bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possibilities and challenges in the development of a global flood disaster risk indicator from the post-2015 UN processes perspective: a preliminary study
Authors: Lee Sangeun , Okazumi Toshio , Kwak Youngjoo
Published: April 2015

This study aims to contemplate possibilities and challenges in the current development of global flood disaster risk indicators (GFDRIs). To this end, methodological requirements are first identified from stakeholders' opinions included in the post-2015 UN Development process and the post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Actions process. Then, state-of-the-art methods are applied, as a preliminary attempt, to fourteen countries in Asia to understand how the GFDRI estimates plausibly describe the number of affected people and fatalities under the 50-year return period condition. The results show that GFDRIs are capable of overcoming the unavailability of data necessary to analyze flood inundation depths and areas, describing the number of people affected by flood events, using vulnerability proxies contextually meaningful to understand why flood fatalities disproportionally occur in less developed countries, and making GFDRIs simple, understandable and transparent estimates. Simultaneously, it is revealed that there is still much room to technically improve GFDRIs, especially in dealing with reluctance in assigning a single value to an indicator for a large area such as a country, inaccessibility to authorized disaster records, difficulties in showing the effectiveness of infrastructure such as dams and dykes, and lack of local knowledge about vulnerability.
Groundwater management: a search for better policy combinations
Authors: Endo Takahiro
Published: April 2015

Excessive groundwater pumping is now a global concern. There is no panacea for this problem, which needs to be addressed through continual policy improvements based on case studies. Good examples of the diversity of groundwater management are demonstrated by the Tokyo (Japan) and Orange County Water District (OCWD, California, USA) experiences. In Tokyo, excessive groundwater pumping was addressed through technological restrictions, including restrictions on the diameter and depth of wells, and construction of industrial waterworks. On the other hand, in Orange County, OCWD introduced a pump tax to purchase external water for artificial groundwater recharge. These two strategies are in striking contrast, from two perspectives. First, while OCWD's main policy tools were tax and artificial recharge, Tokyo depended on technological restrictions and construction of waterworks. Second, OCWD uses a combination of surface water and groundwater, but water supply in Tokyo has shifted almost completely from groundwater to surface water. What are the strong and weak points of each strategy? What causes such diversity? In this paper, a comparative case study was conducted to clarify (1) the institutional contexts causing the diversity of groundwater management and (2) the advantages and disadvantages of each policy combination.
Balancing water demand reduction and rainfall runoff minimisation: modelling green roofs, rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse systems
Authors: Stratigea Domniki , Makropoulos Christos
Published: April 2015

Recent years have seen a growing interest in more distributed approaches towards stormwater management, often integrated with other forms of distributed management of urban water such as water demand management technologies. This paper focuses on the role of green roofs (GR), rainwater harvesting (RWH) and greywater reuse and their integration at the building level. A number of models were developed to simulate these systems, and provide design curves able to simultaneously minimise both total runoff volumes and the amount of potable water used in the building (for irrigation and toilet flushing). The models developed were applied to the design of stormwater infrastructure for the building of the National Gallery, in Athens, Greece. A sensitivity analysis of various model parameters was conducted, with results suggesting, inter alia: (i) a significant decrease of total runoff volumes for rainfalls of medium-to-small return periods; (ii) a significant influence of the plant factor on water requirements (with implications for selecting vegetation for GR in a Mediterranean climate); and (iii) a significant impact of latent heat peaking during the months of June and July. The trade-off, on runoff volumes, between percentage of green roof area and the dimensions of the water storage tank was also investigated. The results suggest that the most preferable solution for conserving potable water was RWH combined with greywater recycling, while for runoff minimisation the best option was the combination of green roof and greywater recycling.
Pollution of surface runoff from the territory of Brest, Belarus
Authors: Bulskaya I. , Volchek A.
Published: April 2015

The assessment of the influence of urban surface runoff on the quality of river water in the city of Brest was made. Surface runoff was studied in two phases (winter and summer) for the following parameters: pH, total suspended solids (TSS), concentration of chloride, nitrate, phosphate and ammonium ions, total oils. The results show that urban surface runoff is an important source of pollution for river waters. The components of primary concern were TSS, chloride, phosphate and ammonium ions during the winter period; phosphate and ammonium ions and oils during the summer period.
Designing a rainwater harvesting system for urban green roof irrigation
Authors: Chao-Hsien Liaw , En-Hao Huang , Yie-Ru Chiu
Published: April 2015

