bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dakwah Multikultural
Authors: Zaprulkhan Zaprulkhan
Published: September 2019

Factually, Indonesia is a nation that has a variety of ethnic, linguistic, class, color, and religion that become the nation's assets in forming social harmony. In the study of contemporary political theory, the diversity of human society in all its aspects is also called multicultural society. In religious context, some religious people always socialize their religious teachings to plural society by ignoring the plurality of people's lives in all its aspects. This is where the significance of a multicultural perspective needs to be possessed by anyone who wants to convey religious messages in a multicultural society. From a multicultural perspective, the delivery of religious messages or da'wah requires a preacher to understand the cultural diversity of society and to be positive about the diversity. Multicultural preaching means seeking to create harmony in the midst of diverse societies and still be able to control oneself and tolerate all kinds of unequal differences. This article discusses the multicultural da'wah through the study of Islamic doctrine that is through the perspective of interpretation in order to obtain a more holistic view of the Qur'anic point.
Pentingnya Penggunaan Bahasa Inggris dalam Komunikasi Dakwah pada Era Global
Authors: Juriana Juriana
Published: September 2019

English is a global language that very important in multidiscipline aspects since it was decided to be international language, include used in da’wah communication. Da’wah communication is communication that done between communicator (da’i) dan communicant (mad’u) to give information and massege having sources of Al-Quran and hadith in other to being called of communicant’s heart to Islamic religion to learn, think, and do in daily activities of life. The important of using English in da’wah communication on the global era are: 1) English can make da’wah communication be easy to give the message to the native speaker audience (mad’u), 2) English as mediator language in solving problem like inter-religious conflict, 3) English can be the foundation for a country to compete other countries, and 4) English as important role holder to spread of understanding about Islam religion.
Implementasi Nilai-Nilai Dakwah Ekologis dalam Program Pengembangan Kampung Wisata Matras Kelurahan Sinar Baru Kabupaten Bangka
Authors: Habibi Ichsan
Published: September 2019

Positive contributions and trends in the tourism sector on Bangka Island, especially in the Matras Tourism Village, need to receive appreciation and support from all stakeholders through the management of environmentally friendly and sustainable tourist objects / attractions. To realize this mission, it is necessary to do ecological propaganda (religious values ​​originating from the Qur'an and Hadith) that are in accordance with the sociocultural characteristics of society. This issue is the subject of discussion in this study, especially regarding the values ​​of ecological preaching implemented in the development program of the Mattress Tourism Village. For this reason, a descriptive-qualitative study was conducted by collecting purposive-snowball data from the sample. Furthermore, the collected data was analyzed descriptively-qualitatively so that the values ​​of ecological preaching that had been implemented were identified and the form and process of implementation by the Matras Tourism Village community. The findings show that there are five types of ecological preaching values ​​that have been implemented, namely al-Is (justice), al-Tawazun (balance), al-Intifa 'wa laa al-Fasad (taking benefits without damage), ar-Riayah wa laa al -Israf (nurturing without exaggeration), and al-Tahdits wa al-Istikhlaf (renewal). Unfortunately, the value of al-Tahdits wa al-Istikhlaf is still not optimal due to the quality of science and technology. However, the local community has become more aware and intelligent about the importance of ecological preaching values ​​in the development of Mattress Tourism Village. In the future, besides needing to intensify and harmonize the role of ulama and Umara, it must also be carried out to increase the capacity of religious institutions, knowledge and appropriate technology for program implementers, and to involve community participation in planning, implementing and evaluating the Matras Tourism Village development program.
Peranan Da’i dalam Mengatasi Problem Dakwah Kontemporer
Authors: Ghozali M. Ikhsan
Published: September 2019

Globalisasi ibarat pisau bermata ganda. Di satu sisi, perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi yang pesat memberi dampak positif bagi perkembangan peradaban manusia. Namun di sisi yang lain, cepatnya perubahan sosial berimbas pada semakin memudarnya nilai-nilai ruhaniyah dan kemanusiaan. Yang muncul adalah kompetisi yang menguatkan gesekan antar-kepentingan --ekonomi, sosial, budaya, politik, agama-- dan mengentalkan rasa saling curiga dan kebencian terhadap orang atau kelompok lain. Akibatnya, terjadi berbagai konflik antarkelompok (SARA/Suku, Agama, Ras, dan Antargolongan), seperti yang terjadi di beberapa wilayah, nasional dan internasional. Maraknya konflik bernuansa SARA ini merupakan problematika dakwah Islamiyah yang perlu menjadi perhatian serius, khususnya bagi para da’i. Untuk itu, para da’i harus mampu “membumikan” dan “mengaktualisasikan” kembali hakikat dan signifikansi dakwah, baik objek dan sasaran, metodologi, manajemen kelembagaan, maupun sumber daya manusia. Selanjutnya, sebagai agent of social change, para da’i mampu membawa perubahan sosial, kehidupan berbangsa dan beragama ke arah yang lebih baik (civil society) serta mewujudkan Islam yang rahmatan lil ‘alamin.
Peningkatan Keterampilan Berbahasa melalui Teknik Reportase Mahasiswa Program Studi Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam (KPI) IAIN Syaikh Abdurrahman Siddik Bangka Belitung
Authors: Harista Eva
Published: September 2019

