bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-Dose Toxicity of Individual and Combined Sterigmatocystin and 5-Methoxysterigmatocistin in Rat Lungs
Authors: Jakšić Daniela , Ćurtović Ida , Kifer Domagoj , Rašić Dubravka , Kopjar Nevenka , Micek Vedran , Peraica Maja , Klarić Maja Šegvić
Published: November 2020

Sterigmatocystin (STC) and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin (5-M-STC) are mycotoxins produced by common damp indoor Aspergilli series Versicolores. Since both STC and 5-M-STC were found in the dust of indoor occupational and living areas, their occupants may be exposed to these mycotoxins, primarily by inhalation. Thus, STC and 5-M-STC were intratracheally instilled in male Wistar rats using doses (0.3 mg STC/kg of lung weight (l.w.); 3.6 mg 5-M-STC/kg l.w.; toxin combination 0.3 + 3.6 mg/kg l.w.) that corresponded to concentrations detected in the dust of damp indoor areas in order to explore cytotoxicity, vascular permeability, immunomodulation and genotoxicity. Single mycotoxins and their combinations insignificantly altered lactate-dehydrogenase activity, albumin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1α concentrations, as measured by ELISA in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid upon 24 h of treatment. In an alkaline comet assay, both mycotoxins provoked a similar intensity of DNA damage in rat lungs, while in a neutral comet assay, only 5-M-STC evoked significant DNA damage. Hence, naturally occurring concentrations of individual STC may induce DNA damage in rat lungs, in which single DNA strand breaks prevail, while 5-M-STC was more responsible for double-strand breaks. In both versions of the comet assay treatment with STC + 5-M-STC, less DNA damage intensity occurred compared to single mycotoxin treatment, suggesting an antagonistic genotoxic action.
Proposed Integrated Control of Zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi in Southeast Asia Using Themes of One Health
Authors: Scott Jessica
Published: November 2020

Zoonotic malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, threatens the global progression of malaria elimination. Southeast Asian regions are fronting increased zoonotic malaria rates despite the control measures currently implemented—conventional measures to control human-malaria neglect P. knowlesi’s residual transmission between the natural macaque host and vector. Initiatives to control P. knowlesi should adopt themes of the One Health approach, which details that the management of an infectious disease agent should be scrutinized at the human-animal-ecosystem interface. This review describes factors that have conceivably permitted the emergence and increased transmission rates of P. knowlesi to humans, from the understanding of genetic exchange events between subpopulations of P. knowlesi to the downstream effects of environmental disruption and simian and vector behavioral adaptations. These factors are considered to advise an integrative control strategy that aligns with the One Health approach. It is proposed that surveillance systems address the geographical distribution and transmission clusters of P. knowlesi and enforce ecological regulations that limit forest conversion and promote ecosystem regeneration. Furthermore, combining individual protective measures, mosquito-based feeding trapping tools and biocontrol strategies in synergy with current control methods may reduce mosquito population density or transmission capacity.
Examining the Association of Socioeconomic Position with Microcephaly and Delayed Childhood Neurodevelopment among Children with Prenatal Zika Virus Exposure
Authors: Power Grace M. , Francis Suzanna C. , Sanchez Clemente Nuria , Vasconcelos Zilton , Brasil Patricia , Nielsen-Saines Karin , Brickley Elizabeth B. , Moreira Maria E.
Published: November 2020

Increased rates of Zika virus have been identified in economically deprived areas in Brazil at the population level; yet, the implications of the interaction between socioeconomic position and prenatal Zika virus exposure on adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes remains insufficiently evaluated at the individual level. Using data collected between September 2015 and September 2019 from 163 children with qRT-PCR and/or IgM-confirmed prenatal exposure to Zika virus participating in a prospective cohort study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (NCT03255369), this study evaluated the relationships of socioeconomic indicators with microcephaly at birth and Bayley-III neurodevelopmental scores during the early life course. Adjusted logistic regression models indicated increased odds of microcephaly in children born to families with lower household income (OR, 95% CI: 3.85, 1.43 to 10.37) and higher household crowding (OR, 95% CI: 1.83, 1.16 to 2.91), while maternal secondary and higher education appeared to have a protective effect for microcephaly compared to primary education (OR, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.11 to 0.98 and 0.10, 0.03 to 0.36, respectively). Consistent with these findings, adjusted linear regression models indicated lower composite language (−10.78, 95% CI: −19.87 to −1.69), motor (−10.45, 95% CI: −19.22 to −1.69), and cognitive (−17.20, 95% CI: −26.13 to −8.28) scores in children whose families participated in the Bolsa Família social protection programme. As such, the results from this investigation further emphasise the detrimental effects of childhood disadvantage on human health and development by providing novel evidence on the link between individual level socioeconomic indicators and microcephaly and delayed early life neurodevelopment following prenatal Zika virus exposure.
Identifying Optimal Security Management Policy for Water–Energy–Food Nexus System under Stochastic and Fuzzy Conditions
Authors: Liu Jing , Li Yongping , Li Xiao
Published: November 2020

