storage or improper dissemination. Here we extract all the meaningful device data from peer-reviewed papers on metal-halide perovskite solar cells published so far and make them available in a database. We collect data from over 42,400 photovoltaic devices with up to 100 parameters per device. We then develop open-source and accessible procedures to analyse the data, providing examples of insights that can be gleaned from the analysis of a large dataset. The database, graphics and analysis tools are made available to the community and will continue to evolve as an open-source initiative. This approach of extensively capturing the progress of an entire field, including sorting, interactive exploration and graphical representation of the data, will be applicable to many fields in materials science, engineering and biosciences.
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- Das, P., et al.
(author)
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Exotic decay of 115Cs
- 2023
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In: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 108:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The detailed study of the β+/EC decay of the very neutron-deficient and alpha-unbound nucleus 115Cs is presented. The measurement was performed at the ISOLDE, CERN where delayed charged particles and γ rays were detected. The observed delayed γ rays are in agreement with the previously reported characteristics γ rays of 115Xe. Based on the experimental observations, the tentative ground-state spin of 115Cs is suggested to be 7/2+ or 9/2+. Furthermore, the measured decay branching ratio of delayed protons exceeds the previously reported value. Additionally, new delayed α-branching ratio and several reconstructed proton and α-unbound excited states of 115Xe are being reported for the first time. The properties of proton-unbound states at excitation energies from 3.9–7.9 MeV have been obtained by fitting the delayed proton spectrum via the Bayesian method. The measured lifetimes of these proton-unbound states are in the order of zeptoseconds.
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14. |
- Dey, R., et al.
(author)
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Exploring advanced phycoremediation strategies for resource recovery from secondary wastewater using a large scale photobioreactor
- 2024
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In: Bioresource Technology. - 0960-8524. ; 391
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aimed to investigate the operation of a 1000L microalgae-based membrane photobioreactor system in a greenhouse for continuous secondary wastewater treatment using Desmodesmus sp., a green microalgae strain originally isolated from a German sewage plant. The research spanned both summer and winter seasons, seeking to comprehend key trends and optimization strategies. Maintaining low cell concentrations in the photobioreactor during periods of light inhibition proved advantageous for nutrient uptake rates. Effective strategies for enhancing algae-based wastewater treatment included cell mass recycling, particularly during periods of high light availability. In comparison to conventional continuous cultivation methods, employing cell recycling and high dilution rates during times of abundant light, alongside using low cell concentrations and dilution rates during light inhibition, resulted in an 80 % and 10 % increase in overall biomass productivity during summer and winter, respectively. Furthermore, nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) removal rates exhibited a 23 % improvement during winter, while remaining unchanged in summer.
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- Alimena, Juliette, et al.
(author)
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Searching for long-lived particles beyond the Standard Model at the Large Hadron Collider
- 2020
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In: Journal of Physics G. - : IOP Publishing. - 0954-3899 .- 1361-6471. ; 47:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) can generically have lifetimes that are long compared to SM particles at the weak scale. When produced at experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, these long-lived particles (LLPs) can decay far from the interaction vertex of the primary proton-proton collision. Such LLP signatures are distinct from those of promptly decaying particles that are targeted by the majority of searches for new physics at the LHC, often requiring customized techniques to identify, for example, significantly displaced decay vertices, tracks with atypical properties, and short track segments. Given their non-standard nature, a comprehensive overview of LLP signatures at the LHC is beneficial to ensure that possible avenues of the discovery of new physics are not overlooked. Here we report on the joint work of a community of theorists and experimentalists with the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments-as well as those working on dedicated experiments such as MoEDAL, milliQan, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, and FASER-to survey the current state of LLP searches at the LHC, and to chart a path for the development of LLP searches into the future, both in the upcoming Run 3 and at the high-luminosity LHC. The work is organized around the current and future potential capabilities of LHC experiments to generally discover new LLPs, and takes a signature-based approach to surveying classes of models that give rise to LLPs rather than emphasizing any particular theory motivation. We develop a set of simplified models; assess the coverage of current searches; document known, often unexpected backgrounds; explore the capabilities of proposed detector upgrades; provide recommendations for the presentation of search results; and look towards the newest frontiers, namely high-multiplicity 'dark showers', highlighting opportunities for expanding the LHC reach for these signals.
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17. |
- Biswas, B., et al.
