bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indoor temperature and relative humidity assessment of three construction systems for Dominican social housing in different micro-climates: A modelling study
Authors: García Frómeta Yokasta , Ruiz Valero Letzai , Cuadrado Rojo Jesús
Published: August 2018

This paper evaluates the indoor temperature and relative humidity of three construction systems in a Dominican social housing scheme, located in different micro-climates present in the Dominican Republic (DR). For the latter, we used DesignBuilder to model the most common type of social housing (S1). In addition, we have also modelled two other improved construction systems (S2 and S3), which have been the result of two different studies, which were conducted in DR. The simulations were carried out in 10 cities. These cities belong to the following five micro-climates: tropical wet Savanna, tropical wet rainforest, tropical wet jungle, dry semiarid and wet temperate. In this article, we have evaluated the construction systems’ performance in the context of thermal conditions inherent to DR. The latter has been done to verify which of the evaluated construction systems is the most adequate for each micro-climate. For this, we determined the average operating interior temperatures and relative humidities for each construction system. We conclude that Samples S2 and S3 show the lowest temperatures in warm climates, while Sample S1 shows improved performance in colder climates. S1 exhibits the lowest values of relative humidities, followed by S3, while S2 presents the highest values.
Effects of surface reflectance and lighting design strategies on energy consumption and visual comfort
Authors: Makaremi Nastaran , Schiavoni Samuele , Pisello Anna L. , Cotana Franco
Published: August 2018

Globally, artificial lighting accounts for a considerable part of electrical energy consumption in buildings. Hence, there is a need to design appropriate lighting scenarios for buildings in a way to reduce energy while meeting visual comfort requirements. This research aims to investigate the effects of applying different design strategies on lighting energy use and visual comfort level. Surface finishing reflectance, type, number and mounting height of luminaires are variables in the study. Lighting design software DIALux evo 7.0 provides simulations of a real scale room according to different scenarios whose models were calibrated and validated using experimental field data. The findings indicate that the type of luminaire is the most decisive parameter in quantity and quality of light in an indoor environment. However, increasing the indoor surface reflectance plays a key role in improving energy efficiency and visual comfort. The results show the possibility of electrical energy savings up to 45% by increasing surface reflectance properties. Finally, this paper stresses that there is no single design solution to guarantee both low energy demand and high visual quality, therefore integrating different strategies based on the type of task and the occupant’s activities is highly recommended.
Proximity and distance in the mediation of suffering: Local photographers in war-torn Aleppo and the international media circuit
Authors: Mollerup Nina Grønlykke , Mortensen Mette
Published: August 2018

This article studies the work and working conditions of local non-professional or semi-professional photographers in Aleppo 2016, and the way they manoeuvre in relation to international networks of journalists and editors as well as to Western norms of portraying distant suffering when seeking to reach global audiences. Theoretically, the article draws upon studies of the ethics of distant spectatorship as well as of practitioners’ perspectives on photojournalism in and from conflict zones. The analysis builds on interviews with local photographers, Aleppo Media Centre, non-governmental organization employees, news agency photo editors and international journalists who have worked in Aleppo as well as digital ethnography. We argue that the relationship between Aleppian photographers and international news organisations was characterised by mutual dependency, but that their relationship was concurrently wrought with inequalities and dilemmas as the photographers’ working conditions were characterised by physical, political and economic vulnerability.
‘Not Black and White, but Black and Red’: Anti-identity identity politics and #AllLivesMatter
Authors: Paul Joshua
Published: August 2018

This article critically examines #AllLivesMatter, which emerged as a rebuttal to #BlackLivesMatter, arguing, in spite of its universalist pretentions, that it represents a cloaked identitarian politics which through a hegemonic narrative (re)presents itself as a radically inclusionary counter-narrative. I argue All Lives Matter exemplifies an anti-identity identity politics by invoking rhetoric in opposition to racial identities while smuggling in a somewhat elastic ‘postracial’ neoliberal subject as the foundational identity around which this new mobilisation is organised. The article outlines a definition for anti-identity identity politics and uses this as a lens for analysing All Lives Matter in order to interrogate this keyword.
Climate model based test workbench for daylight-artificial light integration
Authors: Varghese SG , Kurian CP , George VI , Varghese M , Sanjeev Kumar TM
Published: August 2018

Energy efficiency strategies based on daylight-artificial light integration have grown exponentially in recent years. Taking into account the dynamics to be considered for control and the dependence on natural and occupancy factors, it is better to use a test workbench prior to setting up the final control scheme. This work describes a climate model based test workbench for the real time testing of the control of luminaires and window blinds in a daylight-artificial light integrated scheme. The established climate model based control scheme suitable for the optimum integration of visual comfort, thermal comfort, and energy consumption can be tested for any ecological conditions. The input irradiance from a BF5 sensor, the internal temperature from a Micro DAQ logger, the occupancy and photo sensors associated with the luminaire all provide input data for the test workbench. A fuzzy logic based motorized window blind controller and look-up table based dimming of LED luminaires are used to set the required illuminance with reduced load on the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. The anticipated synergetic effects of the test workbench have been validated using real time climate data. The test work bench is established on a Labview platform and developed as a standalone system using myRIO.
Measuring circadian lighting through high dynamic range photography
Authors: Jung B , Inanici M
Published: August 2018

