bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standard Bank: The Agile Transformation
Authors: A. Johnston Kevin , Gill Grandon
Published: December 2017

South Africa’s largest bank has recently completed a transformation from traditional systems development to the scaled agile framework. The individual leading the transformation is now considering how to keep the momentum going and possible new directions.

Josef Langerman, Head of IT Transformation for Standard Bank, reflected on the extraordinary transformation that his organization’s IT group had recently experienced. Over the past three years, Standard Bank’s IT group had changed from the relatively well accepted systems development lifecycle/waterfall model to a revolutionary large scale agile approach. The results had been gratifying. But it left a question unanswered. Now that things were starting to stabilize, what should be the next steps? The 154-year-old Standard Bank was the largest banking group in Africa, and the 5th largest company headquartered in South Africa. The bank offered a range of corporate, business and personal banking as well as financial services. Its 49,000 employees served over 15 million customers, in 20 countries across the continent of Africa, as well as other countries scattered around the globe.
Standard Bank’s IT group, located within the company’s Johannesburg headquarters, had over 6000 employees. The group managed the bank’s technology infrastructure–including a network of nearly 10,000 ATMs, its applications development, testing, deployment, maintenance and operations.
By 2014, the bank recognized that its IT performance was lagging industry benchmarks in productivity, turnaround time and employee satisfaction. Employing a “do it in-house” philosophy, it embarked on a major transformation. Abandoning traditional highly structured approaches to project management and development, it had adopted an agile philosophy that was most commonly seen in much smaller organizations and technology startups. The results had been impressive–productivity, cycle time and organizational health indicators had all risen dramatically. The group had also achieved substantial reductions in its budget. Even skeptics within the organization could not fail to be impressed.
Now, however, Langerman wondered about the future. He had been cautioned by his group’s HR Culture Transformation Guide that rapid improvement could easily be followed by disillusionment. What could be done to keep the momentum going forward? Should the bank double down on the types of changes to culture, practice and training that had led to its success, or was it time to let things settle? And who should be guiding the change? Should the implementation continue entirely in-house, or should outside consultants–that were working in other areas of the bank–play a significant role? In the near future, he would need to present his recommendations to the group’s CIO.
ОСОБЕННОСТИ ВНЕДРЕНИЯ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ПРОЕКТНОГО МЕНЕДЖМЕНТА ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ НАУКОЕМКОГО МАШИНОСТРОЕНИЯ НА ОСНОВЕ ПРОЦЕССНОГО ПОДХОДА К УПРАВЛЕНИЮ БИЗНЕС-ПРОЦЕССАМИ
Authors: Krivov G. A. , Pshenichnyj V. I. , Zvorykin C. O.
Published: December 2017

Представлено обоснование того, что в ходе внедрения технологии проектного менеджмента целесообразна систематизация и структурирование нормативных документов, описывающих бизнес-процессы предприятий наукоемкого машиностроения, основанная на иерархии и взаимосвязях процессов. Необходимо не только улучшать стандарты и регламенты, не только разрабатывать бизнес-модели, но еще и обеспечивать эти модели полноценными описаниями процессов. Используя процессный подход и технологию проектного менеджмента бизнес-процессы нужно действовать комплексно, необходимо структурировать бизнес-модели процессов, связать в единое целое, исключая бессистемность и выявленные разрывы.   Результативное применение процессного подхода в технологии управления предприятием наукоемкого машиностроения прямо связано и зависит, прежде всего, от реальной заинтересованности руководителей предприятия, от компетентности управленческой команды и от уровня вовлечения персонала.
Adaptive Home Automation System by Using Smart Phone Based Artificial Intelligent
Authors: Jumah Osama Qasim , Radhi ‎ Sara Abbas
Published: December 2017

This paper proposes an advanced intelligent home automation system to control the mainhome functions such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, shading, lighting, security and food’spreparation. The proposed system designed to detect motion or fire and to make decisionsindependently. Information about motion, heating, and lightning were collected from three nodes usingspecial sensors that micro-controlled through Arduino with WIFI shield and Xbee to be sent to theSmart Phone for manipulation through Java-based Android application. Delta Learning Rule algorithmwas used for decisions making as it is able to distinguish whether it is a dangerous situation or not.Furthermore, the proposed system has a property of generating an alert signal and sends it to the policeor fire station through GMS messages.
Authorship in A Scientific Article
Authors: Badruddoza Md
Published: December 2017

Abstract not availableChatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 1-2
Comparison of Shock Wave Parameters of in Situ ESWL & ESWL After Push Back for Upper Ureteric Calculi
Authors: Khan Sakhawat Mahmud , Akhter Shahin , Kibria SAM Golam , Shamim Isteaq Ahmed , Khanam Shireen Akhter
Published: December 2017

