bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct Regulation of the Expression of Satellite DNAs in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Sermek Antonio , Feliciello Isidoro , Ugarković Đurđica
Published: December 2020

In the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (peri)centromeric heterochromatin is mainly composed of a major satellite DNA TCAST1 interspersed with minor satellites. With the exception of heterochromatin, clustered satellite repeats are found dispersed within euchromatin. In order to uncover a possible satellite DNA function within the beetle genome, we analysed the expression of the major TCAST1 and a minor TCAST2 satellite during the development and upon heat stress. The results reveal that TCAST1 transcription was strongly induced at specific embryonic stages and upon heat stress, while TCAST2 transcription is stable during both processes. TCAST1 transcripts are processed preferentially into piRNAs during embryogenesis and into siRNAs during later development, contrary to TCAST2 transcripts, which are processed exclusively into piRNAs. In addition, increased TCAST1 expression upon heat stress is accompanied by the enrichment of the silent histone mark H3K9me3 on the major satellite, while the H3K9me3 level at TCAST2 remains unchanged. The transcription of the two satellites is proposed to be affected by the chromatin state: heterochromatin and euchromatin, which are assumed to be the prevalent sources of TCAST1 and TCAST2 transcripts, respectively. In addition, distinct regulation of the expression might be related to diverse roles that major and minor satellite RNAs play during the development and stress response.
Morphological and Genetic Diversities of Habenaria radiata (Orchidaceae) in the Kinki Area, Japan
Authors: Tachibana Tsutomu , Nishikawa Yuki , Kubo Nakao , Takeda Seiji
Published: December 2020

Floral organs have evolved from leaves for reproduction, and the morphological analyses help to understand the plant diversity and evolution. Habenaria radiata (syn. Pecteilis radiata) is a terrestrial orchid living in wetlands in Japan, Russia, South Korea, and China. The habitats of this plant in Japan have been reduced because of environmental destruction and overexploitation, and thus it is on the Red List of Japan as a Near Threatened species. One of the three petals of the H. radiata flower is called a lip or labellum, which resembles a flying white bird, egret, or white heron, with its proposed function being to attract pollinators. To understand the diversity of H. radiata plants in different areas, we examined the lip morphology and phylogeny of populations from eight habitats in the Kinki area, Japan. The complex shapes of the lips were quantified and presented as a radar chart, enabling characterization of the morphological difference among populations. Phylogenetic analysis with microsatellite markers that we generated showed the variation of genetic diversity among populations, suggesting the different degrees of inbreeding, outbreeding, and vegetative propagation. Our approach offers a basic method to characterize the morphological and genetic diversity in natural populations.
Recent Findings Unravel Genes and Genetic Factors Underlying Leptosphaeria maculans Resistance in Brassica napus and Its Relatives
Authors: Cantila Aldrin Y. , Saad Nur Shuhadah Mohd , Amas Junrey C. , Edwards David , Batley Jacqueline
Published: December 2020

Among the Brassica oilseeds, canola (Brassica napus) is the most economically significant globally. However, its production can be limited by blackleg disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Lepstosphaeria maculans. The deployment of resistance genes has been implemented as one of the key strategies to manage the disease. Genetic resistance against blackleg comes in two forms: qualitative resistance, controlled by a single, major resistance gene (R gene), and quantitative resistance (QR), controlled by numerous, small effect loci. R-gene-mediated blackleg resistance has been extensively studied, wherein several genomic regions harbouring R genes against L. maculans have been identified and three of these genes were cloned. These studies advance our understanding of the mechanism of R gene and pathogen avirulence (Avr) gene interaction. Notably, these studies revealed a more complex interaction than originally thought. Advances in genomics help unravel these complexities, providing insights into the genes and genetic factors towards improving blackleg resistance. Here, we aim to discuss the existing R-gene-mediated resistance, make a summary of candidate R genes against the disease, and emphasise the role of players involved in the pathogenicity and resistance. The comprehensive result will allow breeders to improve resistance to L. maculans, thereby increasing yield.
A Mutation in CsYL2.1 Encoding a Plastid Isoform of Triose Phosphate Isomerase Leads to Yellow Leaf 2.1 (yl2.1) in Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.)
Authors: Xiong Liangrong , Du Hui , Zhang Keyan , Lv Duo , He Huanle , Pan Junsong , Cai Run , Wang Gang
Published: December 2020

The leaf is an important photosynthetic organ and plays an essential role in the growth and development of plants. Leaf color mutants are ideal materials for studying chlorophyll metabolism, chloroplast development, and photosynthesis. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced mutant, yl2.1, which exhibited yellow cotyledons and true leaves that did not turn green with leaf growth. The yl2.1 locus was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene. The CsYL2.1 was mapped to a 166.7-kb genomic region on chromosome 2, which contains 24 predicted genes. Only one non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found between yl2.1 and wt-WD1 that was located in Exon 7 of Csa2G263900, resulting in an amino acid substitution. CsYL2.1 encodes a plastid isoform of triose phosphate isomerase (pdTPI), which catalyzes the reversible conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) in chloroplasts. CsYL2.1 was highly expressed in the cotyledons and leaves. The mesophyll cells of the yl2.1 leaves contained reduced chlorophyll and abnormal chloroplasts. Correspondingly, the photosynthetic efficiency of the yl2.1 leaves was impaired. Identification of CsYL2.1 is helpful in elucidating the function of ptTPI in the chlorophyll metabolism and chloroplast development and understanding the molecular mechanism of this leaf color variant in cucumber.
Radiotherapy and Its Intersections with Surgery in the Management of Localized Gynecological Malignancies: A Comprehensive Overview for Clinicians
Authors: Fabian Alexander , Krug David , Alkatout Ibrahim
Published: December 2020

