bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for Pacific Island Countries
Authors: Brereton Claire , Turagabeci Amelia , Wilson Donald , Sly Peter D. , Jagals Paul
Published: July 2018

Healthy environments support the wellbeing of children and the environment thus play a cardinal role in the future of Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Children are more vulnerable and at risk to environmental hazards than adults because they breathe, drink, and eat much more relative to body weight, resulting in greater exposures in the different environments in which children find themselves every day. We examine the role that children’s environmental health indicators (CEHI) can play for PICs to highlight priorities and we prioritise actions to improve children’s environmental health and thus achieve their ‘Healthy Islands’ vision. We conducted a systematic search of relevant documented and publicly available Pacific Island Country information on children’s environmental health indicators using the general Internet, as well as databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, relevant UN agencies, as well as regional databases. Information on CEHI was available—mainly in grey literature—but not specifically aimed at PICs. Likewise, similar observations were made for peer-reviewed literature. From this review, we compiled summaries and a framework to propose the requirements as well as provide a foundation for the development of CEHI for PICs. CEHI development for PICs should ideally be a multi-sectoral endeavour within each PIC as well as for the region. This can be achieved through public, private, and academic sector initiatives to draw in all sectors of government as well as the relevant UN agencies and regional PIC-representative organisations.
Children’s Environmental Health Indicators in Context of the Sustainable Development Goals for Small Island Developing States
Authors: Jung Eun Mi , Jagals Paul , Brereton Claire , Sly Peter D. , Kim Rokho , Kim Eun Mee , Ha Eun Hee
Published: July 2018

The unique environmental vulnerability of small island developing states (SIDS) is likely to impact negatively on children’s health. Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHI) are standardized measures that can be used to assess the environmental exposures and their resulting health outcomes in children. This study sought to utilize the United Nations (UN) global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with their associated targets and indicators, as a framework for a CEHI proposal for SIDS. Exposure-side indicators were taken from key themes from the 2012 Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, and health-side indicators were selected based on the most significant contributors to the burden of disease in children. The multiple-exposures–multiple-effect (MEME) framework was then used to show the relationships between environmental exposures and children’s health outcomes. The framework was populated with available data from the World Bank’s DataBank. Whilst there was some data available at a population level, major gaps in both exposure-side and health-side indicators were revealed. In order to progress children’s environmental health in SIDS, a further piece of work is required to propose a fully prioritized set of exposure-side and health-side CEHIs; based on, but not exclusively linked to, the SDGs.
Recent Insights on Alzheimer’s Disease Originating from Yeast Models
Authors: Seynnaeve David , Vecchio Mara Del , Fruhmann Gernot , Verelst Joke , Cools Melody , Beckers Jimmy , Mulvihill Daniel P. , Winderickx Joris , Franssens Vanessa
Published: July 2018

In this review article, yeast model-based research advances regarding the role of Amyloid-β (Aβ), Tau and frameshift Ubiquitin UBB+1 in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are discussed. Despite having limitations with regard to intercellular and cognitive AD aspects, these models have clearly shown their added value as complementary models for the study of the molecular aspects of these proteins, including their interplay with AD-related cellular processes such as mitochondrial dysfunction and altered proteostasis. Moreover, these yeast models have also shown their importance in translational research, e.g., in compound screenings and for AD diagnostics development. In addition to well-established Saccharomyces cerevisiae models, new upcoming Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Candida glabrata and Kluyveromyces lactis yeast models for Aβ and Tau are briefly described. Finally, traditional and more innovative research methodologies, e.g., for studying protein oligomerization/aggregation, are highlighted.
Platinum Complexes Can Bind to Telomeres by Coordination
Authors: Saker Lina , Ali Samar , Masserot Caroline , Kellermann Guillaume , Poupon Joel , Teulade-Fichou Marie-Paule , Ségal-Bendirdjian Evelyne , Bombard Sophie
Published: July 2018

It is suggested that several compounds, including G-quadruplex ligands, can target telomeres, inducing their uncapping and, ultimately, cell death. However, it has never been demonstrated whether such ligands can bind directly and quantitatively to telomeres. Here, we employed the property of platinum and platinum-G-quadruplex complexes to target G-rich sequences to investigate and quantify their covalent binding to telomeres. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, surprisingly, we found that, in cellulo, in the presence of cisplatin, a di-functional platinum complex, telomeric DNA was platinated 13-times less than genomic DNA in cellulo, as compared to in vitro data. On the contrary, the amount of mono-functional platinum complexes (Pt-ttpy and Pt-tpy) bound either to telomeric or to genomic DNA was similar and occurred in a G-quadruplex independent-manner. Importantly, the quantification revealed that the low level of cisplatin bound to telomeric DNA could not be the direct physical cause of TRF2 displacement from telomeres. Altogether, our data suggest that platinum complexes can affect telomeres both directly and indirectly.
A Review and Characterization of Progressive Visual Analytics
Authors: Angelini Marco , Santucci Giuseppe , Schumann Heidrun , Schulz Hans-Jörg
Published: July 2018

