bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assimilation of SCATSAR Soil Wetness Index in SURFEX 8.0 to
improve weather forecasts
Authors: Schneider Stefan , Bauer-Marschallinger Bernhard
Published: January 2019

Abstract. To date, in numerical weather prediction models it has only been possible to assimilate surface soil moisture data. Due to the structure of this surface soil layer in soil models, the effect of the assimilation vanishes fast. This results in a small impact on model performance. Here we present a combination of two new developments to overcome this problem. On the one hand, a new satellite based soil moisture data set is assimilated that combines the advantages of two different sensors (MetOp ASCAT and Sentinel-1 SAR) and the so-called T-value approach to estimate the soil moisture content of deeper soil layers. On the other hand, an advanced version of the well-established SURFEX soil model data assimilation software is used to ingest this new data source for improved short-range weather forecasts. Comparisons of the two data sets from satellite and soil model indicate that the estimation of deep soil moisture from superficial measurements produces reasonable estimates down to 0.5 m. Assimilation experiments with a simplified Extended Kalman Filter for a model domain covering Austria shows the benefit of this new combination with improved verification scores for temperature and relative humidity forecasts at 2 m above ground.
Remote sensing of upwelling off Australia's north-east coast
Authors: Azis Ismail Mochamad Furqon , Ribbe Joachim , Karstensen Johannes , Rossi Vincent
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Cross-shelf processes drive the exchange of water between the continental shelf and western boundary currents, leading to the import and export of heat, freshwater, sediments, nutrients, plankton, fish larvae, and other properties. Upwelling is an important process which modulates those exchanges. It regulates primary productivity, which in turn promotes higher trophic levels and fisheries. In this paper, we investigate upwelling events in the East Australian Current (EAC) intensification zone off Southeast Queensland through the analysis of remotely-sensed Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) as well as wind and ocean reanalysis products. A particular focus is on identifying the likely mechanisms that drive upwelling events during the austral autumn to winter which are evident from cold SST and enhanced Chl-a concentrations. Four complementary Upwelling Indices (UIs) are derived. Chl-a (UIChla) and SST (UISST) based indices characterize the oceanic response to upwelling, while indices based on wind (UIw) and current (UIc) data capture the forcing of upwelling. The spatial and temporal variability of all UIs is examined over the continental shelf. It reveals distinct seasonal patterns. For the northern region, UIs identify the well-known Southeast Fraser Island Upwelling System. It prevails during the austral spring to early summer and is driven by current- and upwelling favourable wind. In contrast, upwelling is enhanced over the southern shelf during austral autumn to winter. About 70 % of all UISST and UIChla identified upwelling events occur during this period. A case study is presented that provides observational evidence for the existence of a shelf-break upwelling. Simultaneous downwelling favourable wind stress and upwelling favourable current-driven bottom stress establish a flow convergence in the bottom boundary layer (BBL). These convergent BBL flows force upwelling of cold and nutrient-rich slope waters as evident from negative SST anomaly and enhanced Chl-a in austral autumn to winter. It is evident from these results that the shelf region is characterised by two distinct seasonally reoccurring upwelling regimes.
Flerstämmig musikundervisning i förskola
Authors: Holmberg Ylva , Roth Ann-Christine Vallberg
Published: January 2019

Tidigare studier inom musik och förskola i nordisk och svensk förskoleforskning har oftare fokuserat lärande än undervisning (Vallberg Roth 2018). Inom området Eary Childhood Music Education råder det brist på forskning som berör själva processen att undervisa och teoretisering av den. I ett samverkansprojekt har didaktiska grundfrågor fått fungera som en bro mellan process och teoretisering. De didaktiska frågorna har även bidragit till att flytta fokus från lärande till undervisning i deltagande förskollärares musikundervisning. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att utveckla kunskap om vad som kan känneteckna musikundervisning i förskola. Didaktiskt orienterad abduktiv analys har genomförts av 349 skriftliga dokument och 63 filmtimmar från 121 förskolor/avdelningar i tio kommuner. Resultatet visar spår av flera infallsvinklar och variation av närmanden vilket leder till flerstämmig musikundervisning, dels utifrån musikens flera dimensioner (akustisk, emotionell, existentiell, motorisk-kinestetisk och strukturell), dels utifrån musikundervisningens flera aspekter (konst-, hantverks och vetenskapsorienterade).
English abstract
Multi-voiced music teaching in preschool
Earlier Nordic studies of music in preschool have often focused on learning rather than teaching (Vallberg Roth 2018). Within the area of Early Childhood Music Education there is a lack of research concerning the teaching process itself and the theorisation of it. In this collaborative project with preschool teachers regarding music teaching, the didactic questions are used as a bridge between process and theorisation. These questions, together with the music teaching contribute to shifting the focus from learning to teaching. The aim of the project is to develop knowledge about possible characteristics of music teaching in preschool. Didactically oriented abductive analysis has been implemented using 349 written documents and 63 hours of video recordings from 121 preschools/preschool departments in ten municipalities. The result shows traces of multiple and varying approaches of a multi-voiced music teaching partly from the many dimensions of music (acoustic, emotional, existential, motor-kinesthetic and structural), partly from music teaching’s many aspects (art, craft, and science).
Criseida Lacrymosa? Rereading the Weeping Criseyde
Authors: Fumo Jamie C.
Published: January 2019

