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Geocell reinforcements are proposed as a thrust countermeasure for shallowly buried pipeline bends and tees. The proposed method is easy to construct and has shorter construction time than the use of conventional concrete blocks since it does not require curing. Lateral loading tests were conducted on plates reproducing pipe bends or tees to verify their effectiveness while understanding deformation mechanisms. In addition to changing the plate width and geocell pocket size, additional experiments were conducted with different geocell reinforcement dimensions, geocell tensile stiffnesses and tensile properties of the seams. An equation for predicting the force–displacement relationship was developed as part of the proposed design method. The experimental results showed that the sides of the reinforced ground were not fully integrated when the width of the geocell reinforcement was large relative to the plate width. It was also found that the maximum force hardly decreased, although the displacement increased slightly due to the reduction of the tensile stiffness of the geocells and the tensile force at the geocell seams. Moreover, a hyperbolic approximation of the force–displacement relationship of the geocell reinforcement was developed and the calculated values agreed well with the experimental values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenji Kabeya,1 Hiroki Satoh,2,3 Satoko Hori,4 Yasufumi Sawada2 1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; 2Laboratory of Drug Lifetime Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; 3Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; 4Laboratory of Drug Informatics, Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo, 105-8512, JapanCorrespondence: Yasufumi Sawada Tel +81 3 5841 1096Fax +81 3 5841 1097Email sawada@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jpBackground: Tablets and capsules are the most common dosage forms. However, ease of use and/or swallowing influences patients’ compliance.Objective: To identify patients’ preferences regarding the three-dimensional size of medical tablets/capsules.Methods: Eighteen cylindrical-, oblong-, and oval-shaped model formulations having different sizes were prepared by three-dimensional printing using polylactic acid. Participants (40 patients visiting a pharmacy in Japan) evaluated the difficulty of picking up and swallowing these model formulations by touching/observing them, and completed a questionnaire. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate each sample, and the relationship of VAS scores to the major axis, thickness, I2 (the sum of major/minor axes) and I3 (the sum of major/minor axes and thickness) of the model formulations was evaluated by ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test.Results: Female participants showed lower VAS scores (less difficult) for picking difficulty compared with male participants, and those taking many drugs showed higher VAS scores (more difficult) for swallowing difficulty compared with those taking fewer drugs. Otherwise, age, gender, disease status, number of drugs usually taken, and ingestion problems did not greatly influence the evaluation. Overall, larger model formulations showed less picking difficulty, but greater swallowing difficulty. Model formulations 2 mm thick or less were harder to pick up, whereas those 6 mm thick or more were harder to swallow. I3 values greater than 20– 22 mm were associated with a negative evaluation by participants.Conclusion: Participants in this study preferred model formulations with an I3 value below 22 mm and a thickness of 2– 6 mm.Keywords: tablet, capsule, size, shape, patient preference

Kenji Kabeya,1 Hiroki Satoh,2,3 Satoko Hori,4 Yasumasa Miura,5 Yasufumi Sawada2 1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 2Laboratory of Drug Lifetime Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 3Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 4Laboratory of Drug Informatics, Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan; 5Toho Holdings Co., Ltd, Tokyo 155-8655, JapanCorrespondence: Yasufumi SawadaLaboratory of Drug Lifetime Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-0033, JapanTel +81 3 5841 1096Fax +81 3 5841 1097Email sawada@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jpBackground: Medical tablets and capsules are superior with regard to portability and are the most common dosage form in Japan. However, their large size often results in difficulties during ingestion, sometimes leading to reduced medication adherence.Objective: The authors used postmarketing surveillance data to determine the threshold size of medical tablets and capsules that patients feel are too large to ingest.Patients and Methods: The marketing specialists of Toho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. collected opinions of patients and medical workers (November 2014–April 2016). Regarding 709 reports from patients stating that the tablet or capsule for too large for ingestion, a dataset was prepared from package inserts of the reported drugs. Two analyses were conducted: histogram analysis of size distribution and geometric analysis using linear approximation. Six indices of tablet/capsule size were considered: length; length + width; length + width + depth; length × width; length × width × depth; and weight.Results: Histogram analysis revealed that length + width + depth is an excellent index of tablet/capsule size, and negative reports on tablet/capsule size drastically increase when this index is ≥ 21 mm. Geometric analysis using linear approximation also revealed similar results.Conclusion: The threshold size of tablets/capsules that patients feel are too large to ingest is length + width + depth = 21 mm. Therefore, when designing or altering tablets/capsules, if length + width + depth is ≥ 21 mm, the drug should be scored, split into smaller doses, or redesigned as an orally disintegrating formulation.Keywords: marketing specialist, size, shape, tablet, capsule, postmarketing surveillance

