bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water-soluble copolymers of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate: Synthesis and properties
Authors: Annenkov Vadim V. , Pal'shin Victor A. , Danilovtseva Elena N.
Published: August 2014

New water-soluble polymers with phosphate groups based on 2- methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate have been synthesized by copolymerization with 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and 1-vinylimidazole. The obtained copolymers are polyelectrolytes showing high inclination to aggregation in aqueous medium according to light scattering data. Copolymer of 1-vinylimidazole shows ampholyte properties with isoelectric point at pH 6.8 (6.4 in 0.1M NaCl). Condensation of silicic acid in the presence of this copolymer results in composite particles containing aggregated or non-aggregated copolymer coils with embedded silica.
A review on modeling of the thermal conductivity of polymeric nanocomposites
Authors: Jafari Nejad Sh. Jafari
Published: August 2014

This review reports recent advances in the field of thermal conductivity of polymeric nanocomposites. Thermally conductive polymeric nanocomposites can be used for replacing metal parts in several applications, such as liquid cooling and ventilation garment, power electronics, electric motors and generators, heat exchangers, etc., because the polymers have some privileges such as light weight, corrosion resistance, lower manufacturing cost and ease of processing. In this study, the thermal conductivity measurement and modeling of polymeric nanocomposites are discussed in general, and detailed examples are also drawn from the scientific literature. Many theoretical models are available to predict the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites. The simplest of these are mixture rules such as series, parallel, and geometric models. However, the series model typically over predicts the thermal conductivity, whereas the parallel model tends to under predict the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites. Other models such as the Hamilton-Crosser model and the Lewis-Nielsen model are based on particle size, geometry, and the manner of particle packing in the matrix. Also, there are various effective medium approaches (EMA) like the Maxwell-Garnett (MG) approximation to analyze the thermal transport behaviour in heterogeneous media such as thermal conductivity of some composite structures.
Dissolution of natural polymers in ionic liquids: A review
Authors: Meng Zhuojun , Zheng Xuejing , Tang Keyong , Liu Jie , Qin Shufa
Published: August 2014

Natural polymers are produced by living organisms, e.g. plants, animals, microorganisms. Natural polymer materials have gained increasing attention due to their high strength and stiffness combined with carbon neutral, biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability and sustainability. However, due to the strong interand intra-molecular hydrogen bonds, many natural polymers are extremely difficult to be dissolved in water or traditional organic solvents. The processing difficulties tremendously limit the applications of natural polymers in many fields. Recently, using ionic liquids (ILs) as novel solvents to dissolve natural polymers has attracted increasing attention. ILs has been shown to be highly effective at dissolving some natural polymers to technically useful concentrations. In this article, the structure and basic properties of ILs are introduced; the recent progress is reviewed in the dissolution of several important natural polymers using ionic liquids, including cellulose, chitin and chitosan, wool keratin fibers, silk fibroin and collagen fibers. The dissolution mechanisms of natural polymers using ILs as solvents are analyzed. The structure and properties of native and regenerated natural polymers are discussed in details.
Synthesis and characterization of high molecular weight and low dispersity polystyrene homopolymers by RAFT polymerization
Authors: Jin Cheng , Liu Chun , Jiang Bo , in Qin-jian
Published: August 2014

High molecular weight polystyrene homopolymers with low dispersity were synthesized by a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization method using 0.03 and 0.3 wt% of cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) vs. styrene (St) and the azobis(isobutyronitrile) initiator, at the polymerization temperature of 60 or 70 °C. The optimal high molecular weight polystyrene via this synthetic scheme shows Mw = 46.5×104, Mn = 33.3×104, and a dispersity of 1.40. The polystyrene chain contains a dithiobenzoate C=S moiety and thus can be used as a macro-chain-transfer agent for the polymerization of other monomers and for the synthesis of diversified block copolymers under mild conditions. The changes of the polystyrene molecular weight and dispersity were studied by the influences of the initial concentration ratio of CDB to styrene ([CDB]0/[St]0), the polymerization temperature, and the polymerization time. The PS molecular weight is inversely proportional to the [CDB]0/[St]0 ratio. Decreasing CDB from 0.3 to 0.03 wt%, a high MW PS was obtained, while the dispersity was observed to increase from 1.10 to 1.40. The PS molecular weight increases with the increase of the reaction time, while the dispersity of PS varies little from 1.12 to 1.23. The molecular weight and dispersity increase with the increase of the polymerization temperature. As the temperature arises from 60°C to 70°C, the conversion increases considerably from 25.8% to 39.9%, and the dispersity increases slightly from 1.15 to 1.17. As the temperature reaches 80°C, the conversion increases considerably to 64.7%, and the dispersity increases to 1.53. The polymer molecular weight of the polystyrene prepared by the RAFT method is suitable for the applications of engineering materials.
Synthesis of new photobactericidal polymers by “click chemistry” and a study of their biological activity
Authors: Memmi Abdelmajid , Granet Robert , Aouni Mahjoub , Bakhrouf Amina , Krausz Pierre
Published: August 2014

