bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMPROVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR (OCB) THROUGH DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Authors: . Herfina , Wulandari Dian
Published: May 2020

The teacher’s Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) become an important factor that involve in the teaching process at school. Unfortunately, based on the preliminary survey at several Junior High-School in Bogor, it had been found that many teachers had low-level of OCB. In addition, it had been found that teachers had ineffective interpersonal communication and had received less transformational leadership. Based on that issue, we formulated the objectives of this research as to improve the teachers’ OCB through developing effective interpersonal communication and transformational leadership. This research was carried out at 266 teachers from 20 Junior High-Schools, in Bogor.  This research was used correlational technique to assess the degree of relationship among those variables. The findings of this research can be summarized that there is a positive and significant correlation (1) between interpersonal communication with OCB (r=0.604, p<0.01), (2) transformational leadership with OCB (r=0.602, p<0.01), and between interpersonal communication and transformational leadership simultaneously with OCB (r=0.613, p<0.01). These findings supported the recommendations to improve OCB through developing teachers’ interpersonal communication effectiveness and school principals’ transformational leadership.
THE EFFECT OF TEACHING-LEARNING ASSIGNMENT METHOD IN CIVIC LECTURE FOR ELEMENTARY ON STUDENTS’ PEDAGOGIC COMPETENCY
Authors: . Santa , Mirawati Mira
Published: May 2020

Title of the research is the effect of teaching-learning assignment of civic lecture for elementary school on students’ pedagogic competency. This research is aimed at finding out the effect of teaching-learning assignment method of civic lecture for elementary school on students’ pedagogic competency. The research was conducted on students of PGSD Semester 4th academic year 2018-2019 with total sample of 130. Survey method with causality approach is used in this research. Data analysis technique used in this research is correlation statistic test, simple linear regression. Hypothesis testing is done under significance standard of 0,05. The result of the research concluded that teaching-learning assignment on civic teaching for elementary school gives effect on pedagogic competency. It can be seen through correlation coefficient (rxy) between assignment (X) and pedagogic competency (Y) which resulted in score of r = 0,656. Casual coefficient is consulted through interpretation table of pearson product moment correlation (r) which is at strong effect. Regression equation for significance regression test is Fcount = 0,9842 with Ftabel(0,05) = 1,60 and Ftabel(0,01) = 1,93 with dkpembilang = 27 and dkdeterminer = 101. So that Fcount < Ftabel(0,05) < Ftabel(0,01) = 0,9842 <1,60 < 1,93 therefore it can be concluded that Fcount < Ftabel it means linear hypothesis is accepted, it that case data from pedagogic competency (Y) and assignment (X) have linear sphere relationship. The result of the research shows that pedagogic competency can be affected by teaching-learning assignment method during teaching-learning process of civic material in elementary school.
A RELAÇÃO FAMÍLIA-ESCOLA
Authors: Garcia Wada Maria Inês , Souza Marilza Terezinha Soares de
Published: May 2020

No desenvolvimento humano, uma das facetas é a da aprendizagem, que acontece na interação das características biopsicossociais da criança com pessoas, objetos e símbolos em interrelação com o contexto em um cronossistema. Sendo a família e a escola os principais agentes socializadores no início da vida social da criança, é imprescindível que a parceria exista e favoreça o desenvolvimento da criança/adolescente. Neste artigo, objetivou-se apresentar os aspectos facilitadores e dificultadores da relação família-escola a partir dos resultados de uma pesquisa mais ampla realizada com famílias. O método utilizado foi o de abordagem qualitativa, tendo como instrumento uma entrevista semiestruturada, além de um questionário com dados sociodemográficos. Para a análise, foram utilizadas ferramentas da Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados (TFD), tais como: codificação aberta, axial e seletiva, por meio de questionamentos e comparações registrados em memorandos. Os resultados demonstraram que a relação família-escola pode ser estabelecida de uma forma facilitadora ou dificultadora e está permeada pelas experiências anteriores dos familiares. Fatores como estrutura física e recursos humanos podem ser percebidos pela família, tanto como facilitador como dificultador, sendo imprescindível a atuação da direção escolar no fomento do vínculo entre a escola, a criança/ adolescente e a família, tendo como apoio a formação continuada dos professores. Sugere-se o desenvolvimento de uma pesquisa futura que possa incluir a ótica da escola sobre essa relação.
An Analysis of Climate Impacts on Herbicide, Insecticide, and Fungicide Expenditures
Authors: Rhodes Lauren A. , McCarl Bruce A.
Published: May 2020