An interval-stochastic-fuzzy policy analysis model is proposed to generate optimal security management policy for a water–energy–food nexus system of the urban agglomeration under multiple uncertainties. A number of planning policies under interval-stochastic surface water and groundwater conditions are obtained. Ranking scores of all policies in descending order, policy with the highest score is the best choice. Results disclose that (a) interval-stochastic available water resources lead to changing system benefits. (b) The shares of cropland area targets are 2.7% (Xiamen), 42.6% (Zhangzhou), and 54.7% (Quanzhou). (c) Different available water scenarios result in varied irrigation patterns. (d) Surface water takes a high fraction of the total water supply (about [71.34, 73.68]%), diesel agricultural machinery service more than 60% of the total cropland. (e) Zhangzhou contributes about 50.01% of total TN and TP emissions, while Quanzhou contributes about 50.61% of total carbon emission. (f) Security level of policies would change with the varied σ and α values, due to the risk attitudes of policy makers. (h) Sweet potato and others are the crops with the highest safety performance; (i) Zhangzhou is the city with highest comprehensive safety performance.
Intercomparison of Gridded Precipitation Datasets over a Sub-Region of the Central Himalaya and the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Hamm Alexandra , Arndt Anselm , Kolbe Christine , Wang Xun , Thies Boris , Boyko Oleksiy , Reggiani Paolo , Scherer Dieter , Bendix Jörg , Schneider Christoph
Published: November 2020

Precipitation is a central quantity of hydrometeorological research and applications. Especially in complex terrain, such as in High Mountain Asia (HMA), surface precipitation observations are scarce. Gridded precipitation products are one way to overcome the limitations of ground truth observations. They can provide datasets continuous in both space and time. However, there are many products available, which use various methods for data generation and lead to different precipitation values. In our study we compare nine different gridded precipitation products from different origins (ERA5, ERA5-Land, ERA-interim, HAR v2 10 km, HAR v2 2 km, JRA-55, MERRA-2, GPCC and PRETIP) over a subregion of the Central Himalaya and the Southwest Tibetan Plateau, from May to September 2017. Total spatially averaged precipitation over the study period ranged from 411 mm (GPCC) to 781 mm (ERA-Interim) with a mean value of 623 mm and a standard deviation of 132 mm. We found that the gridded products and the few observations, with few exceptions, are consistent among each other regarding precipitation variability and rough amount within the study area. It became obvious that higher grid resolution can resolve extreme precipitation much better, leading to overall lower mean precipitation spatially, but higher extreme precipitation events. We also found that generally high terrain complexity leads to larger differences in the amount of precipitation between products. Due to the considerable differences between products in space and time, we suggest carefully selecting the product used as input for any research application based on the type of application and specific research question. While coarse products such as ERA-Interim or ERA5 that cover long periods but have coarse grid resolution have previously shown to be able to capture long-term trends and help with identifying climate change features, this study suggests that more regional applications, such as glacier mass-balance modeling, require higher spatial resolution, as is reproduced, for example, in HAR v2 10 km.
Variability in Environmental Conditions Strongly Impacts Ostracod Assemblages of Lowland Springs in a Heavily Anthropized Area
Authors: Rossetti Giampaolo , Pieri Valentina , Bolpagni Rossano , Nizzoli Daniele , Viaroli Pierluigi
Published: November 2020

The Po river plain (Northern Italy) hosts artificial, lowland springs locally known as fontanili, which provide important ecosystem services in an area dominated by intensive agricultural activities. Here we present a study carried out in 50 springs. Each spring was visited once from October 2015 to January 2016. The sampled sites were selected to include springs studied in 2001 and 2004, to evaluate changes in water quality and ostracod assemblages that possibly occurred over a period of 10–15 years, and explore the relationships between ostracod community composition and water physical and chemical variables. Our results showed a decrease in the chemical water quality especially, in springs south of the Po river, evidenced by high nitrate levels. Most of the studied springs showed a relevant decrease in dissolved reactive silica, probably related to recent transformations of either agricultural practices or crop typology. Ostracods were mostly represented by common and tolerant species, and communities were characterized by low alpha diversity and high species turnover. Water temperature and mineralization level were the most influential variables in structuring the ostracod communities. We stress the need to implement conservation and restoration measures for these threatened ecosystems, to regain their role as ecosystem services providers.
Comparison of NCEP-CFSR and CMADS for Hydrological Modelling Using SWAT in the Muda River Basin, Malaysia
Authors: Zhang Dandan , Tan Mou Leong , Dawood Sharifah Rohayah Sheikh , Samat Narimah , Chang Chun Kiat , Roy Ranjan , Tew Yi Lin , Mahamud Mohd Amirul
Published: November 2020

