bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of aspirin on aquaponics tomato (Solanumly copersicum) production in laboratory condition
Authors: Bablee Alif Layla , Rana KM Shakil , Salam MA
Published: May 2019

The experiment was conducted to visualize the effect of exogenous aspirin on tomato production in aquaponic system. Aspirin, a derivative of salicylic acid, acts as a potential non-enzymatic antioxidant and plant growth promoter, hence regulates plant physiology. The experiment employed three treatments (T) with three replications (R) each where, 60 ppm and 120 ppm aspirin were used in T1 and T2, respectively and Tcon was control with no aspirin. Media filled plastic containers (0.29m×0.30m×0.21m) as growbeds and plastic tanks of 120 liter capacity as fish tank were installed to construct each aquaponic systems indicating each replication. Tilapia, was stocked at 111 fish /m3 in the fish tank and fed commercial floating feed containing 30% protein at the rate of 3% body weight twice daily. In each replication, two tomato saplings were planted. Fish tank water was oxygenated with a 10 watt air pump, then waste water from tank was pumped to grow bed with a 12 watt submersible pump. Survival rates were 70, 85 and 50% in T1, T2 and Tcon respectively. While fish productions were 0.42, 0.34 and 40.49 (kg/m2/60 days) in T1, T2 and Tcon respectively. The water quality parameters were within the suitable ranges for tilapia as well as tomato in the aquaponic system. Foliar spray of aspirin was applied fortnightly. Tomato production was hampered with various diseases in all the treatments although the aspirin treated plant (T1 and T2) were free from few diseases. The highest tomato production was found 0.44 kg/m2/60 days in T2 followed by T1 (0.42 kg/m2/60 days) and Tcon (0.34 kg/m2/60 days). Noticeably, Plant growth and tomato production were higher in T2 and T1 with less disease prevalence than Tcon, suggesting positive impacts of aspirin on tomato. However, further research is needed to justify the aspirin doses at user level.

Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2019, 5(1): 78-86
PENGARUH KONSENTRASI JAHE DAN KONSENTRASI STABILIZER GUAR GUM TERHADAP SIFAT FISIK DAN ORGANOLEPTIK ES KRIM JAHE
Authors: Harsanto Thresia Margareth , Utomo Adrianus Rulianto
Published: May 2019

Jahe adalah salah satu tanaman jenis rempah-rempah yang banyak dimanfaatkan oleh ibu-ibu rumah tangga sebagai bumbu untuk memasak. Jahe memiliki kandungan minyak atsiri sebesar 0,25-3,3% yang menimbulkan aroma khas jahe. Aroma dan rasa jahe yang khas membuat jahe potensial digunakan sebagai pemberi flavor pada es krim. Es krim merupakan produk olahan susu dengan penambahan perasa atau pemanis dan disajikan dalam bentuk semi beku. Peningkatan kualitas es krim dapat dilakukan dengan penambahan bahan penstabil, yaitu guar gum. Guar gum membengkak dan atau larut dalam pelarut polar dan membentuk ikatan hidrogen yang kuat dikarenakan adanya gugus hidroksil dalam molekul guar gum. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui pengaruh konsentrasi jahe dan konsentrasi stabilizer guar gum terhadap sifat fisik dan organoleptik es krim jahe. Parameter yang diukur adalah parameter fisik meliputi laju pelelehan, persen overrun dan parameter organoleptik yaitu rasa dan mouthfeel. Rancangan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan dua faktor. Masing-masing faktor terdiri dari 3 level yaitu 20%, 35% dan 50% pada faktor konsentrasi jahe dan 0,2%, 0,4% dan 0,6% pada faktor konsentrasi guar gum dengan 3 kali ulangan. Data dianalisa secara statistik untuk mengetahui apakah terdapat pengaruh konsentrasi jahe dan konsentrasi stabilizer guar gum terhadap parameter menggunakan uji ANOVA pada α=5%. Jika pengaruh perlakuan terhadap uji parameter teruji nyata maka dilanjutkan dengan Uji DMRT pada α=5% untuk mengetahui perlakuan yang berbeda nyata. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh perbedaan konsentrasi jahe dan stabilizer guar gum pada es krim jahe. Semakin tinggi konsentrasi jahe maupun konsentrasi guar gum menyebabkan penurunan laju leleh dan overrun. Kesukaan rasa es krim jahe paling tinggi pada perlakuan P1K2 dan kesukaan mouthfeel es krim jahe paling tinggi pada perlakuan P2K3.
PENINGKATAN KETERAMPILAN MEMBACA PEMAHAMAN BERBASIS PENDEKATAN ACCELERATED LEARNING DI KELAS V SD NEGERI 011 AIR EMAS KECAMATAN SINGINGI
Authors: Nurhayati Tati
Published: May 2019

