bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfil epidemiológico de estudantes com traços de transtorno de ansiedade social em uma instituição de ensino superior privada
Authors: Souza Maxsuel Oliveira de , Santos Diego Raoni Tavares , Teixeira Vanina Papini Góes
Published: September 2020

Introdução: o Transtorno de Ansiedade Social caracterizado como medo acentuado de situações de exposição ao julgamento coletivo, ocupa atualmente o 3º lugar no ranking dos principais problemas psicológicos do mundo contemporâneo. Objetivo: investigar o perfil epidemiológico de estudantes com traços do Transtorno de Ansiedade Social. Método e Materiais: trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico quantitativo, observacional analítico do tipo transversal. Realizado na Clínica Escola da Faculdade Estácio de Alagoas – Estácio FAL. O estudo teve como critérios de inclusão estudantes matriculados entre o 1º e 2º período de vários cursos. No qual foi aplicado um questionário dividido em duas secções: a primeira seção corresponde às características sociodemográficas; e a segunda seção aborda as questões relacionadas ao transtorno de ansiedade social. Resultados: foram selecionados 69 participantes para a constituição da amostra. No qual, foi identificado que as situações sociais que mais causam desconforto aos participantes são “falar em público (apresentar trabalhos, proferir palestras, etc.)” com 76,8%, consecutivamente, “tirar dúvidas com professores na sala de aula” com 15,9% e “interagir com pessoas pouco familiares, pessoas estranhas” 10,1%. Discussão: diante dos estudos, o TAS atinge de forma acentuada a saúde psíquica dos estudantes, os impossibilitando de exercer as suas atividades com êxito. Conclusão: esse estudo traz de forma clara, os dados e o perfil desses estudantes, sendo necessário, um estudo mais aprofundado utilizando outros instrumentos para uma averiguação em grande escala, como também, a amostra deve ser ampliada em virtude da extensão do estudo.
Evaluation of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA v7) in drought monitoring over southwest Iran
Authors: Montazeri M , Kiany MSK , Masoodian SA
Published: September 2020

Characterizing the errors in satellite-based precipitation estimations for drought monitoring is of great importance, as these estimations provide both spatially and temporally complete records. The aim of this study was to evaluate satellite-based quantitative precipitation estimates to monitor meteorological drought in southwestern Iran. The reliability of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Version 7 products (3B42 and 3B43) in estimating the standardized precipitation index (SPI) was evaluated against a ground-based gridded precipitation dataset at 0.25° spatial resolution for 1998-2016. The analysis conducted for the SPI at various time scales revealed that both products (3B42 and 3B43) are capable of capturing the spatial and temporal behavior of drought events over the study region, with the best performance at SPI6. 3B43 is also more efficient in the identification of shorter severe drought events compared to 3B42. The findings suggest that both satellite products, particularly 3B43, are suitable to be used directly for SPI computation in the region for drought monitoring and early warning in terms of the accuracy and the spatial and temporal resolutions they provide.
Implementasi Penerapan Yurisdiksi Negara dalam Pembajakan Kapal di Perairan Laut Indonesia (Sea Piracy)
Authors: Aryadi Duwi , Kharismunandar Jhuanda Fratama , Setiyono Joko
Published: September 2020