This study aims to improve language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) KPI Study Program students Semester VI 2017/2018 Academic Year, Da'wah and Communication Department, IAIN Syaikh Abdurrahman Siddik Bangka Belitung through reportage techniques. This type of research is classroom action research (CAR). The design in PTK consists of three cycles in which there are four components in each cycle, namely planning, implementing actions, results of actions, and reflection. In this CAR, researchers used the Elliot model with modifications. This research is the result of learning from the Indonesian Language Discourse course for KPI. The subjects in this study were the sixth semester students of the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Study Program (KPI) totaling 9 students. The results showed that in the first cycle, the average grade was 74.66 with a fairly good category. In cycle II students' language skills experienced a slight increase. This can be seen from the average grade, which is increased to 79.66 with a good enough category. The increase in the average grade from cycle I to cycle II is 5.00. In cycle III there was a significant increase with 85.77 class average value. Language skills in cycle III can be categorized as good. As for increasing the average grade from cycle II to cycle III, which is 6.11.
Menelisik Kronologi Surah dalam Al-Qur’an Perspektif Neal Robinson
Authors: Purwanto Tinggal
Published: September 2019

This paper explored the idea of Neal Robinson in his book, Discovering The Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach To A Veiled Text in order to understand the chronology of surah in the Qur'an. After reading the book, the writer found that there are three strategies to understand the chronology of the surah in the Qur'an; They are investigating the events of occasions of the revelation (asbab an-nuzul), understanding the literature of abrogating and abrogated ayahs (nasikh and mansukh), and categorizing the traditional lists of Meccan and Madinan surahs (Makiyyah and Madaniyyah). By conducting those ways, Robinson proved that asbab an-nuzul should be treated with extreme caution. Then, in some cases, asbab an-nuzul should be limited in order to determine the chronological order of the Qur’an. After that, nasikh and mansukh are used merely for the purpose of determining the chronological order of the Qur’an and did not highlight certain evolution within a period of revelation. Finally, by analyzing Madaniyah and Makiyah surah, it revealed the certainty of the origin and the list of traditional surah in which there were some differences in the determination of the date among the companions. The differences are due to rivalry in the collection of the Qur'an and wrong isnads done by some companions in order to increase their prestige.
Cegah Masalah Gizi Anak dengan Sosialisasi Pemberian Makanan Bayi dan Anak
Authors: Widaryanti Rahayu
Published: September 2019

Community service activities aim to provide knowledge to mothers about infant and child feeding to prevent child nutrition problems. This community service activity was held at the meeting hall of Maguwoharjo village residents, Depok, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta. Before the socialization, respondents filled the pretest first and after the socialization filled the post-test. Data processing is done by Paired Sample t-Test. Through this program, community knowledge about infant and child feeding can be increased.
Pelatihan Pembuatan dan Pengembangan Pupuk Organik Cair Biokultur dan Biourin untuk Mendukung Sistem Budidaya Sayuran Organik
Authors: Lasmini Sri Anjar , Idham Idham , Monde Anthon , Tarsono Tarsono
Published: September 2019

In the development of vegetable farming by the community, there are fundamental problems which are generally carried out conventionally with the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to determine the success of their farming. With the farming system, the community suffers a lot of losses because the inputs used are relatively expensive and on the other hand the products become cheap because the quality is not guaranteed. The solution to this problem is to develop bio-culture organic fertilizers and bio-urine whose raw materials are available in the region. The partner village development program aims to conduct training on the making and development of liquid organic fertilizer bio-culture and biourine to support the cultivation of organic vegetables. The method of approach applied is technology transfer (TT) and entrepreneurship capacity building (ECB) which is carried out with the Participatory Rural Approach (PRA) approach ) which in its implementation uses the method of lecture/discussion, training, making demo plotting, and assistance. The results achieved in the implementation of this program were that participants were able to make and develop liquid organic bioculture fertilizers and biourin and apply it to their farms as an alternative to chemical fertilizers
Sosialisasi Keamananan Pangan dan Kosmetika pada Warga Aisyiyah Palangka Raya
Authors: Umaternate Agustinawati , Dewi Wahyu Puspita , Valentiningtyas Widya Ayu
Published: September 2019

This activity is expected to help government performance in providing information on food and cosmetics that are safe to the community, especially mothers, so that the highest degree of public health can be realized. One of them was carried out by the Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangkaraya through the Community Service program. This activity is expected to help government performance in providing information on food and cosmetics that are safe to the community, especially mothers so that the highest degree of public health can be realized. The Aisyiyah Regional Administrators of Palangka Raya work on average outside the home as employees, teachers, private sector, and others. Households as the smallest community base need to get good guidance and primary attention, because national development relies on the success of human development, where the factors that influence one of them is the availability of safe and quality food. The method of implementing activities uses methods of counseling/awareness and education, as well as inspection simulations on Food Additives and cosmetics that do not meet the requirements. The purpose of this activity is to protect the family against Food Additives and cosmetics that do not meet health requirements. The family is the smallest community that plays a major role in determining the decision-making in nutritional intake every day and what cosmetics can be used by their families are housewives, so education and coaching for mothers is absolutely necessary.
Með hjartað í lúkunum eða buxunum: Um myndhvörf í spænskum og íslenskum orðasamböndum
Authors: Ibáñez M. Azucena Pena , Erlendsdóttir Erla
Published: September 2019