Building on emotion studies and the cognate disciplines of sociology and behavioral psychology, this article considers the tears (or lack thereof) shed by Chaucer's Criseyde and her literary siblings at pivotal moments in the Trojan story as transmitted from Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Guido delle Colonne, and Giovanni Boccaccio to Chaucer's love epic. It argues that the Criseyde-character was indigenously and polemically identified with tearful expression in the antifeminist tradition to which Chaucer responded, and that Chaucer, through what we might call a revisionist lacrimology, reframed the significance of Criseyde's weeping to establish her as his poem's most complex emotional agent. Chaucer capitalized on the phenomenological multivalence of tears to destabilize venerable literary expectations surrounding female tearfulness, particularly in relation to widowhood and infidelity. He accomplishes this both by complicating the signifying properties of Criseyde's tears and by affiliating her with a poetics of laughter.
Tied in “lusty leese”: Gender and Determinism in Troilus and Criseyde
Authors: Slayton Kendra
Published: January 2019

This article reconsiders Chaucer's depiction of Criseyde's social constraints in the context of medieval theological debates on free will and natural inclination. Unlike Boethius's vision in the Consolation of Philosophy of God as the benevolent summum bonum toward which all humans naturally incline, Troilus and Criseyde powerfully explores the deterministic potential of secular society when its ideology subverts the Christian summum bonum. Although Criseyde declares, “I am myn owene womman” (II, 750), Chaucer's employment of words with circumscribing connotations, such as lusty leese and muwe, undercuts Criseyde's self-perception. In addition to this semantic slippage, Chaucer imbues his text with ghosts of the violent classical past to point towards the atemporal quality of the snare in which Criseyde is trapped, circumscribing her past, present, and future.
What's in Criseyde's Book?
Authors: Schwebel Leah
Published: January 2019

After Pandarus interrupts Criseyde listening to a book on the siege of Thebes, she and he describe this work in two contrasting ways. The apparent disconnect between their descriptions, along with the fact that the book remains unnamed, has led scholars to advocate for either the Latin Thebaid or the French Roman de Thèbes as the likely candidate for this work. This article will argue that the exegetical exercise we must perform in our search for Criseyde's book is precisely the point. In our futile search for the book's identity—in our comparative study of “Theban gestes”—we retrace a pattern of authorial erasure and misprision prevalent in medieval works on Thebes. In describing Criseyde's book in two ways, and in leaving it nameless, Chaucer thus points his readers to the inevitable silencing and manipulation that accompany textual transmission and translation.
Climate Apartheid: The Forgetting of Race in the Anthropocene
Authors: Tuana Nancy
Published: January 2019

Despite recognition of the gender dimensions of climate change, there is little attention to racism in climate justice perspectives. In response, this article advocates developing an ecologically informed intersectional approach designed to disclose the ways racism contributes to the construction of illegible lives in the domain of climate policies and practices. Differential impacts of climate change, while an important dimension, is ultimately inadequate to understanding and responding to both climate justice and environmental racism. What is required is a rich understanding of the histories and lineages of the deep incorporation of racism and environmental exploitation. To catalyze such an approach to climate justice, this article develops an analysis of three instances of the intermingling of racism and environmental exploitation: climate adaptation practices in Lagos, Nigeria; the enmeshment of race and coal mining in the post–Civil War United States; and the infusing of precarity and rainforest destruction in Brazil.
Criminalization and Undocumented Migrante Laborer Identities in the Zone of Nonbeing
Authors: Velasquez Ernesto Rosen
Published: January 2019

Joseph Carens in his 2013 book Ethics of Immigration argues we should not criminalize undocumented migrants. Instead, we should view them as irregular immigrants who are entitled to some general human rights. This article focuses on Caren's discussion of criminalization in light of recent scholarship by John Marquez and Natalie Cisneros pertaining to the Latina/o border death toll, generalized violence, and discourses on undocumented pregnant migrante females as multiplying rats and anchor babies. This article argues that simply relying on a democratic state model to understand the realities of border militarization is not sufficient because it does not perform some of the explanatory functions performed by other non-ideal theories. By synthesizing the views of Cisneros and Marquez, this article distinguishs thick and thin senses of excessive border enforcement and outlines a notion of the racial/sexual state of expendability as a way of making better sense of these violent realities.
Structural ambiguity and optionality of agreement patterns in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian conjunct agreement
Authors: Mitić Ivana , Arsenijević Boban
Published: January 2019