Surgery, including minimally invasive surgery, and radiotherapy are key modalities in the treatment of gynecological malignancies. The aim of this review is to offer the multidisciplinary care team a comprehensive summary of the intersections of surgery and radiotherapy in the local treatment of gynecological malignancies. Recent advances in radiotherapy are highlighted. Relevant publications were identified through a review of the published literature. Ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer were included in the search. Current guidelines are summarized. The role of radiotherapy in adjuvant as well as definitive treatment of these entities is synthesized and put into context with surgery, focusing on survival and quality of life. Although these outcomes have improved recently, further research must be focused on the number of life years lost, and the potential morbidity encountered by patients.
Design of an Intelligent NPID Controller Based on Genetic Algorithm for Disturbance Rejection in Single Integrating Process with Time Delay
Authors: So GunBaek
Published: December 2020

The integrating process with time delay (IPTD) is a fundamentally unstable open-loop system due to poles at the origin of the transfer function, and designing controllers with satisfactory control performance is very difficult because of the associated time delay, which is a nonlinear element. Therefore, this study focuses on the design of an intelligent proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller to improve the regulatory response performance to disturbance in an IPTD, and addresses problems related to optimally tuning each parameter of the controller with a real coded genetic algorithm (RCGA). Each gain of the nonlinear PID (NPID) controller consists of a product of the gains of the linear PID controller and a simple nonlinear function. Each of these nonlinear functions changes the gains in the controller to on line by nonlinearly scaling the error signal. A lead-lag compensator or first-order filter is also added to the controller to mitigate noise, which is a disadvantage of ideal derivative action. The parameters in the controller are optimally tuned by minimizing the integral of time-weighted absolute error (ITAE) using a RCGA. The proposed method is compared with three other methods through simulation to verify its effectiveness.
Fiscal Transparency and Public Service Quality Association: Evidence from 12 Coastal Provinces and Cities of China
Authors: Yang Qiuxia
Published: December 2020

This paper presents an evaluation index system of public service quality, which contains 35 indexes from the dimensions of the output and effect. Based on data from 2010 to 2017 in 12 coastal provinces and cities of China, this paper assesses public service quality by using the methods of entropy weight order preference similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) and analyzes the effect of fiscal transparency on public service quality. The results show that the public service quality in the 12 coastal provinces and cities of China studied is relatively high, and fiscal transparency has a positive effect on public service quality. This analysis showed that an increase of 1% in fiscal transparency would lead to an increase of 0.0323% in the quality of public services. Fiscal transparency contributes to the quality of public services by improving the scale of investment and the efficiency of public services expenditure; this is because fiscal transparency can increase the expenditure on public welfare services and curb official corruption. Furthermore, the proposed evaluation index can enable government administrators to take the necessary steps on the appropriate dimensions to improve public service quality. This study can provide some guidelines for other countries, especially to improve public service quality by increasing fiscal transparency.
Phonon Sideband Analysis and Near-Infrared Emission in Heavy Metal Oxide Glasses
Authors: Pisarska Joanna , Pisarski Wojciech A. , Lisiecki Radosław , Ryba-Romanowski Witold
Published: December 2020

In this work, spectroscopic properties of europium and erbium ions in heavy metal oxide glasses have been studied. The phonon energy of the glass host was determined based on Eu3+ excitation spectra measurements. Near-IR emission spectra at 1550 nm related to 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition of erbium in heavy metal glasses were examined with special regards to luminescence bandwidth and measured lifetime. In particular, correlation between phonon energy and the measured lifetime 4I13/2 (Er3+) was proposed. The luminescence lifetime for the 4I13/2 upper laser state of erbium decreases with increasing phonon energy in glass matrices. Completely different results were obtained glass samples with europium ions, where the 5D0 lifetime increases with increasing phonon energy. Our investigations suggest that the values of measured 5D0 lifetime equal to radiative lifetimes for all heavy metal oxide glasses.
Phloroglucinol Derivatives from Dryopteris crassirhizoma as Potent Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors
Authors: Yuk Heung Joo , Kim Ji-Yul , Sung Yoon-Young , Kim Dong-Seon
Published: December 2020