Background: To compare the shock wave parameters of in situ ESWL & ESWL after push back for upper ureteric calculi.Methods: This hospital based prospective study was carried out in the Department of Urology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dhaka from January 2006 to December 2006. For this study, 90 patients were selected according to the selection criteria. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 50 patients treated by in situ ESWL and group 2 included 40 patients treated by push back and ESWL. For statistical analysis, student’s t- test & chi-square test were performed.Results: In group 1 and in group 2 patients mean age were 34.86±11.74 years and 35.12± 12.48 years respectively. In group 1: Over all clearance of calculi was 92.86% in 1cm stones and 86.36% in 1cm stones (p>0.05). In group 2: Total clearance was 100% in stones <1cm size and 88% in1cm size stones (p>0.05). Although clearance rate was higher in push back group it was not statistically significant (92.5% Vs.90%) (p>0.05). Number of ESWL session in case of <1 cm size stone were 1.54 in group 1 and 1.46 in group 2. In case of 1 cm size stone, it was 1.77 in group 1, 1.48 in group 2 (p>0.05). Considering the requirement of shock wave number, less shock wave were required in group 2 (1757.50 ± 255.09) than group 1 (1994 ± 449.22) (p < 0.01). Mean energy needed in group I was 5.07±0.81 and in group 2 it was 4.63±0.48 (p<0.01).Conclusion: Although more ESWL sessions were required in group 1 than group 2, it was not statistically significant. But mean shock wave number and energy were higher in group 1 than group 2 which was statistically significant.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 7-10
Effects of Haemodialysis on Red Cell Indices and Haematocrit in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammed Nasim Uddin , Khatun Monira , Dutta Pradip Kumar , Akhter Nayeema
Published: December 2017

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an escalating public health problem throughout the developed and developing world. Haemodialysis influences the transport of water through the erythrocyte membrane and induces morphologic and functional modifications.Objective: This study is aimed at to show the effects of haemodialysis on red cell indices and haematocrit in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients receiving Maintenance Haemodialysis (MHD) during haemodialysis (HD) process in their post-dialysis blood samples. Methods: It is a Hospital based, crosssectional comparative study. The study population consisted of 40 patients of diagnosed case of chronic kidney disease patients on haemodialysis in the Department of Nephrology, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chittagong. The haematological changes before and after the ending of haemodialysis procedure were studied by complete blood count study by automated analyzer. Data were analyzed by statistical methods (Paired sample t-test).Results: In our study the predialysis and post-dialysis sample showed the mean(±SD) MCV(fl) was 96.20(±11.57)fl and 92.80(±10.75)fl respectively. This shows highly significant difference between mean of pre-dialysis and post-dialysis MCV(fl) level (p=0.001). In pre-dialysis and post-dialysis sample the mean(±SD) MCH(pg) was 29.10(±3.62)pg and 28.79(±3.77)pg respectively. This shows no significant difference between mean of pre-dialysis and post-dialysis MCH(pg) level (p=0.236). In pre-dialysis and post-dialysis sample the mean(±SD) MCHC(g/dL) was 29.25(±3.69)g/dL and 30.25(±3.57) gm/dL respectively. This shows highly significant difference between mean of pre-dialysis and post-dialysis MCHC(g/dL) level (p=0.003). In pre-dialysis and post-dialysis sample the mean(±SD) Haematocrit/PCV(%) was 26.46(±7.34)% and 27.39(±8.07)% respectively. This shows no significant difference between mean of pre-dialysis and post-dialysis Haematocrit/PCV(%) level (P=0.157).Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that significant morphological changes, specially, regarding MCV occurs in patients receiving MHD during HD process in their post-dialysis blood samples along with consequent changes in MCHC. And all these findings are consistent with each other.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 15-18
Injection Sclerotherapy with 5% Phenol in Almond Oil in the Treatment of Rectal Prolapse in Children: Our Experience
Authors: Hoque Md Mozammel , Ahmed Alauddin , Nandy Alak
Published: December 2017

Background: Rectal prolapse is a relatively common condition in children. A wide variety of sclerosing agents have been used in the treatment of rectal prolapse in children. We have used 5 % phenol in almond oil in the treatment of rectal prolapse in our children. The aim of this study was to find out the outcome of injection sclerotherapy with 5% phenol in almond oil in the treatment of rectal prolapse in children.Methods: From May 2009 to December 2016 a total of 186 patients with rectal prolapse were treated by injection sclerotherapy with 5% phenol in almond oil. Of which males were 112 and females 74. Age ranged from 1.5 years to 7 years. Initial management included assessment and correction of predisposing factors. If the rectal prolapse persisted or if the prolapse required repeated reduction, injection sclerotherapy was performed. Number of injections, recurrences, and complications were reviewed.Results: Out of 186 patients recurrence occurred in 12 patients, cured after second injection in 10 patients and 2 children needs Thiersch’s stitch. Excessive oozing at the injection site was in 5 patients.Conclusion: Injection sclerotherapy with 5% phenol in almond oil is simple, safe and effective treatment of recurrent rectal prolapse after failure to conservative measures.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 19-21
Prevalence and Pattern of Congenital Anomalies and Its Outcome at Chattagram Maa-O-Shishu General Hospital
Authors: Ahmed Wazir , Dey Dipika , Farid Russel
Published: December 2017

