Statistical evaluation of research performance of young university scholars: A case study

The research performance of a small group of 49 young scholars, such as doctoral students, postdoctoral and junior researchers, working in different technical and scientific fields, was evaluated based on 11 types of research outputs. The scholars worked at a technical university in the fields of Civil Engineering, Ecology, Economics, Informatics, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Safety Engineering. Principal Component Analysis was used to statistically analyze the research outputs and its results were compared with factor and cluster analysis. The metrics of research productivity describing the types of research outputs included the number of papers, books and chapters published in books, the number of patents, utility models and function samples, and the number of research projects conducted. The metrics of citation impact included the number of citations and h-index. From these metrics -the variables -the principal component analysis extracted 4 main principal components. The 1st principal component characterized the cited publications in high-impact journals indexed by the Web of Science. The 2nd principal component represented the outputs of applied research and the 3rd and 4th principal components represented other kinds of publications. The results of the principal component analysis were compared with the hierarchical clustering using Ward's method. The scatter plots of the principal component analysis and the Mahalanobis distances were calculated from the 4 main principal component scores, which allowed us to statistically evaluate the research performance of individual scholars. Using variance analysis, no influence of the field of research on the overall research performance was found. Unlike the statistical analysis of individual research metrics, the approach based on the principal component analysis can provide a complex view of the research systems.Web of Science30217716

Urban water quality evaluation using multivariate analysis

A data set, obtained for the sake of drinking water quality monitoring, was analysed by multivariate methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) reduced the data dimensionality from 18 original physico-chemical and microbiological parameters determined in drinking water samples to 6 principal components explaining about 83 % of the data variability. These 6 components represented inorganic salts, nitrate/pH, iron, chlorine, nitrite/ammonium traces, and heterotrophic bacteria. Using the PCA scatter plot and the Ward's clustering of the samples characterized by the first and second principal components, three clusters were revealed. These clusters sorted drinking water samples according to their origin - ground and surface water. The PCA results were confirmed by the factor analysis and hierarchical clustering of the original data

Problems of Nitrogen at Central Municipal Water Works in Ostrava

Nitrogen is very important nutrient and must be removed during wastewater treatment process. The presented article describes the situation of nitrogen removal at the Central Municipal Water Works in Ostrava. At present, this biological sewage plant operates with only 45% nitrogen removal efficiency. The current three corridor denitrification-nitrification (D-N) system is planed to be reconstructed. One of several solution is modification of the activation tank into four step D-N system that could be completed by postdenitrification in the redundant clarifiers.In this paper the analytical methods, used for determination of nitrogen compounds in waste waters, are described as well. Only sufficiently precise and accurate methods must be selected and that is why the standardized or fully validated procedures are preferred. Laboratory results are used for monitoring of treatment process and for making of important technological decisions. For this purpose, introduction of the quality control and quality assurance system into laboratory practise is desired

Post-synthetic derivatization of graphitic carbon nitride with methanesulfonyl chloride: Synthesis, characterization and photocatalysis

Bulk graphitic carbon nitride (CN) was synthetized by heating of melamine at 550 degrees C, and the exfoliated CN (ExCN) was prepared by heating of CN at 500 degrees C. Sulfur-doped CN was synthesized by heating of thiourea (S-CN) and by a novel procedure based on the post-synthetic derivatization of CN with methanesulfonyl (CH3SO2-) chloride (Mes-CN and Mes-ExCN). The obtained nanomaterials were investigated by common characterization methods and their photocatalytic activity was tested by means of the decomposition of acetic orange 7 (AO7) under ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation. The content of sulfur in the modified CN decreased in the sequence of Mes-ExCN > Mes-CN > S-CN. The absorption of light decreased in the opposite manner, but no influence on the band gap energies was observed. The methanesulfonyl (mesyl) groups connected to primary and secondary amine groups were confirmed by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The photocatalytic activity decreased in the sequence of Mes-ExCN > ExCN > CN approximate to Mes-CN > S-CN. The highest activity of Mes-ExCN and ExCN was explained by the highest amounts of adsorbed Acetic Orange 7 (AO7). In addition, in the case of Mes-ExCN, chloride ions incorporated in the CN lattice enhanced the photocatalytic activity as well.Web of Science102art. no. 19

Model of synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles stabilized by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