Pembajakan kapal terhadap kapal asing yang dilakukan diperairan laut lepas merupakan kejahatan internasional. Kejahatan ini telah dipandang oleh dunia dan diatur dalam peraturan internasional yang tertuang dalam Konvensi Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa tahun 1982. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggali penerapan yurisdiksi hukum negara Indonesia terhadap pembajakan kapal yang dilakukan di perairan laut Indonesia. Bentuk penelitian menggunakan metode doktrinal dengan spesifikasi penelitian berupa kerangka perspektif dari peneliti sebelumnya, serta dengan pendekatan konsep, analitis, perundang-undangan, sejarah, perbandingan, dan bahan hukum primer yang kemudian dibantu dengan menganalisis beberapa peraturan perundang-undangan, konvensi, literatur, data, dan beberapa dokumen yang terkait serta bahan hukum tersier untuk menjelaskan dan membantu dalam menganalisis bahan hukum primer maupun sekunder. Pembajakan kapal harus dilakukan dilaut lepas yang jauh dari yurisdiksi negara mana pun, penerapan yurisdiksi negara dapat berlaku apabila yurisdiksi dilakukan oleh kapal yang berlayar dilaut lepas maka negara tersebut yang berhak menerapkan yurisdiksinya. Adapun pengaturan internasional juga memberikan hak kepada masing-masing kedaulatan negara untuk menerapkan yurisdiksinya sepanjang kejahatan dilakukan masih berada pada otoritas wilayah garis pantai. Selain itu kedua negara asal dapat melakukan ekstradisi pelaku kejahatan pembajakan kapal sepanjang kedua negara tersebut telah melakukan perjanjian ekstradisi bersama.
Coronary Artery Disease Screening Using CT Coronary Angiography
Authors: Long Cheong Randy Wang , See Brian , Chuan Tan Benjamin Boon , Koh Choong Hou
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND: The increased utility of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) in cardiovascular screenings of aircrew has led to the increased detection of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). A systematic review of studies relevant to the interpretation of CTCA for the occupational
fitness assessment of high-risk vocations was performed, with findings used to describe the development of a pathway for the aeromedical disposition of military aviators with asymptomatic CAD.METHODS: Medline was searched using the terms CT coronary angiogram and screening and prognosis.
The inclusion criteria were restricted to study populations ages > 18 yr, were asymptomatic, were not known to have CAD, had undergone CTCA, and with their associations with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and other relevant cardiac outcomes reported.RESULTS: Included
in this systematic review were 10 studies. When compared to subjects with no or nonobstructive CAD, those with obstructive CAD on CTCA had hazard ratios (HR) for cardiac events ranging from 1.42 to 105.48. Comparing subjects with nonobstructive CAD and those without CAD on CTCA, a lower HR
of 1.19 for cardiac events was found. The annual event rates of subjects with no CAD on CTCA were extremely low, ranging from 0 to 0.5%.CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, we suggest that CTCA should only be performed in aircrew with higher cardiac risk profiles. Those found to
have no CAD or minimal CAD (i.e., 25% stenosis) in a non-left main coronary artery on CTCA can be returned to flying duties. All other results should be further evaluated with an invasive angiogram.Cheong RWL, See B, Tan BBC, Koh CH. Coronary artery disease screening using CT coronary
angiography. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(10):812817.
Self-Kinematic Training for Flight-Associated Neck Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bahat Hilla Sarig , German Dmitry , Palomo Galia , Gold Hila , Nir Yael Frankel
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND: Flight-associated neck pain (FANP) is a serious problem in fighter pilots. Despite the high impact of FANP there is little evidence for effective management. However, self-kinematic training showed a positive effect in the general population. The purpose of this study
was to investigate the effectiveness of a self-kinematic training program using virtual reality in improving neck pain in fighter pilots.METHODS: There were 45 pilots with FANP who were randomized to a control group (N 23) or a training group (N 22). Training participants
were instructed to exercise using a personalized self-training program, for 20 min/wk, for 4 wk. Primary outcome measures were neck disability (NDI%) and mean velocity ( s1), and secondary were pain, health status, accuracy, and isometric strength. Assessments were conducted by
a blinded assessor and intention-to-treat analysis by a blinded statistician.RESULTS: There were 40 pilots who completed the postintervention assessments, and 35 completed the 6-mo follow-up. Baseline measurements showed mild pain and disability (mean VAS 43 22.73, NDI 17.76 9.59%)
and high kinematic performance. Compliance with self-training was poor. No differences were observed in self-reported measures and strength. Exercise duration was correlated with NDI% improvement.DISCUSSION: This self-kinematic training promoted kinematic performance, but was ineffective
in engaging the pilots to exercise, and consequently did not improve pain and disability. Poor compliance was previously reported in self-training for FANP, suggesting further studies should prioritize supervised training. Considering the high baseline kinematic performance, kinematics does
not seem to be a key factor in FANP, and future exercise research should aim for intense strengthening to increase endurance to the high Gz pilots experience.Sarig Bahat H, German D, Palomo G, Gold H, Frankel Nir Y. Self-kinematic training for flight-associated neck pain:
a randomized controlled trial. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(10):790797.
APAKAH TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT MENINGKATKAN MUTU SEKOLAH MENENGAH ATAS DI KOTA CIREBON?
Authors: Kurniawan Asep
Published: September 2020

This paper aims to determine the implementation of total quality management in state and private senior high schools in Cirebon City and to compare the level of their implementation. This research is a descriptive exploratory study. The instrumens of collecticting data are questionnaires, observation and interviews. Data are analyzed using descriptive and statistical t-test. The analysis finds that total quality is implemented by state and private high schools. However, the level of application is significantly different (t-value = 9,208, p-value = <0,0001). State senior high schools applys it very well, and private schools applys it well. The Differences of total quality management are in all measured aspects. The observation shows that the state senior high schools implemented maximum total quality management, while the private senior high schools implement it not optimally, due to limited resources. The implication is the higher organization's resources, the more optimal implementation of total quality management.
MANAJEMEN PROGRAM KURSUS INTENSIF BAHASA ARAB: STUDI PADA METODE MUSTAQILLI
Authors: Roviin Roviin
Published: September 2020

