bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Reform of the Power-Management Vertical in the Context of Sociocultural Modernization's Problems of the Regions as an Actual Socially and Research Problem
Authors: Tikhonov Aleksandr V.
Published: December 2018

The article substantiates the urgency of reforming the existing in the country power-management vertical on the basis of sociological research of the situation in the regions with different levels of socio-cultural modernization. It is shown that the scientific novelty and practical use of the study of this problem in the context of differences in the civilizational development of the regions is to try to explicate the relationship between society and the state from the standpoint of the "civil contract". The author considers the mechanisms of regulation of these relations in the process of solving the problems of modernization of regions in the conditions of real challenges and threats, which, in turn, affects the functions of the various levels of power and management vertical and the degree of their support from the population. These are the starting points for obtaining empirical data, which can become the starting points for adequate practical recommendations in solving the problems of transformation of Russian society in the conditions of implementation of the "breakthrough" in socio-economic development, which is laid down in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation (2018). In this regard, the main attention is paid to the solution of four types of research problems. First, the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the possibility of research and development of the national concept of social organization and management more adequate to the real state and prospects of transformation of the management system in the regions with different levels of socio-cultural modernization. Secondly, empirical confirmation of the solution of the problem of reforming the power-management vertical in connection with the analysis of the degree of adequacy of its responses to external and internal challenges and its success in solving General and particular problems of socio-cultural modernization. Third, to determine the possibility of using the methods of social diagnosis and "civil expertise" in mass field and remote studies of management problems. Fourth, the preparation of practical proposals for management experiments in the regions with the participation of civil society organizations and using modern information and communication technologies.
Music Industry in the Big Data Era: Sociological and Marketing Research
Authors: Snezhinskaya Marina G.
Published: December 2018

The Big Data technologies and the potential of their application in the music industry are reviewed in the article. The main questions raised concern the perspectives of the Big Data usage in the sociological and marketing research, the audience data analysis and the musical preferences of the audience. The Big Data allow to discover new artists and to find new ways of stimulating the audience’s loyalty. The author attempts to answer the question: how does the Big Data change the music industry? The possibility of using the Big Data to forecast the audience’s behavior is being reviewed. The examples of the Big Data technologies usage in the marketing research for the music industry are exposed. The author underlines the importance of this technology for sociologists and market researchers and brings into the light the problems of the Big Data usage. The attention is drawn to the development of the new sphere of musical data science and to the necessity of broadening the professional competencies of sociologists and music market researchers.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Artikulasi dengan Peta Konsep terhadap Motivasi dan Hasil Belajar IPA-Biologi Siswa (Pokok Bahasan Ekosistem Kelas VII SMPN 11 Jember Tahun Pelajaran 2015/2016)
Authors: Wepe Sakalus , Suratno S , Wahono Bevo
Published: December 2018

Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe artikulasi dengan peta konsep terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa, dan untuk mengetahui korelasi antara motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa. Penelitian ini merupakan jenis penelitian kuasi eksperimen yang menerapkan model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe artikulasi dengan peta konsep di kelas eksperimen dan menerapkan pembelajaran konvensional di kelas kontrol. Teknik analisis data terhadap motivasi belajar dan hasil belajar kognitif siswa yaitu dengan ANAKOVA, Independent t-test terhadap hasil belajar afektif, serta analisis korelasi Product Moment terhadap korelasi motivasi belajar dan hasil belajar siswa. Dari hasil penelitian pada kelas eksperimen, perlakuan berpengaruh terhadap motivasi belajar siswa dengan nilai (p) < 0,05. Rerata selisih motivasi awal dan akhir siswa kelas eksperimen lebih tinggi yakni sebesar 5,30 dibandingkan rerata selisih siswa kelas kontrol yakni 1,34. Penggunaan model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe artikulasi dengan peta konsep terhadap hasil belajar kognitif dan afektif siswa berpengaruh secara signifikan dengan nilai probabilitas lebih kecil dari 0,05 (p=0,000<0,05). Selisih rerata pre-test dengan post-test hasil belajar kognitif siswa sebesar 16,18 pada kelas eksperimen dan sebesar 8,76 pada kelas kontrol, sedangkan rerata hasil belajar afektif pada kelas eksperimen sebesar 81,90 dan hasil belajar afektif pada kelas kontrol sebesar 59,60. Dari hasil analisis korelasi diperoleh nilai (p) < 0,05. Hasil penelitian kuasi eksperimen menunjukkan bahwa model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe artikulasi dengan peta konsep berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa serta terdapat korelasi antara motivasi belajar dan hasil belajar siswa.