Background: Congenital anomalies are a major cause of perinatal and neonatal deaths, both in low and high-income countries.The aim of the study is to find out the overall incidence of clinically detectable Congenital anomalies in newborns in Chattagram Maa-O-Shishu General Hospital (CMOSH).Methods: A retrospective study was carried out from July 2010 to June 2011 to find out the incidence of congenital anomalies & its outcome at Chattagram Maa-O- Shishu General Hospital.Results: The total number of admission during this period was 2395 and total number of death was 141, out of which Congenital anomalies were 105. Among the Congenital anomalies, congenital heart disease was 62, Club foot was 9, Down syndrome was 8, Hydrocephalus was 5, Cleft lip & cleft palate was 5, Umbilical hernia was 4, Duodenal atresia was 3, Tongue tie was 3, Pierre robin syndrome was 3, Hisprung disease was 2 and Mermaid syndrome was 1.Conclusion: Heart defects were the most prevalent anomaly detected. Early prenatal diagnosis is therefore very helpful in decreasing perinatal mortality by allowing for the option of early termination of pregnancy.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 22-25
Top Three Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease in Chittagong, Bangladesh
Authors: Iqbal Abu Tarek , Uddin M Jalal , Mamun Shaikh Md Hasan , Biswas Rajat Sankar Roy
Published: December 2017

Background: Many studies were conducted on the subject in home and abroad but there is none in Chittagong, Bangladesh. To know about top three risk factors for coronary artery disease we conducted the study.Methods: It was a retrospective study. Records of a private cardiac center from July 2013 to June 2014 was collected. Only coronary stenosed cases (As per angiogram) was studied. Age, sex, BMI, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking and other risk factors were considered. Collected data was managed manually. Finally discussion was made and conclusion was done.Results: Majority cases 58(76%) were of 40-60 years age group. Male preponderance was there 64(83%). BMI of 45(60%) cases was normal (<25). Family history was positive among 11(14%) cases. Dyslipidemia was found in 08(10%) cases, 56(73%) cases were hypertensive, 43(56%) cases were type-2 diabetic and 35(45%) were smoker.Conclusion: Hypertension, Diabetes and Smoking are top 03 risk factors for coronary artery disease. All are modifiable. So, primordial prevention should be taken to reduce prevalence of coronary artery disease.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 26-28
Study of Nasal Parameters Between Bengali and Chakma School Going Children of Bangladesh
Authors: Chakraborty Ruma , Bhattacharjee Pabitra Kumar , Mostafa Asma , Hoque Rozina , Biswas Rajat Sanker Roy , Begum Momtaz
Published: December 2017

Background : Anthropometry is the study of human morphology. Physical variation between the people of different ethnic groups can be recorded by anthropometry. This study was done to establish the anthropometric difference by measuring the nasal parameters among Bengali and Chakma School Going Children. The data of nasal parameters provide important information in plastic surgery, aesthetics and, nationality study and medical jurisprudence.Methods : It was an observational and cross sectional study, convenient sampling was done to select the 50 Bengali and 50 Chakma School Going Children, age ranging from 5-16 yrs old. Data were collected by using standard anthropometric methods with a sliding caliper. Values were expressed as mean ± Standard Deviation (SD).Student T test was used to compare the results.Results : In both sex, among the two ethnic groups, the mean total length and protrusion of nose in the Bengali group was significantly (<0.001) higher than the Chakma ethnicity (48.46±6.75 vs 41.34±4.17, 16.77±2.85 vs 14.48 ±2.22). The mean anatomic width of the nose was higher in Chakma ethnic group. The mean nasal index in the Bengali ethnic group was 67.60 and in the Chakma was 83.38 which shows that the mean nasal index of most Bengali (68%) falls within the Leptorrhine (Narrow nose) type and the most Chakma ethnicity (54%) in the mesorrhine (Broad nose) type.Conclusion : This result represent that the nasal parameters and index play an important role in the ethnicity difference.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 33-36
Limited Urethral Mobilization Technique in Distal Hypospadias Repair : An Overview
Authors: Chakraborty Abhi Kumar , Majumdar Sajal Kumar , Zahid Mirza Kamrul , Biswas Ipsita , Palit Poritosh
Published: December 2017