Photobactericidal plastic materials have been synthesized from cellulose and natural or synthetic porphyrins. The photosensitizer was covalently linked to a cellulose fatty ester by means of a Huisgen cyclo addition reaction resulting in high yields and degrees of substitution (DS). The polymers obtained were characterized by UV vis., IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Photobactericidal properties were evaluated on the three pathogenic strains E. coli, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. A total killing of the bacteria was achieved with plastics with DS values higher than 1% upon illumination.
Contact angle hysteresis on plasma treated polyethylene terephthalate
Authors: Bachurová Marcela , Wiener Jakub
Published: August 2014

Knowledge of contact angle hysteresis is important to the understanding of surface wettability and to controlling further surface wetting behaviour. The wettability can be affected by surface modification. This study is a look on surfaces modified by the usage of plasma. We describe the effect of plasma treatments on contact angle hysteresis by the use of Diffuse Coplanar Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DCSBD). Modification of the surface was achieved using textile made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Results have shown that both advancing and receding contact angle were significantly reduced by the process. The contact angle hysteresis was decreased after the plasma treatment as was observed by measurement taken at various time intervals and this fact correspond with introduction of functional groups detected by X - ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Synthesis and characterization of polymethylsilsesqui oxane microspheres by the two-step sol-gel method
Authors: Wang Jiangbo , Xin Zhong
Published: August 2014

Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) microspheres with an average diameter of 30nm to 6μm were prepared from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) by a two-step sol-gel method in the presence of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (HTAC). The reaction conditions including the concentration of HTAC, water/MTMS ratio, pH value and the temperature in condensation reaction were examined, and aggregation of the microspheres was not observed during the preparation process. Moreover, the structure and thermal stability of PMSQ microspheres were investigated by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and so on.
Optimization of 4-vinylpyridine nitroxide mediated controlled radical polymerization: Effect of initiator protection and complexation with C60
Authors: Lessard Benoît H. , Marić Milan
Published: August 2014

Nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP) of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) using 2-([tert-butyl[1-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-2,2-dimethylpropyl]amino]oxy)-2-methyl pro pionic acid (BlocBuilder)-derived initiators was studied. Controlled homo polymerization of 4VP using 10 mol% [tert-butyl[1-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-2,2- dimethylpropyl]amino] nitroxide (SG1) relative to BlocBuilder was limited to low conversions (X = 0.20-0.30) due to interaction between the pyridine group of 4VP and BlocBuilder’s carboxylic acid group. Converting BlocBuilder into a succinimidyl ester terminated form (NHS-BlocBuilder) resulted in 4VP polymerizations with a linear increase in number average molecular weight, M̅n, versus X to X = 0.80, while maintaining a narrow molecular weight distribution ( M̅w/M̅n<1.2). Final poly(4VP) samples were determined to be pseudo-“living” by subsequent chain extension with a fresh batch of 4VP, with very few dead chains. Attempts to homopolymerize 4VP in the presence of as little as 0.04 wt% C60 relative to 4VP resulted in inhibition, preventing the polymerization from exceeding beyond X = 0.40 and thus 4VP/C60 complexation has to be done post-polymerization.
Functional flexible substrate in altering substitution phenylene core of fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s
Authors: Lee Chun-Che , Huang Wen-Yao
Published: August 2014

We proposed three degrees n” of phenyl substition on the middle phenylene core of novel poly(arylene ether)s (PAEs). The PAEs were prepared via nucleophilic displacement of fluorine atoms on the terminal benzene ring with trifluoromethylactivated bisfluoro monomer. The thermal property of polymers showed ~273 °C glass transition point and ~457 °C decomposition temperature for 5% weight loss. In addition, investigations revealed that spiro-annulated textures resulted from multisubstituted phetaphenylene moiety and trifluoromethyl groups. Furthermore, PAE films were experimentally demonstrated to have wide-range solubility, high transparencies greater than 90% in visible light region, low coefficient of thermal expansion about 30 ppm/°C, low polarities below 2.8 at 1 kHz, and hydrophobicities
Surface characterization of polymer foils
Authors: Kolská Zdenka , Řezníčková Alena , Švorčík Václav
Published: August 2014

Electrokinetic potential (zeta potential) for selected 21 polymer foils was studied. The results on zeta potential are supplemented with contact angle measurements (goniometry) and with the results on surface roughness measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Zeta potential was determined using two approaches: streaming current and streaming potential at pH=6.0-6.2. Two electrolyte solutions with KCl (concentrations 0.001 and 0.005 mol/dm3) and KNO3 (0.001 mol/dm3) were used in the experiments. Zeta potential was shown to depend on surface chemistry, polarity, roughness and morphology of the polymer foils.
The properties, morphology and structure of BPDA/ PPD/ BOA polyimide fibers
Authors: Huang Senbiao , Gao Zhongmin , Ma Xiaoye , Qiu Xuepeng , Gao Lianxun
Published: August 2014

