bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological and Molecular Confirmation of Parvatrema duboisi Metacercariae in the Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum from Gochang-gun, Korea
Authors: Chang Taehee , Jung Bong-Kwang , Shin Hyejoo , Hong Sooji , Lee Jeonggyu , Kim Deok-Gyu , Patarwut Laddawan , Sohn Woon-Mok , Chai Jong-Yil
Published: March 2020

Gymnophallid metacercariae found in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (‘Banjirak’ in Korean) from Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea were morphologically and molecularly confirmed to be Parvatrema duboisi (Dollfus, 1923) Bartoli, 1974. The metacercariae were morphologically characterized by having a large oral sucker, small ventral sucker, genital pore some distance anterior to the ventral sucker, no ventral pit, and 1 compact or slightly lobed vitellarium, which were all compatible with P. duboisi. Some of the metacercariae were experimentally fed to mice, and adult flukes were recovered at day 7 post-infection. The morphology of the adult flukes was basically the same as that of the metacercariae except for the presence of uterine eggs; the uterus was filled with up to 40 eggs. The nucleotide sequences (1,193 bp) from ITS regions (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2) of the metacercariae showed 99.7% identity with P. duboisi and 75.7% identity with Gymnophalloides seoi deposited in GenBank. These results confirmed the presence of P. duboisi metacercariae in the Manila clam R. philippinarum in an estuary region of Gochang-gun, Korea.
Pengembangan multimedia interaktif biologi berbasis website dalam menghadapi revolusi industri 4.0
Authors: Sadikin Ali , Johari Asni , Suryani Lili
Published: March 2020

Web-based interactive biology multimedia to support the learning of the revolution 4.0 era is not yet available to the fullest. The purpose of this research is to develop interactive biology-based website multimedia in the face of the industrial revolution 4.0. The research method used, namely research & development with ADDIE product development models that include the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation stages. The research instruments used were interview transcripts, observation sheets, material and media expert questionnaires, and product trial questionnaires for 46 students. Qualitative data in the form of expert validator suggestions and comments were analyzed descriptively. Quantitative data is processed into interval data using a Likert scale. The results showed that website-based interactive multimedia biology was declared valid in the media aspect (90%, very good criteria), material aspects (87.5%, very good criteria), and attractiveness aspects (88%, very good criteria). The conclusion of this research, which is interactive multimedia based on website biology, is suitable for biology learning.
Money «for the remuneration of works and losses» for Krzysztof Zawisza the warden of Minsk and his dispute with the Lithuanian treasury in the first quarter of the 18th century
Authors: Skrzypietz Aleksandra
Published: March 2020

The article presents the efforts of Krzysztof Zawisza the warden of Minsk to receive the money promised to him by August II. It was a gift from the king to reward the loyalty and service that Zawisza gave to the monarch. It took over 20 years to get the money because Michal Kociell the Lithuanian treasurer was the personal enemy of Zawisza. Nevertheless some part of the promised sum went to his hands. The purpose of the article is to show the conflict over the payment of money, and in this example to show the specificity of political relations in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The article is based on archival materials and raises an important topic for the history of the former lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The First World War and emerging of a new regional order in the Balkans: an augmentation of small states' role
Authors: Aganson Olga I.
Published: March 2020

The First World War launched a tremendous restructuring of the international system. One of its major outcomes was a transformation of the small states of Central and South-Eastern Europe from objects to subjects of international relations. Having emerged or enlarged their territories in wake of multinational empires’ collapse, the small states became key players on the regional level. Reshaping of the Balkan regional order is of a particular interest to researchers as the Balkan instability triggered destruction of the previous international system. The purpose of the article is to understand how a world conflict, which had broken out in South-Eastern Europe, transformed the region. To do this the author dwells upon three sets of question. The first is the Balkan contribution in the origins of the First World War. The second is an interplay of factors which caused reshaping of the Balkan political space during the war years. The third is a new landscape of the postwar order in South-Eastern Europe. Methodological approaches applied here define new and actual character of this article. The author uses conceptual tools of the theory of international relations to analyze a process of region «building» which took place in circumstances of «tectonic» shifts within the international system in the early decades of the 20th century. Thus, the author applies the analytical model of the regional order as well as key definitions of the theory of international relations – great power, small state (the article focuses on Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece), principle of self-determination. It is concluded that the regional order emerged in the Balkans in wake of the First World War was a result of multi-dimensional interaction of factors. They are as follows: 1) the military, strategic and foreign policy planning of hostile coalitions of powers (the Entente and the bloc of the Central powers), seeking to win the loyalty of regional allies; 2) demonstrated by the small states understanding that the war had opened a «window of opportunity» to put into life their national interests and programs; 3) the decline of traditional multi-ethnic empires, which had formed political atmosphere in the Balkans. It is stated that a landscape of post-war regional order in the Balkans was determined with cooperation and competition of the local national states in the situation when the multi-ethnic empires had disappeared from the Balkan political space while the architects of the Versailles system – Great Britain and France seemed to be less interested in South-Eastern Europe in after war years. It meant that the new Balkan order enjoyed a relative autonomy compared to the previous one.
Key aspects of the confessional policy of the Soviet State regarding the Old Believers (1922–1929) in the modern Russian secular historiography
Authors: Latyshau Kiryl A.
Published: March 2020

