bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of innovative activities of small and medium-sized enterprises as fundamentals of their sustainable economic development
Authors: Tyshchenko Victoriya , Kholodna Julia , Krasna Alina
Published: March 2020

This article seeks to address the pressing issue of developing the innovative activity of the domestic economy through the use of the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises, which has to do with the possibility of application of existing experience of the more developed foreign countries in order to achieve economic success. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in the development of innovative activity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine, as well as to determine the distribution of the total amount of expenditures by areas of innovation. Analysis of the literature on this issue has shown that the economic development of a country depends on many factors, and the use of intellectual potential is quite a significant factor in modern society. The relevance of this issue is supported by the fact that the majority of developed countries that have high levels of national income and are distinguished by the quality of life of the population are introducing the latest innovative inventions and using them appropriately in: production, agriculture, trade and other fields of activity. The research of the development of innovation activity of small and medium-sized enterprises in the article is carried out in the following logical sequence: analysis of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine, analysis of small and medium-sized enterprises of EU countries, evaluation and comparison of innovation activity
of Ukraine and EU countries. The methodical tools of the study included methods of statistical analysis. The study period was 2010-2018. The object of analysis is the process of development of innovation activity of small and medium-sized enterprises, as they are the majority of enterprises in Ukraine. The article presents the results
of the analysis of the state of innovation the activity of small and medium-sized enterprises, which showed that our country needs significant transformation in this direction. Studies show that increasing the turnover and the production of small and medium-sized enterprises depends on the level of innovative development. The results
of the study may be useful for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Spatial forms of organizing innovative infrastructure of Ukraine in terms of sustainable development
Authors: Rodchenko Volodymyr B. , Rekun Ganna P. , Naidina Eugenia S. , Prus Yulii I.
Published: March 2020

The article is devoted to the study of spatial forms of organizing innovative infrastructure of Ukraine in terms of sustainable development. In the course of the study, modern trends of innovative development of the regions in Ukraine are highlighted. The peculiarities of implementing innovative policy in the context of smart specialization strategy are analyzed. Diagnostics of processes of formation and development of innovative
infrastructure in regions of Ukraine is carried out. A conceptual approach to assessing the level of innovation infrastructure development is proposed.
Environmental risk management in the context of environmental management systems for agriculture based on the ISO 14001:2015 standard
Authors: Lewicka Berenika , Lewicka Dagmara
Published: March 2020

Agriculture is a risky industry because forces beyond human control influence the quality and profitability of their activities. Farmers' incomes reveal high volatility due to product and crop price as well as catastrophic risks such as natural disasters and diseases. The following paper discusses different methods, also those not specific to
EMS, and their exemplary application. An attempt has been made to answer the question of what methods of risk analysis and management are appropriate for agriculture. The goal is to identify methods which can be used in EMS for agriculture, especially in the family farmsteads. The paper is based on the latest, third edition of ISO 14001
Pasang-Surut Komitmen Kebangsaan
Authors: Yudi Latif
Published: March 2020

Our national commitment can be seen through three phases, namely in the early days of independence, in the New Order era, and in the Reform Era. Our national commitment at the beginning of the independen- ce is scratched as negative-defensive nationalism force, when it was faced with a common enemy from outside (colonization). Our national commit- ment in the New Order era is marked by making economy as the comman- der in terms of growth, stability and centralization of power, bringing a variety of inequality. The most striking, there is lack of harmony between the national and statehood character. National multicultural character of Indonesia was denied by the centralized nature of waking state. Imbalance between central and local government with denial of political, social, eco- nomic and cultural rights of local communities. Meanwhile, the national commitment in the Reformation Era is characterized by openness and free- dom of public space that brings euphoria for the expression of marginalized identities. Efforts to bring diversity of expression "plural monoculturalism" into the situation of "multi-culturalism"—with willingness of being differen- ce (pluralism) and willingness of being united (cosmopolitanism)— requires a new solidarity framework, which is based on the premises of political na- tionalism based on rationality, volunteerism and shared prosperity.
Board Communities in Formation of Qanun Regional in Aceh Parliament
Authors: S. Amirulkamar  , Ismail
Published: March 2020

The Government system of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia according to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia recognizes and respects special or special regional government units (Special in the Religious Field, Special in the Field of Education and Special in the Customary Field) regulated by Constitution. In this case the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD), which is abbreviated as DPRD, but names Aceh as a Provincial Region in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia system based on the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and the title of elected government official will be determined by the DPRA after the 2009 general election. This is only a change in the legal nomenclature with the status remains in the position of Aceh Privileges. This long journey is the existence of the Council community in the formation of the Regional Qanun in the Aceh Parliament in the form of a legislative body as one of the tools of the DPRA that manages the formation of the Regional Qanun which is carried out jointly with the Regional Head. This is done with the delegation of government authority to the Regional Regions as a political tool in the struggle for human rights and the rights of social aspirations, as well as the Aceh People's Representative Council or the Aceh DPR as a nomenclature of legislative institutions in regions that have legitimated importance in governance. The regulation of laws and regulations in Indonesia as a constitutional basis for the 1945 Constitution of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia article 18B paragraph (1) states that "the State recognizes and respects special or special regional government units that are regulated by laws invite.
Women and Terrorism: A Sketch on Women and Transnational Terrorism in Southeast Asia and Indonesia
Authors: Herdi Sahrasad  , Dedy Tabrani  , Muhammad Ridwan  , Al Chaidar
Published: March 2020