A mathematical model of synthesis and stabilization of ZnS nanoparticles in aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is presented. ZnS nanoparticles precipitated by the reaction of sodium sulphide and zinc acetate are significantly influenced by CTAB both in a stage of nucleation and in a stage of growth and stabilization. The suggested model assumes a dominating influence of the nucleation stage on future properties of emerging ZnS nanoparticles. On the basis of a calculated nucleation rate depending on a degree of the ZnS supersaturation, the model adopts an approximate assumption that ZnS nuclei are formed all at one moment.Mathematical formulation of the nucleation model attempts to explain a recently observed relationship between ZnS nanoparticles radii and the CTAB concentration. The dependence of a surface tension of zinc acetate and CTAB aqueous solutions on the CTAB concentration was measured and further applied to obtain the relation between the CTAB monomer concentration and the CTAB total concentration. The nucleation model assumed a key role of CTAB monomers, which were considered as nucleation centres. The predicted radiiWeb of Science101039238

Management of Atrial Fibrillation with Smartphone Technology

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia affecting over six million people; it is predicted to increase two-fold by the year 2050. This arrhythmia results in a lack of atrial/ventricular communication, accompanied by ineffective atrial contraction, suboptimal ventricular filling, and thrombus formation. This may lead to stroke, and ultimately heart failure. The current economic burden related to the complications of atrial fibrillation is estimated to be greater than $6 billion annually with potentially catastrophic events, further increasing expenditure. When patients experience symptoms related to atrial fibrillation, it is common for them to present to a hospital emergency department. These visits, many of which may not be necessary, can be costly and often are anxiety-provoking events. If a patient’s rhythm and rate can be managed virtually, via the Internet, patients’ anxiety may be decreased, satisfaction increased, and the use of costly resources reduced. Available research suggests that management of atrial fibrillation via the Internet is a useful adjunct in reducing over-utilization of resources and improving the quality of life by decreasing anxiety. Moreover, with the addition of virtual visits, access to a cardiology provider is improved, thereby increasing patient satisfaction. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to improve patient outcomes and reduce resource utilization related to atrial fibrillation. Over eight weeks, 43 patients meeting pre-determined criteria, were given a KardiaMobile® device and provided education on its use. This device is designed to pair with a mobile phone application, which is downloaded by the patient. The KardiaMobile® device transmits a 30-second cardiac rhythm strip, equivalent to Lead I on a traditional 12-lead electrocardiogram, converted to pdf format, then emailed to a provider for review. Using the treatment algorithm developed by this DNP student, coupled with the clinical judgment of symptomatology, episodic management commenced with a phone call or a virtual ‘face-to-face’ visit. There was no statistical significance demonstrated in pre- and post- HADS scores for anxiety or depression; however, the results of the internal satisfaction survey revealed a reduction in self-reported anxiety and increased satisfaction with the ability to communicate with the healthcare team and improved access to a cardiology provider. Lastly, patients felt this program reduced unnecessary ER visits and felt empowered to manage their healthcare concerns. The implications of this project also extended to rural areas, where nearby acute care facilities are not available, thereby improving patient outcomes

Information entropy for evaluation of wastewater composition

The composition of wastewaters collected during one year was evaluated based on the Shannon information entropy. Eleven physico-chemical parameters, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved salts (TDS), pH, ammonium, phosphate, cyanide and phenol, were determined for their characterization. Entropy of the parameters calculated by means of their histograms decreased in the order: phosphate > ammonium > TDS > TN > pH > BOD > COD > TSS > TP > phenol > cyanide. Entropy weights of the parameters were calculated for the evaluation of wastewater composition by means of the entropy weighted index (EWI) defined according to the simple additive weighting (SAW) model. The EWI values were statistically processed by us to observe temporal wastewater composition changes and were verified by means of the principal component weighted index (PCWI). The EWI values were statistically analyzed by univariate statistics. The outlaying samples were also confirmed by multivariate analysis. The entropy-based approach allowed us to simply evaluate wastewater composition by means of one index instead of several parameters. The main advantage of EWI is the simple histogram-based calculation of entropy with no need of the normal distribution of the used parameters.Web of Science124art. no. 109