Reading comprehension is a reading activity that aims to obtain adequate understanding and interpretation of the meanings contained in written symbols. the reading process is divided into three stages, such as pre-reading, reading, and post-reading. But the reality is that many of the students still experience difficulties in reading comprehension learning. Therefore, researchers applied an Accelerated Learning approach to improve students' reading comprehension skills. The results showed, the assessment of the process of reading students' skills for each assessment indicator was in the value range of 78.35% to 87.35% which was included in the good and very good category. While the results of the assessment of the overall reading skills process were 82.32% with a very good category. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that learning based on the accelerated learning approach can enhance reading comprehension skills of students in class V of the Primary school of 011 Air Emas, Singingi District.
KONSTUKSI PEMAKNAAAN MASYARAKAT PRIBUMI: MAKNA MASYARAKAT PENDATANG BAGI ANGGOTA MASYARAKAT PRIBUMI DESA NEROKTOG KECAMATAN PINANG KOTA TANGERANG
Authors: Irianti Een
Published: May 2019

This article examines the meaning of immigrant society for members of indigenous communities by taking the case in the village of Neroktog, Pinang Subdistrict, Tangerang City, using descriptive qualitative assessment, this research is carried out by exploring the phenomenon construction the reality of social interactions that occur between indigenous and migrant communities. The results show that the meaning of self, the meaning of information and the meaning of immigrants are described differently by each member of the indigenous community. Differences in perceptions that occur indicate that experience, attitudes, power, information, the meaning of self become a construction space where attendance is interpreted by indigenous people.
ADOLESCENT INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND INTERNALISATION OF MORAL VALUES
Authors: Kromerova Enrika , Šukys Saulius
Published: May 2019

Background. Relatively little knowledge is available to date about moral values among adolescents. As
participation in sports activities may contribute to positive youth development, this study aims to examine the
relations between adolescents’ involvement in sports activities and the internalisation of their moral values. We
assessed this relationship with respect to gender as well.
Methods. The sample included 385 adolescents (192 girls and 193 boys) between 13 to 16 years of age
(M age = 14.6, SD =1.11); 43.4% (n = 167) of the research participants were involved in competitive sports. The studied
adolescents had participated in their respective sport for an average of 2.97 (SD = 1.12) years. The internalisation of
moral values was assessed using the 24-item adolescent-report Moral Values Internalisation Questionnaire (Hardy,
Padilla-Walker, & Carlo, 2008). Four forms of value regulation were assessed (external, introjected, identified and
integrated). Overall value internalisation was also evaluated.
Results. Significant differences were found between adolescent involvement in sports activities and external
regulation (p < .05), introjected regulation (p < .01), identified regulation (p < .05) as well as integrated regulation
(p < .01). In depth analyses showed that the four forms of value regulations were higher for the athletes with
experience up to three years and tended to be lower in the group of athletes with higher sports experience. The same
relationship was established in the sample of boys, but not in that of girls.
Conclusions. The research results demonstrated that the identified regulation manifested more than other
regulations did (external, introjected and integrated). Adolescent athletes possessed higher points of moral value
internalisation in all regulations than adolescent non-athletes. Nevertherless, referring to sports experience, the
internalisation forms of moral values of adolescent athletes with more than the three-year sport experience did not
differ in comparison with those of adolescent non-athletes. Research results show that the internalisation of moral
values for adolescents with higher sports experience is lower compared to that of adolescents with lower sports
experience.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND INNOVATIONS: CASE OF LITHUANIAN SPORTS FEDERATIONS
Authors: Staškevičiūtė Butienė Inga , Valantinė Irena , Eimontas Edvinas
Published: May 2019

Background. Sports organizations exist to perform tasks that can only be executed through cooperative
effort, and sports management is responsible for the performance and success of these organizations. The main
problem concerning sports organizations and making them implement modern management paradigms is the duality
of functions, which divides a sports organization into units increasing the internal competition and reducing the
possibilities to create new knowledge. This undoubtedly affects the insufficiently productive functioning of a sports
organization under modern conditions of globalization. Organizational intelligence (OI) could be a way to promote
innovations, create and share knowledge (McMaster, 1998; Winand, Qualizza, Vos, Zintz, & Scheerder, 2013b).
Methods. Two questionnaires were used in this research: first, regarding the evaluation of organizational
intelligence level, the second regarding the sports organization’s preparation for innovations.
Results. One of the lowest evaluated OI factors was organizational openness and the highest rating was given to
group work. Comparing OI internal dimensions score of sports organizations which implemented or not innovations
during the last 12 months it became clear that there was a significant difference in the scores for organizational
openness in sport organizations which implemented innovations and (M = 4.2747, SD = 0.82337) and for sport
organizations which did not implement innovations (M = 3.5874, SD = 0.51288), p = .24 (two-tailed).
Conclusion. Sports organizations having more features of intelligent organization more analyse innovation
development opportunities in various aspects, but the level of intelligence and innovation ideas development
has no relation, except for costs analysis. Sports organization becoming intelligent and developing innovations had
advantage only in some phases of innovation development: situation analysis and decision making.
PBL dengan pendekatan realistic mathematic meningkatkan nilai karakter siswa berkebutuhan khusus
Authors: Soemantri Sandha
Published: May 2019