The paper deals with conjunct agreement and addresses the question whether the choice of agreement patterns with conjoined subjects is determined by the underlying syntactic structure. We focus on so-called bare conjunction with a shared adnominal item (modifier or determiner) which agrees only with the first conjunct, in particular on the split interpretation of this construction. Since this type of conjunction allows the adnominal item only to agree with the first conjunct, even though it structurally dominates the entire conjunction, we hypothesize that it also yields first conjunct agreement on the verb. We report and discuss the results of a production experiment that tests this hypothesis and confirms its predictions.
Pragmatic Markers Produced by Multilingual Speakers: Evidence From a CLIL Context
Authors: Martinez Ana Herraiz , Hernández Ariadna Sánchez
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the production of pragmatic markers (PMs) by multilingual students in a CLIL context. Previous studies have analyzed pragmatic competence in multilingual settings (e.g., Cenoz, 2003; Martín-Laguna & Alcón-Soler, 2015; Portolés, 2015; Safont & Portolés, 2016). However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the use of PMs across languages at the oral level in the multilingual classroom. As suggested by Nashaat-Sobhy (2017, p. 69), there is a need for studies that support or refute whether CLIL helps students communicate more appropriately. In an attempt to fill this gap, the overall aim of this research study is to explore how multilingual students use PMs across languages –namely Spanish, Catalan and English- in terms of frequency and type of PM.

Participants were 19 Spanish students in an instructional context where three languages are in contact, namely English, Catalan and Spanish. They completed a language background questionnaire and comparable oral decision-making tasks carried out in pairs, one task in each of the target languages. The analysis explored the frequency and type of PMs (i.e. textual and interpersonal markers). Findings revealed significant differences in the frequency and type of both interpersonal and textual PMs across the three languages, shedding some light on the particular characteristics of the pragmatic competence of multilingual learners in a CLIL setting.
Supplementing With Vitamin C the Diet of Honey Bees Parasitized With Varroa destructor: Effect on Carbohydrate Metabolism
Authors: Łopieńska-Biernat Elżbieta , Farjan Marek , Żółtowska Krystyna , Dmitryjuk Małgorzata , Lipiński Zbigniew , Szypulska Ewa
Published: January 2019

The most profound decrease in the number of honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) colonies is observed after winter. This study evaluates the effect of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) supplementation in wintering colonies of honey bees naturally infested with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor on total carbohydrate content, glycogen, trehalose, glucose and fructose concentrations, and the activity of amylase and disaccharidases in a developing worker brood. The severity of the infestation was lower (1.18±0.6 of mites per bee) in bees whose diet were supplemented with vitamin C (group AA) than in the control group (C) (1.32±0.56 mites/bee). Glycogen and trehalose levels and the activity of α-amylase, glucoamylase and trehalase were significantly higher in newly emerged workers from group AA. The results of the study indicate that vitamin C in the diet of honey bees moderately reduces infestation levels and might improve selected indicators of carbohydrate metabolism in infested workers and thus improves the condition of apiaries.
Impact of Plow Timing on Simultaneous Nitrogen Losses in Potato Production Systems Using Conventional Tillage Practices
Authors: Smith E. L. , Vosman A. , Rodd V. , Kellman L.
Published: January 2019

Improving plowing management of high nitrogen (N) containing crops is essential in reducing both environmental and economic losses. The timing of plowing may be an important soil and nutrient conservation practice. A field study on a 3 yr potato rotation was conducted in Prince Edward Island, Canada to examine the effects of plow time on corresponding N losses of nitrate-N (NO3--N) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The study site consisted of nine tile drained plots (12 m spacing) with three treatments of plow time; early fall (EF), late fall (LF) temperature based, and the following spring (S) plow. The cropping rotations consisted of barley under-seeded with red clover in yr 1, red clover in yr 2, and Russet Burbank potatoes in yr 3. Each tile drained plot fed into a sample collection station where 50 mL water samples were obtained during flow events and analyzed for NO3--N. Nitrous oxide samples were also simultaneously obtained from the soil surface throughout the monitoring period using a static chamber methodology. Cumulative NO3--N loads over the 3 yrs were found to be reduced at 14.3 and 19.9 kg ha-1 for LF and S respectively, when compared to the EF plow at 24.4 kg ha-1. Nitrous oxide losses were variable and low in magnitude throughout the study (0.04-1.2% of the N applied). Overall, findings from this research suggest that the timing of plowing could be considered when trying to minimize N losses via tile drainage effluent. When considering NO3--N total loads during the rotation period, LF had reduced losses compared to EF in all years of the study. Late fall reduced N2O losses in 1 year by 38.2% compared to S, likely due the incorporation of red clover legume crop. Yields were found to be similar throughout treatments and cropping years, although LF was found to have 2 and 3-fold significant increases in yield of 10 oz potatoes vs. EF and S, respectively. Findings generated from this study will provide nutrient management and environmental farm planners, as well as producers with useful information for improving current management strategies within agricultural drainage systems.
Soil Fertility in Crop-Livestock System Subjected to Nitrogen Fertilization and Grazing
Authors: Sartor L. R. , Sandini I. E. , Carvalho P. C. F. , Ruthes B. E. S.
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sheep grazing and increasing rates of nitrogen fertilization on oats + ryegrass at winter on the soil K, Ca, H + Al, Mg and P concentrations in a crop-livestock system with beans and corn crop succession during summer after four years (2006-2009) of the experiment establishment. Treatments consisted of different nitrogen levels (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg ha-1) with and without sheep grazing Lolium multiflorum Lam and Avena spp. Soil chemical traits were evaluated at depths of 0-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm. The experiment was laid out as random block design in a split-plot scheme with three replications. Soil K content were higher at the superficial soil layer and at the treatment with 150 kg ha-1 N and remained high along the four years of assessment. Animal grazing at winter results in better soil chemical traits in relation to the soil Ca and H + Al. There were no nutrient (K, Ca, P and Mg) losses or extraction when under overgrazing, a fact that confirms the possibility of using animals in the crop-livestock areas without affecting its chemical traits. There was also an increase in Ca and SB concentrations with grazing, including in subsurface soil.
Edaphic Arthropods in Fragment of Riparian Forest in the Semi-Arid of Paraíba
Authors: Borges César Henrique Alves , Souto Jacob Silva , Silva Ane Cristine Fortes da , Alencar Lyanne dos Santos , Limeira Manoella de Queiroz Rodrigues , Santos Adriano Castelo dos , Souto Lauter Silva , Souto Patrícia Carneiro
Published: January 2019