Identification of reliable alternative climate input data for hydrological modelling is important to manage water resources and reduce water-related hazards in ungauged or poorly gauged basins. This study aims to evaluate the capability of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (NCEP-CFSR) and China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Dataset for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model (CMADS) for simulating streamflow in the Muda River Basin (MRB), Malaysia. The capability was evaluated in two perspectives: (1) the climate aspect—validation of precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures from 2008 to 2014; and (2) the hydrology aspect—comparison of the accuracy of SWAT modelling by the gauge station, NCEP-CFSR and CMADS products. The results show that CMADS had a better performance than NCEP-CFSR in the climate aspect, especially for the temperature data and daily precipitation detection capability. For the hydrological aspect, the gauge station had a “very good” performance in a monthly streamflow simulation, followed by CMADS and NCEP-CFSR. In detail, CMADS showed an acceptable performance in SWAT modelling, but some improvements such as bias correction and further SWAT calibration are needed. In contrast, NCEP-CFRS had an unacceptable performance in validation as it dramatically overestimated the low flows of MRB and contains time lag in peak flows estimation.
Response and Modeling of Hybrid Maize Seed Vigor to Water Deficit at Different Growth Stages
Authors: Shi Rongchao , Tong Ling , Du Taisheng , Shukla Manoj K.
Published: November 2020

Research is imperative to predict seed vigor of hybrid maize production under water deficit in arid areas. Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 in arid areas of northwestern China to investigate the effects of different irrigation strategies at various growth stages with drip irrigation under film mulching on grain yield, kernel weight, seed protein content, and seed vigor of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.). Water deficit at vegetative, flowering, and grain-filling stages was considered and a total of 16 irrigation treatments was applied. A total of 12 indices of germination percentage, germination index (GI), shoot length (SL), and root length (RL) under different germination conditions (standard germination and accelerated aging); electrical conductivity (EC) of the leachate; and activities of peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase in seeds were measured and analyzed using the combinational evaluation method (CEM). Furthermore, five water production functions (Blank, Stewart, Rao, Jensen, and Minhas) were used to predict seed vigor evaluated by CEM under water deficit. The results showed that leachate EC was higher under water deficit than that under sufficient irrigation. The SL, RL, and GI of different germination conditions increased under water deficit at the flowering stage. The Rao model was considered the best fitted model to predict the vigor of hybrid maize seeds under water deficit, and an appropriate water deficit at the flowering stage is recommended to ensure high seed vigor of hybrid maize production with drip irrigation under film mulching. Our findings would be useful for reducing crop water use while ensuring seed vigor for hybrid maize production in arid areas.
Short-Term Impact of Tillage on Soil and the Hydrological Response within a Fig (Ficus Carica) Orchard in Croatia
Authors: Telak Leon Josip , Pereira Paulo , Ferreira Carla S. S. , Filipovic Vilim , Filipovic Lana , Bogunovic Igor
Published: November 2020

Tillage is well known to have impacts on soil properties and hydrological responses. This work aims to study the short-term impacts of tillage (0–3 months) on soil and hydrological responses in fig orchards located in Croatia. Understanding the soil hydrological response in the study area is crucial for soil management due to frequent autumn floods. The hydrological response was investigated using rainfall simulation experiments (58 mm h−1, for 30 min, over 0.785 m2 plots). The results show that the bulk density was significantly higher 3 months after tillage than at 0 and 1 months. The water holding capacity and amount of soil organic matter decreased with time. The water runoff and phosphorous loss (P loss) increased over time. The sediment concentration (SC) was significantly higher 3 months after tillage than in the previous monitoring periods, while sediment loss (SL) and carbon loss (C loss) were significantly lower 0 months after tillage than 3 months after tillage. Overall, there was an increase in soil erodibility with time (high SC, SL, C loss, and P loss), attributed to the precipitation patterns that increase the soil water content and therefore the hydrological response. Therefore, sustainable agricultural practices are needed to avoid sediment translocation and to mitigate floods and land degradation.
Calibrations of Suspended Sediment Concentrations in High-Turbidity Waters Using Different In Situ Optical Instruments
Authors: Wang Yunwei , Peng Yun , Du Zhiyun , Lin Hangjie , Yu Qian
Published: November 2020

In environments of high suspended sediment concentration (SSC > 1 kg/m3), efficient measurements of SSC through accurate calibration relationships between turbidity and SSC are necessary for studies on marine sediment dynamics. Here, we investigated the performance of three types of optical instrument (OBS-3A, AQUAlogger 310TY, and RBRsolo3Tu with Seapoint sensor) in observations carried out at the middle of the Jiangsu coast, China. These instruments were calibrated in the lab using the water and suspended sediment samples collected from the observation site. It was found that both the calibration curves of OBS-3A and RBRsolo3Tu have an inflection point (at SSC of ca. 15 kg/m3 for OBS-3A and ca. 2 kg/m3 for RBRsolo3Tu), on either side of which turbidity increases (the left side) or decreases (the right side) with the increasing SSC. Only under SSCs smaller than the inflection point can OBS-3A and RBRsolo3Tu be applied to continuous SSC measurements at a fixed point. However, the turbidity output of AQUAlogger 310TY has always a positive correlation with SSC, which applies for SSC up to 40 kg/m3; thus, three fluid-mud events are quantified during this observation. AQUAlogger 310TY has important prospects for field applications in high-SSC environments.
Sur les traces de Nicolas Bouvier, sur des cailloux atlantiques
Authors: Gauthier Lionel
Published: November 2020

