bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting Health and Well-Being for Resettled Refugee Women: The Global Women's Group
Authors: Felsman Irene C.
Published: November 2016

Women refugees arrive in the United States often having experienced extreme levels of poverty, deprivation, and violence, including gender-based violence, which can severely affect their physical and psychological health and well-being. A women's group was initiated to improve the health and well-being of refugee women in Durham, North Carolina, through a collaboratively designed, culturally appropriate health literacy intervention for women based on mutually identified needs; to empower them to seek preventive health services and screening through knowledge and skills about health needs and access to care; and to create an environment for the development of a supportive social/peer network for the prevention of social isolation and mental health issues related to the refugee experience.
EMDR to Treat Children and Adolescents: Clinicians’ Experiences Using the EMDR Journey Game
Authors: Courtney Deborah M.
Published: November 2016

Childhood trauma is a pervasive social issue with profound consequences. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an effective treatment for children. Challenges can arise when using EMDR with children, such as difficulty engaging children and developmental fit of the protocol. Child experts have developed creative tools to address these challenges. The EMDR Journey Game is one such tool that integrates creative modalities with EMDR. This study explored the relationship between use of the game and clinician’s perceived client engagement and clinician confidence. This study employed an observational, cross-sectional design, surveying (online) 69 EMDR-trained clinicians, half of whom had used the game and half of whom had not. Results show clinicians were motivated to use the EMDR Journey Game to engage children in EMDR and to increase their confidence. Findings also suggest the game was perceived to enhance children’s engagement with EMDR; clinicians’ experience (years and frequency of use) with EMDR impacts their confidence using EMDR with adolescents and adults, but not with children. Results support the efforts of child experts to develop appropriate, creative tools to adapt EMDR for children. Further exploration of clinician confidence using EMDR with children is necessary.
EMDR in the Treatment of Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia: A Case Description
Authors: Bhagwagar Hvovi
Published: November 2016

The results of preliminary research investigating the application of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment in panic disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobia suggests that reprocessing of past traumas produces significant reduction of anxiety and consequently, remission from panic attacks and avoidance behavior. This article describes the case study of a 30-year-old working professional where EMDR treatment, used to target early childhood traumas, led to reduction in symptoms of panic disorder with agoraphobia. Panic attacks diminished after 17 sessions of EMDR treatment, which followed Leeds’s treatment model. Treatment gains were maintained 5 years after termination. The study shows the value of solid preparation work, and of addressing the current triggers and recent events, before targeting historical traumas. EMDR worked as a first-line treatment to resolving the roots of the panic attacks, suggesting that the resolution of traumatic childhood memories can make a significant difference to current symptoms of panic disorder with agoraphobia.
La visión de Laṅkā en el Rāmāyaṇa de Vālmīki: una poética de la vida secular
Authors: Figueroa Óscar
Published: November 2016

Este artículo estudia la descripción de Laṅkā, la capital del reino demoníaco, en el libro quinto del Rāmāyaṇa. Aun subrayando la importancia del ethos y los valores brahmánicos, esta descripción introduce una especie de consagración poética de la vida secular que sugiere una dinámica social más heterogénea. Se ofrecen, además, ejemplos de versiones posteriores del Rāmāyaṇa donde esa heterogeneidad se contrae a favor de una visión puramente religiosa.
Los poemas preliminares del Quijote de 1605: un modelo de análisis
Authors: Álvarez Emiliano
Published: November 2016

Los poemas preliminares del Quijote han sido poco tomados en consideración por la crítica; sin embargo, una lectura minuciosa puede demostrar cómo trazan vínculos con el resto de la obra. En este trabajo se analiza el poema de Urganda la desconocida, en busca de proponer un modelo que sirva para estudiar el conjunto desde una perspectiva útil para valorar sus funciones en el entramado global del Quijote, y entender el porqué de su peculiar configuración.
Esther Cohen. 'El silencio del nombre'. Buenos Aires: IIFL-UNAM / Ediciones Godot, 2016.
Authors: Martínez de la Escalera Ana María
Published: November 2016

Desde que leí El silencio del nombre, una cuestión ha estado dándome vueltas en la cabeza: ¿qué es lo peculiar de la escritura de Esther Cohen, que parece inclinarse hacia la estrategia antes que hacia el estilo? Lo cual no sólo explicaría este libro que estamos considerando, sino a los anteriores por igual. Empero, si he interrogado a este texto en particular es porque posee la virtud de la madurez, de la consolidación de un oficio que admiro.
Models of Financial Markets
Authors: Betz Frederick
Published: November 2016

Computer-based algorithms & models have become important in trading in financial markets. We illustrate the significance of model analysis of financial systems by a case study of BlackRock’s analytical platform called ‘Aladdin’. The nature of the model used in a computer algorithm is central to its real performance. Unreal models in financial algorithms will yield inaccurate performances. We review five fundamental models of economic dynamics: (1) traditional price-equilibrium of a commodity market, (2) Keynes-Minsky financial transactions over time, (3) price-disequilibrium of a financial market, (4) investment bank market disequilibrium process, and (5) disequilibrium financial grid of international capital flows. Empirically-valid graphic models are necessary – in order to methodologically develop societal-useful normative economic theory -- based upon the real natural-experiments of societies in economic history.
STUDY ON THE FENTON REACTION FOR DEGRADATION OF REMAZOL RED B IN TEXTILE WASTE INDUSTRY
Authors: Setiyanto Henry
Published: November 2016