Dryopteris crassirhizoma rhizomes are used as a traditional medicine in Asia. The EtOAc extract of these roots has shown potent xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. However, the main phloroglucinols in D. crassirhizoma rhizomes have not been analyzed. Thus, we investigated the major constituents responsible for this effect. Bioassay-guided purification isolated four compounds: flavaspidic acid AP (1), flavaspidic acid AB (2), flavaspidic acid PB (3), and flavaspidic acid BB (4). Among these, 1 showed the most potent inhibitory activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 6.3 µM, similar to that of allopurinol (IC50 = 5.7 µM) and better than that of oxypurinol (IC50 = 43.1 µM), which are XO inhibitors. A comparative activity screen indicated that the acetyl group at C3 and C3′ is crucial for XO inhibition. For example, 1 showed nearly 4-fold higher efficacy than 4 (IC50 = 20.9 µM). Representative inhibitors (1–4) in the rhizomes of D. crassirhizoma showed reversible and noncompetitive inhibition toward XO. Furthermore, the potent inhibitors were shown to be present in high quantities in the rhizomes by a UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis. Therefore, the rhizomes of D. crassirhizoma could be used to develop nutraceuticals and medicines for the treatment of gout.
Maternal High-Fiber Diet Protects Offspring against Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Toh Huishi , Thomson James A. , Jiang Peng
Published: December 2020

Previous studies have reported that maternal malnutrition is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Although several diabetic risk factors associated with early-life environment have been identified, protective factors remain elusive. Here, we conducted a longitudinal study with 671 Nile rats whereby we examined the interplay between early-life environment (maternal diet) and later-life environment (offspring diet) using opposing diets that induce or prevent diet-induced diabetes. Specifically, we modulated the early-life environment throughout oogenesis, pregnancy, and nursing by feeding Nile rat dams a lifelong high-fiber diet to investigate whether the offspring are protected from type 2 diabetes. We found that exposure to a high-fiber maternal diet prior to weaning significantly lowered the risk of diet-induced diabetes in the offspring. Interestingly, offspring consuming a high-fiber diet after weaning did not develop diet-induced diabetes, even when exposed to a diabetogenic maternal diet. Here, we provide the first evidence that the protective effect of a high-fiber diet can be transmitted to the offspring through the maternal diet, which has important implications in diabetes prevention.
The Use of Image Analysis to Detect Seed Contamination—A Case Study of Triticale
Authors: Gierz Łukasz , Przybył Krzysztof , Koszela Krzysztof , Duda Adamina , Ostrowicz Witold
Published: December 2020

Samples of triticale seeds of various qualities were assessed in the study. The seeds were obtained during experiments, reflecting the actual sowing conditions. The experiments were conducted on an original test facility designed by the authors of this study. The speed of the air (15, 20, 25 m/s) transporting seeds in the pneumatic conduit was adjusted to sowing. The resulting graphic database enabled the distinction of six classes of seeds according to their quality and sowing speed. The database was prepared to build training, validation and test sets. The neural model generation process was based on multi-layer perceptron networks (MLPN) and statistical (machine training). When the MLPN was used to identify contaminants in seeds sown at a speed of 15 m/s, the lowest RMS error of 0.052 was noted, whereas the classification correctness coefficient amounted to 0.99.
Faulty Feeder Identification Based on Data Analysis and Similarity Comparison for Flexible Grounding System in Electric Distribution Networks
Authors: Liu Kangli , Zhang Sen , Li Baorun , Zhang Chi , Liu Biyang , Jin Hao , Zhao Jianfeng
Published: December 2020

Reliability and safety are the most important indicators in the electric system. When a ground fault occurs, the electrical equipment and personnel will be greatly threatened. Due to the zero-sequence voltage/current sensor networks applied in the system, the fault identification and diagnosis technology are developing rapidly, including the application of ground fault suppression. A flexible grounding system (FGS) is a new technology applied to arc extinguishing in medium and high voltage electric distribution networks. Its characteristic is that when the single-phase ground fault occurs, the power-electronic-based device is put into the electric system to compensate and suppress the ground point current to be close to zero in a very short time. In order to implement the above process, the corresponding faulty feeder identification method needs to meet the requirements of rapidity and accuracy. In this article, based on the real-time sampled data from the zero-sequence current/voltage sensors, an improved faulty feeder identification method combining wavelet packet transform (WPT) and grey T-type correlation degree is proposed, which features both accuracy and rapidity. The former is used to reconstruct the transient characteristic signal, and the latter is responsible for calculating and comparing the similarity of relative variation trend. Simulation results verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed method and analysis.
Calibrating Range Measurements of Lidars Using Fixed Landmarks in Unknown Positions
Authors: Alhashimi Anas , Magnusson Martin , Knorn Steffi , Varagnolo Damiano
Published: December 2020