This study is to analyze the management of Mustaqilli intensive Arabic language course program held in Jakarta and online. The interview, observation, and documentation are used to collect primary data, while data analysis is based on descriptive qualitative techniques with three processes namely data reduction, data display, and verification. This study figures out that Mustaqilli intensive Arabic course management program has been well implemented with the fulfillment of management functions, i.e. planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling, related to the components of Arabic intensive course program management. The Mustaqilli learning Arabic method focused on student’s active participation through the formulation of Arabic sentence patterns in terms of language skills. By using the book al-‘Arabiyah li ghairi al ‘Arab  and Audhahu al Manahij, this program is initiated to reach the whole targeted skills of learning Arabic. Although some deficiencies of this program need to be refined, especially related to user and time management, the Mustaqilli Arabic intensive course method is a good program as a reference to the management of Arabic intensive courses in all levels.
Corporate Governance Structure and Stock Price Synchronicity
Authors: Susanto Auberta Danice , Robiyanto Robiyanto
Published: September 2020

The corporate governance structure within the company is formed to carry out proper supervision, but a company can have agency problems that affect investment decision making. Transparency of a company is important to prevent agency problems. In addition, transparency in the form of company-specific information can be reflected in stock prices. When investors’ trust in company-specific information increase, stock price synchronicity will decrease. The research was conducted in the banking sector in Indonesia during the 2016-2019 period, using purposive sampling and panel regression methods. Findings. The analysis was carried out twice, namely analysis with and without control variables. Analysis without control variables found that the size of board of commissioners has a positive effect on stock price synchronicity, while independent board of commissioners, board of commissioners’ gender heterogeneity, size of board of directors, and board of directors’ heterogeneity have no effect on stock price synchronicity. Analysis with control variables shows that company size as a control variable must be controlled so that supervision is more effective and yields on Bank Indonesia Sharia Certificate as interest rates that have a positive effect on stock price synchronicity, while all independent variables have no effect on stock price synchronicity.
Образ Японии в России – старые элементы в новом оформлении
Authors: Lyubimova Natalya S.
Published: September 2020

This article compares the image of Japan in Russia in two periods of time: at the end of XIX – beginning of the XX c. and in modern days. It reviews the images existing in the European part of Russia. Chronological periods were chosen for comparison based on some shared traits: both economical and political relations between the two countries are relatively weak, so the mass-media potential for propaganda is only used at times when a certain political problem becomes relevant (Russan-Japanese war/ the peace treaty problem and the Kuril Islands dispute), while there also is a fashion for Japanese or pseudo-Japanese products (japonisme in art, incl. decorative arts and literature/ Japanese cuisine, cartoons etc.). The image of Japan at the beginning of the XX c. is described based on literature with the use of journalistic and scientific publications. In addition, the author used pulp fiction as a source, which has not been previously done in research by Russian scholars. Analysis of the modern image of Japan is based on the results of a questionnaire survey, conducted via Internet in June 2019, and supplemented by the non-formalized content analysis of the on-line mass media. Image of Japan as special case of an image of the Other has one permanent trait – it is exotic. This exoticism comes from the notion of Japanese traditionalism as well as from perceiving Japan as a futuristic land. Both of these aspects can have negative or positive connotations. The historical part of this research shows how these connotations shift depending on the historical context and views of a particular author. The 2019 survey demonstrated the predominance of positive characterizations in the modern image of Japan and also that mass-media have little effect on this image.
Антропология досуга женщин в ГДР
Authors: Tyurenkova Darya O.
Published: September 2020

The article discusses the anthropology of women's leisure activities in the German Democratic Republic. Women's free time in a totalitarian society is defined as quasi-leisure, conventionally divided into public leisure, associated with state mass events, and personal leisure, the content of which was mainly determined by women. Factors that determine the amount of time free from labor and social activities were identified. An analysis of high informative sources, such as women's periodicals and family documentaries of the GDR, allowed to identify aspects of rationing leisure practices by the state and the nature of public response to propaganda methods. The female press is considered as a mechanism for transmitting the normative image of a woman; the content and specifics of publications on free time in various magazines are revealed. The study of family documentaries published on the Internet within the «Open Memory box» – a GDR-specific project, allowed to identify the most common and significant forms of women's leisure activities. Among them there is a unique German tradition of «Freikörperkultur», a free-body culture preserved under socialism. Such forms of leisure activities as external and internal tourism, as well as spending time in the countryside, is analyzed in the context of submission and willfulness strategies within restrictions on freedom of movement under the SED dictatorship. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the traditional German festival culture, as well as the introduction of «new» socialist holidays, including alternative forms of life cycle rites (for example a widely-used rite of passage for youth). Components of the international image of GDR, such as the «reading country» or the «sports nation», are analyzed based on women's periodicals and family documentaries..
Recognition of Cross-Language Acoustic Emotional Valence Using Stacked Ensemble Learning
Authors: Zvarevashe Kudakwashe , Olugbara Oludayo O.
Published: September 2020

