bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lattice gas automaton modelling of a vortex flow meter: Strouhal–Reynolds number dependence
Authors: Juknevičius Vaidas , Armaitis Jogundas
Published: January 2017

Motivated by recent experimental and computational results concerning a three-dimensional structure of vortices behind a vortex shedding flow meter [M. Reik et al., Forsch. Ingenieurwes.74, 77 (2010)], we study the Strouhal–Reynolds number dependence in the vortex street in two dimensions behind a trapezoid-shaped object by employing two types of Frisch–Hasslacher–Pomeau (FHP) models. Our geometry is intended to reproduce the operation of a vortex shedding flow meter in a two-dimensional setting, thus preventing the formation of a three-dimensional vortex structure. In particular, we check if the anomalous Reynolds–Strouhal number dependence reported for three dimensions can also be found in our two-dimensional simulation. As we find that the Strouhal number is nearly independent of the Reynolds number in this particular setup, our results provide support for the hypothesis that three-dimensional flow structures are responsible for that dependence, thus hinting at the importance of the pipe diameter to the accurate operation of industrial vortex flow meters.
A New Graphical Technique for Energy Efficient Design of Heat Recovery System in Chemical/Refining Industries
Authors: Kamel Dina Ahmed , Gadalla Mamdouh Ayad , Ashour Fatma Hanafy
Published: January 2017

Chemical processes are energy intensive industries; the majority of energy consumed in industrial processes is mainly used for heating and cooling requirements. This results in increasing the interest in obtaining the optimum design of the heat exchanger networks to reduce the energy consumption and face the growing energy crises. Most of the published literature over the last fifty years promotes the process integration technology as a main part of the process system engineering science. Graphical Pinch Analysis method normally includes two key steps, firstly obtaining the energy targets which include the minimum energy required for the HEN design, then designing the heat exchanger network (HEN). This paper introduces a new graphical approach for the design of new heat exchanger networks (HENs) based on pinch analysis rules. The HEN is represented on a simple graph, where the cold stream temperatures are plotted on the X-axis while the driving forces for each exchanger are plotted on the Y-axis. This graphical technique can describe the energy analysis problems in term of temperature driving force inside the heat exchanger, which is an important factor in the design process as the differences in these driving forces are involved in calculating the area of heat exchangers, and consequently affecting the cost.
A Comparison of Various Software Development Methodologies: Feasibility and Methods of Integration
Authors: Abou El-Seoud Samir
Published: January 2017

System development methodologies which have being used in the academic and commercial environments during last two decades have advantages and disadvantages. Researchers had tried to identify objectives, scope …etc. of the methodologies by following different approaches. Each approach has its Limitation, specific interest, coverage …etc. In this paper, we tried to perform a comparative study of those methodologies which are popular and commonly used in banking and commercial environment. We tried in our study to determine objectives, scope, tools and other features of the methodologies. We also, tried to determine how and to what extent the methodologies incorporate the facilities such as project management, cost benefit analysis, documentation …etc. One of the most important aspects of our study was how to integrate the methodologies and develop a global methodology which covers the complete span of the software development life cycle? A prototype system which integrates the selected methodologies has been developed. The developed system helps analysts and designers how to choose suitable tools or to obtain guidelines on what to do in a particular situation. The prototype system has been tested during the development of a software for an ATM “Auto Teller Machine” by selecting and applying SASD methodology during software development. This resulted in the development of high quality and well documented software system.
Modelling Various Solar Cells Materials Using Lorentzian-Drude Coefficients
Authors: Abdellatif Sameh Osama , Kirah Khaled , Ghannam Rami , Khalil Ahmed , Anis Wagdy
Published: January 2017

In order to develop an optoelectronic model for simulating different light trapping structures sandwiching the photovoltaic active layer, determining the materials dispersion and absorption properties is a must. The targeted model should be able to simulate the desperation and absorption capabilities of different conductor and semiconductor materials over the entire sun spectrum (200 nm to 1700 nm). Therefore, the Lorentzian-Dude (LD) model is chosen due to its simplicity in implementation with the finite difference time domain algorithm chosen for optical modelling. In this paper, various materials are selected to be modelled with the LD model. The proposed algorithm is not only used for modelling material behaviour of various conducting materials published in literature, but is also used for other conducting and semiconducting materials that the original model was not capable of modelling over the entire range of spectrum. Besides that, the suggested algorithm showed a better time performance than those mentioned in literature. Experimental 1D grating structure prototype samples were made to validate the simulation results, showing perfect agreement.
Subliminal Advertising and its Ethical Dimensions in the Social Media Age
Authors: Elci Meral , Sert Arzu
Published: January 2017