Progressive Visual Analytics (PVA) has gained increasing attention over the past years. It brings the user into the loop during otherwise long-running and non-transparent computations by producing intermediate partial results. These partial results can be shown to the user for early and continuous interaction with the emerging end result even while it is still being computed. Yet as clear-cut as this fundamental idea seems, the existing body of literature puts forth various interpretations and instantiations that have created a research domain of competing terms, various definitions, as well as long lists of practical requirements and design guidelines spread across different scientific communities. This makes it more and more difficult to get a succinct understanding of PVA’s principal concepts, let alone an overview of this increasingly diverging field. The review and discussion of PVA presented in this paper address these issues and provide (1) a literature collection on this topic, (2) a conceptual characterization of PVA, as well as (3) a consolidated set of practical recommendations for implementing and using PVA-based visual analytics solutions.
Compressive Online Video Background–Foreground Separation Using Multiple Prior Information and Optical Flow
Authors: Prativadibhayankaram Srivatsa , Luong Huynh Van , Le Thanh Ha , Kaup André
Published: July 2018

In the context of video background–foreground separation, we propose a compressive online Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA) with optical flow that separates recursively a sequence of video frames into foreground (sparse) and background (low-rank) components. This separation method operates on a small set of measurements taken per frame, in contrast to conventional batch-based RPCA, which processes the full data. The proposed method also leverages multiple prior information by incorporating previously separated background and foreground frames in an n-ℓ1 minimization problem. Moreover, optical flow is utilized to estimate motions between the previous foreground frames and then compensate the motions to achieve higher quality prior foregrounds for improving the separation. Our method is tested on several video sequences in different scenarios for online background–foreground separation given compressive measurements. The visual and quantitative results show that the proposed method outperforms other existing methods.
Effect of a Synthetic Nano-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O Gel on the Early-Stage Shrinkage Performance of Alkali-Activated Slag Mortars
Authors: Liu Bao , Yang Jingbin , Li Dongxu , Xing Feng , Fang Yuan
Published: July 2018

The relatively high shrinkage of the alkali-activated slag (AAS) has restricted its application as a widely-used building material. This research attempts to study the effect of a hydrothermally synthesized C-A-S-H gel, which has a similar composition to that of the main AAS product, on the shrinkage performance of the AAS. The C-A-S-H nano-particles were mixed into AAS mortars in a proportion ranging from 1 wt % to 5 wt % using two different methods, and the drying and autogenous shrinkage ratio of modified AAS mortars were measured at various ages. The effect of C-A-S-H on their microstructures was also characterized. Results obtained indicated that the addition of C-A-S-H gel to AAS mortars had reduced their drying and autogenous shrinkage, with the addition of 3 wt % reaching the maximum reduction. However, the added amount was not directly proportional to the decrease of shrinkage; the proportion of early-stage drying shrinkage of AAS mortars was greater than that of autogenous shrinkage; the dispersion method was slightly better than the dry mixing method in both shrinkage reduction. MIP results suggested that the addition of C-A-S-H gel had reduced the total porosity and the average pore size of AAS mortars, optimized their pore structure distribution, and significantly reduced the volume of mesopores (<0.05 µm) which resulted in high shrinkage, while the adding method had no significant effect on the pore size distribution of AAS mortars. SEM results showed that the addition of C-A-S-H gel can reduce the crack width of mortars, obtain a dense and uniform matrix structure, increase the density, and effectively suppress both shrinkage deformation of the system, whereas the adding method has no obvious effect on the crack width of the mortar. This research provides a novel approach of the AAS shrinkage reduction and structure refinement, shedding lights on nano-material modification of the AAS.
Specificities and Efficiencies of Primers Targeting Candidatus Phylum Saccharibacteria in Activated Sludge
Authors: Takenaka Ryota , Aoi Yoshiteru , Ozaki Noriatsu , Ohashi Akiyoshi , Kindaichi Tomonori
Published: July 2018

Candidatus Saccharibacteria is a well-described candidate phylum that has not been successfully isolated. Nevertheless, its presence was suggested by 16S rRNA gene sequencing data, and it is frequently detected in natural environments and activated sludge. Because pure culture representatives of Candidatus Saccharibacteria are lacking, the specificity of primers for the determination of their abundance and diversity should be carefully evaluated. In this study, eight Candidatus Saccharibacteria-specific primers were selected from previous studies and evaluated for their coverage against a public database, annealing temperature of the combined primer sets, as well as their utilization to determine the detection frequencies and phylogenetic diversity by cloning analysis, and in quantification by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the eight primers, four primers (TM7314F, TM7580F, TM7-910R, and TM7-1177R) showed high coverage. Cloning analysis showed that four primer sets (TM7314F and TM7-910R, TM7314F and TM7-1177R, TM7580F and TM7-910R, and TM7580F and TM7-1177R) yielded high detection frequencies for Candidatus Saccharibacteria in activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in Higashihiroshima City, Japan. Quantitative PCR results indicated that the primer set containing TM7314F and TM7-910R was superior for the specific detection of Candidatus Saccharibacteria in activated sludge.
Structural changes of the human superior cervical ganglion following ischemic stroke
Authors: Liutkienė Gineta , Stropus Rimvydas , Dabužinskienė Anita , Pilmane Mara
Published: July 2018