Most of the studies on speech emotion recognition have used single-language corpora, but little research has been done in cross-language valence speech emotion recognition. Research has shown that the models developed for single-language speech recognition systems perform poorly when used in different environments. Cross-language speech recognition is a craving alternative, but it is highly challenging because the corpora used will have been recorded in different environments and under varying conditions. The differences in the quality of recording devices, elicitation techniques, languages, and accents of speakers make the recognition task even more arduous. In this paper, we propose a stacked ensemble learning algorithm to recognize valence emotion in a cross-language speech environment. The proposed ensemble algorithm was developed from random decision forest, AdaBoost, logistic regression, and gradient boosting machine and is therefore called RALOG. In addition, we propose feature scaling using random forest recursive feature elimination and a feature selection algorithm to boost the performance of RALOG. The algorithm has been evaluated against four widely used ensemble algorithms to appraise its performance. The amalgam of five benchmarked corpora has resulted in a cross-language corpus to validate the performance of RALOG trained with the selected acoustic features. The comparative analysis results have shown that RALOG gave better performance than the other ensemble learning algorithms investigated in this study.
Practical Considerations in the Modelling and Simulation of Electromechanical Actuators
Authors: Maré Jean-Charles
Published: September 2020

The work reported here was aimed at improving the practical efficiency of the model-based development and integration of electromechanical actuators. Models are proposed to serve as preliminary design, virtual prototyping, and validation. The first part focuses on the early phases of a project in order to facilitate the identification of modelling needs and constraints, and to build a top-level electromechanical actuator model for preliminary studies and sub-specification. Detailed modelling and simulation are then addressed with a mixed view on the control, power capability, and thermal balance. Models for the power chain are firstly considered by focusing on the key practical issues in modelling the electric motor, power electronics, and mechanical power transmission. The same logic is applied to the signal and control chain with practical considerations concerning the parameters of the controller, its digital implementation, the sensors, and their signal conditioning. Numerous orders of magnitude are provided to justify the choices made and to facilitate decision-making for and through simulation activities.
Control of Rotary Inverted Pendulum by Using On–Off Type of Cold Gas Thrusters
Authors: Silik Yusuf , Yaman Ulas
Published: September 2020

This article describes the control of a rotary inverted pendulum utilizing on–off-type cold gas thrusters as the actuators, which have high similarities with thruster actuated spacecrafts with slosh dynamics. The study is completed in three phases. Firstly, a Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) design method is utilized to obtain quasi-linear thrust output from the on–off-type thrusters. Then, a single axis angle controller is designed and tested on the setup along with the PWM scheme. Finally, a pendulum is connected to the other end of the platform and a rotary inverted pendulum (Furuta Pendulum) is constructed. In this way, an inherently unstable, under-actuated, on–off driven system is obtained. For the swing-up motion of the pendulum, an energy-based method is employed. Balancing of the pendulum is achieved by an observer-based state feedback controller under small angle assumption and quasi-linear outputs from the PWM driven thrusters. All of these control methodologies are realized on a real-time target machine. The pendulum is stabilized in seven seconds after five swings, which is comparable to the systems with electric motors.
Exploitation of Kiwi Juice Pomace for the Recovery of Natural Antioxidants through Microwave-Assisted Extraction
Authors: Carbone Katya , Amoriello Tiziana , Iadecola Rosamaria
Published: September 2020

In a completely green approach to the exploitation of kiwi juice pomace (KP), a microwaved-assisted extraction (MAE) process was performed to extract antioxidant compounds present in KP, evaluating the influence of four independent process variables (temperature (T), extraction time (E), solvent composition (C), and solid-to-solvent ratio (R)) on the response of total phenolic content (TPC). The optimal conditions for the green extraction of total polyphenols from KP were obtained using a three-level fractional factorial design under response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with desirability optimization, and a feed-forward multilayered perceptron artificial neural network (ANN) with a back-propagation algorithm. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using the regression method. Results showed that T was the most influential factor, followed by R and C, whereas the extraction time (E) was not shown to have a significant linear effect on the extraction yield of total polyphenols (TPs). The optimal conditions based on both individual and combinations of all responses were found out (T: 75 °C; E: 15 min; C: 50% ethanol:water; R: 1:15), and under these conditions the obtained extract showed both a high bioactive compound content and a high antioxidant potential, pointing out how this by-product could become an inexpensive source of compounds with high added value. A very good agreement was observed between experimental and calculated extraction yields, thus supporting the use of these models to quantitatively describe the recovery of natural antioxidants from KP. Finally, the ANN model exhibited more accurate prediction and better generalization capabilities than the RSM model (R2: 0.90 and 0.99, for RSM and ANN, respectively).
Impact of Climate Change in the Banat Plain, Western Romania, on the Accessibility of Water for Crop Production in Agriculture
Authors: Şmuleac Laura , Rujescu Ciprian , Șmuleac Adrian , Imbrea Florin , Radulov Isidora , Manea Dan , Ienciu Anișoara , Adamov Tabita , Pașcalău Raul
Published: September 2020