Pada 2010, pemerintah mendeklarasikan pendidikan budaya dan karakter bangsa yang kemudian dikaitkan dengan kondisi bangsa Indonesia yang menunjukkan perilaku antibudaya dan antikarakter. Perkembangan pendidikan karakter juga dirasakan oleh siswa berkebutuhan khusus. Mayoritas siswa di PKBM Imanuel Surabaya merupakan anak down syndrome dan slow learner yang mengakibatkan mereka sulit bersosialisasi dan memahami materi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan nilai karakter dan kemampuan matematika siswa berkebutuhan khusus. Beberapa prinsip dalam mendidik siswa berkebutuhan khusus adalah prinsip belajar kelompok, prinsip keterampilan, serta prinsip keperagaan, sehingga proses pembelajaran dalam penelitian ini menggunakan model pembelajaran Problem Based Learning (PBL) melalui pendekatan Realistic Mathematic Education (RME). Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian tindakan kelas melalui tahap Perencanaan, Pelaksanaan, Pengamatan, dan Refleksi. Hasil penelitian setelah siklus 2, aspek kemampuan matematika seluruh siswa mencapai nilai di atas standar ketuntasan yang ditetapkan, rata-rata tiap karakter nilai sudah mencapai nilai 3 (baik) dan rata-rata nilai karakter tiap individu juga telah melampaui nilai 3 (baik).
Penguasaan konsep aljabar dan aritmatika untuk menyelesaikan soal-soal fisika dasar
Authors: Rahmasari Sitti
Published: May 2019

Mathematics and physics are closely intertwined because mathematical concepts are used in physics. Physics is a part of science that studies natural behavior through experimental observations and quantitative measurements. Physics uses the language of mathematics to model natural phenomena into mathematical equations, so that in studying physics, mathematical abilities are needed as students' initial abilities in solving physics problems. This study uses a quantitative approach with a descriptive correlation method to analyze the mathematical concepts needed to solve the physical problems of the static electricity material in the Antasari Tadris Physics study program. The results of the study show that there is a high correlation between mastery of arithmetic and algebraic concepts with the ability of students to solve basic physics questions.
Citra Pahlawan dalam Sastra Lisan Datu Aling di Kabupaten Tapin (Telaah Hermeneutika)
Authors: Winda Novia , Wulandari Noor Indah
Published: May 2019

Dalam sastra lisan Banjar yang berbentuk prosa, seperti kisah-kisah Datu, yaitu cerita yang berhubungan dengan kepercayaan terhadap makhluk halus penjelmaan arwah para datu yang pernah hidup dengan segala keistimewaannya, seperti Datu Aling.Datu Aling memiliki kelebihan yang melebihi manusia pada umumnya.

Penelitian inifokus pada bagaimana Citra Pahlawan dalam Sastra Lisan Datu Aling di Kabupaten Tapin (Telaah Hermeneutika) dengan tujuan untuk mendeskripsikan Citra Pahlawan dalam Sastra Lisan Datu Aling di Kabupaten Tapin (Telaah Hermeneutika).Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kajian hermeneutika dari Ricoeur.Jenis penelitian menggunakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif.Data penelitian berupa simbol dalam bentuk teks hasil trankripsi dan terjemahan sastra lisan Datu Aling.Informan dalam penelitian ini adalah penjaga makam Datu Aling.Teknik pemeriksaan keabsahan data yang menggunakan triangulasi metode dan teori.

Hasil penelitian ini menemukan Citra Kepahlawanan Datu Aling, yakni:a) memiliki kekuatan prima, cerdas, dan kepekaan yang tajam dalam menghadapi situasi tertentu, b) memiliki kemampuan supernatural yang tinggi, dan c) kehebatan tokoh yang memiliki penolong yang bisa datang tiba-tiba
The floating traditional Rice Techno-Demonstration for Community Food Security
Authors: Buisan Pasigan U. , Buisan Nasrudin A.
Published: May 2019

Rice ranks as the most important cereal in the Philippines. It is one of the country’s largest agricultural production systems, highest among crop production. The general objective of the study was to determine if traditional rice variety can give optimum yield when planted in the floating area. The materials used were traditional rice varieties. The water hyacinth was converted into a rice floating area. Data gathered was analyzed using the analysis of variance. The LSD Test was employed to compare the significant difference between treatment mean values. Floating rice production is a viable option among small farmers particularly in areas where water availability is not control such as marshy area. Local materials such as water hyacinth as floater are widely available. There is a need however, for a sound cultural management to make it sustainable. The good agronomic characteristics of the rice varieties can be attributed by the types of variety and the management practices. The floating area can be converted a potential area for rice production for a certain community particularly in the marshy area. However, there a need for a sound management practices in the floating area that can farmers may adopt for a sustainable rice floating production area
Quantitative framework for coffee leaf rust (hemileia vastatrix), production and futures
Authors: Kahn Laura H
Published: May 2019

The livelihood of at least 120 million people worldwide depends on the coffee supply chain. Coffee rust is among the main diseases that attack the coffee plant and is caused by the Hemileia vastatrix fungus at temperatures between 10 - 30° C. Coffee rust infestation leads to production losses of over $1 billion annually worldwide. Coffee is the second largest traded commodity worldwide, with about $100 billion in volume traded annually. Understanding if there is a relationship between Temperature, Rainfall, Rust, Production and Futures coffee rust variables is important. This research offers the first known quantitative framework for describing and visualizing the correlation between coffee rust, amount of coffee produced and futures prices..
Communication Modalities Used in the Delivery of Extension Programs to Small Scale Livestock Raisers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines
Authors: Declaro-Ruedas Mary Y. A. , Bais Leoniel S.
Published: May 2019