This paper is a comparative study of phrases and idioms in Spanish and Icelandic. Our point of departure are some basic ideas of cognitive linguistics and semantics, and first and foremost the scheme constructed by the Spanish linguists Pamies and Iñesta (2000, 2002, Pamies 2001a) aiming at systematising phrases and expressions of diverse languages based on conceptual metaphors in order to establish whether they are universal or not. The article gives an account of the conclusions drawn from a comparison of idioms concerning fear, hunger and overeating in Spanish and Icelandic.
Modeling of Financial Distress Probability for Vietnamese Listed Companies
Authors: Phu Kim Yen , Nguyen Manh Hiep
Published: September 2019

To date, an in-depth discussion of the factors influencing financial distress in Vietnam is still lacking. This paper explores the determinants of corporate financial distress of Vietnamese firms listed on the Hochiminh Stock Exchange using a dynamic logit model. We find that financially distressed enterprises have highly leveraged capital structures with low liquidity and low profitability. The financial distress probability is more pronounced for firms with small capitalization as well as those newly established and less profitable. With the hope of improving market efficiency, we finally come up with a simple, convenient model which helps investors estimate a firm’s financial distress probability without information cost.
Characteristics of Innovation in Vietnamese Firms: An Exploratory Research
Authors: Phan Thi Thuc Anh
Published: September 2019

Based on previous literature on innovation at the firm level as well as literature on the business environment in developing countries and in Vietnam, this research proposes four propositions on characteristics of firm innovation in the country. Two Vietnamese firms, one of them operating in the software industry and the other operating in the electronic game industry were selected to find out their innovation characteristics. Within each case, a triangulation of data collection methods was employed including field observations, documents, and direct personal interviews. It was found that evidence collected from the two cases generally supported the proposed propositions. The research provides a number of important implications for the government and businesses in Vietnam.
The Role of Different Channels in Transmitting Monetary Policy into Output and Price in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Thi Thuy Vinh
Published: September 2019

The paper investigates the mechanism of monetary transmission in Vietnam through different channels - namely the interest rate channel, the exchange rate channel, the asset channel and the credit channel for the period January 1995 - October 2009. This study applies VAR analysis to evaluate the monetary transmission mechanisms to output and price level. To compare the relative importance of different channels for transmitting monetary policy, the paper estimates the impulse response functions and variance decompositions of variables. The empirical results show that the changes in money supply have a significant impact on output rather than price in the short run. The impacts of money supply on price and output are stronger through the exchange rate and credit channels, but however, are weaker through the interest rate channel. The impacts of monetary policy on output and inflation may be erroneous through the equity price channel because of the lack of an established and well-functioning stock market.
Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System and Neck Muscle Activity During Air Combat Maneuvering
Authors: Sovelius Roope , Mäntylä Maunu , Heini Huhtala , Oksa Juha , Valtonen Rasmus , Tiitola Liisa , Leino Tuomo
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of cervical muscle activity in different head postures when using helmet-mounted display in one fighter vs. two aircraft air combat within visual range (WVR).METHODS: Cervical EMG was measured with
eight F/A-18 pilots using the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) during air combat maneuvering. In-flight Gz acceleration and continuous head position were recorded. EMG activity is divided and presented in a matrix with three-class rotation and five-class flexion-extension
postures.RESULTS: The mean muscle activity in sternocleidomastoids and cervical extensors was 28.9% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and 44.8% MVC, respectively. Cervical flexor and extensor muscles are subjected to loading over MVC during high Gz sorties. Cervical
rotation combined with extension exceeded muscle force-producing capacity during high Gz, resulting in a decline in muscle activity.DISCUSSION: Awkward postures, especially rotational ones, are more prone to increase loading over muscles’ capacity. Overloading of
muscles increases the risk of muscular and ligamentous injury. In addition, the lack of muscular support potentially leads to the Gz loading being transferred to spinal structures via intervertebral discs and the vertebral column. The JHMCS helmet seems to change the pattern of
most loading muscles toward the extensor (posterior) neck muscles.Sovelius R, Mäntylä M, Heini H, Oksa J, Valtonen R, Tiitola L, Leino T. Joint helmet-mounted cueing system and neck muscle activity during air combat maneuvering. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(10):834–840.
Unilateral Right Exophthalmia Revealing Systemic Sarcoidosis: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Bania Sophia
Published: September 2019