This chapter provides an overview of the research on subliminal advertising. Advertising industry experts always look for methods through which to develop effective advertising strategies and to persuade consumers' choices. This chapter shows that in comparison to the research conducted before the 1990s, and with the recent help of new techniques, there has been a growing body of subliminal influence research that has demonstrated that subliminal priming has an influence on a consumer's choices and behaviors. In this chapter whether subliminal advertising can play a critical role in attracting the customer to the product or service is examined. Whether our decisions can be affected by subliminal messages is also investigated. In addition, one of the purposes of this chapter is to explore whether subliminal messaging might raise ethical issues, and whether these issues can lead to moral corruption in society. What is missing is the lack of research on the ethical dimension of subliminal advertising.
Customer Relationship Management as a Customer-Centric Business Strategy
Authors: Nasır Süphan
Published: January 2017

CRM is fundamentally essential for the future of the company. CRM technologies enable the company to understand customer behavior better, predict their future behavior, deliver customized customer experience, and establish long-term customer relationships. However, considering that CRM is only limited with technology would be a big mistake for the company. Companies cannot deliver outstanding customer value, service, and experiences only through investing in CRM technologies. Strategic integration of CRM philosophy into company culture and operating processes are required to deliver superior customer service and experience. In the absence of CRM strategy, companies fail to harvest the benefits of CRM. The main purpose of this chapter is to discuss the characteristics as well as the strategic objective of CRM strategy. This chapter explains the customer life cycle management and proposes a holistic framework for customer life cycle management. This chapter ends with discussing the strategies to turn customers into assets and create devoted customers.
The Role of Local Governments in City Branding
Authors: Guler Emel Gonenc
Published: January 2017

Local governments provide a range of local services, preserve the life and liberty of residents, creating space for democratic participation and civic dialogue, supporting market-led and environmentally sustainable local development. City branding supplies the principles for the city developing policy to sustain the local development. In other words, city branding means being powerful to face the increasing wild competition for resources, investment and tourism facilities, both for addressing crucial social issues and cultural variation. The main objective of this study is to highlight the role of local governments and to emphasize the various destinations “bodies” used in the branding process in different administration systems. Although there are many different destination branding strategies over the world, the city branding success cannot be performed without the strong participation of the local governments.
Using Social Media for Participatory City Branding
Authors: Uzunoglu Ebru
Published: January 2017

With the rapid explosion of Internet, social media has emerged as a new communication venue for city branding initiative. The aim of this chapter is to provide a deeper understanding of today's communication environment, and in particular, to focus the greater interactivity, engagement and responsiveness of resources in relation to city branding. Thus, this chapter firstly outlines the participatory city branding, which can be considered as an appropriate approach for involving wide range of stakeholders in promoting cities as brands. Secondly, the role of social media and its influential users are scrutinized to better present their importance for city branding. Following this, the examined Instagram campaign to promote the city of Izmir intends to allow greater insight into how to utilize online platforms in order to communicate a city both to its citizens and to global arena. And finally, the chapter leads to practical implications regarding how to benefit from social media for effective participatory city branding.
How Advertising Beauty Influences Children's Self-Perception and Behavior
Authors: Vermeir Iris , Van de Sompel Dieneke
Published: January 2017

The authors investigate (1) whether the physical attractiveness stereotype applies to children, (2) whether children's self-perception is influenced by the attractiveness of an advertising model, (3) whether children's buying intentions are influenced by the attractiveness of an advertising model, and (4) whether age, gender, and materialism affect (1), (2), and (3). Results of an experimental research (N=185) confirm the presence of the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype in children. Attractive (versus less attractive) models were also perceived to be less likely to follow the rules. Contrary to expectations from research in adult samples, the presence of an attractive (versus less attractive) model has a positive influence on perceived physical appearance for both boys and girls and also a positive influence on general self-worth for girls. The authors also found that attractive (versus less attractive) models increase attitudes and buying intentions for boys, but not for girls. No effects of age and materialism were found.
Promoting Bucovina's Tourism Brand
Authors: Nedelea Alexandru-Mircea
Published: January 2017

In this chapter there is a presentation of Bucovina as an attractive tourism region of Romania, more and more appreciated by native and foreign tourists, having characteristics which distinguish it from the other Romanian tourism regions, namely the monasteries pertaining to UNESCO heritage. Nevertheless, the tourism in Bucovina can be oriented in many directions: historical and religious tourism, sports tourism, balneary tourism, and recreational tourism. The multitude of tourism forms that can be practiced in Bucovina must become well known; the possible visitors need to know that they can practice other forms of tourism besides the religious one, and this is why it is necessary to create the tourism brand of Bucovina. The promotion program of the brand of Bucovina must consider two main objectives: the presentation of the tourist sites and the deliverance of a good service quality.
From Internal Branding to Cultural Transformation
Authors: Matiatou Maria
Published: January 2017