Important for soil quality, the edaphic fauna is indicative of an environment in equilibrium. The study aimed to identify the macrofauna and mesofauna organisms of the soil in a fragment of riparian forest. The work was carried out in a fragment of ciliary forest on the farm Tamanduá, municipality of Santa Terezinha, Paraíba. The macrofauna was quantified in soil samples collected at different depths (0-5 cm and 5-10 cm) using the TSBF method. For the mesofauna was collected randomly in the same area, samples of soil + litter in the depths 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm using metal rings. The design was completely randomized in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme (4 seasons, 2 depths), with 5 replicates, the means being compared by the Tukey test. The main orders of the macrofauna were: Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Isoptera, and Enquitreídeos being the order of greater proportion in the two depths to Hymenoptera. There were a higher population and diversity of soil macrofauna in the superficial layer (0-5 cm). For the mesofauna were found in the samples organisms belonging to the groups Acarina and Collembola, being the order Acarina the most representative in the two depths evaluated. The environment of riparian forest presents greater diversity and density of macrofauna and mesofauna of the soil in the layer of 0.0-5.0 cm of depth, which presents greater food supply and conditions favorable to the survival of these organisms.
Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse in Agrarian Sector: A Bibliometric Study
Authors: Brum Luciano Moraes da Luz , Lampert Vinícius do Nascimento , Camargo Sandro da Silva
Published: January 2019

Business Intelligence with Data Warehouse technologies are known in the literature as solutions that allow access to business data dynamically and analytical operations on them. Scientific literature lacks works that investigate the current use of these technologies in the agrarian sector, at the international level in the last 10 years. This work presents a bibliometric analysis, which was done through the ProKnow-C methodology, of the application of Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse technologies in the agrarian sector. The objective is to investigate the dissemination of such technologies in this sector in national and international scale. The main findings were the following: number of papers in last years are increasing. Majority of papers were found in the journal named Computers and Eletronics in Agriculture, with a great number of colaborations between authors of France. Few colaborations between authors from different countries were found. Sandro Bimonte was the most cited author. France and India highlight in researches approaching Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence usage in agrarian sciences. The majority of references from Bibliographic Portfolio were from 2001-2010. 66% of papers use some open source technology. Star schema is the most used modelling technique and the use of Unified Modeling Language by authors of France in agricultural Data Warehouse modelling is encouraged. The main limitations were the impossibility of free access in some databases, absence of research on proprietary solutions of technology market in the rural sector and few number of keyword searches.
Respiratory Activity as a Fast Method for Vigor Differentiation of Habanero Pepper Seeds
Authors: Pereira Elise de Matos , Freitas Aline Silva , Santos Heloisa Oliveira dos , Guimarães Renato Mendes , Dutra Sophia Mangussi Franchi , Pereira Rucyan Walace , Pinho Edila Vilela de Resende Von
Published: January 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and rapidity of the Pettenkofer and Titulation methods in the determination of respiratory activity and its relation with the vigor of habanero pepper seeds. For this, six lots of habanero pepper seeds were evaluated for respiratory activity, through Pettenkofer and Titulation physicochemical methods, and for physiological quality via tests of germination, first germination count, germination speed index, emergence, initial stand, emergence speed index and electrical conductivity. Biochemical analyzes were also carried out using the electrophoresis of the esterase (EC 3.1.1.1.) and alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.2.), and the quantification of the endo-β-mannanase enzyme (EC 3.2.1.78). The tests of physiological quality and the respiratory activity of the seeds allowed the classification of the habanero pepper seed lots at different vigor levels. There was a correlation between the respiratory activity with the tests used to evaluate the physiological quality of the seeds and with the endo-β-mannanase enzyme. It is concluded that the Pettenkofer and Titulation methods are promising for the evaluation of the deterioration level and the discrimination of lots of habanero pepper seeds with different vigor levels.
Use of Organo-Mineral Fertilizers in Grain Sorghum as Reverse Logistics of Organic Residues
Authors: Barcelos Michelle Nunes , Camargo Reginaldo de , Lana Regina Maria Quintão , Amaral Uirá do , Araujo Leandro Coelho de , Filho Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira , Nogueira Thiago Assis Rodrigues
Published: January 2019