The author of this travelogue follows in the footsteps of Nicolas Bouvier on the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland. By surveying the almost deserted island of Inishmore in the middle of winter, he seeks to understand what fascinated the author of The Way of the World on these Atlantic stones twenty years earlier.
Exogenous salicylic acid treatments enhance tolerance to salinity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) plantlets
Authors: Purcǎrea Cornelia , Cachită Dorina , Petrus Adriana , Pop Liviu , Chis Adriana
Published: November 2020

Salt stress, an abiotic stress, determines modifications of some biochemical indicators, like, antioxidant enzymes, proline (amino acidaccumulate in higher plants under salinity stress) content, and some physiological processes including: plant growth and development. Inthis paper we studied the influence of exogenous treatment of wheat seeds, with 0.1 mM salicylic acid (SA) solution, in the plant response tosalt stress. The treatment was applied by presoaking the seeds in the treatment solution for 12 hours before germination. The results showedthat exogenous 0.1 mM SA solution, administrated to the wheat cariopses significantly ameliorated the negative effect of salt stress in firstweek of germination in laboratory conditions.
Effect of the dry and rainy weather on the Idared and Golden Reinders apple varieties fruit quality
Authors: Illés Attila , Nagy Péter Tamás , Lang Tamás , Szabó Zoltán , Nyéki József , Soltész Miklós
Published: November 2020

Weather conditions have an important role in fruit production. In the last few decades, this role is increased and basically determines thefruit quality and quantity. Despite of this statement, there is but very few information about impacts caused by weather anomalies inHungarian orchards. Regarding this, the relation between the external, and internal values of the Idared and Golden Reinders apple varieties,the changing of the temperature and precipitation in a dry year (2009) as well as in a rainy year (2010) were investigated. The examinedapple varieties are grown at the same training system (rootstock, spacing, training, pruning system). The average weight, average diameter,acid content and soluble solids were higher in 2009 than in 2010, although the precipitation was higher in 2010. Due to the many rainy daysthe intensity of sunshine and the number of sunny days were less. To produce better quality it is very important the amount of the sunshineand heat, the optimal temperature and the precipitation rate.
Storage of wheat at high moisture
Authors: Ruska Laslo , Timar Adrian
Published: November 2020

Deterioration rates were determined for 15-19% moisture content wheat (Dropia cultivar) stored at constant temperatures.Deterioration rates were determined by measuring germination capacity of the grain and respiration rates of grain. Safe storagetime was defined as the time for germination to decrease to 90%. Safe storage times of 19% m.c. wheat stored at constanttemperatures ranged from 2.5 d at 30 and 35°C to 37 d at 10°C. Deterioration rates of 19% m.c. wheat stored with a step decreasein storage temperatures (35-25, 30-20, 25-20, and 20-15°C) were determined and safe storage times were satisfactorily predicted.Safe storage times of 17% m.c. wheat were 5, 7, and 15 d at 35, 30, and 25°C, respectively. Respiration rates and germinationpercentages of 15 and 16% m.c. wheat stored at 25°C remained constant for 70 d. The respiration rates of 17-19% m.c. wheat at25°C increased while the germination percentages decreased with storage time. Germination dropped from 98 to 92-89% when thedry matter losses were about 0.05% and visible mould occurred when the dry matter losses were about 0.1% in 17-19% m.c.wheat.
Examination of the effects of the cropyear and the nutrient supply on the quality of winter wheat with the help of Győri’s Z-index
Authors: Szabó Éva
Published: November 2020