The primary objective of this paper is to explore internal branding as a corporate philosophy: assess the relevance of its values, evaluate the tactics implemented, the nature of the internal communications involved, the outcomes thereof and its role as critical bridge over vision, culture and image gaps. It also aims at bringing awareness on failure possibilities and risks involved when internal constituencies do not fulfill their role as brand ambassadors. Following an overview of the internal branding methodology and literature, perceptions of employees on internal brand communication practices are captured and matched to aspirations, missions and values in different companies. Internal communication and branding outcomes are organically attached to the nexus of corporate identity; alignment of values and beliefs promotes brand identification, integrates practices, boosts loyalty and helps the organization speak in one voice. While some companies have managed to exemplify this strategy through honest and consistent efforts, it is unsafe to generalize the assumption across different industries that normally fail to undertake effective internal branding initiatives through their corporate communication department to strengthen their brands. It is therefore worth evaluating methods that can align theory, intentions and practice.
Authentic Leadership
Authors: Moore Bridget
Published: January 2017

Authentic leadership is used to describe a leadership style that is moral, inclusive, transparent, and original. Authentic leadership is believed to translate to a healthy work environment by engaging employees and demonstrating genuineness. This genuineness is seen first in the leadership and transfers throughout the organization. This is true in healthcare, in the business setting, and in the academic environment. This chapter will explore what an authentic leader is, how their attributes affect the workplace environment and the employees in that environment. Further, the chapter will examine decision-making and problem-solving through the lens of authentic leadership, with considerable focus on the academic setting. The academic leader is responsible for not only subject matter education (the ‘hard' information), but also an emotional education for teachers (the ‘soft' lessons) that is further shared with the students.
Mentor the Leader
Authors: Elufiede Oluwakemi J. , Flynn Bonnie B.
Published: January 2017

This chapter discusses the importance of mentoring the leader, whether formally or informally, to help successfully prepare one for a leadership role. In particular, the authors suggest using a transformational leadership approach during the mentor-mentee relationship since it has proven to be effective in various working environments. Literature related to various aspects of leadership, mentoring, and generational diversity is reviewed. There are four elements to help successfully mentor a leader: motivation, innovation, integration, and evaluation. All four elements are beneficial to critical thinking skills, personal growth and development, interpersonal skills, and team building. The Mentor-Leader Relationship Scale (MLRS) is introduced as a tool for leaders to reflect on their experiences with their mentor in relation to the four elements.
Organizational Trauma and Change Management
Authors: Gallego Juan-Maria
Published: January 2017

This chapter will evaluate the correlation between change management and the employee and/or management behaviors detrimental to the wellbeing of those individuals and the overall productivity and efficiency of an organization. The potential relationship between change and organizational behaviors, the effects of change on the wellbeing of individuals, the well-documented resistance to change would analyzed as well as potential techniques that managers, consultants and HR departments could implement to minimize the detrimental influence of organizational change on the wellbeing of individuals. The traumatic effects of change on the employee, both physical and psychological effects would be included in this chapter. These effects on the wellbeing of employees have been correlated to diminishing job satisfaction, increased absenteeism and turnover, reduced productivity and effectiveness and overall lower engagement with the organization. The chapter will include the introduction and brief analysis of organizational change and effectiveness models in particular the Burke-Litwin Model.
The Potential of Spirituality for the Treatment of Organizational Trauma
Authors: Kučera Dušan
Published: January 2017

The spiritual approach in dealing with organizational trauma is still relatively uncommon in business management literature. This chapter attempts to show the complexity of the problem through getting over the traditional framework of managerial psychology as defined by modern Western thought. Inspired by the holistic concept of man, the author transcends the usual managerial horizon and introduces a new perspective, which touches on the problem of the meaning of work within the context of the purpose of human life. The description of traumatic experiences in an organization is connected with feelings of guilt, the crisis of the concept of justice, the problem of forgiveness, and finding the inner energy to overcome the trauma and huge disappointment. Organizational trauma may develop into a personal and organizational crisis. This chapter tackles the potential of spirituality (human faith and hope) that gives a new meaning to life and work. Spirituality is connected with some religious systems. It can be instrumental in finding an appropriate treatment.
Thermal Diagnostics in Chronic Venous Disease
Authors: Cholewka Armand , Sieroń-Stołtny Karolina , Kajewska Joanna , Cholewka Agnieszka , Drzazga Zofia , Stanek Agata
Published: January 2017