We consider the problem of calibrating range measurements of a Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) sensor that is dealing with the sensor nonlinearity and heteroskedastic, range-dependent, measurement error. We solved the calibration problem without using additional hardware, but rather exploiting assumptions on the environment surrounding the sensor during the calibration procedure. More specifically we consider the assumption of calibrating the sensor by placing it in an environment so that its measurements lie in a 2D plane that is parallel to the ground. Then, its measurements come from fixed objects that develop orthogonally w.r.t. the ground, so that they may be considered as fixed points in an inertial reference frame. Moreover, we consider the intuition that moving the distance sensor within this environment implies that its measurements should be such that the relative distances and angles among the fixed points above remain the same. We thus exploit this intuition to cast the sensor calibration problem as making its measurements comply with this assumption that “fixed features shall have fixed relative distances and angles”. The resulting calibration procedure does thus not need to use additional (typically expensive) equipment, nor deploy special hardware. As for the proposed estimation strategies, from a mathematical perspective we consider models that lead to analytically solvable equations, so to enable deployment in embedded systems. Besides proposing the estimators we moreover analyze their statistical performance both in simulation and with field tests. We report the dependency of the MSE performance of the calibration procedure as a function of the sensor noise levels, and observe that in field tests the approach can lead to a tenfold improvement in the accuracy of the raw measurements.
A New Method for Acoustic Priority Vehicle Detection Based on a Self-Powering Triboelectric Acoustic Sensor Suitable for Low-Power Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Quevy Quentin , Cornetta Gianluca , Touhafi Abdellah
Published: December 2020

Traffic congestion is, on a daily basis, responsible for a significant amount of economic and social costs. One of the critical examples is the obstruction of priority vehicles during fast trajectories, which potentially costs lives and property in case of delay that is too great. By means of visual sensing methods, solutions and schedules have already been proposed for adjusting traffic light sequences depending on a priority vehicle’s position. However, these mechanisms are computation and power intensive. Deploying and powering a large-scale network will have a crucial economical cost. Furthermore, these devices will not always have access to sufficient power. To provide a solution, we developed an acoustic and self-powered device that can detect priority vehicles and can be cost effectively deployed to define a sensor network. The device combines the detection of priority vehicles and the harvesting of sound energy through triboelectrification. This paper will introduce the use of triboelectric energy harvesting, specifically in a self-powered wireless sensor network for priority vehicle detection. Furthermore, it shows how to increase the power performance of such a generator. Finally, the results are analyzed.
Collective Perception: A Safety Perspective
Authors: Schiegg Florian A. , Llatser Ignacio , Bischoff Daniel , Volk Georg
Published: December 2020

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication is seen as one of the main enabling technologies for automated vehicles. Collective perception is especially promising, as it allows connected traffic participants to “see through the eyes of others” by sharing sensor-detected objects via V2X communication. Its benefit is typically assessed in terms of the increased object update rate, redundancy, and awareness. To determine the safety improvement thanks to collective perception, the authors introduce new metrics, which quantify the environmental risk awareness of the traffic participants. The performance of the V2X service is then analyzed with the help of the test platform TEPLITS, using real traffic traces from German highways, amounting to over 100 h of total driving time. The results in the considered scenarios clearly show that collective perception not only contributes to the accuracy and integrity of the vehicles’ environmental perception, but also that a V2X market penetration of at least 25% is necessary to increase traffic safety from a “risk of serious traffic accidents” to a “residual hypothetical risk of collisions without minor injuries” for traffic participants equipped with non-redundant 360° sensor systems. These results support the ongoing worldwide standardization efforts of the collective perception service.
Applying Differential Wave-Front Sensing and Differential Power Sensing for Simultaneous Precise and Wide-Range Test-Mass Rotation Measurements
Authors: Meshksar Neda , Mehmet Moritz , Isleif Katharina-Sophie , Heinzel Gerhard
Published: December 2020

We propose to combine differential wave-front sensing (DWS) and differential power sensing (DPS) in a Mach-Zehnder type interferometer for measuring the rotational dynamics of a test-mass. Using the DWS method, a high sensitive measurement of 6 nrad Hz−1/2 in sub-Hz frequencies can be provided around the test-mass nominal position (±0.11 mrad), whereas the measurement of a wide rotation range (±5 mrad) is realized by the DPS method. The interferometer can be combined with deep frequency modulation (DFM) interferometry for measurement of the test-mass translational dynamics. The setup and the resulting interferometric signals are verified by simulations. An optimization algorithm is applied to find suitable positions of the lenses and the waist size of the input laser in order to determine the best trade of between the slope of DWS, dynamic range of DPS, and the interferometric contrast. Our simulation further allows to investigate the layout for robustness and design tolerances. We compare our device with a recent experimental realization of a DFM interferometer and find that a practical implementation of the interferometer proposed here has the potential to provide translational and rotational test-mass tracking with state-of-the-art sensitivity. The simple and compact design, and especially the capability of sensing the test-mass rotation in a wide range and simultaneously providing a high-precision measurement close to the test-mass nominal position makes the design especially suitable for example for employment in torsion pendulum setups.
Classifying the Biological Status of Honeybee Workers Using Gas Sensors
Authors: Wilk Jakub T. , Bąk Beata , Artiemjew Piotr , Wilde Jerzy , Siuda Maciej
Published: December 2020