(author)
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Near-infrared emissive cyanine probes for selective visualization of the physiological and pathophysiological modulation of albumin levels
- 2022
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In: Journal of materials chemistry. B. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2050-750X .- 2050-7518.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the promising advantages of the near-infrared region (NIR) emissive markers for serum albumin becoming very prominent recently, we devised CyG-NHS as the cyanine derived longest NIR-I emissive optical marker possessing albumin selective recognition ability in diverse biological milieu. Multiscale modeling involving molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and implicit solvent binding free energy calculations have been employed to gain insights into the unique binding ability of the developed probe at domain-I of albumin, in contrast to the good number of domain IIA or IIIA binding probes available in the literature reports. The binding free energy was found to be −31.8 kcal mol−1 majorly predominated by hydrophobic interactions. Besides, the conformational dynamics of CyG-NHS in an aqueous medium and the albumin microenvironment have been comprehensively studied and discussed. The potentiality of this optical platform to monitor the intracellular albumin levels in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells in different pathophysiological states has been demonstrated here. Also, the competency of the phenformin drug in restoring the albumin levels in chronic hyperinsulinemic and hypercholesterolemic in vitro models has been established through the visualization approach. Altogether, the findings of this study throw light on the significance of the development of a suitable optical marker for the visualization of critical bioevents related to albumin.
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20. |
- Gupta, L., et al.
(author)
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COMORBIDITIES, COMPLEX MULTIMORBIDITY AND PROMIS HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONGAUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASES : DATA FROM THE COVAD STUDY
- 2023
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : HighWire Press. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 82:Suppl. 1, s. 555-556
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Comorbidities have a profound impact on the QoL of patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Unfortunately, global data on the burden of comorbidities and its impact on health outcomes in this vulnerable group is scarce.Objectives: We studied the prevalence, distribution and clustering of comorbidities and multimorbidity among patients with AIRDs and healthy controls (HCs) and its impact on health outcomes, utilizing data from the ongoing 2nd COVAD study.Methods: The COVAD study is a global e-survey that embodies patient voice while empowering collaborators and young researchers. The study group of 157 physicians across 106 countries from February-June 2022 captured details of AIRDs, autoimmune and non-autoimmune comorbidities, and validated patient reported outcomes. Human Development Index (UNDP 2021-22) of country of residence was taken as a surrogate marker for socioeconomic status (SES).Basic multimorbidity (BM), Complex multimorbidity (CM), Autoimmune multimorbidity (AM) are defined as the co-occurrence of ≥2 non-rheumatic comorbidities, ≥3 non-rheumatic chronic conditions affecting ≥3 different organ systems [1] and ≥3 autoimmune diseases (AIDs) in an individual respectively.PROMIS global physical health (PGP), mental health (PGM), fatigue 4a (F4a) and physical function short form (SF10) scores were calculated for the different groups and compared using descriptive statistics, linear regression and cluster analysis (hierarchical followed by K means).Results: Of 17,612 total respondents, 6149 (62.7%) had underlying AIRDs and 3652 (37.3%) were HCs, with female (80.8%) and Caucasian (53.9%) predominance in the former.All types of multimorbidity were more frequent in AIRDs than HCs, including any comorbidity (77.1% versus 25.0%; OR: 2.9; 2.7-3.2), BM (21.0% vs 6.2%; 4.0; 3.4-4.6), and CM (3.1% vs 0.5%; 6.4; 3.9-10.4), and with prevalence increasing with age (p<0.001) (Figure 1A, B). Comorbidity prevalence was the highest among Americans and Australians (72% each).Patients with AIRDs had poorer health outcomes than HCs, including lower PGP, PGM, SF10, F4a scores (all p<0.001). Among AIRDs, those with comorbidities had lower physical function and PROMIS scores (PGP, PGM, and SF10), and reported fatigue more often (all p<0.001).Female gender, and underlying BM and AM particularly predisposed patients to worse physical health (lower PGP, lower SF10a) and mental health outcomes (lower PGM). While advanced age (-1.815; <0.001), and lower SES (0.871; 0.027) specifically predicted poorer physical function (lower SF10a). Fatigue (higher F4a) was seen more frequently among women (1.711; <0.001), and those with BM (1.142; 0.002); AM (1.768; 0.011), and higher SEC (0.478; 0.016).Cluster analysis of patients with AIRDs revealed 2 clusters (Figure 1C 1D); cluster 1 with low PGP, PGM, SF10 and high F4a; cluster 2 with high PGP, PGM, SF10 and low F4a. The clusters differed predominantly based on the frequency of comorbidities; any comorbidity (59.7% vs 41.8%; p<0.001), BM (28.5% vs 14.7%; 0.001); CM (4.5% vs 1.9%; <0.001), and AM (10.0% vs 4.0%; <0.001).Conclusion: Comorbidities complicate three-quarters of individuals living with AIRDs, and have an outsized impact on self-reported physical function, perceived fatigue, and QoL. Substantial regional differences call for further exploration of key drivers of this important aspect to allow optimized multidisciplinary and holistic care in anticipation of poorer outcomes.Reference: [1]Harrison C, Britt H, Miller G, Henderson J. Examining different measures of multimorbidity, using a large prospective cross-sectional study in Australian general practice. BMJ Open. 2014 Jul 1;4(7):e004694.