 

Kata Kunci: kooperatif tipe artikulasi, peta konsep, motivasi belajar, hasil belajar
Analisis Validitas Perangkat Pembelajaran Fisika Model Inkuiri Terbimbing untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa SMA pada Materi Listrik Dinamis
Authors: Budiarso Aris Singgih
Published: December 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan perangkat pembelajaran fisika model inkuiri terbimbing yang efektif untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa SMA pada materi listrik dinamis. Penelitian ini mengacu pada model pengembangan Kemp. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hasil pengembangan perangkat pembelajaran fisika layak untuk digunakan dalam pembelajaran fisika SMA dengan hasil sebagai berikut: rencana pelaksanaan pembelajaran mendapatkan skor 3,43 (valid), buku ajar siswa mendapatkan skor 3,30 (valid), lembar kerja siswa mendapatkan skor 3,30 (valid), tes hasil belajar kognitif siswa mendapatkan skor 3,35 (valid), lembar pengamatan psikomotor siswa mendapat skor 3,67 (sangat valid), dan lembar pengamatan afektif siswa mendapat skor 3,67 (sangat valid).

 

Kata Kunci : model inkuiri terbimbing, validitas perangkat pembajaran fisika.
Implementasi Bimbingan Kelompok Dalam Meningkatkan Kedisiplinan Siswa Kelas VIII SMP PGRI Banyuwangi Tahun Pelajaran 2016/2017
Authors: Buhani B
Published: December 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dapat tidaknya implementasi layanan bimbingan kelompok meningkatkan kedisiplinan siswa kelas VIII di SMP PGRI Banyuwangi. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di SMP PGRI Banyuwangi dengan jumlah subyek penelitian 23 siswa yang diambil dari kelas VIII tahun pelajaran 2016/2017. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian tindakan kelas (PTK) karena dalam penelitian yang dilakukan melibatkan guru pembimbing di dalam kelas. Prosedur penelitian ini dirancang menjadi dua siklus setiap siklusnya terdiri dari : 1) perencanaan, 2) pelaksanaan tindakan, 3) observasi dan evaluasi, 4) refleksi. Secara keseluruhan hasil dari pelaksanaan siklus I dan siklus II menunjukkan hasil yang baik dan memuaskan, kedisiplinan siswa mengalami peningkatan yang baik dari 23 orang siswa, semua mendapat skor kedisiplinan 60 keatas dan persentase peningkatannya untuk siklus I rata-rata 18,49%. Sedangkan siklus II rata-rata 19,44%.untuk 8 siswa yang sebelum tindakan mendapat skor kedisiplinan di bawah rata-rata (60), setelah diberi tindakan mengalami peningkatan yang sangat tinggi yaitu 80,52%.
Phenomenologi Study: Risk Factors Related to Fall Incidence in Hospitalized Pediatric Patient with Theory Faye G. Abdellah
Authors: Dewi Trisniawati , Noprianty Richa
Published: December 2018

The incidence of the fell is one of the hospital serious problems, especially in the hospitalized patient. The number of fall incidence is one of the main indicators in patient safety and hospital quality. Qualitative study with phenomenology approach was conducted to explore factors affecting the risk of fall in pediatric patients. Four nurses consist of two team leaders and two associate nurses participated in in-depth interviews. The findings from the interviews were triangulated in some process including an interview with the head of an inpatient installation, supervisor, and patient family, participative observation, documentation of form Humpty Dumpty and operational standard prevent the risk of fall. The result data was analyzed with the content analysis method and concluded with a fish bone. Four themes emerged from the analysis: knowledge, human resources, environment, and facilitation. Bad implementation of operational standard procedure, heavy workload of a nurse with unbalance ratio between patient and nurses, the slippery floor, unfixed bedside rails, and unavailability of patient bell have a role in affecting the risk of fall. This study suggests to held fall prevention education, make a review of nurse’s workload with recalculate the ratio of patient and nurse and upgrade the hospital facilitation and environment situation.
Modified PSO Algorithm for Real-Time Energy Management in Grid-Connected Microgrids
Authors: Hossain Md Alamgir , Pota Hemanshu Roy , Squartini Stefano , Abdou Ahmed Fathi
Published: December 2018

Real-time energy management of a converter-based microgrid is difficult to determine optimal operating points of a storage system in order to save costs and minimise energy waste. This complexity arises due to time-varying electricity prices, stochastic energy sources and power demand. Many countries have imposed real-time electricity pricing to efficiently control demand side management. This paper presents a particle swarm optimisation (PSO) for the application of real-time energy management to find optimal battery controls of a community microgrid. The modification of the PSO consists in altering the cost function to better model the battery charging/discharging operations. As optimal control is performed by formulating a cost function, it is suitably analysed and then a dynamic penalty function in order to obtain the best cost function is proposed. Several case studies with different scenarios are conducted to determine the effectiveness of the proposed cost function. The proposed cost function can reduce operational cost by 12% as compared to the original cost function over a time horizon of 96 hours. Simulation results reveal the suitability of applying the regularised PSO algorithm with the proposed cost function, which can be adjusted according to the need of the community, for real-time energy management.
Chitosan Decorated Copper Nanoparticles as Efficient Catalyst for Synthesis of Novel Quinoline Derivatives
Authors: Alghamdi Kahdijah S. , Ahmed Nesreen S.I. , Bakhotmah D. , Mostafa Mohamed Mokhtar M.
Published: December 2018