Background: Sarcoidosis is only revealed in 3% of the cases among Caucasians by ophthalmic damage and, when it does, it presupposes that the visceral impairment has remained silent so far. In this article, the exceptional case of a patient with systemic sarcoidosis revealed by unilateral exophthalmia is reported. Case presentation: The patient is a female with no history of substantial pathology. She had a unilateral right exophthalmia and ptosis evolving over 3 years. A dyspnea and dry cough were also reported with a duration of 1 year. The chest X-ray and CT scan revealed bilateral hilar opacities and mediastinal lymphadenopathy that lead to the suspicion of sarcoidosis. The cerebro-orbital CT scan led to the classification of the patient’s exophthalmia as Grade I and eliminated the possibility of other aetiologies. The mediastinoscopy indicated a granulomatous adenitis with no caseous necrosis, which allowed the diagnosis of a mediastinopulmonary sarcoidosis. Discussion and conclusion: The diagnostic approach to exophthalmia should involve a systematic search for sarcoidosis, although this aetiology remains exceptional.
The Role of Stakeholders in Development of Social Economy Organizations in Poland: An Integrative Approach
Authors: Laurisz Norbert
Published: September 2019

The aim of this article is to explore key changes in the mode of operation of Polish social economy organizations (SEOs) that result from a social policy targeted at strengthening their independence and sustainability. The activities of SEOs are largely supported by public institutions, but their opportunities for assistance of capacity building are considered insufficient. Owing to the current policy, not only an economic independence, but also the structure and behavior of supported social organizations, especially in their relations with other stakeholders, can be strengthened. Based on the exploratory analysis on how SOEs change their independence and sustainability as a result of implementation of the public policy, a conceptual model of value co-creation will be used. The model enables analyzing the scope and scale of stakeholder engagement in the development of SEOs. The empirical research was conducted using a survey among 112 Polish social economy organizations. The results of the study show that the market-oriented approach not only reduces the scale of relations between SEOs and their stakeholders but also affects the way SEOs work, transforming them to be more like traditional businesses.
Political Leaders’ Experiences of Local Council, Board and Committee Work and Its Challenges in Finland
Authors: Joensuu Minna , Niiranen Vuokko
Published: September 2019

The relationship between political leaders and public administrators is a layered and multi-dimensional phenomenon influenced by both organizational characteristics and personal qualities and skills. Continuous reforms of local government structures lead to changes in the interaction between these key actors. The purpose of this article is to investigate if different interaction patterns of political leaders influence how they perceive their duties as political leaders. The empirical data was collected by a questionnaire from political leaders in six local government organizations in Finland. The political leaders were then grouped into three using factor analysis and k-means clustering according to their interaction styles in their positions in the strategic level decision-making. The further analysis utilized contingency tables. The results suggest that the three groups among the political leaders think and act in different ways. The differences are not based on political opinions, but on attitudes towards the decision-making process and the political leaders’ modus operandi. There are also differences what the political leaders find most difficult in their duties. These groups form one more layer in modern local government decision-making. Recognizing the different patterns of interaction may help us to better understand the dynamics of strategic management in the local government.
Conservation Tillage Increases Water Use Efficiency of Spring Wheat by Optimizing Water Transfer in a Semi-Arid Environment
Authors: Peng Zhengkai , Wang Linlin , Xie Junhong , Li Lingling , Coulter Jeffrey A. , Zhang Renzhi , Luo Zhuzhu , Kholova Jana , Choudhary Sunita
Published: September 2019

Water availability is a major constraint for crop production in semiarid environments. The impact of tillage practices on water potential gradient, water transfer resistance, yield, and water use efficiency (WUEg) of spring wheat was determined on the western Loess Plateau. Six tillage practices implemented in 2001 and their effects were determined in 2016 and 2017 including conventional tillage with no straw (T), no-till with straw cover (NTS), no-till with no straw (NT), conventional tillage with straw incorporated (TS), conventional tillage with plastic mulch (TP), and no-till with plastic mulch (NTP). No-till with straw cover, TP, and NTP significantly improved soil water potential at the seedling stage by 42, 47, and 57%, respectively; root water potential at the seedling stage by 34, 35, and 51%, respectively; leaf water potential at the seedling stage by 37, 48, and 42%, respectively; tillering stage by 21, 24, and 30%, respectively; jointing stage by 28, 32, and 36%, respectively; and flowering stage by 10, 26, and 16%, respectively, compared to T. These treatments also significantly reduced the soil–leaf water potential gradient at the 0–10 cm soil depth at the seedling stage by 35, 48, and 35%, respectively, and at the 30–50 cm soil depth at flowering by 62, 46, and 65%, respectively, compared to T. Thus, NTS, TP, and NTP reduced soil–leaf water transfer resistance and enhanced transpiration. Compared to T, the NTS, TP, and NTP practices increased biomass yield by 18, 36, and 40%; grain yield by 28, 22, and 24%; and WUEg by 24, 26, and 24%, respectively. These results demonstrate that no-till with straw mulch and plastic mulching with either no-till or conventional tillage decrease the soil–leaf water potential gradient and soil–leaf water transfer resistance and enhance sustainable intensification of wheat production in semi-arid areas.
Acrylamide-Formation Potential of Cereals: What Role Does the Agronomic Management System Play?
Authors: Stockmann Falko , Weber Ernst Albrecht , Mast Benjamin , Schreiter Pat , Merkt Nikolaus , Claupein Wilhelm , Graeff-Hönninger Simone
Published: September 2019