Background: Fistula formation is the most common complication with various rates among different techniques of hypospadias repair. The urethral advancement as an one stage technique for repair of hypospadias is considered a good technique. As no new urethral tube is constructed there is no risk of fistula. We assess the outcomes of the Limited Urethral Mobilization (LUM) technique in distal hypospadias repair.Methods: Our study included 20 patients aged upto 12 years who were treated with Limited urethral mobilization technique for distal hypospadias in Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital from December 2014 to December 2015. The urethra proximal to the meatus was mobilized for a distance sufficient to allow it to reach the glans tip without tension. Then the urethra was placed in the glanular bed and glanular reconstruction was performed.Results: Three-fold urethral mobilization was sufficient for construction of tension-free urethra-glanular anastomosis. Cosmetically normal looking circumcised penis with ventrally slit meatus achieved in all but one subcoronal case where the most distal of the glans approximation sutures disrupted leading to a minor detachment in the glans. The minor complications includes preputial edema in one patient, two patients had wound infection, one had meatal stenosis which was treated with gentle dilatations. Postoperative urethro cutaneous fistula, retraction of the urethral meatus or recurrent chordee were not observed.Conclusion: Distal hypospadias repair with the LUM technique can be effective with satisfactory cosmetic and functional results. There is no chance for development of urethro cutaneous fistula, a major postoperative complication of other surgical techniques of creating a neourethra. Postoperative management is simple and a brief hospital stay is sufficient.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 37-41
Variations in the Left Coronary Artery
Authors: Alam Sultana Ruma
Published: December 2017

Background : There is a large spectrum of variations in the disposition of coronary arteries. Many of these variations are 'normal' and not considered as 'anomalous'1. These variations mainly occur in the Left Coronary Artery (LCA)2. While some of these are benign and have no clinical consequences, other variants can cause important clinical manifestations including sudden death of the individual3. Lack of knowledge of such variations can pose difficulties in percuteneous coronary arteriography, coronary artery bypass surgery or prosthetic valve replacement. A cadaveric study in unsuspected population can help to understand the variations that will be useful to determine the prevalence of certain variations. Thus the objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics of LCA that may be used in the diagnosis and treatment of its pathologies.Methods: The study was carried out in the Department of Anatomy, Chittagong Medical College (CMC) Chittagong over a period between Jan 2012 to Dec 2013 with ethical clearance. A detailed dissection of LCA and its branches in 50 cadaveric human hearts, fixed in 10% formalin was carried out to study normal and variant anatomy of LCA. The length of the main stem of LCA was measured by slide calipers.Results: The LCA was found to arise from the Left Posterior Aortic Sinus (LPAS) of the ascending aorta in 100% cases. The level of the ostia (Opening of coronary artery) was above the free margin of the aortic cusps in 98% cases. In all samples ostia were present below sinutubular ridge (A slight circumferential thickening separating bulbar aortic sinus and proximal ascending aorta). The length of the main stem of LCA (From origin to the point of termination into main branches) was found to range from 0.5-2 cm. The LCA showed bifurcation in 74%, trifurcation in 26% of cases. Left Anterior Descending artery (LAD) was found to terminate at the apex of the heart in 68% and at the posterior interventricular groove in 32% cases. The Left Circumflex artery (LCx) was terminated at the crux of the heart in 52%, near the crux in 44% and by crossing the crux in 4% cases. The Left Marginal Artery (LMA) which was present only in 34% cases, found to terminate nearer to the apex of the heart. 0% Left dominance of heart was observed.Conclusion: Simple attention to potential variations in the origin, number, level of ostia, length of the main stem, branching pattern, termination and distribution of LCA can greatly enhance clinical outcomes.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 42-47
Multicentric Castleman's Disease in a 21 Years Old Female : A Rare But Important Condition
Authors: Chowdhury Shahed Ahmad , Reshma Samira Taufiq , Islam Shanjana
Published: December 2017

Castleman’s disease, also known as angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, is a rare disease with two known expansion types, unicentric and multicentric, which plays a major role in determining therapy. The rare multicentric type is a lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology and is characterized by various clinical manifestations and multiple organ involvement. This disease runs a more aggressive course and a poor prognosis. Optimal therapies have not been well established till now. We here report a case of rare Multicentric Castleman's Disease (MCD) in a 21yrs old female. She presented with slowly enlarging lymph nodes in cervical and inguinal regions which lead to a histological diagnosis of this rare condition. Its clinical features, types, relevant investigations and current treatment modalities are discussed. Though rare, early suspicion of this condition may relieve the suffering, avoid unnecessary investigations, give opportunity to choose treatment options and can save lives.Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.16 (1); Jan 2017; Page 57-59
Usefulness of the DETECT program for assessing the internal structure of dimensionality in simulated data and results of the Korean nursing licensing examination
Authors: Seo Dong Gi , Choi Younyoung , Huh Sun
Published: December 2017

