bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revolutions of Resolution
Authors: Zerené Harcha Joaquin , Cardoso Pereira Paula
Published: April 2018

Digital technologies have profoundly transformed the process of production and transmission of visual information and images. From a critical perspective on visual culture this article proposes an analysis of low-resolution digital images, here treated as poor images (Steyerl), in today’s “class society of images”. Resolution refers to a material dimension of images that needs to be explored. A critical approximation to the role of poor images in today’s transnational and global communication asks for a focus on their modes of circulation, politics of accessibility and property rights as well as on the role of materiality in the economy of contemporary visual culture.
Social Media and the Public Sphere
Authors: Fuchs Christian
Published: April 2018

Social media has become a key term in Media and Communication Studies and public discourse for characterising platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Wordpress, Blogspot, Weibo, Pinterest, Foursquare and Tumblr. This paper discusses the role of the concept of the public sphere for understanding social media critically. It argues against an idealistic interpretation of Habermas and for a cultural-materialist understanding of the public sphere concept that is grounded in political economy. It sets out that Habermas’ original notion should best be understood as a method of immanent critique that critically scrutinises limits of the media and culture grounded in power relations and political economy. The paper introduces a theoretical model of public service media that it uses as foundation for identifying three antagonisms of the contemporary social media sphere in the realms of the economy, the state and civil society. It concludes that these limits can only be overcome if the colonisation of the social media lifeworld is countered politically so that social media and the Internet become public service and commons-based media.Acknowledgement: This paper is the extended version of Christian Fuchs’ inaugural lecture for his professorship of social media at the University of Westminster that he took up on February 1st, 2013. He gave the lecture on February 19th, 2014, at the University of Westminster.The video version of the inaugural lecture is available at:https://vimeo.com/97173645
Playing, Gaming, Working and Labouring: Framing the Con-cepts and Relations
Authors: Lund Arwid
Published: April 2018

The aim of this article is to define the concepts of playing, working, gaming, and labouring, through a literature study, and to construct a typology. This typology will be used to create a field model that is structured by the horizontal parameters of qualitative-quantitative (characteristics) and the vertical parameters of activity-result (in focus). It is shown how this model can be used to visualise different theoretical positions in empirical material, which connects to the concepts and their relations. Working and labouring are distinguished into a trans-historical and a historical, capitalist, category, and likewise playing and gaming, where the former is the trans-historical category and the latter the historical one. The main focus of the article, since working and labouring is well covered within the critical Marxist tradition, is on playing and its relation to working, with the aim of understanding and criticising the concept of playbour.
Digital Labour and the Use-value of Human Work. On the Importance of Labouring Capacity for understanding Digital Capitalism
Authors: Pfeiffer Sabine
Published: April 2018

On the face of its virtual and immaterial appearance, digital labour often is seen as a phenomenon of abstract work. Contrary to that common understanding, in Marx’ theory the abstraction of labour derives from its historical development into a commodity, splitting human work as all commodities into use-value and exchange-value. Thus the process of abstraction is of economical logic, and not to be explained or characterized by the virtual and immaterial quality that is typical for the means and objects of digital labour. In his early work Marx differentiates between living labouring capacity (Arbeitsvermögen) as the use-value of human work and labour power as its objectified form to be exchanged. In the tradition of Marx‘ Grundrisse Oskar Negt and Alexander Kluge in Geschichte und Eigensinn pointed to the dialectical relationship between the use-value and exchange-value of labour, revealing how labour on its use-value side ‟contains and reproduces capacities and energies that exceed its realisation in/as commodity”, extending the model of labour power ‟to a whole range of physiological, sexual, social, and national relations” (Negt and Kluge 1993a, xxxiii). While these qualitative and material as well as corporeal aspects of human work are still visible in industrial production processes, they seem to be vanished in virtual work environments. But, digital capitalism not only opens up exploitation to higher levels and new forms (e.g. Fuchs 2012; Scholz 2012), the relevance of human work and its use-value for capitalism becomes more concealed to the same degree as it becomes more significant. The article develops an analytical conception relying on Marx‘ dialectical distinction between the use-value (labouring capacity) and the exchange-value (labour power), and transforming it into an operationalized model that could be and has been successfully used for empirical studies of digital labour. Labouring capacity has three levels of phenomena: subjectifying corporeal working action, material means and objects of work (even in virtual environments), and the socially and physically experienceable face of globalised work organisation. This analytical concept of labouring capacity (Arbeitsvermögen; Pfeiffer 2004) is especially helpful to reveal the dialectics in digital work and its sources of value creation (Pfeiffer 2013). The article unfolds the theoretical foundations of the concept, and elaborates its potential to analyse digital labour.
(De)valuing Intern Labour: Journalism Internship Pay Rates and Collective Representation in Canada
Authors: Salamon Errol
Published: April 2018