As bakery products contribute considerably to the daily intake of the carcinogen acting substance acrylamide (AA), the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the management system (conventional vs. organic farming) on AA precursor levels of free asparagine (Asn) across different cultivars of the cereal species, namely winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), winter spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) and winter rye (Secale cereale) with simultaneous consideration of gained grain yields and flour qualities. For this purpose, orthogonal field trials were established at two sites in Southwest Germany over two growing seasons (2006–2007 and 2007–2008). The results indicated a significant impact of the management system on free Asn contents in white flour. Across all species, free Asn contents in the white flour was 26% lower under organic compared to conventional farming. The impact of the management system on individual cultivars was obvious with a maximum reduction in free Asn contents of 50% in wheat cultivars if organically produced (e.g., for cultivars Ludwig, Privileg, Capo). For spelt, a significant impact of the management system was only found in 2008 with a reduction in free Asn of up to 25% if organically produced. Across both cropping systems, cultivar Franckenkorn reached the lowest levels of free Asn. For rye, a significant impact of the management system was observed only in 2007 with 33% higher Asn amounts in the conventional management system. Independent of the cropping system, rye reached the highest levels of free Asn followed by wheat and spelt. Depending on species, there was also an impact of the two systems on crude protein. The organically cropped wheat had a significantly lower level, but this was not observed for spelt and for rye only in 2007. The possible reason for the low free Asn content in the organically produced wheat flour could partially be the lower crude protein amount. Furthermore, the results indicated that lower AA contents in bakery products can be achieved by proper selection of species (e.g., 66% lower if rye is replaced by wheat) and cultivars. With an appropriate choice of the cultivar, a reduction of up to 65% was possible within wheat, along with a reduction of 44% within spelt and 12.5% within rye. In summary, the results indicated that organically produced wheat especially offers the opportunity to significantly lower the AA potential of bread and bread rolls by the choice of raw materials low in free Asn.
Interrupted Wet Period (IWP) to Forecast the Aerial Alternaria in Potato Crops of A Limia (Spain)
Authors: Meno Laura , Escuredo Olga , Rodríguez-Flores María Shantal , Seijo María Carmen
Published: September 2019

Potato early blight caused by Alternaria solani generates significant economic losses in crops worldwide. Forecasting the risk of infection on crops is indispensable for the management of the fungal disease, ensuring maximum economic benefit but with minimal environmental impact. This work aimed to calculate the interrupted wet periods (IWP) according to the climate conditions of A Limia (Northwest of Spain) to optimize the prediction against early blight in potatoes. The study was performed during nine crop cycles. The relative hourly humidity and Alternaria concentration in the crop environment were taken into account. Alternaria levels were monitored by aerobiological techniques using a LANZONI VPPS-2000 volumetric trap. The relationships between weather conditions and airborne Alternaria concentration were statistically analyzed using Spearman correlations. To establish the effectiveness of wetness periods, the first important Alternaria peak was taken into account in each crop cycle (with a concentration greater than 70 spores/m3). Considering the six interrupted wet periods of the system, it was possible to predict the first peak of Alternaria several days in advance (between 6 and 38 days), except in 2007 and 2018. Automated systems to predict the initiation of early blight in potato crop, such as interrupted wet periods, could be an effective basis for developing decision support systems. The incorporation of aerobiological data for the calculation of interrupted wet periods improved the results of this system.
Understanding Activation Effects on Low-Temperature Biochar for Optimization of Herbicide Sorption
Authors: Gámiz Beatriz , Hall Kathleen , Spokas Kurt A. , Cox Lucia
Published: September 2019

Activation treatments are often used as a means of increasing a biochar’s sorption capacity for agrochemical compounds but can also provide valuable insight into sorption mechanisms. This work investigates the effects of H2O2 activation on a low-temperature (350 °C) grape wood biochar, evaluates subsequent changes to the removal efficiency (RE) of cyhalofop and clomazone, and elucidates potential sorption mechanisms. Activation by H2O2 decreased the biochar pH, ash content, and C content. Additionally, the biochar O content and surface area increased following activation, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data suggested a slight increase in surface O groups and a decrease in aliphatic C. Cyhalofop RE significantly increased following activation, while clomazone RE was unchanged. The increased sorption of cyhalofop was attributed to pH effects and charge-based interactions with biochar O moieties. Results from this study suggest that H2O2 activation treatments on low-temperature biochars may improve the removal of organic acid herbicides but are of little value in optimizing the removal of polar, non-ionizable herbicides.
Transcriptome Arofile of Brassica rapa L. Reveals the Involvement of Jasmonic Acid, Ethylene, and Brassinosteroid Signaling Pathways in Clubroot Resistance
Authors: Fu Pengyu , Piao Yinglan , Zhan Zongxiang , Zhao Yuzhu , Pang Wenxing , Li Xiaonan , Piao Zhongyun
Published: September 2019