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- Bhattacharjee, Rahul, et al.
(author)
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Synergy of nanocarriers with CRISPR-Cas9 in an emerging technology platform for biomedical appliances : Current insights and perspectives
- 2022
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In: Materials & design. - : Elsevier. - 0264-1275 .- 1873-4197. ; 224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic editing technologies have emerged as a potential therapeutic tool in various biomedical fields owing to their applications against cancer, neurological diseases, diabetes, autoimmune disorder, muscu-lar dystrophy, bacterial infections (AMR), and cardiovascular diseases. CRISPR is one such valuable genetic editing tool with extensive therapeutic appliances but with a major challenge in terms of deliv-ery. Herein, we have strived to exploit a synergy of nanocarriers and CRISPR against the aforementioned diseases for their medical applications and explicated their clinical significance including the enhanced delivery via endosomal escape and environmental factors such as light, pH, and stimuli. In addition to highlighting the delivery strategies of nano-carriers for CRISPR and their characterization, we have expounded on the reliant factor of the CRISPR-Cas Complex.
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- Dhama, Kuldeep, et al.
(author)
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SARS-CoV-2 emerging Omicron subvariants with a special focus on BF.7 and XBB.1.5 recently posing fears of rising cases amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022
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In: Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. - : JEBAS. - 2320-8694. ; 10:6, s. 1215-1221
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron versions have been the sole one circulating for quite some time. Subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5 of the Omicron emerged over time and through mutation, with BA.1 responsible for the most severe global pandemic between December 2021 and January 2022. Other Omicron subvariants such as BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BA.4.6, BF.7, BA.2.75.2, XBB.1 appeared recently and could cause a new wave of increased cases amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is evidence that certain Omicron subvariants have increased transmissibility, extra spike mutations, and ability to overcome protective effects of COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies through immunological evasion. In recent months, the Omicron BF.7 subvariant has been in the news due to its spread in China and a small number of other countries, raising concerns about a possible rebound in COVID-19 cases. More recently, the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant has captured international attention due to an increase in cases in the United States. As a highly transmissible sublineage of Omicron BA.5, as well as having a shorter incubation time and the potential to reinfect or infect immune population, BF.7 has stronger infection ability. It appears that the regional immunological landscape is affected by the amount and timing of previous Omicron waves, as well as the COVID-19 vaccination coverage, which in turn determines whether the increased immune escape of BF.7 and XBB.1.5 subvariants is sufficient to drive new infection waves. Expanding our understanding of the transmission and efficacy of vaccines, immunotherapeutics, and antiviral drugs against newly emerging Omicron subvariants and lineages, as well as bolstering genomic facilities for tracking their spread and maintaining a constant vigilance, and shedding more light on their evolution and mutational events, would help in the development of effective mitigation strategies. Importantly, reducing the occurrence of mutations and recombination in the virus can be aided by bolstering One health approach and emphasizing its significance in combating zoonosis and reversal zoonosis linked with COVID-19. This article provides a brief overview on Omicron variant, its recently emerging lineages and subvairants with a special focus on BF.7 and XBB.1.5 as much more infectious and highly transmissible variations that may once again threaten a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases globally amid the currently ongoing pandemic, along with presenting salient mitigation measures.
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29. |
- Duncan, Kyle D., et al.
(author)
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In situ imaging reveals disparity between prostaglandin localization and abundance of prostaglandin synthases
- 2021
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Nature. - 2399-3642. ; 4:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Duncan et al. use a mass spectrometry imaging method to assess the localization and concentration of prostaglandins (PGs) in mouse tissues during pregnancy. This study brings new biological insights into the spatial evaluation of PGs in tissues, which could reveal the functional significance of each PGs during different stages of embryo development/pregnancy. Prostaglandins are important lipids involved in mediating many physiological processes, such as allergic responses, inflammation, and pregnancy. However, technical limitations of in-situ prostaglandin detection in tissue have led researchers to infer prostaglandin tissue distributions from localization of regulatory synthases, such as COX1 and COX2. Herein, we apply a novel mass spectrometry imaging method for direct in situ tissue localization of prostaglandins, and combine it with techniques for protein expression and RNA localization. We report that prostaglandin D-2, its precursors, and downstream synthases co-localize with the highest expression of COX1, and not COX2. Further, we study tissue with a conditional deletion of transformation-related protein 53 where pregnancy success is low and confirm that PG levels are altered, although localization is conserved. Our studies reveal that the abundance of COX and prostaglandin D-2 synthases in cellular regions does not mirror the regional abundance of prostaglandins. Thus, we deduce that prostaglandins tissue localization and abundance may not be inferred by COX or prostaglandin synthases in uterine tissue, and must be resolved by an in situ prostaglandin imaging.