The human ocular system functions in a dual manner. While the most well-known function is to facilitate vision, a growing body of research demonstrates its role in resetting the internal body clock to synchronize with the 24-hour daily cycle. Most research on circadian rhythms is performed in controlled laboratory environments. Little is known about the variability of circadian light within the built and natural environments. Currently, very few specialized devices measure the circadian light, and they are not accessible to many researchers and practitioners. In this paper, tristimulus colour calibration procedures for high dynamic range photography are developed to measure circadian lighting. Camera colour accuracy is evaluated through CIE trichromatic (XYZ) measurements; and the results demonstrate a strong linear relationship between the camera recordings and a scientific-grade colorimeter. Therefore, it is possible to correct for the colour aberrations and use high dynamic range photographs to measure both photopic and circadian lighting values. Spectrophotometric measurements are collected to validate the methodology. Results demonstrate that measurements from high dynamic range photographs can correspond to the physical quantity of circadian luminance with reasonable precision and repeatability. Circadian data collected in built environments can be utilized to study the impact of design decisions on human circadian entrainment and to create guidelines and metrics for designing circadian friendly environments.
Cancer Subtype Discovery Using Prognosis-Enhanced Neural Network Classifier in Multigenomic Data
Authors: Vasudevan Prasanna , Murugesan Thangamani
Published: August 2018

Objective:

The main objective in studying large-scale cancer omics is to identify molecular mechanisms of cancer and discover novel biomedical targets. This work not only discovers the cancer subtypes in genome scale data by using clustering and classification but also measures their accuracy.

Methods:

Initially, candidate cancer subtypes are recognized by max-flow/min-cut graph clustering. Finally, prognosis-enhanced neural network classifier is proposed for classification. We analyzed the heterogeneity and identified the subtypes of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive adult brain tumor, from 215 samples with microRNA expression (12 042 genes). The samples were classified into 4 different classes such as mesenchymal, classical, proneural, and neural subtypes owing to mutations and gene expression. The results are measured using the metrics such as silhouette width, biological stability index, clustering accuracy, precision, recall, and f-measure.

Results:

Max-flow/min-cut clustering produces higher clustering accuracy of 88.93% for 215 samples. The proposed prognosis-enhanced neural network classifier algorithm produces higher accuracy results of 89.2% for 215 samples efficiently.

Conclusion:

From the experimental results, the proposed prognosis-enhanced neural network classifier is seen as an alternative, which is full of promise for cancer subtype prediction in genome scale data.
Exploring the Promise of a Number Line Assessment to Help Identify Students At-Risk in Mathematics
Authors: Clarke Ben , Strand Cary Mari G. , Shanley Lina , Sutherland Marah
Published: August 2018

This manuscript presents the results from a study to investigate the technical characteristics of two versions of a number line assessment (NLA 0–20 and NLA 0–100). The sample consisted of 60 kindergarten and 46 first grade students. Both number line versions had sufficient alternate form and test–retest reliability. The NLA 0–20 had low and the NLA 0–100 had low to moderate correlations with math achievement. Results indicated that the NLA 0–100 explained a small, but unique portion of the variance in first grade mathematics performance when controlling for performance on the Assessing Student Proficiency in Early Number Sense (ASPENS) a set of early numeracy screening measures. We discuss study results related to the utility of adding number line assessment tasks to mathematics screening batteries and propose additional areas of research.
Overweight and Obesity Differences Across Ethnically Diverse Subgroups of Asian American Men
Authors: Mui Paulani , Hill Sarah E. , Thorpe Roland J.
Published: August 2018

Asian Americans develop health complications at lower BMIs than other racial/ethnic groups. Given increasing overweight and obesity rates nationwide, growing numbers of Asian American men, and limited research on overweight and obesity in this population, understanding overweight and obesity differences across Asian subgroups of men is crucial to advancing health equity. This study examined overweight and obesity prevalence both among ethnic subgroups of Asian American men and compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) men. Prevalence ratios were derived from 2002 to 2015 National Health Interview Survey data to determine associations between race/ethnicity and (a) overweight, and (b) obesity, across ( n = 221,376) racial/ethnic groups of men (Chinese; Filipino; Asian Indian; Other Asian; NHW). Overweight and obesity for all Asian subgroups were defined using Asian-specific BMI cut points. Adjusted overweight prevalence was higher across all Asian subgroups compared to NHW men, except Filipinos. No significant pairwise relationships were observed for overweight prevalence among Asian subgroups. Filipinos had higher adjusted obesity prevalence compared to NHW men. Comparing among Asian American men, Asian Indians and Other Asians had higher adjusted obesity prevalence relative to Chinese. Filipinos had higher adjusted obesity prevalence compared to all other Asian subgroups (Chinese; Asian Indian; Other Asian). The current findings highlight the need for use of (a) WHO-recommended Asian-specific BMI cut points and (b) data disaggregated by Asian American subgroup, to provide more accurate depictions of overweight and obesity rates and associated health risks. Accounting for subgroup differences is necessary to ensure Asian American men receive equitable, appropriate care.
Early Correction of Distal Radius Partial Articular Malunion Leads to Good Long-term Functional Recovery at Mean Follow-up of 4 Years
Authors: Luo T. David , Nunez Fiesky A. , Newman Elizabeth A. , Nunez Fiesky A.
Published: August 2018