In the case of winter wheat,the knowledge of several quality features is needed to be able to determine precisely the real quality of the givenwheat. Several systems have been worked out on the qualification of the winter wheat in Hungary and other countries as well. Evaluating thequality is being made more difficult because the different quality features take part in the development of the quality in different degrees andthe values of the several quality features are in different intervals and these data are different dimension values. On the evidence of theresults, in the case of considering several features,it can be difficult to rank into one concrete quality cathegory. Researchers are trying todevelop complex quality index numbers in order to be able to define the quality more precisely. One of these complex quality index numbersis Gyıri’s, so called, Z-index.In three years from 2006 and 2008, we examined the change of the quality features of nine varieties of winter wheat with the help of theZ-index under the influence of the effects of the different cropyears and the fertilizer treatment. The results show that the Z-index of theexamined varieties of winter wheat were influenced by several factors. Examining the data of the three different breeding years together wecan observe the corrective effect of the different cropyears on the Z-index, and if we examine the three years separately and together, thedifferences of the quality features of the different varieties differentiate very well, and with the help of the Z-index the comparison of thetypes is easier and perspicuous, and the Z-index represents the different nutrient reactions of the different types as well. On the average ofthe three years, the types gave the best results at N120-150+PK nutrient level. Among the nine varieties the best results were given by Mv Suba,GK Békés and Mv Mazurka in the case of both low and higher nutrient levels.
Grain yield and quality of maize hybrids in different FAO maturity groups
Authors: Has Voichita , Groza Radu , Has Ioan , Copandean Ana , Nagy Elena
Published: November 2020

An improvement in the quality of maize grain by increasing the level of components responsible for its biological value is possibleby using genetic means. However, a change in the genotype, together with improving the nutrient properties of the grain, also has someadverse consequences connected with a fall in yield and in resistance to diseases.Field experiments were conducted during three years (2003, 2004and 2005) to evaluate environmental effects on grain yield andquality responses of maize hybrids. Twenty one hybrids of various maturity groups (FAO 150-400) were planted to achieve an optimum(60-70 000 plants per hectare) plant populations and grown under the medium-N (80 kg N ha-1) fertilization. Environmental conditionssignificantly affected maize hybrid responses for grain yield, starch, oil and protein contents, and consequently, starch, oil and proteinyields per hectare. Hybrids of flint type, which have a short vegetation period, had high protein and oil content but the yield averageswere low due to the slower rate of starch incorporation. Hybrids of the dent type have a longer growing season and more intensecarbohydrate accumulation, but low protein and oil contents. In wet years there was a higher rate of starch accumulation, while dryyears are favorable for protein and oil accumulation. Positive correlation existed between starch content and grain yield and 1000-weight as well as between oil content and volumetric weight among tested hybrids. Negatively correlation existed between grain oil andstarch content as well as between oil content and grain yield and 1000-weight. Thus, end-users that require high quality maize may needto provide incentives to growers to off set the negative correlation of grain yield with oil and protein content.
effect of water-stress on the mineral nutrition of fruit plantations
Authors: Nagy Péter Tamás , Szabó Anita , Berta Szabó Emese , Illés Attila , Kincses Ida
Published: November 2020

Besides agro-techniques the climatic conditions play an important role in agricultural production. Weather extremes aresignificant hazards to many horticultural regions all over the word. It has a profound influence on the growth, development and yields of acrop, incidence of pests and diseases, water needs and fertilizer requirements in terms of differences in nutrient mobilization due to waterstresses. Nowadays, the weather extremes cause more and more problems and significant hazards to many horticultural regions in Hungary.The aim of this study is to explore the problems of nutrient uptake followed from climatic anomalies and response it. In this studywe focus on water supply problems (water-stress).Reviewing the effects and nutrient disorders caused by climatic anomalies, the following statements can be taken:· Nutrient demand of trees can be supplied only under even worse conditions.· The most effective weapon against damage of climatic anomalies is preventative action.· Proper choice of cultivars, species and cultivation should provide further possibilities to avoid and moderate the effects ofclimatic anomalies.· Fruit growing technologies especially nutrition should be corrected and adjusted to the climatic events as modifier factors.· The role of foliar spraying, mulching and fertigation/irrigation is increasing continuously.· Urgent task of the near future is to correct and adjust the tested technologies of fruit growing according to these climatic events asmodifier factors.Optimal nutrient supply of trees decreases the sensitivity for unexpected climatic events. To solve these problems supplementary, foliarfertilization is recommended, which adjusted to phonological phases of trees. Moreover, mulching is regarded as an excellent water savingmethod.
Farmers’ Points of Views of Rural Issues and Their Recommendations for Solutions
Authors: YILDIRIM Çağatay , TÜRKTEN Hatice , BOZ İsmet
Published: November 2020

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the major problems encountered by farmers operated in Carsamba District of Samsun Province, and also possible solution recommendations proposed by the participants. A stratified sample of 350 farmers was contacted through face to face interviews in the Summar of 2016. Respondents were qualitatively asked to list the most important problems they faced in their agricultural activities as well as non-agricultural occupations in rural areas. A questionnaire was developed to collect data on farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics and problems encountered during their production process, and their stay in the rurality. Farmers’ recommendations for the solutions of their problems to the problems they identified were also asked in open-ended questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, standard deviations, means, and percentages were used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of farmers. Since this study was focused on the farmers' points of views of their problems and solutions, their comments on the open-ended questions were noted by the researchers during the data collection process. Farmers’ responses on the main problems they faced were categorized considering the most frequently mentioned and stressed issues relating to farming and rural livelihoods. Research results showed that the major problems faced by farmers were lack of marketing opportunities for the farm commodities they produced, high input prices, improper shape and low- level production capacity of the lands owned by farmers, problems with plant protection, and lack of extension and training activities. Farmers suggest that the government should take more initiative to solve these problems. The results of this study are expected to provide useful information for farmers farmers’ organizations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and non- governmental agencies in the region.
The Relationship of Human Resource Strategic Partner Role and Job Performance under Mediation of Achievement Motivation Structural Equation Model
Authors: Shun Hsien-Yu, , Wang Kuo-Yan, , Ning Chia-Yang,
Published: November 2020