Remazol Red B is a reactive dye that is often used in the textile industry. The dye can cause serious problems in the environmental / water because it is difficult to be degraded by microorganisms. Decolorization of reactive azo dyes (Remazol Red B) before being discharged into the environment is an important aspect in creating technology (method) that are environmentally friendly. The method chosen for this decolorization is Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) using the Fenton reaction. The optimum conditions for this reaction is 25 mg/L H2O2 and 1.25 mg/L of Fe2+ to Remazol Red B with initial concentration at 83 mg/L ( with ratio [H2O2]/[Fe2+] = 20). The optimum conditions of this reaction were obtained at pH 3 and temperature of 27 0C, with decolorization efficiency up to 100% for a reaction time of 60 minutes. The kinetic model of dye decoloritation follow the second order reaction. Some of the metal ions were added i.e. Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ , given no significant impact on the degradation performed.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE STEARATE ESTER FROM BACTERIAL CELLULOSE AND STEARIC ACID ENZYMATICALLY USING IMMOBILIZED LIPASE
Authors: Amaliyah Suci
Published: November 2016

The aims of this study were to determine the optimum conditions of enzymatic esterification between stearic acid with bacterial cellulose using immobilized lipase and to characterize the obtained ester. The optimum condition was observed by the effects of time and mass ratio of cellulose: stearic acid towards degree of esterification. The esterification reaction carried out in a heterogeneous system using n-butanol as solvent at 50 °C. The effect of reaction time on esterification degree is done by variating incubation time for 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 hours. The influence of the mass ratio of cellulose: stearic acid to the esterification degree was carried out by variating 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 3, 1: 4, 1: 5 and 1: 6. Products characterization consist of functional group analysis by Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), determining degree of substitution (DS) by saponification, swelling index by gravimetric method, and cristallinity by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The results showed that condition of esterification was optimum in 18 hours of reaction with mass ratio 1:5. The success of esterification was confirmed by FTIR spectrum that showed ester carbonyl peak at 1718.46 cm-1 . DS of  cellulose stearate ester was 0.35. The swelling and crystallinity index of cellulose stearate was smaller than bacterial cellulose.
THE CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF STARCH FROM SAGO BARUK PITH (Arenga microcarpha)
Authors: Momuat Lidya Irma , Suryanto Edi , Sudewi Sri
Published: November 2016

Sago Baruk (Arenga microcarpha) is one of endemic crop type of Archipelago of Sangihe Talaud, North Sulawesi and potential as source bioactivities including antioxidant. The objectives of this research were to determine the chemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of starch sago baruk which was sequentially extracted with water and filtrate. The sago trunks pith was sequentially extracted with water and filtrate at room temparature for 1 hour. After that, starch of sago baruk were analyzed for their chemical composition (moisture, fat, protein, ash crude fiber and charbohydrate) and total phenolic and tannin condensed content. Antioxidant activity of each sago flour were evaluated in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity. After that, the starch was characterized by IR spectroscopic technique. The sequential extraction result indicated percentage yield of starch I and starch II were 41.39% and 38.21%. The chemical characteristics of starch I revealed that percentage protein, ash, crude fibre and fat were below 1% than starch II especially protein and fiber crude. The starch I had highest total phenolic and tannin condensed content than starch II and starch K. The starch I also showed the highest free radical scavenging activity in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical than starch II and starch K. The result also showed that starch I has strongest total antioxidant capacity than starch II and starch K at all concentration level. Antioxidant activity of three starch increased with the increase in concentration of the samples. The three starch showed of hidroxy (OH), carbonyl (C=O), ether (C-O) and aliphatic group (C-C). It is concluded that starch sago baruk especially the starch I are very rich in antioxidant substituens.
ALKALINE PROTEASE, AMYLASE AND CELLULASE ACTIVITIES OF YELLOW RASBORA, Rasbora lateristriataBlkr., AT DIFFERENT FEEDING LEVELS
Authors: Susilo Untung , Sukardi Purnama , Affandi Ridwan
Published: November 2016

Alkaline proteases, amylase and cellulase activities of digestive organ of yellow rasbora, Rasbora lateristriata Blkr., was evaluated with four different feeding levels of 0.34g protein+0.03g fiber, 1.01g protein+0.10g fiber, 1.69g protein+0.16g fiber and 2.36g protein+0.23g fiber/day/100 g fish biomass. A total of 280 fish with average body weight of 0.71±0.06g were used in this study. The results showed that the difference in the feeding levels resulted in a significant difference in trypsin and chymotrypsin  activities (P <. 05), but not for amylase and cellulase activities (P > .05). In conclusion, protein digestion capacity increased, but not to the digestion of starch and fiber in response to different feeding levels and the optimal feeding level for yellow rasbora was 1,01g protein+0,10g fiber/day/100 g fish biomass.
Perencanaan Jaringan Akses Mobile Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access) 2,5 Ghz Untuk Wilayah DKI Jakarta
Authors: Susilawati Hesti , Widhiatmoko Widhiatmoko , Mardhiko Dimass Noly
Published: November 2016