Organo-mineral fertilizers are an opportunity for technological innovation, because allow the correct disposal of waste from various agroindustrial sectors, which is a global problem, in order to add value to the by-product generated, as prioritized in reverse logistics. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of organic matter sources on the composition of organo-mineral fertilizers in relation to the exclusive use of mineral fertilizers in cultivation of grain sorghum. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of the Federal Institute of the Triângulo Mineiro, located in the municipality of Campina Verde, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block with eight treatments and four replications arranged in a 4 × 2 + 2 factorial scheme, corresponding to: four levels of organo-mineral fertilizers (70, 100, 130 and 160% of the recommended dose of phosphorus), two sources of organo-mineral fertilizers (sewage sludge and filter cake), and two controls (without and with recommended mineral fertilization). The evaluations were: height of stem, number of leaves and stem diameter at 30, 60, and 90 days after sowing (DAS); total plant height; dry mass of plant shoot at 90 DAS, in vitro digestibility of organic matter at 90 DAS; the relationship of leaf area/ leaf and leaf area/ plant at 90 DAS. All parameters obtained a significant effect for the levels of organo-mineral fertilizer, independent of organic source, except to number of leaves and stem diameter. However, the relationship between the two organic sources was not significant just to plant height at 60 DAS. Interaction between fertilizer levels and organic source occurred to plant height at 90 DAS, dry mass per plant at 90 DAS and in vitro digestibility of organic matter. There was good adjustment in the quadratic regression equation for sorghum growth.
Correlations and Path Analysis in Sunflower Grown at Lower Elevations
Authors: Follmann Diego Nicolau , Filho Alberto Cargnelutti , Santos Maurício Siqueira dos , Costa Vívian Oliveira , Plautz Éder Neimar , Scopel João Vitor Ferreira , Bamberg Darlei München , Engel Gustavo Henrique , Olivoto Tiago , Wartha Cleiton Antônio , Nardino Maicon
Published: January 2019

Sunflower cultivation has great importance in Brazil, mainly for production of oil and animal feed. Studies on sunflower cultivar selection are important for crop expansion, contributing to better cultivar adaptation to different environments. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the linear relations among sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) morphological traits in a subtropical region with lower elevations and to identify traits that may assist in cultivar selection based on agronomic performance and path analysis. The experiment was performed during the 2017/2018 agricultural year in Santa Maria (latitude 29º71′ S, longitude 53º70′ W and 90 m altitude), southern Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replicates and eight cultivars: Syn 045, BRS 323, BRS G58, BRS G59, BRS G60, BRS G61, Multissol 02 and Catissol 03. Assessed traits were plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, thousand achenes weight, yield of achenes per head and number of achenes per head. Hereafter, associations between morphological traits and achene yield were verified by means of linear relations and path analysis. Thousand achenes weight and number of achenes per head exhibited linear relations and direct effects on achene yield in subtropical region at lower elevations. Head diameter does not present direct effect on achenes yield but it has direct effect on the number of achenes per head, indicating cause-effect relation and becoming an important alternative for indirect selection of sunflower cultivars.
Mapping of Winter Crops and Second-Crop Corn in the Paraná State-Brazil, Using Multitemporal Images From MODIS Sensor
Authors: Santos R. N. , Mercante Erivelto , Johann Jerry Adriani , Souza Carlos Henrique Wachholz de , Cattani Carlos Eduardo Vizzotto , Paludo Alex
Published: January 2019

The use of effective technologies for the monitoring of agricultural crops should seek methodologies that provide information regarding crop development, preferably before harvesting. The study of the monitoring and/or estimation of areas using vegetation indices derived from multitemporal data from MODIS sensors is being studied in the search for greater objectivity of the generated values. In this context, the objective of this study was to map areas with winter and second-crop corn using EVI/MODIS time series from the Terra and Aqua satellites, for the seasons from 2012 to 2014 in the Paraná state of Brazil. Accuracy analysis of the mappings was performed in spatial resolution images of 30 m (LISS-III and Landsat-8), to identify and validate the masks the crops of interest. The accuracy of the mapping obtained values of global precision 87.5%, 79.5%, and 82.0%, with Kappa index of 0.81, 0.69, and 0.73, in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 harvests, respectively. Comparing with data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the areas obtained by the mappings were underestimated for the second-crop corn in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and overestimated in 2014. The winter crops were overestimated for the three seasons investigated. The use of remote sensing data and techniques can contribute to a quick estimation of crop area information, and can assist in the surveys conducted by official institutions.
Hormonal Profile and Reproductive Parameters of Pre-vitellogenic Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) on Pawpaw (Carica papaya) Seed Meal
Authors: Omeje Victor Okonkwo , Lambrechts Helet , Brink Danie
Published: January 2019