Unpaid journalism internships have attracted increasing media coverage, but they have received limited scholarly attention. This paper traces the connections between trade unions (in unionized media organizations) and the labour conditions marking journalism internships. While some unions can be complicit in sustaining the exploitation and devaluation of interns with regard to the standard market value of entry-level labour, other unions have fought to establish internships, locking higher salaries into collective agreements. Building on the concept of precarity, this article surveys internships at 19 mainstream English-language newspapers and magazines in Canada. It draws on documentary evidence from and personal communication with labour unions and journalism organizations, internship advertisements, and media coverage to offer a typology of the relationships between pay rates and collective representation within journalism internships: unpaid/low paid and not under union jurisdiction; unpaid/low paid and under union jurisdiction; paid at intern rates and not under union jurisdiction; paid at intern rates and under union jurisdiction; and paid at entry-level employee rates and under union jurisdiction.
Ontario Interns Fight Back: Modes of Resistance Against Unpaid Internships
Authors: Webb William
Published: April 2018

In this article I report on three ways that interns and those sympathetic to their plight are opposing unpaid internships, focusing on the Canadian province of Ontario as a case. First, I analyze the ways that interns engage in social activism to raise awareness about problems with unpaid internships. Second, I examine several lawsuits that interns have waged against companies in an attempt to secure back pay. Third, I analyze the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s response to the growing concerns surrounding unpaid internships, and recent proposals that aim to strengthen governmental regulations. Arguing that possibilities for change have arisen largely due to the efforts of interns themselves, I conclude each section by noting some of the strengths and limitations afforded by each type of resistance.
Unwaged Posts in UK Universities: Controversies and Campaigns
Authors: Forkert Kirsten , Lopes Ana
Published: April 2018

This article examines unwaged posts at UK universities, using recent examples of advertised job posts. While unpaid work is common in the UK higher education system, unwaged posts are not. The posts under scrutiny in this article differ from traditional honorary titles as they target early career academics, who are unlikely to have a paid position elsewhere, rather than established scholars. The article contextualizes the appearance of these posts in a climate of increasing marketization of higher education, entrenching managerialism in higher education institutions, and the casualization of academic work. We also discuss resistance to the posts, arguing that the controversy surrounding unpaid internships in the creative industries created a receptive environment for resisting unwaged posts in academia. We analyze the campaigns that were fought against the advertisement of the posts, mostly through social media and the University and College Union. We explore the tactics used and discuss the advantages and limitations of the use of social media, as well as the role of trade unions in the campaigns against these posts, and we reflect on what future campaigns can learn from these experiences.
Nothing for Money and Your Work for Free: Internships and the Marketing of Higher Education
Authors: Einstein Mara
Published: April 2018

American universities have significantly increased their marketing expenditures over the last decade. The high cost of education, reductions in government funding, and precipitous declines in the traditional college-aged population (18-21 year olds) are some of the key factors forcing universities to be more aggressive with the promotional techniques they use to attract prospective students. In this competitive marketplace, schools promote the attributes they believe will be most compelling to high schoolers and their parents, including academics, sports, campus life, and careers. Tied into this last factor is the promotion of internship opportunities. While some of these hands-on experiences lead to jobs, there are no guarantees that attending college and engaging in an internship will translate into full-time employment. Using content analysis and auto-ethnography, I examine how universities use internships to market higher education, and argue that this is a particularly pernicious practice within the area of media studies.
Comparing Digital Protest Media Imaginaries: Anti-Austerity Movements in Greece, Italy & Spain
Authors: Treré Emiliano , Jeppesen Sandra , Mattoni Alice
Published: April 2018

This article presents findings from an empirical study of repertoires of contention and communication engaged during anti-austerity protests by the Indignados in Spain, the precarious generation in Italy, and the Aganaktismenoi in Greece. Drawing on 60 semi­structured interviews with activists and independent media producers involved in the 2011 wave of contention, we bring together social movement and communications theoretical frameworks to present a comparative critical analysis of digital protest media imaginaries. After examining the different socio-political and protest media contexts of the three countries translocally, our critical analysis emphasizes the emergence of three different imaginaries: in Spain the digital protest media imaginary was technopolitical, grounded in the politics and political economies of communication technologies emerging from the free culture movement; in Italy this imaginary was techno-fragmented, lacking cohesion, and failed to bring together old and new protest media logics; and finally in Greece it was techno-pragmatic, envisioned according to practical objectives that reflected the diverse politics and desires of media makers rather than the strictly technological or political affordances of the digital media forms and platforms. This research reveals how pivotal the temporal and geographical dimensions are when analyzed using theoretical perspectives from both communications and social movement research; moreover it emphasizes the importance of studying translocal digital protest media imaginaries as they shape movement repertoires of contention and communication; both elements are crucial to better understanding the challenges, limitations, successes and opportunities for digital protest media.
Communication & Society: A Critical Political Economy Perspective
Authors: Holzer Horst
Published: April 2018