This research explored the relationship among human resource practitioner strategic partner role, achievement motivation and the degree of job performance. The research focus was the human resource management practitioners in enterprises and data were collected through convenience sampling. Eight hundred questionnaires were sent out by e-mail, 198 valid questionnaires were returned (24.75%). The results show that there is a significant influence between the：(1) human resource strategic partner and the job performance and (2) achievement motivation of human resource practitioners and the job performance and also that (3) achievement motivation exists mediating effect and affection is completely mediating effect between human resource strategic partner and the job performance.
Corpus Literacy and Applications in Norwegian Upper Secondary Schools
Authors: Hagen Karlsen Petter , Monsen Marte
Published: November 2020

This study explores corpus literacy and pedagogical corpus applications among in-service teachers who have corpus linguistics in their educational background, along with their students of English in upper secondary school in Norway. In order to investigate the multifaceted nature of educational practice, the study took a wide perspective encompassing aspects of digitalization in education, general pedagogy, and corpus linguistics. The students (n=154) answered an online questionnaire and four teachers were interviewed. The data are discussed in light of a technology integration framework that takes into account teacher knowledge, resource availability, teacher beliefs, as well as student epistemologies. Findings show little to no corpus literacy among the students, with the exception of one student. The interviews show that the teachers have largely avoided corpora in their teaching practice. One reason why the teachers chose to do so was due to inaccessibility related to paywalls, registration requirements and functionality restrictions. Other potential reasons that were uncovered were tied to their perception of learner competencies, how the affordances of corpora fit their curricular focus, and how their epistemic beliefs about language learning influenced their choices.
Does Focused Teaching of NP Elaboration Enhance Young Learners’ Narrative Writing Competence in English as a Second Language?
Authors: Karlsson Monica
Published: November 2020

In the present investigation, 30 students in grade 4 (aged 10-11) within the Swedish school system were, with intervals of two weeks, asked to compose three narrative texts in L2 English. With the aim of enhancing their narrative writing skills, the learners received explicit teaching of NP (noun phrase) elaboration (both pre- and post-modification) prior to the first two texts, whereas no such instruction was offered before the third story. Two control groups, one writing in Swedish (L1) and one writing in English (L2), neither being offered treatment before doing so, were also incorporated. Despite some initial problems, the results show that the treatment the learners received enhanced their narrative writing skills in a number of ways. Text 3, in contrast to Text 1, does not only display an increase in text length, but also a growth in the number of post-modifying prepositional phrases and relative clauses (the latter primarily having general discourse functions but also narrative discourse functions), as well as an increase in NP and VP coordination, all being signs of more advanced narrative writing.
‘Don’t you ma’am me!’
Authors: Sánchez Fajardo José Antonio
Published: November 2020

The cognitive construction grammar (CCxG) approach can be used to examine the correlation between a constructional schema (CS) and an illocutionary force, in spoken discourse. This study aims to explore the construction [D(Y)[X]viM]j as in “Don’t you ma’am me” in the expression of disapproval or reprimand through the CxG-based examination of data obtained from three corpora: The Movie Corpus (TMC), The TV Corpus (TTVC) and the Corpus of American Soap Operas (CASO). Five constructional schemas (CS-0 to CS-4) have been identified, and they pertain to a network of constructions in which low-level CSs are more unambiguous and productive than high-level ones. Although constant elements of such constructions contribute to a more solid correlation of form and meaning, the variable (verb) undergoes a process of functional shift to guarantee the formulaic constituency of these constructions and the expression of disapproval in a given communicative situation. A distinctive feature of the converted verb is its connection (or anchoring) to the preceding move, which can be either semantic or morphological (or echoic), the latter being, on some occasions, detached from the original meaning of the verb.
Watching Captioned Authentic Videos for Incidental Vocabulary Learning
Authors: Sinyashina Ekaterina
Published: November 2020

