1. |
- Glasbey, JC, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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2. |
- Thomas, HS, et al.
(författare)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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3. |
- Tabiri, S, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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4. |
- Bravo, L, et al.
(författare)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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9. |
- Blach, S., et al.
(författare)
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Global change in hepatitis C virus prevalence and cascade of care between 2015 and 2020: a modelling study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-1253. ; 7:5, s. 396-415
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Since the release of the first global hepatitis elimination targets in 2016, and until the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, many countries and territories were making progress toward hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. This study aims to evaluate HCV burden in 2020, and forecast HCV burden by 2030 given current trends. Methods This analysis includes a literature review, Delphi process, and mathematical modelling to estimate HCV prevalence (viraemic infection, defined as HCV RNA-positive cases) and the cascade of care among people of all ages (age =0 years from birth) for the period between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2030. Epidemiological data were collected from published sources and grey literature (including government reports and personal communications) and were validated among country and territory experts. A Markov model was used to forecast disease burden and cascade of care from 1950 to 2050 for countries and territories with data. Model outcomes were extracted from 2015 to 2030 to calculate population-weighted regional averages, which were used for countries or territories without data. Regional and global estimates of HCV prevalence, cascade of care, and disease burden were calculated based on 235 countries and territories. Findings Models were built for 110 countries or territories: 83 were approved by local experts and 27 were based on published data alone. Using data from these models, plus population-weighted regional averages for countries and territories without models (n=125), we estimated a global prevalence of viraemic HCV infection of 0.7% (95% UI 0.7-0.9), corresponding to 56.8 million (95% UI 55.2-67.8) infections, on Jan 1, 2020. This number represents a decrease of 6.8 million viraemic infections from a 2015 (beginning of year) prevalence estimate of 63.6 million (61.8-75.8) infections (0.9% [0.8-1.0] prevalence). By the end of 2020, an estimated 12.9 million (12.5-15.4) people were living with a diagnosed viraemic infection. In 2020, an estimated 641 000 (623 000-765 000) patients initiated treatment. Interpretation At the beginning of 2020, there were an estimated 56.8 million viraemic HCV infections globally. Although this number represents a decrease from 2015, our forecasts suggest we are not currently on track to achieve global elimination targets by 2030. As countries recover from COVID-19, these findings can help refocus efforts aimed at HCV elimination. Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10. |
- Reifarth, R., et al.
(författare)
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Nuclear astrophysics with radioactive ions at FAIR
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588 .- 1742-6596. ; 665:1
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nucleosynthesis of elements beyond iron is dominated by neutron captures in the s and r processes. However, 32 stable, proton-rich isotopes cannot be formed during those processes, because they are shielded from the s-process flow and r-process beta-decay chains. These nuclei are attributed to the p and rp process. For all those processes, current research in nuclear astrophysics addresses the need for more precise reaction data involving radioactive isotopes. Depending on the particular reaction, direct or inverse kinematics, forward or time-reversed direction are investigated to determine or at least to constrain the desired reaction cross sections. The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) will offer unique, unprecedented opportunities to investigate many of the important reactions. The high yield of radioactive isotopes, even far away from the valley of stability, allows the investigation of isotopes involved in processes as exotic as the r or rp processes.
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14. |
- Razavi-Shearer, Devin M., et al.