Objective. The sympathetic nervous system participates in the modulation of cerebrovascular autoregulation. The most important source of sympathetic innervation of the cerebral arteries is the superior cervical ganglion. The aim of this study was to investigate signs of the neurodegenerative alteration in the sympathetic ganglia including the evaluation of apoptosis of neuronal and satellite cells in the human superior cervical ganglion after ischemic stroke, because so far alterations in human sympathetic ganglia related to the injury to peripheral tissue have not been enough analyzed. Materials and methods. We investigated human superior cervical ganglia from eight patients who died of ischemic stroke and from seven control subjects. Neurohistological examination of sympathetic ganglia was performed on 5 μm paraffin sections stained with cresyl violet. TUNEL method was applied to assess apoptotic cells of sympathetic ganglia. Results. The present investigation showed that: (1) signs of neurodegenerative alteration (darkly stained and deformed neurons with vacuoles, lymphocytic infiltrates, gliocyte proliferation) were markedly expressed in the ganglia of stroke patients; (2) apoptotic neuronal and glial cell death was observed in the human superior cervical ganglia of the control and stroke groups; (3) heterogenic distribution of apoptotic neurons and glial cells as well as individual variations in both groups were identified; (4) higher apoptotic index of sympathetic neurons (89%) in the stroke group than in the control group was found. Conclusions. We associated these findings with retrograde reaction of the neuronal cell body to axonal damage, which occurs in the ischemic focus of blood vessels innervated by superior cervical ganglion.
Subintimal angioplasty for superficial femoral artery occlusions: first experience in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital
Authors: Aleksynas Nerijus , Kaupas Rytis
Published: July 2018

Objective. To assess prospectively the first experience of subintimal angioplasty of superficial femoral artery occlusions. Patients and methods. Within a period of 36 months, 45 patients with 45 chronic occlusions in superficial femoral artery were treated at Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital. Results. The technical success rate was 84.4%, and four failures were treated by conventional surgery. The following complications occurred: one hematoma at the arterial puncture site, one artery spasm, and two distal embolizations. The mean length of occlusions was 14.2±1.4 cm. The mean ankle-brachial index improved from 0.41±0.15 to 0.81±0.04 after successful subintimal angioplasty (P<0.001). Primary assisted patency rates were 94.7%, 92.1%, 84.2%, 81.6%, and 81.6% at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The limb salvage rates were 100% and 97.8% at 1–3 and 6–12–24 months, respectively. There were no treatmentrelated amputations. Conclusions. Subintimal angioplasty of occluded superficial femoral artery is a safe and minimally invasive procedure with a high initial technical success rate, low complication rate, and good early results, and in case of failure, subsequent surgery can be performed.
The bullet in the dural sac. How to catch it? A report of two cases
Authors: Špakauskas Bronius , Ambrozaitis Kazys , Kontautas Egidijus
Published: July 2018

Objective. The purpose of this article is to present two cases of penetrating gunshot injuries to the lumbar spine with migration of the bullets within the dural sac and to describe the method of removal of the bullet from the dural sac. Material and methods. Two cases of penetrating gunshot injuries to the lumbar spine with migration of the bullets within the dural sac are presented. Clinical course, diagnostic tools, and management of two patients who suffered from these injuries are illustrated. The method of removal of the bullet from the dural sac is described too. Results. The wounds in these two cases healed without infection. The neurological status of our patients improved gradually. Radiographs taken 2 years after the injury did not demonstrate the postoperative instability of the lumbar spine. Conclusions. The bullet in the dural sac at the level of the cauda equina must be removed. The method proposed by us can facilitate this procedure.
Evaluation of the quality of life in the population of Kaunas city using the SF-12 questionnaire
Authors: Krančiukaitė Daina , Rastenytė Daiva , Jurėnienė Kristina
Published: July 2018