Chitosan decorated copper nanoparticles (CS/CuNPs) catalysts were synthesized via reduction methods utilizing green protocol. The CS/CuNPs hybrid catalysts were tested for the synthesis of quinoline derivatives utilizing one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) under ultrasonic irradiation. The best catalyst (CS/CuNPs) that provided good conversion reaction yield and high turnover frequency (TOF) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), , scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Generalization of the scope of the proposed catalytic process was studied using different aldehydes. Excellent products yield and high TOF in even shorter reaction time (~5 min) was attained. Recyclability performance of the catalyst over five times re-use without detectable loss in product yield was recorded. The current method is green process utilizing environmentally benign catalyst and considered to be promising sustainable protocol for the synthesis of fine chemicals.
A Comparative Study of the AHP and TOPSIS Techniques for Dam Site Selection Using GIS: A Case Study of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
Authors: Jozaghi Ali , Alizadeh Babak , Hatami Mohsen , Flood Ian , Khorrami Mohammad , Khodaei Nastaran , Ghasemi Tousi Erfan
Published: December 2018

The application of multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques in real-life problems has increased in recent years. The need to build advanced decision models with higher capabilities that can support decision making in a broad spectrum of applications, promotes the integration of MCDM techniques with applicable systems, including artificial intelligence, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are amongst the most widely adopted MCDM techniques capable of resolving water resources challenges. A critical problem associated with water resource management is dam site selection. This paper presents a comparative analysis of TOPSIS and AHP in the context of decision making using GIS for dam site selection. The comparison was made based on geographic and water quality criteria. A ratio estimation procedure was used to determine the weights of these criteria. Both methods were applied for selection of optimal sites for dams in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. The results show that the TOPSIS method is better suited to the problem of dam site selection for this case study. Actual locations of dams constructed in the area were used to verify the results of both methods.
A Review and Introduction to New Aspects of Digital and Computational Approaches to Human and AI Ethics
Authors: Zenil Hector
Published: December 2018

I review previous attempts, including recent ones, to introduce technical aspects of digital information and computation into the discussion of ethics. I survey some limitations and advantages of these attempts to produce guiding principles at different scales. In particular, I briefly introduce and discuss questions, approaches, challenges, and limitations based on, or related to, simulation, information theory, integrated information, computer simulation, intractability, algorithmic complexity, and measures of computational organisation and sophistication. I discuss and propose a set of features that ethical frameworks must possess in order to be considered well-grounded, both in theoretical and methodological terms. I will show that while global ethical frameworks that are uncomputable are desirable because they provide non-teleological direction and open-ended meaning, constrained versions should be able to provide guidelines at more local and immediate time scales. In connection to the ethics of artificial intelligence, one point that must be underscored about computational approaches is that (General) AI should only embrace an ethical framework that we humans are willing to adopt. I think that such a framework is possible, taking the form of a general and universal (in the sense of computation) framework built from first computational principles.
Combined Magnesia, Ceria and Nickel Catalyst Supported over γ-Alumina Doped with Titania for Dry Reforming of Methane
Authors: Al-Fatesh Ahmed , Kasim Samsudeen , Ibrahim Ahmed , Fakeeha Anis , Abasaeed Ahmed , Arasheed Rasheed , Ashamari Rawan , Bagabas Abdulaziz
Published: December 2018

This study investigated dry reforming of methane with combined catalysts supported on γ-Al2O3 support doped with 3.0 wt. % TiO2. The physicochemical properties of all the catalysts were determined by inductively-coupled plasma/mass spectrometry metal analysis, nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction/desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The addition of CeO2 and MgO to Ni strengthened the interaction between the Ni and the support. The catalytic activity results indicated that the CeO2 and MgO addition to Ni did not do much in retarding carbon deposition, but they improved the activity of the catalysts. Among the tested catalysts, it was found that the catalyst with the composition of 5.0 wt % NiO-10.0 wt % CeO2/3.0 wt %TiO2-γ-Al2O3 resulted in the highest CH4 and CO2 conversion with H2/CO mole ratio close to unity. The optimum reaction conditions in terms of reactant conversion and H2/CO mole ratio were achieved by varying space velocity and CO2/CH4 mole ratio.
Platinum and Rhodium in Potatoes Samples by Using Voltammetric Techniques
Authors: Orecchio Santino , Amorello Diana
Published: December 2018

Potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum having high nutritional values. This paper is the first analytical approach to quantify Pt and Rh in vegetal food. In this study a total of 38 different potatoes samples produced in Europe and one in Australia were investigated. Determinations of Pt and Rh in potatoes samples were carried out by Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV/a) for platinum and by Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry (AdSV) for Rh using standard addition procedure. Because no certified reference potatoes containing platinum and rhodium are available, we used addition standard method. The quantification limits for Pt and Rh are 0.007 and 0.0008 μg Kg−1 respectively. Considering all the potatoes samples, concentrations of Pt and Rh vary in the ranges from 0.007 to 109 μg Kg−1 (sample n° 6 potatoes grown in Sicily) and from 0.0008 to 0.030 μg Kg−1 (sample n°23 of potatoes grown in Emilia Romagna) respectively. For both metals, in many cases the concentrations fall near the quantification limit. In all the samples, platinum is always more abundant than rhodium and their ratio meanly is 14500, which is much greater than that of the earth's crust (about 100).
Nonlocality versus Modified Realism: Convivial Solipsism
Authors: ZWIRN Hervé
Published: December 2018