Green roof systems have been suggested to ease the growing urban environmental problems resulting from rapid urbanization. However, the irrigation of green roofs heavily depends on using precious potable water and consequently generates negative environmental effects. Rainwater has been recommended to address this dilemma, but the design method has not been well developed. In this study, the major design factors of a rainwater harvesting system for green roof irrigation systems are examined, and a simulation-based mathematical model is established to elucidate the correlation between tank volume and system performance. The optimal system design and probability distribution of the potable water replacement rate are also discussed on the basis of a case study of a university building in Keelung, Northern Taiwan. The results show that the optimal tank volume, potable water replacement rate, and probability of exceedance are 9.41 m3, 92.72%, and 88.76% (±1SD), respectively. In addition, the economic performance is identified to be feasible. Hence, the design method has been verified to be a useful tool to ease the urban environmental issues.
A possible modification of groundwater flow equation using coordinate transformations
Authors: Atangana Abdon , Alabaraoye Ernestine
Published: April 2015

We described a groundwater model with prolate spheroid coordinates, and introduced a new parameter, namely τ the silhouette influence of the geometric under which the water flows. At first, we supposed that the silhouette influence approaches zero; under this assumption, the modified equation collapsed to the ordinary groundwater flow equation. We proposed an analytical solution to the standard version of groundwater as a function of time, space and uncertainty factor α. Our proposed solution was in good agreement with experimental data. We presented a good approximation to the exponential integral. We obtained an asymptotic special solution to the modified equation by means of the Adomian decomposition and variational iteration methods.
Integrated water resources management under a new global scenario
Authors: Salinas Andrea
Published: April 2015

Integrated water resources management is a long-standing paradigm that needs to be reaffirmed and strengthened in light of current environmental changes and new development priorities at the international level. A review of progress toward internationally agreed goals related to water provides information on four areas of action that require increased attention. Further, the analysis of pathways taken so far helps to understand why some goals have not been achieved and what role the different levels of governance play in the transition to sustainable development.
Virtual water and input–output framework: an alternative method for assessing trade and water consumption in FYR Macedonia
Authors: Hristov Jordan , Martinovska-Stojcheska Aleksandra , Surry Yves
Published: April 2015

This study analyzed direct and indirect relationships in water consumption by Macedonian economic sectors using virtual water in an input–output framework. Macedonia was found to be characterized by intensive water consumption, with some sectors having a significant virtual water content in their products. Virtual water multipliers were used to analyze the trade balance and determine whether national commercial trade strategies are in line with Heckscher–Ohlin (HO) theory. It was found that Macedonia trade strategies in terms of virtual water were generally in line with HO theory. However, as a consequence of significant exports and high virtual water content in vegetables, fruit, grapes and sheep and goat products within the agriculture sector and in food and basic metal products in the manufacturing sector, the region was a net exporter of virtual water, losing about 124 million m3 of water at 2005 level or 18% of total water consumption. Reducing exports of the most water-intensive products with significant net positive exports would result in substantial water savings of 42% of total water consumption. The results presented here can help policy makers in promoting production specializations that are more environmentally sustainable or in redesigning existing water pricing policies at national level to encourage rational use of water.
Improved efficiency of reactor startup in biological aerated filter by poly(lactic acid)
Authors: Feng Hui , Cui Fu-yi , Xie Yi-zhong , Wei Yan , Zhao Zhi-wei
Published: April 2015

The enhancement effect of polyethylene (PE) surfaces modified with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) on formation of nitrifying biofilms in biological aerated filter (BAF) was investigated in this study. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and protein absorption analysis revealed that modified PE surfaces produced active groups, including carboxyl (O═C─O), hydroxyl (C─OH), and carbonyl (C═O), increased surface roughness, and enhanced the adsorption of both the bovine serum albumin and fibrinogen. During the startup period of 33 days, the average removal rates of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-H) were 68 and 72% before and after modification which were 36 and 43% for total nitrogen, 47 and 45% for total organic carbon. The results of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis experiments demonstrated that modified carriers adsorbed and gathered more species of bacteria on surfaces. Thus, surface modification of PE suspended carrier by PLA improved the efficiency of reactor startup for drinking water treatment.
The effect of winter flood irrigation with saline water on groundwater in a typical irrigation area
Authors: He Yujiang , Lin Wenjing , Wang Guiling
Published: April 2015

Flood irrigation in the winter has been widely applied in northwest China for several years, but little attention has been paid to the flood irrigation program to date. In order to seek a reasonable irrigation quota, a flood irrigation experiment using two common quotas (1,800 and 1,200 m3 ha−1) was conducted in an area irrigated by saline water in the Nanjiang basin with shallow groundwater. Soil electrical conductivity in six treatments irrigated by saline water, with various salinity backgrounds, was investigated using Hydra and DDS-307 before and after flood irrigation. The results indicate that the quota of 12,00 m3 ha−1 was small enough to prevent soil salt from leaching out of the root zone. Although the quota of 1,800 m3 ha−1 may guarantee regular plant growth in the following year, it resulted in at least 267.2 g m−2 of salt entering the shallow groundwater. Therefore, flood irrigation had an important and profound effect on plants, soil environment, and shallow groundwater. The quota of flood irrigation in winter should be determined cautiously according to the hydraulic characteristics and salt background of the soil.
Comparative analysis of groundwater fluorine levels and other characteristics in two areas of Laizhou Bay and its explanation on fluorine enrichment
Authors: Wang L. F. , Chen Q. , Long X. P. , Wu X. B. , Sun L.
Published: April 2015