The aim of the study was to evaluate the suitability of the SF-12 questionnaire for the evaluation of the quality of life in 25–84-year-old inhabitants of Kaunas city and to compare quality of life between men and women as well as between socially and demographically different groups. Material and methods. The study sample consisted of randomly selected inhabitants of Kaunas city, stratified by age and sex. The suitability of the questionnaire for the evaluation of the quality of life in the selected contingent was verified using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The convergent validity of the questionnaire was assessed by the strength of the linear relationship between the domains of the questionnaire, calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficients. We calculated mean ranges of the values of the questionnaire and compared the distribution of values. Results. Cronbach’s alpha values indicated a very strong internal consistency of the mental and physical domains of the SF-12 questionnaire (0.87 and 0.88, respectively). Women reported lower quality of life in the domains of mental health and physical health-pain as compared to men. People who were not living alone, with higher level of education, and employed reported better physical and mental health than those living alone, with lower level of education, or unemployed. In addition to that, people who were engaged in mental work during the study or had worked such work before reported better physical and mental health. Conclusions. The questionnaire SF-12 is suitable for the evaluation of the quality of life in the population of Kaunas city. Women reported lower quality of life in mental health domain than men did. The evaluations of the quality of life worsened with increasing age and lower social and demographic status.
The alcoholic lung disease: Historical background and clinical features
Authors: Karkoulias Kiriakos , Tsitsaras Haralampos , Patouchas Dimitrios , Sampsonas Fotis , Likouras Dimostenis , Kaparianos Alexander , Spiropoulos Kostas
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this review article is to prove the damage that alcohol causes to the respiratory system. We will make a brief review of alcohols history in the course of the centuries till nowadays. The problem of addiction to alcohol (alcoholism) will be examined for several countries. Alcohol’s metabolism is another topic to be discussed parallel to its pharmacological action. In addition, alcohol’s impact on the respiratory system varies from damaging the mucociliary system to the regulation of breathing and from the sleep apnea syndrome to diffusion disorders. “Alcoholic lung disease” constitutes a syndrome despite the fact that the damage of the lung due to concurrent smoking and drug use is often indistinguishable.
Free radical-scavenging activities of Crataegus monogyna extracts
Authors: Bernatonienė Jurga , Masteikova Rūta , Majienė Daiva , Savickas Arūnas , Kėvelaitis Egidijus , Bernatonienė Rūta , Dvoráčková Katerina , Civinskienė Genuvaitė , Lekas Raimundas , Vitkevičius Konradas , Pečiūra Rimantas
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate antiradical activity of aqueous and ethanolic hawthorn fruit extracts, their flavonoids, and flavonoid combinations. Material and methods. Total amount of phenolic compounds and the constituents of flavonoids were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activity of Crataegus monogyna extracts and flavonoids (chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, rutin, quercetin, vitexin-2O-rhamnoside, epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidin B2) quantitatively was determined using the method of spectrophotometry (diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging assay and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)(ABTS·+) radical cation decolorization assay). The level of tyrosine nitration inhibition was determined using a highperformance liquid chromatography. Results. Ethanolic hawthorn fruit extract contained 182±4 mg/100 mL phenolic compounds, i.e. threefold more, as compared to aqueous extract. The antioxidant activity according to DPPH· reduction in the ethanolic extracts was higher 2.3 times (P<0.05). The ABTS·+ technique showed that the effect of ethanolic extracts was by 2.5 times stronger than that of aqueous extracts. Tyrosine nitration inhibition test showed that the effect of ethanolic extracts was by 1.4 times stronger than that of aqueous extracts. The investigation of the antiradical activity of the active constituents in aqueous and ethanolic extracts revealed that epicatechin and catechin contribute to radical-scavenging properties more than other components. Procyanidin B2 only insignificantly influenced the antiradical activity of the extracts. Conclusion. Both aqueous and ethanolic hawthorn extracts had antiradical activity, but ethanolic extract had stronger free radical-scavenging properties, compared to the aqueous extract. The antioxidant activity of the studied preparations was mostly conditioned by epicatechin and catechin. The individual constituents of both extracts had weaker free radical-scavenging properties than the combination of these substances did.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Reingardienė Dagmara
Published: July 2018

In clinical use for over 50 years, heparin is an important and widely used anticoagulant for the prophylaxis or treatment of thromboembolic disease as well as other numerous clinical situations. Ordinarily, heparin prevents clotting and does not affect the platelets, components of the blood that help to form blood clots. However, heparin can also cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Two distinct types of heparininduced thrombocytopenia can occur: nonimmune and immune mediated. Nonimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, which occurs most frequently, is characterized by a mild decrease in the platelet count and is not harmful. The second type, immune-mediated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, occurs much less frequently but is dangerous. Immune-mediated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia causes much lower platelet count. Paradoxically, despite a very low platelet count, patients who suffer from heparin-induced thrombocytopenia are at risk for arterial or venous thrombosis. In this review article, there are discussed about pathogenesis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, other causes of thrombocytopenia, clinical features, laboratory confirmation of diagnosis, and management of patients (direct thrombin inhibitors, other therapies, duration of therapy, and use of oral anticoagulants). Prognosis and prophylaxis of this life-threatening disorder, which can develop from the use of unfractionated or (less commonly) low-molecular-weight heparin, are also discussed.
Possibility of Controlling Self-Organized Patterns with Totalistic Cellular Automata Consisting of Both Rules like Game of Life and Rules Producing Turing Patterns
Authors: Ishida Takeshi
Published: July 2018

