bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translingual strategies as consumer design: A case study of multilingual linguistic landscapes of urban China
Authors: Song Yang
Published: March 2018

Taking a photo-studio brand namedNaive Blue(天真蓝) as a case study, this article seeks to contribute to the understanding of translingual practices as stylistic strategies for commercial purposes in the era of globalization. Sociolinguistic analysis of the brand logo, shop signs and social media promotional practices shows that translingual practices have been mobilized as generative and interactive strategies of consumer design. First, translingual strategies help construct a discursive world not available in monolingual uses of either English or Chinese and position the brand’s target consumers as self-assertive, individualistic, and sharing a taste of distinction. Second, translingual strategies are embodied and metalinguistically conscious practices (expected to be) shared by both the brand’s social-media content manager and his interactants and followers in general. The findings also suggest that translingual practices are part of an emergent register indexing an emergent social class that is tentatively labeled ‘young urban elites’ in contemporary China.
At the Origins of Welfare State? Social Expenses in the Budgetary Policy in the Second Polish Republic
Authors: Grata Paweł
Published: March 2018

In the period of the Second Polish Republic, social policy became an important field of activity for public authorities. It was distinguished by a high level of awareness of the prevalent social problems, progressive legislation, and advanced management. The only missing element was sufficient financing. In the budgetary policy of the Second Polish Republic, social expenses were of minor importance. For the most part of the period, they amounted to approximately 3% of all expenses. The Ministry of Social Care was underfunded, which was evident in nearly every aspect of its activity. Hence, if one wonders if the origins of the Polish welfare state can be traced back to the Second Polish Republic, the answer must be “no”. Although extra funds (spent on tackling unemployment, pensions, or disability benefits) were found outside of the ministerial budget, the arguments presented in this article only confirm the hypothesis presented above.
American Investment Banking in the Context of Great Economic Crises
Authors: Hempel Dominika
Published: March 2018

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers had a strong impact on the whole financial system and started the worst recession since the Great Depression. However, it was not the first crisis in the history of the USA. The purpose of this article is to present the history of investment banking during the main crises in the US history and their impact on the American economy. The article presents the following: a definition of investment banking, theoretical aspects of crises, changes in banking system regulations, and the history of the most important American investment banks, including the infamous Lehman Brothers.
The “Gryfice Scandal” In Poznań — Dealing with Abuses Committed in the Process of Establishing Cooperative Farms in the Poznań Region
Authors: Jankowiak Stanisław
Published: March 2018

Several years after the war, a revolution started in the Polish agriculture - even though until 1948, the authorities claimed that farms in Poland would not be collectivized. The new stage meant that things accelerated quickly. Central party authorities determined the number of cooperatives to be established per year in a top-down manner. The Poznań region was considered particularly opposed to the system, hence the pressure to establish cooperative farms was particularly intense. The quick pace of the operation and accountability of the party officials for its results meant that they often resorted to prohibited methods of forcing resistant individuals to enter into cooperatives. Though party guidelines emphasized that the process was voluntary, and formally banned any form of pressure, various forms of power abuse were tolerated in practice. Only when the situation rapidly escalated into scandals, the authorities stigmatized the illegal methods. However, after a while, the situation returned to normal, and the anomalies reoccurred. The problem was that the principles of the operation were flawed. One of the party activists claimed that establishing cooperatives according to the guidelines would have taken 200 years to complete. Farmers had to be coerced, otherwise they would never have joined cooperatives. Most cooperative farms established this way collapsed in 1956.
Application of DEA for Evaluating the Efficiency of Economic Policy as Exemplified by EU Agriculture
Authors: Błażejczyk-Majka Lucyna
Published: March 2018

The article presents how DEA is used to develop agricultural production efficiency rankings in the EU member states, which can be used as the starting point for evaluating the performance of currently used instruments of economic policy. In the article, statistical data from the FADN were used. Agricultural production was compared for three types of output and four types of input involved. The performed study demonstrated that in 18 out of 28 states, agricultural production had been run efficiently on a macro level. The applied approach also allowed for identifying the causes of inefficiency in the remaining ten states, providing indications for recommended changes in in the way economic instruments are used.
Sanktionen, Reziprozität und die symbolische Konstruktion einer Kooperations-„Gemeinschaft“
Authors: Esser Hartmut
Published: March 2018