The groundwater characteristics in two areas, Tushan town (TS) in Laizhou County and Puzhuang town (PZ) in Changyi County, were compared to discuss the dynamics of fluorine enrichment. Groundwater has average fluorine levels of 2.33 mg/L in PZ town ranging from 0.65 to 9.87 mg/L and of 0.91 mg/L ranging from 0.27 to 1.25 mg/L in TS town. The geochemical indexes indicate seawater intrusion in the both areas, the more serious seawater intrusion in PZ town causes the higher pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), HCO3− and Na+ than TS town, which can accelerate fluorine leach ability from rock/soil and result in higher fluorine than in TS town. So, the seawater intrusion is related to groundwater fluorine levels. Moreover, the groundwater shows the contrary process of cation exchange. That is, the exchange of Na+ to Ca2+ in TS town occurs and that of Ca2+ to Na+ occurs in PZ town during seawater intrusion. As a result, PZ town has relatively higher Na+ and lower Ca2+ than TS town, and the groundwater types transform from Ca-Cl type in TS town to Na-Cl type in PZ town with the ongoing seawater intrusion. Such a process decreases fluorine solubility in groundwater and contributes to lower fluorine levels in TS town. Therefore, the seawater intrusion and the special cation exchange explain well the different fluorine levels in the two areas, which should be considered when the fluorine enrichment is discussed in coastal regions.
Application of laser-induced breakdown-detection as a sensitive detector for UF membrane surrogate challenge tests
Authors: Tröster M. , Lipp P. , Sacher F. , Hofmann T. , Brauch H.-J.
Published: April 2015

Characteristics of ultrafiltration membranes with respect to the removal of nanoscale particles can be determined by surrogate challenge tests (SCTs). Key elements of a successful SCT are the selection of a suitable surrogate and a reliable quantification method. A major challenge when using nanoparticles as surrogates is their quantification in the filtrate, since commonly used particle detection methods are often lacking in sensitivity. The applicability of laser-induced breakdown-detection (LIBD) as a monitoring tool for SCTs has therefore been evaluated. The SCTs were carried out using polystyrene (PS) and silicate particles spiked into ultrapure water and into bank filtrate. Nanoparticles were detectable down to 10 nm and, depending on the material, down to a few ng/L. The nominal pore-size of the ultrafiltration membrane could be confirmed during the tests, demonstrating the suitability of LIBD as a highly sensitive monitoring technique for SCTs.
Analytical Side-to-Side Related Anastomotic Strategies and Artery Patching
Authors: Roussis P.C , Giannakopoulos A.E , Charalambous H.P
Published: April 2015

Suture line stress concentration and intimal hyperplasia are related to the long-term complications of end-toside and side-to-side anastomosis. Several factors, such as hemodynamic effects, biological activities and the mechanical properties of the blood vessels, are identified to influence the problem. Yet, it is not completely clear which are the factors that influence most the long-term complications and in what specific way. This study aims to examine if elastic (compliance) mismatch increases the stress concentration and intimal thickening at the suture line. Better compliance may be obtained by using grafts with similar mechanical properties to the host artery or by anastomosis techniques that utilize vein patches and cuffs (Taylor-patch and Miller-cuff anastomosis). The anastomosis model used in this study is a circular cylindrical system consisting of two semi-cylinders, interconnected by two hinges. The internal blood pressure is applied on the arterial walls. The static and dynamic responses are analytically derived in terms of radial and tangential displacements, internal forces and strains of the two blood vessels and rotation of their cross-section. Results suggest that increased elastic mismatch between the artery and the graft may promote elevated intimal thickening due to large incompatible angles at the junction, whereas there is no correlation between elastic mismatch and elevated stress concentration at the suture line. Another interesting application of the present model is the patching of arteries as applied in carotid endarterectomy.
Parallel Resonant DC Link Inverter for Thermoacoustic Power Generation
Authors: Li Ma Li , Kuan Xia Jia
Published: April 2015

