Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017 : results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Correction:Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. Methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.Peer reviewe

Synthesis, characterization and application of WS₂ nanowire-nanoflake hybrid nanostructures

Abstract Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials crystalize in a layered structure with a stoichiometry MX₂ where M is a transition metal (Mo, W, Tc, Re, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf) and X is a chalcogen (S, Se, Te). While there is a strong covalent bond between the chalcogen and the metal atoms in each 2-dimensional (2D) sheet, the bulk 3-dimensional crystals are held together by weak van der Waals forces acting on the adjacent 2D sheets allowing for micromechanical and liquid phase exfoliation into nanostructures composed of either a single layer or a few layers. Since the electronic band structure depends not only on the chemistry but also on the number of layers, a whole new range of metal, semimetal and semiconductor materials may be achieved. These properties, among many other advantages (e.g. tunable band structure, high mobility of carriers, easy intercalation with ions), make TMDs appealing and timely for applications in solar cells and photodetectors, heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalytic electrodes, energy storage and in (electro) chemical sensing. Motivated by the anticipated fascinating properties of TMDs, this research work focuses on the synthesis, characterization and application of a novel hybrid WS₂ nanomaterial. While the original goal of the research work was to develop a simple method to synthesize WS₂ nanowires, it became clear that instead of nanowires a hybrid nanowire-nanoflake (NW-NF) structure could be synthesized by a simple thermal sulfurization of hydrothermally grown WO₃ nanowires. The structure, morphology and composition of the new materials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Temperature dependent electrical measurements carried out on random networks of the nanostructures showed nonlinear characteristics and a negative temperature coefficient of resistance indicating that the hybrids were semiconducting. Resistive gas sensors were prepared and exposed to H₂S, CO, NH₃, H₂ and NO and to which the devices displayed ultra-high sensitivity (0.043 ppm⁻¹) towards H₂S with a detection limit of 20 ppb. The results suggest further exploration of gas sensing with TMDs as potential competitive alternatives to the classical metal oxide based devices. Moreover, photodetector devices with excellent visible light response were also demonstrated using an individual WS₂ NW-NF hybrid as well as its random networks having photoresponsivity of up to 400 mAW⁻¹. This was two orders of magnitude higher than that measured for other 2D materials based devices. Overall, the WS₂ nanowire-nanoflake hybrid is a truly multipurpose and multifunctional semiconductor making it a promising material for advanced micro, nano and optoelectronics devices.Tiivistelmä Siirtymämetallidikalkogenidistä (transition metal dichalcogenide, TMD) olevat materiaalit kiteytyvät kerroksittaisiksi rakenteiksi, joiden stoikiometria on MX₂, missä M on siirtymämetalli (Mo, W, Tc, Re, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf) ja X on kalkogeeni (S, Se, Te). 2-ulotteisessa (2D) tasossa kalkogeenin ja metallin välillä on voimakas kovalenttinen sidos, mutta suuremmassa kolmiulotteisessa kiteessä viereisiä tasoja sitoo toisiinsa vain heikot van der Waals-voimat, jolloin tasot on mahdollista erottaa mikromekaanisesti ja nestefaasikuorinnalla yksittäisiksi tai muutamasta kerroksesta koostuvaksi nanorakenteeksi. Koska elektronivyörakenne ei riipu ainoastaan kemiallisesta koostumuksesta vaan myös kerrosten lukumäärästä, voidaan muodostaa täysin uusia metallisia, puolimetallisia tai puolijohdemateriaaleja. Nämä ominaisuudet monien muiden lisäksi (esim. räätälöity vyörakenne, korkeanliikkuvuuden varauksen kuljettajat, helppo ionien interkelaatio) tekevät TMD-materiaaleista kiinnostavia ja ajankohtaisia aurinkokennoihin, valokennoihin, heterogeeniseen katalyysiin, sähkökatalyyttisiin elektrodeihin, energiavarastoihin ja sähkökemiallisiin antureihin. TDM-materiaalien oletettavasti kiehtovien ominaisuuksien motivoimana tämä tutkimus keskittyy uusien hybridi-WS₂-nanomateriaalien synteesiin, karakterisoimiseen ja sovellutuksiin. Tutkimuksen alkuperäinen tavoite oli kehittää yksinkertainen menetelmä WS₂-nanolankojen syntetisoimiseksi, mutta kävi ilmi että nanolankojen sijaan syntyi nanolanka-nanohiutale -hybridirakenne (nanowire-nanoflake, NW-NF), kun hydrotermisesti kasvatettuja WO₃-nanolankoja rikitettiin termisesti. Näiden uusien materiaalien rakenne, morfologia ja koostumus on analysoitu röntgendiffraktiolla, Raman-spekstrokopialla, elektronimikroskoopilla ja röntgenfotoelektronispektroskopialla. Valikoimattomista nanorakenteista koostuvien verkostojen lämpötilasta riippuvien sähköisten ominaisuuksien mittaukset osoittavat epälineaarisia piirteitä ja negatiivinen resistanssin lämpötilakerroin viittaa hybridien puolijohtavuuteen. Materiaalista valmistettiin resistiivisiä kaasuantureita, jotka altistettiin H₂S:lle, CO:lle, NH₃:lle, H₂:lle ja NO:lle, näistä anturi osoitti erittäin suurta herkkyyttä H₂S:lle (0.043 ppm) havaintorajan ollessa 20 ppb. Tulokset kannustavat TMD-materiaalien kaasuanturisovellutusten jatkotutkimukseen tarjoten potentiaalisesti kilpailukykyisen vaihtoehdon perinteisille metallioksidi-pohjaisille laitteille. Lisäksi, yksittäisillä WS₂-nanolanka-nanohiutalepartikkeleilla sekä valikoimattomilla nanolanka-nanohiutalehybridiverkostoilla demonstroitiin valokenno, jonka vaste näkyvään valoon oli jopa 400 mAW⁻¹ ollen kaksi kertaluokkaa korkeampi kuin muilla 2D-materiaaleihin perustuvilla kennoilla. Kaiken kaikkiaan, WS₂-nanolanka-nanohiutalehybridi on todella monikäyttöinen ja monipuolinen puolijohde ollen lupaava materiaali kehittyneille mikro-, nano- ja optoelektronisille laitteille