(författare)
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Adjusted estimate of the prevalence of hepatitis delta virus in 25 countries and territories
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY. - 0168-8278 .- 1600-0641. ; 80:2, s. 232-242
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background & Aims: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a satellite RNA virus that requires the hepatitis B virus (HBV) for assembly and propagation. Individuals infected with HDV progress to advanced liver disease faster than HBV-monoinfected individuals. Recent studies have estimated the global prevalence of anti-HDV antibodies among the HBV-infected population to be 5-15%. This study aimed to better understand HDV prevalence at the population level in 25 countries/territories. Methods: We conducted a literature review to determine the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive individuals in 25 countries/territories. Virtual meetings were held with experts from each setting to discuss the findings and collect unpublished data. Data were weighted for patient segments and regional heterogeneity to estimate the prevalence in the HBV-infected population. The findings were then combined with The Polaris Observatory HBV data to estimate the anti-HDV and HDV RNA prevalence in each country/territory at the population level. Results: After adjusting for geographical distribution, disease stage and special populations, the anti-HDV prevalence among the HBsAg+ population changed from the literature estimate in 19 countries. The highest anti-HDV prevalence was 60.1% in Mongolia. Once adjusted for the size of the HBsAg+ population and HDV RNA positivity rate, China had the highest absolute number of HDV RNA+ cases. Conclusions: We found substantially lower HDV prevalence than previously reported, as prior meta-analyses primarily focused on studies conducted in groups/regions that have a higher probability of HBV infection: tertiary care centers, specific risk groups or geographical regions. There is large uncertainty in HDV prevalence estimates. The implementation of reflex testing would improve estimates, while also allowing earlier linkage to care for HDV RNA+ individuals. The logistical and economic burden of reflex testing on the health system would be limited, as only HBsAg+ cases would be screened.
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15. |
- Razavi, Homie A., et al.
(författare)
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Hepatitis D double reflex testing of all hepatitis B carriers in low-HBV- and high-HBV/HDV-prevalence countries
- 2023
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8278 .- 1600-0641. ; 79:2, s. 576-580
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. Reliable estimates of the prevalence of HDV infection and disease burden are essential to formulate strategies to find coinfected individuals more effectively and efficiently. The global prevalence of HBV infections was estimated to be 262,240,000 in 2021. Only 1,994,000 of the HBV in-fections were newly diagnosed in 2021, with more than half of the new diagnoses made in China. Our initial estimates indicated a much lower prevalence of HDV antibody (anti-HDV) and HDV RNA positivity than previously reported in published studies. Ac-curate estimates of HDV prevalence are needed. The most effective method to generate estimates of the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA positivity and to find undiagnosed individuals at the national level is to implement double reflex testing. This re-quires anti-HDV testing of all hepatitis B surface antigen-positive individuals and HDV RNA testing of all anti-HDV-positive in-dividuals. This strategy is manageable for healthcare systems since the number of newly diagnosed HBV cases is low. At the global level, a comprehensive HDV screening strategy would require only 1,994,000 HDV antibody tests and less than 89,000 HDV PCR tests. Double reflex testing is the preferred strategy in countries with a low prevalence of HBV and those with a high prevalence of both HBV and HDV. For example, in the European Union and North America only 35,000 and 22,000 cases, respectively, will require anti-HDV testing annually.
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16. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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17. |
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18. |
- Sabbagh, H. J., et al.
(författare)
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Anxiety among Adolescents and Young Adults during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Survey
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- (1) Background: Adolescents-and-young-adults (AYA) are prone to anxiety. This study assessed AYA’s level of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic; and determined if anxiety levels were associated with country-income and region, socio-demographic profile and medical history of individuals. (2) Methods: A survey collected data from participants in 25 countries. Dependent-variables included general-anxiety level, and independent-variables included medical problems, COVID-19 infection, age, sex, education, and country-income-level and region. A multilevel-multinomial-logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between dependent, and independent-variables. (3) Results: Of the 6989 respondents, 2964 (42.4%) had normal-anxiety, and 2621 (37.5%), 900 (12.9%) and 504 (7.2%) had mild, moderate and severe-anxiety, respectively. Participants from the African region (AFR) had lower odds of mild, moderate and severe than normal-anxiety compared to those from the Eastern-Mediterranean-region (EMR). Also, participants from lower-middle-income-countries (LMICs) had higher odds of mild and moderate than normal-anxiety compared to those from low-income-countries (LICs). Females, older-adolescents, with medical-problems, suspected-but-not-tested-for-COVID-19, and those with friends/family-infected with COVID-19 had significantly greater odds of different anxiety-levels. (4) Conclusions: One-in-five AYA had moderate to severe-anxiety during the COVID-19-pandemic. There were differences in anxiety-levels among AYAs by region and income-level, emphasizing the need for targeted public health interventions based on nationally-identified priorities. © 2022 by the authors.
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19. |
- Lange, C., et al.
