University of Rijeka

About: University of Rijeka is a education organization based out in Rijeka, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 3471 authors who have published 7993 publications receiving 110386 citations. The organization is also known as: Rijeka University & Sveučilište u Rijeci.

Water resources vulnerability assessment in the Adriatic Sea region: the case of Corfu Island

Abstract: Cross-border water resources management and protection is a complicated task to achieve, lacking a common methodological framework. Especially in the Adriatic region, water used for drinking water supply purposes pass from many different countries, turning its management into a hard task to achieve. During the DRINKADRIA project, a common methodological framework has been developed, for efficient and effective cross-border water supply and resources management, taking into consideration different resources types (surface and groundwater) emphasizing in drinking water supply intake. The common methodology for water resources management is based on four pillars: climate characteristics and climate change, water resources availability, quality, and security. The present paper assesses both present and future vulnerability of water resources in the Adriatic region, with special focus on Corfu Island, Greece. The results showed that climate change is expected to impact negatively on water resources availability while at the same time, water demand is expected to increase. Water quality problems will be intensified especially due to land use changes and salt water intrusion. The analysis identified areas where water resources are more vulnerable, allowing decision makers develop management strategies.

Discovery of VHE gamma-ray emission from the BL Lac object B3 2247+381 with the MAGIC telescopes

Abstract: We study the non-thermal jet emission of the BL Lac object B3 2247+381 during a high optical state. The MAGIC telescopes observed the source during 13 nights between September 30th and October 30th 2010, collecting a total of 14.2 hours of good quality very high energy (VHE) $\gamma$-ray data. Simultaneous multiwavelength data was obtained with X-ray observations by the Swift satellite and optical R-band observations at the KVA-telescope. We also use high energy $\gamma$-ray (HE, 0.1 GeV-100 GeV) data from the Fermi satellite. The BL Lac object B3 2247+381 (z=0.119) was detected, for the first time, at VHE $\gamma$-rays at a statistical significance of 5.6 $\sigma$. A soft VHE spectrum with a photon index of -3.2 $\pm$ 0.6 was determined. No significant short term flux variations were found. We model the spectral energy distribution using a one-zone SSC-model, which can successfully describe our data.

Extremal black holes in D=5: SUSY vs. Gauss-Bonnet corrections

Abstract: We analyse near-horizon solutions and compare the results for the black hole entropy of five-dimensional spherically symmetric extremal black holes when the N = 2 SUGRA actions are supplied with two different types of higher-order corrections: (1) supersymmetric completion of gravitational Chern-Simons term, and (2) Gauss-Bonnet term. We show that for large BPS black holes lowest order α' corrections to the entropy are the same, but for non-BPS are generally different. We pay special attention to the class of prepotentials connected with K3 × T2 and T6 compactifications. For supersymmetric correction we find beside BPS also a set of non-BPS solutions. In the particular case of T6 compactification (equivalent to the heterotic string on T4 × S1) we find the (almost) complete set of solutions (with exception of some non-BPS small black holes), and show that entropy of small black holes is different from statistical entropy obtained by counting of microstates of heterotic string theory. We also find complete set of solutions for K3 × T2 and T6 case when correction is given by Gauss-Bonnet term. Contrary to four-dimensional case, obtained entropy is different from the one with supersymmetric correction. We show that in Gauss-Bonnet case entropy of small ``BPS'' black holes agrees with microscopic entropy in the known cases.

Erectile dysfunction: oral pharmacotherapy options

Abstract: Erectile dysfunction (ED) (impotence) is a widespread, age-related problem, which affects 52% of men between 40 and 70 years of age. It is classified as psychogenic, organic, or mixed psychogenic and organic. ED is not a problem only of men, because the relationship between partners can also be disturbed. Therefore, adequate treatment of ED is needed and the most convenient and simplest way is oral drug therapy. Sildenafil, phosphodiesterase-(PDE)-5-selective inhibitor has been the drug of choice for patients with ED since it has been launched in March 1998. The results of various studies have confirmed the efficacy of the drug in men with ED of various etiologies, as well as the positive effect of sildenafil on the quality of a partnership. The most frequent adverse effects documented with sildenafil usage are headache, flushes, dyspepsia, visual disturbances and nasal congestion/rhinitis. These adverse effects are dose-related, usually transient and mild, with low withdrawal rate. Several studies performed recently have shown that sildenafil is a safe and effective treatment of ED in patients with cardiovascular disease, who do not take nitrates or nitrate donors concomitantly. Other oral medications for ED include apomorphine, phentolamine, yohimbine, trazodone, testosterone and new PDE-5 inhibitors in Phase III clinical trials, such as vardenafil and tadalafil. It is obvious, according to recent data, that the concept of PDE-5 inhibition has a central position in oral pharmacotherapy of ED. However, larger clinical studies of efficacy and safety should be carried out using most of the other above-mentioned oral agents and these may also gain a place in the therapy of ED. There are no studies directly comparing sildenafil and other treatments of ED or assessing its role in combination with other therapies. According to the present knowledge, the quality of life, not only of patients but also of their sexual partners, will be improved significantly with sildenafil usage and this is an important precondition for overall health ofboth. Sildenafil is thus a highly effective peroral treatment for ED in patients without contraindications for its use, which can be considered as the firstline therapy with an acceptable risk-benefit ratio.