Background: Distal radius articular step-off or deformity may cause posttraumatic arthritis and poor functional outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain and functional outcomes in patients with malunited partial articular distal radius fractures who underwent corrective osteotomy. We hypothesized that anatomic restoration of distal radius articular surface after a malunited partial articular distal radius fracture results in improvement in pain and functional measures and delays the development of posttraumatic arthritis. Methods: Seven consecutive patients with mean age of 38 years underwent corrective osteotomy via either a standard dorsal approach or combined dorsal and volar approach. Mean time from injury to corrective osteotomy was 10 weeks. Patients were assessed with respect to Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), forearm and wrist range of motion, pain, and grip strength. Results: At mean follow-up of 44 months, significant improvements in pain scores (7.1-0.9, P < .001), QuickDASH (38.7-11.6, P < .001), grip strength (21.4-30.0 kg, P = .01) were achieved. All range of motion measurements demonstrated significant improvements except forearm pronation. One patient demonstrated radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis but had no pain at final follow-up. No patients required secondary surgery for removal of symptomatic hardware. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we recommend that early corrective osteotomies should be considered in young patients with intra-articular distal radius malunions before considering salvage procedures such as partial or complete wrist arthrodesis.
Cytotoxic Profiling of Endogenous Metabolites Relevant to Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) on p53 Variant Human Colon Carcinoma Cell Lines
Authors: Vukmirovic Dusan , Seymour Colin , Rollo Dave , Mothersill Carmel
Published: August 2018

Chemoprophylatic strategies against development of multifactorial diseases utilize compounds to block the multistep events in chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis. The successful chemopreventative candidate must therefore selectively inhibit growth of transformed cells and be administered frequently to confer maximal protection with minimal side effects. In addition to synthetic and exogenous natural compounds, endogenous metabolites represent another class of compounds that exhibit anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties contributing to proper cell function. To assess the effectiveness of these compounds warrants an understanding of their cytotoxic mode of action. In this study, p53 variant human colon carcinoma cell lines were chronically exposed to varying concentrations of the endogenous metabolites—phenyl acetate, ursodeoxycholate, and tauroursodeoxycholate—to determine the role of p53-induced cytotoxicity, with p53 mutant and deficient cell lines representing precancerous lesions. Cytotoxicity was assessed using clonogenic assays, and macroscopic colony counts were used to quantify cell survival. The results demonstrate that the bile acids, ursodeoxycholate and tauroursodeoxycholate, exhibit selective cytotoxicity toward nonfunctional p53 cell lines suggesting a p53-mediated role in inhibition of cell clonogenicity and potential chemopreventative properties. Although each compound displays this described effect, the tauroursodeoxycholate demonstrates high significance suggesting it might have practical uses in vivo.
A Comet Assay for DNA Damage and Repair After Exposure to Carbon-Ion Beams or X-rays in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Authors: Zhang Miaomiao , Cao Guozhen , Guo Xiaopeng , Gao Yue , Li Wenjian , Lu Dong
Published: August 2018

Ionizing radiation (IR) can result in serious genomic instability and genotoxicity by causing DNA damage. Carbon ion (CI) beams and X-rays are typical IRs and possess high-linear energy transfer (LET) and low-LET, respectively. In this article, a comet assay that was optimized by decreasing the electrophoresis time (8 minutes) and voltage (0.5 V/cm) was performed to elucidate and quantify the DNA damage induced by CI or X-rays radiation. Two quantitative methods for the comet assay, namely, comet score and olive tail moment, were compared, and the appropriate means and parameter values were selected for the present assay. The dose–effect relationship for CI or X-rays radiation and the DNA repair process were studied in yeast cells. These results showed that the quadratic function fitted the dose–effect relationship after CI or X-rays exposure, and the trend for the models fitted the dose–effect curves for various repair times was precisely described by the cubic function. A kinetics model was also creatively used to describe the process of DNA repair, and equations were calculated within repairable ranges that could be used to roughly evaluate the process and time necessary for DNA repair.
Reference videos reduce variability of motor dysfunction assessments in multiple sclerosis
Authors: D’Souza Marcus , Steinheimer Saskia , Dorn Jonas , Morrison Cecily , Boisvert Jacques , Kravalis Kristina , Burggraaff Jessica , van Munster Caspar EP , Diederich Manuela , Sellen Abigail , Kamm Christian P , Dahlke Frank , Uitdehaag Bernard MJ , Kappos Ludwig
Published: August 2018