Purpose: The dimensionality of examinations provides empirical evidence of the internal test structure underlying the responses to a set of items. In turn, the internal structure is an important piece of evidence of the validity of an examination. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the DETECT program and to use it to examine the internal structure of the Korean nursing licensing examination. Methods: Non-parametric methods of dimensional testing, such as the DETECT program, have been proposed as ways of overcoming the limitations of traditional parametric methods. A non-parametric method (the DETECT program) was investigated using simulation data under several conditions and applied to the Korean nursing licensing examination. Results: The DETECT program performed well in terms of determining the number of underlying dimensions under several different conditions in the simulated data. Further, the DETECT program correctly revealed the internal structure of the Korean nursing licensing examination, meaning that it detected the proper number of dimensions and appropriately clustered the items within each dimension.Conclusion: The DETECT program performed well in detecting the number of dimensions and in assigning items for each dimension. This result implies that the DETECT method can be useful for examining the internal structure of assessments, such as licensing examinations, that possess relatively many domains and content areas.
Clinical empathy in medical students in India measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Student Version
Authors: Chatterjee Anirban , Ravikumar Rajkrishna , Singh Satendra , Chauhan Pranjal Singh , Goel Manu
Published: December 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical empathy of a cohort of medical students spanning 4 years of undergraduate study and to identify factors associated with empathy. Methods: A cross-sectional study to assess the empathy of undergraduate medical students at the University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital in Delhi, India, was conducted using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Student Version. Demographic data were obtained using a pre-tested, semi-open-ended questionnaire. Results: Of the 600 students, 418 participated in the survey (69.7%). The mean empathy score was 96.01 (of a maximum of 140), with a standard deviation of 14.56. The empathy scores decreased from the first to the third semester, plateaued at the fifth semester, and rose again in the seventh semester. Empathy was found to be significantly associated with the gender of the participant, with females having higher scores (P<0.001). The age of the participant, place of residence, whose decision it was for the student to enroll in an MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery) program, and the choice of future specialty were not significantly associated with students’ empathy scores. Conclusion: The study found significant gender differences in empathy among the participants. The empathy scores tended to decline initially and then rebound over time. The mean empathy levels found in this study are lower than those reported in most similar studies around the world; therefore, further studies are needed to analyze and address the underlying factors associated with this discrepancy.
Using Colony Monitoring Devices to Evaluate the Impacts of Land Use and Nutritional Value of Forage on Honey Bee Health
Authors: Smart Matthew , Otto Clint , Cornman Robert , Iwanowicz Deborah
Published: December 2017

Colony monitoring devices used to track and assess the health status of honey bees are becoming more widely available and used by both beekeepers and researchers. These devices monitor parameters relevant to colony health at frequent intervals, often approximating real time. The fine-scale record of hive condition can be further related to static or dynamic features of the landscape, such as weather, climate, colony density, land use, pesticide use, vegetation class, and forage quality. In this study, we fit commercial honey bee colonies in two apiaries with pollen traps and digital scales to monitor floral resource use, pollen quality, and honey production. One apiary was situated in low-intensity agriculture; the other in high-intensity agriculture. Pollen traps were open for 72 h every two weeks while scales recorded weight every 15 min throughout the growing season. From collected pollen, we determined forage quantity per day, species identity using DNA sequencing, pesticide residues, amino acid content, and total protein content. From scales, we determined the accumulated hive weight change over the growing season, relating to honey production and final colony weight going into winter. Hive scales may also be used to identify the occurrence of environmental pollen and nectar dearth, and track phenological changes in plant communities. We provide comparisons of device-derived data between two apiaries over the growing season and discuss the potential for employing apiary monitoring devices to infer colony health in the context of divergent agricultural land use conditions.
Animal-Based Measures to Assess the Welfare of Extensively Managed Ewes
Authors: Munoz Carolina , Campbell Angus , Hemsworth Paul , Doyle Rebecca
Published: December 2017

The reliability and feasibility of 10 animal-based measures of ewe welfare were examined for use in extensive sheep production systems. Measures were: Body condition score (BCS), rumen fill, fleece cleanliness, fleece condition, skin lesions, tail length, dag score, foot-wall integrity, hoof overgrowth and lameness, and all were examined on 100 Merino ewes (aged 2–4 years) during mid-pregnancy, mid-lactation and weaning by a pool of nine trained observers. The measures of BCS, fleece condition, skin lesions, tail length, dag score and lameness were deemed to be reliable and feasible. All had good observer agreement, as determined by the percentage of agreement, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) and Kappa (k) values. When combined, these nutritional and health measures provide a snapshot of the current welfare status of ewes, as well as evidencing previous or potential welfare issues.
Vitamin E Biosynthesis and Its Regulation in Plants
Authors: Mène-Saffrané Laurent
Published: December 2017