A family of random copoly(amic acid)s (coPAAs) containing the 2-(4- aminophenyl)-5-aminobenzoxazole (BOA) moiety were synthesized in DMAc, followed by dry-jet wet spinning process into as-spun PAA fibers. The modified polyimide (PI) fibers were obtained from PAA fibers after imidized and drawn in a furnace. The mechanical properties of fibers were improved by incorporating BOA into BPDA/PPD backbone. SEM photo showed that the cross-section of each stage fibers was round and voids free. Besides, the “skin-core” and microfibrillar structure were not observed. The thermal properties of PI fibers were also investigated. The results showed that the PI fibers owned excellent thermal stability, moreover, the dimensional stability and the microphase separation of fibers were improved by heat-drawn stage. The Tg were found to be around 290°C by TMA and DMA. The X-ray (WAXD and SAXS) experiments indicated that the longitudinal stacks, the molecular orientation and the structural homogeneity of PI fiber were improved in the preparation process of fibers.
Evaluation of potential antiamnesic activities of aqueous extract of Vitex trifolia leaves against scopolamine induced amnesia and in normal rats
Authors: Mohanbabu Amberkar Vittal Rao , Kishore Meena Kumari Kamal , Chandrashekar Bangalore Revanna , Pradeepa Hoskeri Dakappa , Christopher Rockson , Nandit Purnanand Banawalikar
Published: August 2014

Background: The goal of this study was to evaluate the cerebroprotective and cognition-enhancing activities of the aqueous Vitex trifolia (Vt) L. (Verbenaceae) leaf extract against scopolamine-induced amnesia and in normal rats.

Methods: Reference or working memory and long-term memory in rodents were tested by experimental paradigms like passive avoidance (PA) and T-maze (TM), respectively. TM and Morris water maze (MWM) were used to screen putative spatial or localization task and the navigation memory-enhancing activities of Vt extract, respectively. In both the PA and TM models, scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, 30 min prior to the trial) was used to induce amnesia, and donepezil (3 mg/kg/day for 15 days) was used as a standard antiamnesic drug. In MWM, two doses of Vt extract were tested against normal control rats. The aqueous Vt extract was prepared as a suspension in 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose and administered orally at two doses (10 and 20 mg/kg/day) for 15 days to the respective group of rats.

Results: The higher dose (20 mg/kg) of plant extract exhibited significant (p<0.01) antiamnesic activity in the PA and TM models vs. the control. In the MWM test, at probe trial, Vt extract 20 mg/kg showed the least escape latency time, which was statistically significant (p<0.01) and exhibited maximum percentage of time spent in the probe quadrant by 60.75%.

Conclusions: These results partly substantiate the traditional use of Vt leaves for improvement of cognition, indicating that daily administration of Vt leaves differentially could modulate short- and long-term learning and memory in rats probably through its battery of anticholinesterase, procholinergic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities.
Definitions of radioisotope thick target yields
Authors: Otuka Naohiko , Takács Sandor
Published: August 2014

Definitions of thick target yields are reviewed
in relation to their documentation for the experimental nuclear
reaction data library (database).
Researchers reporting experimental thick target yields are urged
to define their yields clearly with an appropriate unit in order to compile
them in the experimental data library (EXFOR) in a consistent manner,
and also to properly utilise them for comparison with other
experimental and evaluated yields.
Measurement of yield of residues produced in 12C+natY reaction and subsequent separation of 97Ru
from Y target using cation exchange resin
Authors: Maiti Moumita , Lahiri Susanta
Published: August 2014

This paper reports the yield of no-carrier-added (NCA) radionuclides produced in 12C6+ induced reaction on
natural yttrium target at 10 different incident energies in the range of 40 to 75 MeV by the stacked-foil
technique, followed by off-line γ-ray spectroscopy. It also reports the radiochemical separation of NCA 97Ru
from the bulk yttrium target. 97Ru was produced in the yttrium matrix through
89Y(12C, 4n)97,97mRh(EC)97Ru and
89Y(12C, p3n)97Ru reactions along with the radioisotopes 98Rh,
97Rh, 97mRh, 93Tc, 94Tc, 95Tc and
93mMo. Irradiated target was allowed to cool for the complete decay of short-lived residues and
97Ru was then separated from the bulk yttrium using the cation exchanger DOWEX-50WX4 in an ion exchange column as
well as via solid-liquid extraction (SLX). A total of ∼88% NCA 97Ru was separated in column
chromatography without any contamination of bulk, whereas quantitative separation of NCA Ru was achieved in SLX.
Preparation and characterization of graphite/resin composite bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
Authors: Chen Hui , Xia Xiao-Hong , Yang Li , He Yue-de , Liu Hong-bo
Published: August 2014

Preparing conductive composite bipolar plates for fuel cells by compression molding is a promising research direction. The very key point is how to choose the conductivity filler and binder to meet the requirement. In this article, natural graphite and expanded graphite were used as the filler, and phenolic resin and epoxy resin were used as the binder. The composite bipolar plates were prepared by solution intercalation mixing, compression molding, and curing. The variations in electrical conductivity and mechanical properties were evaluated with the resin content. The results show that the types of fillers and binders have significant effects on the performance of composite bipolar plates, and that the thermal stability of all composite bipolar plates is very good at the fuel-cell working temperature. The corrosion current densities were <16 μA/cm2, which indicates that the composites developed in this work meet many attributes of bipolar plates for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.
Durability study of ramie fiber fabric reinforced phenolic plates under humidity conditions
Authors: Xian Guijun , Yin Peng , Kafodya Innocent , Li Hui , Wang Wei-lun
Published: August 2014