Das Experiment von Fehr und Gächter von 1999 zu Effekten der Bestrafung auf die Bereitstellung von Kollektivgütern ist ein weithin beachteter Beitrag einer um soziale Motive erweiterten Rational Choice Theorie (RCT). Weite Teile nicht nur der Soziologie halten die Anwendung der RCT jedoch für unangemessen, auch weil damit der Einfluss von mit „Bedeutung“ versehenen Symbolen auf die Konstitution sozialer Prozesse nicht zu erfassen sei. Der Beitrag untersucht die Reichweite der um Motive der Reziprozität erweiterten RCT mit dem Modell der Frame-Selektion (MFS), das in seinem Kern Effekte der „Definition der Situation“ über Symbole enthält. Das Ergebnis ist, dass die meisten Befunde aus dem Experiment gut über beide Ansätze zu rekonstruieren sind, es aber an einer zentralen Stelle zu einem Widerspruch kommt. Bei einem unabhängigen empirischen Test bestätigen sich die Hypothesen des MFS. Der Befund bedeutet die Zurückweisung einer Kerndoktrin der RCT: Die Annahme, dass Vorgänge der „Definition der Situation“ nichts weiter seien als „cheap talk“ oder durch eine nochmalige Erweiterung der RCT um Effekte des „Sinns“ von Symbolen aufzufangen wären.
Antibacterial secotirucallane triterpenes from the stem bark of Pseudocedrela kotschyi
Authors: Mambou Christèle Sorèle , Nono Raymond Ngansop , Chouna Jean Rodolphe , Tamokou Jean-de-Dieu , Nkeng-Efouet-Alango Pépin , Sewald Norbert
Published: March 2018

The antibacterial-guided investigation of the stem bark extract of Pseudocedrela kotschyi led to the isolation of a new secotirucallane triterpene derivative: 4-hydroxy-3,4-secotirucalla-7,24-dien-3,21-dioic acid (1), together with the known one: 3,4-secotirucalla-4(28),7,24-trien-3,21-dioic acid (2) and 3-methyl ester 3,4-secotirucalla-4(28),7,24-trien-3,21-dioic (3). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. Extracts, fractions and compounds (1–3) were tested in vitro for antibacterial activity against two Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923), and two Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli S2(1) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The MeOH extract and the Hex/CH2Cl2 (70:30) fraction showed significant levels of activity (MIC=64– 256 μg/mL) compared with the two reference drugs [ciprofloxacin: MIC (0.5–1 μg/mL) and amoxicillin: MIC (1–128 μg/mL)]. Moreover, the compound 2 isolated from this Hex/CH2Cl2 (70:30) fraction had the greatest potential value against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 4–16 μg/mL.
Verse Visa
Authors: Tucker Herbert F.
Published: March 2018

Herbert F. Tucker, “Verse Visa: Dickens Adapts Poetry in The Old Curiosity Shop” (pp. 433–451)

In Charles Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), Dick Swiveller’s hilariously eclectic misquotation of popular verse coexists with Dickens’s own grave proclivity to fall into unlineated yet incantatory blank verse when orchestrating the death of Little Nell. These complementary prose effects freshly showcase the novelist’s joint commitments to humorous and pathetic renditions of the modern condition. They also underscore the coalescence of the novel as such, circa 1840, out of a miscellany of barely compatible ingredients, as the still-burgeoning genre sought to displace, whether by sidelining or by incorporation, poetry’s millennial prestige.
The Effects of Tax Avoidance, Accrual Earnings Management, Real Earnings Management, and Capital Intensity on the Cost of Equity
Authors: Prasetya Raka Adhi , Yulianto Agung
Published: March 2018

This study aims to analyze the influence of PROPER Rating, Industrial Type, Profitability, Leverage and Age of Company on Carbon Emission Disclosure. Measurement of carbon emissions disclosure uses Carbon Emission Disclosure Checklist (CED). The population of this study is non-financial companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2013 - 2016 as many as 406 companies. The technique used in sampling is purposive sampling and selected 32 companies as sample and 126 units of analysis. The analytical tool used to test the hypothesis is descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression analysis processed through IBM SPSS 21 program. The research results show that the PROPER rating and the type of industry have positive effect on carbon emission disclosure. While profitability, leverage and age of the company have no effect on carbon emission disclosure. The conclusions of this study are the PROPER rating and the type of industry proven to influence the company’s decision making to disclose carbon emissions. While the profitability, leverage, and firm age cannot affect the company’s decision to disclose carbon emissions.
The Relationship of Reserve Account Disclosure Transparency and Accrual Earning Management with Audit Quality as Moderating
Authors: Binti Nono Latifah , Khomsatun Siti
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of transparency of reserve account disclosure on accrual earning management, and also to examine the role of audit quality as a moderator for the effect of transparency of reserve account disclosure on accrual earning management. The population in the study are companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with a sample period of 2012-2015. The sample selection technique used purposive sampling. The samples were obtained 350 observations of manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2012 to 2015. This study uses panel regression statistical method with unbalance panel data. The measurements used for Transparency of reserve account disclosure are word count, sentence count, and disclosure index. The results support the hypothesis which show that transparency of reserve account disclosure have negative significant effect on the accrual earning management, audit quality have negative significant effect on accrual earning management, and audit quality has a role as moderator (strengthen) the Negative effect between transparency of reserve account disclosure to accrual earning management.Nevertheless, the result is inconsistent in each model. This study concludes that accrual earning management can be minimized by selecting competent auditors and increasing transparency of accounts receivable accounts.
Public Accounting Firm Switching on the Companies Listed in IDX
Authors: Nurul Nurul , Solikhah Badingatus
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this study is to determine the probability of the changes of upgrade, downgrade, and same grade public accounting firms predicted by prior audit opinion, growth rate of the client, public ownership and financial distress. The population in this study is manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange for year of 2010-2015 which consist of 144 companies. The sampling technique is a purposive sampling method which results for 24 companies. Analysis method uses descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression analysis. The results of this study showed that the variables of prior audit opinion, growth rate of client, and financial distress could predict the probability of the changes of upgrade, downgrade and same grade public accounting firms. Meanwhile, public ownership variable could not predict the probability of the changes of upgrade, downgrade and same grade public accounting firms. It can be concluded that to predict the change of public accountant office can be performed by paying attention to prior audit opinion, clients growth rate, and financial distress.
The Management of Village Fund Finances
Authors: Meutia Inten , Liliana Liliana
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this research is to know the implementation of fund management of village fund in Ogan Ilir Regency, South Sumatera. The population in this study were 224 villages in Ogan Ilir Regency that received the allocation of Village Funds in 2016. The purposive sampling technique was applied to obtain samples and produce 26 villages. The analysis will be carried out with a quantitative and qualitative description process. Based on the data obtained, the researcher tries to describe or describe systematically, accurately, and factually about matters relating to the field as fact, nature, and relationship between phenomena. Quantitative techniques will also use frequency analysis that aims to provide an overview of the general condition. The results reveal that the financial management aspects are generally in accordance with those set out in Permendagri 113/2014 and have complied with the basic principles of financial management. Reporting and accountability remain a problem for some villages. Not all of the villages studied have aspects of human resource reporting and accountability. Taking into account the composition of village budgeting, the village does not meet the rules that require a ratio of 70:30, this results in inequality in the implementation of rural development. The conclusion of this research is that the implementation of village fund management in Ogan Ilur Regency has been running well according to Permendagri 113/2014.
The Analysis of Tax Avoidance Determinant on The Property and Real Estate Companies
Authors: Turyatini Turyatini
Published: March 2018