The climate alters pest populations and in turn, pesticide use and cost as well as use of other pest treatments. This paper analyzes the effect of the climate on pesticide expenditures by category, namely: fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. This is done by econometrically estimating the effects of climate variables such as mean temperature and precipitation as well as the number of hot days, cold days, and wet days on the mean and variance of expenditures by category. The estimates are performed for corn, soybeans, spring and winter wheat, and potatoes. We find that climate factors influence fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide expenditures and that this influence is heterogeneous, varying in nature across crops and pesticide categories. Moreover, we find that climate extremes are more important in determining pesticide expenditures than climate averages in several cases.
Effect of Cassava Residue Substituting for Crushed Maize on In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics of Dairy Cows at Mid-Lactation
Authors: Zheng Yuhui , Xue Shenglin , Zhao Yanyan , Li Shengli
Published: May 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of using cassava residue to replace crushed maize on in vitro fermentation characteristics of dairy cows at mid-lactation and provide guidance for its utilization. The study included seven treatments with four replicates, which used 0% (control, CON), 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% cassava residue to replace crushed maize (air-dried matter basis), respectively. A China-patented automated trace gas recording system was used to perform in vitro gas tests; rumen fluids were collected from three dairy cows at mid-lactation. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), gas production (GP), pH, ammonia–N (NH3-N) and microbial protein (MCP) content were analyzed after in vitro incubating for 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively; volatile fatty acid (VFA) content was analyzed after in vitro culturing for 48 h. The results showed that with the increase of substitution ratio of cassava residue, the asymptotic gas production (A) increased quadratically (p < 0.05), cumulative gas production at 48 h (GP48) and the maximum rate of substrate digestion (RmaxS) increased linearly and quadratically (p < 0.05), the time at which the maximum gas production rate is reached (TRmaxG) increases linearly (p < 0.05). In addition, asymptotic gas production in 30% was significantly higher than the other treatments (p < 0.05), RmaxS in 25% and 30% were significantly higher than CON, 5% and 10% (p < 0.05). In addition, with the increase of substitution ratio of cassava residue, when in vitro cultured for 6 h and 12 h, NH3–N content decreased linearly and quadratically (p < 0.05). NH3–N content in 30% was significantly lower than the other treatments except 20% and 25% (p < 0.05) after cultivating for 6 h. Moreover, the content of iso-butyrate, iso-valerate, valerate and total VFA (tVFA) decreased linearly and quadratically (p < 0.05), acetate decreased quadratically (p < 0.05) with the increase of substitution ratio of cassava residue. In conclusion, when the cassava residue substitution ratio for crushed maize was 25% or less, there were no negative effects on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of dairy cows at mid-lactation.
Isolation, Characterization and Chemical Synthesis of Large Spectrum Antimicrobial Cyclic Dipeptide (l-leu-l-pro) from Streptomyces misionensis V16R3Y1 Bacteria Extracts. A Novel 1H NMR Metabolomic Approach
Authors: Saadouli Ilhem , Zendah El Euch Imène , Trabelsi Emna , Mosbah Amor , Redissi Alaeddine , Ferjani Raoudha , Fhoula Imene , Cherif Ameur , Sabatier Jean-Marc , Sewald Norbert , Ouzari Hadda-Imene
Published: May 2020

Streptomyces is the most frequently described genus of Actinomycetes, a producer of biologically active secondary metabolites. Indeed, the Streptomyces species produces about 70% of antibiotics and 60% of antifungal molecules used in agriculture. Our study was carried out with the goal of isolating and identifying antimicrobial secondary metabolites from Streptomyces misionensis V16R3Y1 isolated from the date palm rhizosphere (southern Tunisia). This strain presented a broad range of antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Candida metapsilosis, and Candida parapsilosis and antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia fergusonii, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The purification procedure entailed ethyl acetate extract, silica gel column, and thin layer chromatography. Based on 1H NMR metabolomic procedure application, also supported by the GC-MS analysis, cyclic dipeptide (l-Leucyl-l-Proline) was identified as the major compound in the bioactive fraction. In order to confirm the identity of the active compound and to have a large quantity thereof, a chemical synthesis of the cyclic dipeptide was performed. The synthetic compound was obtained with a very good yield (50%) and presented almost the same effect compared to the extracted fraction. This study indicates for the first time that Streptomyces misionensis V16R3Y1 exhibits a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, produced cyclic dipeptide (l-Leucyl-l-Proline) and might have potential use as a natural agent for pharmaceutical and agri-food applications.
Effects of Advanced Age, Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction and Insulin Dysregulation on Serum Antioxidant Markers in Horses
Authors: Żak Agnieszka , Siwińska Natalia , Chełmecka Elżbieta , Bażanów Barbara , Romuk Ewa , Adams Amanda , Niedźwiedź Artur , Stygar Dominika
Published: May 2020

The study aims to assess the impact of age, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and insulin dysregulation (ID) in horses on selected oxidative stress markers. The study includes 32 horses, divided into three groups: “young” adult group (aged 8–16 years old) “geriatric” group (aged 18–24 years old) and the “PPID” group (aged 15–31 years old). The PPID group was further divided into two subgroups: PPID ID+ and PPID ID− based on presence or absence of ID. We measured serum antioxidant stress markers in all horses: total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ceruloplasmin (CER), lipofuscin (LPS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiols concentrations (containing sulfhydryl group -SH) as well as enzymatic systems: total superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytoplasmic SOD (CuZnSOD), mitochondrial SOD activity (MnSOD). Total serum thiols were significantly lower in the geriatric group and in the PPID group compared to the young group. The MnSOD concentration was higher in the PPID ID+ group compared to the PPID ID−. LPS and MDA concentrations were lower in the PPID ID+ group compared to the PPID ID− group. In the selected study groups of horses, older age, the presence of PPID and ID in the case of PPID had no effect on the studied oxidative stress markers.
Drying Performance and Aflatoxin Content of Paddy Rice Applying an Inflatable Solar Dryer in Burkina Faso
Authors: Romuli Sebastian , Schock Steffen , Somda Marius Kounbèsiounè , Müller Joachim
Published: May 2020