The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic usefulness of thermal imaging as tool to find quantitative parameters in lower-limb primary chronic venous diseases and insufficiency of superficial veins. There were significant differences obtained in thermal maps of lower extremities between patients and healthy. The correlations were obtained between temperature parameters counted from thermal imaging and duplex scanning. Such results also suggest that thermovision diagnostics may be useful as a complementary and first of all objective method that can be used in the diagnosis of chronic venous diseases in the lower extremities. It may suggest that thermovision may be used as a screening method or together with an ultrasound diagnosis in different superficial veins disorders.
Thermal Imaging in Evaluation of the Physical Fitness Level
Authors: Kasprzyk Teresa , Stanek Agata , Sieroń-Stołtny Karolina , Cholewka Armand
Published: January 2017

The thermoregulation mechanisms during the physical effort can be easily study by using the thermovision. The thermoregulation mechanisms in human body keep the body core temperature on basic level 37 ± 2oC. However, the question is if there are any differences in skin surface temperature distribution between trainee sportsmen and amateur. Is there any possibility to show the sportsman level of practise using the thermal imaging? Would it be possible to evaluate the efficiency of athlete or evaluate the level of sports possibilities in average amateur who just wants to start cycle training. To find how the thermoregulation mechanisms work the different measurements were done i.e. during the cyclist endurance test for group of male cyclist (intermediate level of cycling skill) and during the Aerobic Circuit Training (ACT) for trainee and amateur group of women.
Infrared Thermography as a Means of Monitoring and Preventing Sports Injuries
Authors: Sillero-Quintana Manuel , Gomez-Carmona Pedro M. , Fernández-Cuevas Ismael
Published: January 2017

Sports injuries are one of the most important problems in sports. Moreover, professional sports injuries lead to a difficult recovery process for the athletes, reduced athletic performance, and large economic costs. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a safe, non-invasive and low-cost technique that allows for the rapid and non-contact recording of Skin Temperature (Tsk). Recent research results have demonstrated new applications for this technique; among them, the monitoring and prevention of sports injuries appears to be one of the most interesting applications. Although IRT is not as objective as other methods, it may be sufficiently accurate and reliable as a complementary tool considering the theory that musculoskeletal structures should be in thermal equilibrium when in a healthy state. Therefore, the main contribution of IRT is to help identify an injury before it occurs, providing an opportunity for preventative action.
Thermal Imaging
Authors: Hoffmann Andreas , Dumke Claudia , Hanschmann Kay-Martin Ove
Published: January 2017

This chapter describes an approach to quantifying the local inflammatory response at the injection site after a vaccination by infrared imaging. The aim is to develop a thermographic procedure providing support to evaluate the reactivity of a vaccine. The development of the experimental design had to consider an optimum timeframe for infrared imaging, the variability of the local thermal emission, questions regarding the thermal left-right symmetry and further biometric aspects. To verify this concept, more than 80 participants of the influenza vaccination campaign were involved. Even if this study is based on a well-tolerated seasonal influenza vaccination, nearly 40% of all subjects show a pronounced thermal reaction of approximately 1°C. Apart from this, 25-30% displays no signs of any thermal response. The question of how far thermal imaging will contribute to facilitating the assessment of the reactivity of a vaccine has several aspects which are discussed in this chapter.
Thermographic Evaluation of Racehorse Performance
Authors: Soroko Maria
Published: January 2017

Thermography has found a broad range of applications in equine sport and veterinary medicine. Thermographic diagnosis is useful in monitoring changes of horse surface temperature resulting from exercise allowing evaluation of the work of individual parts of the body in racing performance. Regular assessment of body surface temperature allows the detection of training overloads and identification of pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system during the racing training cycle. The usefulness of thermography in veterinary medicine has been proved in detecting pathological conditions associated mainly with inflammation processes of the distal parts of the limbs and back. The main advantage of thermography is the detection of subclinical signs of inflammation before the onset of clinical signs of pathology, providing great value in veterinary medicine diagnosis. Thermography has also found application in detecting illegal performance procedures to improve horse performance and in assessing the saddle fit to the horse's back.
Engineering Value Co-Creation in Product-Service Systems
Authors: Pezzotta Giuditta , Cavalieri Sergio , Romero David
Published: January 2017

The integration process of products and services is still a growing trend in today's globally competitive market. To properly answer to the need of the companies to deliver integrated solution, from the mid-2000s, several research groups have worked on the development of methodologies to support companies along the engineering phase. Even if a plethora of methodologies and methods have been developed to support the Product-Service System (PSS) creation, there is still scarce attention on the way value is co-created with the customer. It becomes essential to change the perspective of the methodologies and to identify methods able to change the customer's role from a passive user to an active co-creator of value. In this context, the aim of this chapter is to understand which methods can be used to enhance value co-creation through an active involvement of the customers along the PSS engineering process.
E-Service Innovation in Rural Africa Through Value Co-Creation
Authors: Bon Anna , Gordijn Jaap , Akkermans Hans
Published: January 2017