The article analyzes the key aspects of the Soviet confessional policy regarding the Old Believers (from the moment of the organization of the Anti-religious Commission under the Central Committee of the CPSU(b), which was the central body responsible for the implementation of anti-religious policies and until the adoption of the resolution «On Religious Associations», which significantly changed the policy in the field of religion) in modern Russian secular historiography. In view of the substantial quantitative and qualitative growth of Russian historiography of the history of the Old Believers in the post-Soviet period, we have summarized regional studies affecting this topic in order to identify general trends and directions in the study of the history of the state confessional policy regarding to the Old Believers characteristic of the entire territory of the USSR. Two main directions have been identified: the study of the administrative pressure, the study of the anti-religious agitation. The most important problems were raised by the researchers of anti-religious pressure that are specific for a given historical period. Two approaches to the definition of anti-religious agitation are formed, which are characterized by the opposite assessment of its effectiveness.
The Appealing Qur'an: On the Rhetorical Strategy of Vocatives and Interpellation in the Qur'an
Authors: Hoffmann Thomas
Published: March 2020

Muslim subjectivity is created and shaped by means of certain linguistic-rhetorical traits and techniques prevalent in the Qur'an. This hypothesis implies that rhetorical choices and strategies were crucial for the emergence and gestalt of the Qur'anic discourse, it oratorical Sitz im Leben. In terms of genre and speech register, Qur'anic discourse presents itself as an extrovert soliloquy: self-sufficient and introvert on one hand and extrovert and audience-orientated on the other. The present article focuses on the latter, that is, the pragmatic and functionalistic nature of Qur'anic rhetoric. Furthermore, it argues for the analytical application of Roman Jakobson's notion of language functions, especially one particular language function. This is the so-called conative or appellative language function, which I regard as a particularly salient Qur'anic one. Central here are linguistic-rhetorical features such as direct speech, imperatives, and vocatives. Moreover, I maintain that the Qur'an's appellative language must be coupled with the critical notion of interpellation, as provided by the French Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser (1918–1990). By means of regular interpallative addresses, such as the yā-ayyuhā vocatives, the Qur'an creates and shape an efficacious Muslim subjectivity: the subject, whether an individual person or a collective group, instantly and intuitively feels recognised and apprehended as a privileged addressee. As a result of this very recognition and apprehension, the subject in the same instant recognises itself as subordinate to a powerful divine voice. Seized by the Qur'anic address, a basic Muslim subjectivity—with a certain vision of the ultimate conditions of existence—is constituted. In other words, the appellative rhetoric is crucial to the appeal of the Qur'an: the appellative Qur'an is an appealing Qur'an.
God Loves not the Wrongdoers(ẓālimūn): Formulaic Repetition as a Rhetorical Strategy in the Qur'an
Authors: Christiansen Johanne Louise
Published: March 2020

The Qur'an contains various types of repetition. One of them is the formula, a sequence of words or roots that occurs more than once in a text corpus. The formula as a literary feature is applied differently throughout the Qur'anic text. In the later material, for example, formulae often function as so-called clausulae, i.e. concluding rhymed phrases of a long verse or passage that transform the discourse to a metatextual level. In this study, I suggest, through formulaic and semantic field analysis, that the Qur'an strategically uses such repeated formulae and clausulae as a versatile rhetorical tool to persuade its listeners of fundamental tenets that form part of the Qur'anic worldview: the formula is an indicator of a specific worldview, a carrier of this worldview's key messages. Through a case study of the 40 yuḥibbu/ lā yuḥibbu ( God loves/does not love) formulae in the Qur'an, the article shows that this short repeated phrase is used continually to remind the listeners of God's love (or lack of love) and the means by which it can be either obtained or lost. Even though the formula occurs in a multitude of thematic contexts, each time it is read or recited it transcends the message to a metatextual level, thereby engaging the listeners to make a choice regarding their own status. The Qur'anic employment of formulae should therefore be discussed not only as a stylistic characteristic of the text but also as part of a deliberate didactic and rhetorical strategy.
‘The Prey or the Shadow’: Klossowski, Kierkegaard, Desire
Authors: Hill Leslie
Published: March 2020

During the late 1930s, towards the beginning of a long and colourful career as a translator, writer, novelist and painter, Pierre Klossowski (1905–2001) proved an attentive reader of the work of the Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55). This article examines Klossowski's twofold engagement with Kierkegaard, the first in the form of a commentary, published in Bataille's magazine Acéphale in 1937 addressing the Dane's use of Mozart's Don Giovanni in his philosophical treatise Either — Or, the second, a year later, being a translation of an essay by Kierkegaard, also originally part of Either — Or, offering an alternative interpretation of Sophocles’ Antigone to the one proposed by Hegel. The aim of the article is to examine how Klossowski, in these texts, problematizes the possibility of mediation and translatability, and emphasizes instead the irreducibility of immediacy, secrecy, indirection.
Chris Johnson's Writing Lesson
Authors: Kamuf Peggy
Published: March 2020