Vitamin E is one of the 13 vitamins that are essential to animals that do not produce them. To date, six natural organic compounds belonging to the chemical family of tocochromanols—four tocopherols and two tocotrienols—have been demonstrated as exhibiting vitamin E activity in animals. Edible plant-derived products, notably seed oils, are the main sources of vitamin E in the human diet. Although this vitamin is readily available, independent nutritional surveys have shown that human populations do not consume enough vitamin E, and suffer from mild to severe deficiency. Tocochromanols are mostly produced by plants, algae, and some cyanobacteria. Tocochromanol metabolism has been mainly studied in higher plants that produce tocopherols, tocotrienols, plastochromanol-8, and tocomonoenols. In contrast to the tocochromanol biosynthetic pathways that are well characterized, our understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms regulating tocochromanol biosynthesis is in its infancy. Although it is known that tocochromanol biosynthesis is strongly conditioned by the availability in homogentisate and polyprenyl pyrophosphate, its polar and lipophilic biosynthetic precursors, respectively, the mechanisms regulating their biosyntheses are barely known. This review summarizes our current knowledge of tocochromanol biosynthesis in plants, and highlights future challenges regarding the understanding of its regulation.
Theoretical Assessment of DC/DC Power Converters’ Basic Topologies. A Common Static Model
Authors: Enrique Juan Manuel , Barragán Antonio Javier , Durán Eladio , Andújar José Manuel
Published: December 2017

By the application of well-known circuit analysis techniques, this paper develops an intuitive approach to model the steady state regime of the three DC/DC power converters’ basic topologies (buck, boost and buck-boost). The developed approach can be considered new, realistic, accurate, general and practical. The approach is new because it is not present in the literature; realistic because it considers the main non-idealities of the different passive and active components that make up the converters; accurate because its theoretical results fit properly to those obtained in actual converters; general because it is valid for the three basic topologies; and practical because its applicability is easy and immediate from the data sheets of the converters’ components (no measurements are needed). The developed model transforms a complex system with strong non-idealities in the form of distributed parameters, in a simple and intuitive scheme of concentrated parameters (just three), which accurately reflects the actual behavior of the three basic converters’ topologies. The characteristic parameters of the model and its main relationships are determined analytically. The quality of the developed approach has been tested in the paper and can be considered excellent.
Stability Augmentation of a Grid-Connected Wind Farm by Fuzzy-Logic-Controlled DFIG-Based Wind Turbines
Authors: Hazari Md. Rifat , Mannan Mohammad Abdul , Muyeen S. M. , Umemura Atsushi , Takahashi Rion , Tamura Junji
Published: December 2017

Wind farm (WF) grid codes require wind generators to have low voltage ride through (LVRT) capability, which means that normal power production should be resumed quickly once the nominal grid voltage has been recovered. However, WFs with fixed-speed wind turbines with squirrel cage induction generators (FSWT-SCIGs) have failed to fulfill the LVRT requirement, which has a significant impact on power system stability. On the other hand, variable-speed wind turbines with doubly fed induction generators (VSWT-DFIGs) have sufficient LVRT augmentation capability and can control the active and reactive power delivered to the grid. However, the DFIG is more expensive than the SCIG due to its AC/DC/AC converter. Therefore, the combined use of SCIGs and DFIGs in a WF could be an effective solution. The design of the rotor-side converter (RSC) controller is crucial because the RSC controller contributes to the system stability. The cascaded control strategy based on four conventional PI controllers is widely used to control the RSC of the DFIG, which can inject only a small amount of reactive power during fault conditions. Therefore, the conventional strategy can stabilize the lower rating of the SCIG. In the present paper, a new control strategy based on fuzzy logic is proposed in the RSC controller of the DFIG in order to enhance the LVRT capability of the SCIG in a WF. The proposed fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is used to control the reactive power delivered to the grid during fault conditions. Moreover, reactive power injection can be increased in the proposed control strategy. Extensive simulations executed in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment for both the proposed and conventional PI controllers of the RSC of the DFIG reveal that the proposed control strategy can stabilize the higher rating of the SCIG.
Noninvasive Grading of Glioma Tumor Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Khawaldeh Saed , Pervaiz Usama , Rafiq Azhar , Alkhawaldeh Rami
Published: December 2017

In recent years, Convolutional Neural Networks (ConvNets) have rapidly emerged as a widespread machine learning technique in a number of applications especially in the area of medical image classification and segmentation. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that uses ConvNet for classifying brain medical images into healthy and unhealthy brain images. The unhealthy images of brain tumors are categorized also into low grades and high grades. In particular, we use the modified version of the Alex Krizhevsky network (AlexNet) deep learning architecture on magnetic resonance images as a potential tumor classification technique. The classification is performed on the whole image where the labels in the training set are at the image level rather than the pixel level. The results showed a reasonable performance in characterizing the brain medical images with an accuracy of 91.16%.
Estimation of Ground-Level PM2.5 Concentrations in the Major Urban Areas of Chongqing by Using FY-3C/MERSI
Authors: Zeng Qiaolin , Wang Zifeng , Tao Jinhua , Wang Yongqian , Chen Liangfu , Zhu Hao , Yang Jie , Wang Xinhui , Li Bin
Published: December 2017