Motor dysfunction, particularly ataxia, is one of the predominant clinical manifestations in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Assessment of motor dysfunction suffers from a high variability. We investigated whether the clinical rating of ataxia can be improved through the use of reference videos, covering the spectrum of severity degrees as defined in the Neurostatus-Expanded Disability Status Scale. Twenty-five neurologists participated. The variability of their assessments was significantly lower when reference videos were used (SD = 0.12; range = 0.40 vs SD = 0.26; range = 0.88 without reference videos; p = 0.013). Reference videos reduced the variability of clinical assessments and may be useful tools to improve the precision and consistency in the clinical assessment of motor functions in MS.
Panel Size, Office Visits, and Care Coordination Events: A New Workload Estimation Methodology Based on Patient Longitudinal Event Histories
Authors: Rossi Michael C. , Balasubramanian Hari
Published: August 2018

Background. Panel size, or the number of patients a primary care physician (PCP) and her care team can feasibly manage as part of a practice, remains a vital question in primary care. Objective. To Illustrate a new methodology for quantifying two types of workload associated with a panel size: 1) the PCP weekly office visit distribution and 2) the weekly distribution of non-PCP events (subspecialty visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations) that potentially require non–face-to-face coordination. Methods. We assemble granular individual-level histories of events in the health system using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2011. Using the date on which each event occurred, we create weekly utilization estimates as a function of panel size for the general population and Medicare patients. Results. A PCP with a panel of 2,000 adults approximately representative of the US population can expect to have 93.54 office visits on average each week. A simple model quantifying demand–capacity mismatch suggests that a PCP with a weekly capacity of 80 to 90 appointments will struggle to satisfy this office-visit demand in a timely manner. Furthermore, each week the PCP can expect the same panel to have 9.08 visits to the emergency room, 4.69 hospital inpatient events, and 131.29 office-based visits to non–primary care subspecialists; these events contribute to the non–face-to-face coordination workload, increasing the probability of an overburdened workweek. Both PCP office visit and coordination events are highly concentrated in less than 200 individuals (<10% of the 2,000). Conclusion. Patient-level longitudinal event histories can be retrospectively assembled to quantify patterns of face-to-face office visits and coordination workload associated with a primary care panel.
Spaces of city-regionalism: Conceptualising pluralism in policymaking
Authors: Waite David , Bristow Gillian
Published: August 2018

City-regionalism is now established as a key spatial arena for shaping sub-national urban policy. In these spaces, economic growth interests are marshalled within a competitiveness narrative as the dominant approach for the development of governance and policy. Yet such dominance in principle does not preclude other policy approaches from emerging and re-fashioning city-regionalism. In this paper, making reference to evolving city-region arrangements in the UK, specifically Cardiff, we explore and conceptualise policy pluralism. Our core argument is that to determine the possibilities for plural approaches to emerge, researchers can productively assess the intersections of relational and territorial geographies filtered through a micro–meso–macro framework. The framework positions governing principles, institutions and practices as mediators of, or triggers for, relational and territorial policymaking processes whose interaction may open up windows through which pluralistic approaches might develop. With such a conceptual approach applied in the context of city-regionalism, the break points in competitiveness-focused policymaking may more readily come into view.
Embodied and entangled: Slow violence and harm via digital technologies
Authors: Brydolf-Horwitz Rachel
Published: August 2018

As embedded systems, Internet and communications technologies not only have material footprints, they exist within and maintain historically specific societal structures and power dynamics. Despite growing awareness of the ubiquity of online harassment and bullying, there remains a disconnect between the embodied experiences of technology facilitated violence and legal and social recognition of harm. Looking at a notorious case out of Nova Scotia and the anti-cyberbullying legislation it inspired, I consider the ways such violence is made visible and invisible, looking specifically at the persistent cognitive disconnect between the virtual and the corporeal, and the language that enacts or justifies such distinctions. Formed within and against persistent ontological perceptions about technology and the nature of the virtual, I elaborate on slow violence in two different registers: the differentially experienced and embodied slow violence of persistent online threats and abuse, and the slow violence of responses to those communications.
Predictive Value of Three-Dimensional Transvaginal Sonography for Staging of Endometrial Neoplasia
Authors: Fernandez Carlos M. , Levine Elliot M. , Dini Morteza , Bannon Kimberly , Butler Stacy , Locher Stephen
Published: August 2018