The tax authorities had found some modus that done by developers on property tax avoidance and supported by potential loss of tax income from property and real estate sector at 2012-2015. This phenomenon show that tax avoidance still practiced by most of property and real estate companies, so that its became the target of intensive monitoring by the tax authorities. The aim of this research is to analyze the effect of leverage, company size, sales growth, institutional ownership, and independent commissioners on tax avoidance in property and real estate companies The population of this research is real estate property company which number 47 companies and the sample is 18 companies is done by using purposive sampling method. The instrument used to analyze the hypothesis is multiple linear regression. The results show that leverage and company size have significant effect on tax avoidance. Sales growth, institutional ownership and independent commissioners do not have significant effect on tax avoidance.
The Institutionalization of Accrual Accounting: The Perspective of New Institutional Sociology Theory
Authors: Savitri Rizky Ayu , Fanani Zaenal
Published: March 2018

This study aims to understand an accounting system change of a local government in Indonesia. This study is a qualitative and interpretive case study. Data collection is done through interviews of key actors who were involved in the process of accrual accounting institutionalization and documentation.The result of this study shows that the institutional isomorphism occurs on the implementation of accrual accounting at the local government. Coercive isomorphism are shown by the finding that the adoption of accrual accounting was affected by the central government, namely by issuing the regulations such as Government Regulation no. 71 of 2010 and Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs no.64 of 2013. Normative isomorphism was found on the findings of consultant and academic involvement in the implementation of accrual accounting. Mimetic isomorphism was found when the local government conducted benchmarking to the other local governments that became the best practice in the accrual accounting implementation in Indonesia. In reality these three forms of institutional mechanism were interact each other, then contribute in influencing the practices and the actors during the accrual accounting institutionalization process in the local government.
A rare case of hypercalcemia-induced pancreatitis in a first trimester pregnant woman
Authors: Richa Carine Ghassan , Saad Khadija Jamal , Chaaban Ali Khaled , El Rawas Mohamad Souheil
Published: March 2018

The objective of the study is to report a case of acute pancreatitis secondary to hypercalcemia induced by primary hyperparathyroidism in a pregnant woman at the end of the first trimester. The case included a 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and severe hypercalcemia refractory to many regimens of medical therapy in the first trimester of pregnancy. She was successfully treated with parathyroidectomy in the early second trimester with complete resolution of hypercalcemia and pancreatitis. Neonatal course was unremarkable. To our best knowledge, this is a rare case when primary hyperparathyroidism and its complications are diagnosed in the first trimester of pregnancy. In conclusion, primary hyperparathyroidism is a rare life-threatening condition to the fetus and mother especially when associated with complications such as pancreatitis. Early therapeutic intervention is important to reduce the morbidity and mortality. Parathyroidectomy performed in the second trimester can be the only solution.

Learning points:

Learning how to make diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism in a woman during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Understanding the complications of hypercalcemia and be aware of the high mortality and sequelae in both fetus and mother.