This study was conducted to determine the communication modalities used in extension program offered to livestock raisers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. This study utilized the descriptive research method. The data were collected through questionnaire. All data was organized, classified, and interpreted using descriptive statistics. Results show that the small scale livestock raisers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro were mostly male, middle aged, with low level of education and had been raising not more than five heads of livestock. Majority have a long experience of livestock production. Most of them rated the quality of support services provided to them as “good”. One-on-one method is the most common communication modality used by the extension workers, however, the preferred modality is the conduct of seminar/conferences. The problems encountered on the adoption of technologies were the financial constraint, lack of institutional support, and the mismatch of the message and the communication media used by the extension worker.
Dietary Polyphenols, Resveratrol and Pterostilbene Exhibit Antitumor Activity on an HPV E6-Positive Cervical Cancer Model: An in vitro and in vivo Analysis
Authors: Chatterjee Kaushiki , Mukherjee Sumit , Vanmanen Jonathan , Banerjee Probal , Fata Jimmie E.
Published: May 2019

Human papilloma virus (HPV)-induced cervical cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in women residing in underdeveloped countries. Natural compounds like polyphenols continue to be of scientific interest as non-toxic effective alternative treatments. Our previous work showed the efficacy of two polyphenols, resveratrol, and pterostilbene on human HeLa cells. Here we explored the in vitro anti-cancer activity and in vivo anti-tumor potential of these two structurally similar compounds on HPV oncogene E6 and E7 positive murine TC1 cells. In vitro analysis confirmed the cytotoxic potential of both resveratrol and pterostilbene compounds with each having a low IC50 value and each showing the ability to downregulate viral oncogene E6. Further in vivo studies on TC1 tumors developing in mice indicated that treatment with either resveratrol or pterostilbene can significantly inhibit tumor development, with both compounds capable of downregulating E6 and VEGF tumor protein levels. Interestingly, the decrease in tumor size in pterostilbene was associated with tumor cell apoptosis, as indicated by an upregulation of activated caspase-3 whereas in resveratrol-treated mice it was accompanied by arrest of cell cycle, as indicated by a downregulation of PCNA. Thus, resveratrol and pterostilbene can serve as potential antineoplastic agents against HPV E6+ tumors and may suppress tumor growth via two different mechanisms.
A New Method of Applying Data Engine Technology to Realize Neural Network Control
Authors: Zheng Song , Bi Chao , Song Yilin
Published: May 2019

This paper presents a novel diagonal recurrent neural network hybrid controller based on the shared memory of real-time database structure. The controller uses Data Engine (DE) technology, through the establishment of a unified and standardized software architecture and real-time database in different control stations, effectively solves many problems caused by technical standard, communication protocol, and programming language in actual industrial application: the advanced control algorithm and control system co-debugging difficulties, algorithm implementation and update inefficiency, and high development and operation and maintenance costs effectively fill the current technical gap. More importantly, the control algorithm development uses a unified visual graphics configuration programming environment, effectively solving the problem of integrated control of heterogeneous devices; and has the advantages of intuitive configuration and transparent data processing process, reducing the difficulty of the advanced control algorithms debugging in engineering applications. In this paper, the application of a neural network hybrid controller based on DE in motor speed measurement and control system shows that the system has excellent control characteristics and anti-disturbance ability, and provides an integrated method for neural network control algorithm in a practical industrial control system, which is the major contribution of this article.
Evolutionary Machine Learning for Multi-Objective Class Solutions in Medical Deformable Image Registration
Authors: Pirpinia Kleopatra , Bosman Peter A. N. , Sonke Jan-Jakob , van Herk Marcel , Alderliesten Tanja
Published: May 2019

Current state-of-the-art medical deformable image registration (DIR) methods optimize a weighted sum of key objectives of interest. Having a pre-determined weight combination that leads to high-quality results for any instance of a specific DIR problem (i.e., a class solution) would facilitate clinical application of DIR. However, such a combination can vary widely for each instance and is currently often manually determined. A multi-objective optimization approach for DIR removes the need for manual tuning, providing a set of high-quality trade-off solutions. Here, we investigate machine learning for a multi-objective class solution, i.e., not a single weight combination, but a set thereof, that, when used on any instance of a specific DIR problem, approximates such a set of trade-off solutions. To this end, we employed a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to learn sets of weight combinations for three breast DIR problems of increasing difficulty: 10 prone-prone cases, 4 prone-supine cases with limited deformations and 6 prone-supine cases with larger deformations and image artefacts. Clinically-acceptable results were obtained for the first two problems. Therefore, for DIR problems with limited deformations, a multi-objective class solution can be machine learned and used to compute straightforwardly multiple high-quality DIR outcomes, potentially leading to more efficient use of DIR in clinical practice.
Blue Light Disinfection in Hospital Infection Control: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Pitfalls
Authors: Cabral João , AG Rodrigues
Published: May 2019