Standar IEEE 802.16e yang dikenal dengan mobile WiMAX adalah standar broadband wireless access (BWA) yang beroperasi pada frekuensi 2 - 6 GHz. Standar ini merupakan pengembangan dari standar WiMAX sebelumnya untuk mendukung mobilitas pengguna. Pada penelitian ini, penulis melakukan perhitungan untuk memprediksi kebutuhan bandwidth untuk pelanggan mobile WiMAX di wilayah DKI Jakarta untuk jangka waktu tiga tahun sejak WiMAX diimplementasikan. Kebutuhan bandwidth ini akan digunakan untuk menentukan jumlah base station yang dibutuhkan dari sisi kapasitas. Penulis juga melakukan perhitungan jumlah base station dari sisi coverage menggunakan persamaan Erceg. Dari hasil perhitungan tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahwa pada tiga tahun pertama penetrasi WiMAX di Jakarta, kebutuhan jumlah base station dari sisi coverage lebih besar dari pada perhitungan dari sisi kapasitas.
Analisa Penerapan Teknologi UMTS Untuk Mengatasi Permasalahan Kapasitas Pada Jaringan 2G (GSM)
Authors: Hikmaturokhman Alfin , Pamungkas Wahyu , Luthfiana Luthfiana
Published: November 2016

A high necesarry data service and bigger network capacity becomes a critical issue in the GSM network. One of the good and bad size parameter reference-quality GSM network can be viewed on the performance parameters MLSLOT Allocation Blocking. The default value for parameter MLSLOT Allocation Blocking are ? 40 % that the network is otherwise well. To overcome these problems it is applied to UMTS technology. The study was conducted to determine how the performance of the 2G PT Indosat Tbk. Before  and after the application of technology and how it compares to the performance of UMTS cellular network PT Indosat Tbk. before and after implementation of a UMTS network. In conducting this study the authors to collect the necessary data and did the interview if the supervisor does not know From the research the average value MLSlot Bocking Allocation has decreased, for the first sector decreased on average uplink 0.70% to 0.17% down 0.53%.The average downlink 26.49% to 14.98% down 11.51%. Sector 2 uplink average 0.24% to 0.00% down 0.24%, the average downlink 5.16% to 0.04% down 5.12%, Sector 3 uplink average 0.6% to 0.21% down 0.39%, the average downlink 23.99% to14.98%  down 9.01%.
Analisis Parameter Ber Dan C/N Dengan Lnb Combo Pada Teknologi Dvb-S2
Authors: Pamungkas Wahyu , Wahyudi Eka , Fauzi Anugrah Ahmad
Published: November 2016

Instalasi antena parabola berfungsi untuk memudahkan pada saat pengarahan pointing antena ke satelit yang dituju. Permasalahan yang diketahui yaitu bagaimana perilaku parameter Bit Error Rate (BER) dan Carrier to Noise (C/N) pada LNB Combo yang menggunakan teknologi DVB-S2. Setelah instalasi antena parabola dilakukan dan sukses, maka langkah selanjutnya yaitu melakukan pointing antena. Pointing antena diarahkan pada posisi satelit yang akan dituju. Satelit yang akan dituju yaitu Palapa D menggunakan frekuensi C-Band sedangkan Ku-Band diarahkan pada satelit NSS 6. Setelah pointing selesai dilakukan maka langkah selanjutnya yaitu menghubungkan dengan Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite Second Generation (DVB-S2). DVB-S2 merupakan receiver. Parameter yang diamati yaitu parameter BER dan C/N. Parameter BER merupakan perbandingan dengan jumlah bit yang diterima secara tidak benar dengan jumlah bit informasi yang ditransmisikan pada selang waktu tertentu. Parameter C/N merupakan perbandingan nilai pada carrier yang diterima dengan nilai sinyal noise yang dihasilkan dalam suatu link. Diperlukan juga Low Noise Block (LNB) Combo yang berguna untuk mentransmisikan sinyal ke receiver. LNB yang digunakan merupakan LNB Combo, dimana dua buah frekuensi yakni C-Band dan KU-Band menjadi satu dalam sebuah LNB. Setelah melakukan pengukuran dan melihat hasil pengukuran, dapat disimpulkan bahwa LNB Combo berpengaruh pada sinyal C-Band yang dihasilkan, sinyal C-Band akan mengalami penurunan kualitas, ini dibuktikan dari hasil pengukuran yang telah dilakukan bahwa nilai parameter C/N dan BER pada Ku-Band lebih baik daripada nilai parameter C/N dan BER pada CBand.
Rancang Bangun Sistem Presensi Mahasiswa Berbasis Fingerprint Client Server
Authors: Cahyadi Decki Noor , Wahyuningrum Tenia , Susanto Irwan
Published: November 2016

Presensi mahasiswa merupakan salah satu peran penting dalam kegiatan belajar dan mengajar. Sistem Presensi melalui SIMAK di ST3 Telkom memiliki beberapa kekurangan, yaitu memerlukan waktu khusus untuk memanggil mahasiswa satu persatu, juga memiliki celah kecurangan, jika dosen yang bersangkutan tidak mengenali wajah mahasiswa, sehingga ada kemungkinan mahasiswa mengaku sebagai mahasiswa lain. Berdasarkan hasil analisa, ditawarkan sebuah inovasi baru untuk Sistem Presensi menggunakan fingerprint berbasis client server. Dalam pembangunan Sistem Presensi ini menggunakan metode pengembangan sistem waterfall, DBMS Microsoft Access dan Visual Basic 6.0 sebagai bahasa pemrogramannya. Hasil pengujian menunjukkan sistem informasi presensi sudah dapat berjalan dengan baik. Output sesuai dengan rancangan yang telah dibuat.
Rancang Bangun Modul Praktikum Teknik Digital Berbasis Mobile Augmented Reality (AR)
Authors: Usada Elisa
Published: November 2016