A durability study of a ramie fiber fabric reinforced phenolic resin (RFRP) plate under 50%, 85%, and 98% relative humidity for 6 months at room temperature was performed. Water absorption and desorption, tensile and short beam shear strengths of the RFRP plates were investigated as a function of exposure time. RFRP samples show strong hydrophilic characteristics and the saturated water content varies from 0.73% to 4.5% with relative humidity ranging from 50% to 98%. After 6 months of exposure to 98% relative humidity, an abnormal extra amount of moisture was absorbed, which may have resulted from cracks in the resin matrix or from debonding between fiber and resin due to swelling of the fibers with high moisture content. It was found that the tensile modulus is more susceptible to moisture uptake, which is ascribed to the degradation of ramie fibers with the water ingress. An approximate linearity between the mechanical properties and the moisture content is observed if the abnormal extra water uptake is neglected. Both tensile and short beam shear strengths of the RFRP samples recovered remarkably when samples were fully dried at 60°C, indicating a low degree of permanent degradation occurred due to the exposure.
Dialogizität und sequenzielle Verdichtung in der Forenkommunikation: Editieren als kommunikatives Verfahren
Authors: Lindemann Katrin , Ruoss Emanuel , Weinzinger Caroline
Published: August 2014

Drawing both on conversation analysis and text linguistics, this article retraces the emergence of a new communicative practice in an online discussion forum: Based on data from an academic learning environment, we demonstrate how peers in a student study group start using the “edit button” which allows them to modify in retrospect not only their own but also other people’s posts. This communicative practice of post editing in online discussion forums develops in four stages: It starts out as simple postings of messages on a discussion board. Next, the collocutors make use of the edit button to change their own posts, and, in a dialogical manner that of their discussion partners. Finally, it comes down to a complex form of exchange between the interlocutors who innovatively use the edit button within a single post. By using the edit button in innovative ways the participants bring together sequentially related messages in a single post that are usually spread over multiple posts. We argue that the emergence of this innovative use of the strategy of “sequential compression” (sequenzielle Verdichtung), as we shall call it, may be understood as an answer both to the affordances of asynchronous communication in discussion forums and to the learning situation which is characterized by pressure of time calling for new and innovative strategies.
“Big Data” and the Electronic Health Record
Authors: Ross M. K. , Wei Wei , Ohno-Machado L.
Published: August 2014

Objectives: Implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems continues to expand. The massive number of patient encounters results in high amounts of stored data. Transforming clinical data into knowledge to improve patient care has been the goal of biomedical informatics professionals for many decades, and this work is now increasingly recognized outside our field. In reviewing the literature for the past three years, we focus on “big data” in the context of EHR systems and we report on some examples of how secondary use of data has been put into practice.

Methods: We searched PubMed database for articles from January 1, 2011 to November 1, 2013. We initiated the search with keywords related to “big data” and EHR. We identified relevant articles and additional keywords from the retrieved articles were added. Based on the new keywords, more articles were retrieved and we manually narrowed down the set utilizing predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: Our final review includes articles categorized into the themes of data mining (pharmacovigilance, phenotyping, natural language processing), data application and integration (clinical decision support, personal monitoring, social media), and privacy and security.

Conclusion: The increasing adoption of EHR systems worldwide makes it possible to capture large amounts of clinical data. There is an increasing number of articles addressing the theme of “big data”, and the concepts associated with these articles vary. The next step is to transform healthcare big data into actionable knowledge.
Big Data: Are Biomedical and Health Informatics Training Programs Ready?
Authors: Hersh W. , Jai Ganesh A. U. , Otero P.
Published: August 2014

Objective: The growing volume and diversity of health and biomedical data indicate that the era of Big Data has arrived for healthcare. This has many implications for informatics, not only in terms of implementing and evaluating information systems, but also for the work and training of informatics researchers and professionals. This article addresses the question: What do biomedical and health informaticians working in analytics and Big Data need to know?

Methods: We hypothesize a set of skills that we hope will be discussed among academic and other informaticians.

Results: The set of skills includes: Programming - especially with data-oriented tools, such as SQL and statistical programming languages; Statistics - working knowledge to apply tools and techniques; Domain knowledge - depending on one’s area of work, bioscience or health care; and Communication - being able to understand needs of people and organizations, and articulate results back to them.

Conclusion: Biomedical and health informatics educational programs must introduce concepts of analytics, Big Data, and the underlying skills to use and apply them into their curricula. The development of new coursework should focus on those who will become experts, with training aiming to provide skills in “deep analytical talent” as well as those who need knowledge to support such individuals.
Reuse Of Clinical Data
Authors: Safran C.
Published: August 2014

Objectives: To provide an overview of the benefits of clinical data collected as a by-product of the care process, the potential problems with large aggregations of these data, the policy frameworks that have been formulated, and the major challenges in the coming years.