This paper presents the English translation of one of Horst Holzer’s works on communication and society. Holzer elaborates foundations of a critical sociology of communication(s) that studies the relationship of communication and society based on the approach of critical political economy. He shows that such an approach relates communication and production, communication and capitalism; communication, ideology and fetishism; and situates communication in the context of social struggles for alternatives to capitalist social forms. The paper is followed by a postface in which Christian Fuchs contemplates why Holzer’s approach has been largely “forgotten” in the German social sciences and media and communication studies, in turn stressing the continued relevance of Holzer’s theory today.
Radical Documentaries, Neoliberal Crisis and Post-Democracy
Authors: Siapera Eugenia , Papadopoulou Lambrini
Published: April 2018

This article examines radical documentaries in Greece as a response to neoliberal crisis and post democracy. In a context where mainstream media have made themselves irrelevant, facing historical lows in trust and credibility, we found that radical documentaries have emerged outside the commodification of information and form part of the growing social or solidarity economy in Greece. Our analysis shows that these documentaries operate through a different political economy, that involves collaborative practices and that they are firmly oriented towards society rather than the political sphere. Overall, we found that radical documentaries are seeking to recuperate the media through engaging professional media workers, journalists, film directors, academics and actors; they operate through reclaiming media know-how; through radicalizing the financing, production and distribution by refusing to participate in commodification processes; and through recreating commonalities by thematizing the common, the public, and responsibility towards others.Their specific political role is found to be one of helping to restore the social body and to contribute to processes of commoning, whereby solidarity and social trust is recovered.
A Taxonomy of Theories about ICTs and Society
Authors: Hofkirchner Wolfgang
Published: April 2018

How is the relationship between ICTs and society to be conceived of? And how is the relationship to be evaluated? These two questions form the basis upon which an ideal-typical categorisation of different theoretical approaches can be built. The scheme presented here allows to be aware of advantages and disadvantages of certain ways of theorising.
3rd ICTs and Society Meeting; Paper Session - Theorizing the Internet; Paper 3: How to defend the original, multi-criteria theories of Information Society?
Authors: Karvalics Laszlo Z.
Published: April 2018

To summarize and illustrate Frank Webster’s main theses and arguments on the Information Society domain, we used three pieces of his oeuvre, forming theses (T1-9) from his strong statements. Before a more detailed analysis we passionately argue against these theses. In our view the original concept of Information Society is complex and holistic, and was formulated on civilization theory level. The only methodologically acceptable approach is the multi-criteria definition. Since Webster constantly refuses to accept it, and insists on using an information density-based definition instead of it, all his main statements become false.
3rd ICTs and Society Meeting; Paper Session - Theorizing the Internet; Paper 6: Reconstructing the Glass Bead Game. On the Philosophy of Information
Authors: Zimmermann Rainer E. , Wiedenmann Simon M.
Published: April 2018

A computer playable version of the Glass Bead Game in the sense of Hermann Hesse’s famous novel is being presented and the various onto-epistemic as well as social implications of the game are discussed. In particular, the discussion focuses on aspects of the philosophical conceptualization of information within evolving social contexts.
Deconstructing Bentham’s Panopticon: The New Metaphors of Surveillance in the Web 2.0 Environment
Authors: Farinosi Manuela
Published: April 2018

This article reflects on the meaning of the words “control” and “privacy” in light of the intensive diffusion of user generated content on the web. It presents some results of an empirical research based on 145 essays written by Italian students. The data were analysed from a qualitative point of view to understand how young people frame the topic of control on web 2.0. The attention is focused on the metaphors used to describe online platforms and on the social environments they mention when they speak about the impacts of online diffusion of personal content on offline life. The results show that the new control practices cannot be adequately described within the classical framework of vertical control. The traditional panoptic principle of observation has to a certain extent been transformed and the Panopticon itself is no more an effective metaphor to describe the control dynamics on web 2.0.
Theorizing Citizenship in Late Modern ICT Societies
Authors: Svensson Jakob
Published: April 2018