The drying performance of paddy rice using an inflatable solar dryer (ISD), or also known as GrainPro® Solar Bubble Dryer™, was evaluated and compared to conventional sun drying in Burkina Faso. Drying time was around eight hours. Thermal imaging was conducted to observe temperature distribution in the ISD during drying and mixing. Shadow casting was observed in the ISD due to the round shape of the black plastic film, which reduced the temperature of the paddy rice to about 10 °C. The temperature inside the ISD was up to 13 °C higher than the ambient temperature, whereas the temperature of paddy rice on the top layer was about 5 °C higher than on the bottom. The final moisture content of paddy rice dried in the ISD and under the sun was not considerably different. Under certain circumstances, impurities in paddy rice dried in the ISD could be substantially lower than for sun drying. The aflatoxin level of paddy rice was under the maximum limit of the EU regulation. Drying paddy rice seemed to be effective to remove aflatoxin type AFG2 content. Further adaptation of the ISD design for drying operations on rough surfaces and sandy soils is suggested.
An Entropy Weight-Based Lower Confidence Bounding Optimization Approach for Engineering Product Design
Authors: Qian Jiachang , Yi Jiaxiang , Zhang Jinlan , Cheng Yuansheng , Liu Jun
Published: May 2020

The optimization design of engineering products involving computationally expensive simulation is usually a time-consuming or even prohibitive process. As a promising way to relieve computational burden, adaptive Kriging-based design optimization (AKBDO) methods have been widely adopted due to their excellent ability for global optimization under limited computational resource. In this paper, an entropy weight-based lower confidence bounding approach (EW-LCB) is developed to objectively make a trade-off between the global exploration and the local exploitation in the adaptive optimization process. In EW-LCB, entropy theory is used to measure the degree of the variation of the predicted value and variance of the Kriging model, respectively. Then, an entropy weight function is proposed to allocate the weights of exploration and exploitation objectively and adaptively based on the values of information entropy. Besides, an index factor is defined to avoid the sequential process falling into the local regions, which is associated with the frequencies of the current optimal solution. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed EW- LCB method, several numerical examples with different dimensions and complexities and the lightweight optimization design problem of an underwater vehicle base are utilized. Results show that the proposed approach is competitive compared with state-of-the-art AKBDO methods considering accuracy, efficiency, and robustness.
Special Issue “Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering”
Authors: Mizrahi Joseph , Levin Oron
Published: May 2020

This paper serves as an editorial preface to a Special Issue on Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering. The fields of Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering encompass a variety of topics. Perspectives on a variety of topics in these fields are presented, followed by a brief description of the contributions comprised in this Special Issue.
Efficient Molecular Aggregation of Rhodamine 6G and Pseudoisocyanine by Light-Induced Force
Authors: Shirakawa Masayuki , Kobayashi Takayoshi , Tokunaga Eiji
Published: May 2020

A highly efficient light-induced aggregation of porphyrin molecules in solution was recently reported for 4-[10,15,20-tris(4-sulfophenyl)-21,24-dihydroporphyrin-5-yl]benzenesulfonic acid (TPPS). Here, we demonstrate that rhodamine 6G (R6G) and pseudoisocyanine (PIC) also show efficient light-induced aggregation in unsaturated aqueous solution, being detected with a multichannel lock-in amplifier as the absorbance decrease/increase in the monomers/aggregates, induced by a laser at 633 nm, which is non-resonant off their main monomer absorption wavelengths. The light-induced aggregation states are H-aggregates that are hardly formed in the thermal equilibrium. The similar absorbance changes are absent in the monomer molecules fixed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. The aggregation efficiency defined as ( Δ A / A ) / ( U t r a p / k B T ) , where A is the absorbance of the monomers, Δ A is the absorbance increase in the aggregates, U t r a p is the optical gradient force potential, and k B T is the thermal energy at room temperature, is approximately 100 for R6G and 500 for PIC, which are much smaller than that of TPPS.
Material Flow Behavior on Weld Pool Surface in Plasma Arc Welding Process Considering Dominant Driving Forces
Authors: Ngo Huu Manh , Nguyen Van Anh , Nguyen Van Tuan , Tran Hai Dang , Nguyen Van Thanh , Nguyen Tien Dung , Nguyen Thanh-Hai
Published: May 2020