Epidemiologie und klinische Merkmale des Atopischen Ekzems im Schulalter

Das atopische Ekzem (AE) zählt mit dem Asthma bronchiale zu den häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen im Kindesalter, die in den letzten drei Dekaden eine Zunahme erfahren haben. Für Deutschland wurden bislang nur wenige epidemiologische Daten zur Prävalenz der atopischen Erkrankungen erhoben. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Erhebung epidemiologischer Daten unter besonderer Berücksichtigung klinischer Merkmale des AE im Schulalter. In der zweiphasigen Querschnittsstudie wurde zunächst eine randomisierte Stichprobe von n=2.0005 Kindern der 5.-10. Klassen aller drei Schularten (insgesamt 6 Kieler Schulen) auf das Vorliegen atopischer Merkmale gescreent. Hierfür wurden ein dafür entwickelter Fragebogen sowie Instrumente zur Erfassung von Lebensqualität und Schulleistungen eingesetzt. Von den 2.005 ausgegebenen Fragebögen wurden 811 zurückgegeben, wobei 794 korrekt ausgefüllt waren. Von den 552 Kindern, bei denen mindestens ein Atopiekriterium bestand, wurden 360 Kinder in der 2. Studienphase hautärztlich untersucht. Die Lebenszeitprävalenz des atopischen Ekzems liegt in unserer Untersuchung bei 16,2%. In unserer Studie konnten wir den signifikant höheren Anteil der Gymnasiasten mit AE im Gegensatz zu den anderen Schultypen bestätigen, was sich gut mit der „Hygiene-Hypothese“ vereinbaren lässt. 10,1% der untersuchten Kinder leiden an Asthma bronchiale und 14,4% an allergischer Rhinitis. Die Daten zur Familienanamnese bestätigen frühere Untersuchungsergebnisse, nach denen der Mutter bei der Vererbung atopischer Erkrankungen eine größere Rolle zukommt im Vergleich zum Vater. Das AE und das Asthma bronchiale lassen sich doppelt so häufig bei der Mutter im Vergleich zum Vater feststellen. Lediglich die allergische Rhinitis bildet hier eine Ausnahme, was auf andere genetische Defekte hinweisen könnte. Hinsichtlich der Atopiekriterien nach Diepgen erwiesen sich neben der trockenen Haut auch die palmare Hyperlinearität, Cheilitis und Juckreiz in den letzten 12 Monaten als die Einzelkriterien mit der höchsten Aussagekraft. Der Einsatz des Screening- Fragebogens, der an diese Kriterien angelehnt ist, scheint ein praktikables und ökonomisch einsetzbares Instrument zur Identifikation von Kindern mit AE zu sein. Aufgrund des Studiendesigns war eine statistische Validierung nicht möglich. Dieses ist noch an größeren Patientenkollektiven zu prüfen

Side collisions of vehicles at an angle of 8° at different speeds

Diplomová práce se zabývá problematikou určování rychlosti při tečných kolizích dvou vozidel. V teoretické části je jednak popsána již dostupná literatura a jednak příprava znaleckého experimentu. V praktické části je popsán samotný experiment. Jeho výsledky jsou následně zpracovány a porovnány s literaturou v teoretické části. Cílem práce je rozšířit znalosti o tečných střetech a omezit chybovost při určování nehodového děje ve znaleckých posudcích nebo škodných událostí v pojišťovnách.The diploma thesis deals with the problem of speed determination during tangent collisions of two vehicles. The theoretical part describes the available literature and the preparation of an expert experiment. The practical part describes the experiment itself. Its results are processed and compared with the literature in the theoretical part. The aim of work is to extend knowledge about tangent collisions and reduce the error rate in determining crash in the expert analysis or claims in insurance companies.

3D Laser Scanning in the Area of the Artificial Cave Grotta in Havlíčkovy sady

Diplomová práce se zabývá využitím laserového skenování při zaměření historického objektu, vytvořením 3D modelu a prezentaci získaných dat pomocí 3D tisku. V teoretické části jsou rozebrány jednotlivé technologie a principy laserového skenování. Praktická část popisuje zaměření a vytvoření 3D modelu a 3D tisku. Jsou popsány běžné problémy při použití automatických softwarových prvků a při registraci mračna bodů.The diploma thesis deals with the use of laser scanning applied to a historic object by creating a 3D model and the presentation of acquired data using 3D printing. The theoretical part discusses the various technologies and principles of leaser scanning. The practical part describes the focus and creation of a 3D model and 3D printing. Common problems with using automatic software elements and registering a cloud point are described.544 - Katedra geodézie a důlního měřictvívýborn