E-Services have great potential, even in resource-poor environments such as in sub-Saharan Africa. However, contextual factors pose significant challenges for development, feasibility, deployment and sustainability of e-services. This chapter presents a case of e-service value co-creation in a rural context, with targeted end users in regions characterized by limited electricity infrastructure and poor or absent internet, strong diversity in languages spoken, high illiteracy rates and limited purchasing power. It offers a methodology to upfront analyze business model sustainability for e-service innovation in severely resource-constrained contexts. This is illustrated by an extensive case study in which a voice-based microblogging e-service was developed and deployed with local stakeholders in rural Mali.
Innovation Processes of Cymbopogon Citratus Tea in Manipur, India
Authors: Devi Wairokpam Premi , Kumar Hemant
Published: January 2017

By adopting Actor Network Theory (ANT) in the empirical context of Cymbopogon citratus Tea (CC Tea) in Manipur, this paper analyses the networks of key actors in the innovation process. Innovation happens when there is an interaction between actors, institutions and economic structures across the level of hierarchy. In this process, there has been a close association between human and non human. Ethnographic case study is used to understand the socio-cultural and ethnographical context of key actors in the CC Tea innovation process. Semi structured in-depth interview has been conducted to the selected areas. It concludes that ANT is highly significant to understand the networks of humans and non humans associated with the innovation process thereby giving a new theoretical interpretation in the Science and Technology Studies (STS) domain in this sector.
Beyond Actor Network Theory to the Marriage of Moments
Authors: Nelson Carol
Published: January 2017

In 2004, the Government of Jamaica and the Confederation of Trade Unions signed a social partnership agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which maintained the size of the public sector and wage expenditure, in exchange for no redundancies. The implementation of the Agreement unearthed unanticipated implications for the practice of power within the partnership. The ontology of Actor Network Theory, conceptualizes the MoU as an actor which, through the mechanics of translation, creates its own actor network that it seeks to inscribe with its own discourse to attain a ‘black box' status. The inclusion of discourse as a moment and use of Critical Discourse Analysis provides for the penetration of the impenetrable black box of network interaction and analytical possibilities. The paper argues for the recognition of discourse as a moment in ANT which strengthens it and affords a mode of analysis to deconstruct or explore inner distributions of power.
Materialized View Selection using Artificial Bee Colony Optimization
Authors: Arun Biri , Kumar T.V. Vijay
Published: January 2017

Data warehouse is an essential component of almost every modern enterprise information system. It stores huge amount of subject-oriented, time-stamped, non-volatile and integrated data. It is highly required of the system to respond to complex online analytical queries posed against its data warehouse in seconds for efficient decision making. Optimization of online analytical query processing (OLAP) could substantially minimize delays in query response time. Materialized view is an efficient and effective OLAP query optimization technique to minimize query response time. Selecting a set of such appropriate views for materialization is referred to as view selection, which is a nontrivial task. In this regard, an Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) based view selection algorithm (ABCVSA), which has been adapted by incorporating N-point and GBFS based N-point random insertion operations, to select Top-K views from a multidimensional lattice is proposed. Experimental results show that ABCVSA performs better than the most fundamental view selection algorithm HRUA. Thus, the views selected using ABCVSA on materialization would reduce the query response time of OLAP queries and thereby aid analysts in arriving at strategic business decisions in an effective manner.
A Novel Adaptive Scanning Approach for Effective H.265/HEVC Entropy Coding
Authors: Li Wei , Zhao Fan , Ren Peng , Xiang Zheng
Published: January 2017

The block transform video coder of H.265/HEVC has been formulated for a more flexible content representation to satisfy various implementation demands. Here three coefficient-scanning methods of diagonal, horizontal and vertical scan are employed for mapping a 2-D array to a 1-D vector for further reducing redundancy in entropy coding. However, the fixation scanning pattern does not fully exploit the correlation among quantized coefficients and the coding redundancy still exists. In this paper, a new adaptive coefficient scanning (ACS) method is proposed for effective H.265/HEVC entropy coding. Here the characteristic of syntax elements of quantized coefficients is first studied and then the related context probability of symbol is estimated through combining local property. Guided by the principle of entropy coding, the scanning approach is established for higher coding performance. Experimental results demonstrate that a reduction of about 3.6%–4.2% in bit-rate can be observed with almost no loss in coding complexity.
Dict-Based Energy and Latency Efficient Air Indexing Technique for Full Text Search Over Wireless Broadcast Stream
Authors: Goel Vikas , Ahlawat Anil Kumar , Gupta M N
Published: January 2017