Honeybee workers have a specific smell depending on the age of workers and the biological status of the colony. Laboratory tests were carried out at the Department of Apiculture at UWM Olsztyn, using gas sensors installed in two twin prototype multi-sensor detectors. The study aimed to compare the responses of sensors to the odor of old worker bees (3–6 weeks old), young ones (0–1 days old), and those from long-term queenless colonies. From the experimental colonies, 10 samples of 100 workers were taken for each group and placed successively in the research chambers for the duration of the study. Old workers came from outer nest combs, young workers from hatching out brood in an incubator, and laying worker bees from long-term queenless colonies from brood combs (with laying worker bee’s eggs, humped brood, and drones). Each probe was measured for 10 min, and then immediately for another 10 min ambient air was given to regenerate sensors. The results were analyzed using 10 different classifiers. Research has shown that the devices can distinguish between the biological status of bees. The effectiveness of distinguishing between classes, determined by the parameters of accuracy balanced and true positive rate, of 0.763 and 0.742 in the case of the best euclidean.1nn classifier, may be satisfactory in the context of practical beekeeping. Depending on the environment accompanying the tested objects (a type of insert in the test chamber), the introduction of other classifiers as well as baseline correction methods may be considered, while the selection of the appropriate classifier for the task may be of great importance for the effectiveness of the classification.
The Effect of Co-Verbal Remote Touch on Electrodermal Activity and Emotional Response in Dyadic Discourse
Authors: Chan Angela , Quek Francis , Panchal Haard , Howell Joshua , Yamauchi Takashi , Seo Jinsil Hwaryoung
Published: December 2020

This article explores the affective impact of remote touch when used in conjunction with video telecon. Committed couples were recruited to engage in semi-structured discussions after they watched a video clip that contained emotionally charged moments. They used paired touch input and output devices to send upper-arm squeezes to each other in real-time. Users were not told how to use the devices and were free to define the purpose of their use. We examined how remote touch was used and its impact on skin conductance and affective response. We observed 65 different touch intents, which were classified into broader categories. We employed a series of analyses within a framework of behavioral and experiential timescales. Our findings revealed that remote touches created a change in the overall psychological affective experience and skin conductance response. Only remote touches that were judged to be affective elicited significant changes in EDA measurements. Our study demonstrates the affective power of remote touch in video telecommunication, and that off-the-shelf wearable EDA sensing devices can detect such affective impacts. Our findings pave the way for new species of technologies with real-time feedback support for a range of communicative and special needs such as isolation, stress, and anxiety.
Robust Species Distribution Mapping of Crop Mixtures Using Color Images and Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Skovsen Søren Kelstrup , Laursen Morten Stigaard , Kristensen Rebekka Kjeldgaard , Rasmussen Jim , Dyrmann Mads , Eriksen Jørgen , Gislum René , Jørgensen Rasmus Nyholm , Karstoft Henrik
Published: December 2020

Crop mixtures are often beneficial in crop rotations to enhance resource utilization and yield stability. While targeted management, dependent on the local species composition, has the potential to increase the crop value, it comes at a higher expense in terms of field surveys. As fine-grained species distribution mapping of within-field variation is typically unfeasible, the potential of targeted management remains an open research area. In this work, we propose a new method for determining the biomass species composition from high resolution color images using a DeepLabv3+ based convolutional neural network. Data collection has been performed at four separate experimental plot trial sites over three growing seasons. The method is thoroughly evaluated by predicting the biomass composition of different grass clover mixtures using only an image of the canopy. With a relative biomass clover content prediction of R2 = 0.91, we present new state-of-the-art results across the largely varying sites. Combining the algorithm with an all terrain vehicle (ATV)-mounted image acquisition system, we demonstrate a feasible method for robust coverage and species distribution mapping of 225 ha of mixed crops at a median capacity of 17 ha per hour at 173 images per hectare.
Triterpenic Acid Amides as a Promising Agent for Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Fomenko Vladislav , Blokhin Mikhail , Kuranov Sergey , Khvostov Mikhail , Baev Dmitriy , Borisova Marina S. , Luzina Olga , Tolstikova Tatyana G. , Salakhutdinov Nariman F.
Published: December 2020

A series of triterpenic acid amides were synthesized incorporating a 2-ethoxy-3-phenylpropanoic acid pharmacophore fragment. The synthesized compounds were tested for their ability to improve glycemic control and to counter lipid abnormalities in C57BL/6 mice placed on a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. Of all tested compounds, the dihydrobetulonic derivative (16b) had the most pronounced effect in decreasing blood glucose levels, total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). All the synthesized compounds displayed a relatively safe profile in the animal studies carried out in this work.
Influence of Soil and Manure Management Practices on Surface Runoff Phosphorus and Nitrogen Loss in a Corn Silage Production System: A Paired Watershed Approach
Authors: Sherman Jessica F. , Young Eric O. , Jokela William E. , Casler Michael D. , Coblentz Wayne K. , Cavadini Jason
Published: December 2020