Methods: This report summarizes some of the major observations from AMIA and IMIA conferences held on this admittedly broad topic from 2006 through 2013. This report also includes many unsupported opinions of the author.

Results: The benefits of aggregating larger and larger sets of routinely collected clinical data are well documented and of great societal benefit. These large data sets will probably never answer all possible clinical questions for methodological reasons. Non-traditional sources of health data that are patient-sources will pose new data science challenges.

Conclusions: If we ever hope to have tools that can rapidly provide evidence for daily practice of medicine we need a science of health data perhaps modeled after the science of astronomy.
What Does Big Data Mean for Wearable Sensor Systems?
Authors: Lovell N. H. , Yang G. Z. , Horsch A. , Lukowicz P. , Murrugarra L. , Marschollek M. , Redmond S. J.
Published: August 2014

Objectives:The aim of this paper is to discuss how recent developments in the field of big data may potentially impact the future use of wearable sensor systems in healthcare.

Methods: The article draws on the scientific literature to support the opinions presented by the IMIA Wearable Sensors in Health-care Working Group.

Results: The following is discussed: the potential for wearable sensors to generate big data; how complementary technologies, such as a smartphone, will augment the concept of a wearable sensor and alter the nature of the monitoring data created; how standards would enable sharing of data and advance scientific progress. Importantly, attention is drawn to statistical inference problems for which big datasets provide little assistance, or may hinder the identification of a useful solution. Finally, a discussion is presented on risks to privacy and possible negative consequences arising from intensive wearable sensor monitoring.

Conclusions: Wearable sensors systems have the potential to generate datasets which are currently beyond our capabilities to easily organize and interpret. In order to successfully utilize wearable sensor data to infer wellbeing, and enable proactive health management, standards and ontologies must be developed which allow for data to be shared between research groups and between commercial systems, promoting the integration of these data into health information systems. However, policy and regulation will be required to ensure that the detailed nature of wearable sensor data is not misused to invade privacies or prejudice against individuals.
Big Data in Medicine Is Driving Big Changes
Authors: Verspoor K. , Martin-Sanchez F.
Published: August 2014

Objectives: To summarise current research that takes advantage of “Big Data” in health and biomedical informatics applications.

Methods:Survey of trends in this work, and exploration of literature describing how large-scale structured and unstructured data sources are being used to support applications from clinical decision making and health policy, to drug design and pharmacovigilance, and further to systems biology and genetics.

Results: The survey highlights ongoing development of powerful new methods for turning that large-scale, and often complex, data into information that provides new insights into human health, in a range of different areas. Consideration of this body of work identifies several important paradigm shifts that are facilitated by Big Data resources and methods: in clinical and translational research, from hypothesis-driven research to data-driven research, and in medicine, from evidence-based practice to practice-based evidence.

Conclusions: The increasing scale and availability of large quantities of health data require strategies for data management, data linkage, and data integration beyond the limits of many existing information systems, and substantial effort is underway to meet those needs. As our ability to make sense of that data improves, the value of the data will continue to increase. Health systems, genetics and genomics, population and public health; all areas of biomedicine stand to benefit from Big Data and the associated technologies.
Engaging Patients through Mobile Phones: Demonstrator Services, Success Factors, and Future Opportunities in Low and Middle-income Countries
Authors: Hartzler A. , Wetter T.
Published: August 2014

Objectives: Evolving technology and infrastructure can benefit patients even in the poorest countries through mobile health (mHealth). Yet, what makes mobile-phone-based services succeed in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) and what opportunities does the future hold that still need to be studied. We showcase demonstrator services that leverage mobile phones in the hands of patients to promote health and facilitate health care.

Methods: We surveyed the recent biomedical literature for demonstrator services that illustrate well-considered examples of mobile phone interventions for consumer health. We draw upon those examples to discuss enabling factors, scalability, reach, and potential of mHealth as well as obstacles in LMIC.

Results: Among the 227 articles returned by a PubMed search, we identified 55 articles that describe services targeting health consumers equipped with mobile phones. From those articles, we showcase 19 as demonstrator services across clinical care, prevention, infectious diseases, and population health. Services range from education, reminders, reporting, and peer support, to epidemiologic reporting, and care management with phone communication and messages. Key achievements include timely adherence to treatment and appointments, clinical effectiveness of treatment reminders, increased vaccination coverage and uptake of screening, and capacity for efficient disease surveillance. We discuss methodologies of delivery and evaluation of mobile-phone-based mHealth in LMIC, including service design, social context, and environmental factors to success.

Conclusion: Demonstrated promises using mobile phones in the poorest countries encourage a future in which IMIA takes a lead role in leveraging mHealth for citizen empowerment through Consumer Health Informatics.
Big Data - Smart Health Strategies
Authors: Thiessard F. , Koutkias V. ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Special Section
Published: August 2014

Objectives: To select best papers published in 2013 in the field of big data and smart health strategies, and summarize outstanding research efforts.