The goal of this study was to compare the sonographic assessment of endometrial cancer diagnosis and staging using three-dimensional transvaginal sonography with the staging that was ultimately found at surgery. Three-dimensional transvaginal sonography was performed for 20 consecutive cases of presumptive endometrial cancer using power Doppler angiography, virtual organ computer-aided analysis, and volume contrast imaging. These results were compared with the surgical staging found for those identified cases. The sonographic findings predicted the correct minimum endometrial cancer staging in 100% of the 20 cases that were examined and correlated to surgical outcomes. The successful prediction of endometrial cancer staging demonstrated by others was replicated in the organization of this case series. The findings compared favorably with other imaging modalities used for this purpose. This study assists in demonstrating the value of using presurgical three-dimensional sonography to plan for the optimal surgical excision and overall treatment of endometrial cancer.
Oncology Patient Portal Enrollment at a Comprehensive Cancer Center: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: McCleary Nadine J. , Greenberg Teresa L. , Barysauskas Constance M. , Guerette Elissa J. , Hassan Malyun , Jacobson Joseph O. , Schrag Deborah
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

Patient portals (PPs) provide patients access to their electronic health record and may facilitate active engagement in their care. Because PP use has not been well studied among patients with cancer, we sought to: understand the willingness of patients with cancer to use the PP, identify barriers to PP use, and improve PP accessibility.

Materials and Methods:

As part of an institutional quality improvement initiative, we used a stakeholder-driven approach to examine PP use at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA). We conducted a survey across all ambulatory oncology practices as well as staff and patient focus groups in one ambulatory practice. We deployed three interventions to address barriers: staff education, staff-assisted enrollment support, and independent enrollment support.

Results:

In October 2015, 1,019 (87%) of 1,178 eligible patients completed the survey (PP enrolled, 57%; non–PP enrolled, 43%). PP-enrolled patients reported reviewing test results and appointment schedules. Non–PP-enrolled patients cited difficult PP enrollment, lack of computer access, and concern about sharing data electronically as barriers to PP enrollment. Focus groups (staff, n = 20; patient representatives, n = 5) also identified lack of awareness of PP benefits as a barrier. The interventions, deployed from November to December 2015, increased PP enrollment from 47% to 53% by January 2016.

Conclusion:

Patients with cancer want to communicate with their team through the PP, but barriers to enrollment impede use. Straightforward system-level interventions may increase enrollment. Further work is necessary to ascertain the degree to which increased PP enrollment leads to greater engagement and better outcomes.
Extrusion 3D Printing of Paracetamol Tablets from a Single Formulation with Tunable Release Profiles Through Control of Tablet Geometry
Authors: Khaled Shaban A. , Alexander Morgan R. , Irvine Derek J. , Wildman Ricky D. , Wallace Martin J. , Sharpe Sonja , Yoo Jae , Roberts Clive J.
Published: August 2018

An extrusion-based 3D printer was used to fabricate paracetamol tablets with different geometries (mesh, ring and solid) from a single paste-based formulation formed from standard pharmaceutical ingredients. The tablets demonstrate that tunable drug release profiles can be achieved from this single formulation even with high drug loading (> 80% w/w). The tablets were evaluated for drug release using a USP dissolution testing type I apparatus. The tablets showed well-defined release profiles (from immediate to sustained release) controlled by their different geometries. The dissolution results showed dependency of drug release on the surface area/volume (SA/V) ratio and the SA of the different tablets. The tablets with larger SA/V ratios and SA had faster drug release. The 3D printed tablets were also evaluated for physical and mechanical properties including tablet dimension, drug content, weight variation and breaking force and were within acceptable range as defined by the international standards stated in the US Pharmacopoeia. X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to identify the physical form of the active and to assess possible drug-excipient interactions. These data again showed that the tablets meet USP requirement. These results clearly demonstrate the potential of 3D printing to create unique pharmaceutical manufacturing, and potentially clinical, opportunities. The ability to use a single unmodified formulation to achieve defined release profiles could allow, for example, relatively straightforward personalization of medicines for individuals with different metabolism rates for certain drugs and hence could offer significant development and clinical opportunities.
DivergentHemogengenes of teleosts and mammals share conserved roles in erythropoiesis: Analysis using transgenic and mutant zebrafish
Authors: Peters Michael J. , Parker Sandra K. , Grim Jeffrey , Allard Corey A. H. , Levin Jonah , Detrich H. William
Published: August 2018

Hemogen is a vertebrate transcription factor that performs important functions in erythropoiesis and testicular development and may contribute to neoplasia. Here we identify zebrafish Hemogen and show that it is considerably smaller (∼22 kDa) than its human ortholog (∼55 kDa), a striking difference that is explained by an underlying modular structure. We demonstrate that Hemogens are largely composed of 21-25 amino acid repeats, some of which may function as transactivation domains (TADs). Hemogen expression in embryonic and adult zebrafish is detected in hematopoietic, renal, neural, and gonadal tissues. Using Tol2- and CRISPR/Cas9-generated transgenic zebrafish, we show that Hemogen expression is controlled by two Gata1-dependent regulatory sequences that act alone and together to control spatial and temporal expression during development. Partial depletion of Hemogen in embryos by morpholino knock-down reduces the number of erythrocytes in circulation. CRISPR/Cas9-generated zebrafish lines containing either a frameshift mutation or an in-frame deletion in a putative, C-terminal TAD display anemia and embryonic tail defects. This work expands our understanding of Hemogen and provides mutant zebrafish lines for future study of the mechanism of this important transcription factor.
Inaugural HealthAccord Conference (SportAccord Convention, Bangkok, Thailand): The Power of Sport — The Power to Change
Authors: Pitsiladis Yannis P. , Carty Catherine , Ferriani Ivo , Lewis Sarah , Vitello Matteo , Crooks Charmaine , Liljelund John , Loroupe Tegla , Eades David , Mountjoy Margo , Pigozzi Fabio
Published: August 2018

