Wikipedia's Influence on the Evolution of Encyclopedia

This article deals with the users of Wikipedia and their usage and opinions regarding Wikipedia in comparison to printed encyclopedias. A representative sample of high school and university students from Zagreb was surveyed. It is investigated why students tend to use Wikipedia significantly more than printed encyclopedias, even though they are considered more accurate and reliable, which is important in educational usage. The results of the survey may serve as guidelines for both users and professionals, i.e. encyclopedists. Various issues with Wikipedia which also need attention in this context, e.g. the development of Croatian Wikipedia, are briefly addressed. The goal of this work is to broaden the awareness of recent phenomena in encyclopedic, or generally, information science, in order to aid in improvement of encyclopedic products

Contribution to the Definition of the Term »Virtual Encyclopaedia«

Ovim radom dan je osvrt na razvoj i osnovne odlike novih oblika enciklopedija. Sistematizirano je njihovo nazivlje te uobičajena podjela s obzirom na vrstu medija na kojem se objavljuju, a upozoreno je i na nedostatke takve podjele. Predložena je nova podjela prema naravi suštinskih razlika u odnosu na tradicionalne enciklopedije, s naglaskom na virtualne enciklopedije, koje nastaju i kontinuirano se razvijaju kolaboracijom suradnika i korisnika, a zasnovane su na naprednim rješenjima informacijske i komunikacijske tehnologije.This paper presents a summary of the development and basic features of the new types of encyclopaedias. Their titles have been systematised as well as the usual classification according to the medium on which they are published, and, in addition, the disadvantages of such classification have been indicated. According to the nature of their crucial differences in comparison to traditional encyclopaedias, a new classification is proposed putting emphasis on virtual encyclopaedias which are established and continuously developed through the collaboration of lexicographers and users, and which are based on the new possibilities provided by the information and communications technology. Virtual encyclopaedias are further categorized as open type, semi open type, and closed type

Prognostic Factors of Local Recurrence and Survival after Curative Rectal Cancer Surgery: A Single Institution Experience

The aim of our study is to evaluate the importance of prognostic factors, both tumor-related and therapy related, and their impact on local recurrence rate of rectal carcinoma. It is also important to evaluate impact of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on local recurrence rate and survival. We used the data of 514 patients with rectal carcinoma treated at Clinic of surgery at University Hospital Centre in Osijek, during the period from 2000 to 2007. Routine follow-up was carried out until March of 2012 or death. Median life expectancy for all patients who underwent surgery was 98 months. 47% of patients with resection without residual tumor (R0) did not develop local recurrence after median of observation of 90 months. 5-year survival rate for patients with R0 resection was 76.4%. The patients who had preoperative serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) within the normal range (<5 mg/mL) had a significantly better prognosis with 5-year survival of 75.8%, than patients with elevated levels who had 5-year survival of 46.5%. Tumor stage had great influence on survival and was defined by UICC TNM (International Union against Cancer, Tumor Node Metastases) classification, 7th edition. 5-year survival rate was (93.5% for stage I, 87.4% for stage II, 58.2% for stage III, 8.1% for stage IV). Patients with low grade differentiation tumors had 5-year survival rate of 73.5%, and those with high-grade had 38.2%. We have found that preoperative CRT significantly reduces the rate of local recurrence (5.3% vs. 14.1%), but patients who were treated with preoperative CRT did not appear to benefit significantly in terms of their long-term prognosis, because there was no difference in overall survival between the patients who received preoperative radiochemotherapy and those who did not receive it (66.2% vs. 67.8%). It was found that the R-classification, anatomical extent of tumor described by the TNM classification of the UICC, tumor grade, and preoperative CEA serum level were prognostic factors that influenced survival

Primjena infracrvene termografije kod mehaničkog ispitivanja materijala

U radu je prikazana analiza rezultata eksperimentalnih istraživanja procesa deformiranja plosnatih epruveta. Eksperimentom je obuhvaćeno statičko vlačno ispitivanje epruveta izrađenih od nodularnog lijeva pri dvije brzine deformiranja. Raspodjele pomaka i temperatura na vanjskim plohama epruveta za vrijeme eksperimenta određene su pomoću metoda fotogrametrije (optičkim sustavom ARAMIS) te pomoću termoparova i infracrvene termografije. Cilj rada je bio dovesti u korelaciju elastoplastične deformacije i prirast površinskih temperatura u opterećenim epruvetama. Dobiveni eksperimentalni rezultati će omogućiti točnije kalibriranje parametara materijala u termoplastičnim konstitutivnim modelima