In this study, the effect of oxygen in the shielding gas on the material flow behavior of the weld pool surface was discussed to clarify the dominant driving weld pool force in keyhole plasma arc welding (KPAW). To address this issue, the convection flow on the top surface of weld pool was observed using a high-speed video camera. The temperature distribution on the surface along keyhole wall was measured using the two-color pyrometry method to confirm the Marangoni force activity on the weld pool. The results show that the inclination angle of the keyhole wall (keyhole shape) increased especially near the top surface due to the decrease in the surface tension of weld pool through surface oxidation when a shielding gas of Ar + 0.5% O2 was used. Due to the change in the keyhole shape, the upward and backward shear force compositions created a large inclination angle at the top surface of the keyhole. From the temperature measurement results, the Marangoni force was found to alter the direction when 0.5% O2 was mixed with the shielding gas. The shear force was found to be the strongest force among the four driving forces. The buoyant force and Lorentz force were very weak. The Marangoni force was stronger than the Lorentz force but was weaker than shear force. The interaction of shear force and Marangoni force controlled the behavior and speed of material flow on the weld pool surface. A strong upward and backward flow was observed in the case of mixture shielding gas, whereas a weak upward flow was observed for pure Ar. The heat transportation due to the weld pool convection significantly changed when only a small amount of oxygen was admixed in the shielding gas. The results can be applied to control the penetration ratio in KPAW.
Chemical and Bioenergetic Characterization of Biofuels from Plant Biomass: Perspectives for Southern Europe
Authors: Grippi Donatella , Clemente Rafael , Bernal M. Pilar
Published: May 2020

The global demand for and, therefore, the production of primary energy is continuously increasing. Consequently, the need to intervene with appropriate measures has arisen in order to achieve sustainable economic, social, and environmental objectives. The reduction of fuel and electricity consumption, the containment of atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide, methane, other hydrocarbons, and nitrous oxide), and the improvement of environmental quality in urban centers can be considered to be among these objectives. The search for efficient measures for the overall improvement of the environment is directed towards the replacement of traditional fossil fuels with the production of bioenergy (also known as green energy) from different materials and biomasses obtained from specific agricultural activities and/or plant residues. These materials have physico-chemical and biological characteristics of interest regarding their use as sources of renewable energy. The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of the chemical and bioenergetic characteristics of biofuels, the main techniques and processes employed for their production, and the characteristics of the different feedstock materials, especially potential energy crops.
Adaptive Subset-Based Digital Image Correlation for Fatigue Crack Evaluation
Authors: Kang Myung Soo , An Yun-Kyu
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes a fatigue crack evaluation technique based on digital image correlation (DIC) with statistically optimized adaptive subsets. In conventional DIC analysis, a uniform subset size is typically utilized throughout the entire region of interest (ROI), which is determined by experts’ subjective judgement. The basic assumption of the conventional DIC analysis is that speckle patterns are uniformly distributed within the ROI of a target image. However, the speckle patterns on the ROI are often spatially biased, augmenting spatially different DIC errors. Thus, a subset size optimization with spatially different sizes, called adaptive subset sizes, is needed to improve the DIC accuracy. In this paper, the adaptive subset size optimization algorithm is newly proposed and experimentally validated using an aluminum plate with sprayed speckle patterns which are not spatially uniform. The validation test results show that the proposed algorithm accurately estimates the horizontal displacements of 200 μ m , 500 μ m and 1 mm without any DIC error within the ROI. On the other hand, the conventional subset size determination algorithm, which employs a uniform subset size, produces the maximum error of 33% in the designed specimen. In addition, a real fatigue crack-opening phenomenon, which is a local deformation within the ROI, is evaluated using the proposed algorithm. The fatigue crack-opening phenomenon as well as the corresponding displacement distribution nearby the fatigue crack tip are effectively visualized under the uniaxial tensile conditions of 0.2, 1.0, 1.4 and 1.7 mm , while the conventional algorithm shows local DIC errors, especially at crack opening areas.
Development of Bonded Natural Stone Pavement Using Ultra-Rapid-Hardening Mortar
Authors: Han Eui-Seok , Gong Junho , Jeong Hoseong , Cho Dooyong
Published: May 2020

Bonded natural stone pavement has been typically used in historical neighborhoods to satisfy functional and architectural aesthetic standards. Despite its advantages, it has been barely applied to places for heavy traffic volume or high travelling speed because of various structural failures in joints and bedding courses. Ultra-rapid-hardening mortar for natural stone pavement was considered as an alternative to minimize these failures. The objective of this study is to develop bound stone pavement using the ultra-rapid-hardening mortar for high traffic volume and evaluate throughout by carrying out material tests, plate load test, accelerated pavement test (APT), and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) test. For the tests, four types of pavements, asphalt, concrete block, and two bound stone pavements, were produced in a testing facility. The bearing capacity of the sub-base course, which was asphalt and concrete, showed values 1.62 and 2.64 times higher than deemed satisfactory. Additionally, rut depth was measured using a transverse profile logger during the APT test and the test was terminated at 1.97 million cumulative equivalent single axle loads (ESALs). In the rut depth measurements, the deepest deflection (16.0 mm) was made in the asphalt pavement and the depth of the concrete block pavement was 4.5 mm. Vertical displacements of 3.0 and 1.5 mm were obtained in stone pavements A and B, respectively. The maximum pavement vertical deflection response was recorded at 0, 0.4, and 1.97 million ESALs. The response results revealed that they were influenced by the material types of either bedding or sub-base courses. With these outcomes, it would be possible to apply the baseline data for designing rigid small element pavement for heavy traffic volume or high travelling speed roads.
Experimental Study on the Damage of Optical Materials by out of Band Composite Laser
Authors: Yang Liu , Lisheng Liu , Wei Tang , Junfeng Shao , Xuelei Li , Junjie Sun , Ming Shao , Xiangzheng Cheng
Published: May 2020

