bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Water resources assessment in the region of Ben Azzouz (Hadjar Soud, North East Algeria)
Authors: Hannouche Mani , Lebbad Amar , Wafa Tahar 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to give a better knowledge of water resources in the region of Ben Azzouz, and to improve the actual water management through harmonization between the various human communities needs.

Design/methodology/approach
– After an overview of the geology and hydroclimatology of the study area, the work will be to identify the factors involved in the water balance in the quantitative assessment of groundwater resources, to define areas of use and to estimate water needs for different uses.

Findings
– The study of the area shows two distinct water reservoirs: the deep aquifer composed of fractured limestone, sands and gravels, and surface massive dune sand aquifer. The impermeable formations are the metamorphic basement and overlying flyschs nappes. Because the average rainfall is relatively high (∼708 mm/year), the region is known by its agricultural vocation and, therefore, most of surface water is assigned to irrigation. The second potential water consumer is population with 2.660 Hm3/year, then industrial needs are 1.793 Hm3/year. Although there was no marked water deficit in the region in the period 2007-2013, it is now time to apply concepts of integrated and sustainable management of water resources in this region because of the growing agricultural practice and population needs.

Originality/value
– A quantitative diagnosis of water potential of the study area was evaluated for a better rational use of water resources.
Hydrothermal coordination in power systems with large-scale integration of renewable energy sources
Authors: Anastasiadis Anestis , Kondylis Georgios , Vokas Georgios A , Papageorgas Panagiotis 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the feasibility of an ideal power network that combines many different renewable energy technologies such as wind power, concentrated solar power (CSP) and hydroelectric power. This paper emphasizes in finding the benefits arising from hydrothermal coordination compared to the non-regulated integration of the hydroelectric units, as well as the benefits from the integration of wind power and CSP.

Design/methodology/approach
– Artificial Neural Networks were used to estimate wind power output. As for the CSP system, a three-tier architecture which includes a solar field, a transmission-storage system and a production unit was used. Each one of those separate sections is analyzed and the process is modeled. As for the hydroelectric plant, the knowledge of the water’s flow rated has helped estimating the power output, taking into account the technical restrictions and losses during transmission. Also, the economic dispatch problem was solved by using artificial intelligence methods.

Findings
– Hydrothermal coordination leads to greater thermal participation reduction and cost reduction than a non-regulated integration of the hydrothermal unit. The latter is independent from the degree of integration of the other renewable sources (wind power, CSP).

Originality/value
– Hydrothermal coordination in a power system which includes thermal units and CSP for cost and emissions reduction.
Environmental implication of the Algerian traditional house
Authors: Kacher Sabrina , Zermout Hanane 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The control of the environmental impacts of buildings and constructions has certainly progressed in recent years in Europe, but very little in Algeria. The purpose of this paper is to identify and to introduce old environmental systems in the Algerian traditional house which could inspire designers to come up with new constructions with enhanced comfort.

Design/methodology/approach
– In this work, the authors used the “HQE” French certification grid to gauge the environmental implication of the vernacular architecture.

Findings
– Environmental systems in the traditional house respect the environment but have to be adapted to the current perception of comfort in order to be applied to the new architecture.

Research limitations/implications
– The main advantage is that the old environmental systems found in the Algerian traditional houses do not require any machinery to enhance the comfort. Thus they do not need any energy to be useful.

Practical implications
– As the Canadian Well inspired and influenced the architecture produced around the world to improve the comfort inside the houses, or as the thatched roof which inspired the vegetative roof used today to improve and regulate the energy consumption, the authors hope that some old systems used in the vernacular architecture will inspire architects or regular people who would like to enhance their comfort and life quality.