This essay traces the insistent and repeated attention Christopher Johnson pays to the episode in Tristes tropiques that Lévi-Strauss calls ‘The Writing Lesson’ and that Derrida reads as a parable and symptom of the ethnophonocentrism dictating the anthropologist's account. Johnson returns to this scene and this reading in each of his three books, and at some length in two of them. There is also an appreciative assessment of the writing lesson Johnson illustrates with his own work.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the Little Green Book, and the Dispute with Death
Authors: Donnelly Brian
Published: March 2020

The most commonly recited anecdote regarding Dante Gabriel Rossetti recalls the incident surrounding the burial of his bound manuscript of poetry in 1862 alongside his wife Elizabeth Siddal. Buried in an act of contrition encouraged by his brother, the manuscript was retrieved from the exhumed coffin at Rossetti's behest in 1869 by his friend Charles Augustus Howell and returned to the poet in a severe state of decay and smelling of disinfectant. Three of the poems recovered would famously form an integral part of the 1870 Poems. This essay situates Rossetti's action in undertaking the exhumation as a trope for the way his poetry consistently revisits and reconfigures conceptualisations of life and death, often with regards to physical and spiritual embodiment. Without seeking to offer ethical justification for Rossetti's actions in retrieving his poems, I will focus rather on the ways in which his poetic vision is dominated by the language of exile and return, of burial and retrieval, and how these twin concerns are manifest in the poems of the little green book. These three long poems, which it appears he was most eager to recover through the distasteful act, are identified collectively as ‘the exhumation poems’: ‘Dante at Verona’, ‘A Last Confession’, and ‘Jenny’.
Unity and/or Disunity in Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Poetry: Proto-Aestheticism, Cultural Politics, and Italian Nationalism at the Victorian Mid-Century
Authors: Greenaway Vicky
Published: March 2020

Revisiting the issue of Rossetti's response to politics, I argue that Rossetti's early work on Italian topics should be placed within the Risorgimento tradition of cultural nationalism that preceded and then ran alongside the political movement for Italian unification. Recent work by scholars such as Christopher Kierstead, Stefano Evangelisto, and Matthew Potolsky on cosmopolitan political discourse within Aestheticism and Decadence has shown that the age of ‘Art for Art's Sake’ does not turn away from politics, but rather re-defines its parameters. By re-situating Rossetti's writing on Italy in relation to issues of cultural nationalism I argue that his work can be regarded as a formative precursor to the development of this cosmopolitan aesthetic. I show how Rossetti's poetics on the topic of Italian unity returns a repeated experience of separateness – a failure of resolution defined politically, epistemologically, and aesthetically. Through exploring and analysing this episteme of separateness in his Italianate works and as an aesthetic principle that recurs throughout Poems (1870), I argue that Rossetti creates an alternate aesthetic of disunity which engages creatively with the modernity of the mid-century and creates the necessary preconditions for the subsequent phenomenon of Decadent cosmopolitanism to emerge. Rossetti's writing on Italy refutes most of the conventions of the tradition of cultural-nationalist writing but it is nevertheless embedded within it: I argue that an embedded reading of this Italian theme in his works is necessary to an understanding of the extent and character of Rossetti's poetic innovations of the mid-century.
Sound Pressure Level Analysis of a Liquid-Fueled Lean Premixed Swirl Burner with Various Quarls
Authors: Novotni Gergely , Józsa Viktor
Published: March 2020

Swirl burners are widely used in numerous practical applications since they are characterized by low pollutant emission and a wide operating range. Besides reliable operation, a burner must fulfill noise emission regulations, which is often a sound pressure level in dB(A) when people are affected. Therefore, the present paper evaluates the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) variation of a 15-kW liquid-fueled turbulent atmospheric swirl burner at various setups. Firstly, the combustion air flow rate was adjusted, which induced a swirl number modification due to the fixed swirl vanes. Secondly, the atomizing pressure of the plain-jet airblast atomizer was modified, which also affected the swirl number. High atomizing air jets notably increased combustion noise by intensifying the shear layer. Thirdly, a geometrical modification was performed; 0°–60° half cone angle quarls in 15° steps were installed on the lip of the baseline burner for extended flame stability. By filtering the OASPL to the V-shaped flames, a linearly decreasing trend was observed as a function of swirl number. Their derivative also has a linearly decreasing characteristic as a function of the atomizing pressure.
An Innovative Land Suitability Method to Assess the Potential for the Introduction of a New Crop at a Regional Level
Authors: Marraccini Elisa , Gotor Alicia Ayerdi , Scheurer Olivier , Leclercq Christine
Published: March 2020