In this paper I discuss a definition of citizenship for better understanding and analyses of political participations in ICT societies. To achieve this I approach the topic from a comprehensive understanding of developments in society and technology and how they mutually reinforce each other. Discussions of citizenship are concerned with macro-perspectives, combining empirical studies of how society and political participation is changing, connected to normative visions of the good society and how it should be structured; hence citizenship studies are already transdisciplinary. In the article I propose and understanding of citizenship as the participation and action upon shared meanings on issues of the organization of society. Citizenship is enacted in political communities; ensembles of people addressing the organization of society and making sense of this address in a similar way, and at the same time constructing and renegotiating values and norms out of which the authority of the community streams. And it is in relation to this authority that citizens are made. The paper ends with a proposal of how to categorize online participation and citizenship(s) in ICT societies.
The Relationship between Autopoiesis Theory and Biosemiotics: On Philosophical Suppositions as Bases for a New Information Theory
Authors: Nishida Yohei
Published: April 2018

This paper discusses methodological issues related to a possible framework for a unified theory of information. We concentrate on the relationship between systems theory and semiotics, or to put it more concretely, the relationship between autopoiesis theory and biosemiotics. These theories give rise to two decisive viewpoints on life that seem poten- tially contradictory and consequently provoke a fruitful controversy, which is conducive for the consideration of philosophical suppositions vital for a new information theory. The following three points are derived in the context of basic principles: epistemology rather than ontology, constructivism rather than metaphysics, meta-theoretical recursiveness rather than linear consistency.
Evolving Lattices for Analyzing Behavioral Dynamics of Characters in Literary Text
Authors: Kitamura Eugene S , Gunji Yukio-Pegio
Published: April 2018

This paper is about an application of rough set derived lattices in order to analyze the dynamics of literary text. Due to the double approximation nature of rough set theory, a pseudo-closure obtained from two different equivalence relations allows us to form arbitrary lattices. Moreover, such double approximations with different equivalence relations permit us to obtain lattice fixed points based on two interpretations. The two interpretations used for literary text analysis are subjects and their attributes. The attributes chosen for this application are verbs. The progression of a story is defined by the sequence of verbs (or event occurrences). By fixing a window size and sliding the window down the story steps, we obtain a lattice representing the relationship between subjects and their attributes within that window frame. The resulting lattice provides information such as complementarity (lattice complement existence rate) and distributivity (lattice complement possession rate). These measurements depend on the overlap and the lack of overlap among the attributes of characters. As the story develops and new character and attributes are provided as the source of lattices, one can observe its evolution. In fact, a dramatic change in the behavior dynamics in a scene is reflected in the particular shifts in the character-attribute relationship. This method lets us quantify the developments of character behavioral dynamics in a story.
Extraction of Information of Audio-Visual Contents
Authors: Aguilar Carlos , Sánchez Lydia , Campos Manuel
Published: April 2018

In this article we show how it is possible to use Channel Theory (Barwise and Seligman, 1997) for modeling the process of information extraction realized by audiences of audio-visual contents. To do this, we rely on the concepts pro- posed by Channel Theory and, especially, its treatment of representational systems. We then show how the information that an agent is capable of extracting from the content depends on the number of channels he is able to establish between the content and the set of classifications he is able to discriminate. The agent can endeavor the extraction of information through these channels from the totality of content; however, we discuss the advantages of extracting from its constituents in order to obtain a greater number of informational items that represent it. After showing how the extraction process is endeavored for each channel, we propose a method of representation of all the informative values an agent can obtain from a content using a matrix constituted by the channels the agent is able to establish on the content (source classifications), and the ones he can understand as individual (destination classifications). We finally show how this representation allows reflecting the evolution of the informative items through the evolution of audio-visual content.
Association between social support and mental health conditions in treatment-seeking Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces personnel
Authors: Ketcheson Felicia , King Lisa , Richardson J Don
Published: April 2018

Introduction: Despite limited research on the topic, it has been observed that military members face unique challenges with social support. Methods: The current study used data provided by treatment-seeking Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members ( N=666) to: (1) determine whether symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression (MDD), anxiety, and suicidal ideation (SI) increased as level of perceived social support decreased; and (2) identify if the level of perceived social support is associated with PTSD, MDD, and anxiety symptom distress and SI frequency; this was done while controlling for demographic factors. Social support was measured using a single item grouped according to “low,” “medium,” and “high” levels of perceived support. Results: Overall, adequate social support was low with less than one-third (29%) of participants reporting a high level. There was an inverse association between social support and symptom distress for all mental health conditions, whereby those who perceived low social support had significantly greater symptom distress than those who perceived medium social support, who in turn reported significantly greater symptom distress than those perceiving high social support. Social support was significantly associated with all mental health conditions when controlling for demographic variables. The effect of social support on PTSD and SI affected Veterans and CAF members differently. Discussion: Our study highlights the difficulty this population faces in maintaining adequate social support alongside military-related mental health disorders. More research is required to fully understand the role of social support in military populations.
Report of the 2016 Mental Health Expert Panel on suicide prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces
Authors: Sareen Jitender , Holens Pamela , Turner Sarah , Jetly Rakesh , Kennedy Sidney , Heisel Marnin , Cooper Ken , Mota Natalie , Comtois Katherine , Stein Murray B , Schaffer Ayal , Thompson Jim , Heber Alexandra
Published: April 2018