Praktikum merupakan salah satu jenis pembelajaran yang dilaksanakan untuk mengasah keterampilan dan memperdalam pemahaman mahasiswa akan suatu materi, dengan menggunakan peralatan-peralatan praktek. Pelaksanaan praktikum mengacu pada petunjuk praktikum dan modul berisi materi yang akan dipraktekkan. Perkembangan teknologi media belajar memungkinkan modul praktikum untuk dikemas dalam bentuk yang lebih menarik, selain dalam bentuk buku teks konvensional. Media belajar berbasis AR (Augmented Reality) telah digunakan untuk mendukung aplikasi edukasi dalam berbagai domain, seperti sejarah, matematika, dan sebagainya. Penelitian ini bertujuan merancang dan membangun modul praktikum mata kuliah Teknik Digital berbasis mobile AR. Metodologi yang akan digunakan adalah melalui pendekatan prototype dengan langkah-langkah: mengumpulkan dan menganalisa kebutuhan; perancangan; membangun protototype. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah sebuah prototype modul mata praktikum Teknik Digital berbasis mobile-AR. Prototype yang dihasilkan belum menampilkan model 3D yang lengkap. Sebagai langkah penelitian lanjutan, pembuatan model 3D yang lengkap akan dibuat dan prototype ini harus melalui proses evaluasi oleh konsumen, dilanjutkan dengan perubahan rancangan dan prototype apabila diperlukan, sebelum dibuat dalam skala besar dan diimplementasikan.
Pengembangan Dashboard Information System (DIS)
Authors: Januarita Dwi , Dirgahayu Teduh
Published: November 2016

Perkembangan dan perubahan teknologi informasi saat ini harus dapat dimanfaatkan secara maksimal oleh organisasi. Informasi merupakan salah satu aset yang paling utama dalam mendukung kemajuan dan pencapaian tujuan suatu organisasi. Pengukuran kinerja dari suatu organisasi perlu dilakukan untuk memastikan ketercapaian yang telah ditetapkan. Dalam proses pengukuran kinerja diperlukan data dan informasi yang diambil dari bagian yang terkait ataupun keseluruhan. Hasil dari monitoring kinerja dapat langsung di lihat oleh user yang berkepentingan secara efektif dan efisien. Dashboard merupakan suatu alat yang dapat membantu pimpinan dari perguruan tinggi untuk memonitoring dan mengevaluasi kinerja organisasinya dengan menyajikan informasi Key Performance Indicators (KPI) dalam bentuk antar muka visual secara sekilas dalam satu layar, sehingga data dapat dianalisa dengan lebih efektif dan efisien. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah studi literatur dan studi kasus. Studi literatur dilakukan untuk mengkaji berbagai konsep mengenai dashboard, KPI dan visualisasi informasi. KPI yang digunakan dalam pengembangan dashboard di LPPM menggunakan indikator dari kontrak manajemen pada program customer dan learning growth yang diterapkan di ST3 Telkom Purwokerto. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dengan menggunakan model waterfall pada penyampaian dashboard ke user yang telah dilakukan dengan 2 iterasi, dashboard ini sudah memenuhi kebutuhan dari LPPM dalam memantau kinerjanya.
Komunikasi Bergerak Frekuensi 2.3 GHz Melewati Pepohonan Menggunakan Metode Giovanelli Knife Edge
Authors: Eska Andrita Ceriana
Published: November 2016

Sistem komunikasi antara MS (Mobile Station) dan RBS (Radio Base Station) dengan frekuensi 2.3 GHz kondisi uplink, komunikasi yang terjadi ketika pengguna MS yang bergerak disepanjang trotoar terhadap RBS yang berada di tepi bagian atas gedung. Propagasi melewati pepohonan yang berada diantara kedua ruas jalan dan juga berada disepanjang trotoar, sehingga metode difraksi menggunakan single knife-edge dan Giovanelli knife-edge. Pada penelitian ini berfokus pada variasi ketinggian gedung dan daya pancar. Analisa ditunjukkan pada persentase daerah cakupan disepanjang lintasan MS. Persentase tersebut terjadi peningkatan dengan variasi daya pancar 20 dBm hingga 40 dBm yang diikuti peningkatan ketinggian gedung. Hasil penelitian, menunjukkan beberapa titik pada lintasan yang memiliki loss yang sangat besar, menjadikan sedikit peningkatan persentase daerah tercakup RBS. Pengaruh dari komunikasi tersebut diantaranya karena pepohonan, atmosfer, dan juga jarak komunikasi
Historical development of linguistics’ bibliography in Russia (1860-2013)
Authors: Goncharova V. V.
Published: November 2016