Wireless data broadcasting seems to be an efficient way for dissemination of data to a large number of mobile users. Because of its scalability and flexibility, the service providers use this technology to resolve request of thousands of users in one single response. Full text search is the latest area of research in wireless data broadcasting. Access time and tuning time are the two metrics for evaluation of an indexing technique. In this paper, we propose an air indexing technique based on the dictionary data structure namely Dict-Based Air Indexing Technique for full text search over wireless broadcast stream that utilizes hash-tables. We also propose algorithms for the implementation of the technique. We analyze, evaluate and compare its performance with existing schemes. The results from simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed technique is the most latency and energy efficient air indexing technique for full text searches.
Generalized Morrey Spaces – Revisited
Authors: Akbulut Ali , Guliyev Vagif Sabir , Noi Takahiro , Sawano Yoshihiro
Published: January 2017

The generalized Morrey space

{\mathcal M}_{p,\phi}({\mathbb R}^n)

was defined by Mizuhara 1991 and Nakai in 1994. It is equipped with a parameter

0 < p < \infty

and a function

\phi:{\mathbb R}^n \times (0,\infty) \to (0,\infty)

. Our experience shows that

{\mathcal M}_{p,\phi}({\mathbb R}^n)

is easy to handle when

1 < p < \infty

. However, when

0 < p \le 1

, the function space

{\mathcal M}_{p,\phi}({\mathbb R}^n)

is difficult to handle as many examples show. We propose a way to deal with

{\mathcal M}_{p,\phi}({\mathbb R}^n)

for

0 < p \le 1

, in particular, to obtain some estimates of the Hardy–Littlewood maximal operator on these spaces. Especially, the vector-valued estimates obtained in the earlier papers are refined. The key tool is the weighted dual Hardy operator. Much is known on the weighted dual Hardy operator.
Regularity of Minimizers in the Two-Phase Free Boundary Problems in Orlicz–Sobolev Spaces
Authors: Zheng Jun , Feng Binhua , Zhao Peihao
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we consider the optimization problem of minimizing

\mathcal {J}(u)=\int_{\Omega}(G(|\nabla u|)+\lambda_{+}(u^{+})^{\gamma}+\lambda_{-}(u^{-})^{\gamma}+fu)\text{d}x

in the class of functions

W^{1,G}(\Omega)

with

u - \varphi \in W^{1,G}_{0}(\Omega)

for a given function

\varphi

, where

W^{1,G}(\Omega)

is the class of weakly differentiable functions with

\int_{\Omega} G(|\nabla u|)\text{d}x<\infty

. The conditions on the function

G

allow for a different behavior at

0

and at

\infty

. For

0<\gamma \leq 1

, we prove that every minimizer

u

of

\mathcal {J}(u)