Introduction: An Expert Panel on suicide prevention convened October 23–26, 2016 to review current practices and recommend suicide prevention strategies for the Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS). It included subject matter experts from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and representatives from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Methods: We reviewed evidence and best practices for suicide prevention in civilian and military populations as well as the components of the CFHS mental health services and suicide prevention programs, and compared them to current evidence-informed best practices. We suggested improvements for CFHS mental health services and suicide prevention programs, and areas of future inquiry to improve suicide prevention. Results: Over the past 10 years there have been an average 16.6 suicide deaths annually among Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) regular force and primary reserves combined. Available mental health services for serving military personnel with suicidal behaviour exceed that for the Canadian civilian population. We identified many factors associated with suicidal behaviour, but acknowledged that it is extremely difficult to predict at an individual level. We agreed that the goal is to have no suicides in the CAF regular force population, but that not all suicides are preventable. We made 11 suggestions to improve suicide prevention in the CFHS. Discussion: The CFHS provides the highest quality mental health care for military personnel. Our recommendations are based on state-of-the-art research evidence, and their implementation will ensure that the CFHS leads the way in providing outstanding care for military personnel dealing with suicidal behaviour.
Canadian legislatures and the regulation of the private health-care industry
Authors: Prémont Marie-Claude , Verbauwhede Cory
Published: April 2018

This article discusses the three regulatory measures that Canadian provinces have used to implement the Canada Health Act criteria of universality, accessibility, and comprehensiveness. These three measures – the prohibition of duplicative private insurance, the prohibition of mixed private–public practice, and the capping of private physician fees to the levels of public fee schedules – are designed, above all, to regulate the health-care insurance and delivery industries. The article highlights the dangers of superficial analysis by the courts that is limited to canvassing potential violations of some patients’ individual rights, without taking into account the intricacies of health-care industry regulations and their effects on the public system as a whole. Without the vigilance of the courts, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms can certainly become the industry’s best ally in forcing a radical realignment of public policy in health-care systems across the country, without democratic debate.
Influence of Glass Microsphere Filler on the Rheological Behavior of an Epoxy Resin
Authors: Kang Y. , Lee W. , Hwang J. , Lee Y.
Published: April 2018

The rheological behavior of epoxy resin filled with glass hollow microspheres was studied using three types of microspheres with different particle size distributions. The shear-rate dependence on viscosity, as well as relative apparent viscosity, of the suspensions was investigated at different microsphere filler loadings. The change in relative viscosity with different types of microsphere loads was also investigated using the established semi empirical model to estimate the critical filler load. It was found that the critical filler load for all suspensions tested depends mostly on the filler size distribution, neither on the average filler size nor on the specific surface area of the filler.
An Effective α/β Nucleating Agent Compoundfor the Preparation of Polypropylene
Authors: Dong M. , Xu Y. H. , Zhang S. J. , Xu K. , Zhang L. Y. , Lv Y. , Bai Y. Q. , Chen R. S.
Published: April 2018

The crystallization behavior and mechanical properties were investigated by mixing the traditional α-form nucleating agent (sodium benzoate, SB) and commercialized β-form nucleating agent (TMB-5) in isotactic polypropylene (iPP). Mechanical properties were evaluated by universal testing machines. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were conducted to illustrate the crystallization behavior. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) was adopted to observe the crystal morphologies. The experimental results show that the weight ratio of two types of nucleating agents determines the final crystal structure and mechanical properties of iPP. When the weight ratio of [SB] : [TMB-5] is 4 : 1, the impact strength and flexural modulus of iPP reach a maximum value. Compared with the single component β-form nucleating agent, the compound nucleating agent exhibits significant synergistic effect and shows better mechanical properties. It is expected that this new nucleation system will have potential industrial applications.
Using a Visualization Mold to Discuss the Influence of Gas Counter Pressure and Mold Temperature on the Fountain Flow Effect
Authors: Jong W.-R. , Hwang S.-S. , Wu C.-C. , Kao C.-H. , Huang Y.-M. , Tsai M.-C.
Published: April 2018