Comparative In Vitro Quality Evaluation of Ciprofloxacin Tablets from Drug Retail Outlets in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone derivative having a broader spectrum of antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic organisms. It is the drug of choice for treating urinary tract infections and enteric typhoid fever. Quality assurance and evaluation of antibiotics has paramount importance to monitor the distribution of counterfeit and substandard medicines in the drug retail outlets and ensure the desired therapeutic efficacy on susceptible microorganisms. This investigation was carried out to assess the quality of eight brands of ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets marketed by different drug retail outlets in Addis Ababa. At the time of this sampling, most of the tablets had a shelf-life of at least two years and they were in their original packages. Identity, weight uniformity, disintegration and dissolution tests as well as assay for the content of active ingredients were performed using the methods described in the British Pharmacopoeia. Hardness and equivalence of drug release at t50% and t90% of the different brands of ciprofloxacin tablets were also evaluated and compared. All the samples passed the identity, disintegration, and dissolution tests. Among the eight brands, ciprokin® failed the weight uniformity test. Eight of the ciprofloxacin brands examined passed the assay for content of active ingredient and also assured the minimum requirement for the test in crushing strength of the tablets. The eight brands were found to be bio-inequivalent for their drug release compared at t50% and t90% indicating significant difference in the in vitro drug release. Keywords: ciprofloxacin tablets, comparative study, In Vitro quality evaluation, physicochemical Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal Vol. 25 (1) 2007: pp. 1-

A Study on the Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of the Leaf Essential Oil of Apium leptophylum (Pers.) Benth. Growing in Ethiopia

In Ethiopian traditional medicine the leaves of Apium leptophyllum (Pers.) Benth. are used for the treatment of a disease condition locally known as “Mitch”, which is characterized mainly by inflammation, sweat andloss of appetite. Steam distillation of the leaves of A. leptophyllum afforded a colourless essential oil with a yield of 0.24% (v/w). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed the presence of twenty components comprising 98.64% of the total peak area of which more than 80% of the oil was represented by only five major components. These were identified as thymoquinol dimethyl ether (46.00%), γ-terpinene (12.63%), isothymol methyl ether (12.57%), p-cymene (10.29%) and thymol methyl ether (6.80%). The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the oil as investigated by standard disc diffusion technique indicated that it was active against a broad spectrum of pathogens including Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria as well as some fungal strains. However, its activity was more prominent against theGram-negative bacteria E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. dysenteriae and V. cholerae with an MIC value of 50 μg/ml. In addition, the oil demonstrated an excellent in vitro radical scavenging activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay with an IC50 value of 4.3 μl/ml. The traditional use of the plant for abating the symptoms of “Mitch” could be justified by its antimicrobial and radical scavenging activities which are probably related to the etiology of the disease condition