is

C^{1,\alpha}_{loc}

-continuous.
A simple calculation algorithm to separate high-resolution CH4 flux measurements into ebullition- and diffusion-derived components
Authors: Hoffmann Mathias , Schulz-Hanke Maximilian , Garcia Alba Juana , Jurisch Nicole , Hagemann Ulrike , Sachs Torsten , Sommer Michael , Augustin Jürgen
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Processes driving the production, transformation and transport of methane (CH4) in wetland ecosystems are highly complex. We present a simple calculation algorithm to separate open-water CH4 fluxes measured with automatic chambers into diffusion- and ebullition-derived components. This helps to reveal underlying dynamics, to identify potential environmental drivers and, thus, to calculate reliable CH4 emission estimates. The flux separation is based on identification of ebullition-related sudden concentration changes during single measurements. Therefore, a variable ebullition filter is applied, using the lower and upper quartile and the interquartile range (IQR). Automation of data processing is achieved by using an established R script, adjusted for the purpose of CH4 flux calculation. The algorithm was validated by performing a laboratory experiment and tested using flux measurement data (July to September 2013) from a former fen grassland site, which converted into a shallow lake as a result of rewetting. Ebullition and diffusion contributed equally (46 and 55 %) to total CH4 emissions, which is comparable to ratios given in the literature. Moreover, the separation algorithm revealed a concealed shift in the diurnal trend of diffusive fluxes throughout the measurement period. The water temperature gradient was identified as one of the major drivers of diffusive CH4 emissions, whereas no significant driver was found in the case of erratic CH4 ebullition events.
Tree growth and its climate signal along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients: comparison of tree rings between Finland and Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Lyu Lixin , Suvanto Susanne , Nöjd Pekka , Henttonen Helena M. , Mäkinen Harri , Zhang Qi-Bin
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Latitudinal and altitudinal gradients can be utilized to forecast the impacts of climate changes on forests. To improve the understanding of forest dynamics on these gradients, we tested two hypotheses: (1) the change in the tree growth-climate relationship is similar along both latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, and (2) the time periods during which climate affects growth the most occur later towards higher latitudes and altitudes. We used tree-ring data from a latitudinal gradient in Finland and two altitudinal gradients on the Tibetan Plateau. We analysed the latitudinal and altitudinal growth patterns in tree-rings and investigated the growth-climate relationships of trees by correlating ring-width index chronologies with climate variables calculated with flexible time-windows, using daily-resolution climate data. The high latitude and altitude plots showed higher correlations between the tree-ring chronologies and growing season temperature. However, the effects of winter temperature showed differing patterns for the gradients. The timing of highest correlation with summer temperatures in southern sites was approximately one month ahead of the northern sites in the latitudinal gradient. In one out of the two altitudinal gradients the timing of strongest negative correlation with summer temperatures at low altitude sites was ahead of the treeline sites, possibly due to differences in moisture limitation. Mean values and the standard deviation of tree-ring width was found to increase with increasing mean summer temperatures on both types of gradients. Our results showed similarities of tree growth responses to growing season temperature between latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. However, differences in climate-growth relationships were also found between the gradients, due to differences in other factors, such as moisture conditions. Changes in the timing of the most critical climate variables demonstrated the need to use daily resolution climate data in studies on environmental gradients.
Application of surface analytical methods for hazardous situation in the Adriatic Sea: monitoring of organic matter dynamics and oil pollution
Authors: Pletikapić Galja , Ivošević DeNardis Nadica
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Surface analytical methods are applied to examine the environmental status of seawaters. The present overview emphasizes advantages of combining surface analytical methods, applied to a hazardous situation in the Adriatic Sea, such as monitoring of the first aggregation phases of dissolved organic matter in order to potentially predict the massive mucilage formation and testing of oil spill cleanup. Such an approach, based on fast and direct characterization of organic matter and its high-resolution visualization, sets a continuous-scale description of organic matter from micro- to nanometre scales. Electrochemical method of chronoamperometry at the dropping mercury electrode meets the requirements for monitoring purposes due to the simple and fast analysis of a large number of natural seawater samples enabling simultaneous differentiation of organic constituents. In contrast, atomic force microscopy allows direct visualization of biotic and abiotic particles and provides an insight into structural organization of marine organic matter at micro- and nanometre scales. In the future, merging data at different spatial scales, taking into account experimental input on micrometre scale, observations on metre scale and modelling on kilometre scale, will be important for developing sophisticated technological platforms for knowledge transfer, reports and maps applicable for the marine environmental protection and management of the coastal area, especially for tourism, fishery and cruiser trafficking.
Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking and Factors Associated with the Initiation of Smoking among University Students in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Sahadat , Hossain Shakhaoat , Ahmed Fahad , Islam Rabiul , Sikder Tajuddin , Rahman Abdur
Published: January 2017

Introuduction: Tobacco smoking is considered to be the key preventable risk factor for morbidity and mortality at the global level. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking and factors associated with the initiation of smoking among university students in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with 264 students of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2015. A standard, self-administered questionnaire consisting of questions on socio-demographic variables, tobacco smoking status, family and peer tobacco smoking history, attitudes and beliefs about tobacco smoking, as well as knowledge about the negative health consequences of tobacco smoking was administered to participants. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models, chi square, and Fisher exact tests.Results: The overall prevalence of tobacco smoking was 60.2%, where males smoked at higher rates than females (68.81% and 19.56%, respectively). The influence of friends was the most significant reason for initiating tobacco smoking (OR: 0.862; CI: 0.810-0.917). Perception regarding tobacco smoking was significantly related to continuing tobacco use. Logistic regression models identified that smoking-related attitudes, potential health problems, and family members dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer were significantly associated with tobacco smoking.Conclusion: The current tobacco smoking prevalence among university students in Bangladesh is over 60%. We suggest adopting WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) policies, especially for university students.
E-Commerce Adoption by Women Entrepreneurs in India: An Application of the UTAUT Model
Authors: Goswami Ananya , Dutta Sraboni
Published: January 2017

The wide use of ICT applications has opened enormous opportunities for large, medium and even small organizations. This study aims to investigate the extent of adoption of e-commerce applications by the women owned SMEs in India, with special focus on behavioral factors which influence them to do so. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was utilized to determine the strength of the constructs in influencing e-commerce adoption amongst women entrepreneurs. Using a structured questionnaire, responses were solicited via a field survey amongst 144 women entrepreneurs in two districts of Kolkata and 24 Parganas (South) in the State of West Bengal, India. The results show that three constructs, namely, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence significantly affect the behavioral intention of these women entrepreneurs to use e-commerce. Experience and voluntariness to use are the moderators significantly correlated with effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and social influence. Moreover, it has been revealed that facilitating conditions and the behavioral intention positively influence their usage behavior.
Scleral Buckling in Phakic Uncomplicated Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment: Long-Term Outcomes
Authors: Quijano Claudia , Alkabes Micol , Gómez-Resa Maria , Oleñik Andrea , Villani Edoardo , Corcóstegui Borja
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Scleral buckling (SB) is a surgical technique that has been used successfully to treat retinal detachments for the last 6 decades. The aim of this study was to report the long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of SB surgery in phakic patients with uncomplicated primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (PRRD). This article also outlines the benefits of SB compared to pars plana vitrectomy, such as reducing the risk of developing cataract, high intraocular pressure, and glaucoma, in addition to reducing surgical cost.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical notes of 90 phakic eyes with PRRD treated with SB surgery that had a minimum of 5 years follow-up. Preoperative and postoperative characteristics were recorded. Main outcome measures were reattachment rate, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement, and complications.