The basic rules of self-organization using a totalistic cellular automaton (CA) were investigated, for which the cell state was determined by summing the states of neighboring cells, like in Conway’s Game of Life. This study used a short-range and long-range summation of the cell states around the focal cell. These resemble reaction-diffusion (RD) equations, in which self-organizing behavior emerges from interactions between an activating factor and an inhibiting factor. In addition, Game-of-Life-type rules, in which a cell cannot survive when adjoined by too many or too few living cells, were applied. Our model was able to mimic patterns characteristic of biological cells, including movement, growth, and reproduction. This result suggests the possibility of controlling self-organized patterns. Our model can also be applied to the control of engineering systems, such as multirobot swarms and self-assembling microrobots.
β-glucan Salecan Improves Exercise Performance and Displays Anti-Fatigue Effects through Regulating Energy Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Mice
Authors: Xu Xi , Ding Yijian , Yang Yunxia , Gao Yan , Sun Qi , Liu Junhao , Yang Xiao , Wang Junsong , Zhang Jianfa
Published: July 2018

Fatigue induced by prolonged exercise not only leads to the decrease of exercise capacity, but also might be the cause of many diseases. In consideration of the side effects of pharmacological drugs, dietary supplements seem to be a better choice to ameliorate exercise-induced fatigue. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-fatigue effect of Salecan, a novel water-soluble β-glucan, during exercise and explore the underlying mechanisms. Male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were divided into five groups, including the Rest group and the other four Swim-groups treated with Salecan at 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Salecan treatment markedly increased the exhaustive swimming time of mice in the forced swimming test. Exercise fatigue and injury-related biochemical biomarkers including lactate, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine kinase (CK), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were ameliorated by Salecan. Salecan reversed the decreased serum glucose levels and glycogen contents caused by exercise. In addition, Salecan improved oxidative stress induced by exercise through regulating Nrf2/HO–1/Trx signaling pathway. Thus, the beneficial effects of Salecan against fatigue may be due to its positive effects on energy metabolism and antioxidation defence. Our results suggest that Salecan could be a novel potential candidate for anti-fatigue dietary supplements.
Protective Effect of Pure Sour Cherry Anthocyanin Extract on Cytokine-Induced Inflammatory Caco-2 Monolayers
Authors: Le Phuong Nguyen Thi , Fenyvesi Ferenc , Remenyik Judit , Homoki Judit Rita , Gogolák Péter , Bácskay Ildikó , Fehér Pálma , Ujhelyi Zoltán , Vasvári Gábor , Vecsernyés Miklós , Váradi Judit
Published: July 2018

Anthocyanins have several beneficial effects, especially on inflammatory and oxidative conditions. The pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), induce damage in the intestinal barrier and participate in the pathogenesis of chronic bowel diseases. A number of fruits have high anthocyanin contents with strong biological activity which can support protective actions. Sour cherry (Prunus cerassus) is one of the richest fruits in anthocyanins; especially it has high content of cyanidins. The aim of this study was to test the biological effects of a pure sour cherry anthocyanin extract under inflammatory conditions on the intestinal barrier. Caco-2 monolayers were stimulated with 50 ng/mL TNF-α and 25 ng/mL IL-1β, and the protective effects of the anthocyanin extract were examined. We demonstrated the safety of 500, 50, 5 and 0.5 µM anthocyanin extracts through cell impedance measurements. The 50 µM anthocyanin extract inhibited the cytokine-induced Caco-2 permeability and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunits. The extract significantly reduced the release of IL-6 and IL-8 production in intestinal cells and glutathione peroxidase activity stimulated by cytokines. We demonstrated, for the first time, the beneficial effects of pure sour cherry anthocyanin extract on inflammatory Caco-2 monolayers, indicating that this substance could be protective in inflammatory bowel diseases and is an excellent raw material for further applications and formulations.
The Need to Introduce Simulation-Based Teaching in Pharmacy Education in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Cheema Ejaz
Published: July 2018

Pharmacists worldwide, including Saudi Arabia, are now increasingly expected to play a more patient-centred role. The transition of pharmacists from a dispensing role to a more patient-centred clinical role requires the adoption of innovative learning techniques in pharmacy teaching and learning to transform the future pharmacy workforce. One such innovation in pharmacy education is simulation-based pharmacy teaching. The use of simulation in pharmacy education allows pharmacy students to not only improve their clinical knowledge and skills, but also serves as a tool to improve their critical thinking that is a pre-requisite in sound clinical decision-making. Given the importance of patient-oriented teaching in pharmacy education, the majority of institutions offering pharmacy education in the developed countries have successfully integrated simulation-based teaching in their respective curricula to meet both patient and practice needs. However, most of the universities offering undergraduate pharmacy programs in the developing world, including Saudi Arabia, have limited application of patient-focused teaching in their respective programs. This article aims to highlight the importance of introducing simulation-based teaching in pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia.
Negatively Charged Porous Thin Film from ABA Triblock Copolymer Assembly
Authors: Nehache Sabrina , Semsarilar Mona , Deratani André , Quemener Damien
Published: July 2018