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are a serious problem that potentially affects millions of patients whenever in contact with hospital settings. Worsening the panorama is the emergence of antimicrobial resistance by most microorganisms implicated in HAIs. Therefore, the improvement of the actual surveillance methods and the discovery of alternative approaches with novel modes of action is vital to overcome the threats created by the emergence of such resistances. Light therapy modalities represent a viable and effective alternative to the conventional antimicrobial treatment and can be preponderant in the control of HAIs, even against multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs). This review will initially focus on the actual state of HAIs and MDROs and which methods are currently available to fight them, which is followed by the exploration of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and antimicrobial blue light therapy (aBLT) as alternative approaches to control microorganisms involved in HAIs. The advantages and drawbacks of BLT relatively to aPDT and conventional antimicrobial drugs as well as its potential applications to destroy microorganisms in the healthcare setting will also be discussed.
Study on the Wellbore Flow for Carbon Dioxide Fracturing
Authors: Bai Jianwen , Xiao Caiyun , Mu Chunguo , Zheng Lihui
Published: May 2019

CO2 fracturing has unparalleled advantages in the reservoir reform which can significantly improve oil and gas recovery in unconventional oil and gas resources. The wellbore flow behavior is one of the fundamental issues of CO2 fracturing. A model of flow and heat transfer in the wellbore is developed in this paper, and wellbore temperature and pressure are coupled using an iterative method. The model is validated by measured data from the field. Wellbore pressure, temperature, CO2 properties, and phase state along depth are observed and a sensitivity study is conducted to analyze the controlling factors for CO2 fracturing. Results show that displacement is the key factor affecting CO2 flow behavior in the wellbore and injection temperature has greater influence on CO2 flow behavior than injection pressure and geothermal gradient; however, excess injection temperature brings enormous cost in wellbore pressure. CO2 phase state is related to working parameters and it tends to stay in liquid state under higher displacement, which is matched with field tests. This study can help optimize the working parameters of CO2 fracturing.
Experimental Study and Optimization of the Organic Rankine Cycle with Pure NovecTM649 and Zeotropic Mixture NovecTM649/HFE7000 as Working Fluid
Authors: Blondel Quentin , Tauveron Nicolas , Caney Nadia , Voeltzel Nicolas
Published: May 2019

The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is widely used in industry to recover low-grade heat. Recently, some research on the ORC has focused on micro power production with new low global warming potential (GWP) replacement working fluids. However, few experimental tests have investigated the real performance level of this system in comparison with the ORC using classical fluids. This study concerns the experimental analysis and comparison of a compact (0.25 m3) Organic Rankine Cycle installation using as working fluids the NovecTM649 pure fluid and a zeotropic mixture composed of 80% NovecTM649 and 20% HFE7000 (mass composition) for low-grade waste heat conversion to produce low power. The purpose of this experimental test bench is to study replacement fluids and characterize them as possible replacement fluid candidates for an existing ORC system. The ORC performance with the pure fluid, which is the media specifically designed for this conversion system, shows good results as a replacement fluid in comparison with the ORC literature. The use of the mixture leads to a 10% increase in the global performance of the installation. Concerning the expansion component, an axial micro-turbine, its performance is only slightly affected by the use of the mixture. These results show that zeotropic mixtures can be used as an adjustment parameter for a given ORC installation and thus allow for the best use of the heat source available to produce electricity.
Fixed Point Theorems through Modified ω-Distance and Application to Nontrivial Equations
Authors: Qawasmeh Tariq , Tallafha Abdalla , Shatanawi Wasfi
Published: May 2019

In this manuscript, we utilize the concept of modified ω -distance mapping, which was introduced by Alegre and Marin [Alegre, C.; Marin, J. Modified ω -distance on quasi metric spaces and fixed point theorems on complete quasi metric spaces. Topol. Appl. 2016, 203, 120–129] in 2016 to introduce the notions of ( ω , φ ) -Suzuki contraction and generalized ( ω , φ ) -Suzuki contraction. We employ these notions to prove some fixed point results. Moreover, we introduce an example to show the novelty of our results. Furthermore, we introduce some applications for our results.
Mite Communities (Acari, Mesostigmata) in the Initially Decomposed ‘Litter Islands’ of 11 Tree Species in Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Forest
Authors: Kamczyc Jacek , Dyderski Marcin K. , Horodecki Paweł , Jagodziński Andrzej M.
Published: May 2019