Plasmodiophora brassicae is a protozoan pathogen that causes clubroot disease in cruciferous plants, particularly Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa). A previous study identified a clubroot resistance gene (CRd) conferring race-specific resistance to P. brassicae. However, the defense mechanisms of B. rapa against virulent vs. avirulent P. brassicae are poorly understood. In this study, we carried out a global transcriptional analysis in the clubroot-resistant Chinese cabbage inbred line “85–74” carrying the CRd gene and inoculated with avirulent (LAB-4) or virulent (SCCD-52) P. brassicae. RNA sequencing showed that “85–74” responded most rapidly to SCCD-52 infection, and the number of differentially expressed genes was much higher in SCCD-52-treated as compared to LAB-4-treated plants (5552 vs. 304). Transcriptome profiling revealed that plant hormone signal transduction and plant–pathogen interaction pathways played key roles in the late stages of P. brassicae infection. Genes relating to the salicyclic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET), and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathways were up-regulated relative to untreated plants in response to LAB-4 infection at 8, 16, and 32 days post-inoculation (dpi) whereas JA, ET, and BR signaling-related genes were not activated in response to SCCD-52, and SA signaling-related genes were up-regulated in both LAB-4 and SCCD-52, suggesting that SA signaling is not the key factor in host resistance to avirulent P. brassicae. In addition, genes associated with phosphorylation and Ca2+ signaling pathways were down-regulated to a greater degree following LAB-4 as compared to SCCD-52 infection at 8 dpi. These results indicate that effector-triggered immunity in “85–74” is more potently activated in response to infection with avirulent P. brassicae and that JA, ET, and BR signaling are important for the host response at the late stage of infection. These findings provide insight into P. brassicae pathotype-specific defense mechanisms in cruciferous crops.
What Makes a Rabbit Cute? Preference for Rabbit Faces Differs according to Skull Morphology and Demographic Factors
Authors: Harvey Naomi D. , Oxley James A. , Miguel-Pacheco Giuliana , Gosling Emma M. , Farnworth Mark
Published: September 2019

Domesticated rabbits typically exhibit shorter, flatter skulls than their wild counterparts (brachycephalism). However, brachycephaly is associated with considerable health problems, including problems with dentition. The aim of this study was to establish which type of rabbit face people prefer, with a particular emphasis on skull morphology and brachycephaly. We grouped 25 images of rabbit faces by cephalic degree based on ratings assigned by 134 veterinary professionals. An online questionnaire was then launched, in which people could rate each of the 25 images according to preference for the rabbits’ faces, and a total of 20,858 questionnaires were completed globally. Repeated-measure, multi-level general linear modelling revealed mildly-brachycephalic rabbits to be the most preferred type of rabbit, and moderately-dolichocephalic (longer skulled) rabbits to be the least preferred. The preference for brachycephalic rabbits was stable across continents, and as such it is highly plausible that human preference has been a driver for the shortening of the skull typically seen in domestic rabbits, perhaps as a result of the ‘baby-schema’. Additional features of rabbit faces that were preferred include a soft, medium-light fur appearance and being generally short-furred. These novel insights may prove useful in the improvement of the public understanding of rabbit health and welfare. The relationship between preference and skull shape is particularly pertinent to future work concerning rabbit health, given the cross-species evidence that having a flat face is associated with chronic health conditions.
Effects of Forsythia Suspense Extract as an Antibiotics Substitute on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Serum Antioxidant Capacity, Fecal Escherichia coli Concentration and Intestinal Morphology of Weaned Piglets
Authors: Long Shenfei , Liu Li , Liu Sujie , Mahfuz Shad , Piao Xiangshu
Published: September 2019

The aim of this study is to determine the efficiency of Forsythia suspense extract (FSE) as an antibiotics substitute on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant capacity, fecal Escherichia coli concentration and intestinal morphology of weaned piglets. A total of 108 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) weaned piglets (28 days (d) weaned, average body weight of 8.68 ± 1.36 kg) were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments, six pens per treatment, three barrows and three gilts per pen. The treatments contained a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CTR), an antibiotic diet (basal diet + 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline; CTC), and an FSE diet (basal diet + 200 mg/kg FSE; FSE). The experiment included phase 1 (d 1 to 14), phase 2 (d 15 to 28) and phase 3 (d 29 to 35). Compared with CTR, piglets fed FSE show improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake in phase 2, as well as enhanced (p < 0.05) ADG from day 15 to 35 and day 1 to 28. Piglets supplemented with CTC and FSE showed a reduced (p < 0.05) diarrhea rate in phase 1, while piglets fed FSE showed enhanced (p < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and gross energy, as well as lower (p < 0.05) nitrogen output in phase 2 compared with CTR and CTC. The content in the form of Colony-Forming Units (CFUs) of fecal E. coli on day 14 and 28 was lower (p < 0.05) in piglets fed FSE in comparison with CTR. The contents of total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase and catalase in serum are enhanced (p < 0.05) compared with CTR and CTC, whereas the concentration of malondialdehyde in serum was decreased (p < 0.05) for piglets fed FSE on day 28 compared with CTC. The villus height to crypt depth ratio in ileum was numerically higher (p < 0.05) in piglets fed FSE in comparison with CTR. In conclusion, dietary FSE supplementation could substitute CTC in improving antioxidant capacity, nutrients digestibility and reducing fecal E. coli content, so as to reduce nitrogen output and diarrhea rate, and eventually improve performance in weaned piglets.
Mortality-Culling Rates of Dairy Calves and Replacement Heifers and Its Risk Factors in Holstein Cattle
Authors: Zhang Hailiang , Wang Yachun , Chang Yao , Luo Hanpeng , Brito Luiz F. , Dong Yixin , Shi Rui , Wang Yajing , Dong Ganghui , Liu Lin
Published: September 2019