Global warming is an unanimously accepted phenomenon by the international scientific community, being already highlighted by the analysis of observational data over long periods of time, with an increase in temperature of over 1 °C. Climate change in Romania is part of the global context, taking into account the regional conditions, with an increasing trend of arid summer. While the link between high temperatures, climate change and rainfall has been modeled in detail, the situation is not the same for plant water accessibility. The period of time between 1898 and the present, corresponding to the annual records of precipitation and evapotranspiration, overlapped with important political and administrative changes in the studied area, and with extensive hydro-amelioration works. The aim of the paper is to statistically follow the evolution over time of precipitation, namely of evapotranspiration measured in Western Romania, which would allow the expression of conclusions regarding the improvement directions of the water regime. In order to follow the evolution in time of these data, the interval of 1898–2019 was divided into three periods: 1898–1950, 1951–1989 and 1990–2019, respectively. The increase in temperature, especially during the vegetation period and the large number of years in which evapotranspiration quantitatively exceeds the precipitation, indicating the need for effective measures to regulate the water balance.
On the Way to Sustainable Agriculture—Eco-Efficiency of Polish Commercial Farms
Authors: Gołaś Marlena , Sulewski Piotr , Wąs Adam , Kłoczko-Gajewska Anna , Pogodzińska Kinga
Published: September 2020

The negative impact of agriculture on the natural environment is not a new issue. One of the ideas to overcome this problem is the eco-efficiency concept, analyzing the agricultural output in relation, not only to traditional inputs, but to the environmental impact, as well. This paper aims at calculating the eco-efficiency of Polish commercial farms, based on a representative sample of 601 farms participating in the Polish Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). To assess the eco-efficiency of the farms, variables illustrating traditional inputs (land, labor, capital), as well as variables reflecting the environmental pressure of the surveyed farms (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nitrogen and phosphorus surpluses) were used. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) revealed that, on average, farms could reduce their inputs by almost a quarter without reducing their outputs. Additionally, it was revealed that incorporating externalities of agricultural production into analyses decreases the diversity of the farm population in terms of efficiency measures. According to the analyses, more eco-efficient farms are characterized by larger utilized agricultural area (UAA), higher production value, and higher intensity of chemical inputs per 1 ha, but at the same time by lower amounts of inputs used per production unit. Moreover, more eco-efficient farms achieved higher farm incomes in many terms: total, per 1 ha of UAA, and per 1 EUR of production value.
Transfer Learning-Based Search Model for Hot Pepper Diseases and Pests
Authors: Yin Helin , Gu Yeong Hyeon , Park Chang-Jin , Park Jong-Han , Yoo Seong Joon
Published: September 2020

The use of conventional classification techniques to recognize diseases and pests can lead to an incorrect judgment on whether crops are diseased or not. Additionally, hot pepper diseases, such as “anthracnose” and “bacterial spot” can be erroneously judged, leading to incorrect disease recognition. To address these issues, multi-recognition methods, such as Google Cloud Vision, suggest multiple disease candidates and allow the user to make the final decision. Similarity-based image search techniques, along with multi-recognition, can also be used for this purpose. Content-based image retrieval techniques have been used in several conventional similarity-based image searches, using descriptors to extract features such as the image color and edge. In this study, we use eight pre-trained deep learning models (VGG16, VGG19, Resnet 50, etc.) to extract the deep features from images. We conducted experiments using 28,011 image data of 34 types of hot pepper diseases and pests. The search results for diseases and pests were similar to query images with deep features using the k-nearest neighbor method. In top-1 to top-5, when using the deep features based on the Resnet 50 model, we achieved recognition accuracies of approximately 88.38–93.88% for diseases and approximately 95.38–98.42% for pests. When using the deep features extracted from the VGG16 and VGG19 models, we recorded the second and third highest performances, respectively. In the top-10 results, when using the deep features extracted from the Resnet 50 model, we achieved accuracies of 85.6 and 93.62% for diseases and pests, respectively. As a result of performance comparison between the proposed method and the simple convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the proposed method recorded 8.62% higher accuracy in diseases and 14.86% higher in pests than the CNN classification model.
Environmental Impacts and Attitudes of Agricultural Enterprises for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development
Authors: Juríčková Zuzana , Lušňáková Zuzana , Hallová Marcela , Horská Elena , Hudáková Monika
Published: September 2020