Methods: A systematic search was performed using two major bibliographic databases for relevant journal papers. The references obtained were reviewed in a two-stage process, starting with a blinded review performed by the two section editors, and followed by a peer review process operated by external reviewers recognized as experts in the field.

Results: The complete review process selected four best papers, illustrating various aspects of the special theme, among them: (a) using large volumes of unstructured data and, specifically, clinical notes from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for pharmacovigilance; (b) knowledge discovery via querying large volumes of complex (both structured and unstructured) biological data using big data technologies and relevant tools; (c) methodologies for applying cloud computing and big data technologies in the field of genomics, and (d) system architectures enabling high-performance access to and processing of large datasets extracted from EHRs.

Conclusions: The potential of big data in biomedicine has been pinpointed in various viewpoint papers and editorials. The review of current scientific literature illustrated a variety of interesting methods and applications in the field, but still the promises exceed the current outcomes. As we are getting closer towards a solid foundation with respect to common understanding of relevant concepts and technical aspects, and the use of standardized technologies and tools, we can anticipate to reach the potential that big data offer for personalized medicine and smart health strategies in the near future.
Sensor, Signal, and Imaging Informatics: Big Data and Smart Health Technologies
Authors: Moreau-Gaudry A. , Voros S. ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Section on Sensor, Signal and Imaging Informatics
Published: August 2014

Objectives: This synopsis presents a selection for the IMIA (International Medical Informatics Association) Yearbook 2014 of excellent research in the broad field of Sensor, Signal, and Imaging Informatics published in the year 2013, with a focus on Big Data and Smart Health Technologies

Methods: We performed a systematic initial selection and a double blind peer review process to find the best papers in this domain published in 2013, from the PubMed and Web of Science databases. A set of MeSH keywords provided by experts was used.

Results: Big Data are collections of large and complex datasets which have the potential to capture the whole variability of a study population. More and more innovative sensors are emerging, allowing to enrich these big databases. However they become more and more challenging to process (i.e. capture, store, search, share, transfer, exploit) because traditional tools are not adapted anymore.

Conclusions: This review shows that it is necessary not only to develop new tools specifically designed for Big Data, but also to evaluate their performance on such large datasets.
Szükséges-e a naponkénti rutinmellkasröntgen tüdőresectio után? Bizonyítékalapú döntési taktika
Authors: Furák József , Géczi Tibor , Pécsy Balázs , Morvay Zita
Published: August 2014

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: A hazai mellkassebészetek jó részében érvényben lévő aranyszabály szerint napi rutinmellkasröntgen- (RTG-) vizsgálat elvégzése javasolt tüdőlobectomia után mindaddig, amíg a betegeknek mellkasi csövük van. Más itthoni centrumokban viszont nem ragaszkodnak ehhez a gyakorlathoz. A szerzők e két szemlélet eredményeit hasonlítják össze osztályuk anyagában. Anyag és módszer: 148 olyan beteget értékeltek, akiknél problémamentes lobectomia és egy mellkasi cső behelyezése történt. A rutinmellkas-RTG-csoportba (R-RTG) 50 beteg tartozik, akiknél közvetlenül a műtét után, valamint a szívás idején naponta rutinszerűen és a cső eltávolítását követő napon szintén mellkas-RTG-felvétel készült. 98 betegnél csak tünetek és/vagy panasz esetén (láz, hypoxia, subcutan emphysema, tartós levegőkilépés) és/vagy a mellkasi drain eltávolítását követő napon készült RTG (T-RTG). A következő műtét utáni adatokat értékelték: láz, kóros RTG kép/lelet (pneumothorax [PTX], folyadék, atelectasia, subcutan emphysema, haematoma), RTG-felvételek száma, drainage-tartam és esetleges új cső behelyezése. Eredmények: Az átlagos drainage-idő 3,7 és 3,8 nap volt az R-RTG- és a T-RTG-csoportokban. A mellkasi cső eltávolítását követően kóros RTG-leletet az R-RTG-csoport betegeinek 50%-ában (25/50) és a T-RTG-csoport 46,9%-ában (46/98) (p = 0,724) kaptak, de új cső behelyezésére az R-RTG-csoportban csak 12%-ban (3/25), illetve a T-RTG-csoportban csak 15,2%-ban (7/46) volt szükség. Az elkészített RTG-felvételek száma az R-RTG-csoportban 5,0, míg a T-RTG-csoportban 2,3 volt (p = 0,0001). Következtetés: Nem volt több műtét utáni szövődmény és csőeltávolítás utáni kóros RTG-lelet, ha az RTG-felvétel csak a betegek tünetei/panaszai alapján készült a rutinszerű napi RTG-vizsgálatok helyett. A kóros RTG-leleteken jelzett szövődményeknek csak 12–15%-a igényelt új csőbehelyezést. A tünetek alapján kért RTG-felvételek száma megközelítőleg 50%-kal csökkenthető.
Masszív lokalizált lymphoedema a mons pubison
Authors: Bognár Gábor , Novák András , István Gábor
Published: August 2014