Kenji Kabeya,1 Hiroki Satoh,2,3 Satoko Hori,4 Yasumasa Miura,5 Yasufumi Sawada2 1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 2Laboratory of Drug Lifetime Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 3Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 4Laboratory of Drug Informatics, Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo, 105-8512, Japan; 5Toho Holdings Co., Ltd, Tokyo 155-8655, JapanCorrespondence: Yasufumi Sawada Tel +81 3-5841-1096Fax +81 3-5841-1097Email sawada@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jpBackground: Press-through-package (PTP) sheets are common forms of packaging for medicines in Japan. However, patients and/or pharmacists have reported difficulty in extracting tablets or capsules from some PTP sheets.Objective: We used postmarketing surveillance data to identify the characteristics of PTP sheets that patients and pharmacists feel are “hard to use”.Methods: Marketing specialists of Toho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. canvassed patients and medical workers during November 2014–April 2016. Among 1,129 anonymous reports of products being “hard to use”, we identified 39 products with 5 or more reports (Problem group). We compared the sizes of the drugs and PTP pockets, the size ratio, the material used for the front of PTPs, the shape of the pockets, the thickness of the pocket wall, and the force needed to release the drug from the PTP (press-out force: POF) in this Problem group with those in a Control group of 97 problem-free products.Results: Logistic regression analyses revealed that a bigger pocket, a smaller drug size and a smaller drug-pocket size ratio increase the risk of being “hard to use”. Regarding the material, aluminum, PCTFE and PE increase the risk, while PP and PVC decrease the risk. Other factors had no significant influence.Conclusion: Pockets in PTP sheets should be designed so as to minimize the gap between the drug and the pocket, and PP or PVC should be used as the front material instead of aluminum, PCTFE or PE. Our results suggest that marketing specialists can play effective roles in postmarketing surveillance.Keywords: marketing specialist, postmarketing surveillance, PTP, package

Makoto Ishikawa, Yu Sawada, Noriko Sato, Takeshi YoshitomiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Akita Graduate University School of Medicine, Akita, JapanBackground/aims: To describe risk factors associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in Japanese subjects who participated in community health screenings.Methods: Residents of Akita, Japan, participating in a community health checkup were selected to undergo a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. Glaucoma was diagnosed based on optic disk appearance, perimetric results, and other ocular findings. Systemic blood pressure and intraocular pressure were measured and ocular perfusion pressure was calculated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for POAG patients.Results and conclusion: Of the 710 subjects examined, 26 had POAG. The estimated prevalence of POAG was 3.7%. After adjusting for age, the prevalence of POAG was similar to that found in the Tajimi Study of Japanese subjects. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that older age (≥60 years, odds ratio [OR]: 3.49), lower diastolic blood pressure (≤58 mmHg, OR: 2.11), higher intraocular pressure (≥19 mmHg, OR: 4.12), and lower ocular perfusion pressure (≤34 mmHg, OR: 5.78) were associated with increased risk of having POAG. These findings may be relevant for identifying high risk groups.Keywords: glaucoma, community health screening, risk factors

Makoto Ishikawa1, Masabumi Kubo2, Seiji Maeda3, Yu Sawada1, Eiichi Uchio4, Takeshi Yoshitomi11Department of Ophthalmology, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan; 2Fukiage Eye Clinic, Hachinohe, Japan; 3Maeda Eye Clinic, Honjo, Japan; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, JapanPurpose: To examine structural changes in the lacrimal sac epithelium and associated lymphoid tissue of rabbits with experimentally induced dacryocystitis.Methods: Experimental dacryocystitis was induced by an inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus into the lacrimal sac. The histological changes of the inflamed lacrimal sac epithelium and associated lymphoid tissue were studied by light and electron microscopy.Results: After 1 month, numerous inflammatory cells (CD20-positive B lymphocytes, CD3-positive T lymphocytes, IgA-positive plasma cells, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes) infiltrated the lamina propria and the epithelium overlying the diffuse lymphoid tissue. Three months later, the density of the infiltrated leukocytes was markedly decreased. The epithelial lining overlying the diffuse lymphoid tissue became thicker with numerous secretory granules in the supranuclear regions.Conclusion: The lacrimal sac epithelium and associated lymphoid tissue play a major role in the defense mechanism during inflammation. Overproduction of secretory granules after bacterial inoculation could enhance the antimicrobial defense.Keywords: experimental dacryocystitis, lacrimal sac epithelium, lymphoid tissue, structure, rabbit

The concentration of total neopterin in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was measured in cases of febrile convulsion, aseptic meningitis and influenza encephalopathy. In febrile convulsion except for exanthem subitum, the concentrations of CSF neopterin (26± 11, Mean±SD, n=6) were all within normal range while those of serum neopterin (66± 20, n=8) were significantly higher (p < 0.05). In aseptic meningitis, on the other hand, the concentrations of CSF neopterin (194± 130, n=13) were significantly higher than those of serum (33±23, n=11, p < 0.05). In influenza encephalopathy, both concentrations of serum neopterin (329±478, n=13) and CSF neopterin(179±131, n=11) were much higher than the control range. Our results indicate that the primary immunoreacting site is the central nervous system (CNS) for aseptic meningitis, the periphery for febrile convulsion except for exanthem subitum and both the periphery and the CNS for influenza encephalopathy. Measurements of neopterin concentrations in CSF as well as in serum may thus constitute an immediate aid for early differentiation of CNS infection from peripheral infection as well as for early detection of viral encephalopathy caused by viruses such as the influenza virus or the human herpes virus 6.

Since 1970, measurement of the soil microbial biomass (SMB) has been widely adopted as a relatively simple means of assessing the impact of environmental and anthropogenic change on soil microorganisms. The SMB is living and dynamic, and its activity is responsible for the regulation of organic matter transformations and associated energy and nutrient cycling in soil. At a gross level, an increase in SMB is considered beneficial, while a decline in SMB may be considered detrimental if this leads to a decline in biological function. However, absolute SMB values are more difficult to interpret. Target or reference values of SMB are needed for soil quality assessments and to allow ameliorative action to be taken at an appropriate time. However, critical values have not yet been successfully identified for SMB. This paper provides a conceptual framework which outlines how SMB values could be interpreted and measured, with examples provided within an Australian context. Additional keywords: fumigation extraction, soil biology, SMB, soil quality., Introduction The difficulty of studying the non-culturable components of the soil microbial population led to the measurement of the soil microbial biomass (SMB) as a means of quantifying microorganisms in [...]