Air pollution is becoming increasingly serious with rapid economic development in China, and the primary pollutant has converted from PM10 to PM2.5, which is associated with more adverse impacts on human health. Satellite remote sensing, with help of its quantitative observations over large spatial and temporal extent, has become a significant supplement to the in situ measurements. This study exploits the aerosol optical depth (AOD) product retrieved from the Medium Resolution Spectrum Imager (MERSI) onboard Fengyun-3C satellite to estimate PM2.5 estimation over the major urban areas of Chongqing, a metropolitan city in the Southwestern China. A semi-empirical model and the linear mixed effect (LME) model are combined based on in situ observations from local air quality and meteorological networks from May 2014 to May 2015. This combined model is able to explain about 90% of the variation of the estimated PM2.5, and performs better than LME model by achieving higher correlation and smaller deviations between the satellites estimated PM2.5 and in situ measurements. Benefiting from the high resolution of 1 km × 1 km, MERSI AOD achieves much more detailed spatial distribution of ground-level PM2.5 over the major urban areas of Chongqing, compared to most of concurrent satellite products, such as the MODIS L2 AOD. According to the estimation, PM2.5 concentration is higher in cold seasons than in warm seasons in Chongqing. Peak levels of PM2.5 is found in Yuzhong District, the center of Chongqing urban area, while the concentration gradually decreases in surrounding areas, indicating that air pollution in Chongqing is highly contributed by local anthropogenic emissions.
Deployment and Performance of an X-Band Dual-Polarization Radar during the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment
Authors: Shi Zhao , Chen Haonan , Chandrasekar Venkatachalam , He Jianxin
Published: December 2017

An X-band dual-polarization radar (XPRAD) was deployed in Guangdong province as part of the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX) during the storm season in 2016. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of XPRAD observations during SCMREX with emphasis on data processing and rainfall products. The differential phase-based attenuation correction and radar calibration using self-consistency of dual-polarization observables are presented. It is found that the standard deviation of the Z d r bias is less than 0.2 dB based on ‘light rain at low angle’ and ‘dry aggregate snow’ observations. Cross-comparison with two standard S-band China New Generation Weather Radars (CINRAD) shows that the bias of Z h has a mean value less than 1.5 dBZ and a standard deviation less than 0.5 dBZ. In addition, fifteen rainfall events that occurred during the intensive observing period (IOP) are analyzed to demonstrate the rainfall estimation performance of XPRAD. In particular, rainfall accumulations at 1-, 2- and 3-h scales derived using R( K d p ) and R( Z h , Z d r ) relations are evaluated using national level rain gauge data and CINRAD-based rainfall estimation. The results show that both R( K d p )- and R( Z h , Z d r )-based products agree well with the rain gauge observations and CINRAD estimation. The difference between R ( K d p ) and R ( Z h , Z d r ) is not significant, although R ( K d p ) shows slightly better performance than R ( Z h , Z d r ) .
Performance Comparison of Rechargeable Batteries for Stationary Applications (Ni/MH vs. Ni–Cd and VRLA)
Authors: Zelinsky Michael , Koch John , Young Kwo-Hsiung
Published: December 2017

The stationary power market, particularly telecommunications back-up (telecom) applications, is dominated by lead-acid batteries. A large percentage of telecom powerplants are housed in outdoor enclosures where valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries are commonly used because of their low-maintenance design. Batteries in these enclosures can be exposed to temperatures which can exceed 70 °C, significantly reducing battery life. Nickel–cadmium (Ni–Cd) batteries have traditionally been deployed in hotter locations as a high-temperature alternative to VRLA. This paper compares the performances of nickel/metal hydride (Ni/MH), Ni–Cd, and VRLA batteries in a simulated telecom environment according to published testing standards. Among these three choices, Ni/MH batteries showed the best overall performance, suggesting substantially longer operating life in high temperature stationary use.
Craftwashing in the U.S. Beer Industry
Authors: Howard Philip
Published: December 2017

(1) Background: Big brewers, which have experienced declining sales for their beer brands in the last decade, have been accused of “craftwashing” by some craft brewers and their aficionados—they define craftwashing as big brewers (>6 million barrels per year) taking advantage of the increasing sales of craft beer by emulating these products or by acquiring craft breweries, while also obscuring their ownership from consumers; (2) Methods: To estimate the prevalence of these practices, the ownership of U.S. mainstream and craft beer brands was decoded and visualized. In addition, an exploratory case study analyzed how these ownership relations are represented in the craft sections of selected retailers (n = 16) in the Lansing, Michigan metropolitan area; (3) Results: By October 2017 in the U.S., all but one big brewer had either acquired a craft brewery, or formed a distribution alliance with one—without disclosing these relationships on the packaging. In the study area, 30% of 4- and 6-pack facings recorded in craft beer sections (n = 1145) had ownership ties to big brewers; (4) Conclusions: Craftwashing is common in the U.S. beer industry, and this suggests consumers must exert substantial effort to become aware of their own role in reinforcing these practices.
Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters
Authors: Chiulan Ioana , Frone Adriana , Brandabur Călin , Panaitescu Denis
Published: December 2017