Absztrakt

A masszív lokalizált lymphoedema (MLL) a túlsúlyos betegek súlyos kórképe. Az MLL a test egyes részeinek helyi óriási duzzanataként jelentkezik jellegzetes bőrtünetekkel. Az MLL-t „pseudosarcomának” is nevezik a sarcomára jellemző pathologiai és morphologiai megjelenése miatt. Sebészi ellátás nélkül az MLL angiosarcomává alakulhat. Egy 54 éves (BMI: 48,6) férfi beteg kapcsán ismertetjük e ritka, ám a morbid obesitasú betegek között emelkedő tendenciát mutató betegséget.
Nearshore placement of dredged material to support shoreline stabilisation
Authors: Gailani Joseph Zane , Smith Stanley Jarrell
Published: August 2014

Navigation channels transecting ebb shoals can influence the shoreline of adjacent beaches. Channels influence ebb shoal formation and sediment bypassing, which includes attachment bars where the shoal abuts the shoreline. Interruption or modification of sediment bypassing mechanisms at coastal inlets alters sediment supply to adjacent beaches, frequently resulting in shoreline erosion. Historically, structures and/or periodic beach fill have been implemented on impacted shorelines. The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains an entrance channel on the Savannah River near Tybee Island, GA, USA. This deep-draught navigation channel has influenced sediment bypassing by the ebb shoal and appears to have contributed to shoreline recession on the north part of Tybee Island. The Corps has addressed this recession issue by beach-placement of sand from an offshore borrow site. The Corps also dredges a significant amount of material from the entrance channel each year to maintain navigability. This dredged material is often greater than 70% sand. However, it is not considered suitable for beach placement. The Corps is investigating nearshore placement of this dredged material along Tybee Island. The goal of nearshore placement is to indirectly nourish the beach by increasing sand supply in the littoral zone. The proposed method of using dredged material will potentially provide a lower-cost alternative to expensive sand-mining and direct beach placement. Nearshore placement of this non-beach quality material will permit natural surf-zone processes to winnow the unwanted fine-grained material and transport it offshore. The Corps initiated a study to investigate the feasibility of nearshore placement for beneficial use of dredged material to nourish the littoral zone. This paper describes a portion of the issues and study methods. Specifically, hydrodynamic, wave and sediment transport models were utilised to assess the fate of dredged material placed in the nearshore. Optimal placement sites were selected based on the study findings.
An analytical approach to explain the Führböter equation
Authors: Miedema Sape A.
Published: August 2014

In dredging the main process to transport soil is slurry transport. The most well-known models to predict head losses are the models of Durand and Condolios which were presented in 1952, of Newitt et al. in 1955, Jufin and Lopatin in 1966, Wilson et al. in 1992 and Führböter in 1961. All models describe heterogeneous flow and some, namely those of Newitt et al. and Wilson et al., also apply to a stationary and sliding bed. The heterogeneous models are all empirical, based on the experiments carried out and contain one term for the excess hydraulic gradient losses. In 2013 Miedema and Ramsdell developed a new model based on energy considerations, containing a potential energy term and a kinetic energy term for uniform sands and gravels. An attempt is made to explain the Führböter model more physically based on the model of Miedema and Ramsdell. The use of the so-called Skt factor is rejected based on the arguments presented. A set of equations and curves are derived for the so-called Sk factor of Führböter with mean, lower limit and upper limit curves, enabling the user to adapt the Sk curve depending on the pipe diameter and the liquid viscosity. The new Sk equations are based on physics and match the experiments of Führböter very well.
Effects of Rainfall Intensity and Slope Gradient on Steep Colluvial Deposit Erosion in Southeast China
Authors: Jiang Fang-shi , Huang Yan-he , Wang Ming-kuang , Lin Jin-shi , Zhao Gan , Ge Hong-li
Published: August 2014

Rainfall intensity and slope gradient are important factors that affect soil erosion; however, contradictory observations have been made due to different experimental conditions and materials. Colluvial deposits with loose, coarse material and steep slopes are easily erodible, but the erosion mechanism of colluvial deposition remains obscure. This work investigated the effects of heavy and storm rainfall intensity and steep slope gradients on the infiltration, runoff, and soil loss of colluvial soil. The rainfall intensity ranged from 1.00 to 2.33 mm min−1, and the slope gradient ranged from 36 to 84%. The infiltration rates declined sharply in the initial stage, whereas an opposite trend was observed for runoff rates until a steady state was reached after 5 min. Single‐ and multiple‐peak models illustrated the two types of changes for the sediment yield process. The infiltration volume and the coefficient increased with increasing rainfall intensity and decreased with increasing slope, whereas the runoff coefficient decreased with increasing rainfall intensity and increased with increasing slope. Runoff volume and sediment yield increased with increasing rainfall intensity but had a critical slope gradient of 58% and >47%. The sediment concentration increased with increasing rainfall intensity, and first increased and then decreased with increasing slope gradients at rainfall intensities of 1.00 and 1.33 mm min−1 but increased at rainfall intensities of 1.67, 2.00, and 2.33 mm min−1. The findings of this study can be used to clarify the erosion mechanisms in disturbed soils with high coarse particle content.
Assessment of rain-gauge networks using a probabilistic GIS based approach
Authors: Shafiei Mojtaba , Ghahraman Bijan , Saghafian Bahram , Pande Saket , Gharari Shervan , Davary Kamran
Published: August 2014