In Southeast Asia, many women in radical groups have extreme views and they are ready to join Jihadist movement to support her husband's actions as Jihad fi sabilillah.  In this context, experience in Southeast Asia shows the increasing involvement of women in terrorism by reason of following the husband's jihad to fight thogut regimes in the region. Meanwhile, there are a large number of Islamic terrorist organizations involving active women throughout the Southeast Asian region, from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore to the Philippines.  In this regard, the emergence of ISIS has strengthened and institutionalized acts of terror and violence by Southeast Asian women following the ISIS declaration to establish a regional khilafah (Caliphate).
Business Sustainability and Challenges of Climate Change in Nigerian Indigenous Automobile Companies. A case study of Innoson Motors Ltd, Nnewi, Nigeria
Authors: Marcus Garvey Orji  , Romanus Nduji
Published: March 2020

Business sustainability is one of the most important challenges of our time. Companies are integrating ideas of sustainability in their marketing, corporate communications, and in all their actions. It is for this reason that this study examined Business sustainability and challenges of climate change in Nigerian Indigenous Automobile Companies with particular emphasis on Innoson Motors Nnewi, Nigeria. The study is a survey research and data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The target population of the study was 258 employees of the company, and the sample size of 157 was obtained using Taro Yamani. The statistical tool used for data analysis was mean, standard deviation, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between sustainable profit, organizational workers, business opportunities and climate change in Innoson Motors, Nnewi Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that Companies should deploy smart technologies, Invest in new, more environmentally conscious technologies such as green data centre as source of cost reduction as well as competitive advantage; also for there to be a meaningful movement towards absolute emission reduction, companies must test the concept of a trade-off between economic performance and environmental responsibility.
The Reve’s Puzzle with Single Relaxation
Authors: Majumdar AAK
Published: March 2020

This paper considers a variant of the Reve’s puzzle with n ( ≥ 1) discs which allows at most one violation of the “divine rule”. Denoting by S4(n) the minimum number of moves required to solve the new variant, an explicit form of S4(n) is given.

Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 43, No. 2, 211-212, 2019
Infections of Digenetic Trematode Metacercariae in Wrestling Halfbeak, Dermogenys pusilla from Bangkok Metropolitan Region in Thailand
Authors: Patarwut Laddawan , Chontananarth Thapana , Chai Jong-Yil , Purivirojkul Watchariya
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to investigate metacercarial infections in the wrestling halfbeak, Dermogenys pusilla, collected from Bangkok metropolitan region of Thailand. A total of 4,501 fish from 78 study sites were commonly examined with muscle compression and digestion methods (only head part of fish) during September 2017 to July 2018. The overall prevalence of metacercarial infection was 86.1% (3,876/4,501 individuals), and the mean intensity was 48.9 metacercariae per fish infected. Four species, i.e., Posthodiplostomum sp., Stellantchasmus falcatus, Cyathocotylidae fam. sp., and Centrocestus formosanus, of digenetic trematode metacercariae (DTM) were detected. The prevalences were 65.8%, 52.0%, 2.1%, and 1.2%, respectively and their mean intensities were 23.1, 51.6, 1.4, and 3.2 per fish infected, respectively. The seasonal prevalences were 81.0% in winter, 87.8% in summer and 87.4% in rainy, and the mean intensities were 38.9, 46.6, and 55.2 metacercariae per fish infected, respectively. Conclusively, it was confirmed that the wrestling halfbeak play the role of second intermediate hosts of 4 species of digenetic trematodes including S. falcatus and Posthodiplostomum sp. in Bangkok metropolitan region. And then the metacercariae of C. formosanus and Cyathocotylidae fam. sp. are to be first found in the wrestling halfbeak by this study.
Intestinal Flukes Recovered from a Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Lee Young-Il , Seo Min , Chai Jong-Yil
Published: March 2020

Trematode specimens were collected from the intestine of a herring gull, Larus argentatus, which was found in a critical condition on the shore of a small island (Yubu-do, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do) located at the western coast of the Korean peninsula. Total 11 specimens of intestinal flukes, including 3 Cryptocotyle lingua (Heterophyidae), 1 Himasthla alincia (Echinostomatidae), 5 Cardiocephaloides medioconiger (Strigeidae), and 2 Diplostomum spathaceum (Diplostomidae), were recovered. C. lingua was morphologically characterized by the presence of a large ventrogenital apparatus and 2 obliquely tandem testes. H. alincia had an elongated body and a head collar equipped with 31 collar spines. C. medioconiger had a bisegmented body and a voluminous copulatory bursa containing the seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct. D. spathaceum also had a bisegmented body and its vitellaria extended up to the anterior border of the tribocytic organ. It is of note that C. lingua is potentially zoonotic that can occur in birds and humans. Three of them, i.e., C. lingua, C. medioconiger, and D. spathaceum, are new trematode fauna in Korea. Studies on trematode fauna of migratory birds should be continued in Korea.
Pengaruh Program Komunitas Usaha Mandiri (KUM) di Yayasan Dana Sosial Al Falah Surabaya terhadap Pendapatan UMKM
Authors: Dwi Meilindasari Erika , Abidah Suryaningsih Sri
Published: March 2020