The rates of mortality and involuntary culling of dairy calves and replacement heifers have great economic implications on the dairy cattle industry around the world. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to obtain population parameters of mortality and involuntary culling rates of dairy calves and replacement heifers; and, (2) to investigate the factors affecting mortality and involuntary culling rates in Chinese Holstein cattle. Two datasets containing records of birth, calving, and culling events from 142,833 Holstein cattle born between 1991 and 2018 were used in this study. The population parameters were obtained using dataset 1, which consisted of dairy calves and replacement heifers that died or were involuntarily culled. Three survival traits were defined in dataset 2, which consisted of females born from 1999 to 2018. A binomial logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors on the survival traits. The mortality rate of dairy calves and replacement heifers from day 3 to 60, 61 to 365, and 366 to first calving was 5.5%, 7.4%, and 8.7%, and an unfavorable increasing trend was observed. Health events associated with digestive and respiratory or circulatory systems were the main death reasons. Herd-birth year, birth season, and dam parity had significant effects on survival traits. The results from this study will help farmers to better manage calves and replacement heifers and highlight the need to include survival traits in dairy calves and replacement heifers as part of national genetic evaluation schemes.
Intravenous Infusions of Glycerol Versus Propylene Glycol for the Regulation of Negative Energy Balance in Sheep: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Kalyesubula Mugagga , Rosov Alexander , Alon Tamir , Moallem Uzi , Dvir Hay
Published: September 2019

Negative energy balance (NEB) is a state of insufficient dietary-energy consumption, characterized by the breakdown of adipose fat to meet the physiological energy expenditure. Extensive NEB, as common in high-yielding transitioning ruminants, drives significant metabolic disturbance and pathologies such as pregnancy toxemia and ketosis. Strategies to minimize the severity of NEB include the use of energy-dense feed supplements, like glycerol and propylene glycol (PG), or IV glucose infusion during severe hypoglycemia. PG and glycerol have been studied mainly by oral or ruminal administration, which exposes them to substantial metabolism in the digestive system. To investigate their direct benefits to mitigating NEB, we intravenously infused them into sheep induced into NEB by feed restriction. Sixteen 5-month-old ewe lambs at NEB were IV-treated with 170 mL isotonic saline containing 15% glycerol or 15% PG. Both PG and glycerol effectively reduced hyperketonemia by 57% and 61%, and inhibited adipose lipolysis by 73.6% and 73.3%, respectively. Surprisingly, only glycerol was glucogenic (p < 0.0001) and insulinotropic (p < 0.0075), while PG was primarily utilized for production of lactate (p < 0.0001). Tissue-damage biomarkers indicated hemolytic activity for PG. This study revealed glycerol as a superior IV treatment for effective relief of NEB. Since it carries no risk of glucose overloading, glycerol IV infusion may also have clinical advantages over glucose for treatment of pregnancy toxemia and ketosis.
Challenges for Economic Evaluation of Health Care Strategies to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: Holmes Emily A. F. , Hughes Dyfrig A.
Published: September 2019

The threat of antimicrobial resistance has global health and economic consequences. Medical strategies to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, to conserve the effectiveness of current antimicrobials in the long term, inevitably result in short-term costs to health care providers. Economic evaluations of health care interventions therefore need to consider the short-term costs of interventions, to gain future benefits. This represents a challenge for health economists, not only in terms of the most appropriate methods for evaluation, but also in attributing the potential budget impact over time and considering health impacts on future populations. This commentary discusses the challenge of accurately capturing the cost-effectiveness of health care interventions aimed at tackling antimicrobial resistance. We reflect on methods to capture and incorporate the costs and health outcomes associated with antimicrobial resistance, the appropriateness of the quality-adjusted-life year (QALY), individual time preferences, and perspectives in economic evaluation.
Formononetin Upregulates Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling and Prevents Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Kidney Injury in Methotrexate-Induced Rats
Authors: Aladaileh Saleem H. , Hussein Omnia E. , Abukhalil Mohammad H. , Saghir Sultan A. M. , Bin-Jumah May , Alfwuaires Manal A. , Germoush Mousa O. , Almaiman Amer A. , Mahmoud Ayman M.
Published: September 2019