3D printing represents a valuable alternative to traditional processing methods, clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in the manufacture of various products, such as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, artificial tissues and organs, electronics, components for the automotive industry, art objects and so on. This revolutionary technique showed unique capabilities for fabricating complex structures, with precisely controlled physical characteristics, facile tunable mechanical properties, biological functionality and easily customizable architecture. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main 3D-printing technologies currently employed in the case of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), two of the most important classes of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters. Moreover, a short presentation of the main 3D-printing methods is briefly discussed. Both PLA and PHA, in the form of filaments or powder, proved to be suitable for the fabrication of artificial tissue or scaffolds for bone regeneration. The processability of PLA and PHB blends and composites fabricated through different 3D-printing techniques, their final characteristics and targeted applications in bioengineering are thoroughly reviewed.
Age-Dependence and Aging-Dependence: Neuronal Loss and Lifespan in a C. elegans Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Apfeld Javier , Fontana Walter
Published: December 2017

It is often assumed, but not established, that the major neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, are not just age-dependent (their incidence changes with time) but actually aging-dependent (their incidence is coupled to the process that determines lifespan). To determine a dependence on the aging process requires the joint probability distribution of disease onset and lifespan. For human Parkinson’s disease, such a joint distribution is not available, because the disease cuts lifespan short. To acquire a joint distribution, we resorted to an established C. elegans model of Parkinson’s disease in which the loss of dopaminergic neurons is not fatal. We find that lifespan is not correlated with the loss of individual neurons. Therefore, neuronal loss is age-dependent and aging-independent. We also find that a lifespan-extending intervention into insulin/IGF1 signaling accelerates the loss of specific dopaminergic neurons, while leaving death and neuronal loss times uncorrelated. This suggests that distinct and compartmentalized instances of the same genetically encoded insulin/IGF1 signaling machinery act independently to control neurodegeneration and lifespan in C. elegans. Although the human context might well be different, our study calls attention to the need to maintain a rigorous distinction between age-dependence and aging-dependence.
Media Screening for Obtaining Haematococcus pluvialis Red Motile Macrozooids Rich in Astaxanthin and Fatty Acids
Authors: Butler Thomas , McDougall Gordon , Campbell Raymond , Stanley Michele , Day John
Published: December 2017

Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis is commercially produced in a two-stage process, involving green vegetative (macrozooid) and red aplanospore stages. This approach has been scaled up to an industrial process but constraints limit its commercial success and profitability, including: contamination issues, high pigment extraction costs, requirements for high light levels and photo-bleaching in the red stage. However, in addition to the aplanospore stage, this alga can produce astaxanthin in vegetative palmelloid and motile macrozooid cells. In this study, a two-stage process utilising different media in the green stage, with subsequent re-suspension in medium without nitrate was employed to optimise the formation of red motile macrozooids. Optimal growth in the green phase was obtained on cultivation under mixotrophic conditions in EG:JM media followed by re-suspension in medium without nitrate resulting in red motile macrozooids with an astaxanthin content of 2.74% (78.4% of total carotenoids) and a lipid content of 35.3% (rich in unsaturated fatty acids. It is envisaged that the red motile macrozooids could be harvested and fed as a whole-cell product directly in the animal feed and aquaculture sectors, or used as a blend of carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in nutraceutical products.
Proposal of a Novel Natural Biomaterial, the Scleral Ossicle, for the Development of Vascularized Bone Tissue In Vitro
Authors: Checchi Marta , Bertacchini Jessika , Grisendi Giulia , Smargiassi Alberto , Sola Antonella , Messori Massimo , Palumbo Carla
Published: December 2017

Recovering of significant skeletal defects could be partially abortive due to the perturbations that affect the regenerative process when defects reach a critical size, thus resulting in a non-healed bone. The current standard treatments include allografting, autografting, and other bone implant techniques. However, although they are commonly used in orthopedic surgery, these treatments have some limitations concerning their costs and their side effects such as potential infections or malunions. On this account, the need for suitable constructs to fill the gap in wide fractures is still urgent. As an innovative solution, scleral ossicles (SOs) can be put forward as natural scaffolds for bone repair. SOs are peculiar bony plates forming a ring at the scleral-corneal border of the eyeball of lower vertebrates. In the preliminary phases of the study, these ossicles were structurally and functionally characterized. The morphological characterization was performed by SEM analysis, MicroCT analysis and optical profilometry. Then, UV sterilization was carried out to obtain a clean support, without neither contaminations nor modifications of the bone architecture. Subsequently, the SO biocompatibility was tested in culture with different cell lines, focusing the attention to the differentiation capability of endothelial and osteoblastic cells on the SO surface. The results obtained by the above mentioned analysis strongly suggest that SOs can be used as bio-scaffolds for functionalization processes, useful in regenerative medicine.