(författare)
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Perspectives for personalized therapy for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : WILEY. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 284:2, s. 163-188
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis is the leading cause of death attributed to a single microbial pathogen worldwide. In addition to the large number of patients affected by tuberculosis, the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-resistance is complicating tuberculosis control in many high-burden countries. During the past 5years, the global number of patients identified with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), defined as bacillary resistance at least against rifampicin and isoniazid, the two most active drugs in a treatment regimen, has increased by more than 20% annually. Today we experience a historical peak in the number of patients affected by MDR-TB. The management of MDR-TB is characterized by delayed diagnosis, uncertainty of the extent of bacillary drug-resistance, imprecise standardized drug regimens and dosages, very long duration of therapy and high frequency of adverse events which all translate into a poor prognosis for many of the affected patients. Major scientific and technological advances in recent years provide new perspectives through treatment regimens tailor-made to individual needs. Where available, such personalized treatment has major implications on the treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB. The challenge now is to bring these adances to those patients that need them most.
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20. |
- Abutalib, M. M., et al.
(författare)
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Fe3O4/Co3O4-TiO2 S-scheme photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants and H-2 production under natural sunlight
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Research and Technology. - : Elsevier Editora Ltda. - 2238-7854. ; 20, s. 1043-1056
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sunlight responsible mono-and co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (Con+ and Fen+) were prepared via sol-gel technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed no phase change of TiO2 was observed after the addition of Con+ and Fen+ ions. Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) results showed a significant red-shift of the absorption edge after doping TiO2 by Co(n )and Fen+ and the band gap energy reduced sharply from 3.10 to 1.72 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results emphasized the existence of multivalent states of Co2+, Co3+, Fe2+ and Fe3+. The results of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), work function, electron spin resonance (ESR) illustrated the Fe3O4/Co3O4-TiO2 formed of ternary hetero-junctions. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared photocatalysts was determined for photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) and phenol (Pl) and production of hydrogen. The results illustrated the existence of multivalent states of Fe and Co ions (Co2+, Co3+, Fe2+ and Fe3+) together improved the solar light absorption, inhibited the recombination of photo -generated charges and consequently enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 compared with mono-doped TiO2 (Co3O4/TiO2 and Fe3O4/TiO2). The sample with 5%Fe3O4/ Co(3)O(4)4-TiO2 showed the highest photoactivity. The mineralization (TOC), photodegradation mechanism and reusability of prepared photocatalysts were also studied. The Fe3O4/Co3O4-TiO2 nanoparticles showed high photoactivity and stability and can be adopted as a promising materials for different environmental and H-2 production applications. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
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21. |
- Abutalib, M. M., et al.
(författare)
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Preparation of rGO/FeMoO4 as high-performance photocatalyst for degradation of malachite green, phenol and H2 evolution under natural sunlight
- 2022
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Ingår i: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 47:77, s. 32955-32968
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- FeMoO4 and rGO/FeMoO4 nanocomposites were successfully prepared by a facile hydro-thermal method. The XRD results confirmed that the FeMoO4 has a monometallic b-FeMoO4 crystalline phase while the rGO/FeMoO4 showed both monometallic a-and b-FeMoO4 phases where b-FeMoO4 is the predominant phase. The reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was performed without using any chemical reductions. UV-Vis results showed that the visible light absorption and band gap energy were enhanced after the addition of rGO. The prepared samples were successfully applied for degradation of malachite green (MG) and phenol (Ph) and for H2 evolution under natural solar light irradiation. All the nanocomposites showed higher photocatalytic activities compared with pure FeMoO4 photocatalyst, and the 10%rGO/FeMoO4 gave the highest photodegradation performance for MG and Ph and for H2 evolution. The photodegradation results revealed that the rGO content played the crucial factor in the photodegradation of MG and Ph, and H2 evolution. The mineralization (TOC), photodegradation mechanism and degradation kinetics of MG and Ph were discussed.
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22. |
- Al-Wathinani, A. M., et al.
(författare)
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Raising Awareness of Hearing and Communication Disorders Among Emergency Medical Services Students: Are Knowledge Translation Workshops Useful?