The interdisciplinary character of the science of language causes great difficulties in bibliographic support in this field. The object of bibliographing in linguistics is not only literature on the language, but also a variety of linguistic resources, which represent a special object to study a branch of linguistics - lexicography. Bibliography of linguistics is the least studied field by specialists among humanitarian bibliographic complexes. The paper first studied the array of domestic bibliographic sources for more than 150 years; the most significant of them are shown. The subject of research is national bibliographic resources in the linguistics field. The objective is to characterize the historical development of the linguistic bibliography in Russia. To achieve this goal we had to solve a number of tasks: identify existing sources for ongoing historical research; to trace the history of forming bibliographic sources, bibliography of bibliographies of linguistics; to form and analyze the body of bibliographic materials; to characterize the problematic areas in the bibliographic software of linguistics. Using the bibliometric analysis it was studied an array of bibliographic products published between 1860 and 2013, the dynamics of bibliographic resources formation was determined, the degree of bibliographic support of some topics and issues in linguistic science and prior directions of their development were revealed. The main results of the study should be considered: 1. The nuclear of fundamental indices on general and applied linguistics is singled out in analyzed literature sources covering the period 1918-1977, as well as in Slavic linguistics for 1825-1981. The complex of current and retrospective bibliographic products was formed and replenished in the country in 1963-1988. 2. The largest share of bibliographic sources in linguistics is presented by book and article bibliography (over 70%), many of which remain bibliographically unrecorded and unused. 3. The following subject areas of linguistics are considered to be bibliographically supported: inter-linguistics, culture of speech and language norms, lexicography, linguistic geography, linguistics regional geography, onomastics. 4. An obvious need to continue the index or database of bibliographic aids in the field of linguistics over the past 50 years is marked. 5. Further development of the linguistics bibliography is impossible to imagine without creating an electronic guide on the bibliographic resources of linguistics, which would reflect the diversity of bibliographical resources and provide their rich information potential for professionals and remote users
Review of Computational Methods on Brain Symmetric and Asymmetric Analysis from Neuroimaging Techniques
Authors: Kalavathi P. , Senthamilselvi K. , Prasath V. B. Surya
Published: November 2016

Brain is the most complex organ in the human body and it is divided into two hemispheres - left and right hemispheres. Left hemisphere is responsible for control of right side of our body whereas right hemisphere is responsible for control of left side of our body. Brain image segmentation from different neuroimaging modalities is one of the important parts in clinical diagnostic tools. Neuroimaging based digital imagery generally contain noise, inhomogeneity, aliasing artifacts, and orientational deviations. Therefore, accurate segmentation of brain images is a very difficult task. However, the development of accurate segmentation of brain images is very important and crucial for a correct diagnosis of any brain related diseases. One of the fundamental segmentation tasks is to identify and segment inter-hemispheric fissure/mid-sagittal plane, which separate the two hemispheres of the brain. Moreover, the symmetric/asymmetric analyses of left and right hemispheres of brain structures are important for radiologists to analyze diseases such as Alzheimer's, Autism, Schizophrenia, Lesions and Epilepsy. Therefore, in this paper we have analyzed the existing computational techniques used to find brain symmetric/asymmetric analysis in various neuroimaging techniques (MRI/CT/PET/SPECT), which are utilized for detecting various brain related disorders.
An Approach to Next-Generation Water Disaster Study – In Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of ICHARM –
Authors: Koike Toshio ,   International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) under the Auspices of UNESCO, Public Works Research Institute (PWRI)  Minamihara, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, Takeuchi Kuniyoshi , Egashira Shinji
Published: November 2016

In March 2015, the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction with a two-part goal: to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks through the implementation of integrated and inclusive measures that prevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disaster, and to increase preparedness for response and recovery, thus strengthening resilience. The first priority for action was given to ”understanding disaster risk,” including focusing on the collection and use of data, risk assessment, disaster prevention education, and awareness raising. The stance of emphasizing science and technology was clearly expressed.

In September 2015, the UN Summit meeting adopted the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Four of the 17 goals include targets related to disaster prevention and mitigation, which has given rise to active discussions over measurement methods and indicators for the targets. The Paris Conference of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), held from the end of November to early December 2015, placed an emphasis on the importance of science and technology in both mitigation and adaptation.

In light of these international discussions and their outcomes, we called for papers on the following three topics for this special edition featuring water disasters.

(1) Prevention of new water disaster risks: rainfall prediction, flood and drought prediction, river bed change prediction, climate change, land use plans, etc.

(2) Reduction of existing water disaster risks: disaster data and statistics, risk monitoring, risk assessment, etc.

(3) Resilience reinforcement and inclusive measures: disaster recovery, risk communication, competence development, etc.

Nineteen papers were applied to this special issue. All papers were peer reviewed, and sixteen papers are included herein. We received invaluable comments and suggestions for all applications from the points of view of various fields from many experts in Japan and overseas. We would like to express our gratitude for these.
Flood Risk Assessment in Asian Flood Prone Area with Limited Local Data – Case Study in Pampanga River Basin, Philippines –
Authors: Ohara Miho ,   International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management, Public Research Works Institute  1-6 Minamihara, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8516, Japan, Nagumo Naoko , Shrestha Badri Bhakta , Sawano Hisaya ,   ,
Published: November 2016