Providing the adequate treatment in such complicated cases with coordinated care between endocrinologists and obstetricians to ensure optimal outcomes.
A Strategy To Isolate Modifiers ofCaenorhabditis elegansLethal Mutations: Investigating the Endoderm Specifying Ability of the Intestinal Differentiation GATA Factor ELT-2
Authors: Wiesenfahrt Tobias , Duanmu Jingjie , Snider Frances , Moerman Don , Au Vinci , Li-Leger Erica , Flibotte Stephane , Parker Dylan M , Marshall Craig J , Nishimura Erin Osborne , Mains Paul E , McGhee James D
Published: March 2018

The ELT-2 GATA factor normally functions in differentiation of the C. elegans endoderm, downstream of endoderm specification. We have previously shown that, if ELT-2 is expressed sufficiently early, it is also able to specify the endoderm and to replace all other members of the core GATA-factor transcriptional cascade (END-1, END-3, ELT-7). However, such rescue requires multiple copies (and presumably overexpression) of the end-1p::elt-2 cDNA transgene; a single copy of the transgene does not rescue. We have made this observation the basis of a genetic screen to search for genetic modifiers that allow a single copy of the end-1p::elt-2 cDNA transgene to rescue the lethality of the end-1  end-3 double mutant. We performed this screen on a strain that has a single copy insertion of the transgene in an end-1  end-3 background. These animals are kept alive by virtue of an extrachromosomal array containing multiple copies of the rescuing transgene; the extrachromosomal array also contains a toxin under heat shock control to counterselect for mutagenized survivors that have been able to lose the rescuing array. A screen of ∼14,000 mutagenized haploid genomes produced 17 independent surviving strains. Whole genome sequencing was performed to identify genes that incurred independent mutations in more than one surviving strain. The C. elegans gene tasp-1 was mutated in four independent strains. tasp-1 encodes the C. elegans homolog of Taspase, a threonine-aspartic acid protease that has been found, in both mammals and insects, to cleave several proteins involved in transcription, in particular MLL1/trithorax and TFIIA. A second gene, pqn-82, was mutated in two independent strains and encodes a glutamine-asparagine rich protein. tasp-1 and pqn-82 were verified as loss-of-function modifiers of the end-1p::elt-2 transgene by RNAi and by CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations. In both cases, gene loss leads to modest increases in the level of ELT-2 protein in the early endoderm although ELT-2 levels do not strictly correlate with rescue. We suggest that tasp-1 and pqn-82 represent a class of genes acting in the early embryo to modulate levels of critical transcription factors or to modulate the responsiveness of critical target genes. The screen’s design, rescuing lethality with an extrachromosomal transgene followed by counterselection, has a background survival rate of <10−4 without mutagenesis and should be readily adapted to the general problem of identifying suppressors of C. elegans lethal mutations.
SELECTED ASPECTS OF WEAR AND SURFACE PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE BASED WOOD-POLYMER COMPOSITES
Authors: Bochkov I. , Varkale M. , Meri R. Merijs , Zicans J. , Franciszczak P. , Bledzki A. K.
Published: March 2018

The work demonstrates selected results of the investigations on surface properties and wear resistance of polypropylene based wood-polymer composites (WPC) reinforced with wood flour. WPC are broadly applied in construction and automotive sectors, where mechanical, thermal as well as moisture absorbing characteristics are of great importance. In order to get information about wear resistance of such composites Taber wear test is applied. Surface properties are investigated before and after tribological test. Contact angle values of the investigated compositions are compared after different wear periods (0, 2000, 5000 and 10000 cycles) with abrasives H22 and CS17.
NEW CLASS OF LUBRICANTS FOR GREEN TRIBOLOGY
Authors: Mandzyuk І. , Prysiazhna К.
Published: March 2018

The possibility of obtaining a new class of lubricating oil bodies (PET-acylglycerol) with the help of modification of the natural fat molecule by a fragment of a link of a synthetic polymer-polyethylene terephthalate is considered. The distribution of electrostatic charge in molecules of beef fat and synthesized PET-acylglycerol is shown. A relationship between the structural hierarchy of the synthesized lubricating oil bodies and the tribotechnical indexes has been established.
The Influence of Selected Meteorological Factors on Microbial Biomass and Mineralization of Two Organic Fertilizers
Authors: SANDOR Mignon S. , BRAD Traian , MAXIM Aurel , TOADER Constantin
Published: March 2018