The fountain flow effect in a mold cavity results in molecular orientation that is likely to create flow-induced residual stresses, warpage of finished products, and excessive shrinkage, thus making it difficult to guarantee high precision control. This study uses a gas counter pressure technique to inhibit fountain flow and employs a visualization mold design to observe the influence of counter pressure on melt flow behavior, in order to discuss the impact of the counter pressure mechanism on the fountain flow. The visualization mold designed herein and the clip cavity help to test the counter pressure mechanism in injection molding, while the observed particles and high-speed camera assist in observing the influence of fluid flow behavior and counter pressure on the fountain flow effect. The study observes and tracks the flow trajectory of particles in the melt, with findings showing that the closer the flow line of the melt is to the mold wall, the shorter the offset distance will be to the outward flip. Moreover, the closer to the center, the longer the offset distance of the outward flip meaning that it flips outwards in the melt-front nearby the center line and stays on the mold wall surface to form a new frozen layer. The melt-front length changes under different counter pressures and different mold temperatures. The front length changes present the inhibitory effect of counter pressure on the fountain flow, which is more apparent at the far gate than at the near gate. The melt-front lengths of the counter pressure of 0 bar at mold temperatures of 40 °C and 20 °C increase 1.5% and 4.7%, respectively, meaning that the thicker the frozen layer, the more apparent the fountain effect.
Recycling of Virgin and Post-Consumer Polypropylene and High Density Polyethylene
Authors: Kangal M. O. , Üçerler Z.
Published: April 2018

Recycling of plastics is becoming more important nowadays due to the increasing amount of waste that is generated worldwide. Post-consumer plastics have a large volume and their harmful effects must be considered. From this perspective, the option of recycling post-consumer plastics has become more and more necessary. The main objective of this research is the selective separation of polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE). On this basis, various flotation parameters were tested on virgin plastics and optimized conditions were applied to post-consumer plastics. PP particles with a purity of 96.30% were obtained with a recovery rate of 97.4% in virgin polymer separation, while HDPE particles were obtained as the sunken product with 97.38% purity and a recovery rate of 96.3%. Besides, almost all PP and HDPE particles were selectively separated with the highest recovery rates when using 500 g/t calcium lignosulfonate (CLs) as a plasticizer in post-consumer polymer separation. Moreover, water reuse was investigated to determine the recovery and economy of plasticizer without adding extra water during the experiment. Therefore, it can be concluded that this process is environmentally friendly in terms of PP and HDPE recycling and reuse of process water.
Participation of rural women in activities related to homestead vegetable cultivation at Monirampur upazila under Jessore district
Authors: Islam Md Ariful , Ahmed Mohammad Bashir , Islam Md Matiul
Published: April 2018

The main purposes of the study were to assess the extent of participation of rural women in homestead vegetable cultivation at Monirampur upazila under Jessore district and to explore the relationship between each of the selected characteristics of the rural women and their extent of participation in homestead vegetable cultivation. The study was limited within three selected villages namely, Nehalpur and Panchakori of Nehalpur union and Jhanpa of Jhanpa union. Data were collected from randomly selected 60 respondents during the period of 04 September to 17 October, 2016. Appropriate scales were used to measure the variables of the study. Correlation(s) test was used to ascertain the relationships between the concerned independent variables and dependent variable. About half (48.3 percent) of the rural women had low to medium participation in vegetable cultivation compared to 3.34 percent having high participation. Considering broadly selected 6-aspects of homestead vegetable cultivation, the rural women’s participation was highest in seedbed preparation and raising of seedlings, while it was lowest in case of intercultural operation. In case of 26-issues, the most dominant area of rural women’s participation was seed collection while it was least in case of training. Only age out of eleven selected characteristics had the significant positive relationship with their participation in homestead vegetable cultivation. It might be concluded from the gist findings that, the participation of women in homestead vegetable production is still not satisfactory and necessary steps concerning extension approach should be taken to increase the vegetable production by ensuring barrier-free participationJ. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 17-22, April 2018
Drought and salinity affect leaf and root anatomical structures in three maize genotypes
Authors: Hoque Md Injamum Ul , Uddin Md Nesar , Fakir Md Solaiman Ali , Rasel Md
Published: April 2018