This article examines the effectiveness of watching captioned authentic videos for incidental vocabulary learning by comparing it to intentional learning of new lexis through a set of tasks and a control group. For this purpose, 32 Spanish learners of English were distributed among three groups: intentional, incidental and control. The intentional group took part in a one-hour classroom teaching session, whereas the participants from the incidental group were exposed to 5 hours of captioned authentic video. The control group was used as a reference. The performance of the three groups was compared in three vocabulary tests, which were developed to measure the learning of three different aspects of word knowledge: form recognition, meaning recognition and written use in a sentence. While no significant difference was observed between the performance of the incidental group and the control one, the intentional group demonstrated considerably higher scores in the three vocabulary tests. The effectiveness of incidental vocabulary learning through watching 5 hours of captioned authentic videos is discussed in terms of the variables that could have affected the learning process.
Figures of Fictionality: Keywords of the Eighteenth- Century English Novel
Authors: Perazzini Federica
Published: November 2020

Recent developments in the polyhedric field of Digital Humanities offer a desirable perspective for corpus-driven literary studies. This is mainly due to both the implementation of tools for the statistical treatment of textual data, as well as the rapid expansion of the Internet in terms of online availability of archives and collections. Notwithstanding a series of contributions highlighting the mutual benefits derived from the combination of computational methods and literary scholarship, traditional criticism seems to ignore the epistemological continuum between qualitative and quantitative approaches to literature, treating them as two separate impermeable realities. In this article I will attempt to reconcile these approaches by presenting an exercise in computational criticism about the linguistic and ideological constructions at the basis of the rising genre of Augustan England: the novel. The aim is to examine the keywords at the core of the extensively theorised modern paradigm of empirical narratives so as to disclose which lexical units may be seen as the distinctive trait of fictionality as well as those which constitute the figure of the novelistic canon. In this way, the article provides an example of how the application of quantitative methods in literary and cultural scholarship can enhance the quality of individual research in the pursuit of the validity of interpretation.
The Metaphor in Literature and the Effect on Translation
Authors: Chita Anna , Stavrou Christos
Published: November 2020

As Dagut (1976: 32) pointed out, the particular cultural experiences and semantic associations exploited by translation and the extent to which these can, or cannot, be produced non-anomalously into the target language, depending on the degree of overlap in each particular case, constitute the basis for the translatability of a metaphor. Snell-Hornby (1995: 41) stated that the extent to which a text is translatable varies with the degree to which it is embedded in its own specific culture. This paper focuses on the translation of metaphor as a cultural concept. It is based on Newmark’s (1982: 84-95) theory of translation and uses Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray as the corpus for metaphor analysis. Through contrastive analysis we aim to discover and we highlight the ways in which metaphors in an English fictional text are rendered in Greek and German. Linguistic frames and cultural images and influences are taken into account by comparing the metaphorical reproductions in German and Greek.
Pride and Prejudice on the Page and on the Screen: Literary Narrative, Literary Dialogue and Film Dialogue
Authors: Bianchi Francesca , Gesuato Sara
Published: November 2020

This study explores the similarities and differences in content between the dialogic and the narrative parts in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and between the novel’s dialogues and those in its 1940 and 2005 film adaptations. These four datasets were semantically tagged and compared to one another by using qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings show how, in covering conceptual areas largely complementary to those of the narrative, the dialogues in the novel perform various communicative functions. The investigation also points to how dialogues are adapted to the semiotic needs and goals of its film adaptations.
Red Herrings and the Case of Language in UK Higher Education
Authors: Jenkins Jennifer
Published: November 2020

Focusing on English in higher education, I argue that while other ‘real-world’ issues such as power differentials and racism undoubtedly have a role in some settings, in higher education the prioritising of native English is, in itself, a cause of injustice and inequality for non-native English users. I go on to discuss how an English as a lingua franca orientation can help to remedy this problem.
Stephen Gosson’s The Schoole of Abuse and the Representation of Masculinity
Authors: Sivefors Per
Published: November 2020

This essay examines the representation of masculinity in Stephen Gosson’s anti-theatrical pamphlet The schoole of abuse (1579). Discussing the author’s self-presentation in the prefatory material and elsewhere in the text, the essay investigates the often contradictory and defensive authorial persona and compares it to Gosson’s dedicatee Sir Philip Sidney’s rhetoric of self-presentation in his Defence of Poesy, as well as to Gosson’s own, later pamphlet Playes confuted in fiue actions (1582). The basic result of the discussion is that Gosson’s pamphlet has a conflicted relation to early modern notions of manhood; more specifically, the essay concludes, Gosson’s attacks on poetry and theatre as ‘effeminate’ are conveyed through an authorial persona that itself comes across as excessive, licentious and less than manly by early modern standards.
Translation as Appropriation in the Work of Paul Muldoon
Authors: Svensson Lars-Håkan
Published: November 2020