Disaster risk assessment is vital to determining needs for disaster countermeasures and promoting their implementation. However, it is difficult to conduct evidence-based risk assessment in flood-prone areas of Asia due to area-specific characteristics such as limited local data on natural and societal conditions and local lifestyles of persons who have adapted to frequent floods. This paper proposes basic flood risk assessment considering these characteristics and explores a case study conducted in a flood-prone area of the Pampanga River basin in the Republic of the Philippines to verify our method. We surveyed local household members as part of the study to understand local situations, finding that past flood damage cost little thanks to building structures adapted to frequent flooding and to local ways of protecting property during floods. We also found that the use of depth-damage curves developed for urban areas may overestimate anticipated damage expected in future floods when these curves are applied to flood-prone rural areas. For this reason, we propose a method of flood risk assessment for evaluating the societal impact on residents’ lives using observed thresholds of inundation depth by flood simulation, rather than using a method that estimates damage cost. Application of our proposal to the case study area confirmed its applicability and effectiveness in evidence-based planning for reducing flood risk.
Mitigating Rainfall-Induced Sediment Hazard and Soil Erosion Using Organic Amended Soil Improvement
Authors: Vilayvong Khonesavanh ,   Kyushu University 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan, Yasufuku Noriyuki , Omine Kiyoshi ,   ,,   Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Published: November 2016

Soil-organic amendment (SOA) is one of the sustainable soil improvement measures to mitigate climate change related issues such as rainfall-induced hazard and soil erosion. Organic wastes particularly compost and biochar can be reused and recycled into viable resources. However, there are limited data on incoporating organic wastes into a soil that is susceptible to erosion by rainfall. Therefore, objective of this study is to investigate properties of a soil from Okinawa prefecture (Kunigami maaji) that are associated with resisting ability against artificial rainfall intensities of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mm/h after adding two organic matters: household-derived compost and rice hush-derived biochar. The properties were soil-water retention, runoff, soil loss, infiltration and electrical conductivity. The compost was mixed with the soil at application rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg/m2. The compost of 1.0 kg/m2was mixed with the soil and the biochar at application rates of 1, 3, and 5% by total weight. Experimental results indicate that the soil water retention properties of the soil were improved by the treatment of compost and biochar. However, soil loss was not significantly reduced under initially saturated soil condition, applied rainfall intensities, testing duration and experimental conditions. The results of this study could be used as baseline data for evaluating correlation between properties of soil water retention curves to soil erosion.
Experimental Analysis and Model Evaluation of High-Liquid-Viscosity Two-Phase Upward Vertical Pipe Flow
Authors: Al-Ruhaimani F.. , Pereyra E.. , Sarica C.. , Al-Safran E. M. , Torres C. F.
Published: November 2016

Understanding the behavior of two-phase flow is a key parameter for a proper oil/gas-production-system design. Mechanistic models have been developed and tuned to model the entire production system. Most existing two-phase-flow models are derived from experimental data with low-viscosity liquids (μL < 20 mPa·s). However, behavior of two-phase flow is expected to be significantly different for high-viscosity oil. The effect of high liquid viscosity on two-phase flow is still not well-studied in vertical pipes.

In this study, the effect of high oil viscosity on upward two-phase gas/oil-flow behavior in vertical pipes was studied experimentally and theoretically. A total of 149 air/high-viscosity-oil and 21 air/water experiments were conducted in a vertical pipe with an inner diameter (ID) of 50.8 mm. Six different oil viscosities—586, 401, 287, 213, 162, and 127 mPa·s—were considered. The superficial-liquid and -gas velocities were varied from 0.05 to 0.7 m/s and from 0.5 to 5 m/s, respectively.

Flow pattern, pressure gradient, and average liquid holdup were measured and analyzed in this study. The experimental results were used to evaluate different flow-pattern maps, mechanistic models, and correlations for two-phase flow. Significant discrepancies between experimental and predicted results for pressure gradient were observed.
Automated convective and stratiform precipitation estimation in a small mountainous catchment using X-band radar data in Central Spain
Authors: Guardiola-Albert Carolina , Rivero-Honegger Carlos , Monjo Robert , Díez-Herrero Andrés , Yagüe Carlos , Bodoque Jose María , Tapiador Francisco J.
Published: November 2016

For the purposes of weather nowcasting, flood risk monitoring and water resources assessment, it is often difficult to achieve a reliable spatio-temporal representation of rainfall due to a low rain gauge network density. However, quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) has acquired new prospects with the introduction of weather radars, thanks to their higher spatio-temporal resolution. Although a wide number of QPE algorithms are available for using C-band radar data, only a few studies have employed X-band radar. In this study the microscale rainfall variability in a small catchment is automatically measured using short-range X-band radar variograms and classifying precipitation into convective and stratiform types with a recently published index. The aim is to apply a straightforward geostatistical algorithm, named ordinary kriging of radar errors (OKRE), to integrate X-band radar and rain gauge measurements in a mountainous catchment (15 km2) in central Spain. As expected, convective events presented higher estimation errors due to their complex spatial and temporal variability. Despite this fact, errors are sufficiently small and results are reliable rainfall estimations. The two main contributions of this work are the adaptation of the OKRE method to small spatial scales and its application automatically differentiating between convective and stratiform events.
Studying the response of tissues of laboratory animals to implantation of vascular endoprostheses
Authors: Ivanov A. V. , Lipatov V. A. , Lazarenko S. V. , Zherdev N. N. , Severinov D. A.
Published: November 2016