Recognising that implementing an agricultural enterprise impacts the state of the environment, its ecological stability, and the self- regulatory capabilities of ecosystems, the aim of this paper is to acquaint the professional and lay public about the attitudes of Slovakian agricultural enterprises towards environmental protection and sustainable development. The paper draws attention to present methods, techniques, and tools that enterprise management are applying for the purpose of meeting and overcoming environmental challenges. The data for this research were obtained from controlled interviews and a questionnaire survey conducted across more than 90 agricultural enterprises. Based on the data outcomes, research premises and formulated research hypotheses put forward are verified by using Friedman, Wilcoxon, Kruskal–Wallis, and Pearson chi-square tests. Discussion of the findings points out that although Slovakia is not yet one of the most polluting countries, promoting the application of environmental protection approaches for sustainable development is of the essence. The most important agriculturally related step, mitigating environmental degradation, is to promote changes in the moral values of agricultural enterprises and the society through enhanced environmental awareness and application practices.
Modeling of Stochastic Temperature and Heat Stress Directly Underneath Agrivoltaic Conditions with Orthosiphon Stamineus Crop Cultivation
Authors: Othman Noor Fadzlinda , Yaacob Mohammad Effendy , Mat Su Ahmad Suhaizi , Jaafar Juju Nakasha , Hizam Hashim , Shahidan Mohd Fairuz , Jamaluddin Ahmad Hakiim , Chen Guangnan , Jalaludin Adam
Published: September 2020

This paper presents the field measured data of the ambient temperature profile and the heat stress occurrences directly underneath ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays (monocrystalline-based), focusing on different temperature levels. A previous study has shown that a 1 °C increase in PV cell temperature results in a reduction of 0.5% in energy conversion efficiency; thus, the temperature factor is critical, especially to solar farm operators. The transpiration process also plays an important role in the cooling of green plants where, on average, it could dissipate a significant amount of the total solar energy absorbed by the leaves, making it a good natural cooling mechanism. It was found from this work that the PV system’s bottom surface temperature was the main source of dissipated heat, as shown in the thermal images recorded at 5-min intervals at three sampling times. A statistical analysis further showed that the thermal correlation for the transpiration process and heat stress occurrences between the PV system’s bottom surface and plant height will be an important factor for large scale plant cultivation in agrivoltaic farms.
Micro-Grid Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture in Palestine
Authors: Ibrik Imad
Published: September 2020

The objective of this paper is to study the impact of using micro-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural areas in the West Bank, Palestine. These systems may have the potential to provide rural electrification and encourage rural development, as PV panels are now becoming more financially attractive due to their falling costs. The implementation of solar PV systems in such areas improves social and communal services, water supply and agriculture, as well as other productive activities. It may also convert these communities into more environmentally sustainable ones. The present paper details two case studies from Palestine and shows the inter-relation between energy, water and food in rural areas to demonstrate how the availability of sustainable energy can ensure water availability, improve agricultural productivity and increase food security. Further, the paper attempts to evaluate the technical and economic impacts of the application of nexus approaches to Palestine’s rural areas. The results of this study are for a real implemented project and predict the long-term success of small, sustainable energy projects in developing rural areas in Palestine.
Effect of Bacterial Inoculum and Fertigation Management on Nursery and Field Production of Lettuce Plants
Authors: Vetrano Filippo , Miceli Claudia , Angileri Vincenzo , Frangipane Benedetto , Moncada Alessandra , Miceli Alessandro
Published: September 2020

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have been applied to different vegetable crops but there is still no information on the effect of bacterial biostimulant application under variable nutritional level on lettuce seedlings and their performance after transplanting in the field. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a bacterial biostimulant to enhance growth and quality of lettuce seedlings fertigated with increasing nutrient rates and to assess the efficacy of these treatments on lettuce head production. Lettuce seedlings were inoculated with 1.5 g L−1 of TNC BactorrS13 (a commercial biostimulant containing 1.3 × 108 CFU g−1 of Bacillus spp.) and fertigated with a nutrient solution containing 0, 1, 2, and 4 g L−1 of NPK fertilizer (20-20-20). At the end of transplant production, the plants were evaluated for greenhouse cultivation. The effect of fertigation rate on seedling height, dry biomass, dry matter percentage, and water use efficiency was evident up to 2 g L−1 of fertilizer in the non-inoculated seedlings, whereas fresh biomass and nitrogen use efficiency changed up to 4 g L−1 of fertilizer. The use of the bacterial biostimulant modified seedling growth and its response to nutrient availability. The inoculation of the substrate with Bacillus spp. promoted plant growth and allowed seedlings to reach the highest height and biomass accumulation. The physiological age of lettuce seedlings showed a strong influence on plant growth and production after transplanting. The bacterial treatment positively affected the yield and nitrate content of lettuce plants.
Genetic Diversity and Inter-Trait Relationships among Maize Inbreds Containing Genes from Zea diploperennis and Hybrid Performance under Contrasting Environments
Authors: Akaogu Ijeoma Chinyere , Badu-Apraku Baffour , Gracen Vernon , Tongoona Pangirayi , Gedil Melaku , Unachukwu Nnanna , Offei Samuel Kwame , Dzidzienyo Daniel Kwadjo , Hearne Sarah , Garcia-Oliveira Ana Luisa
Published: September 2020