A large number of physicists now admit that quantum mechanics is a non-local theory. EPR argument and the many experiences (including recent “loop-hole free” tests) showing the violation of Bell’s inequalities seem to have confirmed convincingly that quantum mechanics cannot be local. Nevertheless, this conclusion can only be drawn inside a standard realist framework assuming an ontic interpretation of the wave function and viewing the collapse of the wave function as a real change of the physical state of the system. We show that this standpoint is not mandatory and that if the collapse is no more considered as an actual physical change, it is possible to recover locality.
Effects of the Quality of Sleep and the Mediating Role of Eating on Self-Esteem in Healthcare Personnel
Authors: Pérez-Fuentes María del Carmen , Molero Jurado María del Mar , Barragán Martín Ana Belén , Martos Martínez África , Gázquez Linares José Jesús
Published: December 2018

In recent decades, organizational research has given special attention to the mechanisms promoting the health and wellbeing of nursing professionals. In this context, self-esteem is a personal resource which influences wellbeing at work and psychological wellbeing of nurses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating role of eating in the effect of sleep quality on self-esteem in nursing professionals. The sample of 1073 nurses were administered the Rosenberg General Self-Esteem Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18. The results show that poor sleep quality and type of eating directly and indirectly affect self-esteem. More so, poor sleep quality deteriorated self-esteem through emotional eating, and even though emotional eating facilitated disinhibited eating, this relationship had no significant effects on self-esteem. The findings of this study suggest that hospital management should implement employee health awareness programs on the importance of healthy sleep and design educational interventions for improving the quality of their diet.
Holography Using Curved Metasurfaces
Authors: Burch James , Di Falco Andrea
Published: December 2018

In this work we demonstrate non-flat metasurface holograms with applications in imaging, sensing, and anti-counterfeiting. In these holograms the image and its symmetry properties, with respect to the polarization of the light, depend on the specific shape of the substrate. Additionally, the sensitivity of the holographic image to the substrate shape can be engineered by distributing the phase information into determined areas of the metasurface.
Improving the Conscious Consumption of Fish Through an Educational Campaign on the Detroit River (Michigan, USA)
Authors: Krabbenhoft Corey A. , Manente Susan , Kashian Donna R.
Published: December 2018

Consumption guidelines are a common way to improve conscious consumption behaviors in areas where game fish are known to contain contaminants. However, guideline information can be difficult to distribute, and effectiveness difficult to measure. To increase the distribution and effectiveness of guideline information for the Detroit River, an educational campaign was launched in 2010, which included distribution of pamphlets with consumption information, posting of permanent signs at popular fishing locations, and hiring River Walkers to personally communicate with anglers. In 2013 and 2015, we conducted in-person surveys of active shoreline anglers to determine the effectiveness of education and outreach efforts. Results from the survey indicated that 55% of anglers were aware of the guidelines in 2013, and by 2015 36% had communicated the information to family or friends. However, anglers were often unwilling to reduce consumption of popular game species, despite high contaminant levels. Encouragingly, black anglers were most likely to supplement their diet with species lower in contaminants. Our results suggest that utilizing multiple educational strategies including reaching out directly to individual anglers may improve conscious consumption behavior among the targeted population, providing a template for educational campaigns to successfully target vulnerable populations.
Specificity of Escherichia coli Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Investigated by Single-Site Mutagenesis
Authors: Heggelund Julie E. , Heim Joel B. , Bajc Gregor , Hodnik Vesna , Anderluh Gregor , Krengel Ute
Published: December 2018

Diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is one of the leading causes of mortality in children under five years of age and is a great burden on developing countries. The major virulence factor of the bacterium is the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), a close homologue of the cholera toxin. The toxins bind to carbohydrate receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to toxin uptake and, ultimately, to severe diarrhoea. Previously, LT from human- and porcine-infecting ETEC (hLT and pLT, respectively) were shown to have different carbohydrate-binding specificities, in particular with respect to N-acetyllactosamine-terminating glycosphingolipids. Here, we probed eleven single-residue variants of the heat-labile enterotoxin with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and compared the data to the parent toxins. In addition we present a 1.45 Å crystal structure of pLTB in complex with branched Lacto-N-neohexaose (Galb4GlcNAcb6[Galb4GlcNAcb3]Galb4Glc). The largest difference in binding specificity is caused by mutation of residue 94, which links the primary and secondary binding sites of the toxins. Residue 95 (and to a smaller extent also residues 7 and 18) also contribute, whereas residue 4 shows no effect on monovalent binding of the ligand and may rather be important for multivalent binding, enhancing avidity.
A PHYSICAL CULTURAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVE ON PHYSICAL (IN)ACTIVITY AND HEALTH INEQUALITIES: THE BIOPOLITICS OF BODY PRACTICES AND EMBODIED MOVEMENT
Authors: Fullagar Simone
Published: December 2018