Tujuan artikel  untuk mengetahui pengaruh Program Komunitas Usaha Mandiri (KUM) di Yayasan Dana Sosial Al Falah Surabaya terhadap pendapatan UMKM. Artikel ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan pendekatan asosiatif dengan sampel berjumlah 73 mustahiq. Uji yang digunakan dalam artikel ini yaitu persamaan uji regresi linier sederhana, uji validitas, uji reliabilitas, uji T dan Koefisien Determinasi (R2) diolah dengan menggunakan SPSS 22. Hasil dari artikel menyebutkan bahwa  Program Komunitas Usaha Mandiri (KUM) berpengaruh signifikan terhadap pendapatan UMKM.
Analisis Karakteristik Wisatawan Lokal Monumen Nasional DKI Jakarta
Authors: Nazwirman Nazwirman , Zain Efendy
Published: March 2020

Penelitian ini dilakukan di Monumen Nasional Jakarta (Monas) dengan 183 responden wisatawan lokal. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menguji karakteristik wisatawan lokal. Ada delapan karakteristik yang diukur yaitu jenis kelamin, usia, pendidikan, pekerjaan saat ini, pendapatan, sumber informasi, mode utama yang digunakan, dan status perkawinan. Analisis menggunakan Versi SPSS. 24. Hasil penelitian berdasarkan jenis kelamin lebih menarik bagi perempuan, sebanyak 105 (58,9%) persen. Mayoritas responden berusia antara 20-30 tahun sebanyak 62 (33,9%). Mayoritas pendidikan sekolah menengah atas adalah 105 responden (57,4%) persen. Berdasarkan pekerjaan saat ini, mayoritas bekerja pada karyawan swasta sebanyak 86 responden (47%). Berdasarkan pendapatan, mayoritas berpenghasilan 5 - 6,99 juta dengan 50 responden (27,3%). Berdasarkan sumber informasi sebanyak 147 responden (80,3%) bersumber dari teman / keluarga. Berdasarkan mode utama yang digunakan sebanyak 115 responden (62,8%) menggunakan kendaraan pribadi. Berdasarkan status perkawinan 110 responden (60,1%) adalah lajang. Hasil penelitian dapat berkontribusi dengan jelas pada karakteristik wisatawan lokal dan merekomendasikan peningkatan keuntungan Monas
Struktur komunitas hama tiga kultivar cabai rawit pada pengaplikasian pestisida nabati
Authors: Kurniahu Hesti , Maulani Rifa’atul , Pahlevi Muhammad Rizza
Published: March 2020

The utilization of plant-based pesticides and the selection of cultivars of cayenne pepper have not been well optimized by farmers. The purpose of the study was to analyze the types of cayenne pepper pests, examine the association of cayenne cultivars against pest attacks, and analyze the application of commercial vegetable pesticides to pest visits. The research method used was experimental with a completely randomized design. The sample of this study consisted of three cayenne cultivars, namely Sret, Mhanu XR, and Green Chakra. The research instrument used observation sheets of pest communities before and after the application of vegetable pesticides. The type and number of pests are directly observed and identified in the laboratory. Data on the influence of cayenne cultivar on pest populations were analyzed by ANOVA test while the effect of using vegetable pesticides using t-test. The results showed that the types of pests found were Aphis sp., Polyphagotarsonemus sp., Thrips sp., Bactrocera sp. and Chrysodeixis sp. Statistical tests showed cayenne cultivar did not significantly influence pest visits while the application of plant-based pesticides had a significant effect on the decrease in Thrips sp. and Aphis sp. The conclusion of this study, namely five types of pests attack three cayenne cultivars, the selection of three chili cultivars does not affect pest visits while the application of vegetable pesticides can reduce the number of pest visits Thrips sp. and Aphis sp significantly.
Match-mismatch dynamics in the Norwegian-Barents Sea system
Authors: Ferreira ASA , Stige LC , Neuheimer AB , Bogstad B , Yaragina N , Prokopchuk I , Durant JM
Published: March 2020

A key process affecting variation in the recruitment of fish into fisheries is the spatio-temporal overlap between prey and predator (match-mismatch hypothesis, MMH). The Northeast Arctic cod Gadus morhua and its dominant prey, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, have long been studied in the Norwegian-Barents Sea system. However, the mechanistic explanation of how cod survival is affected by MMH dynamics remains unclear. Most MMH studies have focused on either the time synchrony or the spatial overlap between trophic levels. Here, we used G. morhua larvae and C. finmarchicus data collected in the Norwegian-Barents Sea via ichthyoplankton surveys from 1959-1992 to assess the effect of the predator-prey relationship on predator recruitment to the fisheries at age 3 (as a measure of survival) and to develop a metric of predator-prey overlap using spatio-temporal statistical models. We then compared the interannual variability of the predator-prey overlap with the predator’s abundance at recruitment to assess how MMH dynamics explain the survival of cod during its early life stages. We found that the amount of overlap between cod larvae (length: 11-15 mm) and their prey explained 29% of cod recruitment variability. Positive correlations between predator-prey overlap and subsequent recruitment were also found for predators of 6-10 and 16-20 mm, but not for 21+ mm. This improved predator-prey overlap metric is thus (1) useful to better understand how predator-prey dynamics at early life stages of fish impact the survival of later stages; and (2) a valuable tool for assessing the state of an ecosystem.
Translating Commonplace Marks in Gascoigne and Kinwelmersh's Jocasta
Authors: Suthren Carla
Published: March 2020