Best management practices (BMPs) can mitigate erosion and nutrient runoff. We evaluated runoff losses for silage corn management systems using paired watershed fields in central Wisconsin. A two-year calibration period of fall-applied liquid dairy manure incorporated with chisel plow tillage (FMT) was followed by a three and a half-year treatment period. During the treatment period FMT was continued on one field, and three different systems on the others: (a) fall-applied manure and chisel tillage plus a vegetative buffer strip (BFMT); (b) a fall rye cover crop with spring manure application and chisel tillage (RSMT), both BMPs; a common system (c) fall manure application with spring chisel tillage (FMST). Year-round runoff monitoring included flow, suspended sediment (SS), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), ammonium (NH4+-N), nitrate, and total nitrogen (TN). Results showed BFMT reduced runoff SS, TP, and TN concentration and load compared to FMT. The RSMT system reduced concentrations of SS, TP, and TN, but not load because of increased runoff. The FMST practice increased TP, DRP, and NH4+-N loads by 39, 376, and 197%, respectively. While BMPs showed mitigation potential for SS, TN, and TP, none controlled DRP, suggesting additional practices may be needed in manured corn silage fields with high runoff potential.
Evaluation of a Coupled Model to Predict the Impact of Adaptive Behaviour in the Thermal Sensation of Occupants of Naturally Ventilated Buildings in Warm-Humid Regions
Authors: de Faria Luciano C. , Romero Marcelo A. , Pirró Lúcia F. S.
Published: December 2020

Improving indoor environment quality and making urban centres in tropical regions more sustainable has become a challenge for which computational models for the prediction of thermal sensation for naturally ventilated buildings (NVBs) have major role to play. This work performed analysis on thermal sensation for non-residential NVBs located in Brazilian tropical warm-humid climate and tested the effectiveness of suggested adaptive behaviours to mitigate warm thermal sensation. The research method utilized transient computational fluid dynamics models coupled with a dynamic model for human thermophysiology to predict thermal sensation. The calculated results were validated with comparison with benchmark values from questionnaires and from field measurements. The calculated results for dynamic thermal sensation (DTS) seven-point scale showed higher agreement with the thermal sensation vote than with the predicted mean vote. The test for the suggested adaptive behaviours considered reducing clothing insulation values from 0.18 to 0.32 clo (reducing DTS from 0.1 to 0.9), increasing the air speed in 0.9 m/s (reducing DTS from 0.1 to 0.9), and applying both suggestions together (reducing DTS from 0.1 to 1.3) for five scenarios with operative temperatures spanning 34.5–24.0 °C. Results quantified the tested adaptive behaviours’ efficiency showing applicability to improve thermal sensation from slightly-warm to neutral.
Hateful Emotional Responses Scale (HatERS): Development and Initial Evaluation
Authors: Toussaint Loren L , Barry Michael , Enomoto Marcus , Anians Wyatt , Rodamaker Kacy , Keil Alahna , Meier Maxwell
Published: December 2020

The present investigation consists of two studies designed to provide a preliminary examination of a new scale for measuring hateful emotional responses to being hurt by an offender. Study 1 involved definition of hateful emotional responses, item development, analysis of internal consistency, and convergent and incremental validity. The scale was evaluated in a sample of 33 young (M = 26) college and community adults. A five-item hateful emotional responses scale was developed and psychometric properties of the scale were encouraging. Study 2 involved using the five-item scale developed and evaluated in Study 1 and examining factorial validity and sensitivity to change in hate as a result of attending a lecture on hate reduction. Results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale had acceptable unidimensional factor structure and standardized loadings were all statistically significant and moderate to large in magnitude. The scale also showed expected sensitivity to change. Study 2 participants were 47 middle-aged (M = 50) churchgoers. These initial results suggest that the scale may hold promise for further development in samples of broader, larger, and more varied individuals, communities, and nations.
Sobre a comunicologia de Vilém Flusser: uma visada epistemológica
Authors: Quiroga Tiago , Policena Guilherme
Published: December 2020

Partindo do importante pressuposto que caracteriza a tradição epistemológica francesa, de que as redes conceituais desempenham papel central na constituição das áreas de conhecimento, o artigo propõe a teoria da comunicação do filósofo tcheco-brasileiro Vilém Flusser como contribuição decisiva às especificidades do campo comunicacional. Com base na midiatização como atual forma histórica da comunicação, problematiza-se a contraposição de informação e sentido como estrutura ambígua do objeto comunicacional, em que o pensamento flusseriano pode ser visto como caminho comum aos dois polos de entendimento. Em termos metodológicos, são realizados inicialmente apontamentos acerca do percurso filosófico de Flusser, que vai da linguagem à comunicação. Em seguida, explora-se a ressignificação que o autor faz da informação, inserindo-a num enquadramento epistemológico propriamente comunicacional. Posteriormente, apresenta-se a escalada da abstração como perspectiva fenomenológica da história da cultura, revelando o código simbólico como mediação fundamental entre a informação e o sentido. Por fim, procura-se lançar um olhar epistemológico sobre a midiatização, em que ela conforma o código zero dimensional, reacendendo o debate ontológico acerca do comunicacional na presente área de estudos.
Comunicação, consumo e memes do carnaval: os blocos de rua na imersão sígnica da juventude urbana em São Paulo
Authors: Perez Clotilde , Teixeira Filho Clóvis , Correa de Godoy Eduardo
Published: December 2020