A new parallel resonant soft-switching DC link inverter which can deal with the output power from thermoacoustic
energy generation system is proposed. Auxiliary resonant unit is added to DC link to make DC bus voltage decreased
to zero periodically, which realized all switches with zero voltage operation of in the inverter. The time of the duration
for the DC bus zero voltage has nothing to do with the load current. The same bridge arm in the inverter is not
made instantaneous short circuit and controlled reliably. Random duration of zero voltage was obtained through the on-off
instant control of the auxiliary switch. Various flexible pulse width modulation strategies can be applied in the softswitching
inverter. The topology structure is put forward and the circuit working principle is analyzed in this paper. The
equivalent different working modes are analyzed and the mathematical equations are given. The principle of parameter
design is put forward according to the circuit structure. The experiment is carried out and through it the validity and correctness
of the theoretical analysis is proved.
Reconstruction Technique Based on the Theory of Compressed Sensing Satellite Images
Authors: Feng Wang , Feng-wei Chen , Jia Wang
Published: April 2015

Owing to the characteristics such as high resolution, large capacity, and great quantity, thus far, how to efficient
store and transmit satellite images is still an unsolved technical problem. Satellite image Compressed sensing (CS)
theory breaks through the limitations of traditional Nyquist sampling theory, it is based on signal sparsity, randomness of
measurement matrix and nonlinear optimization algorithms to complete the sampling compression and restoring reconstruction
of signal. This article firstly discusses the study of satellite image compression based on compression sensing
theory. It then optimizes the widely used orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm in order to make it fits for satellite image
processing. Finally, a simulation experiment for the optimized algorithm is carried out to prove this approach is able to
provide high compression ratio and low signal to noise ratio, and it is worthy of further study.
Mechanical Properties of Concrete After Chlorine Salt Extraction in Freeze-Thaw Environment
Authors: Faming Liu , Shujin Ye , Jie Ma
Published: April 2015

Steel corrosion caused by chlorine salt erosion, degrade performance of reinforced concrete structures. Lead to can't use or need to reinforce the maintenance structure, produce the huge economic losses. The research of this subject is also a worldwide difficult problem. The freeze-thaw damage of concrete is a complex process of physical change. The chlorine salt erosion is often accompanied by freezing and thawing process. Make concrete structure is in a very bad environment. According to different sources of chloride ion and adopt general international electrochemical chloride extraction testing method of concrete specimens after different freezing and thawing times, the effect of chloride extraction, compressive strength, permeability resistance are studied. It is concluded that the chloride extraction, the strength and durability of the concrete member after freezing and thawing has had certain improvement, especially the durability has a lot to improve. In addition, put forward to increase thickness of concrete cover, preferable high-performance concrete resistance to chloride, strictly control the content of chlorine ion in concrete raw materials, adding reinforcement rust and corrosion inhibitor, adopting concrete corrosion layer, special steel, cathodic protection and so on measures to prevent the chlorine salt erosion. For electrochemical chloride extraction technique in reinforced concrete hydraulic structure, the application of civil engineering in the marine environment which it is provided the theoretical foundation and promotion.
Dynamics Simulation of Stirling Engine for Solar Energy Based on the
Time-Varying Support Stiffness
Authors: Huo Junzhou , Wu Hanyang , Chen Jing
Published: April 2015

In order to simulate the Stirling engine more easily, the stiffness and damping ratio of the crankshaft bearing
are assumed to be steady-state in the research before, but this assumption is contrary to the real condition. Therefore, in
this paper, a time-varying stiffness and damping ratio of the crankshaft bearing simulation method has been proposed.
Compared with the simulation results of the crankshaft bearings with constant stiffness, the speed fluctuation coefficient
of output shaft and crankshaft in time-varying stiffness model is increased by 10%, 24.6% and 13.7%; the vibration
displacement of the center mass of output shaft is decreased by 3.0%; the average dynamic load on airframe is increased
by 47.9%. From the simulation results, it is found that the time-varying stiffness and damping ratio of the crankshaft
bearing is significant to the characteristics of the Stirling engine dynamic response.
Impact of Dynamic Loading on the Implant-abutment Interface Using a Gas-enhanced Permeation Test In Vitro
Authors: Al-Jadaa Anas , Attin Thomas , Peltomäki Timo , Heumann Christian , Schmidlin Patrick Roger
Published: April 2015

Purpose :
To assess implant leakage under static conditions as well as during and after dynamic loading. Materials and methods : Implants (Astra Tech (A), Biomet 3i (B) and Nobel Biocare (C)) were evaluated for leakage (n=8/group). Testing to assess the gas pressure change over time (hPa/min) and infiltrated fluid volume, was performed in a Gas Enhanced Permeation Test (GEPT) to qualify embedding. Implant apexes were then drilled, abutments were mounted and resin build-ups were fabricated. GEPT was reassessed. Samples were afterward mounted in a computer-controlled masticator while tested to bacterial leakage, they were daily observed for turbidity. Samples were then reassessed using GEPT. Dunnett's and Fisher's exact tests were utilized to compare implant and to analyze bacterial leakage. Results : Significant differences in GEPT values were shown after loading (p=0.034). Leakage resistance was best for B when compared to C (p=0.023). Samples with higher GEPT values demonstrated earlier bacterial leakage, occurring after 1 or 2 days (A=4, B=0, C=6) and showing favorability for implant system B (p=0.009). Conclusion : Implants leaking under static conditions had increased potential for bacterial leakage under dynamic conditions. As strongly correlating to sophisticated analytical methods, GEPT is a promising technique for assessing the overall implant system leakage resistance.
Comparative Analysis on the Comprehensive Benefits of Unconventional
Gas Fields in Sichuan Basin Between Joint Development Model and
Independent Model
Authors: Xilin Shen , Ping Yin
Published: April 2015