This essay locates the moment at which commonplace marks were ‘translated’ from printed classical texts into English vernacular drama in a manuscript of Gascoigne and Kinwelmersh's Jocasta, dated 1568. Based on a survey of the use of printed commonplace marks in classical drama between 1500 and 1568, it demonstrates that this typographical symbol was strongly associated with Greek tragedy, particularly Sophocles and Euripides, and hardly at all with Seneca. In light of this, it argues that the commonplace marks in the Jocasta manuscript should be read as a deliberate visual gesture towards Euripides. In this period, commonplace marks evoked printed Greek rather than Latin tragedy, and early modern readers might bring such associations to the English dramatic texts in which these marks also appeared, including the First Quarto of Hamlet (1603).
Gregorio Correr, James Calfhill, and the Early Elizabethan Affordances of Senecan Tragedy
Authors: Perry Curtis
Published: March 2020

This essay re-examines the relationship between James Calfhill's lost play Progne, which was performed before Queen Elizabeth at Oxford University in 1566, and Gregorio Correr's (or Corraro's) fifteenth-century neo-Senecan tragedy Procne. It argues that Calfhill likely based his play closely upon Correr's, which had been printed by Paulo Manuzio for the Academia Venetiana in 1558. In addition to considering how and why a play based on Correr's Procne might have been chosen for performance before Elizabeth at Oxford, the essay argues that the possible existence of such a play should prompt reconsideration of the affordances of early Elizabethan Senecan tragedy more generally. Correr's play, it is proposed, is an exceptionally sophisticated study of Senecan characterization, and locating a play based closely upon it within the context of early Elizabethan Senecan imitation casts new light on the question of how Senecan tragedy was taken up in England.
Long Non-coding RNA Gas5 Is Associated With Preeclampsia and Regulates Biological Behaviors of Trophoblast via MicroRNA-21
Authors: Zheng Dongying , Hou Yue , Li Yuanyuan , Bian Yue , Khan Muhanmmad , Li Fan , Huang Ling , Qiao Chong
Published: March 2020

Preeclampsia is a lethal pregnancy specific hypertensive disorder involving multisystem. Despite extensive studies to investigate the causes of preeclampsia, the pathogenesis still remains largely unknown. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a diverse class of non-translated RNAs which play a crucial part in various biological phenomena. Although lncRNA Growth Arrest-Specific 5 (GAS5) aberrantly expressed in multiple cancer tissues and is implicated in multiple biological processes of tumor cells, little is known about its role in preeclampsia. In this study, 40 patients with preeclampsia and 32 gestational age matched normotension pregnant women were recruited. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we found higher expression of GAS5 in placenta of preclamsia affected women. The level of GAS5 existed strongly in correlation with Thrombin Time indicating coagulation function and other clinical parameters by Pearson correlation analysis. Then we constructed the GAS5 lentivirus expression vectors and transfected into human trophoblast cell lines HTR-8/SVneo and JEG-3. Using in vitro cell culture studies, we found an inhibited effect of GAS5 on proliferative ability, migratory ability and invasive ability however; no effect on apoptosis was detected. Further mechanistic analysis found that GAS5 modulated microRNA-21 (miR-21) in an opposite variation tendency by qRT-PCR and rescue experiment. In addition, inhibition of GAS5 promoted the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its downstream proteins covering MMP-9 and TP53 as evident from our qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. Thus, we suggested that GAS5 might involve in pregnancy with preeclampsia by influencing the biological functions of trophoblast cells through the regulation of miR-21 and activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its downstream targets, which may contribute to reveal the nature of preeclampsia.
Kalman Filter-Based Online Identification of the Electric Power Characteristic of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Aiming at Maximum Power Point Tracking
Authors: Rauh Andreas , Frenkel Wiebke , Kersten Julia
Published: March 2020

High-temperature fuel cells are one of the devices currently investigated for an integration into distributed power supply grids. Such distributed grids aim at the simultaneous production of thermal energy and electricity. To maximize the efficiency of fuel cell systems, it is reasonable to track the point of maximum electric power production and to operate the system in close vicinity to this point. However, variations of gas mass flows, especially the concentration of hydrogen contained in the anode gas, as well as variations of the internal temperature distribution in the fuel cell stack module lead to the fact that the maximum power point changes in dependence of the aforementioned phenomena. Therefore, this paper first proposes a real-time capable stochastic filter approach for the local identification of the electric power characteristic of the fuel cell. Second, based on this estimate, a maximum power point tracking procedure is derived. It is based on an iteration procedure under consideration of the estimation accuracy of the stochastic filter and adjusts the fuel cell’s electric current so that optimal operating points are guaranteed. Numerical simulations, based on real measured data gathered at a test rig available at the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Rostock, Germany, conclude this paper.
Divergent Genomic Selection for Herbage Accumulation and Days-To-Heading in Perennial Ryegrass
Authors: Faville Marty , Cao Mingshu , Schmidt Jana , Ryan Douglas , Ganesh Siva , Jahufer M. , Hong Soon , George Richard , Barrett Brent
Published: March 2020