In this paper I discuss how a Physical Cultural Studies approach offers a different way of understanding the complex experiences of health, emotional wellbeing and (in)active embodiment as social practices. Non-communicable ‘diseases’ (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity etc) and sedentary lifestyles are growing public health problems in the global South and North. There is a need for new sociocultural approaches to understanding physical (in)activity as a form of body practice and embodied movement that is profoundly biopolitical.
INTERSETORIALIDADE NA POLÍTICA DE EDUCAÇÃO DO CAMPO: OPORTUNIDADES E LIMITES NA AÇÃO DOS CONSELHOS MUNICIPAIS
Authors: Aguiar Wagner José de , Costa Maria Aparecida Tenorio Salvador da
Published: December 2018

O presente artigo discute oportunidades e limites para a intersetorialidade na política de educação do campo, a partir da inserção do Conselho Municipal de Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável e do Conselho Municipal de Meio Ambiente na sua implementação local. A pesquisa foi realizada no município de Brejo da Madre de Deus, no Agreste Central de Pernambuco, através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e análise documental. Os conselhos investigados têm abordado aspectos educacionais na sua atuação e promovido ações pontuais com envolvimento do setor educacional. Entretanto, limites são visíveis ao fortalecimento da intersetorialidade, recomendando-se a experimentação de um fórum interconselhos de educação do campo.
CONDIÇÕES DE TRABALHO DOCENTE: UMA ANÁLISE DE REVISTAS DE EDUCAÇÃO DA BAHIA
Authors: Silva Osni Oliveira Noberto da , Ramos Michael Daian Pacheco , Miranda Theresinha Guimarães , Bordas Miguel Angel Garcia
Published: December 2018

O objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar por meio de revisão sistemática as produções acerca das condições de trabalho docente, publicadas em duas revistas acadêmicas no campo da Educação, mantidas por Universidades Estaduais da Bahia: a revista da Faeeba da Universidade do Estado da Bahia e a revista Práxis Educacional da Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia. Inicialmente foi encontrado um total de 25 artigos, entre os quais foram analisados os títulos, resumos e em seguida os artigos na íntegra, sendo assim, selecionados 10 artigos. A partir dos achados nos artigos selecionados, concluímos que é extremamente necessário que ocorra o aumento na produção científica sobre as condições de trabalho dos professores, inclusive porque na atualidade esse tema é pauta de nas políticas educacionais do país, que passa por um momento de intensa discussão e iminentes reformas educacionais e trabalhistas, além do que, as condições de trabalho docente aparecem como uma exigência no Plano Nacional de Educação e com uma referência na LDB.
Protocol for an App-Based Affective Control Training for Adolescents
Authors: Schweizer Susanne , Leung Jovita T. , Kievit Rogier , Speekenbrink Maarten , Tender William R. , Hampshire Adam , Blakemore Sarah-Jayne
Published: December 2018

Background: 75% of all mental health problems have their onset before the end of adolescence. Adolescence, thus may be a particularly sensitive time period for preventing mental health problems. Affective control, the capacity to engage with goal relevant and inhibit distracting information in affective contexts, has been proposed as a potential target for prevention. In this study, we will explore the impact of improving adolescents’ affective control capacity on their mental health.
Methods: The proof-of-principle double-blind randomized controlled trial will compare the effectiveness of an app-based affective control training (AC-Training) to a placebo training (P- Training) app. 200 (~50% females) adolescents (11-19 years) will train for 14 days on their training app. The AC-Training will include three different n-back tasks: visuospatial, auditory and dual (i.e., including both modalities). These tasks require participants to flexibly engage and disengage with affective and neutral stimuli (i.e., faces and words). The P-Training will present participants with a perceptual matching task. The three versions of the P-Training tasks vary in the stimuli included (i.e., shapes, words and faces). The two training groups will be compared on gains in affective control, mental health, emotion regulation and self-regulation, immediately after training, 1 month and 1 year after training.
Discussion: If, as predicted, the proposed study finds that AC-Training successfully improves affective control in adolescents, there would be significant potential benefits to adolescent mental health. As a free app, the training would also be scalable and easy to disseminate across a wide range of settings.
Trial registration: The trial was registered on December 10 2018 with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (Registration number: ISRCTN17213032, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17213032).
Keywords: Mental health; Adolescence; Emotion regulation; Affective control; App-based training
Variation in Root Architecture Attributes at the Onset of Storage Root Formation among Resistant and Susceptible Sweetpotato Cultivars Infected with Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Villordon Arthur , Clark Christopher
Published: December 2018

In sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), the successful emergence and development of lateral roots (LRs), the main determinant of root system architecture (RSA), determines the competency of adventitious roots (ARs) to undergo storage root formation. The present study investigated the effect of three levels of root-knot nematode (RKN) inoculum of race 3 of Meloidogyne incognita on LR length, number, area, and volume in ‘Beauregard’, ‘Evangeline’, and ‘Bayou Belle’, sweetpotato cultivars which are highly susceptible, moderately resistant, and highly resistant, respectively, to M. incognita. The three RKN levels were control (untreated), medium (500 eggs/pot), and high (5000 eggs/pot). In general, the number of galls after 20 days for each cultivar was consistent across RKN levels and two planting dates (PDs). ‘Beauregard’ inoculated with medium and high RKN levels showed 2.9 and 18.9 galls on each AR, respectively. ‘Evangeline’ had 0.5 and 3.4 galls at medium and high RKN levels, respectively. By contrast, ‘Bayou Belle’ showed only 0.9 galls at the high inoculum level. There was a significant PD × cultivar effect and cultivar × RKN level effect for all root attributes. LR attributes varied within and among resistant and susceptible cultivars with a general trend for increase in all root growth attributes in response to RKN infection in the first (PD1) and second PD (PD2). ‘Evangeline’ showed relatively consistent within-cultivar increase across PD1 (medium and high RKN levels) and PD2 (medium RKN level only). LR length, number, area, and volume within ‘Evangeline’ plants subjected to high RKN increased 122%, 126%, 154%, and 136%, respectively, relative to the untreated control plants in PD1. ‘Evangeline’ (PD1 and PD2) and ‘Bayou Belle’ (PD1 only) showed significant increase in all root attributes relative to the susceptible ‘Beauregard’ at medium or high RKN levels. In PD1, LR length, number, area, and volume in ‘Evangeline’ plants subjected to high RKN increased 165%, 167%, 176%, and 190%, respectively, relative to ‘Beauregard’ plants at the same RKN level. These findings are consistent with some data in other systems wherein nematode infection is associated with cultivar-specific root compensatory growth and demonstrate how genotype and environment interact to modify root development responses. These data can be used to further understand the role of cultivar-specific responses to nematode infection and can lead to the consideration of root traits in selection strategies.
Daily Evapotranspiration of Guzmania ‘Irene’ and Vriesea ‘Carly’ Bromeliads Produced in a Shaded Greenhouse
Authors: Beeson Richard C. , Chen Jianjun
Published: December 2018

Bromeliads are important ornamental foliage plants, but until now, their daily water use during production was unknown. Using a canopy closure model developed for container-grown woody ornamental plants, in this study we investigated actual evapotranspiration (ETA) of Guzmania ‘Irene’ and Vriesea ‘Carly’ from tissue-cultured liners grown in 15-cm containers to marketable sizes in a shaded greenhouse. The mean daily ETA of Guzmania ‘Irene’ ranged from 4.02 to 66.35 mL per plant, and the mean cumulative ETA was 16.66 L over a 95-week production period. The mean daily ETA of Vriesea ‘Carly’ varied from 3.98 to 59.89 mL per plant, and the mean cumulative ETA was 15.52 L over the same production period as the Guzmania cultivar. The best-fit models for predicting daily ETA of the two bromeliads were developed, which had correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.79 for Guzmania ‘Irene’ and 0.68 for Vriesea ‘Carly’. The success in the model of ETA for both bromeliads suggested that the canopy closure model was equally applicable to container-grown ornamental foliage plants produced in greenhouse conditions. The daily ETA and cumulative ETA values represent research-based information on water requirements, and, when applied, could improve irrigation practices in bromeliad production. This study also showed that roots per se of the two epiphytic bromeliads were able to absorb water and nutrients from a peat-based container substrate and support their complete life cycles.
Improvements in the Root Morphology, Physiology, and Anatomy of Platycladus orientalis Seedlings from Air-root Pruning
Authors: Feng Zhipei , Yang Xitian , Liang Hongyan , Kong Yuhua , Hui Dafeng , Zhao Jiabao , Guo Erhui , Fan Beibei
Published: December 2018

Air-root pruning (AP) has been identified as an effective technique for enhancing root growth and development. However, little information is available regarding the temporal changes in the root system of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco under AP. We performed integrated morphological, physiological, and anatomical analyses of the roots in P. orientalis seedlings that had been air-root pruned for 120, 150, and 190 days. Our results found that the whole root length, number of root tips, and root surface area of AP seedlings at 120, 150, and 190 days were higher than those of the non–root-pruned (NP) seedlings (P < 0.05), but the average root diameter did not differ significantly between the treatments. Compared with NP treatment, AP increased the root length, surface area, number of tips, and specific root length of the ≤0.5 mm diameter roots in P. orientalis during the experimental periods (P < 0.05), but those of 0.5- to 1-mm-diameter roots were only increased on day 190 (P < 0.05). The AP plants also exhibited higher root vitality and proportion of live fine roots than the NP plants (P < 0.05). Our anatomical evaluation of the ≤0.5 mm roots and taproots revealed features that could account for the morphological differences found between the AP and NP plants. In conclusion, our results indicate that air-root pruning induced changes in the roots that promote the root system development in P. orientalis compared with the NP treatment during the experimental period. These results thus provide experimental evidence to support the use of AP in P. orientalis seedlings.
Silicon-induced Salinity Tolerance Improves Photosynthesis, Leaf Water Status, Membrane Stability, and Growth in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Authors: Altuntas Ozlem , Dasgan H. Yildiz , Akhoundnejad Yelderem
Published: December 2018