For the paper, experimental studies were performed on the damage of the Ge- and Si-based flat window by lasers out-of-band. The experimental results showed that lasers out-of-band can cause film damage and substrate damage to Ge and Si windows. The high-energy laser damage window mechanism mainly manifested as thermal effects. The composite laser damage thresholds for the substrate were an Si window of 21.6 J/cm2 and a Ge window of 3 J/cm2. Compared with continuous laser and long pulse laser experimental results, it was found that the use of long pulse-continuous composite constitution could effectively reduce the damage threshold. Compared to the long-pulse laser, the composite laser could achieve similar damage effects with a smaller energy density.
Dynamics of Muddy Rain of 15 June 2018 in Nepal
Authors: Pokharel Ashok Kumar , Xu Tianli , Liu Xiaobo , Dawadi Binod
Published: May 2020

It has been revealed from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications MERRA analyses, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS/Terra satellite imageries, Naval Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System NAAPS model outputs, Cloud –Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations CALIPSO imageries, Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory HYSPLIT model trajectories, atmospheric soundings, and observational records of dust emission that there were multiple dust storms in the far western parts of India from 12 to 15 June 2018 due to thunderstorms. This led to the lifting of the dust from the surface. The entry of dust into the upper air was caused by the generation of a significant amount of turbulent kinetic energy as a function of strong wind shear generated by the negative buoyancy of the cooled air aloft and the convective buoyancy in the lower planetary boundary layer. Elevated dust reached a significant vertical height and was advected towards the northern/northwestern/northeastern parts of India. In the meantime, this dust was carried by northwesterly winds associated with the jets in the upper level, which advected dust towards the skies over Nepal where rainfall was occurring at that time. Consequently, this led to the muddy rain in Nepal.
Applying a Delphi-Type Approach to Estimate the Adaptation Cost on Agriculture to Climate Change in Cyprus
Authors: Markou Marinos , Michailidis Anastasios , Loizou Efstratios , Nastis Stefanos A. , Lazaridou Dimitra , Kountios Georgios , Allahyari Mohammad S. , Stylianou Andreas , Papadavid George , Mattas Konstadinos
Published: May 2020

Agriculture is highly dependent on climate change, and Cyprus especially is experiencing its impacts on agricultural production to a greater extent, mainly due to its geographical location. The adaptation of farming to the effects of global climate change may lead to the maximization of agricultural production, which is an important and desirable improvement. The main aim of this paper is to rank and quantify the impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector of Cyprus, through a multi-round Delphi survey seeking a consensus agreement in a group of experts. A multidisciplinary group of 20 experts stated their willingness-to-pay for various impacts of climate change. By applying this method, the individual impacts of climate change on crop production and water resources were brought into the modeling effort on equal footing with cost values. The final cost impact estimate represents the total estimated cost of climate change in the agricultural sector. According to the results, this cost reaches EUR 25.08 million annually for the agricultural sector, and EUR 366.48 million for the whole country. Therefore, it is expected that in the seven-year programming period 2014–2020 the total cost of climate change on agriculture ranges from EUR 176 to EUR 2565 million. The most significant impacts are due to the increasing level of CO2 in the atmosphere and the burden of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Novel Dynamic Structures of 2019-nCoV with Nonlocal Operator via Powerful Computational Technique
Authors: Gao Wei , Veeresha P. , Prakasha D. G. , Baskonus Haci Mehmet
Published: May 2020

In this study, we investigate the infection system of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) with a nonlocal operator defined in the Caputo sense. With the help of the fractional natural decomposition method (FNDM), which is based on the Adomian decomposition and natural transform methods, numerical results were obtained to better understand the dynamical structures of the physical behavior of 2019-nCoV. Such behaviors observe the general properties of the mathematical model of 2019-nCoV. This mathematical model is composed of data reported from the city of Wuhan, China.
Clinical Genetics of Prolidase Deficiency: An Updated Review
Authors: Spodenkiewicz Marta , Spodenkiewicz Michel , Cleary Maureen , Massier Marie , Fitsialos Giorgos , Cottin Vincent , Jouret Guillaume , Poirsier Céline , Doco-Fenzy Martine , Lèbre Anne-Sophie
Published: May 2020

Prolidase is a ubiquitous enzyme that plays a major role in the metabolism of proline-rich proteins. Prolidase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive inborn metabolic and multisystemic disease, characterized by a protean association of symptoms, namely intellectual disability, recurrent infections, splenomegaly, skin lesions, auto-immune disorders and cytopenia. To our knowledge, no published review has assembled the different clinical data and research studies over prolidase deficiency. The aim of this study is to summarize the actual state of the art from the descriptions of all the patients with a molecular diagnosis of prolidase deficiency reported to date regarding the clinical, biological, histopathological features, therapeutic options and functional studies.
Galectin-3: Roles in Neurodevelopment, Neuroinflammation, and Behavior
Authors: Srejovic Ivan , Selakovic Dragica , Jovicic Nemanja , Jakovljević Vladimir , Lukic Miodrag L. , Rosic Gvozden
Published: May 2020