Increasing the rate of genetic gain for dry matter (DM) yield in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), which is a key source of nutrition for ruminants in temperate environments, is an important goal for breeders. Genomic selection (GS) is a strategy used to improve genetic gain by using molecular marker information to predict breeding values in selection candidates. An empirical assessment of GS for herbage accumulation (HA; proxy for DM yield) and days-to-heading (DTH) was completed by using existing genomic prediction models to conduct one cycle of divergent GS in four selection populations (Pop I G1 and G3; Pop III G1 and G3), for each trait. G1 populations were the offspring of the training set and G3 populations were two generations further on from that. The HA of the High GEBV selection group (SG) progenies, averaged across all four populations, was 28% higher (p < 0.05) than Low GEBV SGs when assessed in the target environment, while it did not differ significantly in a second environment. Divergence was greater in Pop I (43%–65%) than Pop III (10%–16%) and the selection response was higher in G1 than in G3. Divergent GS for DTH also produced significant (p < 0.05) differences between High and Low GEBV SGs in G1 populations (+6.3 to 9.1 days; 31%–61%) and smaller, non-significant (p > 0.05) responses in G3. This study shows that genomic prediction models, trained from a small, composite reference set, can be used to improve traits with contrasting genetic architectures in perennial ryegrass. The results highlight the importance of target environment selection for training models, as well as the influence of relatedness between the training set and selection populations.
Biochar, Vermicompost, and Compost as Soil Organic Amendments: Influence on Growth Parameters, Nitrate and Chlorophyll Content of Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cycla)
Authors: Libutti Angela , Trotta Vincenzo , Rivelli Anna
Published: March 2020

Soil addition with organic amendments is an issue that receives growing attention in the agricultural sector. However, the effects of such materials on plant growth and crop yield are highly variable in the literature. This study aims to evaluate the influence of soil addition with biochar (from vine pruning residues), vermicompost (from cattle manure), and three different composts (from olive pomace or cattle anaerobic digestate), on the quali-quantitative response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cycla) grown in pots. The organic amendments were applied to the soil in two doses to provide 140 and 280 kg N ha−1, respectively. Two growth cycles were considered, and, at each leaf cut, plants were analyzed for growth parameters (height, fresh weight, leaf number, and leaf area) and qualitative characteristics (nitrogen, nitrate, and pigment leaf content). Swiss chard responded positively to organic amendment and, particularly when the soil was treated with compost from animal wastes, higher plant growth and pigment leaf content were observed. Nitrate leaf content was always well below the NO3− thresholds established by the European Commission Regulations. Biochar application did not show a positive effect on the quali-quantitative characteristics of Swiss chard, likely due to benefits that may be achieved over time.
Why Self-fertilizing Plants Still Exist in Wild Populations: Diversity Assurance through Stress-Induced Male Sterility May Promote Selective Outcrossing and Recombination
Authors: van Ginkel Maarten , Flipphi Ronald C. H.
Published: March 2020

Climate change creates challenges for wild species, but plants have survived and adapted to similar changes in their evolutionary past. Most plants were originally outcrossing, one theoretical genetic reason being that self-fertilization does not create novel recombinants that allow adaptation. Thus selfing seems an evolutionary “dead end”. Nevertheless, self-fertilizing plants make up 14% of seed plant species. We offer a new interpretation of a response by self-fertilizing wild species to extreme existential threats, which creates novel recombinant progeny. This proposed mechanism goes beyond reproductive assurance, the usual explanation of selfing. Extreme stress, such as excessive heat within a specific window, first makes plants male-sterile, while female organs remain functional and can receive wind-borne pollen from any of the few nearby stress-tolerant individuals. Thus stress-induced male sterility enables and/or enhances outcrossing in selfing plants. Although in practice this proposed mechanism requires very special circumstances and operates only in certain species with conducive floral traits, we posit that over evolutionary time even such rare events can make a significant lasting impact on a species’ survival in changing conditions. This proposed mechanism, which we call Diversity Assurance, allows a population subject to severe stress to sample preferentially those genes that underpin tolerance to that specific stress. These genes are then recombined in subsequent generations, along with the male-sterility-under-stress trait of the female parent. This contributes in part to explain the effective evolution and hence persistence of self-fertilizing species. Diversity Assurance, we propose, is an adaptive mechanism that has been selected under extreme stress, underpinned by a simple loss-of-function of the male reproductive system. It may be triggered not only by heat, but also by other stressors. This proposed mechanism helps to explain why even highly self-fertilizing plant species remain able to respond to environmental changes through triggered outcrossing.
Carbon Footprint of Mediterranean Pasture-Based Native Beef: Effects of Agronomic Practices and Pasture Management under Different Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Grossi Giampiero , Vitali Andrea , Lacetera Nicola , Danieli Pier Paolo , Bernabucci Umberto , Nardone Alessandro
Published: March 2020