Aim: The paper looks at one of pressing problems of angiosurgery, the choice of plastic material to be used in reconstructive interventions and focuses on the response of biological tissues to implantation of vascular endoprostheses.
Methods: To do research on the study material, use was made of vascular dacron implant & a woven double velour vascular endoprosthesis of polyester fibers and impregnated with modified gelatin. 60 Vistar rats (males) weighing 200-250 g were chosen as study objects. The animals were assigned to 4 groups according to the number of firms-manufacturers and the time of removing from the experiment (at 15 and 30 days). Under general anesthesia in the operating room, the rats’ skin and subcutaneous fat were dissected along the paravertebral line. Two pouches 3.5 cm deep were formed in the subcutaneous fat by blunt dissection. A 2x2 cm sample of the vascular patch was introduced into each pouch. The surgical wound was closed completely and treated with antiseptics. Histological preparations were stained by using a hematoxylin-eosin/Mallory technique. The obtained microphotographs enabled us to evaluate the structure of the connective-tissue capsule, as well as the content of its cellular layer. A cellular index, the relationship between fibroblast cells and inflammatory infiltrate cells, was calculated in each group. The indicator exceeding 1 demonstrated the predominance of reparative tendencies, if it was below 1, inflammatory changes prevailed. Statistical processing of the data obtained was performed by means of descriptive and variation statistical methods.
Results: Changes of inflammatory reaction phases proceed faster in the zone of implantation of dacron patches, which manifest themselves by a reliable increase in the quantity of resident cells from 62.4% to 80.5% and a decrease in nonresident cells by 1.7 times on the same terms respectively. The reaction of fabrics is more expressed to a polyester implant, which is confirmed by an insignificant decrease from 53.5% to 43.7% of the quantity of inflammatory infiltrate cells and a growth of fibroblast cells from 46.5% (at 15 days) to 56.3% (at 30 days).
Conclusion: The reaction of tissues of laboratory animals is less expressed to a dacron implant.
Results of simultaneous intervention in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis
Authors: Zubarev D D , Kretov E I , Khelimskiy D A , Naydenov R A , Biryukov A V , Prokhorikhin A A , Pokushalov E A , Karaskov A M
Published: November 2016

Aim. The study was aimed at comparing the immediate and long-term results of aortic valve replacement in combination with various techniques of intervention for myocardial revascularization, namely: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
Methods. This randomized prospective controlled study involved 120 cardiac patients over 18 years old with combined aortic valve stenosis and arterial sclerotic disease of coronary arteries. The inclusion criteria were a combination of aortic valve stenosis and a hemodynamically significant lesion of the coronary bed. A comparative analysis of the results obtained in the nearest postoperative period and during 1-year follow-up is presented.
Results. Hybrid intervention (aortic valve replacement + percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) produces the results which are comparable with those of the control (aortic valve replacement + CABG), with a significantly greater decrease in the peak gradient on the aortic valve. During long-term follow-up, the group of patients who underwent hybrid intervention demonstrated a much higher myocardial infarction rate (12.5 versus 2.5 %, however, the severity of infarctions was significantly lower.
Conclusion. PTCA, as compared to CABG, with concomitant coronary artery disease significantly improves the indicators of aortic valve insufficiency and the survival after repeated myocardial infarction, with the matching frequency of acute cerebral circulation abnormalities and the lethality rate in the long-term period.

Received 29 August 2016. Accepted 5 October 2016.

Funding: The study had no sponsorship.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Progression of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation procedure and antiarrhythmic drug therapy in patients with paroxysmal AF
Authors: Simonyan A A , Kolesnikov V N , Vilenskiy L I , Krivosheev Yu S , Bashta D I , Gatilo M Yu , Myznikova T A , Miskhodzheva Z A
Published: November 2016

Aim. This prospective randomized study was aimed to assess the progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) after ablation procedure and antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) in patients with paroxysmal AF by means of implantable cardiac monitors (ICM).
Methods. The study enrolled 92 patients with paroxysmal AF, who were eligible either for catheter ablation or AAD. The patients were randomized into two groups: 1) AAD + ICM implantation (group I; n=46), and 2) AF catheter ablation (CA) + ICM implantation (group II; n=46), and 2). The primary endpoint was AF progression according to ICM data. The AF progression was defined as AF burden > 30%. A complication rate after ablation procedure and side effects of AAD were determined as the secondary endpoints. The follow up of this study was 24 months.
Results. By the end of the follow-up period, AF progression was observed in 27 (58.7%) patients in the AAD group and 10 (21.7%) patients in the CA group (р=0.0003; HR 0.37, 95% CI [0.17-0.76], р=0.007, Cox regression). 13 (28,3%) patients in the AAD group and 2 (4.3%) in the CA group (р=0.002) developed persistent AF. The complication rate in the AAD group was 24% (11 patients) and 6.5 % (3 patients) in the CA group (р=0.02).
Conclusion. Radiofrequency ablation of AF leads to a significant decrease in AF progression when compared with antiarrhythmic drug therapy in patients with paroxysmal AF, which was confirmed by implantable cardiac monitors data.

Received 12 July 2016. Accepted 22 August 2016.