A translated poem is always a new original. If its rewriting of the thought-content, imagery, emotions and formal structure of its model differs considerably from what a literal translation might yield—as may be the case when the translator happens to be a poet with a marked aesthetic or thematic agenda—it may even be called an appropriation. It is my contention that this phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the work of Paul Muldoon. In this article I discuss Muldoon’s practice as a translator and his use of translations in his original collections, in particular the way translations affect and are affected by their new context, while also relating his habits as a translator to his theoretical discussions of the nature of translation.
The Lexical Semantics of Imaginings—A Corpus-Based Analysis
Authors: Schalley Andrea C.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, I propose a decompositional lexical semantic analysis of the plural noun imaginings. The data for this study are sourced from the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA), and as analytical framework an object-oriented semantics based on the Unified Eventity Representation (UER) is deployed. After presenting the background to this study and introducing the data and methods, I discuss the results of the corpus data analyses. Frequencies across genres and decades, collocated adjectives and their evaluative strength, coordinated nouns, nominal genitives preceding the target word, and prepositional phrases embedded in the target word’s noun phrase are screened for their contribution to the meaning specification. The results feed into the development of a lexical semantic description for imaginings, and substantiate that the semantics of imaginings—and its corresponding verb imagine—are closely related to that of remember.
TECHNOLOGY OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MATLAB ENVIRONMENT IN THE INVESTIGATION MODEL OF INFORMATION SECURITY THREATS
Authors: Delembovskyi M. , Terentiev O. , Shabala Ye.
Published: November 2020

The paper presents practical research in the field of modeling information security threats. There are several ways to determine the assessment of the level of information security in the context of threats that could potentially affect their information resources. The general scheme of information system and fuzzy production model of information security is developed. Using this approach, a study of the modeling of threats to IT goals.
SEEING SKIN IN CUTANEOUS VASCULITIDES THROUGH PATHOLOGIST'S EYES: ROLE OF HISTOPATHOLOGY AND DIF IN DIAGNOSIS
Authors: Deeksha Singh , Shilpi Agarwal , Ram Chander , Kiran Agarwal , Preksha Singh
Published: November 2020

Vasculitides is a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of vessel wall. Because of its rich vasculature, the skin manifestations are frequently seen in vasculitis. Vasculitis is a clinico-pathologic diagnosis. Histopathologic study of skin biopsy is confirmatory while direct immuofluorescence (DIF) examination is adjunctive to this and helps to categorize the vasculitis. Although the percentages of cases of Cutaneous Vasculitis diagnosed on histopathology & direct immunofluorescence separately were found to be comparable in this study, both techniques have their own place in the confirmation & classification of cutaneous vasculitis particularly in HSP with appropriate clinical correlation.
THE ENTREPRENEUR’S INFORMATION NEEDS FOR EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIALIZATION IN AFRICA
Authors: Obiamalu Amaka Raymonda
Published: November 2020

This paper is based on the entrepreneur’s information needs for effective industrialization involvement in Africa. Entrepreneurs in various situations need information inputs for planning, implementing, monitoring, financing or reviewing schemes, projects and programs. The purposes for which information is required differ. There may be an immediate need for information to understand the situation an entrepreneur is facing, to convince and persuade others, and to use the opportunities available; or an entrepreneur may gather information to prevent a problem situation arising. This paper also looks at how libraries and librarians can help the entrepreneurs to locate and access information that will aid them in satisfying their information needs in order to compete favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
THE INFLUENCE OF E-LEARNING ON THE TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION OF COOPERATIVE MEMBERS IN THE SOUTH EAST OF NIGERIA
Authors: Onuoha Onyekachi Chibueze
Published: November 2020

The thrust of this study is to examine the effects of e-learning on the transformative education of Cooperative Members. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents consisting of 75 Cooperative Leaders and 225 members. A well-structured questionnaire was validated and used to collect relevant data which was analysed using descriptive statistics (the mean and standard deviation). Findings indicate that very few e-learning facilities are available in cooperatives even at secondary and apex levels in the area studied; hence the adoption of e-learning is poor. However, the study revealed that the few e-learning facilities adopted have good effect on the transformative education of the cooperative members. The study also found out that the adoption of e-learning has lots of challenges, including high cost of imported equipment and e-learning facilities; insufficient E-learning infrastructure, inadequate time to develop and implement ICT-using activities, lack of digital learning resources, among others. The study, therefore recommends that specialty training should be given to cooperative leaders to make them keep abreast of the trends in e-learning and they should source for more funds for the improvement of e-learning infrastructure.
REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT: THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: Ugwuegbe Ugochukwu Sebastine , Onyeke Chibueze Ekene , Eke Chinwe Celestine
Published: November 2020

This study examined the role of Africa’s regional integration in promoting industrialization in the continent. We traced the effort of various Regional Governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the African Union (AU) in promoting industrialization in Africa. Industrial development in Africa is still at the primordial level, making Africa depend mainly on primary commodities for export and leading to the reduction in the continent’s share of the global export of manufactured goods, increase in unemployment, and poverty. The study, proffers the argument that regional integration is a veritable instrument for achieving structural transformation and industrial development in Africa. We therefore recommended that the Regional Economic Communities should be reorganized in order to facilitate the ratification and implementation of the regional integration agenda which has direct consequence on sustainable industrialization in Africa.