A better understanding of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is needed when assessing the carbon footprint (CFP) of livestock products and the effectiveness of possible agriculture mitigation strategies. This study aimed (i) to perform a cradle-to-gate CFP of pasture-based beef cattle in a Mediterranean agropastoral system (ii) and to assess the effects on the CFP of alternative tillage, fertilizing, and grazing practices under current (NCC) and future climate change (CC) scenarios. Minimum (Mt) and no-tillage (Nt) practices were compared to current tillage (Ct); a 50% increase (Hf) and decrease (Lf) in fertilization was evaluated against the current (Cf) rate; and rotational grazing (Rg) was evaluated versus the current continuous grazing (Cg) system. The denitrification–decomposition (DNDC) model was run using NCC as well as representative concentration pathways to investigate the effects of farm management practices coupled with future CC scenarios on SOC dynamics, N2O fluxes, and crop yield. Within NCC and CtCf, an emission intensity of 26.9 ± 0.7 kg CO2eq per kg live body weight was estimated. Compared to Ct, the adoption of Mt and Nt reduced the CFP by 20% and 35%, respectively, while NtHf reduced it by 40%. Conservation tillage practices were thus shown to be effective in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Finding an Effective Freezing Protocol for Turkey Semen: Benefits of Ficoll as Non-Permeant Cryoprotectant and 1:4 as Dilution Rate
Authors: Di Iorio Michele , Rusco Giusy , Iampietro Roberta , Colonna Maria Antonietta , Zaniboni Luisa , Cerolini Silvia , Iaffaldano Nicolaia
Published: March 2020

The present study aimed to find an effective cryopreservation protocol for turkey semen through the combined use of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and three non-permeant cryoprotectants (NP-CPAs), sucrose, trehalose, and Ficoll 70. In addition, the action of two dilution rates (1:2 and 1:4) were also investigated. Semen was processed according to two final dilution rates and the following treatments: Tselutin extender (TE)/DMSO (control), TE/DMSO + sucrose or trehalose 50, 100, 200, or 400 mM, and TE/DMSO + Ficoll 0.5, 0.75, 1, or 1.5 mM. In total 26 different combinations treatments were achieved. The diluted semen was filled up into straws and frozen on liquid nitrogen vapor. The post-thawing sperm quality was assessed by analyzing motility, membrane integrity, osmotic resistance, and DNA integrity. The results obtained revealed a significant effect of NP-CPA concentration on total and progressive motility, on most of the kinetic parameters, on membrane integrity and DNA integrity, while the post-thaw quality was less affected by dilution rate. The highest post-thaw quality for all sperm quality parameters assessed except curvilinear velocity (VCL) and DNA integrity were found in semen frozen with 1 mM Ficoll/1:4 (p < 0.05). Our findings provide an important contribution for the identification of a reference procedure for turkey semen cryopreservation, in order to create the first national avian semen cryobank.
Regulatory Compliance in Online Dog Advertisements in Australia
Authors: Goncalves Costa Ana , Nielsen Torben , Dal Grande Eleonora , Tuke Jonathan , Hazel Susan
Published: March 2020

In Australia, each state and territory authority implements and enforces regulations regarding dog management—including the breeding and sale of dogs online—which is increasingly becoming the most popular method of obtaining pets. The aims for this study included: 1. Benchmarking regulatory compliance in online dog advertisements in Australia, and, 2. Understanding factors associated with regulatory compliance in online advertisements. We collected advertisements for dogs and puppies from Gumtree—one of Australia’s most popular online trading platforms—on two separate days, two weeks apart (25 March and 8 April 2019). A total of 1735 unique advertisements were included in the dataset. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for microchipping, desexing and breeder identification number, and compliance levels. State laws requiring animals to be microchipped prior to sale and the inclusion of chip numbers in advertisements were found to be the biggest factor in increasing likelihood of microchipped animals in Gumtree advertisements, while desexing was more common in microchipped and older animals. The online ad was more likely to include a breeder ID if the dog was young, vaccinated, and advertised by a breeder rather than an owner. The findings from this study will assist regulators to make evidence-based decisions on managing online advertisements for companion animals. In the future, the benchmarking this study has presented will allow future analysis of the effectiveness of regulation changes.
Cross-talk between Bcr-abl and the Thioredoxin System in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia: Implications for CML Treatment
Authors: Clapper Erin , Wang Sicong , Raninga Prahlad V. , Di Trapani Giovanna , Tonissen Kathryn F.
Published: March 2020

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is currently treated with inhibitors of the CML specific oncoprotein, bcr-abl. While this strategy is initially successful, drug resistance can become a problem. Therefore, new targets need to be identified to ensure the disease can be appropriately managed. The thioredoxin (Trx) system, comprised of Trx, thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and NADPH, is an antioxidant system previously identified as a target for therapies aimed at overcoming drug resistance in other cancers. We assessed the effectiveness of TrxR inhibitors on drug resistant CML cells and examined links between TrxR and the bcr-abl cell-signalling pathway. Two TrxR inhibitors, auranofin and [Au(d2pype)2]Cl, increased intracellular ROS levels and elicited apoptosis in both sensitive and imatinib resistant CML cells. Inhibition of TrxR activity by these pharmacological inhibitors, or by specific siRNA, also resulted in decreased bcr-abl mRNA and protein levels, and lower bcr-abl downstream signalling activity, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of TrxR inhibitors as CML therapies. In addition, imatinib resistant CML cell lines showed upregulated expression of the Trx system. Furthermore, analysis of datasets showed that CML patients who did not respond to imatinib had higher Trx mRNA levels than patients who responded to treatment. Our study demonstrates a link between the Trx system and the bcr-abl protein and highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting the Trx system to improve CML patients’ outcomes.
Assessment of Antioxidants in Selected Plant Rootstocks
Authors: Magnus Samuel , Gazdik Filip , Anjum Naser A. , Kadlecova Eliska , Lackova Zuzana , Cernei Natalia , Brtnicky Martin , Kynicky Jindrich , Klejdus Borivoj , Necas Tomas , Zitka Ondrej
Published: March 2020