Although crop diversification is one of the main strategy of agroecological transition, a major obstacle is the lack of local references regarding new crops. Land suitability methods can provide a rapid screening of crop suitability in a region. However, mainstream methods are mainly based on assessing soil and climate suitability, whereas it is fundamental to know where and how a new crop can be introduced into existing crop rotations and whether this introduction would be profitable. Our method based on recent advances in the characterization of cropping systems at the regional level can be exploited to evaluate: (1) the yield potential of the new crop, (2) the potential of this new crop being successfully introduced into ongoing crop rotations; (3) the economic benefits of such an introduction. The method was tested for the possible introduction of new soybean varieties in northern France. The method developed has relevance beyond the case study. Our method could also be easily adapted to rapidly assess the potential for introducing new crops in cases where there climate database, soil map information and a Land Parcel Identification System are available.
Genetic and Environmental Predictors for Determining Optimal Seeding Rates of Diverse Wheat Cultivars
Authors: Mehring Grant H. , Wiersma Jochum J. , Stanley Jordan D. , Ransom Joel K.
Published: March 2020

Seeding rate for maximum grain yield can differ for diverse hard red spring wheat (HRSW) (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and is derived from a yield response curve to seeding rates. Six groups of HRSW cultivars with combinations of Rht-B, Rht-D, and Ppd-D genes were planted at five seeding rates in 21 environments during 2013–2015 throughout Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, USA. Seeding rates ranged from 1.59 to 5.55 million seeds ha−1 and planting timings were optimal and delayed dates. An analysis of covariance predictive model with 13 predetermined training environments was built for yield and tillering, and validated with eight predetermined environments. Optimal seeding rates from the yield model were not predictive for yield, with latitude of the environment negatively skewing the predictions from observed values. A second yield model fit to only the six lowest-yielding environments (<4.8 Mg ha−1) was more predictive (R2 = 0.44), and revealed yield response to seeding rate was influenced by cultivar traits for photoperiod response (Ppd-D gene) and plant stature (semi-dwarfing gene Rht-D). The tillering model was also predictive for the validation environments, with a R2 of 0.71. Using regression predictions for yield and tillering from training and validation datasets with HRSW genetic and geographic predictors shows promise to help recommend seeding rates for future environments.
Field Inoculation of Bread Wheat with Rhizophagus irregularis under Organic Farming: Variability in Growth Response and Nutritional Uptake of Eleven Old Genotypes and A Modern Variety
Authors: Pellegrino Elisa , Piazza Gaia , Arduini Iduna , Ercoli Laura
Published: March 2020

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) promote crop growth and yield by increasing N and P uptake and disease resistance, but the role of field AMF inoculation on the uptake of micronutrients, such as Fe and Zn, and accumulation in plant edible portions is still not clarified. Therefore, we studied the effect of field inoculation with Rhizophagus irregularis in an organic system on 11 old genotypes and a modern variety of bread wheat. Inoculation increased root colonization, root biomass and shoot Zn concentration at early stage and grain Fe concentration at harvest, while it did not modify yield. Genotypes widely varied for shoot Zn concentration at early stage, and for plant height, grain yield, Zn and protein concentration at harvest. Inoculation differentially modified root AMF community of the genotypes Autonomia B, Frassineto and Bologna. A higher abundance of Rhizophagus sp., putatively corresponding to the inoculated isolate, was only proved in Frassineto. The increase of plant growth and grain Zn content in Frassineto is likely linked to the higher R. irregularis abundance. The AMF role in increasing micronutrient uptake in grain was proved. This supports the introduction of inoculation in cereal farming, if the variable response of wheat genotypes to inoculation is considered.
Effect of Co-Use of Fly Ash and Granular Polyacrylamide on Infiltration, Runoff, and Sediment Yield from Sandy Soil under Simulated Rainfall
Authors: Yang Kai , Tang Zejun , Feng Jianzhang
Published: March 2020

Coal fly ash (FA) and polyacrylamide (PAM) are two common amendments for improving hydraulic properties of sandy soil. However, their interaction effect on infiltration-runoff processes in sandy soil has been scarcely reported. In this study, FA and anionic PAM granules were mixed thoroughly with a 0–0.2 m sandy soil layer at FA rates of 0%, 10%, and 15% (w/w soil), and PAM rates of 0%, 0.01%, and 0.02% (w/w soil) along with each FA rate. A simulated rainfall laboratory experiment (slope gradient of 10°, rainfall intensity of 1.5 mm/min) was conducted. During the rainfall, the cumulative runoff yield increased while the average infiltration rate decreased with increasing FA and PAM rates. A higher FA rate of 15% and varying PAM rates resulted in a prominent increase in cumulative sediment yield. After the rainfall, the two-dimensional distribution of water content retained in the soil profile reflected that both FA and PAM increased the water retention capacity of sandy soil, and the effect became more obvious at higher FA and PAM rates. The possible mechanism for the effect of FA and PAM on inhibiting water infiltration during the rainfall and retaining water in the soil layer after the rainfall is attributed to the filling of pores of the coarse soil particles by fine-sized FA particles and flocculation function and binding action of PAM.
Genotype by Location Effects on Yield and Seed Nutrient Composition of Common Bean
Authors: Bulyaba Rosemary , Winham Donna M. , Lenssen Andrew W. , Moore Kenneth J. , Kelly James D. , Brick Mark A. , Wright Evan M. , Ogg James B.
Published: March 2020