With the rapid depletion of conventional natural gas resources in China and the increasing demand for natural
gas as well as the improvement in the exploitation technologies of natural gas, the development of unconventional natural
gas resources is rather urgent and feasible day by day and possible at the same time. However, the development of unconventional
natural gas fields in China started rather late and slowly, lacking experience. In order to alleviate the conflict between
the demand and supply, the development of unconventional natural gas is developing rather rapidly now. In this
paper, the unconventional natural gas fields in Sichuan Basin were set as the research objects, with the comparison between
two development models --- independent development and joint development, and a comprehensive benefit evaluation
system was built with such indexes as technologies, costs, management and risks. Through the study, it showed that
the benefit from independent development model outweighed that from the joint development, and the reason for it lay in
that the cost indexes in independent development model were far lower than that in joint development model, which covered
a rather big portion in the evaluation system. But, if the operators in joint development projects could strengthen the
cost control, and cut it down equivalent to the cost level in independent development model, the benefits from joint development
model would be better than those in independent development model. Such conclusion would provide references
for decision making in the development and exploitation of unconventional natural gas fields.
Wave Loads Computation for Offshore Floating Hose Based on Partially
Immersed Cylinder Model of Improved Morison Formula
Authors: Zhang Shi-fu , Chen Chang , Zhang Qi-xin , Zhang Dong-mei , Zhang Fan
Published: April 2015

Aimed at wave load computation of floating hose, the paper analyzes the morphologic and mechanical characteristics
of offshore hose by establishing the partially immersed cylender model, and points out that the results of existing
Morison equation to calculate the wave loads of floating hose is not precise enough. Consequently, the improved Morison
equation has been put forward based on its principle. Classical series offshore pipeline has been taken as example which
applied in the water area of different depth. The wave loads of pipeline by using the improved Morison equation and
compared the calculation results with the existing Morison equation. Calculations for wave loads on pipelines in different
depth were accomplished and compared by the improved Morison equation and the existing Morison equation. Results
show that the improved Morison equation optimizes the accuracy of the computation of wave load on floating hose. Thus
it is more suitable for analyzing the effects of wave loads on floating hose and useful for mechanic analysis of offshore
pipeline.
“A Gift with Strings Attached”: Parents’ Experiences of Teenagers’ Mobile Phone Text Messaging
Authors: Mukasano Epiphanie , Schenck Catherina J. , der Merwe Hester M van
Published: April 2015

While the rapid adoption of mobile technology became global, the rate at which young people adopted it was
even bigger. Most studies focussed on the experiences of the teenagers. In this study the aim of the study was to explore
parents’ experiences of their teenagers’ text messages. A qualitative exploratory research design was adopted. The
population was parents/guardians (males and females) of teenagers (boys and girls) attending high schools in Cape Town
South Africa. Available and snowball sampling were used. All participants were recruited in the Southern Suburbs and
Cape Flats of the Cape Metropolitan Area. In total 11 parents were interviewed using an interview guideline. The
interviews were transcribed, independently coded and thematically analysed. The results show that mobile phones are no
ordinary gifts. They are given with strings attached. Once in teenagers’ hands, the devices serve both communication and
monitoring purposes. It comes with a set of given or negotiated rules and new expectations. The study also emphasises the
importance of a trusting relationship with teenagers, respecting their privacy, and the disengagement process from their
parents. The importance of positive relationships and open communication as well as negotiated rules in the management
of the mobile phone is recommended.
Health Care Professionals and Family Perspectives of Youth’s Trauma: Suggestions for Coaching and Self-Leadership
Authors: Jooste Karien , Maritz Jeanette
Published: April 2015

Family forms the first and most important social institution in every society. Although traumatised families
may be the root of much personal and social turmoil, a healthy community and family is the most vital way to deal with
social change and challenges. In the light of increasing violence and trauma in South Africa, youths adverse exposures to
violence and trauma have been identified as a distressing health care problem globally and for our communities and
families at large. This study sought to explore and describe community and family perspectives of youth’s trauma in order
to propose a holistic support approach. A qualitative approach was followed and participants (health care professionals
and parents) were purposefully selected. Data were gathered through interviews, a focus group and field notes. Data were
analysed thematically. Health care professionals and parents shared similar experiences and concerns relating to their
perceptions of youths’ experiences of trauma. Parents however had a more negative regard of the youth and their
capabilities to deal with trauma. The trauma experience was seldom contained to the individual but had a traumatising
ripple effect on the parents, and community. This often left the entire system feeling helpless and depleted of resources to
cope.
Relationship Between Japan’s Renewable Energy Generating Capacity
and Economic Growth Based on ARDL Model
Authors: Na Ming , Li Ying , Li Kang
Published: April 2015