Accurate estimation of genetic variability present in tropical maize inbreds with varying reactions to Strigahermonthica infestation is essential for efficient and sustainable utilization to ensure increased genetic gain in a breeding program. Thirty-six early maturing maize inbred lines and 156 single cross hybrids were evaluated under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions in Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons. Under Striga infestation, grain yield ranged from 1134 kg ha−1 for TZEI 26 × TZEI 5 to 5362 kg ha−1 for TZdEI 173 × TZdEI 280. The average yield reduction of the hybrids under Striga infestation was 44% relative to the performance under non-infested environments. Using 4440 high-quality DArT markers, clustering and population structure analyses separated the inbred lines into three distinct groups based on the genetic distance indicating high level of genetic variability among the lines. The base index of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) identified 50% of the inbred lines as Striga resistant. The genetic diversity study provided an opportunity for selecting divergent parents for tagging candidate genes and quantitative trait loci for marker-assisted introgression of Striga resistance genes into early maturing tropical maize breeding populations. The most reliable secondary trait for indirect selection for grain yield under Striga infestation was the ear aspect.
Using Lactic Acid Bacteria as Silage Inoculants or Direct-Fed Microbials to Improve In Vitro Degradability and Reduce Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows
Authors: Huyen Nguyen Thi , Martinez Ines , Pellikaan Wilbert
Published: September 2020

The current study has two objectives: (1) To determine the effect of different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains’ inoculant on silage quality of fresh ryegrass (FR) and rain-treated ryegrass (RTR), and (2) to find the optimal way (silage inoculant vs. direct-fed microbial (DFM)) to use LAB strains in order to improve nutrient digestibility and reduce methane emission (CH4) in ruminant production. Five LAB strains were tested, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AGR-1, L. plantarum AGR-2, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis AGR-3, L. lactis subsp. lactis AGR-4 and L. lactis subsp. lactis AGR-5. Each LAB strain was inoculated at 106 cfu/g fresh weight into the FR and the RTR and ensiled for 60 days. After ensiling, the effect of LAB strains included as a DFM or silage inoculant on rumen digestibility and CH4 production were measured using an in vitro gas production system with three separate runs. The in vitro experiment consisted of 24 treatments (2 grasses (FR and RTR) × 2 ways (inoculant or DFM) × 6 strains (5 LAB strains + 1 Control)). The results indicated that the LAB strains’ inoculant treatments reduced (p < 0.0001) the dry matter (DM) losses, the NH3 concentration (p < 0.0001) and the pH (p = 0.0019) upon ensiling in both the FR and the RTR. The lowest values in dry matter (DM) loss and NH3 concentration were found in the L. plantarum (AGR-2) and L. lactis (AGR-5). The in vitro CH4 production was lower for silages inoculated with L. plantarum (AGR-1, p = 0.0054), L. lactis (AGR-4, p = 0.026), L. lactis (AGR-5, p = 0.029) and L. plantarum (AGR-2, p = 0.090), compared to the control. Methane production was lower (p = 0.0027) for LABs when used as silage inoculants, compared to being used as DFM. Lactic acid bacteria used as silage inoculants increased (p ≤ 0.0001) the in vitro DM and organic matter (OM) degradability both in the FR and the RTR, whereas LAB strains used as DFM showed no such effect. The DM and OM digestibility were highest in the L. plantarum (AGR-1, p = 0.0175). Among the five LAB strains used in the current study, L. plantarum (AGR-2) was the best candidate to improve silage quality. Our observations suggest that these LAB strains are most promising when used as silage inoculants and to be confirmed in vivo.
Effects of the Extraction Technology on Pomegranate Juice Quality
Authors: Catania Pietro , Comparetti Antonio , De Pasquale Claudio , Morello Giuseppe , Vallone Mariangela
Published: September 2020

Pomegranate juice is a rich source of phenolic components; its consumption has considerably increased throughout the world in recent years, due to its nutraceutical properties. Commercial juice production involves pressing the fruits. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the pressing stage on pomegranate juice properties, in terms of value, duration of the applied pressure and juice yield in order to examine the influence of pressure level on volatiles and nutraceutical properties of the juice. Pomegranate fruits cv. Wonderful One were manually harvested and mechanically processed for extracting the juice by means of a shelling machine, a peristaltic pump and a pneumatic press. Chemical analytical determinations were performed on the juice samples corresponding to the different pressure levels applied. They did not show a univocal trend with respect to the increase in pressure; total phenol content values gradually increased as the pressure applied increased, conversely the highest total anthocyanins value was obtained in the first step of the process (552 mg L−1), afterwards a 40% decrease occurred. More than forty Volatile Organic Compounds were identified in the obtained pomegranate juices. The results showed a significant increase in the values in some compounds, particularly for pressure values higher than 0.7 bar, while in others there was a significant decrease as pressure increases. Therefore, the application of different pressure values during pomegranate juice extraction process allowed to obtain products of different quality.
Water and Soil Nutrient Dynamics of Huanglongbing-Affected Citrus Trees as Impacted by Ground-Applied Nutrients
Authors: Atta Alisheikh A. , Morgan Kelly T. , Hamido Said A. , Kadyampakeni Davie M. , Mahmoud Kamal A.
Published: September 2020