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important staple food crop in households worldwide. Genotype and location influence phenotypic nutrient composition. However, there are limited data on the magnitude of this variation for common bean yield and nutritive value. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of location on yield and seed nutritional composition. Four globally important varieties (dark red kidney/‘Montcalm’, great northern /‘Taurus’, black /‘Eclipse’ and yellow Mayocoba/‘MY06326’) were planted for two years in four locations (Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, in the USA, and Masaka, Uganda). Yield and seed weight differed among locations and varieties. Yield in Colorado and Michigan was 42% and 56% higher than in Iowa and 76% and 81% greater than in Uganda, respectively. Eclipse had greater yield than Taurus (6%), MY06326 (16%), and Montcalm (35%). Concentration of P, K, Mg, S, and crude protein (CP) differed among varieties. Montcalm had 18%, 7%, and 4% greater P concentration and 13%, 9%, and 5% greater CP than Eclipse, MY06326 and Taurus, respectively. The location × variety interaction was significant only for seed Zn concentration. Despite differences in edaphic factors among locations, elemental concentrations other than Zn were comparatively stable among locations. Stability in seed elemental concentrations across locations and environments is important knowledge for better understanding human nutrition and malnutrition.
A Preliminary Study: Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus Species from Wildlife Species Subjected to Supplementary Feeding on Various South African Farms
Authors: van den Honert Michaela Sannettha , Gouws Pieter Andries , Hoffman Louwrens Christiaan
Published: March 2020

Studies have shown that antibiotic resistance among wild animals is becoming a public health concern, owing to increased contact and co-habitation with domestic animals that, in turn, results in increased human contact, indirectly and directly. This type of farming practice intensifies the likelihood of antibiotic resistant traits in microorganisms transferring between ecosystems which are linked via various transfer vectors, such as rivers and birds. This study aimed to determine whether the practice of wildlife supplementary feeding could have an influence on the antibiotic resistance of the bacteria harboured by the supplementary fed wildlife, and thus play a potential role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance throughout nature. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus were isolated from the faeces of various wildlife species from seven different farms across South Africa. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2018 guidelines. The E. coli (F: 57%; N = 75% susceptible) and Enterococcus (F: 67%; N = 78% susceptible) isolates from the supplementary fed (F) wildlife were in general, found to be more frequently resistant to the selection of antibiotics than from those which were not supplementary fed (N), particularly towards tetracycline (E. coli F: 56%; N: 71%/Enterococcus F: 53%; N: 89% susceptible), ampicillin (F: 82%; N = 95% susceptible) and sulphafurazole (F: 68%; N = 98% susceptible). Interestingly, high resistance towards streptomycin was observed in the bacteria from both the supplementary fed (7% susceptible) and non-supplementary fed (6% susceptible) wildlife isolates. No resistance was found towards chloramphenicol and ceftazidime.
A Simple and Efficient Semen Cryopreservation Method to Increase the Genetic Variability of Endangered Mediterranean Brown Trout Inhabiting Molise Rivers
Authors: Rusco Giusy , Di Iorio Michele , Iampietro Roberta , Esposito Stefano , Gibertoni Pier Paolo , Penserini Maurizio , Roncarati Alessandra , Iaffaldano Nicolaia
Published: March 2020

The aim of our study was to test the effectiveness of a simple semen cryopreservation procedure, developed for cultivated salmonid, on the wild salmonid of the Mediterranean area and to evaluate the effect of different thawing rates and sperm-to-egg ratios. The semen of five individual males was diluted into a final extender concentration of 0.15 M glucose and 7.5% methanol and loaded into 0.25 mL plastic straws, and a final sperm concentration of 3.0 × 109 sperm/mL was obtained. After equilibration, the straws were frozen by exposure to liquid nitrogen vapor at 3 cm above the liquid nitrogen level for 5 min. The semen was thawed at 40 °C/5 s or 10 °C/30 s. The sperm cryosurvival was evaluated by examining in vitro the sperm motility parameters using the CASA system, followed by fertilization trials in vivo, using three different sperm-to-egg ratios 6 × 105, 4.5 × 105 and 3 × 105:1. The applied cryopreservation procedure resulted in remarkably high (85.6%) post-thaw sperm total motility, when the semen was thawed at 40 °C/5 s, whilst the highest fertilization rate (53.1%) was recorded for a sperm-to-egg ratio of 4.5 × 105:1. According to these outcomes, the cryopreservation procedure that was tested turned out to be effective for the wild population of Mediterranean brown trout and practical for the creation of the first European semen cryobank foreseen as part of our “LIFE” Nat.Sal.Mo. project.
Effect of Glutamine on Antioxidant Capacity and Lipid Peroxidation in the Breast Muscle of Heat-stressed Broilers via Antioxidant Genes and HSP70 Pathway
Authors: Hu Hong , Chen Liang , Dai Sifa , Li Jiaqi , Bai Xi
Published: March 2020