The use of phytochemicals to control precocious maturation and indiscriminate spawning among tilapia species is an important issue in aquaculture. This study investigated the influence of pawpaw (Carica papaya) seed meal on the reproductive performance, and the sex hormone profile of sexually immature Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). Pawpaw seed meal (PSM) were included in a tilapia commercial diet (basal diet) at an inclusion level of 0 PSM, 10 PSM and 30 PSM g/kg of the basal diet (BD), respectively, and fed to immature O. mossambicus for a period of 30 and 60 days, respectively. Enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) procedures were used to quantify the plasma levels of 17β-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone. The inclusion of PSM did not affect the growth and survival rate of the O. mossambicus. The plasma levels of 11-ketotestosterone did not differ among the treatment groups. The 17β-estradiol levels of female fish that received 30 PSM g/kg BD for 60 days were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the levels reported for females that were not fed the PSM. In females, the PSM reduced the gonad weight, GSI, fecundity and egg diameter of fish. The study concludes that pawpaw seed meal affected the reproductive function of the female O. mossambicus though the changes were reversible.
Gibberellic Acid Utilization in Seeds and Plants of Beans: Effect on Growth and Seeds Physiological Quality
Authors: Jaques Lanes B. A. , Carvalho Ivan R. , Szareski Vinícius J. , Pimentel João R. , Troyjack Cristian , Dellagostin Simone M. , Mendonça Mayara T. , Rosa Tiago C. da , Villela Francisco A. , Souza Velci Q. de , Aumonde Tiago Z. , Pedó Tiago
Published: January 2019

The growth regulators from gibberellins, when applied on plants, might improve physic and physiological features, stimulate cell division and elongation, this study aimed at evaluating the influence of gibberellic acid doses applied exogenously on bean crop through seed treatment, and analyzing its effects on morphological attributes of seedlings and physiological quality of the seeds produced. The experimental design was completely randomized design, with treatments corresponding to the doses: zero (distilled water only), 50, 100 and 200 mg L-1, arranged in four replicates. The use of gibberellic acid in bean seeds did not result in changes on the number of leaves, leaf area, dry mass of leaves and stem. Applications of foliar gibberellic acid potentiated stem height and root dry mass of seedlings.
Growth and Vigor Analysis of Crimson Clover Seeds Obtained Through Different Seeds Size
Authors: Dubal Ítala T. P. , Carvalho Ivan R. , Szareski Vinícius J. , Pimentel João R. , Troyjack Cristian , Demari Gustavo H. , Conte Giordano G. , Souza Velci Q. de , Pedroso Carlos E. S. , Villela Francisco A. , Pedó Tiago , Aumonde Tiago Z.
Published: January 2019

The objective to evaluate the effect of the size of the crimson clover seeds under the vigor of produced seeds, as well the growth and development throughout the crop cycle. The work was conducted in the experimental area of the Plant Science Department of the Federal University of Pelotas, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It were used crimson clover seeds (Trifolium incarnatum L.), cultivar “Crimson Clover”. The seeds size effect affected the growth and the partition of the assimilated in the crimson clover plants, where medium size seeds raise the biomass accumulation in the different plants structures. Seeds of crimson clover produced from plants originated from different seed sizes did not presented difference in relation to the physiologic quality, seedling emergence and speed of emergence index.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors: Brown Anne
Published: January 2019

Reviewer acknowledgements for Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2019.
Maize Response to Chemical and Microbial Products on Two Tanzanian Soils
Authors: Deodatus Kiriba , Moses Thuita , Ernest Semu , Susan Ikerra , Balthazar Msanya , Cargele Masso
Published: January 2019

Low soil fertility has been a major factor to low maize yields in smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. Technologies have been proposed including inorganic, fertilizers and plant growth promoting microorganisms. A study was conducted under greenhouse and field conditions to evaluate the effects of liquid inorganic fertilizer and microbiological products on growth, nutrient uptake and yield of maize. Products evaluated were Teprosyn (nitrogen, zinc phosphorus), BioSoil Crop Booster (BSCB) (Pseudomonas fluorescens), and Bio Soil Nitro plus (BSN+) (Acetobacter sp.). Treatments were: products alone (low and high rate), product + half rate phosphorus (10 kg P ha-1), half rate P, full rate P (20 kg P ha-1) and Control. All products were analysed for quality. None of the products met the label claims in nutrient/organism concentration. An increase of biomass was observed in the greenhouse for half rate P + BSCB low rate and high rates for BSCB and BSN+ compared to Control. Half rate P + BSN+ low rate gave the highest grain yield which was similar full rate nitrogen and P. BSCB and BSN+ at low rates with P half rate resulted in an increase in biomass yield in the greenhouse. Efficacy of low rate BSN+ + half rate P was demonstrated when applied at the recommended rates and combined with half rates of N and P. A package of inorganic and Bio-fertilizers should be developed based on soil fertility status, and the quality of the inputs verified to ensure that they are conform to the label guarantee analysis.
Comparative Advantage and Market Distortions: A Policy Analysis Matrix for Iraqi Wheat Crop Production
Authors: Saad Ammar , Tao Zhang Rui , Ying Xia
Published: January 2019