Originality/value
– Passive solutions used to improve comfort, with reduced energy consumption in houses, are increasingly sought all around the world. This work can play a part in introducing some environmental solutions used in the vernacular architecture which are nowadays left aside.
The 2010-2015 coalition and criminal justice: continuities and contradictions
Authors: Fox Chris , Bannister Jon , Miszczak Poppy 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The criminal justice system (CJS) in England and Wales went through extensive reform under the Coalition Government of 2010-2015. In this paper, and through the lens of policing, prisons and probation, the authors set out to identify the direction and qualities of these reforms. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors review key policy documents produced by the Coalition Government as well as relevant critiques. The authors concentrate on policing, prisons and probation on the basis that interrogation of these major aspects of the CJS should enable the principles underpinning the Coalition’s approach to the CJS to be discerned.

Findings
– The authors identify key themes, and their contradictions, that emerged in the Coalition Government’s approach to the CJS, these being: devolution and centralism; marketization with a growing emphasis on payment by results; politicisation and de-politicisation; and, evidence-based policy.

Research limitations/implications
– This is a review of recent government policy and as such some of the implications and outcomes resulting from that policy are not yet clear.

Practical implications
– This paper will be of particular use to those working in or studying UK criminal justice policy. Given that the majority partner in the Coalition went on to form the current government policy trends from the recent Coalition are likely to have some relevance to current government policy making in the CJS.

Originality/value
– To date there have only been limited attempts to identify key policy trends emerging from the Coalition Government.
Investigation of the effect of food and omeprazole on the relative bioavailability of a single oral dose of 240 mg faldaprevir, a selective inhibitor of HCV NS3/4 protease, in an open-label, randomized, three-way cross-over trial in healthy participants
Authors: Wu Jing , Gießmann Thomas , Lang Benjamin , Elgadi Mabrouk , Huang Fenglei 
Published: March 2016

Abstract

Objectives
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of food and coadministration of omeprazole on the relative bioavailability (BA) of faldaprevir (FDV).

Methods
Fifteen healthy participants participated in this open-label, randomized, three-way cross-over study. Faldaprevir was administered as a 240 mg single dose during fasting state, following intake of a high-fat breakfast, or following omeprazole 40 mg q.d. dosing for 5 days. PK samples were collected on the day of faldaprevir administration.

Key findings
We found geometric mean (gMean) AUC0–∞ values for faldaprevir of 48 200, 37 900 and 36 000 ng h/ml under the fed, fasted and omeprazole coadministration conditions respectively. Similarly, gMean Cmax values for faldaprevir were 2600, 2030, 1920 ng/ml under the same respective conditions. The adjusted gMean ratio between the fed and fasted condition was approximately 120% for both AUC0–∞ and Cmax, while the ratio of omeprazole coadministration to fasted condition was approximately 94%. Faldaprevir was safe and well tolerated in the study.

Conclusions
Administration of a single dose of 240 mg faldaprevir after high-fat breakfast led to a modest, clinically irrelevant increase in faldaprevir exposure, while coadministration of omeprazole did not influence faldaprevir exposure.
Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of pH-sensitive PEG-I-dC16 block polymer micelles for anticancer drug delivery
Authors: Rongbin Huang , Lei Xiang , Ying Liu , Xiangping Deng , Xuan Cao , Lanfang Li , Cuiyun Yu , Yanming Chen , Guotao Tang 
Published: March 2016

Abstract

Objectives
To develop an acid trigger release of antitumour drug delivery carriers, pH-sensitive amphiphilic poly (ethyleneglycol)-imine-benzoic-dipalmitate (PEG-I-dC16) polymers were designed and synthesized and the drug-loaded micelles were evaluated in vitro.

Methods
PEG-I-dC16 synthesized by Schiff base synthetic method and characterized by 1H-NMR. To determine the drug-loading capacity, doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in the micelles using membrane dialysis method. Zeta potential, particle size, drug-loading capacity, in vitro drug release in different pH conditions and cytotoxicity evaluation of micelles were carried out comparing with non-acid liable PEG–amide–benzoic–dipalmitate (PEG-A-dC16) polymers micelles. The cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of DOX were detected by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope.