Under the background of the global energy shortage and Japan's Fukushima nuclear spill, Japan is faced with an
important choice whether to abandon nuclear power or develop renewable energy. This paper used autoregressive
distributed lag model to do the empirical analysis of the relationship between renewable energy generating capacity and
economic growth, using the data of renewable energy generating capacity and real GDP between 1991 and 2010. The
empirical evidence suggests that renewable energy generating capacity in Japan has emerged the ability to boost and
promote economic growth in Japan in the both long-term and short-term. If the Japanese government determined to
develop the renewable energy industry vigorously, Japan's economy is likely to usher in the take-off once again in the
future, in addition that it will benefit the environmental mitigation and protection issues such as energy security.
Reliability of positron emission tomography-computed tomography in evaluation of testicular carcinoma patients
Authors: Nikoletic Katarina , Mihailovic Jasna , Matovina Emil , Zeravica Radmila , Srbovan Dolores
Published: April 2015

Introduction. The study was aimed at assessing the reliability of
18Ffluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan
in evaluation of testicular carcinoma patients. Material and Methods. The
study sample consisted of 26 scans performed in 23 patients with testicular
carcinoma. According to the pathohistological finding, 14 patients had
seminomas, 7 had nonseminomas and 2 patients had a mixed histological type.
In 17 patients, the initial treatment was orchiectomy+chemotherapy, 2
patients had orchiectomy+ chemotherapy+ retroperitoneal lymph node
dissection, 3 patients had orchiectomy only and one patient was treated with
chemotherapy only. Abnormal computed tomography was the main cause for the
oncologist to refer the patient to positron emission tomography-computed
tomography scan (in 19 scans), magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in 1
scan, high level of tumor markers in 3 and 3 scans were performed for
followup. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging results
were compared with histological results, other imaging modalities or the
clinical follow-up of the patients. Results. Positron emission tomography-
computed tomography scans were positive in 6 and negative in 20 patients. In
two patients, positron emission tomography-computed tomography was false
positive. There were 20 negative positron emission tomography-computed
tomography scans performed in 18 patients, one patient was lost for data
analysis. Clinically stable disease was confirmed in 18 follow-up scans
performed in 16 patients. The values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy,
and positive- and negative predictive value were 60%, 95%, 75%, 88% and
90.5%, respectively. Conclusion. A high negative predictive value obtained in
our study (90.5%) suggests that there is a small possibility for a patient to
have future relapse after normal positron emission tomography-computed
tomography study. However, since the sensitivity and positive predictive
value of the study are rather low, there are limitations of positive positron
emission tomography- computed tomography scan to suggest persistent disease.
Influence of different levels of sports activities on the quality of life after the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament
Authors: Ninkovic Srdjan , Avramov Snezana , Harhaji Vladimir , Obradovic Mirko , Vranjes Miodrag , Milankov Miroslav
Published: April 2015

Introduction. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and presence
of influence of different levels of sports activity on the life quality of
the patients a year after the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament.
Material and Methods. The study included 185 patients operated at the
Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology of the Clinical Centre of
Vojvodina, who were followed for twelve months. Data were collected using the
modified Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaire which
included the Lysholm scale. Results. This study included 146 male and 39
female subjects. The reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament was equally
successful in both gender groups. In relation to different types of sports
activity, there were no differences in the overall life quality measured by
the questionnaire and its subscales, regardless of the level (professional or
recreational). However, regarding the level of sports activities, there were
differences among the subjects engaged in sports activities at the national
level as compared with those going in for sports activities at the
recreational level, and particularly in comparison with physically inactive
population. A significant correlation was not found by examining the
aforementioned relationship between sports activities. Conclusions. This
study has shown that the overall life quality a year after the reconstruction
of the anterior cruciate ligament does not differ in relation to either the
gender of the subjects or the type of sports activity, while the level of
sports activity does have some influence on the quality of life. Professional
athletes have proved to train significantly more intensively after this
reconstruction than those going in for sports recreationally.
Keratosis Lichenoides Chronica – a Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Paravina Mirjana , Cvetanović Predrag , Kostov Miloš , Živković Slađana , Dimovski Ivana , Jovanović Marina
Published: April 2015