Salt stress is a major problem worldwide because it decreases yields of many important agricultural crops. Silicon is the second-most abundant element in soil and has numerous beneficial effects on plants, particularly in alleviating stress-related impacts. Pepper is an important crop in the Mediterranean region, but pepper varieties differ in their salinity tolerances. The objective of this research was to test the ability of silicon to mitigate effects of salt stress in both salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant cultivars. Salt damage was evaluated by measuring biomass, photosynthetic-related variables, leaf water potential, and membrane damage. We found that the addition of silicon solute to a growth medium was highly effective in improving plant growth by enhancing photosynthesis, stomatal conductance (gS), leaf water status, and membrane stability, which in turn led to higher biomass production in salt-stressed pepper plants, especially in a salt-sensitive cultivar. From an agronomic viewpoint, application of Si may provide economically relevant productivity improvements for salt-sensitive pepper genotypes grown under moderate salinity conditions and for salt-tolerant genotype grown under higher-salinity conditions.
Ethephon Foliar Sprays Are Influenced by Carrier Water Alkalinity and Ambient Air Temperature at Application
Authors: Walters Kellie J. , Lopez Roberto G.
Published: December 2018

The plant growth regulator (PGR) ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid; ETH] can be sprayed on floriculture crops to inhibit internode elongation, hinder apical dominance, increase lateral branching, and abort flower buds and flowers. However, the efficacy of ETH can be reduced as the pH of the carrier water used to mix the spray solution or temperature increase. Therefore, our objective was to quantify how the efficacy of ethephon sprays is influenced by carrier water alkalinity (CaCO3; ALK) and the air temperature at application (TEMP). Young plants of verbena (Verbena peruviana) ‘Aztec Blue Velvet’, ivy geranium (Pelargonium ×peltatum) ‘Precision Pink’, and petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) ‘Easy Wave Neon Rose’ were transplanted into 11-cm-diameter containers and grown in a greenhouse with an average daily air temperature (ADT) set point of 21 °C. Before the ETH spray application(s), the ADT in each greenhouse compartment was changed from a set point of 21 °C to 14, 17, 20, 23, or 26 °C for ≈24 hours. Plants were sprayed with 0, 250, 500, or 750 mg·L−1 ETH mixed with carrier water containing ≈50, 150, or 300 mg·L−1 CaCO3 2 and 3 weeks (Expt. 1) or 1 or 2 weeks (Expt. 2) after transplant. Generally, high ALK had a negative effect on spray efficacy. For example, an increase in ALK from 50 to 300 mg·L−1 CaCO3 resulted in one and five fewer ivy geranium and verbena branches, respectively. In addition, as application TEMP increased above 23 °C, chemical efficacy generally decreased in all species. For instance, as ETH increased from 0 to 750 mg·L−1 across ALKs, inflorescence number of ivy geraniums increased from 7 to 18 at a TEMP of 23 °C, but was unaffected at 26 °C. Based on our results, we can conclude that both ALK and TEMP influence ETH efficacy and are additional factors for greenhouse growers to consider when making applications.
Intercropping Seedless Watermelon and Cotton
Authors: Miller Gilbert , Greene Jeremy
Published: December 2018

Intercropping of seedless watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum. & Nak.] and cotton [Gossypium hirsutum (L.)] in the eastern geographical area of South Carolina requires changes in normal crop-management programs but has the potential to improve grower profits compared with typical production of each crop separately. The alteration and timing of several normal crop-production practices for both crops can present challenges and must be well-defined for successful intercropping of watermelon and cotton in the region. Notable adjustments in production for watermelon are delayed planting date, reduced row spacing and bed width, and modification of herbicide applications. Significant changes in normal cotton production also include modification of herbicide applications, but additional considerations, such as temporal limits on side-dressed fertilizer and insecticide applications, are needed because of the raised beds and plasticulture used for watermelons and also because of labeling restrictions for pesticides across crops. Research was conducted to 1) identify modifications in standard crop-management procedures for watermelon and cotton intercropping; and 2) determine the feasibility and profitability of intercropping the crops. Although there was a slight numerical reduction in intercropped watermelon yield each year, there were no significant differences in total watermelon yield between intercropping and watermelon monoculture in any of the years. There were also no significant differences in watermelon fruit quality parameters (size, brix, hard seed, hollow heart) in any of the years. Intercropped cotton yield was significantly less than monoculture cotton yields in each of the three years. The net income from intercropping in each year was slightly less than the net income from watermelon monoculture.
Evaluation of Soybean Lines for Edamame Yield Traits and Trait Genetic Correlation
Authors: Jiang Guo-Liang , Rutto Laban K. , Ren Shuxin
Published: December 2018