This study investigated whether Glutamine (Gln) could be used as an additive to improve antioxidant capacity in the breast muscle of heat-stressed broilers. Two hundred and forty 22-day-old Arbor Acres broilers in the G1, G2, G3, and G4 groups (n = 60 each) were housed in a cyclic hot environment and fed the basal diet with 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% Gln, respectively. Compared with the G1 group, dietary 1.5% Gln increased (p < 0.05) pH and b* values, but decreased (p < 0.05) L* cooking loss, drip loss, and water loss rate in breast meat of heat-stressed broilers. Malondialdehyde levels in the breast muscle were lower (p < 0.05) in 1.0% and 1.5% Gln groups than that of the heat-stress group. Compared with the G1 group, dietary 1.5% Gln increased (p < 0.05) catalase (CAT), glutathione, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px,) and total antioxidant capacity in the breast muscle of heat-stressed broilers. Furthermore, the CAT, GSH-Px, HSP70 mRNA expression levels, and HSP70 protein expression levels were increased (p < 0.05) in the G3 and G4 groups compared with the G1 group. In sum, Gln alleviated antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation in the breast muscle of heat-stressed broilers through antioxidant genes and HSP70 pathways.
Productive Performance and Egg and Meat Quality of Two Indigenous Poultry Breeds in Vietnam, Ho and Dong Tao, Fed on Commercial Feed
Authors: Nguyen Van Duy , Moula Nassim , Moyse Evelyne , Do Duc Luc , Vu Dinh Ton , Farnir Frederic
Published: March 2020

The objective of this work was the evaluation of the meat production and laying performances, and the meat and egg quality of two breeds of Vietnamese broiler chickens, Ho and Dong Tao, fed on a commercial diet. In a survey, we continuously recorded for 28 weeks, the data on the production performance and meat quality of 250 chicks from each breed. We investigated egg laying and egg quality using 36 Ho and 32 Dong Tao hens during 52 weeks of laying. The growth patterns were similar for the two breeds. Feed conversion ratios were also similar, and demonstrated the low efficiency of these two breeds when compared to commercial broilers. Slaughter age proved to affect several carcass yield characteristics, showing that slaughtering between 16 and 20 weeks might be better than at the usual age of 28 weeks. Yield, carcass composition and meat quality differed between the two studied breeds. The eggs production and number of embryonated eggs were low for the two breeds when compared to other breeds, with a lower hatching performance in Ho than in Dong Tao. In summary, the production performances of Ho and Dong Tao chickens were low, even when birds were fed a commercial diet. The study demonstrates the need to find ways to improve the production and reproduction performances of these animals, in order to contribute to the program of conservation and exploitation of these two breeds.
Influence of Postharvest Temperatures on Carotenoid Biosynthesis and Phytochemicals in Mature Green Chili (Capsicum annuum L.)
Authors: Pola Wissanee , Sugaya Sumiko , Photchanachai Songsin
Published: March 2020

An intense red color appearance in hot chili is what industry commonly demands. The harvested mature green “Takanotsume” chili, a popular cultivar in Japan, incubated at 20 and 30 °C is investigated. At 30 °C, the chili rapidly degraded chlorophylls and obtained an intense red color, but presented an orange–red color at 20 °C. The sample showed higher carotenoid accumulations at 30 °C, along with significantly upregulated carotenoid biosynthesis-related genes—phytoene synthase (Psy), lycopene-β-cyclase (Lcyb), β-carotene hydroxylase (CrtZ), and capsanthin/capsorubin synthase (Ccs)—during the experiment. While the expression of the Ccs gene was reduced, there was a 5.5-fold upregulation of the Psy gene at the end of incubation. At 20 °C, the Psy gene was downregulated. These observations suggest that the expression of individual genes is temperature-dependent, and these would affect specific carotenoid compounds. The antioxidant capacity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; DPPH and ferric-reducing antioxidant power; FRAP) values had no difference between temperatures; the higher content of total phenolics and vitamin C presented in the chili at 30 °C probably corresponds to the advanced ripening process. Thus, 30 °C is the recommended incubation temperature for mature green chili to achieve the industry-demanded intense red color and high accumulation of phytochemicals.
A Longitudinal Investigation of Muscle Injuries in an Elite Spanish Male Academy Soccer Club: A Hamstring Injuries Approach
Authors: Raya-González Javier , de Ste Croix Mark , Read Paul , Castillo Daniel
Published: March 2020