Results

A total of 90 eyes (88 patients) with phakic PRRD repaired through SB surgery were included. Mean age was 49.2 ± 14.6 years (range 20-80). Primary and final anatomic success was 96.7% and 100%, respectively. Mean preoperative BCVA was 0.3 ± 0.31 logMAR (6/12) and mean postoperative BCVA 0.1 ± 0.2 logMAR (p<0.001) (6/7.5). There were no cataract or primary open-angle glaucoma cases after 1 year of follow-up. Mean follow-up was 8.5 ± 2.6 years (range 5-13).

Conclusions

We report a high single operation success rate over time in phakic PRRD, repaired through SB surgery. Functional and anatomical success was maintained throughout the follow-up without complications. Therefore, the authors recommend the use of this technique in selected cases in order to reduce morbidity and the incidence of reoperations.
Improving Patient-Assessed Outcomes after Cataract Surgery
Authors: Samadi Behrad , Lundström Mats , Kugelberg Maria
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To identify and evaluate possible causes of poor patient-reported visual function after cataract surgery.

Methods

We obtained retrospective data from the Swedish National Cataract Register on patient self-assessed visual function before and after cataract surgery based on the Catquest-9SF questionnaire. We identified patients who self-reported similar or more difficulties postoperatively than preoperatively, and looked at possible causative variables such as sex, age, preoperative and postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and refractive errors, and ocular comorbidity.

Results

Nearly 75% of the 119 patients identified had a better postoperative CDVA; the mean CDVA increased by over 0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity. Patients with low or high preoperative CDVA had poor self-assessed outcomes postoperatively. Younger patients (52-68 years) had a lower self-assessed outcome than more elderly patients. Surgical complications and poor near vision yielded lower outcomes. Anisometropia, ocular comorbidity, and sex did not significantly affect the outcome in this specific group.

Conclusions

Patients content with their visual function despite the presence of a cataract should defer surgery. This may also include patients younger than 68 years with good visual function. Detailed information given to the patients about their ophthalmic condition, the surgical procedure and risks, and the eventual need for reading glasses postoperatively may result in higher self-assessed visual function outcomes among patients.
High Soluble CD30 Levels and Associated Anti-HLA Antibodies in Patients with Failed Renal Allografts
Authors: Karahan Gonca E. , Caliskan Yasar , Ozdilli Kursat , Kekik Cigdem , Bakkaloglu Huseyin , Caliskan Bahar , Turkmen Aydin , Sever Mehmet S. , Oguz Fatma S.
Published: January 2017

Introduction

Serum soluble CD30 (sCD30), a 120-kD glycoprotein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, has been suggested as a marker of rejection in kidney transplant patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sCD30 levels and anti-HLA antibodies, and to compare sCD30 levels in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) with and without failed renal allografts and transplant recipients with functioning grafts.

Methods

100 patients undergoing HD with failed grafts (group 1), 100 patients undergoing HD who had never undergone transplantation (group 2), and 100 kidney transplant recipients (group 3) were included in this study. Associations of serum sCD30 levels and anti-HLA antibody status were analyzed in these groups.

Results

The sCD30 levels of group 1 and group 2 (154 ± 71 U/mL and 103 ± 55 U/mL, respectively) were significantly higher than those of the transplant recipients (group 3) (39 ± 21 U/mL) (p<0.001 and p<0.001). The serum sCD30 levels in group 1 (154 ± 71 U/mL) were also significantly higher than group 2 (103 ± 55 U/mL) (p<0.001). Anti-HLA antibodies were detected in 81 (81%) and 5 (5%) of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). When multiple regression analysis was performed to predict sCD30 levels, the independent variables in group 1 were the presence of class I anti-HLA antibodies (β = 0.295; p = 0.003) and age (β = -0.272; p = 0.005), and serum creatinine (β = 0.218; p = 0.027) and presence of class II anti-HLA antibodies (standardized β = 0.194; p = 0.046) in group 3.

Conclusions

Higher sCD30 levels and anti-HLA antibodies in patients undergoing HD with failed renal allografts may be related to higher inflammatory status in these patients.