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of methotrexate (MTX). This study explored the protective effect of the isoflavone formononetin (FN) against MTX nephrotoxicity with an emphasis on oxidative stress, inflammation, and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2/heme oxygenase 1 (Nrf2/HO-1) signaling. Rats received FN (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) for 10 days and a single dose of MTX on day 7. MTX induced kidney injury was characterized by increased serum creatinine and urea, kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1), and several histological alterations. FN ameliorated kidney function and inhibited the renal tissue injury induced by MTX. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide, and 8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine were increased, whereas antioxidant defenses were diminished in the kidney of MTX-administered rats. In addition, MTX upregulated renal iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3, and decreased Bcl-2, Nrf2, and HO-1. FN suppressed oxidative stress, LPO, DNA damage, iNOS, COX-2, proinflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis, and boosted Bcl-2, antioxidants, and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling in MTX-administered rats. In conclusion, FN prevents MTX-induced AKI by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and attenuates oxidative damage and inflammation. Thus, FN may represent an effective adjuvant that can prevent MTX nephrotoxicity, pending further mechanistic studies.
Quartz-Enhanced Photothermal-Acoustic Spectroscopy for Trace Gas Analysis
Authors: Zheng Huadan , Lin Haoyang , Dong Lei , Huang Zhao , Gu Xiaohang , Tang Jieyuan , Dong Linpeng , Zhu Wenguo , Yu Jianhui , Chen Zhe
Published: September 2019

A crystal quartz tuning fork (QTF) was used as a detector to collect and amplify laser-induced photoacoustic and photothermal waves simultaneously for trace chemical analysis. A wavelength modulation technique was applied to the proposed quartz-enhanced photothermal-acoustic spectroscopy (QEPTAS) to improve the detection signal-to-noise ratio. The QTF detector was exposed to the illumination of a near-infrared distributed feedback laser at distances of 1 m and 2 m to evaluate the QEPTAS sensor performance. The QEPTAS sensor performance was determined by detecting water vapor in ambient air using a near-infrared distributed feedback laser with a power of ~10 mW and a wavelength of 1.39 μm. With an optimized modulation depth of 0.47 cm−1, the normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficients of 8.4 × 10−7 W·cm−1·Hz−1/2 and 3.7 × 10−6 W·cm−1·Hz−1/2 were achieved for a distance of 1 m and 2 m, respectively. The developed QEPTAS technique reduces the requirements for laser beam quality, resulting in a simple but robust sensor structure and demonstrates the ability of remote sensing of gas concentrations.
Processing of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Femtosecond Laser Pulses
Authors: Almutairi Zeyad , Ahmad Kaleem , Alanazi Mosaad , Alhazaa Abdulaziz
Published: September 2019

There are continued efforts to process and join single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in order to exploit their exceptional functional properties for real-world applications. In this work, we report experimental observations of femtosecond laser irradiation on SWCNTs, in order to process and join them through an efficient and cost-effective technique. The nanotubes were deagglomerated in ethanol by an ultrasonicator and thin slurries of SWCNTs were spread evenly on glass substrates. A laser micromachining workstation for laboratory FemtoLAB (workshop of photonics) has been employed to irradiate the different SWCNTs film samples. The effect of laser parameters, such as pulse wavelength, laser power, etc., were systematically tuned to see the possibility of joining the SWCNTs ropes. Several experiments have been performed to optimize the parameters on different samples of SWCNTs. In general, the nanotubes were mostly damaged by the infrared (1st harmonics femtosecond laser) irradiation on the focal plane. However, the less damaging effect was observed for second harmonics (green wavelength) irradiation. The results suggest some joining of nanotubes along the sides of the focus plane, as well as on the center at the brink of nanotubes. The joining is considered to be established within the region of the high field intensity of the exposed femtosecond laser beam.
Structural Damage Detection and Health Monitoring
Authors: Song Gangbing , Ho Siu Chun Michael , Kong Qingzhao
Published: September 2019

Readers who have recently visited or purchased a newly built house may have started to notice the standard inclusion of “smart home” technologies [...]
Expulsion Identification in Resistance Spot Welding by Electrode Force Sensing Based on Wavelet Decomposition with Multi-Indexes and BP Neural Networks
Authors: Chen Shujun , Wu Na , Xiao Jun , Li Tianming , Lu Zhenyang
Published: September 2019

Expulsion identification is of significance for welding quality assessment and control in resistance spot welding. In order to improve the identification accuracy, a novel wavelet decomposition and Back Propagation (BP) neural networks with the peak-to-peak amplitude and the kurtosis index were proposed to identify the expulsion from electrode force sensing signals. The rapid step impulse and resultant damping vibration of electrode force was determined as a robust indication of expulsion, and this feature was extracted from the electrode force waveform by seven-layer wavelet decomposition with Daubechies5 wavelets. Then, the energy distribution proportion of the decomposed detail signals were calculated, and the highest-energy one was selected as the target signal. Two statistical indexes were introduced in this paper to measure the target signal in overall situation and volatility. The bigger the peak-to-peak amplitude is, the more violent the fluctuation is. Moreover, the higher the kurtosis index is, the stronger the impact is, and the lower the dispersion degree of the data is. Experimental analysis showed that neither the peak-to-peak amplitude nor the kurtosis index could accurately judge the expulsion defect individually, because of the early signal fluctuation, likely affected by the work-piece clamping, work-piece clearance, or the oxide film thickness. Therefore, the BP neural networks were introduced to identify the expulsion defects, which is a mature and stable non-linear pattern recognition method. Testing experiments presented good results with the trained networks and improved the evaluable accuracy effectively in the quality assessment of the resistance spot welding.