Key findings
Drug-loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of micelle (PEG molecular weight 2k) were 12.7 ± 1.1% and 49.8 ± 2.2%, respectively. The average particle size was 72.3 ± 2.5 nm. The DOX release rate of PEG-I-dC16 micelles is much higher at pH 6.5 than at pH 7.4. DOX cellular uptake and nuclear accumulation of PEG-I-dC16 micelles were more efficiency than that of PEG-A-dC16 micelles.

Conclusion
The pH-sensitive PEG-I-dC16 micelles could be a promising drug delivery system for anticancer drugs.
New Approach to Food Difficulty Perception: Food Structure, Food Oral Processing and Individual's Physical Strength
Authors: Laguna Laura , Barrowclough Richard Asensio , Chen Jianshe , Sarkar Anwesha 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study aims to study the effect of the interaction between food physics and human physical strengths on food oral processing and difficulty perception in the young population. As the first step in human nutrition is the food oral processing, special emphasis has been given to the oral strengths. Fracture mechanics of fifteen commonly consumed food products of fruits, vegetables and dairy origin were analysed using penetration test. Among the different products studied, six products (carrot, banana, mozzarella, potato, soft cheddar and hard cheddar) were selected and given to 11 young participants (<25 y.o.). Individual physical assessments included measurements of dominant hand grip force, isometric tongue pressure and bite force. Participants ranked the food products in the order of difficulty perceived using a visual analogue scale. Additionally, the number of chews and the time at swallow were analysed from video‐recording for each participant. Food score difficulty showed that high break force of food products were related linearly with difficulty perceived (r = 0.729) and with higher oral processing time (r = 0.816). Other food breakdown characteristics such as number of peaks and gradient of the penetration curves showed linear correlation with mastication time (r = 0.830, r = 0.840) and number of chew cycles (r = 0.903, r = 0.914). However, no relationship could be established between individual physical forces (hand and oral) and food perception difficulty for young participants interviewed. This might be attributed to the selected healthy and young population having higher hand force/tongue force ratio, which might not interfere with their eating process.Practical ApplicationsThis study investigates the relationship between human physical strength (with special emphasis into oral forces), food difficulty perception of food of different textural properties and their chewing and swallowing behavior. The main hypothesis of this work is that healthy young population with different levels of oral strengths and eating behavior will perceive food difficulty as a function of food textural characteristics and their individual capability of eating. To do that, eating capability measurements has been combined with texture analysis and video‐recording of individual eating process (first bite‐to‐swallowing event). Understanding the interplay of physical, physiological and psychological elements of oral processing is a relative new area of research. Thus, the combination of tools and insights generated in this article could be a bridge between oral physiology and food science, and also could be of interests to new product developers in designing food with just‐right texture.
A TRAVEL SAFETY MODEL FOR WOMEN COMMUTERS
Authors: Sham Rohana , Shah Muhammad Zaly , Ismai Hairul Nizam 
Published: March 2016