There is a plethora of evidence to suggest that Galectin-3 plays an important role in normal functions of mammalian cells, as well as in different pathogenic conditions. This review highlights recent data published by researchers, including our own team, on roles of Galectin-3 in the nervous system. Here, we discuss the roles of Galectin-3 in brain development, its roles in glial cells, as well as the interactions of glial cells with other neural and invading cells in pathological conditions. Galectin-3 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. On the other hand, there is also evidence of the protective role of Galectin-3 due to its anti-apoptotic effect in target cells. Interestingly, genetic deletion of Galectin-3 affects behavioral patterns in maturing and adult mice. The results reviewed in this paper and recent development of highly specific inhibitors suggests that Galectin-3 may be an important therapeutic target in pathological conditions including the disorders of the central nervous system.
New Experiment of Diesel Exhaust Treatment by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma–Wood Fiber Combination
Authors: Guo Xiurong , Ha Khanh Hop , Du Danfeng
Published: May 2020

Herein, a novel process of diesel exhaust purification by non-thermal plasma combined with wood fiber has been investigated to understand the effect of purification efficiency on the emission. The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and wood fiber (WF) improved removal efficiency of nitrogen oxide (NOx) owing to the positive activity of oxygen-containing functional groups (such as O–H groups or C–O groups) on the wood surface, which promoted the removal of NOx by 10%–13%. The mechanism to remove NOx in the presence of wood fibers was also deduced through FTIR spectra. When carbon black was loaded on the wood fiber, there was simultaneous removal of carbon soot and NOX. Although complete purification was not achieved, a high purification efficiency was obtained under the conditions of room temperature and no catalysts. These advantages highlight the importance of use of wood and non-thermal plasma (NTP), and this research work opens new avenues in the field of emissions treatment.
Multi-Omics Analysis of Diabetic Heart Disease in the db/db Model Reveals Potential Targets for Treatment by a Longevity-Associated Gene
Authors: Faulkner Ashton , Dang Zexu , Avolio Elisa , Thomas Anita C , Batstone Thomas , Lloyd Gavin R , Weber Ralf JM , Najdekr Lukáš , Jankevics Andris , Dunn Warwick B , Spinetti Gaia , Vecchione Carmine , Puca Annibale A , Madeddu Paolo
Published: May 2020

Characterisation of animal models of diabetic cardiomyopathy may help unravel new molecular targets for therapy. Long-living individuals are protected from the adverse influence of diabetes on the heart, and the transfer of a longevity-associated variant (LAV) of the human BPIFB4 gene protects cardiac function in the db/db mouse model. This study aimed to determine the effect of LAV-BPIFB4 therapy on the metabolic phenotype (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, UHPLC-MS) and cardiac transcriptome (next-generation RNAseq) in db/db mice. UHPLC-MS showed that 493 cardiac metabolites were differentially modulated in diabetic compared with non-diabetic mice, mainly related to lipid metabolism. Moreover, only 3 out of 63 metabolites influenced by LAV-BPIFB4 therapy in diabetic hearts showed a reversion from the diabetic towards the non-diabetic phenotype. RNAseq showed 60 genes were differentially expressed in hearts of diabetic and non-diabetic mice. The contrast between LAV-BPIFB4- and vehicle-treated diabetic hearts revealed eight genes differentially expressed, mainly associated with mitochondrial and metabolic function. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that LAV-BPIFB4 re-programmed the heart transcriptome and metabolome rather than reverting it to a non-diabetic phenotype. Beside illustrating global metabolic and expressional changes in diabetic heart, our findings pinpoint subtle changes in mitochondrial-related proteins and lipid metabolism that could contribute to LAV-BPIFB4-induced cardio-protection in a murine model of type-2 diabetes.
Consequences of Lmna Exon 4 Mutations in Myoblast Function
Authors: Gómez-Domínguez Déborah , Epifano Carolina , de Miguel Fernando , Castaño Albert García , Vilaplana-Martí Borja , Martín Alberto , Amarilla-Quintana Sandra , Bertrand Anne T , Bonne Gisèle , Ramón-Azcón Javier , Rodríguez-Milla Miguel A , Pérez de Castro Ignacio
Published: May 2020