Rain-gauge networks provide estimates of areal rainfall as a crucial input for hydrological applications. Hence, it is important to quantify the performance of a rain-gauge network and evaluate the contribution of each rain-gauge to the overall accuracy of areal rainfall estimation at basin scale. This paper evaluates the performance and augmentation of a rain-gauge network in a large basin in Iran. A probabilistic approach combined with a geographic information system (GIS) framework is applied, in order to assess the accuracy of point rainfall in terms of acceptance probability. A simple equation for calculating the acceptance probability is presented which facilitates the application of the probabilistic approach in a GIS environment. This approach analyzes the number and location of rain-gauges and quantifies each gauge's contribution to the accuracy of rainfall estimation over the study area. Results show that among 33 existing gauges, only 21 have significant effect on areal rainfall estimation while other 12 gauges have marginal contribution to the accuracy of the network. Also, by applying an augmentation algorithm, an optimal rain-gauge network with 28 gauges is formed.
Identification of groundwater potential zone of Nawada district, Bihar (India) – a study based on remote sensing and GIS platform
Authors: Bhunia Gouri Sankar , Chatterjee Nandini , Pal Dilip Kumar
Published: August 2014

A study was conducted to delineate the groundwater potential zones of Nawada district of Southern Bihar using satellite-derived information layers, namely, elevation, slope, drainage density, land use, fractional impervious surface (FIS) and also using existing thematic maps (lithology, soil, pre- and post-monsoon water level) based on the weighted linear combination method. On the basis of the relative contribution of each datum towards groundwater potential, the weight of each thematic map has been computed. The normalized weights of the individual themes and their different features were obtained through Saaty's analytical hierarchy process. Results showed that zones of ‘very high’ and ‘high’ groundwater potential are present in the central and northeastern part of the study area. ‘Very low’ and ‘low’ groundwater potential zones are found in the southeastern and very small pockets of the eastern corner of the district. Thus surface investigation of groundwater has proved that an integrated approach involving remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technique can be successfully used in identifying potential groundwater zones in a short time and at low cost, while the yield could be ascertained with some sample ground truth ‘test drillings’.
Social tariffs for water and waste services in mainland Portugal: an impact analysis
Authors: Gonçalves Inês , Alves David , Robalo Gisela
Published: August 2014

Economic affordability and access to water and waste services (WWS) are extensively studied topics in economic literature. However, most papers focus on social rights or the importance of water provision for equity and development. The impact of different regulatory and/or management models, the measurement of affordability and efficient pricing have all deserved the attention of researchers, but few studies assess the actual revenue impact of the existing social support mechanisms. For Portugal, while some preliminary data collection has taken place, a comprehensive review is still lacking. With this paper, the Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR) takes a first step towards filling that gap, by calculating the amount of subsidisation inherent in the adoption of social tariffs in mainland Portugal municipalities. Starting with an account of the current status quo, the article analyses different subsidisation situations, including a hypothetical framework where social tariffs are administered according to ERSAR's guidelines. Results indicate that, if ERSAR's Recommendation were fully applied, the number of social tariff beneficiaries could be above current figures, possibly translating into a disproportionate burden on the remaining WWS users through the application of higher bills. In the context of the severe economic crisis that is forcing families into increasing budgetary constraints, the article stresses issues of feasibility, drawing on the policy implications of the adoption of such discounts.
Control of trichloramine formation by two-step chlorination in water purification processes
Authors: Kosaka K. , Kobashigawa N. , Nakamura R. , Asami M. , Echigo S. , Akiba M.
Published: August 2014

Chlorinous odour in drinking water is of great concern in Japan. Some water utilities use trichloramine (NCl3) as an index of chlorinous odour and are attempting to control its levels in drinking water. In the present study, the effects of two-step chlorination, involving addition of chlorine twice, on NCl3 control were investigated. The results regarding ammonia (NH3), glycine solutions and raw waters at water purification plants (WPPs) indicated that NCl3-formation potentials (FPs) were reduced by two-step chlorination when NH3 was a primary NCl3 precursor and the 1st chlorine addition was set at an excess breakpoint (BP). However, no effect on NCl3-FP was observed when the 1st chlorine addition was set below BP. Two-step chlorination was not effective for NCl3 control regardless of the amounts of the 1st chlorine addition when organic nitrogen compounds were the primary NCl3 precursors. Moreover, the NCl3-FPs in raw water with relatively high NH3 were reduced at actual WPPs when two-step chlorination was applied.
A bio-thermic seawater desalination system using halophytes
Authors: Finck Christian
Published: August 2014

A bio-thermic seawater desalination system using halophytes was developed and successfully tested. A greenhouse as part of a test rig, with different sorts of mangroves, was installed. Measurements showed promising results concerning fresh water relative yielding rates up to 1.4 kg/h/m² (leaf surface)/m² (heat exchanger surface). In addition to experimental results, possible future system designs are discussed focusing on urban and rural integration.