The preparation of well-arranged nano-porous thin films from an ABA triblock copolymer of polystyrene-block-poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-block-polystyrene (PS-PNaSS-PS) is reported. This copolymer was self-assembled in a N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/water mixture and the resulting micellar solution was used to prepare thin films via the compact packing of the flower-like micelles using spin coating method. The films were characterized by several microscopy techniques such as TEM, AFM, and SEM. Permeation test was performed to highlight the interconnected porous nature of the polymeric network obtained. Under applied water pressure, the micellar morphology was altered and a partial fusion of the micelles was observed that resulted in a change in the water permeability. Such hydrophilic nanoporous thin films with negatively charged interface could find applications in membrane filtration.
A Cost-Effective Redundant Digital Excitation Control System and Test Bed Experiment for Safe Power Supply for Process Industry 4.0
Authors: Lee Hoon-Gi , Huh Jun-Ho
Published: July 2018

Recently, the energy demand and supply situation in the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been largely affected by the fluctuations in the energy markets around the world. Such a situation has provided a basis for requiring improvements to power plant facilities. The automatic generator voltage control systems in large-scale power plants are adopting a rapid-response static excitation method to improve the transient stability. A domestic commercially developed large-scale triple-redundant excitation system is currently operated by the 1000 MW-class nuclear power plant and its efficiency has been verified at the same site. However, such a system is too costly for smaller power plants so that a reliable and low-cost redundant digital excitation control system was developed and introduced in this study to resolve the cost problem. The system has improved its stability and reliability at the same time through double (redundant) configuration. Additionally, the system’s performance was put to the test by conducting a series of control function tests after applying it to the gas turbine used in a thermal power station. This study includes the development of system hardware, simulations as well as on-site experiments and each element was validated as a result. Also, the study discusses and validates the method used for replacing the protective relays at the Kanudi power plant operating in Papua New Guinea. The replacement of 27 and 81 protective relays at the existing power plant was carried out as they did not function properly. New relays were installed after removing the power supply in the existing panel. The individual power output sections of new relays were connected in parallel with the existing properly functioning relays, as previous protective relays had only allowed monitoring without outputting the contents. Thus, the new protective system was designed to enable both existing and new relays to carry out the detection function. It was validated that the replacement was successful. The new system with the new relays is performing properly by protecting its power generator and preventing further accidents.
Detection of Differential Settlement of Man-Made Structures Coupled with Urban Development by Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI)
Authors: Susaki Junichi , Maruo Naoyuki , Tsujino Masahiro , Boonyatee Tirawat
Published: July 2018

Many cities are prone to land subsidence, particularly due to the overuse of ground water. However, because man-made structures are normally built upon foundations that are stiffer than the surrounding ground, such structures react to land subsidence to a lesser extent. This settlement mismatch between ground and buildings, also known as differential settlement (DS), may cause serious problems in urban management, such as foundation overloading due to down-drag forces and damage to underground pipelines. Here, we present a technique for determining DS from multi-temporal satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. Permanent scatterers originating from ground and man-made structures are extracted using the differential interferometric SAR (DInSAR) technique, whereupon the DS is obtained by subtracting the settlement of the former from that of the latter. For validation purposes, we demonstrate that the estimated DS in Bangkok is consistent with field observations.
The Drifting Phase of SARAL: Securing Stable Ocean Mesoscale Sampling with an Unmaintained Decaying Altitude
Authors: Dibarboure Gérald , Lamy Alain , Pujol Marie-Isabelle , Jettou Ghita
Published: July 2018

The French/Indian altimeter project Satellite with ARGOS and AltiKa (SARAL) completed its nominal 3-year mission on the historical European Remote-sensing Satellite (ERS) orbit in Spring 2016. In order to extend the lifetime of the satellite as much as possible, the agencies in charge of SARAL decided to initiate a so-called drifting phase where the satellite altitude is no longer maintained. In this paper we describe how the ocean mesoscale sampling capability of SARAL has been preserved during the drifting phase by initiating it at a specific altitude: the optimal starting point was approximately 1 km above the historical ERS/ENVIronment SATellite (ENVISAT) orbit. This strategy secured the ocean mesoscale sampling capability of SARAL drifting phase (DP) for 6 years or more. We also generalize these findings: any altimeter could follow SARAL’s drifting phase strategy if their maneuvering capability is limited. Lastly, we explain how an altimetry mission or an entire altimeter constellation could be operated without any form of altitude control: some specific altitude bands (e.g., near 1230 km) guarantee a high-quality mesoscale sampling for years or decades even if the altitude is not maintained.
Deterministic Propagation Modeling for Intelligent Vehicle Communication in Smart Cities
Authors: Granda Fausto , Azpilicueta Leyre , Vargas-Rosales Cesar , Celaya-Echarri Mikel , Lopez-Iturri Peio , Aguirre Erik , Astrain Jose Javier , Medrano Pablo , Villandangos Jesus , Falcone Francisco
Published: July 2018