SportAccord organized the inaugural HealthAccord conference on April 19, 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand. The goal of HealthAccord is for the International Sport Federations (IF) and sport industry leaders to address high-priority issues facing sport through a serious commitment to innovation to protect athlete health, to enhance athlete performance, and to stimulate action to improve global health through the promotion of physical activity. The first HeathAccord conference was organized by drawing on the knowledge and experience of experts from global health programs focused on athletes and global citizens, respectively. The first session, “The Power of Sport,” addressed the application of “state of the art” sport science and sport medicine for the protection of athlete health and to enhance sport performance. “The Power of Sport” session concentrated on enabling athletes to perform spectacular feats that are “higher, stronger, faster” intended to engage and thrill global audiences without resorting to prohibited substances and methods, to enable athletes to remain active in sport for a longer career, and to increase the attraction of sport for sponsors. In the second session, “The Power to Change,” sport was viewed as having an important role in promoting physical activity within their respective federations, community, and internationally. The Olympic movement, IF, and other sport stakeholders are urgently needed to become the social drivers to correct the mismatch between physical activity for health development and draw toward sedentary lifestyles of the modern world. Key outcomes of this first HealthAccord conference were the agreement among participants to develop an innovative and high-impact collaboration between IF and related stakeholders; to use sport as a social movement platform to measurably improve health, both for athletes and for global citizens.
Accelerated RNA secondary structure design using preselected sequences for helices and loops
Authors: Bellaousov Stanislav , Kayedkhordeh Mohammad , Peterson Raymond J. , Mathews David H.
Published: August 2018

Nucleic acids can be designed to be nano-machines, pharmaceuticals, or probes. RNA secondary structures can form the basis of self-assembling nanostructures. There are only four natural RNA bases, therefore it can be difficult to design sequences that fold to a single, specified structure because many other structures are often possible for a given sequence. One approach taken by state-of-the-art sequence design methods is to select sequences that fold to the specified structure using stochastic, iterative refinement. The goal of this work is to accelerate design. Many existing iterative methods select and refine sequences one base pair and one unpaired nucleotide at a time. Here, the hypothesis that sequences can be preselected in order to accelerate design was tested. To this aim, a database was built of helix sequences that demonstrate thermodynamic features found in natural sequences and that also have little tendency to cross-hybridize. Additionally, a database was assembled of RNA loop sequences with low helix-formation propensity and little tendency to cross-hybridize with either the helices or other loops. These databases of preselected sequences accelerate the selection of sequences that fold with minimal ensemble defect by replacing some of the trial and error of current refinement approaches. When using the database of preselected sequences as compared to randomly chosen sequences, sequences for natural structures are designed 36 times faster, and random structures are designed six times faster. The sequences selected with the aid of the database have similar ensemble defect as those sequences selected at random. The sequence database is part of RNAstructure package at http://rna.urmc.rochester.edu/RNAstructure.html.
Η Πρώτη Συμφωνία του Γιάννη Α. Παπαϊωάννου
Authors: Κοκκώνης Γιώργος
Published: August 2018

Δεν διατίθεται περίληψη.
Some thoughts on unusual secular examples of Cretan woodcarving and the stylistic aspects of'folk art'
Authors: Delivorrias Angelos
Published: August 2018

Με αφετηρία τον επιπεδόγλυφο διάκοσμο μιας ξύλινης κασέλας από την Κρήτη σε ιδιωτική συλλογή (εικ. 1-2), στην παρούσα μελέτη επανεξετάζεται η επίσης επιπεδόγλυφη παράσταση της Σταύρωσης του Μουσείου Μπενάκη (εικ. 3), η οποία και αποδίδεται με σιγουριά πλέον στο ίδιο κρητικό εργαστήριο, αν όχι στον ίδιο καλλιτέχνη του 16ου αι. Τα δύο αυτά τεχνικά και τεχνοτροπικά συγγενή έργα κατευθύνουν την ανέλιξη της ερευνητικής διαδικασίας προς μια άλλη ομάδα από ξυλόγλυπτα βορειόίταλικής υποτίθεται καταγωγής, μεταξύ των οποίων ξεχωρίζει η μνημειακή κασέλα της Φολέγανδρου και πάλι στο Μουσείο Μπενάκη (εικ. 9-12). Από την προσπάθεια να ιχνηλατηθεί μια ενότητα ξυλογλύπτων με αντίστοιχα χαρακτηριστικά και να εξακριβωθεί η μεταξύ τους χρονολογική σχέση εντοπίστηκαν και άλλες ομόλογου ύφους δημιουργίες τόσο στην Κρήτη (εικ. 5-8) όσο και στην Ιταλία (εικ. 13). Ταυτόχρονα προέκυψαν και ορισμένες επιπλέον ενδείξεις για την πιθανή επιβίωση της ίδιας καλλιτεχνικής παράδοσης κατά τον όψιμο 17ο και τον 18ο αιώνα (εικ. 14-15).
Using climate analogue tools to explore and build smallholder farmer capacity for climate smart agriculture
Authors: Opare Phyllis , Akintonde Johnson O. , Obeng-Ofori Daniel , Nelson Valerie
Published: August 2018