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Investigation of Temperature and Residual Stress Distributions in a Circular Patch Welded Structure

In this study, we performed a numerical simulation and experimental measurements on a steel circular patch welded structure to investigate the temperature and residual stress field distributions caused by the application of buried-arc welding technology. The temperature histories during the welding and subsequent cooling process were recorded for two locations, with the thermocouples mounted inside the plate close to the weld bead. On the upper surface of the welded model, the temperature-time changes during the cooling process were monitored using an infrared camera. The numerically calculated temperature values correlated well with the experimentally measured ones, while the maximum deviation of the measured and calculated temperatures was within 9%. Based on the numerical result analysis regarding circumferential and radial stresses after the completion of the welding process, it is concluded that both stresses are primarily tensile within the circular disk. Outside the disk, the circumferential stresses turn from tensile to compressive, while on the other hand the radial stresses disappear towards the ends of the plate

Prognostic Factors of Local Recurrence and Survival after Curative Rectal Cancer Surgery: A Single Institution Experience

The aim of our study is to evaluate the importance of prognostic factors, both tumor-related and therapy related, and their impact on local recurrence rate of rectal carcinoma. It is also important to evaluate impact of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on local recurrence rate and survival. We used the data of 514 patients with rectal carcinoma treated at Clinic of surgery at University Hospital Centre in Osijek, during the period from 2000 to 2007. Routine follow-up was carried out until March of 2012 or death. Median life expectancy for all patients who underwent surgery was 98 months. 47% of patients with resection without residual tumor (R0) did not develop local recurrence after median of observation of 90 months. 5-year survival rate for patients with R0 resection was 76.4%. The patients who had preoperative serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) within the normal range (<5 mg/mL) had a significantly better prognosis with 5-year survival of 75.8%, than patients with elevated levels who had 5-year survival of 46.5%. Tumor stage had great influence on survival and was defined by UICC TNM (International Union against Cancer, Tumor Node Metastases) classification, 7th edition. 5-year survival rate was (93.5% for stage I, 87.4% for stage II, 58.2% for stage III, 8.1% for stage IV). Patients with low grade differentiation tumors had 5-year survival rate of 73.5%, and those with high-grade had 38.2%. We have found that preoperative CRT significantly reduces the rate of local recurrence (5.3% vs. 14.1%), but patients who were treated with preoperative CRT did not appear to benefit significantly in terms of their long-term prognosis, because there was no difference in overall survival between the patients who received preoperative radiochemotherapy and those who did not receive it (66.2% vs. 67.8%). It was found that the R-classification, anatomical extent of tumor described by the TNM classification of the UICC, tumor grade, and preoperative CEA serum level were prognostic factors that influenced survival

Mechanical Bowel Preparation in Colorectal Surgery

The aim of this study was to assess the use of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) and antimicrobial prophylaxis in elective colorectal surgery regarding still existing controversies. A prospective study of 85 patients undergoing elective colon and rectal surgery during 2 years period was performed, divided in two groups. Group A (N=46) with patients who underwent mechanical bowel preparation, and group B (N=39) patients without mechanical bowel preparation. We analysed: gender, age, preoperative difficulties, diagnostic colonoscopy, tumor localization, operation performed, pathohystological findings, Dukes classification, number of lymphonodes inspected, liver metastasis, other organ infiltrations, mean time of surgery, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications and mortality. Demographic characteristics, pathohystological findings, the site of malignancy, and type of surgical procedure did not significantly differentiate the two groups. The only significance revealed in mean time of surgery (138/178 minutes) in favor of patients with MBP (p=0.017). Mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) for elective colorectal surgery is not advantageous. It does not influence radicalism of the procedure, does not decrease neither postoperative complications, nor hospital mortality