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are envisaged to be a critical building block of Smart Cities and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) where applications for pollution, congestion reduction, vehicle mobility improvement, accident prevention and safer roads are some of the VANETs expected benefits towards Intelligent Vehicle Communications. Although there is a significant research effort in Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication radio channel characterization, the use of a deterministic approach as a complement of theoretical and empirical models is required to understand more accurately the propagation phenomena in urban environments. In this work, a deterministic computational tool based on an in-house 3D Ray-Launching algorithm is used to represent and analyze large-scale and small-scale urban radio propagation phenomena, including vehicle movement effects on each of the multipath components. In addition, network parameters such as throughput, packet loss and jitter, have been obtained by means of a set of experimental measurements for different V2I and V2V links. Results show the impact of factors such as distance, frequency, location of antenna transmitters (TX), obstacles and vehicle speed. These results are useful for radio-planning Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) designers and deployment of urban Road Side Units (RSUs).
Forecasting of Cereal Yields in a Semi-arid Area Using the Simple Algorithm for Yield Estimation (SAFY) Agro-Meteorological Model Combined with Optical SPOT/HRV Images
Authors: Chahbi Bellakanji Aicha , Zribi Mehrez , Lili-Chabaane Zohra , Mougenot Bernard
Published: July 2018

In semi-arid areas characterized by frequent drought events, there is often a strong need for an operational grain yield forecasting system, to help decision-makers with the planning of annual imports. However, monitoring the crop canopy and production capacity of plants, especially for cereals, can be challenging. In this paper, a new approach to yield estimation by combining data from the Simple Algorithm for Yield estimation (SAFY) agro-meteorological model with optical SPOT/ High Visible Resolution (HRV) satellite data is proposed. Grain yields are then statistically estimated as a function of Leaf Area Index (LAI) during the maximum growth period between 25 March and 5 April. The LAI is retrieved from the SAFY model, and calibrated using SPOT/HRV data. This study is based on the analysis of a rich database, which was acquired over a period of two years (2010–2011, 2012–2013) at the Merguellil site in central Tunisia (North Africa) from more than 60 test fields and 20 optical satellite SPOT/HRV images. The validation and calibration of this methodology is presented, on the basis of two subsets of observations derived from the experimental database. Finally, an inversion technique is applied to estimate the overall yield of the entire studied site.
Accurate Calibration of Multi-LiDAR-Multi-Camera Systems
Authors: Pusztai Zoltán , Eichhardt Iván , Hajder Levente
Published: July 2018

As autonomous driving attracts more and more attention these days, the algorithms and sensors used for machine perception become popular in research, as well. This paper investigates the extrinsic calibration of two frequently-applied sensors: the camera and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). The calibration can be done with the help of ordinary boxes. It contains an iterative refinement step, which is proven to converge to the box in the LiDAR point cloud, and can be used for system calibration containing multiple LiDARs and cameras. For that purpose, a bundle adjustment-like minimization is also presented. The accuracy of the method is evaluated on both synthetic and real-world data, outperforming the state-of-the-art techniques. The method is general in the sense that it is both LiDAR and camera-type independent, and only the intrinsic camera parameters have to be known. Finally, a method for determining the 2D bounding box of the car chassis from LiDAR point clouds is also presented in order to determine the car body border with respect to the calibrated sensors.
Evaluation of the Detachment Force Needed for Mechanical Thinning of Green Peach Fruits
Authors: Assirelli Alberto , Caracciolo Giuseppina , Cacchi Mattia , Sirri Sandro , Pallottino Federico , Costa Corrado
Published: July 2018

As a result of mechanical fruit-thinning tests on various peach trees, difficulties in fruit detachment from branches were found for some cultivars. For this reason, and to create a database of the required detachment forces, the relationship between detachment and angle at which force is applied to the fruits was studied. The study was carried out in a peach orchard sited in Forlì, on four peach cultivars when the fruits were 20–40 mm in size. Using a dynamometer, the force required to detach fruits was measured, and different angles were evaluated to simulate the various ways in which the thinner hits fruits. The analysis of the different angles showed that, on average, fruits are detached more easily if the force is applied with a 90° angle respective to the fruit position on the branch. On the other hand, if the force is applied with an angle of 0°, the average force required is three times higher. The study highlighted that adaptability to mechanical thinning is higher in some cultivars than in others. The results also showed that it is important to consider the impact angle of the thinner on fruits when evaluating the efficiency of the thinner machine.
A Combined Value Focused Thinking-Soft Systems Methodology Approach to Structure Decision Support for Energy Performance Assessment of School Buildings
Authors: Bernardo Hermano , Gaspar Adélio , Henggeler Antunes Carlos
Published: July 2018