Salt and drought stresses are being quite similar considered as two major constraints in maize production. To explore the anatomical bases of resistance to salt and drought stresses, 14 days old seedlings of three maize hybrid genotypes were subjected to salt (100 mM NaCl) and drought stress (equiosmotic PEG-6000) under hydroponic conditions. The experiment was laid out following a completely randomized design having four replicates. Root protoxylem and metaxylem thickness and root diameter were found to be unaffected in both of the drought resistant genotypes in response to salt and drought stresses whereas root protoxylem thickness increased (33.8 and 112.8% by salt and drought stress, respectively) in sensitive genotype (BARI hybrid maize-7). Bundle sheath thickness was found to increase in response to stresses (58.4 and 59.3% by salt and drought stress, respectively) in BARI hybrid maize-12. BARI hybrid maize-12 showed unaffected response in leaf epidermal thickness, phloem area, xylem area and total leaf thickness under both salt and drought stressesJ. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 47-55, April 2018
Analysis of land tillage practices and related problems among rice farmers in the tropic of sub-saharan Africa
Authors: Bwala Madu Ali , Tiamiyu Saliu Akinlabi , Kolo Alhaji Yanda
Published: April 2018

The decision “to till” or “not to till” is premised on the farmers’ perception of the inherent negative effects of tilling vis-à-vis the crop output performance and the profitability of the farm venture. Land tillage practices and land related problems of farmers were assessed in Agricultural Zone I of Niger State, Nigeria. Furthermore, the relation between land related problems and rice production levels was also investigated. Cross sectional data was collected for the analysis using questionnaire from one hundred and twenty (120) rice farmers. Descriptive statistics as well as the Chi-Square Test were used to analyze data collected. Findings revealed that 40.8 % and 56.7% of the respondents utilize manual and mechanized tillage methods on their farms, respectively. Thus indicating a majority (97.5%) of the farmers intensively tilling the soil as a cultivation practice. Land related problems reported by farmers include induce errosion, loss of nutrient, insect pest attack and change in soil texture. Furthermore, it was also found that farmers operating at a higher level of production experience more land related problems on the fields. The Chi square analysis revealed a strong relationship between tillage method and prevalence of land related problems and incidences of pests and diseases. Also levels of production at which farmers operate was found to have a relationship with the incidence of tillage related problems observed on the farms. It is therefore the opinion of this study that agronomist need to research and put forward environmentally friendly tillage methods that best suits farmer needs in the study area. Furthermore, farmer education about the negative effects of tilling without recourse to the environment is also advocated.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 98-103, April 2018
Management practice adoption and productivity of commercial aquaculture farms in selected areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Prodhan Md Masudul Haque , Khan Md Akhtaruzzaman
Published: April 2018

Adoption of scientific management practice is the pre-condition for increasing productivity in any farm business. This study estimates the level of scientific aquaculture management practice (SAMP) adoption, factor affecting adoption and its relation with productivity. Sixty aquaculture farms were selected from 3 upazilas of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. Adoption level was measured by following Sengupta (1967) while Tobit regression was used to assess the determinants of adoption level. Polynomial regression was employed to show the relationship among farm size, adoption level and productivity. Result revealed that average SAMP adoption level was 54% where 53% farmers were medium adopter. Training, experience, education and extension service had significant positive effect on level of adoption. Productivity was significantly higher for those farmers who adopted more SAMP. Adoption level, productivity and profitability of small farmers were higher than that of large farmers. The study suggests farmers for adopting scientific management practices in order to increase the aquaculture productivity and profitability.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 111-116, April 2018
Performance evaluation of power-operated reapers for harvesting rice at farmers’ field
Authors: Alam Md Ashraful , Hossen Anwar , Islam AKM Saiful , Alam Monjurul
Published: April 2018

Harvesting is one of the major labor intensive works in rice cultivation. Appropriate harvesting machinery is urgently needed to reduce labor and production costs. Production cost of rice becomes high due to labor shortage and high wage rate during harvesting time. Techno-economic performance of Korean self-propelled reaper (KR), China self-propelled reaper (CR) and BRRI reaper (BR) were evaluated in order to identify the field constrains and problems of the reapers at Mithapukur of Rangpur, Bangladesh during Aman season of 2013. The actual field capacities of the KR, CR and BR were found 0.18, 0.17 and 0.15 ha h–1with the corresponding field efficiency of 55, 68 and 56%, respectively. The variation of field capacity among the models was due to turning time losses, weight of the reaper and operator’s skill. The fuel consumption of the reapers was 4.11, 2.61 and 8.39 l ha–1 for KR, CR and BR, respectively. The shattering loss of paddy harvesting was 1.66, 1.50 and 1.45% for KR, CR and BR, respectively. The break-even area of the reapers was 9.15, 7.82 and 8.43 ha yr-1 for KR, CR and BR, respectively. It is evident that the reaper could be used successfully as labor saving and user friendly technology to eliminate post-harvest problems in Bangladesh.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 144-150, April 2018
Landmark-based morphometric and meristic analysis in response to characterize the wild Bhagna, Labeo ariza populations for its conservation
Authors: Ahammad AK Shakur , Ahmed Md Borhan Uddin , Akhter Salma , Hossain Md Kamal
Published: April 2018