Edamame is a vegetable or specialty soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) with high nutrition and market value. The market demand for edamame has significantly increased in the United States since its health and nutritional benefits became recognized. However, there are a limited number of domestically developed or improved edamame cultivars in the United States, and the knowledge of edamame is very limited. In this study, 86 breeding lines and cultivars of maturity group (MG) V and VI developed in the United States were evaluated in replicated field trials for edamame yield and agronomic traits in Virginia in 2015 and 2016. The results indicated that there were significant differences among the genotypes and between years in all the traits investigated (plant height, fresh biomass, pod yield, pod ratio, fresh seed yield, seed ratio, and 100-seed weights), but the yearly differences for dried 100-seed weight and dried-to-fresh ratio of seeds were insignificant. Genotype-by-year interaction effects were not significant in most cases. Estimates of the broad sense heritability varied with traits, from 23% to 88%. Coefficients of phenotypic and genotypic correlation were mostly low, but fresh pod and seed yields were highly correlated. Fresh biomass exhibited a positive phenotypic correlation with pod and seed yields, but the genotypic correlation coefficients were not significant. Twelve breeding lines were preliminarily identified to have greater edamame yield and desired traits. The information generated in this study will be helpful for edamame breeding and commercial production.
Continuous Irradiation with Alternating Red and Blue Light Enhances Plant Growth While Keeping Nutritional Quality in Lettuce
Authors: Ohtake Noriko , Ishikura Masaharu , Suzuki Hiroshi , Yamori Wataru , Goto Eiji
Published: December 2018

Plant factories with artificial lighting have been developed to improve food production, functional ingredients, and profitability. Intensive research has been performed to elucidate the effects of light intensity and wavelength on plant growth and nutritional quality with the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In particular, the effects of monochromatic red, blue, or simultaneous red + blue light have been studied because these wavelengths are predominantly used for photosynthesis. We examined the effects of alternating red and blue light provided by LEDs over a period of 24 hours on the growth and nutritional properties of leafy lettuce. The results clearly show that alternating red and blue light accelerated plant growth significantly compared with white fluorescent lamps or red and blue LEDs at the same daily light integral. Plants grown under alternating red/blue light had a greater net assimilation rate and total and projected leaf area (an indicator of the fraction of leaf area that absorbs more light) than other plants. Additionally, alternating red and blue light maintained high concentrations of sugars, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanins in leaves. Taken together, the results indicate that continuous irradiation with alternating red and blue light could enhance growth while maintaining the nutritional quality in lettuce.
Behavior of the Hottest Chili Peppers in the World Cultivated in Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Muñoz-Ramírez Liliana S. , Peña-Yam Laura P. , Avilés-Viñas Susana A. , Canto-Flick Adriana , Guzmán-Antonio Adolfo A. , Santana-Buzzy Nancy
Published: December 2018

The Yucatan Peninsula is recognized as the center of genetic diversity of Habanero peppers (Capsicum chinense Jacq.), which can be distinguished from those cultivated in other regions of the world by their aroma, taste, and—most of all—by their pungency. We evaluated three commercial varieties of chili peppers reported as being the hottest in the world: ‘Bhut Jolokia’, ‘Trinidad Moruga Scorpion’, and ‘Carolina Reaper’. The aim of our study was to determine the behavior of the pungency when cultivated under the edaphoclimatic conditions of Yucatan. Our results show that the three varieties registered greater contents in comparison with those reported in other regions of the world. ‘Carolina Reaper’—considered to be the hottest variety in the world, with a pungency of 2,200,000 Scoville heat units (SHU)—when cultivated in Yucatan, had a pungency of 3,006,330 SHU, which was greater than all the other varieties analyzed.
Stability of Yield and Yield Components of Pepper (Capsicum annuum), and Evaluation of Publicly Available Predictive Meteorological Data in East and Southeast Asia
Authors: Barchenger Derek W. , Clark Robert A. , Gniffke Paul A. , Ledesma Dolores R. , Lin Shih-wen , Hanson Peter , Kumar Sanjeet
Published: December 2018

Multilocation trials are important for breeding programs to identify high-yielding, adapted lines for a wide range of environments. In this study, we evaluated yield and yield components (fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit width) as well as days to 50% anthesis and fruit maturity of the 10 chili pepper lines in the International Chili Pepper Nursey 15 (ICPN15) distributed by the World Vegetable Center to interested cooperators worldwide. Performance data of the ICPN15 entries were received from collaborators evaluating the set in seven different environments in five countries (Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam). Significant genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions were detected for all traits evaluated. Additive main effect and multiplicative interaction analyses indicated high environmental influence on yield, days to 50% anthesis, and maturity, whereas genotype was the greatest contributor to variability in the market-driven yield components of fruit length, width, and weight. Four lines (ICPN15-4, -5, -7, and -10) were identified as highly stable and could serve as sources of yield and yield component stability in either short fruit market segments (ICPN15-4) or long fruit market segments (ICPN15-5, -7, and -10). We attempted to used publicly available weather data to help in explaining the source of the environmental variability; however, differences between analyzed and observed weather were too different to be useful. This is evidence that weather data should be collected at each testing environment in future studies. This study provides a basis for future studies in the stability of important horticultural traits in pepper, and highlights the need for further work in this area.