Funding: The study had no sponsorship.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Results of surgical treatment of symptomatic cysts of lateral fissure in children
Authors: Letyagin G V , Djafarov V M , Danilin V E , Kim S A , Amelin M E , Sisoeva A A
Published: November 2016

Aim. The study aims to analyze the clinical and radiological results of treating arachnoid cysts of lateral fissure, which present a frequent pathology accounting for 30-50% of all brain arachnoid cysts. At present, the strategy of surgical treatment is controversial. For a long time, treatment included both microsurgical and shunt operations, however, in modern neurosurgery many authors prefer endoscopic techniques or endoscopic-assisted microsurgery. Determining the indications for intervention also remains disputable. Some authors tend to believe that "preventive" surgery of asymptomatic arachnoid cysts of lateral fissure with minimal clinical manifestations is also debatable.
Methods. 22 pediatric patients underwent surgery at Novosibirsk Center of Neurosurgery from 2013 to 2015. Successful interventions by using mostly an endoscopic approach were carried out in 18 (81.8%) patients resulting in regression of clinical symptoms. A positive effect was not achieved in 4 (18.1%) patients with primary endoscopic cysto-cisternostomy who required additional operations.
Conclusion. Endoscopic fenestration in our series is a safe, effective and minimally invasive procedure of the first stage of treatment in patients with a symptomatic arachnoid cyst of lateral fissure.

Received 5 May 2016. Accepted 14 September 2016.

Funding: The study had no sponsorship.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Anaerobic Codigestion of Grass and Sewage Sludge: Laboratory Experiments and Feasibility Analysis
Authors: Hidaka Taira , Wang Feng , Sakurai Kensuke , Tsumori Jun , Minamiyama Mizuhiko
Published: November 2016

Grass is drawing attention for its high potential for biogas production. Anaerobic digesters in wastewater treatment plants can be used for producing biogas by processing grass without having to invest in the construction of new treatment facilities. Batch and continuous digestion experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of codigestion of sewage sludge and grass. The focus was on a thermophilic condition, starting‐up from existing mesophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge only. The batch and continuous experiments used two different sewage sludges. Results demonstrated a methane generation of approximately 0.2 normal liter‐methane/g volatile solids‐grass. The addition of grass did not affect the ammonia concentration and improved the dewaterability of the digested sludge. The start‐up performance from mesophilic digested sewage sludge to thermophilic codigestion with grass was confirmed. A feasibility analysis demonstrated that codigestion is applicable in terms of energy recovery and greenhouse gas emission, depending on the transport distance of grass.
The Effect of Solids Residence Time on Chemical Phosphorus Removal in Low Concentration Applications
Authors: Conidi Daniela , Parker Wayne J.
Published: November 2016

The effect of solids residence time (SRT) on steady state phosphorus (P) removal when striving for ultralow concentrations through metal salt addition was studied. Lab‐scale continuous flow sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated under high (6.4 mg P/L; 1.4 mol Fe/mol P) and low (3.4 mg P/L; 2.6 mol Fe/mol P) influent phosphate concentrations to characterize P removal. Residual P concentrations, particle size distribution, and microscopy analyses were determined over a range of SRTs. A majority of P removal (94% with 3.4 mg P/L; 83% with 6.4 mg P/L) occurred immediately after iron (Fe) addition with additional removal in the SBRs (3.3–4.8% with 3.4 mg P/L; 5.5–8.8% with 6.4 mg P/L). Soluble P uptake was higher for SRTs ≤ 7.4 days with 3.4 mg P/L and ≤ 14.3 days with 6.4 mg P/L. Normalized P uptake (μg P/mg total suspended solids [TSS]) decreased with SRT providing evidence that aging changed floc properties relevant to P removal. Floc size was found to have no distinguishable influence on P removal. However, changes in floc morphology were consistent with P removal trends.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Pollution Indicator Bacteria in the Lower Vaal River, South Africa
Authors: Chidamba Lizyben , Cilliers Elrina , Bezuidenhout Cornelius Carlos
Published: November 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of microbiological parameters of the Lower Vaal River, with emphasis on the Staphylococci population. River water concentrations of Staphylococci, heterotrophic, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and Streptococci groups of sanitary indicator bacteria were monitored. Results indicated significant contamination from agricultural land use inputs and municipal waste applications. Significant temporal and spatial variation was observed in response to the varying river discharge. Higher microbial concentrations were detected during high river discharge whereas during low river discharge both low and high microbial concentrations were detected. The varying responses associated with river discharge helped to identify the importance of different sources of contamination in the catchment and the mechanisms transferring them. The overall impact of contamination on the water quality of the Vaal River could have potentially serious public health risks but also provide valuable data for integrated water resource management.
Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor Codigestion of Algae and Acetate to Produce Methane
Authors: Soboh Yousef M. , Sorensen Darwin L. , Sims Ronald C.
Published: November 2016

Algae grown in wastewater treatment lagoons are a potentially important substrate for biofuel production. The feasibility of using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors in anaerobic digestion of algae to produce methane was investigated. A favorable carbon to nitrogen (C/N) weight ratio of 21/1 was determined in batch reactor experiments in which the ratio was adjusted by blending algal biomass with sodium acetate as a carbon source. This blend of algae and acetate was used in the feedstock applied to the UASB reactors. Duplicate, 34‐L, UASB reactors initially received an organic loading rate (OLR) of 0.9 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L.d at a 7.2‐day hydraulic retention time (HRT). The OLR was gradually increased to 5.4 g/L.d and the HRT was decreased to 5.5 days resulting in a methane production increase from 247 to 298 mL/g COD biodegraded. The COD removal efficiency was 80% with a biogas methane composition of 90%.