One of the most serious discussions on the contemporary urban travel in Malaysia is that of the design facilities that have failed to meet the demand of women travelers. This has led to a higher level of concern for a much safer travelling environment for many women travelers within the Kuala Lumpur conurbation. The main aim of this research is to determine the factors of travel safety among women commuter. This empirical research has used the structural fear dimension model as the underpinning theory. A quantitative and personal administered approach through quota sampling was used to conduct the study in Kuala Lumpur urban area. A sample of 312 respondents were selected throughout the survey. The results indicates that only bus service, infrastructure had significantly affect the travel safety of women travelers but when comes to moderating variable effects, only the combination of bus service and infrastructure affect the travel safety of a women travelers.
Analysis of β-Lactamase Resistance Determinants in Enterobacteriaceae from Chicago Children: a Multicenter Survey
Authors: Logan Latania K. , Hujer Andrea M. , Marshall Steven H. , Domitrovic T. Nicholas , Rudin Susan D. , Zheng Xiaotian , Qureshi Nadia K. , Hayden Mary K. , Scaggs Felicia A. , Karadkhele Anand , Bonomo Robert A. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Enterobacteriaceae
infections are increasing in U.S. children; however, there is a paucity of multicentered analyses of antibiotic resistance genes responsible for MDR phenotypes among pediatric
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates. In this study, 225 isolates phenotypically identified as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) or carbapenemase producers, recovered from children ages 0 to 18 years hospitalized between January 2011 and April 2015 at three Chicago area hospitals, were analyzed. We used DNA microarray platforms to detect ESBL, plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC), and carbapenemase type β-lactamase (
bla
) genes. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed to assess isolate similarity. Plasmid replicon typing was conducted to classify plasmids. The median patient age was 4.2 years, 56% were female, and 44% presented in the outpatient setting. The majority (60.9%) of isolates were
Escherichia coli
and from urinary sources (69.8%). Of 225 isolates exhibiting ESBL- or carbapenemase-producing phenotypes, 90.7% contained a
bla
gene. The most common genotype was the
bla
CTX-M-1
group (49.8%); 1.8% were carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(three
bla
KPC
and one
bla
IMP
). Overall, pAmpC (
bla
ACT/MIR
and
bla
CMY
) were present in 14.2%. The predominant
E. coli
phylogenetic group was the virulent B2 group (67.6%) associated with ST43/ST131 (Pasteur/Achtman MLST scheme) containing the
bla
CTX-M-1
group (84%), and plasmid replicon types FIA, FII, and FIB.
K. pneumoniae
harboring
bla
KPC
were non-ST258 with replicon types I1 and A/C.
Enterobacter
spp. carrying
bla
ACT/MIR
contained plasmid replicon FIIA. We found that β-lactam resistance in children is diverse and that certain resistance mechanisms differ from known circulating genotypes in adults in an endemic area. The potential impact of complex molecular types and the silent dissemination of MDR
Enterobacteriaceae
in a vulnerable population needs to be studied further.
Evaluating the Effects of Surotomycin Treatment on Clostridium difficile Toxin A and B Production, Immune Response, and Morphological Changes
Authors: Endres Bradley T. , Bassères Eugénie , Khaleduzzaman Mohammed , Alam M. Jahangir , Chesnel Laurent , Garey Kevin W. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Surotomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide in development for
Clostridium difficile
-associated diarrhea. This study aimed to assess the impact of surotomycin exposure on
C. difficile
toxin A and B concentrations and the associated changes in immune response in comparison to vancomycin and metronidazole. Time-kill curve assays were performed using strain R20291 (BI/NAP1/027) at supra-MICs (4× and 40×) and sub-MICs (0.5×) of surotomycin and comparators. Following treatment, CFU counts, toxin A and B concentrations, and cellular morphological changes using scanning electron microscopy were examined. Inflammatory response was determined by measuring interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentrations from polarized Caco-2 cells exposed to antibiotic-treated
C. difficile
growth media. Supra-MICs (4× and 40×) of surotomycin resulted in a reduction of vegetative cells over 72 h (4-log difference,
P
< 0.01) compared to controls. These results correlated with decreases of 77% and 68% in toxin A and B production at 48 h, respectively (
P
< 0.005, each), which resulted in a significant reduction in IL-8 concentration compared to controls. Similar results were observed with comparator antibiotics. Bacterial cell morphology showed that the cell wall was broken apart by surotomycin treatment at supra-MICs while sub-MIC studies showed a “deflated” phenotype plus a rippling effect. These results suggest that surotomycin has potent killing effects on
C. difficile
that results in reduced toxin production and attenuates the immune response similar to comparator antibiotics. The morphological data also confirm observations that surotomycin is a membrane-active antibiotic.
Improvement of the Xpert Carba-R Kit for the Detection of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Dortet Laurent , Fusaro Mathieu , Naas Thierry 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