2D tungsten chalcogenides:synthesis, properties and applications

Abstract Layered transition metal chalcogenides possess properties that not only open up broad fundamental scientific enquiries but also indicate that a myriad of applications can be developed by using these materials. This is also true for tungsten‐based chalcogenides which can provide an assortment of structural forms with different electronic flairs as well as chemical activity. Such emergence of tungsten based chalcogenides as advanced forms of materials lead several investigators to believe that a tremendous opportunity lies in understanding their fundamental properties, and by utilizing that knowledge the authors may create function specific materials through structural tailoring, defect engineering, chemical modifications as well as by combining them with other layered materials with complementary functionalities. Indeed several current scientific endeavors have indicated that an incredible potential for developing these materials for future applications development in key technology sectors such as energy, electronics, sensors, and catalysis are perhaps viable. This review article is an attempt to capture this essence by providing a summary of key scientific investigations related to various aspects of synthesis, characterization, modifications, and high value applications. Finally, some open questions and a discussion on imminent research needs and directions in developing tungsten based chalcogenide materials for future applications are presented

High photoresponse of individual WS₂ nanowire-nanoflake hybrid materials

Abstract van der Waals solids have been recognized as highly photosensitive materials that compete conventional Si and compound semiconductor based devices. While 2-dimensional nanosheets of single and multiple layers and 1-dimensional nanowires of molybdenum and tungsten chalcogenides have been studied, their nanostructured derivatives with complex morphologies are not explored yet. Here, we report on the electrical and photosensitive properties of WS₂ nanowire-nanoflake hybrid materials we developed lately. We probe individual hybrid nanostructured particles along the structure using focused ion beam deposited Pt contacts. Further, we use conductive atomic force microscopy to analyze electrical behavior across the nanostructure in the transverse direction. The electrical measurements are complemented by in situ laser beam illumination to explore the photoresponse of the nanohybrids in the visible optical spectrum. Photodetectors with responsivity up to ∼0.4 AW⁻¹ are demonstrated outperforming graphene as well as most of the other transition metal dichalcogenide based devices

Evaluation of nutritional composition, functional and pasting properties of pearl millet, teff, and buckwheat grain composite flour

Injera, bread, and other baked Ethiopian foods are typically made from a single cereal grain, which is insufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of all age groups. Enrichment of cereal with easily affordable cereals and pseudocereals that have superior nutritional value is an important approach to producing nutrient-dense food products. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition, phytochemical content, functional and pasting properties of teff, pearl millet, and buckwheat composite flour. The design used during the conducting of the experiment was a completely randomized design (CRD). The nutritional composition, functional and pasting properties of composite flour were determined using standard procedures. The resulting composite flour from the study contained protein of 8.59–9.94 %, crude fat of 3.70–5.40 %, crude fiber of 2.28–2.62 %, total ash of 1.86–2.28 %, carbohydrate of 71.80–74.90 % and energy of 367.24–375.88 kcal/100 g. The mineral content (mg/100 g) ranged from 8.64 to 11.12, 72.82–93.14, and 1.32–1.74 iron, calcium, and zinc, respectively. Functional properties of composite flours such as bulk density (BD), water absorption index (WAI), and water solubility index (WSI) ranged from 555.08 to 596.23 kg/m, 2.12–2.18 g/g and 6.63–7.00 % respectively. The highest and lowest total phenolic content values were observed in composite flour of 10 % pear millet,70 % teff, and 20 % buckwheat (110.42 mg GAE/100 g) and composite flour of 40 % pear millet,55 % teff, and 5 % buckwheat (101.42 mg GAE/100 g), respectively. The addition of pearl millet and buckwheat flours to teff flour significantly (p ˂ 0.05) increases the functional and pasting properties of composite flour. Pasting properties of composite flours contained peak viscosity ranging from 1454 to 2071cP, trough viscosity 619–883cP, breakdown viscosity 835–1188cP, setback viscosity 1127–1483cP, pasting temperature 73.77–75.10 °C, and peak time 5.22–5.27 min. Pearl millet, buckwheat, and teff are three gluten-free grains that are increasingly being used in industrial applications. Teff, pearl millet, and buckwheat composite flour are all high in nutrients, and they offer a variety of health benefits. Blending these three grains can create a nutritious and delicious product that is also gluten-free. This study found that composite flour made from 70 % teff, 20 % buckwheat, and 10 % pearl millet has improved nutritional properties and could be used to make healthier food products in the food industry