Wheat is the most crop have been subsidized by the government in Iraq, through subsidizing the input of the production (seed, pesticide, and machines), as well as, subsidize the output of the production through purchasing it from the producers at a high price compared to the world market price. The study aims to assess the competitive advantage of wheat production in Iraq through some of the measures derived from the policy analysis matrix. This study according to secondary data has published by Iraqi Ministry of Planning/Central Organization of Statistics and Information Technology 2018, for wheat production costs of cultivation season in Iraqi provinces 2017. The results of the study indicated that the coefficients measures show, there is a government subsidy for wheat output and that means, producers receive prices higher than international prices with the existence of this policy. While the comparative advantage indicators showed, the wheat crop in Iraq was achieved private profits due to government intervention in the inputs and outputs of production, nor competitive advantage in social prices. Where the policy reflection indexes/market distortions analysis shows, that the government policy for wheat production 2017 subsidized the producers on the consumer cost, where the local market price for wheat is higher than the price of wheat in the world market.
Touch Mechanisms in Early Self Exploration
Authors: Hemami Hooshang
Published: January 2019

Touch is the earliest sensory modality the infant relies on, and is crucial for the first months of life and for survival.

The other sensory modalities (taste, smell, vision, and hearing) become active later. Smell and taste are also critical in helping the infant identify the mother and, later, other caregivers and helpers. The study and analysis of the infant’s central nervous system (CNS) is simpler and is easier to model and explore.

One of the primary functions of the newly born seems to be the exploration of self, mother, and (gradually) other objects in the environment. This paper deals with the slow process of exploration, identification and the development of self and object in the CNS. Although crude, the model allows a description and understanding of the processes of early merging, splitting, and denial of attributes of the self and object as psychological attributes. 

The paper should motivate development of theoretical, computational and experimental models for the study of natural neural systems in the process of growth, maturity, and functional versatility. It should lead to formulations of redundant systems, growth of physical size, and functional properties of the CNS.

No experiments were conducted to validate the model. Physiological, neural and experimental efforts are needed that would confirm, improve, refute, or complement the model.
Packaging Design, Weld Fatigue analysis and Validation of Diesel Exhaust After-treatment System
Authors: Nareddiwar Sonal , Dey Tapobrata , Sunilkumar R.
Published: January 2019

Diesel exhaust after treatment system is usually designed to meet stringent packaging constraints and emission norms. After treatment packaging has critical impact on the overall system efficiency and durability since many components in exhaust systems have welded joints. An after treatment inlet and outlet tube joints, connected to engine outlet and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) tailpipe respectively are subjected to vibrations and bending moment leading to fatigue failure at the inlet/outlet welded joints. It has been observed over the years that the prevailing failure modes in after treatment systems are cracked welds at joints between inlet tubes and flanges, outlet tubes and connecting tailpipes. Fatigue failure is a complex and progressive form of local damage which occurs in welded components of exhaust after-treatment systems. Thus, this fatigue failure needs to be estimated accurately and at the early stage of design to save cost and time. But due to geometrical irregularities, compact packaging design and load transfer conditions, it becomes difficult to estimate accurate fatigue strength of the welded areas. Thus weld fatigue analysis, a high cycle fatigue test to validate inlet/outlet module of exhaust system against dynamic overturning bending moment and to calculate the location of minimum weld fatigue life within the inlet welded joints is performed. Weld fatigue analysis uses advanced fatigue assessment technique, BS 7608, Stress x Life (S x N) approach for accurate and precise estimation of welds. The present work deals with reducing the package volume of the after treatment system by applying different concepts, verifying design robustness by FEA simulation using ANSYS 18.2 and validating the structural durability of the system by testing. The objective of the present work is to estimate the fatigue life of the welded structures precisely and accurately, calculate the threshold bending moment to determine whether the design is robust to the bending moment loads seen over course of its life and make design modifications as per simulation result. Further the FEA and testing results of weld fatigue analysis are correlated.
Design of Next Generation Civil and Military Aircraft with Ultra-High Bypass Engine using Composites, Advanced Materials and Technology
Authors: Akinnuli B. O. , Oladipo O. J.
Published: January 2019

Indirect combustion noise had not been attracting research in the past, but recent indication seems to prove that it could be a threat in the future if not addressed. Means of reducing this type of noise to a low decibel value was also included. Noise is due to the ingestion of distorted atmospheric turbulence, as the two set of blades rotate in different direction. Open rotor noise is higher since the rotors are fully exposed to oncoming turbulence and lack ducting or a nacelle to attenuate the radiated sound. A thorough review on the technology that can replace conventional turbofan was carried out. It was found that none of this technology can meet up with the ACARE and NASA 2020 vision but left a gap to be filled. Because open rotor is the most proven engine that is able to satisfy this requirements, different methods are adopted and integrated to reduce open rotor noise. Attention was paid to the geometry of the blade, hub and blade length, the vorticity and interaction noise are simulated until an optimized blade was achieved. The integration problem of open rotor was addressed where the engine was located to minimize perceive noise to the payload.
EFFECTS OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY IN A SCHOOL-AGED CHILD WITH AUTOIMMUNE DRUG-RESISTANT EPILEPSY: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Nowaczyk Natalia
Published: January 2019

The aim of this article is to present the effects of neuropsychological therapy of a school-aged child diagnosed with autoimmune drug-resistant epilepsy. Material and methods: A battery of neuropsychological and clinical tests, an interview with the patient’s mother, observational data, and the results of previous psychological and medical tests were used to provide a neuropsychological diagnosis of an 8-year-old girl. The diagnosis was performed twice: before and after a year of neuropsychological therapy. The therapy program was based on the assumptions of microgenetic symptom theory (Brown & Pąchalska 2003), which aims at improving intellectual, visuospatial, and executive functions, as well as improving the emotional - social processes.