A mesocosm study was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of short-term rainfall and temperature variation on soil microbial biomass and bacteria to fungi ratio. In addition, the relation between the decomposition process of two organic fertilizers, cattle manure and barley straw, and the activity of soil microbial biomass was also studied. In order to assess the effect of biological activity on soil fertility the dynamics of soil pH, N-NO3-, N-NH4+, Corg and Nt during plant growing season was measured. The results suggest that short-term variation of climate had a significant effect on microbial biomass with dry periods distinguished by a reduced microbial biomass compared to wet periods. The ratio bacteria to fungi seems also to be sensitive to variations in rainfall and temperature regime, however further studies are required to draw a definitive conclusion. Regarding the type of fertilizer used, the straw treatments showed higher microbial biomass than the manure treatments, but higher decomposition rate was observed in manure fertilized soil. The effect of soil biological activity on soil pH was limited for both manure and straw treatments while the changes of the soil nitrate amounts are related to the microbial biomass. The study indicates that nitrate immobilization and mineralization processes are influenced by meteorological conditions and microbial biomass dynamics. In contrast, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen did not seem to be affected by variations in temperature, rainfall and microbial activity.
Growth Performance of â€˜Granny Smithâ€™ and â€˜Fujiâ€™ Cultivars Grafted onto Dwarf Rootstocks: a Preliminary Study in Eastern Anatolia
Authors: OĞUZ Halil İbrahim , TAŞ Teyar M. , MURADOĞLU Ferhat
Published: March 2018

This study was carried out to determine the growth performance of ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Fuji’ apple varieties, which are widley grown in Turkey, grafted to dwarf rootstocks within their initial two years under continental ecological conditions of the Van Region in East Anatolia. In the first year, the vegetative characters of the cultivars were measured, whereas the yield and the growth rate were both determined in the second year. The yields of ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Fuji’ varieties were 2.38 and 3.88 kg, with average fruit weights of 173.71 g and 136.76 g, respectively. The concentrations of soluble solids, an important quality attribute, were 11.2% and 12.9% for ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Fuji’, respectively. Titratable acidity, which indicates the maturity of the fruit and specifies the market suitability, was found to be 0.37% in ‘Granny Smith’ and 0.52% in ‘Fuji’. Although some properties differed between these cultivars, the firmness of both cultivars was the same, with a value of 6.6 libre. Although both varieties have a double sigmoid vegetative growth, ‘Granny Smith’’s vegetative growth was relatively better than that of ‘Fuji’, whereas ‘Fuji’ had a higher productivity. However, for precise evaluation of yields, the period of economical production is required. Preliminary results of morphological, phenological, and pomological tests showed that the varieties ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Fuji’ grafted onto dwarf rootstocks have a potential for increased production in the Van region of Eastern Turkey.
Appropriate Methods for Evaluating the Agricultural Policies Consequences at the Farm Level
Authors: JITEA Ionel M.
Published: March 2018

TheCommon Agricultural Policyis foreseen to suffer important reforms after 2013, which will greatly affect the farms production environment. For thea priorianalysis of such policy measures, there was built a recursive single period model adapted to the Romanian farming system. The positive mathematical programming method in use, proved to be in the last period highly applied inagricultural policiesimpact studies at the European level. Furthermore, the model was employed in order to test three different agricultural scenarios that were proposed by the European Commission as reform alternatives. The first policy option presumes to leave unchanged the current direct payment system while slightly changing the payment distribution pattern among Member States. The second policy option envisages substantial changes of the direct payment system that would be allocated only if farmers bring societal benefits. The last option consists in phasing outdirect paymentsand provides limited financial support to farmers through the second Common Agricultural Policy pillar (rural development). All these options were investigated on the economical and financial data of 21 Romanian farms categorized according to the European classification system as mixed crops livestock farms. Results show that all these policy options have important effects on the farm revenue, in the sense that a decrease in the subsidy level produces important average gross margin falls. Soft landing approach in the first CAP pillars reform is desirable especially for the Romanian agriculture that still presents important farm structural shortcomings.
Genetic Differentiation between Quercus frainetto Ten. and Q. pubescens Willd. in Romania
Authors: CURTU Alexandru Lucian , MOLDOVAN Ioan Calin , ENESCU Mihai Cristian , CRACIUNESC Iacob , SOFLETEA Nicolae
Published: March 2018

Little is known about genetic differences among Quercus frainetto and Q. pubescens, two species of section Dascia Kotschy (subgenus Lepidobalanus, white oaks) that reach in Romania the margins of their natural distribution range. A set of genomic SSRs (simple sequence repeats) and EST (expressed sequence tags)-SSRs was used to estimate the genetic differentiation among four natural populations of the two species. Q. pubescens had higher values of genetic diversity than Q. frainetto, although the differences were not significant. Two out of seven marker-loci, QrZAG112 and QpZAG110, displayed very high FST values. Averaged across loci, the genetic differentiation was high and significant (FST = 0.067). Genetic distances were much higher among species than among populations within species. A Bayesian analysis indicated that two is the most appropriate number of genetic clusters. Using a blind procedure (i.e. based on multilocus genotypes only) the vast majority of sampled individuals (90%) could be assigned to the cluster corresponding to their phenotypes. When information about sampling localities was introduced in the assignment test, all individual trees were correctly classified. The higher degree of admixture in Q. frainetto as compared to Q. pubescens may be explained by different rates of introgressive hybridization.
Seed Development and Quality in Maize Cultivars
Authors: GHASSEMI-GOLEZANI Kazem , TAJBAKHSH Zahra , RAEY Yaeghoob
Published: March 2018