Keratosis lichenoides chronica represents a distinct entity, a rare disease of unknown etiology and pathogenesis, with clinical manifestations which, although typical, require extensive differential diagnosis. The course of the disease is chronic, progressive, and it is resistant to various treatment options, so despite variations in the clinical picture it is really easier to diagnose than to treat. This is a case report of a male patient in whom the diagnosis of keratosis lichenoides chronica was based on typical clinical picture, repeated biopsies and histopathological findings, course of the disease and poor response to any therapy.
Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Associated with Vitiligo and Autoimmune Thyroiditis – a Case Report
Authors: Lalošević Jovan , Škiljević Dušan
Published: April 2015

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease and approximately one third of patients with the systemic form develop skin lesions. We present a case of cutaneous sarcoidosis associated with autoimmune thyroiditis and vitiligo. Although this association is rare by itself, it imposes the theory of autoimmune etiology of sarcoidosis. Moreover, our patient presented with elevated levels of serum chitotriosidase, a known biomarker in the activity of systemic sarcoidosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of chitotriosidase in isolated cutaneous sarcoidosis, raising a possible field for future research.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris
Authors: Kubanov Alexey , Gallyamova Yulia
Published: April 2015

The article deals with clinical diagnosis and treatment of pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP). The authors analyze the diagnostic errors, present literature review, and their own observations. The clinical study included 23 patients with pityriasis rubra pilaris: 18 women and 5 men, average age of 54 ± 7.2. The clinical diagnosis of all examined patients was subsequently confirmed by histological analysis of the skin. The primary clinical diagnosis was psoriasis in 15 (65.2%) patients, 6 (26%) patients received treatment for toxic exanthema, and only 2 (8.8%) patients were presumptively diagnosed with pityriasis rubra pilaris. In conclusion, pityriasis rubra pilaris was initially misdiagnosed in 91.2% of patients. Considering the great number of diagnostic errors, we analyzed the main diagnostic and differential diagnostic features of PRP. The most effective of all synthetic retinoids in PRP treatment is acitretin. Although symptomatic improvement in PRP occurs within a month, substantial improvement, even clearing is possible within 4 - 6 months.
Pachydermodactyly: a Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Paravina Mirjana , Stanojević Milenko , Jovanović Dragan , Ljubisavljević Dragana
Published: April 2015

Pachydermodactyly is a rare, benign form of digital fibromatosis, characterized by asymptomatic and progressive, periarticular and usually symmetrical soft tissue finger swelling, specifically on the lateral aspects of the proximal interphalangeal joints mainly of the second, third, and fourth fingers; it mostly affects young adolescents and is probably due to repeated mechanical injury of the skin (such as repeated clasping or rubbing of crossed fingers), sometimes as a result of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which must be distinguished from obsessive “chewing pads”. This paper presents a male patient aged 19, who presented with first symptoms at the age of 12, and was diagnosed with periarticular hypertrophy: localized soft tissue thickening around the proximal interphalangeal joints of all fingers except the thumbs; slight hypertrophy of the skin; absence of subjective complaints; normal joint function. Dermatological status on admission revealed: symmetrical soft tissue swelling of all fingers of both hands except the thumbs at the level of the proximal interphalangeal joints; normal appearance of the distal parts of all fingers; thickening at the level of the proximal interphalangeal joints, bilateral, almost symmetrical hypertrophy (ulnar and radial) of phalanges of the affected fingers except both index fingers, affecting only the ulnar side. The skin lesions were pain-free on palpation, with homogeneous texture and elastic consistency, freely movable over underlying structures. The affected joints showed no functional deficit. The test results, sonography, radiography and histopathology confirmed our clinical diagnosis-pachydermodactyly. The review of the currently available literature, published between 1973 and 2014, including 99 papers and 160 patients, provided important insight into the characteristics and variations of the disease.
WordWanderer: a navigational approach to text visualisation
Authors: Dörk Marian , Knight Dawn
Published: April 2015

Text visualisations provide visual representations of documents or small corpora with the primary aim of supporting language analysis. We are interested in developing a more playful approach to language that can be characterised by the notion of wandering as an open-ended movement. To support such a casual form of engagement with text, we designed the WordWanderer system: a visualisation technique that extends tag clouds into a navigational interface for text. The tool supports the gradual movement between word ‘context views’, which represent the words that co-occur in the vicinity of the selected word, and word-‘comparison views’, which arrange words based on their association strengths between two selected words. We report on the encouraging feedback from a ten-day deployment of the interface and present promising directions for future design and research.
A Method to Derive the Definition of Generalized Entropy from Generalized Exergy for Any State in Many-Particle Systems
Authors: Palazzo Pierfrancesco
Published: April 2015