- 2022
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Ingår i: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 1935-7893 .- 1938-744X. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: In numerous countries, emergency medical services (EMS) students receive curriculum training in effective patient-provider communication, but most of this training assumes patients have intact communication capabilities, leading to a lack of preparedness to interact with patients, who have communication disorders. In such cases, first responders could end up delivering suboptimal care or possibly wrong procedures that could harm the disabled person. Method: A quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest) was used to assess the knowledge of EMS students both before and after a translation workshop on how to deal with patients who have hearing and communication disorders during emergencies. Comparisons between pretest and posttest scores were examined using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The level of knowledge scores was compared before and after the workshop. Results: The results indicated that EMS students' scores improved after the workshop. There was a 0.763 increase in the average score of knowledge level. The results of this study show that knowledge translation workshops are a useful intervention to enhance the level of knowledge among EMS students when interacting with hearing and communication patients. Conclusions: Our results show that such training workshops lead to better performance. Communication is a vital element in a medical encounter between health care providers and patients at all levels of health care but specifically in the prehospital arena. Insufficient or lack of communication with a vulnerable population, who may suffer from various disabilities, has a significant impact on the outcome of treatment or emergency management.
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23. |
- Alghamdi, Haifa Mohammed, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of the Fe2O3/TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Structural, Mechanical, Electrical Properties and Antibacterial Activity of the Biodegradable Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol Blend for Food Packaging
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Polymers and the Environment. - : SPRINGER. - 1566-2543 .- 1572-8919. ; 30, s. 3865-3874
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the request for ready-made food grows, its more important than ever to develop effective antimicrobial food packaging materials to assure foods microbiological safety. The solvent casting method was used to create a chitosan (Cs)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blend based active food packaging material enhanced with Fe2O3/TiO2 (FeTiO2) nanoparticles. The prepared films were characterized by TEM, XRD, FTIR, and ac conductivity. The structural alterations occurring in the nanocomposites are indicated by FTIR spectra and XRD investigations. The AC conductivity and dielectric characteristics of nanocomposites were dramatically improved as the nanoparticle loading was raised. The mechanical properties of blend/FeTiO2 nanocomposites films were better than pure blend film. The nanocomposites films had good antibacterial activity and mechanical properties, suggesting that they could be a viable alternative to non-biodegradable packaging material.
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24. |
- Alghamdi, Haifa Mohammed, et al.
(författare)
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Modification and development of high bioactivities and environmentally safe polymer nanocomposites doped by Ni/ZnO nanohybrid for food packaging applications
- 2022
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T. - : ELSEVIER. - 2238-7854. ; 19, s. 3421-3432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aimed to develop a sodium alginate (50%NaAlg)/polyethylene oxide (50%PEO) blend-based film loaded with nickel and zinc oxide nanoparticles (Ni/ZnO NPs) as a rein-forcing and antibacterial agent. The Ni/ZnO NPs as nanohybrid were synthesized via the sol-gel method at different concentrations (0.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0 wt.%). The solution cast approach was utilized to create polymer nanocomposites samples from NaAlg/PEO/Ni/ZnO NPs for application in bioactive food packaging. The films were characterized using various procedures in detail. With the addition of Ni/ZnO, the XRD confirms the expansion of amorphous nature within NaAlg/PEO. The crystallinity degree of NaAlg/PEO-Ni/ZnO nanocomposite were decreased from 47 to 25%. The interactions between the compo-nents of NaAlg/PEO and Ni/ZnO NPs are revealed by FTIR findings. The bio-degradable nanocomposites dielectric behavior, electrical conductivity as well as mechanical prop-erties, were investigated. With the addition of Ni/ZnO NPs, the dielectric and AC conduc-tivity properties of the nanocomposites improved with the increase in the concentrations of Ni/ZnO NPs. The loading of Ni/ZnO nanoparticles increased the mechanical character-istics of the nanocomposite, such as tensile strength increased from 30.18 to 72.34, stiff-ness increased from 18.78 to 38.42, and Youngs Modulus increased from 8.24 to 29.76. The antibacterial activity of nanocomposites films was examined against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli), Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus), Aspergillus niger (fungus) and Candida albicans (yeast). Though the tested NaAlg/PEO blend did not indicate any activity against the microbial strains, when Ni/ZnO NPs were added, activity against E. coli, S. aureus, fungus and yeast was enhanced. The water solubility of nanocomposites films reduced from 65.5% to 9.81% with increasing of Ni/ZnO NPs content. The present study shown that NaAlg/PEO-Ni/ZnO films were more effective in inhibiting bacteria growth than pure NaAlg/PEO film, confirming the nanocomposites films potential application as anti-microbial food packaging.(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
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25. |
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26. |
- AlGannas, Nayef S., et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of the levels of antispike SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and their association with clinical characteristics in cohort of patients in Saudi Arabia
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. - : Medknow Publications. - 2249-4863 .- 2278-7135. ; 11:11, s. 7372-7377
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global public health crisis. The disease is known to be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, but the detailed characteristics of the immune response to this novel virus have not been fully elucidated yet. In this study, we aimed to determine the level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and their correlation with clinical features at three time points postinfection in a group of patients in Saudi Arabia.Method: In this prospective observational study, we collected the demographic and clinical data from 43 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed patients and measured the COVID-19 antispike IgG levels at three different visits.Result: The seroconversion rate after COVID-19 infection was 88.4% in the study participants, with no significant changes in the IgG levels through the three visits. The duration of shortness of breath had a significant positive correlation with the IgG level of the patients. Using the logistic regression model, participants having coughs were found to be 12.48 times more likely to develop positive IgG. The IgG levels were less in smokers than nonsmokers [Odds ratio = 6.42 (95% CI 2.11-19.48); P = 0.001].Conclusion: Positive IgG levels have been developed in most COVID-19 patients and did not significantly change over 3 months following the diagnosis. The level of IgG antibodies was found to be significantly associated with the presence of cough, duration of shortness of breath, and the smoking habit of the patients. These findings have clinical and public health significance and need to be validated in larger studies in different populations.
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27. |
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28. |
- Alharbi, Essa A., et al.
(författare)
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Formation of High-Performance Multi-Cation Halide Perovskites Photovoltaics by delta-CsPbI3/delta-RbPbI3 Seed-Assisted Heterogeneous Nucleation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Advanced Energy Materials. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1614-6832 .- 1614-6840. ; 11:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The performance of perovskite solar cells is highly dependent on the fabrication method; thus, controlling the growth mechanism of perovskite crystals is a promising way towards increasing their efficiency and stability. Herein, a multi-cation halide composition of perovskite solar cells is engineered via the two-step sequential deposition method. Strikingly, it is found that adding mixtures of 1D polymorphs of orthorhombic delta-RbPbI3 and delta-CsPbI3 to the PbI2 precursor solution induces the formation of porous mesostructured hexagonal films. This porosity greatly facilitates the heterogeneous nucleation and the penetration of FA (formamidinium)/MA (methylammonium) cations within the PbI2 film. Thus, the subsequent conversion of PbI2 into the desired multication cubic alpha-structure by exposing it to a solution of formamidinium methylammonium halides is greatly enhanced. During the conversion step, the delta-CsPbI3 also is fully integrated into the 3D mixed cation perovskite lattice, which exhibits high crystallinity and superior optoelectronic properties. The champion device shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 22%. Furthermore, these devices exhibit enhanced operational stability, with the best device retaining more than 90% of its initial value of PCE under 1 Sun illumination with maximum power point tracking for 400 h.
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29. |
- Dhafar, W., et al.
(författare)
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Reasons for Third Molars Extraction by Different Health Care Providers
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Allied Sciences. - 2277-3657. ; 9:2, s. 189-194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Third molars extraction is one of the most common surgical procedures in daily dental practice. However, the reasons for extraction varies in the literature. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the reasons for the extraction of third molars. The secondary objectives were to evaluate if patient-and dentist- related factors affect the reasons for extraction. Methodology: A questionnaire was completed by health care providers in four dental centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 195 patients (118 females and 77 males), who had their third molars extracted (n=227) were included in this study. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results: Caries (42.3%) and prophylaxis (39.2%) were the most common reasons for the extraction of third molars. Extraction for prophylactic reasons was significantly higher among female patients and patients younger than 40 years old (p <0.01 and p <0.05, respectively). Furthermore, the decision to extract for prophylactic reasons was significantly higher among specialists or consultants as compared to students, interns or residents (74.0% vs. 26.0%; p<0.001). No difference was found between maxillary and mandibular third molars extraction. Conclusion: This study identified caries and prophylaxis as the most common causes of third molars extraction. It was also found that patients' age, gender, as well as dentists' qualification were factors influencing the reasons for extraction.
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30. |
- Escaned, Javier, et al.
(författare)
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Safety of the Deferral of Coronary Revascularization on the Basis of Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio and Fractional Flow Reserve Measurements in Stable Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Coronary Syndromes
- 2018
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Ingår i: JACC. - : Elsevier. - 1936-8798 .- 1876-7605. ; 11:15, s. 1437-1449
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients deferred from coronary revascularization on the basis of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) or fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements in stable angina pectoris (SAP) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). BACKGROUND Assessment of coronary stenosis severity with pressure guidewires is recommended to determine the need for myocardial revascularization. METHODS The safety of deferral of coronary revascularization in the pooled per-protocol population (n = 4,486) of the DEFINE-FLAIR (Functional Lesion Assessment of Intermediate Stenosis to Guide Revascularisation) and iFR-SWEDEHEART (Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio Versus Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients With Stable Angina Pectoris or Acute Coronary Syndrome) randomized clinical trials was investigated. Patients were stratified according to revascularization decision making on the basis of iFR or FFR and to clinical presentation (SAP or ACS). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization at 1 year. RESULTS Coronary revascularization was deferred in 2,130 patients. Deferral was performed in 1,117 patients (50%) in the iFR group and 1,013 patients (45%) in the FFR group (p < 0.01). At 1 year, the MACE rate in the deferred population was similar between the iFR and FFR groups (4.12% vs. 4.05%; fully adjusted hazard ratio: 1.13; 95% confidence interval: 0.72 to 1.79; p = 0.60). A clinical presentation with ACS was associated with a higher MACE rate compared with SAP in deferred patients (5.91% vs. 3.64% in ACS and SAP, respectively; fully adjusted hazard ratio: 0.61 in favor of SAP; 95% confidence interval: 0.38 to 0.99; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Overall, deferral of revascularization is equally safe with both iFR and FFR, with a low MACE rate of about 4%. Lesions were more frequently deferred when iFR was used to assess physiological significance. In deferred patients presenting with ACS, the event rate was significantly increased compared with SAP at 1 year. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation.
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31. |
- Malik, Shairyar, et al.
(författare)
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A novel hybrid meta-heuristic contrast stretching technique for improved skin lesion segmentation
- 2022
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Ingår i: Computers in Biology and Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0010-4825 .- 1879-0534. ; 151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The high precedence of epidemiological examination of skin lesions necessitated the well-performing efficient classification and segmentation models. In the past two decades, various algorithms, especially machine/deep learning-based methods, replicated the classical visual examination to accomplish the above-mentioned tasks. These automated streams of models demand evident lesions with less background and noise affecting the region of interest. However, even after the proposal of these advanced techniques, there are gaps in achieving the efficacy of matter. Recently, many preprocessors proposed to enhance the contrast of lesions, which further aided the skin lesion segmentation and classification tasks. Metaheuristics are the methods used to support the search space optimisation problems. We propose a novel Hybrid Metaheuristic Differential Evolution-Bat Algorithm (DE-BA), which estimates parameters used in the brightness preserving contrast stretching transformation function. For extensive experimentation we tested our proposed algorithm on various publicly available databases like ISIC 2016, 2017, 2018 and PH2, and validated the proposed model with some state-of-the-art already existing segmentation models. The tabular and visual comparison of the results concluded that DE-BA as a preprocessor positively enhances the segmentation results.
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32. |
- Mseddi, K., et al.