In order to evaluate seed development and quality of maize (Zea mays) cultivars (DC-370, SC-500, OSSK-602 and SC-604), a split plot experiment (using R.C.B. design) with three replicates was conducted in 2009 at the Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Iran. Seeds were harvested at five day intervals in eight stages. Subsequently, the quality of seed samples was determined in the laboratory. Germination percentage and seedling dry weight were enhanced, but electrical conductivity of seed leachates was reduced with increasing seed weight on mother plant. Maximum seed quality of maize cultivars was attained at the end of seed filling phase. Seed quality at earlier harvests was low, because of immaturity. Differences in maximum seedling dry weight of maize cultivars were attributed to variation in genetic constitution. It was concluded that in maize cultivars, maximum seed quality could be achieved at physiological maturity.
rDNA Variability Assessed in PCR Reactions of Selected Accessions of Acer
Authors: SMOLIK Milosz , KRUPA-MAŁKIEWICZ Marcelina , SMOLIK Beata , WIECZOREK Justyna , PREDYGIER Katarzyna
Published: March 2018

The region of rDNA (SSU, 5.8S, LSU and ITS1, ITS2 spacer sequences) of fourteen Acer accessions was tested in order to determine the possibility to identify genotypic variability within a rDNA sequence. The tests were performed using the PCR technique and a set of combination of several pairs of ‘universal’ primers designed to amplify rDNA sequences. ‘Universal’ primers were selected in such a way as to make the rDNA regions flanking possible in cases where a smaller or larger scope of variability was expected. Thus, within SSU or LSU sequences, monomorphic PCR products were amplified for the tested Acer accessions. Within the ITS sequence, a greater scope of variability was found. This was manifested by the presence of several additional PCR products in the genetic profiles of the tested Acer accessions. The range of their length relative to the ITS region or ITS1, ITS2 or 5.8S corresponded separately to that described in the literature. The analysis of the topology of the constructed tree revealed the presence of two similar groups, ‘a’ and ‘b’. Cultivated varieties and one botanical variety of the Japanese maple were included respectively in these groups and the genetic similarity between the analyzed accessions ranged from 63 to 98%.
Chemical and Physicochemical Characterization of Winter Squash (Cucurbita moschata D.)
Authors: JACOBO-VALENZUELA Noelia , ZAZUETA-MORALES Jose de Jesus , GALLEGOS-INFANTE Jose Alberto , AGUILAR-GUTIERREZ Floridelia , CAMACHO-HERNANDEZ Irma Leticia , ROCHA-GUZMAN Nuria Elizabeth , GONZALEZ-LAREDO Ruben Francisco
Published: March 2018

Winter squash cv 'Cehualca' (Cucurbita moschata Duchense) is a seasonal crop that has been used as food and animal feed. The objective of the present study was to characterize physical, chemical and physicochemical properties of the winter squash cv 'Cehualca'. Morphological, chemical and physicochemical analyses were performed, including fiber, carotenoids, phenolic and mineral contents in the winter squash. The morphological analysis showed that the squash 'Cehualca' did not have a homogeneous morphology. Data about their physical and physicochemical characteristics showed large variability. Also, high content of carotenoids and dietary fiber was observed in squash. The oil and total phenolic content was low in comparison with other fruits. The mineral content exceeded the values recommended to meet the nutritional needs of consumers, except for sodium (both in pulp and shell), potassium and magnesium in the shell.
Influence of the Management on the Phytocoenotic Biodiversity of Some Romanian Representative Grassland Types
Authors: VÂNTU Vasile , SAMUIL Costel , ROTAR Ioan , MOISUC Alexandru , RAZEC Iosif
Published: March 2018

The pastoral area of Romania, covering of over 4.8 million ha, has been influenced, over the last decades, by natural and human factors, which affect the normal functioning of the grassland ecosystem. The aim of this paper is to point out the dynamics of phytocoenotic biodiversity, as a result of applying grassland technical measures, in order to improve the yield and quality of grassland ecosystems with minimum effects on the environment. Therefore, the main aim of our study is to establish a positive relationship between biodiversity and the optimum quantity of organic fertilizers, which would improve the quality and quantity of the yield, without diminishing the floristic biodiversity. In the case of the studied grasslands, the phytocenotic biodiversity is influenced by the type of fertilization, the used rates and by the soil and climatic conditions. These grasslands may be improved by manure fertilization and reasonable usage, if proper management is applied. In Gradinari, Caras-Severin county, the dominant species are Festuca rupicola and Calamagrostis epigeios, in Magurele, Brasov county, Agrostis capillaris, Festuca pratensis, Poa pratensis and Trifolium repens, and in Pojorata, Suceava county, Agrostis capillaris, Trisetum flavescens, Trifolium repens and T. pratense species. The highest number of identified species (43) has been recorded by the meadow made up of Agrostis capillaris and Festuca rubra, from Pojorata, Suceava county.
Extending the Planting Period of Container Grown Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis L. Link.) Seedlings into Summer
Authors: OLMEZ Zafer , SUNER Ergun
Published: March 2018