The aims of this study were to analyze the muscle injury incidence in an elite Spanish soccer academy during three consecutive seasons attending to different chronological age groups (i.e., U14, U16, U19 and senior) and to examine the hamstring injury incidence in this elite soccer academy. Elite male youth soccer players (227) participated in this study. A total of 207 time-loss injuries (i.e., injuries that involve at least one absence day) were observed during this study period. The overall incidence rate of muscle injury was 1.74 muscle injuries/1000 h. In addition, higher muscle injury incidence was observed during match play in comparison to training sessions (6.78 vs. 3.20 muscle injuries/1000 h, p < 0.05). The oldest age group presented the highest injury rate (2.73 muscle injuries/1000 h, p < 0.05), with the burden (i.e., number of absence days per 1000 h of exposure) peak values recorded in the U16 age group (26.45 absence days/1000 h). In addition, muscle tears accounted for the greatest percentage of muscle injuries (43.5%), and the most frequent anatomical site of injury was the hamstring (30.4%). Muscle tear was the most common type of hamstring injury (49.2%), with the biceps femoris the most commonly injured muscle of the hamstring complex (39.7%). Fullbacks (FB), wide midfielders (WM) and forwards (F) suffered a greater number of hamstring injuries. Hamstring injury incidence showed a seasonal variation, as indicated by peaks in August and October. Specifically, the highest injury incidence was observed in the final part of each period during match play. These results reinforce the necessity to implement individual preventive strategies according to each specific injury profile across the youth soccer development phase.
Expression of Insulin Receptor and c-MET Is Associated with Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Molecular Subtypes in Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Ayoub Nehad M. , Yaghan Rami J. , Al-Mohtaseb Alia H. , Aldaoud Najla , Matalka Ismail I. , Elhassan Muwada E.
Published: March 2020

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) represent a class of transmembrane receptors known to play an important role in cancer development and progression. In this study, the expression of insulin receptor (IR) and the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-MET) was examined in breast cancer patients. Immunohistochemistry for IR and c-MET was performed on 71 cases of invasive breast cancer and expression scores were correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics and molecular subtypes and further stratified based on a menopausal status. Expression of IR was significantly associated with the tumor grade (p = 0.017) and estrogen receptor (ER) expression (p = 0.015). There was a significant positive correlation between IR and c-MET expression scores (rho = 0.458, p < 0.001). Among premenopausal cases, IR scores were significantly higher in patients with grade I/II disease (p = 0.025), ER-positive (p = 0.030), and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive carcinoma (p = 0.015). c-MET expression scores were significantly higher among premenopausal patients with ER-positive (p = 0.007) and PR-positive carcinoma (p = 0.024). IR expression scores were significantly different among molecular subtypes for all patients (p = 0.006) and among premenopausal cases (p = 0.035). c-MET expression was statistically different among molecular subtypes for premenopausal patients (p = 0.019). Survival analysis revealed that the expression status of IR and c-MET was not associated with overall survival. Our findings support a favorable prognostic value for IR and c-MET expression in premenopausal breast cancer patients.
Computation of Evapotranspiration with Artificial Intelligence for Precision Water Resource Management
Authors: Afzaal Hassan , Farooque Aitazaz A. , Abbas Farhat , Acharya Bishnu , Esau Travis
Published: March 2020

Accurate estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) provides useful information for water resource management and sustainable agriculture. This study estimates ETo with recurrent neural networks (RNNs), namely long short-term memory (LSTM) and bidirectional LSTM. Four representative meteorological sites (North Cape, Summerside, Harrington, and Saint Peters) were selected across Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada to form a PEI dataset from mean values of the four sites’ climatic variables for capturing climatic variability from all parts of the province. Based on subset regression analysis, the highest contributing climatic variables, namely maximum air temperature and relative humidity, were selected as input variables for RNNs’ training (2011–2015) and testing (2016–2017) runs. The results suggested that the LSTM and bidirectional LSTM are suitable methods to accurately (R2 > 0.90) estimate ETo for all sites except Harrington. Testing period (2016–2017) root mean square errors were recorded in range of 0.38–0.58 mm/day for all sites. No major differences were observed in accuracy of LSTM and bidirectional LSTM. Another objective of this study was to highlight the potential gap between ETO and rainfall for assessing agriculture sustainability in Prince Edward Island. Analyses of the data highlighted that the cumulative ETo surpassed the cumulative rainfall potentially affecting yield of major crops in the island. Therefore, agriculture sustainability requires viable options such as supplemental irrigation to replenish the crop water requirements as and when needed.
Double Deep Q-Network with a Dual-Agent for Traffic Signal Control
Authors: Gu Jianfeng , Fang Yong , Sheng Zhichao , Wen Peng
Published: March 2020

Adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has shown promising prospects to reduce traffic congestion. Most existing methods keeping traffic signal phases fixed adopt two agent actions to match a four-phase suffering unstable performance and undesirable operation in a four-phase signalized intersection. In this paper, a Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) with a dual-agent algorithm is proposed to obtain a stable traffic signal control policy. Specifically, two agents are denoted by two different states and shift the control of green lights to make the phase sequence fixed and control process stable. State representations and reward functions are presented by improving the observability and reducing the leaning difficulty of two agents. To enhance the feasibility and reliability of two agents in the traffic control of the four-phase signalized intersection, a network structure incorporating DDQN is proposed to map states to rewards. Experiments under Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) are carried out, and results show that the proposed traffic signal control algorithm is effective in improving traffic capacity.
Adsorption between Quercetin Derivatives and β-Glucan Studied with a Novel Approach to Modeling Adsorption Isotherms
Authors: Jakobek Lidija , Matić Petra , Kraljević Šima , Ukić Šime , Benšić Mirta , Barron Andrew R.
Published: March 2020