Replacement of native deciduous forests by coniferous stands was a common result of former European afforestation policies and paradigms of forest management and led to considerable ecological consequences. Therefore, the most popular management strategy nowadays in multi-functional forestry is the re-establishment of mixed or broadleaved forests with native species on suitable habitats. However, our knowledge about the effects of tree species introduced into coniferous monocultures on soil mesofauna communities is scarce. We investigated abundance, species richness and diversity of Mesostigmata mite communities in decomposed litter of seven broadleaved (Acer platanoides L., A. pseudoplatanus L., Carpinus betulus L., Fagus sylvatica L., Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robur L., Q. rubra L.) and four coniferous (Abies alba Mill., Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies [L.] Karst., Pinus sylvestris L.) species. We collected 297 litterbags after 6, 12 and 18 months of exposition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) monocultures in Siemianice Experimental Forest (SW Poland). Generally, species richness and diversity in litter samples were much lower than in the soil mite pool. The highest abundance was found in P. sylvestris and A. alba litter, while the lowest was found in A. platanoides. The most abundant families were Zerconidae, Parasitidae, Veigaiidae, and Trachytidae. Our study revealed that neither species richness nor diversity were affected, but that mite abundance was affected, by the tree species (litter quality). The mite communities were similarly comprised in both high- and low-quality litter and mite abundance decreased during the decomposition process in nutrient-poor Scots pine forests. Moreover, few mite species benefited from the decomposed litter. Additionally, a litter of various tree species was inhabited mainly by eu- and hemiedaphic mite species. Mite assemblages in A. alba, P. sylvestris, and Q. robur litter had higher abundances. Exposition time seems to be an important driver in shaping the mite community during the early stages of litter decomposition.
Behavioural Response of Juvenile Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Juvenile Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) to Strobe Light
Authors: Kim Jaewoo , Bondy Caitlyn , Chandler Catherine M. , Mandrak Nicholas E.
Published: May 2019

The movement of fish can be regulated by behavioural manipulation through non-physical barrier systems. Aquatic invasive species are becoming one of the major management issues in North America, and threaten native aquatic ecosystems, including freshwater fish. Placements of non-physical barriers in waterways can help disrupt the movement of invasive fish. This study examined the effect of a strobe-light stimulus on the avoidance behaviour of two proxy species, juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), in a controlled laboratory environment. For each species, three sequential treatments of pre-stimulus, strobe-light stimulus, and post-stimulus for 30 min periods were recorded on acclimated groups of 5 juvenile common carp and 5 juvenile channel catfish using 15 and 13 replicates, respectively. The distribution of juvenile common carp individuals throughout the tank did not change significantly with treatment, nor did cohesive grouping behaviour. Similarly, there were no significant differences across experimental treatments in average location/distance of juvenile channel catfish relative to the strobe light or degree of cohesion in response to the strobe light. Non-physical barriers have been widely reported to vary between species and environmental conditions. These results suggest that strobe lights evoke no avoidance or attractive responses in juvenile common carp and juvenile channel catfish, and will likely not be an effective barrier to inhibit movements of juvenile invasive fishes.
Analogues to Lie Method and Noether’s Theorem in Fractal Calculus
Authors: Khalili Golmankhaneh Alireza , Tunç Cemil
Published: May 2019

In this manuscript, we study symmetries of fractal differential equations. We show that using symmetry properties, one of the solutions can map to another solution. We obtain canonical coordinate systems for differential equations on fractal sets, which makes them simpler to solve. An analogue for Noether’s Theorem on fractal sets is given, and a corresponding conservative quantity is suggested. Several examples are solved to illustrate the results.
Give and Let Give: Alternative Mechanisms Based on Voluntary Contributions
Authors: Grech Philip D.
Published: May 2019

We propose a new family of mechanisms, whereby players may give more or less directly to one another. A cornerstone case is the regular linear public goods mechanism (LPGM), where all contribute into a single common group account, the total amount of which is then distributed equally among players. We show that with sufficiently (yet not necessarily fully) pro-social preferences, the social optimum can be reached in Nash equilibrium in all social dilemma situations described by our mechanisms (including the LPGM). In addition, for a given heterogeneity of pro-social preferences, we help to identify which specific mechanisms perform best in terms of incentivizing giving. Our results are therefore relevant from two vantage points. One, they provide proper rational choice benchmarks based on Nash equilibrium under the assumption of other-regarding preferences. Two, they provide arguments in favor of re-structuring many collective action problems currently implemented as LPGMs when it is feasible to gain some information concerning who has concern for whom.
Italian Mothers and Italian-Canadian Daughters: Using Language to Negotiate the Politics of Gender
Authors: Spagnuolo Elena Anna
Published: May 2019

This paper examines how migration redefines family narratives and dynamics. Through a parallel between the mother and the mother tongue, I unravel the emotional, linguistic, social, and ideological connotations of the mother–daughter relationship, which I define as a ‘condensed narrative about origin and identity’. This definition refers to the fact that the daughter’s biological, affective, linguistic, and socio-cultural identity grounds in the mother. The mother–daughter tie also has a gendered dimension, which opens up interesting gateways into the female condition. Taking this assumption as a starting point, I examine how migration, impacting on the mother–daughter relationship, can redefine gender roles and challenge models of femininity, which are culturally, socially, geographically, and linguistically embedded. I investigate this aspect from a linguistic perspective, through a reading of a corpus of narratives written by four Italian-Canadian writers. The movement from Italy to Canada enacts ‘the emergence of alternative family romances’ and draws new routes to femininity. This paper seeks to illustrate how, in the narratives I examine, these new routes are explored through linguistic means. The authors in my corpus use code-switching to highlight contrasting views of femininity and reposition themselves with respect to politics of gender.
De Novo Assembly and Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Anser anser and Anser cygnoides Geese Species’ Embryonic Skin Feather Follicles
Authors: Sello Cornelius Tlotliso , Liu Chang , Sun Yongfeng , Msuthwana Petunia , Hu Jingtao , Sui Yujian , Chen Shaokang , Zhou Yuxuan , Lu Hongtao , Xu Chenguang , Sun Yue , Liu Jing , Li Shengyi , Yang Wei
Published: May 2019