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- Hoffmann, M., et al.
(author)
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Magnetic phase diagram, magnetoelastic coupling, and Grüneisen scaling in CoTiO3
- 2021
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In: Physical Review B. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 104:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-quality single crystals of CoTiO3 are grown and used to elucidate in detail structural and magnetostructural effects by means of high-resolution capacitance dilatometry studies in fields up to 15 T which are complemented by specific heat and magnetization measurements. In addition, we refine the single-crystal structure of the ilmenite (R (3) over bar) phase. At the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature T-N pronounced lambda-shaped anomaly in the thermal expansion coefficients signals shrinking of both the c and b axes, indicating strong magnetoelastic coupling with uniaxial pressure along c yielding six times larger effect on T-N than pressure applied in-plane. The hydrostatic pressure dependency derived by means of Gruneisen analysis amounts to partial derivative T-N/partial derivative p approximate to 2.7(4) K/GPa. The high-field magnetization studies in static and pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T along with high-field thermal expansion measurements facilitate in constructing the complete anisotropic magnetic phase diagram of CoTiO3. While the results confirm the presence of significant magnetodielectric coupling, our data show that magnetism drives the observed structural, dielectric, and magnetic changes both in the short-range ordered regime well above T-N as well as in the long-range magnetically ordered phase.
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32. |
- Leong, Alex S., et al.
(author)
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A Game-Theoretic Approach to Covert Communications
- 2020
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In: 2020 IEEE 31st Annual International Symposium On Personal, Indoor And Mobile Radio Communications (IEEE PIMRC). - : IEEE. - 9781728144900
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper considers a game-theoretic formulation of the covert communications problem with finite blocklength, where the transmitter (Alice) can randomly vary her transmit power in different blocks, while the warden (Willie) can randomly vary his detection threshold in different blocks. In this two-player game, the payoff for Alice is a combination of the coding rate to the receiver (Bob) and the detection error probability at Willie, while the payoff for Willie is the negative of his detection error probability. Nash equilibrium solutions to the game are obtained and shown to be efficiently computable using linear programming. For less covert requirements, our game-theoretic approach can achieve significantly higher coding rates than uniformly distributed transmit powers. We then consider the situation with an additional jammer, where Alice and the jammer can both vary their powers and jointly comprise one player, with Willie as the other player. The use of a jammer is shown in numerical simulations to lead to further significant performance improvements.
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- Pecunia, Vincenzo, et al.
(author)
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Roadmap on energy harvesting materials
- 2023
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In: Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 2515-7639. ; 6:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ambient energy harvesting has great potential to contribute to sustainable development and address growing environmental challenges. Converting waste energy from energy-intensive processes and systems (e.g. combustion engines and furnaces) is crucial to reducing their environmental impact and achieving net-zero emissions. Compact energy harvesters will also be key to powering the exponentially growing smart devices ecosystem that is part of the Internet of Things, thus enabling futuristic applications that can improve our quality of life (e.g. smart homes, smart cities, smart manufacturing, and smart healthcare). To achieve these goals, innovative materials are needed to efficiently convert ambient energy into electricity through various physical mechanisms, such as the photovoltaic effect, thermoelectricity, piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, and radiofrequency wireless power transfer. By bringing together the perspectives of experts in various types of energy harvesting materials, this Roadmap provides extensive insights into recent advances and present challenges in the field. Additionally, the Roadmap analyses the key performance metrics of these technologies in relation to their ultimate energy conversion limits. Building on these insights, the Roadmap outlines promising directions for future research to fully harness the potential of energy harvesting materials for green energy anytime, anywhere.
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38. |
- Singh, Manish, et al.