Interactions between polyphenols and fibers are important for polyphenol bioactivities, and have been studied in vitro with adsorption process and isotherms. However, the theoretical interpretations of adsorption potentially can be affected by the method of isotherm modeling. The aim was to study the interactions between β-glucan and quercetin derivatives (quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-rhamnoside) by studying adsorption, and to potentially improve the modeling of adsorption isotherms. Quercetin derivatives were determined by using spectrophotometric method. Experimental results were modeled with Langmuir, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Hill isotherms using non-linear regression, linear regression, and improved non-linear regression. For improved non-linear regression, code in the R programming language was developed. All quercetin derivatives adsorbed onto the surface of β-glucan. Improved non-linear regression gave somewhat lower errors and may be the most appropriate for adsorption interpretation. According to isotherms obtained with improved regression, it may be suggested that adsorption is higher for rhamnoside and glucoside of quercetin than for quercetin-3-galactoside which agrees with experimental results. Adsorption could be a physical process. The spatial arrangement of hydroxyl (OH) groups on the glycoside part of quercetin could affect the adsorption. In conclusion, a novel approach using improved non-linear regression has been shown to be a useful, novel tool for adsorption interpretation.
Uses and Gratifications on Augmented Reality Games: An Examination of Pokémon Go
Authors: Bueno Salvador , Gallego M. Dolores , Noyes Jan
Published: March 2020

Users are attracted by augmented reality games to fulfil their needs. Two objectives are proposed: (1) to research the motivations of those using augmented reality mobile games; (2) to define a structural model based on Uses and Gratifications Theory for the adoption of augmented reality mobile games. The present study examines the case of Pokémon Go. The model is composed of eight constructs: enjoyment, fantasy, escapism, social interaction, social presence, achievement, self-presentation and continuance intention. The SEM model was empirically assessed based on 1183 responses from Pokémon Go users around the world. Results clearly confirmed the positive influence of almost all the proposed constructs on continuance intention for Pokémon Go. First, these findings may be helpful for the online gaming industry in identifying the game functions that retain more gamers and improve the user experience. Second, the online gaming industry might use these results in order to classify those players with behaviours that favour the use of online games.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Process Parameters of Longitudinal Axial Threshing Cylinder for Frozen Corn Using RSM and NSGA-II
Authors: Fu Jun , Yuan Haikuo , Zhang Depeng , Chen Zhi , Ren Luquan
Published: March 2020

Corn was frozen at harvest time in high-latitude areas, when corn kernel is wetter and more easily broken. When frozen corn was threshed and separated by the longitudinal axial threshing cylinder of a combine harvester, it caused a significantly high kernel damage rate and loss rate. The process parameters of threshing cylinder were optimized using RSM (response surface method) and NSGA-II (Non-Dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm-II). The drum speed (Ds), feed rate (Fr) and concave clearance (Cc) were determined as the optimized process parameters. The loss rate (Lr) and damage rate (Dr) were indicators of operational performance. The RSM was used to establish a mathematical model between process parameters and indicators. With an elite strategy, NSGA-II was used for multi-objective optimization to obtain the optimal operational performance of the threshing cylinder. Overall, when the drum speed was selected as 384.1 rpm, the feed rate as 8.6 kg/s and the concave clearance as 40.5 mm, according to the requirement of corn harvest, the best operational performance of the longitudinal axial threshing cylinder on frozen corn was obtained. The Lr was 1.98% and the Dr was 3.49%. This result indicated that the applicability of the optimal process parameters and the optimization method of combining NSGA-II and RSM was effective for determining the optimal process parameters. This will provide an optimization method for synchronously reducing the loss rate and damage rate of grain harvesters.
A Sequential Emotion Approach for Diagnosing Mental Disorder on Social Media
Authors: Wang Ling , Liu Hangyu , Zhou Tiehua
Published: March 2020

Mental disorder has been affecting numerous individuals; however, mental health care is in a passive state where only a minority of individuals actively seek professional help. Due to the rapid development of social networks, individuals accustomed to expressing their raw feelings on social media include patients who are suffering great pain from mental disorders. To distinguish individuals who merely feel sad and others who have mental disorders, the symptoms of mental disorder are taken into consideration. These symptoms constantly arise as a regular pattern like shifting of emotions or repeating of one representative emotion during a certain time. We proposed a Mental Disorder Identification Model (MDI-Model) to identify the four most commonly occurring mental disorders in the world: anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The MDI-Model compares the sequential emotion pattern from users to identify mental disorders to detect those who are in a high risk. Tweets of diagnosed mental disorder users were analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the MDI-Model, furthermore, the tweets of users from six different occupations were analyzed to verify the precision and predict the tendency of mental disorder among the different occupations. Results show that the MDI-Model can efficiently diagnose users with high precision in different mental statuses as severe, moderate, and mild stage, or tendency of mental disorder and mentally healthy status.