The patient’s intellectual functions significantly improved: in 2017, the quotient of fluid intelligence ranged from light intellectual disability to lower than average. Currently, the IQ ranges from lower than average to average. Improvements also took place in the following areas: motor and constructional praxis, capacity of direct auditory memory, visuomotor coordination, spatial orientation, visual searching, and some executive functions. Other cognitive processes did not change, while an increase in the difficulty in switching attention from one task to another was observed.

Neuropsychological therapy conducted in accordance with the theoretical assumptions of neuropsychology proved effective. We consider that neuropsychological therapy should be continued while new goals are established.
FUNCTIONAL NEUROMARKERS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IN A MAJOR ISCHEMIC STROKE SURVIVOR AFTER CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY (CEA) REVASCULARIZATION
Authors: Trystuła Mariusz , Góral-Półrola Jolanta , Kropotov Juri D. , Pąchalska Maria
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a major right-hemisphere ischemic brain stroke survivor half a year after CEA revascularization, with the use of Event Related Potentials (ERPs). He was in a serious condition and had limited consciousness. Therefore, the doctor informed the patient's wife about the possibility of sudden death. The patient heard this information and remembered it, which was one of the main causes of the development of PTSD. On the basis of previous research amplitudes of P3 ERP, components elicited in the cued GO/NOGO tasks have been chosen as the candidate for PTSD neuromarkers .

A 44-year-old patient had a major ischemic brain stroke while sizeable atherosclerotic plaque causing critical stenosis of the internal carotid artery in Angio-CT was dioscovered. The patient was urgently operated on using CEA. After the operation he had the opportunity to see the removed plaque which had been the cause of his stroke. Despite the positive postoperative recovery, half a year later, the patient began to complain of flashbacks, anxiety, trouble in falling and staying asleep, difficulty in concentration, a loss of interest. For the diagnosis of PTSD we used Checklist Specific for a stressor (PCL-S). Additionally we used Checklist according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-5) classification, and the patient met the PTSD criteria. The cognitive profile of the patient was measured with the use of the Wechsler Memory Test – III (WMS-III). Subsequently, the patient participated in the cued GO/NOGO task (Kropotov, 2009) with a recording 19-channel EEG. The P3 GO and NOGO waves in this task were found to be significantly smaller at p<0.01 in comparison to a group of healthy control subjects of the same age (N=23) taken from the Human Brain Institute (HBI) normative database (https://www.hbimed.com/). The pattern of this neuromarker in our patient corresponds to the ERPs pattern found in PTSD patients.

The ERPs in a GO/NOGO task can be used in the assessment of the functional brain changes induced by chronic PTSD.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid Injections in Treatment of Small Joint Osteoarthritis
Authors: Międzybłocka Małgorzata , Czarnecki Piotr
Published: January 2019

Background. Osteoarthritis is an incurable, progressive, degenerative and debilitating joint disease, characterized by pain, stiffness and limitation of joint mobility. Treatment is limited to symptom management and includes pharmaco- and physiotherapy, rehabilitation and surgery.
Objective. To evaluate safety and effectiveness of a selected hyaluronic acid injectable in the treatment of small joint osteoarthritis.
Materials and methods. 324 patients (F: 190, M: 134) aged 19-84 completed the study. Each participant received three, weekly intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections (Suplasyn®, Bioniche Life Sciences Inc, Belleville, Ontario; 700 kDa, 7 ml/7 mg). Morning stiffness and pain intensity (at rest and movement-induced) before and after treatment as well as post-treatment improvement in joint mobility were assessed based on questionnaires filled out by patients and their physicians prior to treatment commencement and at its conclusion. Participants used a Numerical Rating Scale (range 0-10 points) to quantify assessments. Data was analysed with chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests and p = 0.05 was accepted as significant.
Results. A significant (p <0.001) post-treatment reduction in (1) morning stiffness (median NRS score decrease from 6 to 2 points), (2) pain intensity at rest (median NRS score decrease from 5 to 2 points) and movement induced (median NRS value decrease from 6 to 2 points). Improvement in joint mobility was reported by 97% of patients. Treatment tolerability (safety) was assessed as good to excellent by 25 % and 74% of patients, respectively. No serious adverse reactions were reported.
Conclusion. Hyaluronic acid injections are a highly effective and safe treatment for symptomatic small joint osteoarthritis.