Background: The phenomenon of climate change (CC) and its attendant challenges in agriculture have been widely document. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) focuses on sustainable agriculture intensification for food sovereignty through the adoption of mitigation and adaptation practices. Agriculture provides the livelihood for 70% of rural poor in the developing world, so building farmer capacity in CSA is imperative for food security. Studies show that transformative change must be bottom-up – integrating scientific and ethical dimensions, using participatory research approaches that employ simple comprehensive tools for building participants’ capacity to adapt.

Methods: The study uses the “Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security” (CCAFS) climate analogue and weather forecasting tools. These participatory learning tools allow participants to interrogate and explore their own geographical and climatic histories and to draw conclusions on climate variability. This study examined smallholder farmers’ understanding of CC and their resilience to it. The study consisted of 5 stages – selection of tools, planning and training of teams, meetings with community leaders and community members to select participants, focus group discussions, modelling sessions and community dissemination meetings.  

Results: Participants showed awareness of CC, explained in terms of rainfall variability, decreasing rainforest, increasing temperature and excessively long hot days.  Farmers illustrated gendered perception of past and present landscapes, time use, past seasonal trends, vulnerabilities and access to key resources. They also observed that natural resources were declining, while population and social infrastructure increased. Participants modelled the shift in seasons and projected possible future scenarios. Finally, participants were willing to adopt climate smart agronomic practices.

Conclusions: After establishing that farmers are aware of CC, follow-on-studies addressing the impediments to adaptation and provision of necessary tools and resources to facilitate adaptation must be carried out. This study can also be replicated among a larger smallholder population for increased capacity to practice CSA.
aMatReader: Importing adjacency matrices via Cytoscape Automation
Authors: Settle Brett , Otasek David , Morris John H , Demchak Barry
Published: August 2018

Adjacency matrices are useful for storing pairwise interaction data, such as correlations between gene pairs in a pathway or similarities between genes and conditions. The aMatReader app enables users to import one or multiple adjacency matrix files into Cytoscape, where each file represents an edge attribute in a network. Our goal was to import the diverse adjacency matrix formats produced by existing scripts and libraries written in R, MATLAB, and Python, and facilitate importing that data into Cytoscape. To accelerate the import process, aMatReader attempts to predict matrix import parameters by analyzing the first two lines of the file. We also exposed CyREST endpoints to allow researchers to import network matrix data directly into Cytoscape from their language of choice. Many analysis tools deal with networks in the form of an adjacency matrix, and exposing the aMatReader API to automation users enables scripts to transfer those networks directly into Cytoscape with little effort.
Determinants of road traffic injury at Khulna division in Bangladesh: a cross sectional study of road traffic incidents
Authors: Islam Rafiqul , Khan Mostaured Ali , Nath Krishna Deb , Hossain Mosharaf , Mustagir Golam , Taneepanichskul Surasak
Published: August 2018

Background:Road traffic injury (RTI) is one of the major causes of death, injury and disability worldwide and most of which occur in developing countries like Bangladesh. The main objective of this study was to identify the role of various socio-demographic and economic factors regarding the knowledge and consciousness about RTI at Khulna division in Bangladesh.

Methods:Primary data were collected from 200 respondents in Khulna Medical College Hospital and Satkhira Sadar Hospital and several private clinics, generated by interviewing people who had experienced a traffic accident in Khulna division, Bangladesh. The Chi-square test and logistic regression model were utilized in this study to analyze the data.

Results:The results show that there was a significant association between education (primary to higher secondary school: OR = 3.584, 95% CI = 0.907-14.155; higher educated: OR = 24.070, 95% CI = 4.860-119.206); occupation (farmer and labor: OR = 0.528,95% CI = 0.208-1.340; others: OR = 0.263, 95% CI = 0.097-0.713); if they were driving a motorcycle (OR = 4.137, 95% CI = 1.229-13.932); proper treatment (OR = 4.690, 95% CI = 1.736-12.673); consciousness about the RTI (OR = 18.394, 95% CI = 6.381-53.025); if they were an unskilled driver (OR = 8.169, 95% CI = 0.96-16.51), unfit vehicles (OR = 3.696, 95% CI = 1.032-13.234), if they were breaking traffic rules (OR = 6.918, 95% CI = 2.237-21.397), faulty road and traffic management (OR = 3.037, 95% CI = 1.125-8.196) with having knowledge about traffic rules in Khulna division, Bangladesh.