The Xpert Carba-R kit, version 2 (v2), which has been improved for the efficient detection of
bla
OXA-181
and
bla
OXA-232
genes, was tested on a collection of 150 well-characterized enterobacterial isolates that had a reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. The performance of the Xpert Carba-R v2 was high, as it was able to detect the five major carbapenemases (NDM, VIM, IMP, KPC, and OXA-48). Thus, it is now well adapted to the carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
epidemiology of many countries worldwide.
Antitubercular Agent Delamanid and Metabolites as Substrates and Inhibitors of ABC and Solute Carrier Transporters
Authors: Sasabe Hiroyuki , Shimokawa Yoshihiko , Shibata Masakazu , Hashizume Kenta , Hamasako Yusuke , Ohzone Yoshihiro , Kashiyama Eiji , Umehara Ken 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Delamanid (Deltyba, OPC-67683) is the first approved drug in a novel class of nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazoles developed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Patients with tuberculosis require treatment with multiple drugs, several of which have known drug-drug interactions. Transporters regulate drug absorption, distribution, and excretion; therefore, the inhibition of transport by one agent may alter the pharmacokinetics of another, leading to unexpected adverse events. Therefore, it is important to understand how delamanid affects transport activity. In the present study, the potencies of delamanid and its main metabolites as the substrates and inhibitors of various transporters were evaluated
in vitro
. Delamanid was not transported by the efflux ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp; MDR1/ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2), solute carrier (SLC) transporters, organic anion-transporting polypeptides, or organic cation transporter 1. Similarly, metabolite 1 (M1) was not a substrate for any of these transporters except P-gp. Delamanid showed no inhibitory effect on ABC transporters MDR1, BCRP, and bile salt export pump (BSEP; ABCB11), SLC transporters, or organic anion transporters. M1 and M2 inhibited P-gp- and BCRP-mediated transport but did so only at the 50% inhibitory concentrations (M1, 4.65 and 5.71 μmol/liter, respectively; M2, 7.80 and 6.02 μmol/liter, respectively), well above the corresponding maximum concentration in plasma values observed following the administration of multiple doses in clinical trials. M3 and M4 did not affect the activities of any of the transporters tested. These
in vitro
data suggest that delamanid is unlikely to have clinically relevant interactions with drugs for which absorption and disposition are mediated by this group of transporters.
Potentiation of Aminoglycoside Activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Targeting the AmgRS Envelope Stress-Responsive Two-Component System
Authors: Poole Keith , Gilmour Christie , Farha Maya A. , Mullen Erin , Lau Calvin Ho-Fung , Brown Eric D. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

A screen for agents that potentiated the activity of paromomycin (PAR), a 4,5-linked aminoglycoside (AG), against wild-type
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
identified the RNA polymerase inhibitor rifampin (RIF). RIF potentiated additional 4,5-linked AGs, such as neomycin and ribostamycin, but not the clinically important 4,6-linked AGs amikacin and gentamicin. Potentiation was absent in a mutant lacking the AmgRS envelope stress response two-component system (TCS), which protects the organism from AG-generated membrane-damaging aberrant polypeptides and, thus, promotes AG resistance, an indication that RIF was acting via this TCS in potentiating 4,5-linked AG activity. Potentiation was also absent in a RIF-resistant RNA polymerase mutant, consistent with its potentiation of AG activity being dependent on RNA polymerase perturbation. PAR-inducible expression of the AmgRS-dependent genes
htpX
and
yccA
was reduced by RIF, suggesting that AG activation of this TCS was compromised by this agent. Still, RIF did not compromise the membrane-protective activity of AmgRS, an indication that it impacted some other function of this TCS. RIF potentiated the activities of 4,5-linked AGs against several AG-resistant clinical isolates, in two cases also potentiating the activity of the 4,6-linked AGs. These cases were, in one instance, explained by an observed AmgRS-dependent expression of the MexXY multidrug efflux system, which accommodates a range of AGs, with RIF targeting of AmgRS undermining
mexXY
expression and its promotion of resistance to 4,5- and 4,6-linked AGs. Given this link between AmgRS, MexXY expression, and pan-AG resistance in
P. aeruginosa
, RIF might be a useful adjuvant in the AG treatment of
P. aeruginosa
infections.