(författare)
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Phytodiversity distribution in relation to altitudinal gradient in Salma Mountains – Saudi Arabia
- 2021
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Ingår i: Global Ecology and Conservation. - : Elsevier. - 2351-9894. ; 27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study was conducted to assess the phytodiversity distribution in relation to altitudinal gradient in Salma Mountains, a naturally protected habitat in Ha'il region in the north of Saudi Arabia. Seventeen (17) sampling sites covering three altitudinal zones (i.e. valley, foot and top mountain) were randomly selected within the study area. Within each site and altitudinal zone, the floristic composition and the potential plant species of economic values were assessed and evaluated. A total number of 163 plant species belong to 101 genera and 41 families were identified in this study. Their economic values were also classified into forage (32%), edible (8.7%), medicinal (21.3%), ornamental (30.7%), weeds (18%) and rare species (14%). In addition, results obtained from different altitudinal zones of Salma Mountains, showed that 24 species were spread in the adjacent valley to the mountains, where 32 species spreading at the foot of the mountains and 40 found occupying the top of the mountains. The rest of species have been found to occupy larger geographical distribution in all altitudinal parts. Across the altitudinal gradients, species richness has been found to be consistent with a monotonically increasing pattern with a high richness at high altitudes. The current study suggests that such naturally protected ecosystem can provide a refuge for native plant species and serve as seed bank for a future restoration program in Ha'il region and other similar habitats in Saudi Arabia.
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34. |
- Nejadnik, M. Reza, et al.
(författare)
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Self-healing Hybrid Nanocomposites consisting of Bisphosphonated Hyaluronan and Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles
- 2014
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Ingår i: Biomaterials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0142-9612 .- 1878-5905. ; 35:25, s. 6918-6929
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-covalent interactions are often regarded as insufficient to construct macroscopic materials of substantial integrity and cohesion. However, the low binding energy of such reversible interactions can be compensated by increasing their number to work in concert to create strong materials. Here we present the successful development of an injectable, cohesive nanocomposite hydrogel based on reversible bonds between calcium phosphate nanoparticles and bisphosphonate-functionalized hyaluronic acid. These nanocomposites display a capacity for self-healing as well as adhesiveness to mineral surfaces such as enamel and hydroxyapatite. Most importantly, these non-covalently cross-linked composites are surprisingly robust yet biodegradable upon extensive in vitro and in vivo testing and show bone interactive capacity evidenced by bone ingrowth into material remnants. The herein presented method provides a new methodology for constructing nanoscale composites for biomedical applications, which owe their integrity to reversible bonds.
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37. |
- Vallortigara, J, et al.
(författare)
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Dynamin1 concentration in the prefrontal cortex is associated with cognitive impairment in Lewy body dementia
- 2014
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Ingår i: F1000Research. - : F1000 Research Ltd. - 2046-1402. ; 3, s. 108-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD) together, represent the second most common cause of dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The synaptic dysfunctions underlying the cognitive decline and psychiatric symptoms observed throughout the development of PDD and DLB are still under investigation. In this study we examined the expression level of Dynamin1 and phospho-CaMKII, key proteins of endocytosis and synaptic plasticity respectively, as potential markers of molecular processes specifically deregulated with DLB and/or PDD. In order to measure the levels of these proteins, we isolated grey matter from post-mortem prefrontal cortex area (BA9), anterior cingulated gyrus (BA24) and parietal cortex (BA40) from DLB and PDD patients in comparison to age-matched controls and a group of AD cases. Clinical and pathological data available included the MMSE score, neuropsychiatric history, and semi-quantitative scores for AD pathology (plaques - tangles) and for α-synuclein (Lewy bodies).Changes in the expression of the synaptic markers, and correlates with neuropathological features and cognitive decline were predominantly found in the prefrontal cortex. On one hand, levels of Dynamin1 were significantly reduced, and correlated with a higher rate of cognitive decline observed in cases from three dementia groups. On the other hand, the fraction of phospho-CaMKII was decreased, and correlated with a high score of plaques and tangles in BA9. Interestingly, the correlation between the rate of cognitive decline and the level of Dynamin1 remained when the analysis was restricted to the PDD and DLB cases, highlighting an association of Dynamin1 with cognitive decline in people with Lewy Body dementia.
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