The service tree (Sorbus domestica) is a wild fruit tree with immense medicinal and industrial value. This study aimed at determining the four major groups of antioxidants (flavonoids, phenolic acids and aldehydes, catechin and procyanidin) in rootstocks of Crataegus laevigata (genotypes O-LE-14 and O-LE-21), Aronia melanocarpa (genotypes O-LE-14 and O-LE-21), Chaenomeles japonica (genotype O-LE-9) and Cydonia oblonga (BA 29) (genotypes O-LE-14 and O-LE-21). Hyperoside (Quercetin 3-D-galactoside) was the most abundant flavonoid compound, since its average content in the rootstocks of Crataegus laevigata (O-LE-21) was 180.68 ± 0.04 μg·g−1. Dihydrokaempherol was the least frequently found flavonoid compound, with an average concentration of 0.43 ± 0.01 μg·g−1 in all the rootstocks of plants considered in this study. Among the phenolic compounds, the most represented one was protocatechuic acid, with 955.92 ± 10.25 μg·g−1 in the rootstocks of Aronia melanocarpa (O-LE-14). On the other hand, the least represented p-Coumaric acid exhibited the average concentration of 0.34 ± 0.01 μg·g−1 in the plant rootstocks. Epicatechin was the most abundant catechin compound, with a content of 3196.37 ± 50.10 μg·g−1 in the rootstocks of Aronia melanocarpa (O-LE-14). The lowest represented catechin compound was epigallocatechin, with the average concentration of 0.95 ± 0.08 μg·g−1 in the screened plant rootstocks. From the procyanidin compounds, the most abundant one was procyanidin b2 in the rootstocks of Crataegus laevigata (O-LE-14), with a concentration of 5550.40 ± 99.56 μg·g−1. On the contrary, procyanidin a2, with an average concentration of 40.35 ± 1.61 μg·g−1, represented the least frequent procyanidin compound in all the plant rootstocks screened herein.
Porosity Prediction of Granular Materials through Discrete Element Method and Back Propagation Neural Network Algorithm
Authors: Liu Yu , Li Miaomiao , Su Peifeng , Ma Biao , You Zhanping
Published: March 2020

Granular materials are used directly or as the primary ingredients of the mixtures in industrial manufacturing, agricultural production and civil engineering. It has been a challenging task to compute the porosity of a granular material which contains a wide range of particle sizes or shapes. Against this background, this paper presents a newly developed method for the porosity prediction of granular materials through Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) and the Back Propagation Neural Network algorithm (BPNN). In DEM, ball elements were used to simulate particles in granular materials. According to the Chinese specifications, a total of 400 specimens in different gradations were built and compacted under the static pressure of 600 kPa. The porosity values of those specimens were recorded and applied to train the BPNN model. The primary parameters of the BPNN model were recommended for predicting the porosity of a granular material. Verification was performed by a self-designed experimental test and it was found that the prediction accuracy could reach 98%. Meanwhile, considering the influence of particle shape, a shape reduction factor was proposed to achieve the porosity reduction from sphere to real particle shape.
Research on a Novel Improved Adaptive Variational Mode Decomposition Method in Rotor Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Yan Xiaoan , Liu Ying , Zhang Wan , Jia Minping , Wang Xianbo
Published: March 2020

Variational mode decomposition (VMD) with a non-recursive and narrow-band filtering nature is a promising time-frequency analysis tool, which can deal effectively with a non-stationary and complicated compound signal. Nevertheless, the factitious parameter setting in VMD is closely related to its decomposability. Moreover, VMD has a certain endpoint effect phenomenon. Hence, to overcome these drawbacks, this paper presents a novel time-frequency analysis algorithm termed as improved adaptive variational mode decomposition (IAVMD) for rotor fault diagnosis. First, a waveform matching extension is employed to preprocess the left and right boundaries of the raw compound signal instead of mirroring the extreme extension. Then, a grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm is employed to determine the inside parameters ( α ^ , K) of VMD, where the minimization of the mean of weighted sparseness kurtosis (WSK) is regarded as the optimized target. Meanwhile, VMD with the optimized parameters is used to decompose the preprocessed signal into several mono-component signals. Finally, a Teager energy operator (TEO) with a favorable demodulation performance is conducted to efficiently estimate the instantaneous characteristics of each mono-component signal, which is aimed at obtaining the ultimate time-frequency representation (TFR). The efficacy of the presented approach is verified by applying the simulated data and experimental rotor vibration data. The results indicate that our approach can provide a precise diagnosis result, and it exhibits the patterns of time-varying frequency more explicitly than some existing congeneric methods do (e.g., local mean decomposition (LMD), empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and wavelet transform (WT) ).
Cancer Stem Cell Target Labeling and Efficient Growth Inhibition of CD133 and PD-L1 Monoclonal Antibodies Double Conjugated with Luminescent Rare-Earth Tb3+ Nanorods
Authors: Do Thi Thao , Le Nhat Minh , Vo Trong Nhan , Nguyen Thi Nga , Tran Thu Huong , Phung Thi Kim Hue
Published: March 2020