Several technological, social and organizational factors influence energy management in school buildings, resulting in a complex situation away from the usual engineering approach. The selection of evaluation criteria to assess the energy performance of school buildings remains one of the most challenging aspects since these should accommodate the perspectives of the potential key stakeholders. This paper presents a comprehensive problem structuring approach combining Soft Systems Methodology and Value Focused Thinking to elicit and organize the multiple aspects that influence energy efficiency of school buildings. The main aim of this work is structuring the fundamental objectives to develop a criteria tree to be considered in a multi-criteria classification model to be used by management entities for rating overall energy performance of school buildings. This methodological framework helped grasping the main issues at stake for a thorough energy performance assessment of school buildings and the need to define adequate policies for improvement.
Regional Differences in Energy and Environmental Performance: An Empirical Study of 283 Cities in China
Authors: Sun Zuoren , An Chao , Sun Huachen
Published: July 2018

This paper proposes a new non-radial biennial Luenberger energy and environmental performance index (EEPI) to measure the energy and environmental performance (EEP) change in various Chinese cities. The sources of EEP change, in terms of technical efficiency change and technological change, are examined by Luenberger EEPI. The contributions from specific undesirable outputs and energy inputs to the EEP change are identified by means of the non-radial efficiency measure. The proposed approach is applied to evaluate the EEP of the industrial sector in 283 cities in China over 2010–2014. Factors influencing the emission abatement potential are investigated by employing geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. We find that (1) changes in EEP can be attributed to technological progress but that technological progress slows down across the study period; (2) the soot emission performance experiences a downtrend among four specific sub-performances (i.e., energy, wastewater, SO2 and soot performances) in line with the truth that severe haze happened frequently in China; (3) the best performers begin to move from the coastal to inland cities with the less resource consumption and higher ecological quality; (4) cities with the strongest positive effect in regards to pollution intensity on emission abatement potential are located in the areas around the Bohai Gulf, where air pollution is particularly severe.
Microcystin Content in Phytoplankton and in Small Fish from Eutrophic Nyanza Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya
Authors: Simiyu Benard , Oduor Steve , Rohrlack Thomas , Sitoki Lewis , Kurmayer Rainer
Published: July 2018

The human health risks posed by exposure to cyanobacterial toxins such as microcystin (MC) through water and fish consumption remain poorly described. During the last two decades, coastal regions of Lake Victoria such as Nyanza Gulf (Kisumu Bay) have shown severe signs of eutrophication with blooms formed by Microcystis producing MC. In this study, the spatial variability in MC concentration in Kisumu Bay was investigated which was mostly caused by Microcystis buoyancy and wind drifting. Small fish (<6 cm) mainly composed of Rastrineobola argentea were examined for MC content by means of biological methods such as ELISA and protein phosphatase inhibition assay (PPIA) and partly by chemical-analytical methods such as LC-MS/MS. Overall, the MC content in small fish was related to the MC content observed in the seston. When comparing the MC content in the seston in relation to dry weight with the MC content in small fish the latter was found three orders of magnitude decreased. On average, the ELISA-determined MC contents exceeded the PPIA-determined MC contents by a factor of 8.2 ± 0.5 (SE) while the MC contents as determined by LC-MS/MS were close to the detection limit. Using PPIA, the MC content varied from 25–109 (mean 62 ± 7) ng/g fish dry weight in Kisumu Bay vs. 14 ± 0.8 ng MC/g in the more open water of L. Victoria at Rusinga channel. Drying the fish under the sun showed little effect on MC content, although increased humidity might indirectly favor photocatalyzed MC degradation.
miRNAs in Insects Infected by Animal and Plant Viruses
Authors: Monsanto-Hearne Verna , Johnson Karyn N.
Published: July 2018

Viruses vectored by insects cause severe medical and agricultural burdens. The process of virus infection of insects regulates and is regulated by a complex interplay of biomolecules including the small, non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs). Considered an anomaly upon its discovery only around 25 years ago, miRNAs as a class have challenged the molecular central dogma which essentially typifies RNAs as just intermediaries in the flow of information from DNA to protein. miRNAs are now known to be common modulators or fine-tuners of gene expression. While recent years has seen an increased emphasis on understanding the role of miRNAs in host-virus associations, existing literature on the interaction between insects and their arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) is largely restricted to miRNA abundance profiling. Here we analyse the commonalities and contrasts between miRNA abundance profiles with different host-arbovirus combinations and outline a suggested pipeline and criteria for functional analysis of the contribution of miRNAs to the insect vector-virus interaction. Finally, we discuss the potential use of the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, in complementing research on the role of miRNAs in insect vector-virus interaction.