Laminopathies are causally associated with mutations on the Lamin A/C gene (LMNA). To date, more than 400 mutations in LMNA have been reported in patients. These mutations are widely distributed throughout the entire gene and are associated with a wide range of phenotypes. Unfortunately, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the effect of the majority of these mutations. This is the case of more than 40 mutations that are located at exon 4. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated a collection of Lmna exon 4 mutants in mouse C2C12 myoblasts. These cell models included different types of exon 4 deletions and the presence of R249W mutation, one of the human variants associated with a severe type of laminopathy, LMNA-associated congenital muscular dystrophy (L-CMD). We characterized these clones by measuring their nuclear circularity, myogenic differentiation capacity in 2D and 3D conditions, DNA damage, and levels of p-ERK and p-AKT (phosphorylated Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/3 and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1). Our results indicated that Lmna exon 4 mutants showed abnormal nuclear morphology. In addition, levels and/or subcellular localization of different members of the lamin and LINC (LInker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton) complex were altered in all these mutants. Whereas no significant differences were observed for ERK and AKT activities, the accumulation of DNA damage was associated to the Lmna p.R249W mutant myoblasts. Finally, significant myogenic differentiation defects were detected in the Lmna exon 4 mutants. These results have key implications in the development of future therapeutic strategies for the treatment of laminopathies.
Anti-Wrinkle Efficacy of Neuropeptide Substance P-Based Hydrogel in Human Volunteers
Authors: Kim Da Jung , Lee Seul Bi , Chang Song Sun , Lee Jungsun
Published: May 2020

This letter is intended to clarify the clinical effectiveness of neuropeptide substance P (SP) in reducing age-related skin wrinkling. This is the first clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of the topical application of SP on wrinkle reduction. For the clinical study, we tested the efficacy of a stable SP formulation known as SP-based hydrogel against skin aging in study participants. We found that this SP-based hydrogel reduced skin aging based on changes observed in several cutaneous parameters.
Tracking Bacterial Spoilage in Cosmetics by a New Bioanalytical Approach: API-SPME-GC-MS to Monitor MVOCs
Authors: Celeiro Maria , Varela Esther , Rodriguez Rocio , Penedo Manuel , Lores Marta
Published: May 2020

The main goal of this work was the use of the powerful solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) technique to unequivocally identify microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) derived from the enzymatic activity produced during metabolic processes using analytical profile index (API) biochemical tests. Three bacteria were selected for this study: Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They were inoculated and incubated to both API components and real cosmetics, as well as to a mixture of them. Specific MVOCs were successfully identified as biomarkers for each one of the studied microorganisms: Indole and 2-nitrophenol as Escherichia coli markers, 2-undecanone and phenylethyl alcohol as Proteus mirabilis-specific markers, and 1-undecene and 2′-aminoacetophenone as Pseudomonas aeruginosa ones. In addition, a high number of MVOCs were identified as general markers of bacterial presence. The results revealed that the MVOCs’ formation is highly subtract dependent. Therefore, the ultimate and most challenging objective is to establish a relationship between the identified MVOCs and the original compound present in the substrate. This work establishes the design and development of this original approach, and its practical application to the control of microbial contamination in real cosmetic samples.
ASFIT: AUTOSAR-Based Software Fault Injection Test for Vehicles
Authors: Park Jihyun , Choi Byoungju
Published: May 2020

With recent increases in the amount of software installed in vehicles, the probability of automotive software faults that lead to accidents has also increased. Because automotive software faults can lead to serious accidents or even mortalities, vehicle software design and testing must consider safety a top priority. ISO 26262 recommends fault injection testing as a measure to verify the functional safety of vehicles. However, the standard does not clearly specify when and where faults should be injected, and the tools to support fault injection testing for automotive software are also insufficient. In the present study, we define faults that may occur in Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR)-based automotive software and propose a fault injection method to be applied during the software development process. The proposed method can inject different types of faults that may occur in AUTOSAR-based automotive software, such as access, asymmetric, and timing errors, while minimizing performance degradation due to fault injection, and without using any separate hardware devices. The superior performance of the proposed method is demonstrated through empirical studies applied to fault injection testing of a range of vehicle electronic control unit software.
A Review of Coffee By-Products Including Leaf, Flower, Cherry, Husk, Silver Skin, and Spent Grounds as Novel Foods within the European Union
Authors: Klingel Tizian , Kremer Jonathan I. , Gottstein Vera , Rajcic de Rezende Tabata , Schwarz Steffen , Lachenmeier Dirk W.
Published: May 2020

The coffee plant Coffea spp. offers much more than the well-known drink made from the roasted coffee bean. During its cultivation and production, a wide variety of by-products are accrued, most of which are currently unused, thermally recycled, or used as animal feed. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of novel coffee products in the food sector and their current legal classification in the European Union (EU). For this purpose, we have reviewed the literature on the composition and safety of coffee flowers, leaves, pulp, husk, parchment, green coffee, silver skin, and spent coffee grounds. Some of these products have a history of consumption in Europe (green coffee), while others have already been used as traditional food in non-EU-member countries (coffee leaves, notification currently pending), or an application for authorization as novel food has already been submitted (husks, flour from spent coffee grounds). For the other products, toxicity and/or safety data appear to be lacking, necessitating further studies to fulfill the requirements of novel food applications.
Zircons from a Pegmatite Cutting Eclogite (Gridino, Belomorian Mobile Belt): U-Pb-O and Trace Element Constraints on Eclogite Metamorphism and Fluid Activity
Authors: Skublov Sergey G. , Berezin Aleksey V. , Li Xian-Hua , Li Qiu-Li , Salimgaraeva Laysan I. , Travin Veniamin V. , Rezvukhin Dmitriy I.
Published: May 2020