Diferentes expressões comunicacionais em mediação com o consumo cultural dos sujeitos são apresentadas pelo carnaval, em um deslocamento na cidade de São Paulo para a ocupação das ruas pelos jovens. Aqui, consideramos os memes em uma proposta ampliada entre a comunicação digital e as vivências urbanas. Assim, este artigo objetiva analisar as manifestações meméticas dos megablocos do carnaval de rua de São Paulo, presentes tanto em suas mídias sociais, quanto nas derivações colocadas em circulação pelos consumidores a partir das marcações (hashtags) com os nomes dos blocos e em suas performances durante as saídas no carnaval de 2019. Para tanto, foram estudados seis casos, que possuíam perfis próprios nas mídias sociais, por meio de análise de conteúdo e análise semiótica peirciana, orientadas à comunicação e consumo. Dentre os resultados, além da forte presença das marcas patrocinadoras dos segmentos de bebidas, alimentos e vestuário e os temas ligados à política e à crítica social, destacam-se a presença de memes marcários expressos por meio de personagens, celebridades, transgressões de gênero e nudez. Cada uma dessas categorias foi articulada com o referencial teórico para aprofundar as relações entre sujeitos consumidores e carnaval.
O Lugar da Música na Semiose Midiatizada: O Funk Proibidão investigado como caso
Authors: Ferreira Jairo , Schenato Staldoni Luísa
Published: December 2020

Este artigo desenvolve hipótese sobre o meio e objeto música para a investigação na perspectiva da midiatização. Na primeira parte, apresentamos a hipótese geral sobre a midiatização acionada, referenciada em Verón (2014) e Ferreira (2018). Localizamos nesse lugar epistemológico o objeto e meio musical inseridos em contextos de produção e recepção, emergência e mutações do campo da música. Finalizamos essa parte com proposições sobre a singularidade da música na semiose midiatizada. Na segunda parte, essa abordagem epistemológica é referência para inferências dedutivas, indutivas e abdutivas sobre o funkproibidão. As inferências são apresentadas como proposições e questões relativamente à linguagem do proibidão – enquanto meio-música e narrativas – e usos e apropriações dos meios na configuração de circuitos, coletivos, táticas e outras linguagens. A singularidade da inserção do funk proibidão no espaço público ampliado é colocar em cena rupturas em relação às hegemonias dos meios musicais da modernidade – referenciados na racionalidade da partitura, na música enquanto sublimação do real e das poéticas não menos sublimadoras. Certamente, o funk proibidão não é único a ocupar esse espaço, pois se diferencia em relação ao conjunto do hip-hop (através do rap e do trap). Porém, a sua existência material – enquanto linguagem instrumental, narrativas, usos e apropriações dos meios em rede e reapropriações por atores que participam de seus circuitos – traz aos outros contextos sociais – musicais ou não – o imperativo comunicacional de interagir, com empatia ou repressão.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Self-Regulated Learning through YouTube: Indonesian EFL Students’ Perceptions
Authors: Harahab Putri Hj. Fadhilah , Wijayanto Agus , Supriyadi Slamet
Published: December 2020

The recent advancements in technology are growing rapidly, because of that the demands of Internet are increasing rapidly. Include the use of website and application. Technology has brought various potentials for language learning. Therefore, in this research the aims are to determine the perceptions of EFL students and the strengths and weaknesses of self-regulated learning using YouTube. To achieve the objective of the research, the method used in this research is a case study. The data in this research were collected through in-depth interviews. The subjects in this research were four undergraduate students who are majoring in English education from university in Indonesia and they were purposively selected, so that they can provide sufficient information. The results in this research showed the positive perceptions of students towards EFL students self-regulated learning using YouTube. They declared that the use of YouTube could facilitate them in regulating their learning English, brings joy, pleasure and excitement during the learning process. In addition, in this research found out that the strengths of self-regulated learning using YouTube; YouTube provides a lot of learning materials, the ease to use YouTube, flexibility of time and place when using YouTube in regulating their learning. Meanwhile the weaknesses are financial constraints and problem of Internet connectivity.
The Implementation of POE (Predict, Observe, Explain) Learning Model to Improve Students’ Achievement at Class XI Students of SMA Negeri 10 Makassar
Authors: Marzuki Sukma , Sabillah Bellona Mardhatillah
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to determine the implementation of POE (predict, observe, explain) learning model to improve students’ achievement at class XI students of SMA Negeri 10 Makassar. This type of research was classroom action research consisting of two cycles. Each cycle of classroom action research was carried out in four (4) stages, namely: planning, implementing,observing, and reflecting. The subjects in this study were 35 class XI students in SMA Negeri 10 Makassar. The result of research indicated  that there were 6 students (68.85%) in cycle I  and 33 students (94.28%) in cycle II that achieved minimum completeness criteria. This research can be concluded that POE learning model can develop students ideas by relating experiences or stories that have been obtained previously. Besides, students' creativity in using diction is very good when presenting the prediction results using the POE method. Thus it is necessary to develop a learning model in the teaching and learning process so that students know very well the meaning of the assessment process of various learning activities.
Representation of Social Class in the Illustration of Sketches by Boz by Dickens
Authors: Imansari Nurul
Published: December 2020

The study object in this research is the representation of social class in the illustration of Sketches by Boz by Charles Dickens (1895). Social class is one of the most prominent themes raised by Charles Dickens in his work to satirize the condition of Victorian England as a form of empathy towards the lower class people. Dickens tries to portray that phenomenon into a series of story and illustration of people’s everyday life in his work ‘Sketches by Boz’. However, this social phenomenon is always depicted and discussed mostly in term of the narration form. On the contrary, illustration is often being ignored. The aim of this study is to bring together the importance of illustration in its relationship to the text. The method used in this study was a descriptive qualitative. It will examine how social class is portrayed in the illustration of Dickens’ Sketches by Boz by focusing particularly on the variety of techniques used by the illustrators in producing the illustrations. The result shows that both narration and illustration highlights the social class reality in the Victorian era. The narration and the illustration cannot be separated in Charles Dickens’ Sketches by Boz since it is created to be a description of people’s everyday life in Victorian London.