Rare-earth nanomaterials are being widely applied in medicine as cytotoxicity agents, in radiation and photodynamic therapy, as drug carriers, and in biosensing and bioimaging technology. Terbium (Tb), a rare-earth element belonging to the lanthanides, has a long luminescent lifetime, large stock displacement, narrow spectral width, and biofriendly probes. In cancer therapy, cancer stem cell (CSC)-targeted treatment is receiving considerable attention due to these cells’ harmful characteristics. However, CSCs remain barely understood. Therefore, to effectively label and inhibit the growth of CSCs, we produced a nanocomplex in which TbPO4·H2O nanorods were double conjugated with CD133 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. The Tb3+ nanomaterials were created in the presence of a soft template (polyethylene glycol 2000). The obtained nanomaterial TbPO4·H2O was hexagonal crystal and nanorod in shape, 40–80 nm in diameter, and 300–800 nm in length. The nanorods were further surfaced through tetraethyl orthosilicate hydrolysis and functionalized with amino silane. Finally, the glutaraldehyde-activated Tb3+ nanorods were conjugated with CD133 monoclonal antibody and PD-L1 monoclonal antibody on the surface to obtain the nanocomplex TbPO4·H2O@silica-NH2+mAb^CD133+mAb^PD-L1 (TMC). The formed nanocomplex was able to efficiently and specifically label NTERA-2 cells, a highly expressed CD133 and PD-L1 CSC cell line. The conjugate also demonstrated promising anti-CSC activity by significant inhibition (58.50%) of the growth of 3D tumor spheres of NTERA-2 cells (p < 0.05).
Durability of Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) Composites: A Review
Authors: Al-Lami Karrar , D’Antino Tommaso , Colombi Pierluigi
Published: March 2020

Strengthening and rehabilitation of masonry and concrete structures by means of externally bonded fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) (also referred to as textile reinforced mortar (TRM)) composites was proposed as an alternative to the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites due to their good mechanical properties and compatibility with the substrate. However, quite limited studies are available in the literature regarding the long-term behavior of FRCM composites with respect to different environmental conditions. This paper presents a thorough review of the available researches on the long-term behavior of FRCM composites. Namely, (i) test set-ups employed to study the FRCM durability, (ii) conditioning environments adopted, and (iii) long-term performance of FRCM and its component materials (mortar and fiber textile) subjected to direct tensile and bond tests, are presented and discussed. Based on the available results, some open issues that need to be covered in future studies are pointed out.
A Shear-Wave Velocity Model in the City of Oued-Fodda (Northern Algeria) from Rayleigh Wave Ellipticity Inversion
Authors: Issaadi Abdelouahab , Semmane Fethi , Yelles-Chaouche Abdelkrim , Galiana-Merino Juan José , Layadi Khalissa
Published: March 2020

The city of Oued-Fodda is located in north-central Algeria on the margins of the Middle-Cheliff Basin. This region has suffered several destructive earthquakes. The strongest was the 1980 El-Asnam earthquake (Ms7.3), whose causative fault was located about 1 km north of the city of Oued-Fodda. Therefore, a good knowledge of the soil characteristics in this city may allow a better evaluation of the seismic risk and help to minimize damages in the future. With this objective, a detailed microzonation study of Oued-Fodda has been carried out in this study. For that, the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method has been applied on 102 sites along the city, estimating the soil fundamental frequencies and their corresponding amplitudes. Besides, the Rayleigh wave ellipticity inversion has been accomplished in order to estimate the corresponding Vs profiles and provide two cross-sections of the geology under the city. In the central part of the city, high-frequency peaks are observed, between 12.5 and 15 Hz, which correspond to impedance contrasts at shallow depth (<20 m). In the surrounding plain, two clear peaks are identified in the ranges 1.8–3.5 Hz (fundamental frequencies) and 6.5–15 Hz (secondary peaks).
Capacity and Delay Analysis for Large Social-Aware Mobile Ad Hoc Wireless Networks
Authors: Zhou Yang , Shi Yan , Chen Shanzhi
Published: March 2020

Most mobile ad hoc wireless networks have social features. It is a fundamental problem how to understand the performances of social-aware mobile ad hoc wireless networks. In this paper, we consider a wireless network area, with restricted mobility model and rank-based social model. On this basis, we investigate the upper bound of throughput capacity in such networks using the protocol interference model. By tessellating the network area into cells spatially and dividing time into slots temporally, we propose a multi-hop relay and slots allocation scheduling strategy. Then, we derive the achieved throughput capacity under this strategy. Results show per-node throughput is related to parameter of social model and range of node motion. In addition, we also study the delay varies by queueing theory in such network. Finally, we discuss capacity-delay tradeoffs in such networks. These results are beneficial to the design of network protocols in large social-aware mobile ad hoc wireless networks.