Geese feather production and the quality of downy feathers are additional economically important traits in the geese industry. However, little information is available about the molecular mechanisms fundamental to feather formation and the quality of feathers in geese. This study conducted de novo transcriptome sequencing analysis of two related geese species using the Illumina 4000 platform to determine the genes involved in embryonic skin feather follicle development. A total of 165,564,278 for Anser anser and 144,595,262 for Anser cygnoides clean reads were generated, which were further assembled into 77,134 unigenes with an average length of 906 base pairs in Anser anser and 66,041 unigenes with an average length of 922 base pairs in Anser cygnoides. To recognize the potential regulatory roles of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during geese embryonic skin feather follicle development, the obtained unigenes were annotated to Gene Ontology (GO), Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) for functional analysis. In both species, GO and KOG had shown similar distribution patterns during functional annotation except for KEGG, which showed significant variation in signaling enrichment. Anser asnser was significantly enriched in the calcium signaling pathway, whereas Anser cygnoides was significantly enriched with glycerolipid metabolism. Further analysis indicated that 14,227 gene families were conserved between the species, among which a total of 20,715 specific gene families were identified. Comparative RNA-Seq data analysis may reveal inclusive knowledge to assist in the identification of genetic regulators at a molecular level to improve feather quality production in geese and other poultry species.
Centromeric Satellite DNAs: Hidden Sequence Variation in the Human Population
Authors: Miga Karen H.
Published: May 2019

The central goal of medical genomics is to understand the inherited basis of sequence variation that underlies human physiology, evolution, and disease. Functional association studies currently ignore millions of bases that span each centromeric region and acrocentric short arm. These regions are enriched in long arrays of tandem repeats, or satellite DNAs, that are known to vary extensively in copy number and repeat structure in the human population. Satellite sequence variation in the human genome is often so large that it is detected cytogenetically, yet due to the lack of a reference assembly and informatics tools to measure this variability, contemporary high-resolution disease association studies are unable to detect causal variants in these regions. Nevertheless, recently uncovered associations between satellite DNA variation and human disease support that these regions present a substantial and biologically important fraction of human sequence variation. Therefore, there is a pressing and unmet need to detect and incorporate this uncharacterized sequence variation into broad studies of human evolution and medical genomics. Here I discuss the current knowledge of satellite DNA variation in the human genome, focusing on centromeric satellites and their potential implications for disease.
A Premature Stop Codon in RAF1 Is the Priority Candidate Causative Mutation of the Inherited Chicken Wingless-2 Developmental Syndrome
Authors: Youngworth Ingrid , Delany Mary E.
Published: May 2019

The chicken wingless-2 (wg-2) mutation is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, and the resulting phenotype in mutant (wg-2/wg-2) individuals is a developmental syndrome characterized by absent wings, truncated legs, craniofacial as well as skin and feather defects, and kidney malformations. Mapping and genotyping established that the mutation resides within 227 kilobases (kb) of chromosome 12 in a wg-2 congenic inbred line. A capture array was designed to target and sequence the candidate region along with flanking DNA in 24 birds from the line. Many point mutations and insertions or deletions were identified, and analysis of the linked variants indicated a point mutation predicted to cause a premature stop codon in the RAF1 gene. Expression studies were conducted inclusive of all genes in the candidate region. Interestingly, RAF1 transcription was elevated, yet the protein was absent in the mutants relative to normal individuals. RAF1 encodes a protein integral to the Ras/Raf/MAPK signaling pathway controlling cellular proliferation, and notably, human RASopathies are developmental syndromes caused by germline mutations in genes of this pathway. Our work indicates RAF1 as the priority candidate causative gene for wg-2 and provides a new animal model to study an important signaling pathway implicated in limb development, as well as RASopathies.
Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution and Stable Isotopic Signatures in Hard Rock Aquifers of Krishnagiri District, South India
Authors: Manikandan S. , Chidambaram S. , Prasanna M. V. , Ganayat Rakesh Roshan
Published: May 2019