This report presents new data on U-Pb geochronology, oxygen isotopes, and trace element composition of zircon from a pegmatite vein crosscutting an eclogite boudin on Stolbikha Island, Gridino area, Belomorian mobile belt (BMB). The zircon grains occur as two distinct populations. The predominant population is pegmatitic and shows dark cathodoluminescence (CL); about a third of this population contains inherited cores. The second zircon population is typical of granulite and exhibits a well-defined sectorial (mosaic) zoning in CL. Both the inherited cores and sectorial in CL zircons appear to have been captured from metabasites as xenocrysts during the pegmatite vein formation. A U-Pb age of 1890 ± 2 Ma for the main zircon population is interpreted as the age of the pegmatite injection. This value is close to the age threshold for the BMB eclogites (~1.9 Ga) and unambiguously defines the upper age limit for the eclogite metamorphism. The pegmatite formation is thus related to partial melting events that occurred during the retrograde amphibolite-facies metamorphism shortly after the eclogitization. A U-Pb date of 2743 ± 10 Ma obtained for the sectorial in CL zircons is considered as the age of the granulite-facies metamorphism established previously within the BMB. The values of δ18O in the zircon populations overlap in a broad range, i.e., δ18O in the pegmatitic zircons varies from 6.1‰ to 8.3‰, inherited cores show a generally higher δ18O of 6.7–8.8‰, and in the captured granulitic zircons δ18O is 6.2–7.9‰. As a result of fluid attack during the final stage of the pegmatite vein formation, the composition of the pegmatitic zircons in terms of non-formula elements (REE, Y, Ca, Sr, Ti) has become anomalous, with the content of these elements having been increased by more than tenfold in the alteration zones. Our data provide new constraints on the timing of eclogite metamorphism within the BMB and show that the late-stage pegmatite-related fluids exerted a very pronounced influence on trace element abundances in zircon, yet had no significant impact on the isotopic composition of oxygen.
Creative Accounting: Alternative Facts in the History of the Pirate, John Gow
Authors: Chevalier Noel
Published: May 2020

The narratives in Captain Charles Johnson’s General History of the Pyrates (1724–1728) have often been regarded as reliable accounts of pirate activity between 1690 and 1726, in part because the book’s long-held attribution to Daniel Defoe has, until recently, granted it some measure of journalistic integrity. A closer examination of one of General History’s narratives, that of the Scottish pirate, John Gow, reveals a story filled with contradictions, loose ends, possible fabrications, and simple errors, to the point where a definitive account of Gow’s activities becomes almost impossible to determine. This paper compares the two Gow narratives found in the 1725 and 1728 editions of General History with naval reports, newspaper accounts, and pamphlet narratives, all of which offer vastly differing versions of Gow’s story. As the general outlines of the story become fixed in various tellings, we can see how the focus of these narratives shifts from being a simple record of criminal activity to a drama in which the pirate must satisfy the expectation of being hostis humani generis—the enemy of all humanity—to the point where violence, rape, murder, and other anti-social acts overshadow the maritime plundering of goods and money as the pirate’s chief defining characteristic.
Automatic Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Based on CNN-LSTM and Shortcut Connection
Authors: Ping Yongjie , Chen Chao , Wu Lu , Wang Yinglong , Shu Minglei
Published: May 2020

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common persistent arrhythmias, which has a close connection to a large number of cardiovascular diseases. However, if spotted early, the diagnosis of AF can improve the effectiveness of clinical treatment and effectively prevent serious complications. In this paper, a combination of an 8-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) with a shortcut connection and 1-layer long short-term memory (LSTM), named 8CSL, was proposed for the Electrocardiogram (ECG) classification task. Compared with recurrent neural networks (RNN) and multi-scale convolution neural networks (MCNN), not only can 8CSL extract features skillfully, but also deal with long-term dependency between data. In particular, 8CSL includes eight shortcut connections that can improve the speed of the data transmission and processing as a result of the shortcut connections. The model was evaluated on the base of the test set of the Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2017 dataset with the F1 score. The ECG recordings were cropped or padded to the same length. After 10-fold cross-validation, the average test F1 score was 84.89%, 89.55%, and 85.64% when the segment length was 5, 10, 20 s, respectively. The experiment results demonstrate excellent performance with potential practical applications.
Intrusion Detection in IoT Networks Using Deep Learning Algorithm
Authors: Susilo Bambang , Sari Riri Fitri
Published: May 2020

The internet has become an inseparable part of human life, and the number of devices connected to the internet is increasing sharply. In particular, Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become a part of everyday human life. However, some challenges are increasing, and their solutions are not well defined. More and more challenges related to technology security concerning the IoT are arising. Many methods have been developed to secure IoT networks, but many more can still be developed. One proposed way to improve IoT security is to use machine learning. This research discusses several machine-learning and deep-learning strategies, as well as standard datasets for improving the security performance of the IoT. We developed an algorithm for detecting denial-of-service (DoS) attacks using a deep-learning algorithm. This research used the Python programming language with packages such as scikit-learn, Tensorflow, and Seaborn. We found that a deep-learning model could increase accuracy so that the mitigation of attacks that occur on an IoT network is as effective as possible.