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different planting time from June to October on survival, height growth and root collar diameter of the Picea orientalis L. Link. seedlings and to investigate how to extend the planting period in Artvin, Turkey. In general, autumn and spring plantings are the most preferable methods for the oriental spruce reforestations. The nursery where the oriental spruce seedlings were propagated is near the sea level while afforestation areas are between 1200 m and 1800 m altitudes, and there is not a cold storage possibility in the nursery to store seedlings until planting time. When the seedlings have bud burst in the nursery, there is snow on the reforestation sites in the spring season, and while the seedlings are growing actively in the nursery it can snow early on the plantation areas, causing planting difficulties. Thus, to overcome this issue, extending the planting period of the oriental spruce can be a solution in the region. To evaluate the possibilities to extend the planting period, the experiment was established using actively growing and dormant seedlings in 2007. The container seedlings were planted regularly at the end of June (cold stored and actively growing seedlings), July (actively growing), August (actively growing) and October (dormant). The statistical approach was a randomized complete block design with three replications and 30 seedlings were planted for each replication. The height growth, root collar diameter and survival rate of the seedlings were defined during four growing seasons. The survival of actively growing seedlings planted at the end of July (84.4%) and August (91.1%) did not differ planting date from the end of October (92.2%) after the fourth growing period, in 2010. The seedlings which were planted at the end of June both cold stored (66.7%) and actively growing (70.0%) had the lowest survival rates. The highest seedling height (39.4 cm) was obtained from the seedlings planted at the end of August. The results showed that with actively growing seedlings, the planting period can be extended from late July to late August without increasing mortality.
Rapid Vegetative Propagation Method for Carob
Authors: GUBBUK Hamide , GUNES Esma , AYALA-SILVA Tomas , ERCISLI Sezai
Published: March 2018

Most of fruit species are propagated by vegetative methods such as budding, grafting, cutting, suckering, layering etc. to avoid heterozygocity. Carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua L.) are of highly economical value and are among the most difficult to propagate fruit species. In the study, air-layering propagation method was investigated first time to compare wild and cultivated (‘Sisam’) carob types. In the experiment, one year old carob limbs were air-layered on coco peat medium by wrapping with aluminum foil and polyethylene film. Initial roots were observed after three months of treatment and the well rooted limbs were cut-off after six months of treatment. Root length, diameter, and the number of roots were recorded on treated shoots and the rooted shoots were transferred into soil. As a result, it has been found that air-layering is successful in carob. This method is more labor intensive and thus it is recommend the method only for genetically important carob types propagation.
Effects of Heavy Metal from Polluted Soils on the Rhizobium Diversity
Authors: STAN Vasilica , GAMENT Eugenia , CORNEA Călina Petruţa , VOAIDEŞ Cătălina , DUŞA Mirela , PLOPEANU Georgiana
Published: March 2018

Heavy metals adversely influence microorganisms, affecting their growth, abundance, genetic diversity, nodulation ability and efficacy. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize free-leaving Rhizobium from soil which were artificially polluted with Cu (100, 250, and 500 mg kg-1 soil), Zn (300, 700, and 1500 mg kg-1 soil) and Pb (50, 250, and 1000 mg kg-1 soil), but also with a mixture of all these metals, and cultivated with red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and to compare them with bacteria isolated from similar type of soil, but unpolluted. Rhizobia from soil were isolated on YMA medium with or without bromothymol blue (0.00125%) as a pH-change indicator and the morpho-physiological characteristics of the colonies were examined. The number of Rhizobium was estimated using the most probable number method. Compared to the control, a decrease of rhizobia number and an increase of the metal concentration were observed. Several decameric primers (Operon Technology type) were used and a reduced polymorphism among isolated bacteria was observed. Moreover, significant differences were observed among these strains and the collection strains used as reference. Also, when primers nodCF/nodCI for detection of nod genes were used, several amplicons were obtained, different from the results obtained with similar strains isolated from unpolluted soil. These results suggest that the survival â€žpriceâ€ of the Rhizobium in such polluted area was the alteration of some genes, including those involved in symbiosis and, probably, in nitrogen fixation.
Organelle Genetic Diversity and Phylogeography of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)
Authors: FLORAN Valentina , SESTRAS Radu E. , GARCÍA GIL María Rosario
Published: March 2018

The paper reviews the present knowledge of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) diversity, historical and geographical distribution, based on mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA data. The observed differences in the estimates of genetic differentiation between different types of genomes suggest that both pollen and seed contribute significantly to gene flow within species. Organelles' diversity represents an important criterion which could be later applied in planning for future forest management and breeding through a better understanding of adaptation strategies of different Scots pine haplotypes. This analysis would provide valuable references when facing current day problems with climate change, species adaptation, and loss of forest with negative effects on biodiversity. Research on organelles' diversity could lead to important practical applications in areas such as traceability and eco-certification of forest products, and the identification of plant populations for conservation. Based on the results from earlier investigations, Scots pine in Europe can be divided into at least three evolutionary units (Spain, northern/central Europe and northern Fennoscandia), each with a different origin after glaciations. However, it must be emphasized that these interpretations are preliminary and further mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA data need to be analyzed in conjunction with evidence from pollen and fossil analysis.
Antioxidant and Oxidant Levels of Pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. â€˜Charleeâ€™) Infected with Pepper Mild Mottle Virus
Authors: DIKILITAS Murat , GULDUR Mehmet Ertugrul , DERYAOGLU Ahmet , EREL Ozcan
Published: March 2018

Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), as well as total phenol (TP), free phenol (FP), conjugated phenol (CP), and the vitamin C content of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. â€˜Charleeâ€™) infected with Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were determined via a novel automated antioxidant system using test kits. PMMoV was first identified in Turkey in 1994 in commercial pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. â€˜Charleeâ€™) fields and caused an outbreak in southern Turkey by 2006, especially in greenhouses. Infected plants were confirmed by ELISA using commercial kits for the virus. The infected plants had stunted growth; and leaves and fruits became mottled, puckered, malformed, deformed, and marked by off-colored sunken areas. Fruits expressing virus symptoms were utilized for biochemical analyses. The percent ratio of TOS to TAS was calculated as the oxidative stress index (OSI). The TAS level and the vitamin C content were found to be significantly lower in infected peppers as compared to healthy peppers. However, TOS, OSI, TP, FP, and CP levels were significantly higher in infected pepper fruits than in healthy ones. In this study, it has been demonstrated that low levels of TAS and high levels of TOS, as well as high OSI status, reflects the quality of peppers. Using this method, the quality of fruits and the condition of plants can be determined in advance of stress development.
Comparison of Some Physico-Mechanical Nut and Kernel Properties of Two Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Cultivars
Authors: ERCISLI Sezai , KARA Mazhar , OZTURK Ismail , SAYINCI Bahadir , KALKAN Fatih
Published: March 2018

Some physical such as length, width, thickness, mass, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and surface area and mechanical properties such as deformation at cracking, cracking force, energy absorbed and hardness of nuts and kernels were determined at three orientations first time for two walnut cultivars, namely Mara?-18 and Yalova-1 widely grown in Turkey. For nuts, the average length (45.48 mm), mass (12.70 g), geometric mean diameter (36.83 mm) and surface area (42.66 cm2) were the highest in cv. Yalova-1 while width (34.18 mm), thickness (33.74 mm), shell thickness (1.48 mm) and sphericity (87.41%) were the highest in cv. Mara?-18. For all the loading orientations, the values of deformation at cracking, cracking force, energy absorbed and hardness of cv. Mara?-18 were higher than those of cv. Yalova-1. The effect of loading orientation to kernel extraction quality was found insignificant for both walnut cultivars.
Evaluation of Triticale Genotypes in Terms of Yield Stability for the Southern Marmara Region
Authors: DOGAN Ramazan , KACAR Oya , GOKSU Erdinc , AZKAN Nedime
Published: March 2018

This research was conducted in three different locations of, Turkey, during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 growing seasons. In this study, eight triticale genotypes were used as trial material. The triticale genotypes C9, C11, Nx2015(17) and Nx2003(12), based on high grain yield and high stability, were identified as promising genotypes for the region. In particular, genotypes C9 and Nx2003(12) were considered to be stable genotypes, in terms of grain yield, for the southern Marmara region of Turkey because of their minimal Sdi2 and bi values near 1. In addition, genotype Nx2003(12) had a higher grain yield than the general mean. Accordingly, this genotype is recommended as having especially good adaptability in all environments.
Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of the TaNF-YB3 Gene from Triticum aestivum
Authors: DONG Xiuchun , CHENG Zhiyuan , CHENG Shuhan , XU Feng , AN Yanrong , BIAN Xizuo , CHEN Ting
Published: March 2018

A full-length cDNA encoding a nuclear factor-YB (NF-YB)/HAP3/CCAAT binding factor-A (CBF-A) subunit of a CCAAT-box binding complex, designated as TaNF-YB3 was isolated from Triticum aestivum. Sequence analysis indicated that the full-length cDNA was 809 bp long, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 597 bp, which encoded a deduced polypeptide of 199 amino acids and is located in chromosome 3D. The deduced protein contained conserved structural domains and showed high identity to other plant NF-YBs. TaNF-YB3 was expressed in various organs, especially in the leaves and stamens; it was also regulated by salt, mannitol, abscisic acid, wounding, and cold. Moreover, TaNF-YB3 was down-regulated by short days and vernalization, and sensitive to the transfer of day length. It was mainly induced by light and exhibited a similar diurnal rhythmic expression pattern with the CCT-domain family gene VRN2 (TaZCCT1 and TaZCCT2), but not with CO (WCO1 and TaHd1). Overall, the results suggested that TaNF-YB3, aside from having a role in regulating day length and vernalization responses, might integrate signals from other environmental stresses to perform its functions in winter wheat adaptability and development.