The landmark-based morphometric and meristic analysis of three different stocks from the Atrai, the Jamuna and the Kangsha of Bhagna (Labeo ariza, Hamilton 1807) were examined from a phenotypical point of view to evaluate the population structure and to assess shape variation. A total of 90 Bhagna (L. ariza) were collected from three different water bodies: the Atrai, the Jamuna and the Kangsha of Bangladesh during January, 2017. Ten morphometric and nine meristic characters were analyzed along with twenty-two truss network measurements. One way ANOVA showed that all morphometric, meristic and truss network measurement were significantly different (P<0.001) among three different stock of the fish. For morphometric and landmark measurements, the first discriminant functions (DF) accounted for 98.6% and 97.9% and the second DF accounted for 1.4% and 2.1%, respectively among group variability, explaining 100% of total among groups variability. For the morphometric and truss network measurements, plotting discriminant functions showed a well-separated clusters of the stocks indicating that the measurement were significantly different among three stocks. The dendrogram based on morphometric and landmark distances data showed two major clusters; the Atrai and Jamuna stocks in one cluster and the Kangsha stock in another cluster. High degree of variation was observed in morphological characteristics among three different stocks (the Atrai, Jamuna and Kangsha) of L .ariza due to their environmental variation and separate geographical location. The results of this study are very useful for proper conservation and successful management of L. ariza and also for the scientific community for the further research.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 164-170, April 2018
Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Ketogenic Diet: New Perspectives for Neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Pinto Alessandro , Bonucci Alessio , Maggi Elisa , Corsi Mariangela , Businaro Rita
Published: April 2018

The ketogenic diet, originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy in non-responder children, is spreading to be used in the treatment of many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. The main activity of the ketogenic diet has been related to improved mitochondrial function and decreased oxidative stress. B-Hydroxybutyrate, the most studied ketone body, has been shown to reduce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), improving mitochondrial respiration: it stimulates the cellular endogenous antioxidant system with the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), it modulates the ratio between the oxidized and reduced forms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NADH) and it increases the efficiency of electron transport chain through the expression of uncoupling proteins. Furthermore, the ketogenic diet performs anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) activation and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome as well as inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs), improving memory encoding. The underlying mechanisms and the perspectives for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are discussed.
Fatigue Equation of Cement-Treated Aggregate Base Materials under a True Stress Ratio
Authors: Lv Songtao , Liu Chaochao , Lan Jingting , Zhang Hongwei , Zheng Jianlong , You Zhanping
Published: April 2018

The objective of this article is to establish a fatigue equation based on the true stress ratio for cement-treated aggregate base materials. The true stress ratio herein means the ratio of the stress and the true strength of the cement-treated aggregate base materials related to loading rates and curing times. The unconfined compressive strength tests and compressive resilience modulus tests were carried out under various loading rates and curing times of 3, 7, 14, 28, 60, 90 days, respectively. According to the test results, the relationship between the unconfined compressive strength (a mix design parameter in China) and the compressive resilience modulus (a structural design parameter and the construction quality control parameter in China) of the cement-treated aggregate base material with different curing times was established. However, it was found that the strengths varied with the loading rates, which is not reflected in the existing fatigue equations. Therefore, it is questionable to obtain the stress ratio of fatigue tests with a fixed strength value obtained from the standard strength test where the loading rate is fixed (in China, the fixed loading rate is 1 mm/min for cement-treated aggregate base materials). Thus, in this paper, the four-point bending strength (i.e., flexural strength) test was carried out at different loading rates to resolve such deficiencies. Based on the strength test results at different loading rates, the true stress ratio of the fatigue test corresponding to the fatigue loading rate can be calculated. Then the four-point bending fatigue test was conducted to establish an improved fatigue equation characterized by the true stress ratio. The results show that the patterns of variation for unconfined compressive strength increasing with the curing time were similar to that of the compressive resilience modulus. The fatigue equation curve based on the true stress ratio can be extended to the strength failure point of (1, 1), where both the true stress ratio and the fatigue life value are one. The internal relationship between the strength failure and the fatigue failure was unified. This article provides a theoretical method and basis for unifying the mix design parameters and the construction quality control parameters.