The area chosen for study, Krishnagiri district, has a hard rock terrain and the aquifers located there are sparsely recharged by limited rainfall. The study area has a complex geology with hard rock aquifers. To have an overall view of the trace metals concentration in the groundwater of the study area, 39 groundwater samples were collected during Post Monsoon (POM) representing various lithologies. pH, EC, TDS, major ions and 22 heavy metals were analyzed for all the samples. Ca-Cl is the dominant water facies in the groundwater, which indicates the dissolution of ions by local precipitation. The analysis shows the dominance of trace metal levels in groundwater as follows: Zn > Ba > Sr > Fe > Al > B > Mn > Cu > Pb > Ni > V > Li > Rb > Cr > Mo > Se > As > Co > Cd > Ag > Sb > Be. The pollution indices, namely the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (Cd) were calculated to assess the drinking and agriculture water usage. The pollution indices show that 2% of samples are polluted with respect to HPI and 3% with respect to the degree of contamination. The heavy metals (Al-Cr-Mn-Fe-Ni-Co-Zn-Ba-Pb) in groundwater show significant correlations with these indices, suggesting that they are affected by weathering of rock matrix with less anthropogenic impact. Stable isotopes (Oxygen and Hydrogen) were analyzed to identify the possible recharge mechanisms in the groundwater. It has been identified that recharge is mainly due to the local precipitation, which is the result of release metals in the groundwater through weathering.
Geoarchaeological Characterisation of Sites of Iberian and Roman Cordoba Using LiDAR Data Acquisitions
Authors: Monterroso-Checa Antonio
Published: May 2019

The National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN) carried out a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) flight for the entire region of Andalusia between 2013 and 2014, which completed the general LiDAR acquisitions obtained for all of Spain since 2010. Recently, successive updates of orthoimages of Spain and Andalusia have also been acquired. This geographic documentation allows several applications for the aerial detection of archaeological sites. In recent years, numerous discoveries have been made in Spain, especially in non-built-up areas located outside urban enclaves. Less attention, however, has been paid to the use of this geographical information in historic cities because, apparently, they do not preserve their historical micro relief. This study analyses the city of Cordoba (southern Spain) by processing LiDAR data of the Plan Nacional de Ortofotografía Aérea (PNOA-LiDAR). Digital Surface Models (DSM) obtained for the entire city, in combination with geological and archaeological records, provide evidence of the geomorphological reconstruction of the city in ancient times. Using Cordoba as an example, the main purpose of this article is to highlight the fact that LiDAR data are also useful for the diachronic analysis of ancient urban structures buried some metres deep in current historic cities.
Classification of Hydrological Relevant Parameters by Soil Hydraulic Behaviour
Authors: Kreye Phillip , Gelleszun Marlene , Somasundaram Manickam , Meon Günter
Published: May 2019

Soil water simulations on hydrological meso- or macroscale require parameters that describe the physical characteristics of the soil. At these scales, information regarding soil properties is mostly only available on very coarse spatial resolutions with texture based soil characterisations, where it is difficult to select representative soil hydraulic parameters. We improved the parameter estimation by introducing a new soil classification system, which is based on soil hydraulic behaviour in order to realistically reproduce the soil water interaction within meso-scaled hydrological models. The time series of soil water flux were simulated based on one million different parameterisations, which were then utilised for similarity analyses while applying the k-means clustering. The resulting classes show a different pattern when compared to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) texture based classes. Representative time series of water flux representative of the new classes were compared to time series of the USDA texture classification. The new classes show remarkably lower uncertainties. The bandwidth of the time series within a class is orders of magnitudes higher for the USDA system when compared to the new system. The evaluation of similarity of the simulated water flux time series within one and the same class were also clearly better for the new system.
Researching Child Authors: Which Questions (not to) Ask
Authors: Wesseling Elisabeth
Published: May 2019

It used to be taken for a given fact that children’s literature is written by adults for children. This assumption is contested by the emergence of “another children’s literature”, namely literature about, for, and by children. Facilitated by digital platforms, this alternative type of children’s literature is gathering momentum, compelling us to rethink the (im)possibilities of children’s creative agency. As research into children’s literature is largely premised upon the asymmetry between adult authorship and juvenile readership, we need to rethink some fundamental tenets of this academic field in order to come to terms with child authorship. This article reviews leading publications on the topic, to address the question of how we can best acknowledge, facilitate, and appreciate children’s creative agency as an indispensable dimension of their emergent citizenship. Methodological deliberations are illustrated with references to primary works by child authors about topical societal issues such as ethnic conflict, homelessness, and migration. Its aim is not so much to provide a complete survey of all available publications on the topic, but rather to stake out representative publications that exemplify more and less fruitful approaches to the problem at hand.
Living Alone Among Older Adults in Canada and the U.S.
Authors: Lee Sharon M. , Edmonston Barry
Published: May 2019

Increasing proportions of people, including older adults, live alone. Studying living arrangements of the elderly is important because these affect and reflect general well-being of the elderly and inform communities’ response to elderly housing needs. We analyze data from the 2006 Canadian Census and the 2006 American Community Survey to examine living alone among non-married older adults aged 55 and older in Canada and the U.S. The paper has two parts. First, we compare native- and foreign-born elderly to see if immigrants are less likely to live alone. Second, we examine factors associated with living alone among older immigrants. While older immigrants in both countries are less likely to live alone, the large differences are substantially reduced once various explanatory variables are considered. Comparisons of four gender/country groups of older immigrants show the positive role of economic and acculturation factors on living alone among older immigrants. With few exceptions, predictors of living alone are similar for older immigrants in Canada and the U.S.: living alone is mainly explained by a combination of economic and acculturation factors, taking demographic variables into account. Findings underline the need for age-friendly housing with innovative design and technology that can accommodate older people who live alone, including older immigrants who may have different needs and cultural preferences.