The decrease in the rate of inflow and outflow of water—and thereby the uptake of plant nutrients as the result of Huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening)—leads to a decline in overall tree growth and the development of nutrient deficiencies in HLB-affected citrus trees. This study was conducted at the University of Florida, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) near Immokalee, FL from January 2017 through December 2019. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of rootstocks, nutrient type, rate, and frequency of applications on leaf area index (LAI), water relations (stomatal conductance [gs], stem water potential [Ψw], and sap flow), soil nutrient accumulation, and dynamics under HLB-affected citrus trees. The experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design that consisted of two types of rootstocks, three nitrogen (N) rates, three soil-applied secondary macronutrients, and an untreated control replicated four times. LAI significantly increased in response to the secondary macronutrients compared with uncontrolled trees. A significantly greater gs, and thus a decline in Ψw, was a manifestation of higher sap flow per unit LA (leaf area) and moisture stress for trees budded on Swingle (Swc) than Cleopatra (Cleo) rootstocks, respectively. The hourly sap flow showed significantly less water consumption per unit LA for trees that received a full dose of Ca or Mg nutrition than Ca + Mg treated and untreated control trees. The soil nutrient concentrations were consistently higher in the topmost soil depth (0–15 cm) than the two lower soil depths (15–30 cm, 30–45 cm). Mobile nutrients: soil nitrate–nitrogen (NO3-N) and Mg2+ Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, and B leached to the lower soil (15–30 cm) depth during the summer season. However, the multiple split applications of N as Best Management Practices (BMPs) and optimum irrigation scheduling based on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) maintained soil available N (ammonium nitrogen [NH4-N] and NO3-N) below 4.0 mg kg−1, which was a magnitude 2.0–4.0× less than the conventional N applications. Soil NH4-N and NO3-N leached to the two lower soil depths during the rainy summer season only when trees received the highest N rate (280 kg ha−1), suggesting a lower citrus N requirement. Therefore, 224 kg ha−1 N coupled with a full Ca or Mg dose could be the recommended rate for HLB-affected citrus trees.
Get Together: The Interaction between Melatonin and Salicylic Acid as a Strategy to Improve Plant Stress Tolerance
Authors: Albacete Alfonso
Published: September 2020

Both melatonin and salicylic acid (SA) have been demonstrated to play multiple functions in plant physiological processes and biotic and abiotic stress responses. So far, these regulatory molecules have been separately studied despite sharing a common biosynthetic precursor and their similar physiological actions and stress regulation signals. The review published in Agronomy by Hernández-Ruiz and Arnao entitled “Relationship of melatonin and salicylic acid in biotic/abiotic stress responses” highlights the coincidences and similarities of both regulatory molecules via a thorough literature search and proposes an action model for their interaction in plant stress responses. Despite the undeniable interest and potential impact of this view, it has been focused only on coincident regulatory aspects of SA and melatonin, and the antioxidant-mediated model of interaction that has been proposed is rather speculative and needs to be mechanistically demonstrated. Nevertheless, the mentioned review leads to future research on the melatonin-SA crosstalk to improve biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, which is of utmost importance to ensure food production in the actual age of pandemics and for the upcoming climate crisis scenario.
The Optimal Combination of Dietary Starch, Non-Starch Polysaccharides, and Mannan-Oligosaccharide Increases the Growth Performance and Improves Butyrate-Producing Bacteria of Weaned Pigs
Authors: Zhou Hua , Yu Bing , He Jun , Mao Xiangbing , Zheng Ping , Yu Jie , Luo Junqiu , Luo Yuheng , Yan Hui , Chen Daiwen
Published: September 2020

The present experiment was conducted to dissect the effects of different carbohydrate combinations on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and microbial communities in weaned pigs. The combination was optimized by constructing L9(34) orthogonal design. Three factors include starch (amylose to amylopectin (AM/AP) ratio 2:1, 1:1, 1:2), non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) (1%, 2%, 3%, a mixture of inulin with cellulose by 1:1), and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) (400, 800, 1200 mg/kg) were investigated and nine combinations were implemented under different levels of these factors. One hundred and sixty-two weaned pigs were randomly assigned to nine dietary treatments with six replicates per treatment and three pigs per replicate. Results exhibited that different combinations of starch, NSP, and MOS affected the gain to feed (G:F) (p < 0.05), diarrhea incidence (p < 0.10), nutrient digestibility (p < 0.05), microbial communities, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations (p < 0.05). In the present study, taking into account three-way ANOVA, range, and direct analysis, we found that the optimal carbohydrate combination was starch AM/AP 1:1, NSP 3%, MOS 400 mg/kg for weaned pigs. Moreover, feeding this combination diet could promote the growth performance and nutrient digestibility, increase the butyrate-producing bacteria, and to some extent improve lipid metabolism. This study provided a novel way to evaluate the carbohydrate quality in swine production.