The literature reports the proofs that entropy is an inherent property of any system in any state and governs thermal energy, which depends on temperature and is transferred by heat interactions. A first novelty proposed in the present study is that mechanical energy, determined by pressure and transferred by work interactions, is also characterized by the entropy property. The second novelty is that a generalized definition of entropy relating to temperature, chemical potential and pressure of many-particle systems, is established to calculate the thermal, chemical and mechanical entropy contribution due to heat, mass and work interactions. The expression of generalized entropy is derived from generalized exergy, which in turn depends on temperature, chemical potential and pressure of the system, and by the entropy-exergy relationship constituting the basis of the method adopted to analyze the available energy and its transfer interactions with a reference system which may be external or constitute a subsystem. This method is underpinned by the Second Law statement enunciated in terms of existence and uniqueness of stable equilibrium for each value of energy content of the system. The equality of chemical potential and equality of pressure are assumed, in addition to equality of temperature, to be necessary conditions for stable equilibrium.
Research and Measurement of Software Complexity Based on Wuli, Shili, Renli (WSR) and Information Entropy
Authors: Jiang Rong
Published: April 2015

Complexity is an important factor throughout the software life cycle. It is increasingly difficult to guarantee software quality, cost and development progress with the increase in complexity. Excessive complexity is one of the main reasons for the failure of software projects, so effective recognition, measurement and control of complexity becomes the key of project management. At first, this paper analyzes the current research situation of software complexity systematically and points out existing problems in current research. Then, it proposes a WSR framework of software complexity, which divides the complexity of software into three levels of Wuli (WL), Shili (SL) and Renli (RL), so that the staff in different roles may have a better understanding of complexity. Man is the main source of complexity, but the current research focuses on WL complexity, and the research of RL complexity is extremely scarce, so this paper emphasizes the research of RL complexity of software projects. This paper not only analyzes the composing factors of RL complexity, but also provides the definition of RL complexity. Moreover, it puts forward a quantitative measurement method of the complexity of personnel organization hierarchy and the complexity of personnel communication information based on information entropy first and analyzes and validates the scientificity and rationality of this measurement method through a large number of cases.
Evaluation of E-Cigarette Liquid Vapor and Mainstream Cigarette Smoke after Direct Exposure of Primary Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells
Authors: Scheffler Stefanie , Dieken Hauke , Krischenowski Olaf , Förster Christine , Branscheid Detlev , Aufderheide Michaela
Published: April 2015

E-cigarettes are emerging products, often described as “reduced-risk” nicotine products or alternatives to combustible cigarettes. Many smokers switch to e-cigarettes to quit or significantly reduce smoking. However, no regulations for e-cigarettes are currently into force, so that the quality and safety of e-liquids is not necessarily guaranteed. We exposed primary human bronchial epithelial cells of two different donors to vapor of e-cigarette liquid with or without nicotine, vapor of the carrier substances propylene glycol and glycerol as well as to mainstream smoke of K3R4F research cigarettes. The exposure was done in a CULTEX® RFS compact module, allowing the exposure of the cells at the air-liquid interface. 24 h post-exposure, cell viability and oxidative stress levels in the cells were analyzed. We found toxicological effects of e-cigarette vapor and the pure carrier substances, whereas the nicotine concentration did not have an effect on the cell viability. The viability of mainstream smoke cigarette exposed cells was 4.5–8 times lower and the oxidative stress levels 4.5–5 times higher than those of e-cigarette vapor exposed cells, depending on the donor. Our experimental setup delivered reproducible data and thus provides the opportunity for routine testing of e-cigarette liquids to ensure safety and quality for the user.
Investigation of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and Competition of Fluorescent Dyes on DNA Microparticles
Authors: Kim Jieun , Lee Jae , Lee Jong
Published: April 2015

Fluorescent labeling is widely used to investigate the structural stability and changes to DNA nano- and microstructures. Despite this, the conventional method for observing DNA structures has several limitations in terms of cost-efficiency. This paper introduces a DNA spherical particle stained with DNA intercalating dyes (SYBR Green and SYTOX Orange) as tracers and reports the interaction between multiple dyes. The interference between the dyes was analyzed in terms of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and competition. The changes in the fluorescence intensity by FRET were uniform, regardless of the sequence. The competition effect could occur when several dyes were added simultaneously. These properties are expected to help in the design of multicolor tracers in bioimaging and environmental applications.
Inflammatory Biomarkers as Differential Predictors of Antidepressant Response
Authors: Hashimoto Kenji
Published: April 2015

Although antidepressants are generally effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), it can still take weeks before patients feel the full antidepressant effects. Despite the efficacy of standard treatments, approximately two-thirds of patients with MDD fail to respond to pharmacotherapy. Therefore, the identification of blood biomarkers that can predict the treatment response to antidepressants would be highly useful in order to improve this situation. This article discusses inflammatory molecules as predictive biomarkers for antidepressant responses to several classes of antidepressants, including the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine.