bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of the Adoption of Sustainable Intensification in Southern African Farming Systems: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Guo Qian , Ola Oreoluwa , Benjamin Emmanuel O.
Published: April 2020

Climate change and environmental degradation are major threats to sustainable agricultural development in Southern Africa. Thus, the concept of sustainable intensification (SI) has become an important topic among researchers and policymakers in the region over the last three decades. SI involves getting more output from less input using practices such as agroforestry, organic fertilizer, sustainable water management, among others. A comprehensive review of the literature on adoption of SI in the region identified nine relevant drivers of adoption of SI among (smallholder) farmers. These drivers include (i) age, (ii) size of arable land, (iii) education, (iv) extension services, (v) gender, (vi) household size, (vii) income, (viii) membership in a farming organization and (ix) access to credit. We present the results of a meta-analysis of 21 papers on the impact of these determinants on SI adoption among (smallholder) farmers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) using random-effects estimation techniques for the true effect size. While our results suggest that variables such as extension services, education, age, and household size may influence the adoption of SI in SADC, factors such as access to credit are also of great importance. Decision-makers should, therefore, concentrate efforts on these factors in promoting SI across the SADC. This includes increasing the efficiency of public extension service, as well as the involvement of the private sector in extension services. Furthermore, both public and private agriculture financing models should consider sustainability indicators in their assessment process.
A Study on Recent Developments and Issues with Obstacle Detection Systems for Automated Vehicles
Authors: Yu Xiaoyan , Marinov Marin
Published: April 2020

This paper reviews current developments and discusses some critical issues with obstacle detection systems for automated vehicles. The concept of autonomous driving is the driver towards future mobility. Obstacle detection systems play a crucial role in implementing and deploying autonomous driving on our roads and city streets. The current review looks at technology and existing systems for obstacle detection. Specifically, we look at the performance of LIDAR, RADAR, vision cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and IR and review their capabilities and behaviour in a number of different situations: during daytime, at night, in extreme weather conditions, in urban areas, in the presence of smooths surfaces, in situations where emergency service vehicles need to be detected and recognised, and in situations where potholes need to be observed and measured. It is suggested that combining different technologies for obstacle detection gives a more accurate representation of the driving environment. In particular, when looking at technological solutions for obstacle detection in extreme weather conditions (rain, snow, fog), and in some specific situations in urban areas (shadows, reflections, potholes, insufficient illumination), although already quite advanced, the current developments appear to be not sophisticated enough to guarantee 100% precision and accuracy, hence further valiant effort is needed.
Adsorption of Mercury from a Cyanide Leaching Solution Using Various Activation Rates of Granular Activated Carbon: A Laboratory- and Industrial-Scale Study
Authors: Bastami Sina , Ghassa Sina , Seyedhakimi Amin , Chehreh Chelgani Saeed
Published: April 2020

The use of granular activated carbon (GAC) is a typical and sustainable technique for recovering precious metals from a cyanide leaching solution (CLS). The level of GAC activity is a fundamental factor in assessing the rate of precious metal adsorption; thus, it is essential to determine the efficiency of carbon elution for reproducing GACs. Since mercury (Hg) adsorption plays a critical role, economically and environmentally, in GAC efficiency, we conducted various laboratory and industrial experiments to explore the effect of different rates of GAC activation (10%, 35%, 70% and 100%) on Hg adsorption from CLS. Assessments of laboratory test results showed a direct relationship between the Hg adsorption and GAC activity; by increasing the GAC activity from 10% to 100%, the recovery of Hg was increased from 20% to 41%. Kinetic modeling results indicated that the Hg adsorption for all GAC activities followed chemisorption mechanisms. There was good agreement between the laboratory test results and the results of experiments on the industrial scale (that used a continuous circuit). These outcomes indicate that by increasing the frequency of carbon reactivation and using GAC with a high level of activity in the first tank, Hg desorption was meaningfully decreased and recovery was improved (for 10% GAC activity vs. 35% GAC activity, recovery was 40% vs. 90%, respectively).
The Effects of Learning Contexts on the Development of Reflective Thinking in University Education: Design and Validation of a Questionnaire
Authors: Sabariego Puig Marta , Sánchez-Martí Angelina , Ruiz-Bueno Antoni , Sánchez-Santamaría José
Published: April 2020

Reflective thinking is a key skill for constructing meaning in university. Its development requires appropriate learning contexts which can function as spaces for reflection, along with approaches, conditions and methods which can boost students’ training in thinking, framed within their process of knowledge construction and their development of competencies and professional skills. This paper reports the development and testing of a questionnaire on the value of the learning contexts designed to foster reflective thinking. To ensure validity, the constructs measured were derived from the extensive literature on conditions for planning learning and teaching activities for reflective thinking based on narrative-based methods. The instrument was validated with a sample of students (n = 375) from five universities. The results obtained from the estimation of a 10–factor model offer appropriate goodness of fit and parsimony with acceptable and consistent indices of reliability. The results contribute to the evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the questionnaire and confirm the value of the model’s components for devising higher education teaching activities to promote a reflective thinking process.
Effect of Grazing System on Grassland Plant Species Richness and Vegetation Characteristics: Comparing Horse and Cattle Grazing
Authors: Schmitz Anja , Isselstein Johannes
Published: April 2020

Horses are of increasing relevance in agriculturally managed grasslands across Europe. There is concern to what extent grazing with horses is a sustainable grassland management practice. The effect of longer-term horse grazing on the vegetation characteristics of grasslands has received little attention, especially in comparison to grazing cattle. Our study analyses the relative importance of grazing system (grazer species and regime) and grassland management for vegetation characteristics in grasslands as indicator for sustainable management. We monitored grassland vegetation in western central Germany and compared paddocks grazed by horses under two different regimes, continuous (HC) vs. rotational (HR), to paddocks grazed by cattle (C) under similar trophic site conditions. We observed more plant species and more High Nature Value indicator species on HC compared to C. The vegetation of C was more grazing tolerant and had higher forage value than HC. Regardless of the grazing regime, the competitive component was lower, the stress-tolerant component higher and the floristic contrast between patch-types stronger on HC and HR paddocks compared to C. Species richness was strongly influenced by the extent of the floristic contrast. Our results emphasize the potential of horse grazing for biodiversity in agriculturally managed grasslands.
Do Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures Improve Financial Performance? A Perspective of the Islamic Banking Industry in Pakistan
Authors: Ur Rehman Zia , Zahid Muhammad , Rahman Haseeb Ur , Asif Muhammad , Alharthi Majed , Irfan Muhammad , Glowacz Adam
Published: April 2020

This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) on the financial performance of the Islamic banking industry of Pakistan. The study employed the method of content analysis for collecting the required data from annual reports of all four full-fledged Islamic banks operating in Pakistan from 2012 to 2017. The study developed a novel comprehensive CSRD index by using the “Global Reporting Initiative” (GRI) and “Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions” (AAOIFI). This index consists of five dimensions and 105 sub-dimensions of CSRD. The use of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs), and Generalized Least Squares (GLS) using random-effect (RE) and fixed-effect (FE) estimators revealed a significant negative relationship between CSRD and the financial performance of the sample firms. Regarding separate dimensions, the relationship of the Environmental and Economic dimensions of CSRD is significantly positive with current performance, but it is insignificant for the relationships of Legal, Philanthropic, and Ethical dimensions of CSRD with the current financial performance. In addition to contributing to the scarce literature in the Islamic banking industry of a developing country like Pakistan, the study will also help the policymakers and other stakeholders, including the AAOIFI, to develop a comprehensive CSRD policy or index and further improve the already established standards for CSRD.
The Methods and Techniques of Strategic Environmental Assessment. Comparative Evaluation of Greek and International Experience
Authors: Souloutzoglou Antonios , Tasopoulou Anastasia
Published: April 2020

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a process used for the evaluation of environmental impacts at a higher level of decision-making than that of each individual project, i.e., during the preparation and implementation of policies, programs, and plans, with the objective of incorporating the aspect of sustainable development in the early stages of planning. However, the “strategic” nature of SEA is the cause of frequent confusion among the responsible competent institutions and professionals regarding the selection of the most appropriate methods and techniques for each individual situation. At the international level, current research indicates a certain ambiguity in the use of methods and techniques in every step of SEA processes. In Greece, despite the implementation of SEA procedures in the preparation of a number of plans and programs after the transposal of the SEA Directive, to date, no attempt has been made to systematize the current experience and practice from the utilization of methods and techniques. The objective of the present study is to analyze and provide a comparative evaluation of the Greek and international experience, on the one hand with the systematic examination of Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments, and on the other with primary research, through questionnaires addressed to Greek practitioners. An important observation is that, both in Greece and abroad, there are inadequacies in the existence and/or the use of guidance manuals for the selection of the most appropriate methods and techniques, and only a limited range of methods and techniques are used in comparison with those catalogued in international literature.
Sustainable Urban Air Mobility Supported with Participatory Noise Sensing
Authors: Eißfeldt Hinnerk
Published: April 2020

In about 15 years, there is likely to be urban air mobility (UAM) in larger cities across the globe. Air taxis will provide on-demand transportation for individual needs. They will also connect important transportation nodes, such as airports and city centers, as well as providing quick transfers between train stations or a convenient option for crossing rivers and lakes. It is hoped that UAM will help meet today’s political targets of sustainability and decarbonization. However, there are certain threats that could impede the sustainable and thus successful introduction of UAM to our cities, with noise being a prominent limitation. This paper argues that citizens have to be viewed as stakeholders in urban air transportation, regardless of whether they or not intend to use it, and that a concept of resident participatory noise sensing (PNS) will be beneficial to the implementation of UAM. Web-based services and smartphones facilitate the access and updating of current information about local noise distributions, thus enabling them to be used to foster UAM in smart cities.
Measuring and Predicting Long-Term Land Cover Changes in the Functional Urban Area of Budapest
Authors: Lennert József , Farkas Jenő Zsolt , Kovács András Donát , Molnár András , Módos Rita , Baka Dorián , Kovács Zoltán
Published: April 2020

The loss of farmland to urban use in peri-urban areas is a global phenomenon. Urban sprawl generates a decline in the availability of productive agricultural land around cities, causing versatile conflicts between nature and society and threatening the sustainability of urban agglomerations. This study aimed to uncover the spatial pattern of long-term (80 years) land cover changes in the functional urban area of Budapest, with special attention to the conversion of agricultural land. The paper is based on a unique methodology utilizing various data sources such as military-surveyed topographic maps from the 1950s, the CLC 90 from 1990, and the Urban Atlas from 2012. In addition, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) method was used to model land cover changes through 2040. The research findings showed that land conversion and the shrinkage of productive agricultural land around Budapest significantly intensified after the collapse of communism. The conversion of arable land to artificial surfaces increased, and by now, the traditional metropolitan food supply area around Budapest has nearly disappeared. The extent of forests and grasslands increased in the postsocialist period due to national afforestation programs and the demand of new suburbanites for recreational space. Urban sprawl and the conversion of agricultural land should be an essential issue during the upcoming E.U. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms.
The Impact of the Gender Digital Divide on Sustainable Development: Comparative Analysis between the European Union and the Maghreb
Authors: Kerras Hayet , Sánchez-Navarro Jorge Luis , López-Becerra Erasmo Isidro , de-Miguel Gómez María Dolores
Published: April 2020

Today, the relationship between gender and information and communications technologies (ICTs) is a very important element in achieving sustainable development, since ICTs play a key role in attaining gender equality and empowering women by allowing access to important information and involving them as actors in social, economic and environmental development. This participation is closely linked to the degree of education, training and employability, and so women bring added value to the technology sector and not only to it, but also to all sectors associated with it, through their contribution to R&D and Innovation. The 17 goals adopted in Agenda 21 constitute a roadmap that aims to involve all actors and impose gender equality in each one of these goals. In this study, we compare the innovation and gender index of four Mediterranean countries (France, Spain, Morocco, and Algeria) and analyze how some indexes related with “the gender digital divide” affect the achievement of these sustainable development goals. It has been observed that Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 are the most influenced by ICT and the gender digital divide, and that none of the countries in our study have achieved them, although France and Spain present a moderate trend towards their achievement by 2030, and to support this statement, a multiple linear regression has been performed at a global level for the countries that have all of the indicators’ data available. The empirical results show that the gender digital divide has a negative effect on this accomplishment and that the technology disposition has a positive effect on them.
Does Environmental Regulation Affect Natural Gas Consumption? Evidence from China with Spatial Insights
Authors: Wang Xiaolin , Lu Xiangyi , Zhou Na , Xiao Jianzhong , Chen Jun
Published: April 2020

How environmental regulations affect natural gas consumption in China is an urgent issue that must be addressed to achieve the optimal allocation of natural gas resources. The nonspatial panel model and spatial Durbin model have been applied in this paper to explore the impact of environmental regulation on gas consumption and the influence mechanism of such regulation. The results show that there is a N-inverted curve between environmental regulation and gas consumption at the national level. Three main mechanisms (or paths) by which environmental regulation affects natural gas consumption are discovered: controlling the total amount of coal in the energy mix, reducing industrial coal consumption and adjusting energy market prices. The first and third paths positively and significantly affect gas consumption, while the second path negatively affects gas consumption. Second, the spillover effects of environmental regulation promote the growth of gas consumption and integration of the natural gas market at the national level. Considering the provincial level, however, some regions have high regulation-high gas consumption intensity (HH), while others have low regulation-low gas consumption intensity (LL). Based on the above conclusions, we give recommendations for improving energy regulations in different regions to promote the development of regional natural gas markets.
Fast and Efficient Method to Evaluate the Potential of Eutectic Solvents to Dissolve Lignocellulosic Components
Authors: Sosa Filipe H. B. , Dias Rafael M. , da Costa Lopes André M. , Coutinho João A. P. , da Costa Mariana C.
Published: April 2020

The application of eutectic solvents (ESs) in lignocellulosic biomass fractionation has been demonstrated as a promising approach to accomplish efficient and environmentally friendly biomass valorization. In general, ESs are a combination of two components, a hydrogen-bonding donor and a hydrogen-bonding acceptor, in which the melting point of the mixture is lower than that of the individual components. However, there are plenty of possible combinations to form ESs with the potential to apply in biomass processing. Therefore, the development of fast and effective screening methods to find combinations capable to dissolve the main biomass components—namely cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin—is highly required. An accurate and simple technique based on optical microscopy with or without polarized lenses was used in this study to quickly screen and monitor the dissolution of cellulose, xylose (a monomer of hemicelluloses), and lignin in several ESs. The dissolution of these solutes were investigated in different choline-chloride-based ESs (ChCl:UREA, ChCl:PROP, ChCl:EtGLY, ChCl:OXA, ChCl:GLY, ChCl:LAC). Small amounts of solute and solvent with temperature control were applied and the dissolution process was monitored in real time. The results obtained in this study showed that cellulose was insoluble in these ESs, while lignin and xylose were progressively dissolved.
Impact of Dynamic Capabilities on Performance in Dairy Sheep Farms in Spain
Authors: Bastanchury-López María Teresa , De-Pablos-Heredero Carmen , Montes-Botella Jose Luis , Martín-Romo-Romero Santiago , García Antón
Published: April 2020

This study links the dynamic capabilities (DCs) theory with performance in dairy sheep farms in Castilla La Mancha (central Spain). The approach is novel as it seeks to understand how best results can be achieved by deploying DCs in farms. The proposal is that dynamic capabilities are interrelated to each other and present a positive impact on the farm’s economic sustainability. A mixed methods approach (a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of research) was utilized. First, 30 indicators of dynamic capabilities (8 of absorption, 11 of integration, 9 of innovation, and 2 of profits) were selected by applying Delphi’s methodology. Second, a structural equation model (SEM) was applied over a random sample of 157 dairy sheep farms to measure the relationship between DCs and the impact of each capability on farms’ final performance. The existence of positive relationships amongst absorption, integration, and innovation capabilities was evidenced. Absorption and integration capabilities exhibited positive influences on a farm’s final performance. The knowledge of the relationships amongst dynamic capabilities is a new orientation to increase farms’ viability. These findings reveal that the application of the dynamic capabilities theory can explain best farms’ economic sustainability.
An Erdős-Ko-Rado Type Theorem via the Polynomial Method
Authors: Hwang Kyung-Won , Kim Younjin , Sheikh Naeem N.
Published: April 2020

A family F is an intersecting family if any two members have a nonempty intersection. Erdős, Ko, and Rado showed that | F | ≤ n − 1 k − 1 holds for a k-uniform intersecting family F of subsets of [ n ] . The Erdős-Ko-Rado theorem for non-uniform intersecting families of subsets of [ n ] of size at most k can be easily proved by applying the above result to each uniform subfamily of a given family. It establishes that | F | ≤ n − 1 k − 1 + n − 1 k − 2 + ⋯ + n − 1 0 holds for non-uniform intersecting families of subsets of [ n ] of size at most k. In this paper, we prove that the same upper bound of the Erdős-Ko-Rado Theorem for k-uniform intersecting families of subsets of [ n ] holds also in the non-uniform family of subsets of [ n ] of size at least k and at most n − k with one more additional intersection condition. Our proof is based on the method of linearly independent polynomials.
The Generalized Gielis Geometric Equation and Its Application
Authors: Shi Peijian , Ratkowsky David A. , Gielis Johan
Published: April 2020

Many natural shapes exhibit surprising symmetry and can be described by the Gielis equation, which has several classical geometric equations (for example, the circle, ellipse and superellipse) as special cases. However, the original Gielis equation cannot reflect some diverse shapes due to limitations of its power-law hypothesis. In the present study, we propose a generalized version by introducing a link function. Thus, the original Gielis equation can be deemed to be a special case of the generalized Gielis equation (GGE) with a power-law link function. The link function can be based on the morphological features of different objects so that the GGE is more flexible in fitting the data of the shape than its original version. The GGE is shown to be valid in depicting the shapes of some starfish and plant leaves.
Person Re-Identification by Discriminative Local Features of Overlapping Stripes
Authors: Fawad  , Khan Muhammad Jamil , Rahman MuhibUr
Published: April 2020

The human visual system can recognize a person based on his physical appearance, even if extreme spatio-temporal variations exist. However, the surveillance system deployed so far fails to re-identify the individual when it travels through the non-overlapping camera’s field-of-view. Person re-identification (Re-ID) is the task of associating individuals across disjoint camera views. In this paper, we propose a robust feature extraction model named Discriminative Local Features of Overlapping Stripes (DLFOS) that can associate corresponding actual individuals in the disjoint visual surveillance system. The proposed DLFOS model accumulates the discriminative features from the local patch of each overlapping strip of the pedestrian appearance. The concatenation of histogram of oriented gradients, Gaussian of color, and the magnitude operator of CJLBP bring robustness in the final feature vector. The experimental results show that our proposed feature extraction model achieves rank@1 matching rate of 47.18% on VIPeR, 64.4% on CAVIAR4REID, and 62.68% on Market1501, outperforming the recently reported models from the literature and validating the advantage of the proposed model.
The Axisymmetric Central Configurations of the Four-Body Problem with Three Equal Masses
Authors: Kővári Emese , Érdi Bálint
Published: April 2020

In the studied axisymmetric case of the central four-body problem, the axis of symmetry is defined by two unequal-mass bodies, while the other two bodies are situated symmetrically with respect to this axis and have equal masses. Here, we consider a special case of the problem and assume that three of the masses are equal. Using a recently found analytical solution of the general case, we formulate the equations of condition for three equal masses analytically and solve them numerically. A complete description of the problem is given by providing both the coordinates and masses of the bodies. We show furthermore how the three-equal-mass solutions are related to the general case in the coordinate space. The physical aspects of the configurations are also studied and discussed.
The Exponentiated Truncated Inverse Weibull-Generated Family of Distributions with Applications
Authors: Almarashi Abdullah M. , Elgarhy Mohammed , Jamal Farrukh , Chesneau Christophe
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we propose a generalization of the so-called truncated inverse Weibull-generated family of distributions by the use of the power transform, adding a new shape parameter. We motivate this generalization by presenting theoretical and practical gains, both consequences of new flexible symmetric/asymmetric properties in a wide sense. Our main mathematical results are about stochastic ordering, uni/multimodality analysis, series expansions of crucial probability functions, probability weighted moments, raw and central moments, order statistics, and the maximum likelihood method. The special member of the family defined with the inverse Weibull distribution as baseline is highlighted. It constitutes a new four-parameter lifetime distribution which brightensby the multitude of different shapes of the corresponding probability density and hazard rate functions. Then, we use it for modelling purposes. In particular, a complete numerical study is performed, showing the efficiency of the corresponding maximum likelihood estimates by simulation work, and fitting three practical data sets, with fair comparison to six notable models of the literature.
Within the Lack of Chest COVID-19 X-ray Dataset: A Novel Detection Model Based on GAN and Deep Transfer Learning
Authors: Loey Mohamed , Smarandache Florentin , M. Khalifa Nour Eldeen
Published: April 2020

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is putting healthcare systems across the world under unprecedented and increasing pressure according to the World Health Organization (WHO). With the advances in computer algorithms and especially Artificial Intelligence, the detection of this type of virus in the early stages will help in fast recovery and help in releasing the pressure off healthcare systems. In this paper, a GAN with deep transfer learning for coronavirus detection in chest X-ray images is presented. The lack of datasets for COVID-19 especially in chest X-rays images is the main motivation of this scientific study. The main idea is to collect all the possible images for COVID-19 that exists until the writing of this research and use the GAN network to generate more images to help in the detection of this virus from the available X-rays images with the highest accuracy possible. The dataset used in this research was collected from different sources and it is available for researchers to download and use it. The number of images in the collected dataset is 307 images for four different types of classes. The classes are the COVID-19, normal, pneumonia bacterial, and pneumonia virus. Three deep transfer models are selected in this research for investigation. The models are the Alexnet, Googlenet, and Restnet18. Those models are selected for investigation through this research as it contains a small number of layers on their architectures, this will result in reducing the complexity, the consumed memory and the execution time for the proposed model. Three case scenarios are tested through the paper, the first scenario includes four classes from the dataset, while the second scenario includes 3 classes and the third scenario includes two classes. All the scenarios include the COVID-19 class as it is the main target of this research to be detected. In the first scenario, the Googlenet is selected to be the main deep transfer model as it achieves 80.6% in testing accuracy. In the second scenario, the Alexnet is selected to be the main deep transfer model as it achieves 85.2% in testing accuracy, while in the third scenario which includes two classes (COVID-19, and normal), Googlenet is selected to be the main deep transfer model as it achieves 100% in testing accuracy and 99.9% in the validation accuracy. All the performance measurement strengthens the obtained results through the research.
Neuroprotective and Anti—Neuroinflammatory Effects of a Poisonous Plant Croton tiglium Linn. Extract
Authors: Gupta Deepak Prasad , Park Sung Hee , Yang Hyun-Jeong , Suk Kyoungho , Song Gyun Jee
Published: April 2020

Neuroinflammation is involved in various neurological diseases. Activated microglia secrete many pro-inflammatory factors and induce neuronal cell death. Thus, the inhibition of excessive proinflammatory activity of microglia leads to a therapeutic effect that alleviates the progression of neuronal degeneration. In this study, we investigated the effect of Croton tiglium (C. tiglium) Linn. extract (CTE) on the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in microglia and astrocytes via RT-PCR, Western blot, and nitric oxide assay. Neurotoxicity was measured by cell viability assay and GFP image analysis. Phagocytosis of microglia was measured using fluorescent zymosan particles. CTE significantly inhibited the production of neurotoxic inflammatory factors, including nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α. In addition, CTE increased the production of the neurotrophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and the M2 phenotype of microglia. The culture medium retained after CTE treatment increased the survival of neurons, thereby indicating the neuroprotective effect of CTE. Our findings indicated that CTE inhibited pro-inflammatory response and increased the neuroprotective ability of microglia. In conclusion, although CTE is known to be a poisonous plant and listed on the FDA poisonous plant database, it can be used as a medicine if the amount is properly controlled. Our results suggested the potential benefits of CTE as a therapeutic agent for different neurodegenerative disorders involving neuroinflammation.
High Rate of Non-Human Feeding by Aedes aegypti Reduces Zika Virus Transmission in South Texas
Authors: Olson Mark F. , Ndeffo-Mbah Martial L. , Juarez Jose G. , Garcia-Luna Selene , Martin Estelle , Borucki Monica K. , Frank Matthias , Estrada-Franco José Guillermo , Rodríguez-Pérez Mario A. , Fernández-Santos Nadia A. , Molina-Gamboa Gloria de Jesús , Carmona Aguirre Santos Daniel , Reyes-Berrones Bernardita de Lourdes , Cortés-De la cruz Luis Javier , García-Barrientos Alejandro , Huidobro-Guevara Raúl E. , Brussolo-Ceballos Regina M. , Ramirez Josue , Salazar Aaron , Chaves Luis F. , Badillo-Vargas Ismael E. , Hamer Gabriel L.
Published: April 2020

Mosquito-borne viruses are emerging or re-emerging globally, afflicting millions of people around the world. Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, is the principal vector of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, and has well-established populations across tropical and subtropical urban areas of the Americas, including the southern United States. While intense arboviral epidemics have occurred in Mexico and further south in the Americas, local transmission in the United States has been minimal. Here, we study Ae. aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus host feeding patterns and vertebrate host communities in residential environments of South Texas to identify host-utilization relative to availability. Only 31% of Ae. aegypti blood meals were derived from humans, while 50% were from dogs and 19% from other wild and domestic animals. In Cx. quinquefasciatus, 67% of blood meals were derived from chicken, 22% came from dogs, 9% from various wild avian species, and 2% from other mammals including one human, one cat, and one pig. We developed a model for the reproductive number, R0, for Zika virus (ZIKV) in South Texas relative to northern Mexico using human disease data from Tamaulipas, Mexico. We show that ZIKV R0 in South Texas communities could be greater than one if the risk of human exposure to Ae. aegypti bites in these communities is at least 60% that of Northern Mexico communities. The high utilization of non-human vertebrates and low risk of human exposure in South Texas diminishes the outbreak potential for human-amplified urban arboviruses transmitted by Ae. aegypti.
Battling Neurodegenerative Diseases with Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Approaches
Authors: Mijanović Olja , Branković Ana , Borovjagin Anton V. , Butnaru Denis V. , Bezrukov Evgeny A. , Sukhanov Roman B. , Shpichka Anastasia , Timashev Peter , Ulasov Ilya
Published: April 2020

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are most commonly found in adults and remain essentially incurable. Gene therapy using AAV vectors is a rapidly-growing field of experimental medicine that holds promise for the treatment of NDDs. To date, effective delivery of a therapeutic gene into target cells via AAV has been a major obstacle in the field. Ideally, transgenes should be delivered into the target cells specifically and efficiently, while promiscuous or off-target gene delivery should be minimized to avoid toxicity. In the pursuit of an ideal vehicle for NDD gene therapy, a broad variety of vector systems have been explored. Here we specifically outline the advantages of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vector systems for NDD therapy application. In contrast to many reviews on NDDs that can be found in the literature, this review is rather focused on AAV vector selection and their testing in experimental and preclinical NDD models. Preclinical and in vitro data reveal the strong potential of AAV for NDD-related diagnostics and therapeutic strategies.
Improving mental health in autistic young adults: a qualitative study exploring help-seeking barriers in UK primary care
Authors: Coleman-Fountain Edmund , Buckley Carole , Beresford Bryony
Published: April 2020

Background

Autistic people are at increased risk of developing mental health problems. To reduce the negative impact of living with autism in a non-autistic world, efforts to improve take-up and access to care, and support in early years, which will typically start with a GP appointment, must be grounded in the accounts of autistic young adults.

Aim

To explore how autistic young adults understand and manage mental health problems; and to consider help seeking as a focus.

Design and setting

A cross-sectional, qualitative study. Autistic participants were purposively selected to represent a range of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. A subsample were recruited from a population cohort screened for autism in childhood. The study concerns access to primary care.

Method

Nineteen autistic young adults without learning disabilities, aged 23 or 24 years, were recruited. In-depth, semi-structured interviews explored how they understood and managed mental health problems. Data were analysed thematically.

Results

Young adults preferred self-management strategies.Multiple factors contributed to a focus on self-management, including: beliefs about the aetiology of mental health difficulties and increased vulnerability with the context of a diagnosis of autism, knowledge of self-management, and a view that formal support was unavailable or inadequate. Families had limited awareness of professional support.

Conclusion

Young autistic adults without learning disabilities, and their families, may hold erroneous beliefs about autism and mental health. This may affect help seeking and contribute to an exacerbation of symptoms. GPs need to be alert to the fact that autistic young adults in their care may be experiencing mental health difficulties but may not recognise them as such.
Jurassic syn-rift sedimentation on a seawards-tilted fault block, Traill Ø, North-East Greenland
Authors: Vosgerau Henrik , Alsen Peter , Carr Ian D. , Therkelsen Jens , Stemmerik Lars , Surlyk Finn
Published: April 2020

Middle–Late Jurassic rifting in East Greenland was marked by westwards tilting of wide fault blocks bounded by major N–S-trending east-dipping synthetic faults. The syn-rift successions thicken westwards towards the faults and shallow marine sandstones show mainly southwards axial transport directions. An exception to this general pattern is found in south-east Traill Ø, which constitutes the E-tilted Bjørnedal Block, which is bounded to the west by the westwards-dipping antithetic Vælddal Fault. The stratigraphic development of the Jurassic succession on this block shows important differences to the adjacent areas reflecting a different tectonic development. Shallow marine sand seems initially to have filled accommodation space of the immediately adjacent block to the west. This block subsequently acted as a bypass area and much of the sediment was spilled eastwards onto the hangingwall of the east-dipping Bjørnedal Block. The succession on the Bjørnedal Block shows an eastwards proximal–distal decrease in sandstone– mudstone ratio, reflecting increasing water depth and progressive under-filling of the subbasin towards the east in agreement with the dip direction of the fault block. The transverse, mainly south-eastwards palaeocurrents, the eastwards increase in water depths and decrease in sandstone–mudstone ratio on the Bjørnedal Block are at variance with the standard picture of west-tilted blocks with southwards-directed palaeocurrents and decrease in grain size. Earlier palaeogeographic reconstructions have to be modified to account for the east-dipping hangingwall and different stratigraphic development of the area. The sea was thus open towards the east and there is no direct indication of a barrier or shoal east of Traill Ø.
Studi Pemanfaatan Limbah Beton Mutu Tinggi pada Campuran Asphalt Concrete Binder Course (AC-BC)
Authors: Sulianti Ika
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this research is to find out whether the modification of asphalt used with high quality of concrete waste as coarse substitute aggregate of Asphalt Concrete - Binder Course (AC – BC). In this study, the researcher used high quality of concrete waste fc’ 42, fc’ 47, fc’ 50, each waste concrete quality will be mixed with asphalt bitumen contents 5%, 5.5 %, 6 %, 6.5, and 7%. This research used the Marshall test method to determine stability value, flow value, Void In Mix (VIM), Void In Mineral Aggregate (VMA), Void Filled With Asphalt (VFA). AC - BC with high quality of concrete waste fc'42 obtained for the best bitumen content obtained is 7%, with a stability value of 1491.705 kg, flow 4.264 mm, MQ 343.465, VIM 9.190%, VFA 34.425%, VMA 15.067%. AC - BC with high quality of concrete waste fc'47 was obtained for the best asphalt content obtained was 7%, with stability values ​​1551.715 kg / mm, flow 4.587 mm, MQ 339.122, VIM 5.530%, VFA 63.308%, VMA 14.235%.The best results of the Marshall test were obtained at the high quality of concrete waste fc'50, asphalt content obtained is 7%, with the stability of 1616.145 kg, flow 4.859 mm, MQ 333.720, VIM 5.116%, VFA 55.597%, VMA 13.226%. Referring to the obtained research test, the values of stability match with Bina Marga standard value, namely 800 kg, but VFA value, VIM, and flow are not of Bina Marga standard values. In addition, VMA vales fulfilling Bina Marga standard values are concrete waste fc’42 and fc’47 with the scale 14%. The researcher hopes that this research will be the guideline in making a mixture of asphalt concrete binder courses with the replacement of coarse aggregate using concrete waste and to inspire people in utilizing concrete waste in technical aspects.
FACTORES DE TRANSCRIPCIÓN INVOLUCRADOS EN RESPUESTAS MOLECULARES DE LAS PLANTAS AL ESTRÉS OSMÓTICO
Authors: García-Morales Soledad , Gómez-Merino Fernando C. , Trejo-Téllez Libia I. , Herrera-Cabrera Édgar B.
Published: April 2020

El estrés osmótico ocasionado por frío, salinidad y sequía representa uno de los mayores factores limitantes, que afecta negativamente el desarrollo y la productividad de las plantas en todo el mundo. La aclimatación de las plantas al estrés osmótico depende de la regulación de cascadas de redes bioquímicas y moleculares involucradas en la percepción del agobio, la transducción de señales y la expresión de genes específicos relacionados con tal limitante ambiental. Los componentes clave que controlan y modulan la aclimatación al estrés son los factores de transcripción, los cuales son pequeñas proteínas que regulan la expresión de muchos otros genes que conducen a la modulación de complejos mecanismos de aclimatación, por lo que constituyen un grupo de moléculas de interés crucial para entender los mecanismos que emplean las plantas para tolerar este tipo de agobio ambiental. En las plantas superiores cuyos genomas han sido secuenciados completamente, las familias de factores de transcripción son numerosas, y oscilan entre 79 y 81, según la especie. El objetivo de esta revisión es analizar el papel de los factores de transcripción en los mecanismos moleculares de respuesta al estrés osmótico, con énfasis en la familia NAC (NAM, ATAF1-2 y CUC), y su relación con las respuestas de las plantas a este tipo de estrés.
RELEVANCIA DEL NÚMERO Y COMPOSICIÓN DE SECUENCIAS DE LOS NUDOS CROMOSÓMICOS EN LA CARACTERIZACIÓN DE MAÍZ Y TEOCINTLE
Authors: González Graciela Esther , Fourastié María Florencia , Poggio Lidia
Published: April 2020

Los knobs o nudos cromosómicos son bloques heterocromáticos que se pueden encontrar en 34 posiciones cromosómicas diferentes en maíz (Zea mays ssp. mays) y teocintle (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis, Zea mays ssp. mexicana, Zea mays ssp. huehuetenanguensis, Zea luxurians, Zea nicaragüensis y Zea diploperennis). Estos son variables en número, tamaño y posición entre accesiones de maíz y pueden detectarse, mediante bandeos cromosómicos C y DAPI (4', 6'-diamino-2-fenilindol), tanto en metafases como en núcleos interfásicos. A nivel molecular están constituidos por dos familias de secuencias (180-pb y TR-1) representadas por miles a millones de copias, en distintas proporciones unas de otras, y constituyen diferentes tipos de knobs. En este trabajo se analizaron las variaciones en la cantidad de regiones knob y en la composición de sus secuencias en distintas accesiones de maíz y teocintle, para su caracterización citogenética. Para ello se emplearon técnicas de citogenética clásica (tinción con DAPI) y molecular (Hibridación In Situ Fluorescente-FISH). El fluorocromo DAPI reveló variación en el número de regiones DAPI+ (knobs) sobre los cromosomas y los núcleos interfásicos. El FISH mostró que las señales de hibridación se localizaron en las regiones DAPI+ y reveló la constitución de secuencias de cada knob, para así demostrar que no sólo existe variación en el número de knobs entre las accesiones analizadas sino también en el tipo de secuencias que los componen. Con los patrones de hibridación obtenidos fue posible diferenciar entre las accesiones de maíz y de teocintle estudiadas, aportar datos para su caracterización citogenética, y contribuir al conocimiento de la variabilidad genética del género Zea.
PARÁMETROS GENÉTICOS DE Pinus patula EN UN ENSAYO DE PROGENIES ESTABLECIDO EN DOS ALTITUDES
Authors: Morales-González Erick , López-Upton Javier , Vargas-Hernández J. Jesús , Ramírez-Herrera Carlos , Gil-Muñoz Abel
Published: April 2020

En Aquixtla, Puebla se inició en 2001 un programa de mejoramiento con Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. et Cham., con el objetivo de incrementar el volumen del fuste y la adaptabilidad. En julio de 2005 se estableció un ensayo de progenies en dos sitios ubicados a altitudes diferentes (S1 = 2660 m y S2 = 2980 m). En cada ensayo se incluyeron 84 familias de medios hermanos en un diseño de bloques incompletos al azar, con 20 repeticiones; la unidad experimental fue una planta. Se evaluó la altura (ALT), diámetro del fuste a 30 cm y a 1.3 m (D030 y DN, respectivamente), número de verticilos (NV), volumen (VOL) y supervivencia. A cuatro años de edad únicamente se midió la ALT, D030 y NV, y a cinco años de edad se evaluaron todas las características. En S1 las heredabilidades individuales (h2i) a cuatro años de ALT, D030 y NV, y a cinco años de ALT, D030, DN, NV y VOL, fueron 0.16, 0.08, 0.18, 0.18, 0.09, 0.15, 0.16 y 0.16, respectivamente. Las medias por variable fueron: 2.86 m, 5.62 cm, 8.2, 3.85 m, 7.44 cm, 4.53 cm, 10.8 y 4.43 dm3, respectivamente. La supervivencia promedio en este ensayo fue 83 % (entre familias varió entre 57 y 100 %); 1.1 % de árboles murieron por frío (0 a 14.3 % entre familias). En S2 las h2i encontradas para las variables antes mencionadas y en el mismo orden fueron: 0.07, 0.04, 0.03, 0.13, 0.09, 0.12, 0.12, y 0.09; así mismo, las medias por variable fueron: 1.45 m, 3.05 cm, 6.3, 2.19 m, 4.97 cm, 2.13 cm, 8.4 y 0.73 dm3, respectivamente. La supervivencia promedio en S2 fue 66 % (entre familias, de 37.5 % a 100 %); 6.2 % de árboles murieron por frío (0 a 26.7 % entre familias).
‘GALIA F-2011’, VARIEDAD DE TRIGO HARINERO PARA EL VALLE DE MEXICALI, B. C. Y SAN LUIS RÍO COLORADO, SON., MÉXICO
Authors: Paz-Hernández J. José , Porras-Medrano Javier , Ponce-Medina J. Francisco , Noris-Robles Faviola , García-López Alejandro M. , Cruz-Villegas Manuel , Rodríguez-González Rosario E. , Partida-Ruvalcaba Leopoldo
Published: April 2020

En el Estado de Baja California, el Valle de Mexicali es la zona de mayor producción de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) pues en los últimos 10 años se ha sembrado un promedio de 80 000 ha por año (SIAP, 2011), de las cuales 20 % corresponde a trigos harineros (grupos I y II). Sin embargo, las empresas panificadoras a nivel nacional importan grano de gluten fuerte para satisfacer la demanda, y han mostrado interés en variedades de trigo con alto contenido de proteína en la harina, con fuerza y estabilidad de amasado, entre otras características reológicas (Peña et al., 2008).
ELIMINACIÓN DE ESPIGA Y HOJAS EN PROGENITORES ANDROESTÉRILES Y FÉRTILES DE LOS HÍBRIDOS TRILINEALES DE MAÍZ ‘H-47’ Y ‘H-49’
Authors: Tadeo-Robledo Margarita , Espinosa-Calderón Alejandro , Trejo-Pastor Viridiana , Arteaga-Escamilla Israel , Canales-Islas Enrique , Turrent-Fernández Antonio , Sierra-Macías Mauro , Valdivia-Bernal Roberto , Gómez-Montiel Noel O. , Palafox-Caballero Artemio , Zamudio-González Benjamín
Published: April 2020

Se evaluó el efecto de la eliminación de espiga y remoción de láminas de las hojas superiores de plantas, en el rendimiento de semilla, sus componentes y algunas características morfológicas de dos cruzas simples progenitoras femeninas de los híbridos trilíneales de maíz ‘H-47’ y ‘H-49’, ambos en versiones androestériles y fértiles, bajo dos densidades de población, en tres ambientes (localidades) de los Valles Altos de México (> 2200 msnm). En cada ambiente se estableció un experimento factorial 2 x 2 x 4 x 2 (2 genotipos, 2 tipos de fertilidad, 4 niveles de desespigamiento y 2 densidades de población) con 32 tratamientos que se distribuyeron en un diseño experimental bloques completos al alzar, con tres repeticiones, y se efectuó un l análisis de varianza combinado a través de ambientes. El rendimiento de semilla de la cruza simple del ‘H-47’ superó a la del ‘H-49’ (P ≤ 0.05). Las versiones androestériles de las cruzas simples presentaron rendimiento similar a las fértiles. La eliminación de una y dos hojas no afectó significativamente el rendimiento. No hubo diferencias en rendimiento de semilla entre las densidades de población.