(author)
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Conductive and enzyme-like silk fibers for soft sensing application
- 2020
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In: Biosensors and Bioelectronics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0956-5663. ; 150, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A combination of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) impregnation of pyrrole and sonochemical transformation of permanganate (KMnO4) was used to impart conductive and catalytic properties to silk fibers. The results indicated that the conductivity (from polypyrrole –PPy) and catalytic activities (from manganese dioxide –MnO2) were independent and complementary within the processing parameters used. The enhanced conductivity was attributed to scCO2 preferentially distributing the pyrrole monomers along with the silk internal fibrillar structure and hence, yielding a more linear PPy. The oxidative properties of the PPy-MnO2-silk hybrid showed an enzyme-like behavior for the degradation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with a Km of about 13 mM and specific activity of 1470 ± 75 μmol/min/g. Finally, we demonstrated that the PPy-MnO2-silk hybrid could be used as soft working electrodes for the simultaneous degradation and detection of H2O2.
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39. |
- Singh, Manish, et al.
(author)
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Manganese oxide functionalized silk fibers for enzyme mimics application
- 2020
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In: Reactive and Functional Polymers. - : Elsevier BV. - 1381-5148.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The inorganic metal or metal-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) that mimic enzymes are of great interest due to improved physical and chemical properties compared with native enzymes. Here, we report that manganese dioxide (MnO2)-Silk exhibit catalase, oxidase, and peroxidase-like activities. The MnO2-Silk hybrid fibers effectively decomposed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxidized the typical horseradish peroxidase substrates, such as o-phenylenediamine (OPD), and 3,3′,5,5′- tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence or absence of H2O2. The oxidative properties of MnO2-Silk fiber hybrid showed an enzyme-like behavior for the catalase-like activity, oxidase-like activity, and peroxidase-like activity. The operational stability of the MnO2-Silk fiber hybrid over ten cycles showed a constant residual activity of about 25–30% after 2–3 cycles indicating that MnO2-Silk fiber hybrid could be used as a satisfactory oxidoreductase enzyme mimics. Potentiometric titration was used to determine the surface charges of the MnO2-Silk catalyst. Together, we identified the reactive species as Mn1−x4+Mnx3+O2−x(OH)x with a pK of approximately 5.2. Our results have implications on the understanding of the catalytic origin and interaction of metal oxides NP with various biomaterials.
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40. |
- Singh, Manish, et al.
(author)
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Sonication enhances the stability of MnO2 nanoparticles on silk film template for enzyme mimic application
- 2020
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In: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1350-4177. ; 64
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have developed an in-situ method using sonication (3 mm probe sonicator, 30 W, 20 kHz) and auto-reduction (control) to study the mechanism of the formation of manganese dioxide (MnO2) on a solid template (silk film), and its resulting enzymatic activity on tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate. The fabrication of the silk film was first optimized for stability (no degradation) and optical transparency. A factorial approach was used to assess the effect of sonication time and the initial concentration of potassium permanganate (KMnO4). The result indicated a significant correlation with a fraction of KMnO4 consumed and MnO2 formation. Further, we found that the optimal process conditions to obtain a stable silk film with highly catalytic MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) was 30 min of sonication in the presence of 0.5 mM of KMnO4 at a temperature of 20–24 °C. Under the optimal condition, we monitored in-situ the formation of MnO2 on the silk film, and after thorough rinsing, the in-situ catalysis of 0.8 mM of TMB substrate. For control, we used the auto-reduction of KMnO4 onto the silk film after about 16 h. The result from single-wavelength analysis confirmed the different kinetics rates for the formation of MnO2 via sonication and auto-reduction. The result from the multivariate component analysis indicated a three components route for sonication and auto-reduction to form MnO2-Silk. Overall, we found that the smaller size, more mono-dispersed, and deeper buried MnO2 NPs in silk film prepared by sonication, conferred a higher catalytic activity and stability to the hybrid material.
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41. |
- Singh, Manish, et al.
(author)
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Supercritical carbon dioxide impregnation of gold nanoparticles demonstrates a new route for the fabrication of hybrid silk materials
- 2022
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In: Insects. - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4450. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How many nanoparticles can we load in a fiber? How much will leak? Underlying is the relatively new question of the “space available” in fibers for nanoparticle loading. Here, using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 ) as a carrier fluid, we explored the impregnation in four Indian silks (Mulberry, Eri, Muga, and Tasar) with five standard sizes of gold nanoparticles (5, 20, 50, 100 and 150 nm in diameter). All silks could be permanently impregnated with nanoparticles up to 150 nm in size under scCO2 impregnation. Accompanying structural changes indicated that the amorphous silk domains reorganized to accommodate the gold NPs. The mechanism was studied in detail in degummed Mulberry silk fibers (i.e., without the sericin coating) with the 5 nm nanoparticle. The combined effects of concentration, time of impregnation, scCO2 pressure, and temperature showed that only a narrow set of conditions allowed for permanent impregnation without deterioration of the properties of the silk fibers.
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