Keywords: Charles Dickens, Illustration, Narration, Social Class
EFL Learners of Pre-Service Teacher Programs’ Knowledge of Collocation and Their Perceptions on Collocation
Authors: Labira Darmawan , Gili Yohanes San Salvador L. , Siano Felisitas
Published: December 2020

This paper was aimed to find out: (1) EFL learners of pre-service teaching program’s knowledge of collocation, and (2) EFL learners of pre-service teaching program’s perception about their knowledge of collocation and on collocation teaching in EFL setting. The data was collected from EFL learners of pre-service teaching programs of IKIP Muhammadiyah Maumere in Maumere East Nusa tenggara, Indonesia. To collect the data, a multiple choice of collocation test that consisted of thirty items was administered and 9 item of questionnaires about their perception toward collocation teaching materials, collocation learning methods, and collocation teaching techniques.  The findings revealed that the average percentage of EFL learners of pre-service teaching program’s collocation errors through statistical analysis using SPSS 25.0 was 51, 50% (an average of 4.85 errors per participants). It was identified that 56.30% grammatical errors (an average of 10.68 errors per participants) and 42.60% lexical errors (an average of 10.54 errors per essay) were found. This implies that the most frequently committed errors were in the grammatical category. The study also revealed that 80% of EFL learners of pre-service teaching program agreed that the role of collocation in teaching and learning vocabulary was very important. 43% of them mostly learn collocations from the course book. They agreed that the most suitable level to learn o r teach collocations are from around elementary. They learn collocation bacause It is important for language proficiency while 30% of them said that techniques do you use in learning collocations was through translating. 40% of them agreed that reading was language skill(s) would be the most effective in learning collocations. The causes their collocational errors were 43% of them agreed that there is interference from Indonesian.
ANALISIS LAPORAN KEUANGAN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE HORIZONTAL PADA BANK RAKYAT INDONESIA AGRONIAGA TBK TAHUN 2016-2019
Authors: Nurmalina Radna
Published: December 2020

This study used a horizontal method to calculate the Return On Assets (ROA) and Return On Equity (ROE) with the data source from Bank Rakyat Indonesia Agroniaga Tbk. Analysis of ROA and ROE of Bank Rakyat Indonesia Agroniaga Tbk during the 2016-2019 period. The conditions of ROA ratio of Bank Rakyat Indonesia Agroniaga Tbk for the last four years have fluctuated from years 2016 to 2019 due to the large operational costs. But the profits are still in rank 3 and 4. The ROE ratio of Bank Rakyat Indonesia Agroniaga Tbk in the last four years has also fluctuated. In 2016 the experienced the decrease -0.12%, 2017 experienced an increase 1.42%, in 2018 the increase was 1.92%, in 2019 it decreased by 1.29%. The state of fluctuation in ROE calculation is caused by global and national economic conditions that affect management in managing Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL BEBERAPA VARIETAS UNGGUL BARU PADI DI KABUPATEN MAJALENGKA
Authors: Haryati Yati , Nurbaeti Bebet , Noviana Irma
Published: December 2020

Varietas unggul yang cocok dan disukai oleh konsumen dapat dijadikan salah satu alternatif komponen inovasi teknologi untuk dikembangkan dalam mendukung pencapaian target peningkatan produktivitas dan produksi padi. Kegiatan Uji Adaptasi dan preferensi Varietas Unggul Baru Padi (Padjadjaran, Cakrabuana, Munawacita dan Rindang-2). Rancangan yang digunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan 6 ulangan. Parameter yang diamati tinggi tanaman (30, 60 dan 90 HST), jumlah anakan produktif, panjang malai, jumlah gabah per malai (isi dan hampa) dan hasil (t ha-1 GKG). Data keragaan agronomis dianalisis menggunakan Uji Duncan dilanjutkan dengan uji jarak berganda (DMRT) dengan menggunakan SAS versi 9.0 for windows dan preferensi petani dianalisis menggunakan Uji Friedman. Hasil pengkajian menunjukkan bahwa Varietas unggul baru memberikan keragaman antar varietas dalam karakter agronomi. Varietas Padjadjaran memberikan jumlah anakan produktif, panjang malai, jumlah gabah isi per malai,Â  jumlah gabah hampa per malai relatif lebih baik dengan produktivitas 7,98 t ha-1. Preferensi konsumen menyukai Varietas Padjadjaran dan Cakrabuana sebagai alternatif untuk pergiliran varietas pada agroekosistem dan musim yang sama di lahan sawah.