Conclusion:According to the results of the study, by increasing knowledge and awareness about traffic rules among people through education and awareness programs, imposing strict traffic rules, not giving licenses to unskilled drivers, not allowing unfit vehicles on the road, reconstruction and proper road management RTI’s can be reduced.
Antenatal care and its effect on risk of pregnancy induced hypertension in Lao PDR: A case-control study
Authors: Phengsavanh Alongkone , Laohasiriwong Wongsa , Suwannaphant Kritkantorn , Assana Supat , Phajan Teerasak , Chaleunvong Kongmany
Published: August 2018

Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is a global public health concern as a leading cause of maternal mortality. Lao PDR has a high prevalence of PIH, but little is known about its risk factors. This study aimed to identify risk factors of PIH relating to antenatal care (ANC) in Lao PDR.

Methods: This hospital-based age-matched case control study was carried out between July and December 2017 in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Lao PDR. A total of 258 pregnant women (86 hypertensive and 172 normotensive pregnant women) were recruited to join the study based specific inclusion criteria. For each case, two consecutive controls were included in the study with matched maternal age. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire interview to identify the risk factors of PIH relating to ANC. The association between the independent variables and PIH was assessed through bivariable and conditional multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results: Mothers with PIH had inadequate ANC (defined as <4 times) (adj. OR= 10.23 , 95%CI: 3.67 – 28.49, p<0.001), excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy (>13kg) ( adj. OR=7.35, 95%CI: 3.06 -17.69, p<0.001), had a history of abortion (adj. OR=3.54, 95%CI: 1.30-9.59, p=0.013), and had received inadequate information about PIH (adj OR= 2.58 , 95%CI: 1.03 – 6.46 , p=0.043).

Conclusion: Inadequate ANC and maternal factors were major risk factors of PIH in Lao PR. National PIH guidelines for effective counseling, ANC and treatment should be promptly developed and implemented at all levels in order to improve pregnancy outcomes.
Polyglutamine toxicity assays highlight the advantages of mScarlet for imaging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Albakri Maram B. , Jiang Yuwei , Lajoie Patrick
Published: August 2018

Development of fluorescent proteins (FPs) enabled researchers to visualize protein localization and trafficking in living cells and organisms. The extended palette of available FPs allows simultaneous detection of multiples fluorescent fusion proteins. Importantly, FPs are originally derived from different organisms from jelly fish to corals and each FP display its own biophysical properties. Among these properties, the tendency of FPs to oligomerize inherently affects the behavior of its fusion partner. Here we employed the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine the impact of the latest generation of red FPs on their binding partner. We used a yeast assay based on the aggregation and toxicity of misfolded polyQ expansion proteins linked to Huntington’s disease. Since polyQ aggregation and toxicity are highly dependent on the sequences flanking the polyQ region, polyQ expansions provide an ideal tool to assess the impact of FPs on their fusion partners. We found that unlike yemRFP and yFusionRed, the synthetically engineered ymScarlet displayed severe polyQ toxicity and aggregation similar to what is observed for green FP variants. Our data indicate that ymScarlet might have significant advantages over the previous generation of red FPs for use in fluorescent fusions in yeast.
Geographical distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and genetic diversity of invading population of Ae. albopictus in the Republic of the Congo
Authors: Kamgang Basile , Wilson-Bahun Theodel A. , Irving Helen , Kusimo Michael O. , Lenga Arsene , Wondji Charles S.
Published: August 2018

Background:The arbovirus vector,Aedes albopictus,originating from Asia, has recently invaded African countries, including the Republic of the Congo, where it was associated with a chikungunya outbreak. Up until now, little was known about its distribution in relation to the nativeAedes aegyptiand how the invasion will modify the epidemiology of arboviral diseases. Here, we assessed the current distribution ofAe. albopictusandAe. aegyptiin the Republic of the Congo and explored the genetic diversity of the invading species,Ae. albopictus.

Methods:Immature stages ofAedeswere collected in nine locations in the Republic of the Congo in 2017 following a north-south transect and reared to adult stage. Adults were morphologically identified, counted and grouped according to species and location. Genetic diversity ofAe. albopictuswas assessed by analyzing the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene.

Results:Ae.albopictusandAe. aegyptiwere found together across the country in all the locations investigated. The invasive species is predominant over the native species in all locations except Brazzaville, suggesting thatAe. albopictusis displacingAe. aegyptiacross Congo. When comparing the species distributions across the two largest cities, Brazzaville and Pointe Noire,Ae. albopictuswas more prevalent thanAe. aegyptiin the suburbs whereas the opposite situation was reported in the city centre. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed very low genetic diversity ofAe. albopictuswith only three haplotypes recorded across the country supporting the recent introduction of this species in the Republic of the Congo. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed thatAe. albopictusfrom Congo originated from other tropical Asian countries such as China, likely as a result of increasing trade links.

Conclusion:These findings are important for the implementation of vector control strategies and can serve as a foundation for further research on these vectors in the country.