bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ejemplares de las Constituciones Españolas en el Congreso de los Diputados
Authors: Herrero de Padura Mercedes , Delgado Martín Carmen
Published: December 2019

Recopilación de Ejemplares de las Constituciones Españolas en el Congreso de los Diputados
Sistema de partidos y control parlamentario
Authors: Presno Linera Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. El significado actual de la función de control parlamentario. II. Los instrumentos de «control extraordinario» como fórmulas al servicio de la gobernabilidad. III. Los instrumentos de «control ordinario» como fórmulas al servicio de la oposición parlamentaria. IV. Conclusiones.
Crónica parlamentaria del sexto y séptimo períodos de sesiones de la VI Legislatura en el Senado
Authors: Álvarez Pablos Ana María
Published: December 2019

I. Introducción. - II. La función legislativa. a) Proposiciones de Ley y Proyectos de Ley. b) Tratados Internacionales. - III. La función de control.
Las prácticas caciquiles durante el sufragio censatario : las elecciones de 1884 en Sabadell
Authors: Marín Manuel
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. La herencia del pasado. II. El cacique Turull. III. La campaña electoral de 1884. IV. El restablecimiento del sufragio universal.
Fernández Esteban, María Luisa, «The Rule of Law in the European Constitution» (Recensión)
Authors: Delgado-Iribarren García-Campero Manuel
Published: December 2019

Recensión de la obra: María Luisa Fernández Esteban: The Rule of Law in The European Constitution, Kluwer Law International, Londres, 1999, 221 páginas.
Los documentos PESC y JAI : de Maastricht a Amsterdam
Authors: Grau Guadix Rosa María
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Resumen. 2. La política exterior y de seguridad común. 3. La cooperación en los ámbitos de la justicia y de los asuntos de interior. 4. Los documentos PESC y JAI. 4.1. Las posiciones comunes. 4.1.1. Estructura. 4.1.2. Clasificación. 4.2. Las acciones comunes. 4.2.1. Estructura. 4.2.2. Clasificación. 5. Fuentes de Información. 5.1. Base de datos CELEX. 5.2. Bases de datos del Consejo. 5.2.1. Base de datos PESC. 5.2.2. Base de datos JAI. 6. Conclusiones.
Las características sociales y políticas de los Diputados del Parlamento de Cataluña : 1988-1995
Authors: Argelaguet i Argemí Jordi
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Introducción. 2. Los resultados electorales (1988-1995). 3. Las características socio-demográficas. 4. Las actividades políticas de los parlamentarios de Cataluña. 5. Conclusiones. Bibliografía.
González, Joaquín: «Corrupción y justicia democrática. Introducción a una teoría de la función judicial en las sociedades en cambio» (Recensión)
Authors: Arnaldo Alcubilla Enrique
Published: December 2019

Recensión de la obra: Joaquín González: Corrupción y justicia democrática. Introducción a una teoría de la función judicial en las sociedades en cambio. Marcial Pons Distribución. Clamores. Madrid, 2000. 414 páginas
Crónica de la Asamblea Parlamentaria del Consejo de Europa : período de sesión (2ª y 3ª parte) de 2000
Authors: Stoffel Vallotton Nicole
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: Introducción. I. Cuestiones políticas. Países no miembros. II. Derechos humanos.  III. Cuestiones jurídicas y penales. IV. Economía, agricultura y alimentación. V. Cuestiones sociales y de sanidad. VI. Educación, ciencia, tecnología y cultura. VII Medio ambiente y administración local. VIII. Población, refugiados, formación profesional. IX. Cuestiones administrativas y reglas de procedimiento
Sobre algunas consecuencias constitucionales de las reuniones de parlamentarios sin convocatoria reglamentaria : ex artículo 67.3 de la Constitución Española
Authors: Jimena Quesada Luis
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. Planteamiento del estudio: la proyección de un precepto constitucional aparentemente obsoleto e inocuo en la realidad política española. II. Las reuniones informales de parlamentarios o el ejercicio de una libertad pública molesta para los propios poderes públicos. III. Las reuniones de parlamentarios no reglamentarias: una cualificada especie del derecho de reunión. IV. Las reuniones informales de parlamentarios como ejemplo paradigmático del parlamento grupal y ejercicio cualificado de las libertades públicas de agrupación y de pensamiento. V. El estatus de los parlamentarios informalmente reunidos: la perspectiva de la función de control político y el régimen de publicidad parlamentaria. VI. A modo de recapitulación, críticas y propuestas frente a la supuesta obsolescencia e inocuidad de la disposición constitucional estudiada.
La elaboración de la Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil : aspectos parlamentarios
Authors: Dorrego de Carlos Alberto
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. La iniciativa legislativa del Gobierno. 1. La aprobación del proyecto de ley y su remisión a las Cortes Generales. 2. Antecedentes legislativos aportados por el Gobierno. 3. Idoneidad del tipo normativo elegido: la opción de la ley de bases. 4. La discutible necesidad de una ley orgánica de acompañamiento. 5. Recepción del proyecto de ley en el Congreso: primeras decisiones sobre el procedimiento parlamentario. El debate político y social sobre la nueva Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil. 1. La controversia en tomo al proyecto de ley. 2. El debate de totalidad en el Congreso. 3. Hearings parlamentarios: los sectores afectados ante el proyecto de ley.  La fase crítica: El informe de la ponencia, dictamen de la comisión y el debate en pleno. 1. Constitución de la Ponencia. 2. La conclusión del informe y el debate en Comisión. 3. Las enmiendas aprobadas. 4. La crisis final: el debate en pleno. IV. La tramitación del Proyecto de Ley en el Senado. 1. Consideraciones generales: la intervención del Senado en el proceso legislativo. 2. Las enmiendas del Senado: la reconstrucción del sistema de recursos. V. Aprobación definitiva por el Congreso de los Diputados: la última batalla procedimental.
El sistema de partidos durante la II República Española
Authors: García Mahamut Rosario
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. Introducción. - II. Advenimiento de la II República y proliferación de los partidos políticos. - III. El sistema de partidos y el régimen electoral durante el período 1931-1936: A) Introducción. b) El Decreto de 8 de mayo 1931. Aproximación a la realidad del sistema de partidos a la luz de este Decreto. C) La Ley de Reforma Electoral de 27 de julio de 1933 y sus incidencias más relevantes en el sistema de partidos. d) Los diversos intentos de reforma electoral durante el período 1931-1936. - IV. La cuasi- constitucionalización de los partidos políticos durante la segunda república: Análisis de la normativa parlamentaria. V. A modo de conclusión.
Gude Fernández, Ana: «Las comisiones parlamentarias de in-vestigación» (Recensión)
Authors: Peña Rodríguez Luis de la
Published: December 2019

Recensión de la obra: Gude Fernández, Ana: Las comisiones parlamentarias de investigación, Editado por la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Santiago de Compostela, 2000,302 páginas
Negro Pavón, Dalmacio: «El pensamiento Político Español en el siglo XIX: Textos» (Recensión)
Authors: Fernández Mera María Victoria
Published: December 2019

Recensión de la obra: Negro Pavón, Dalmacio (comp.): El pensamiento político español en el siglo XIX: Textos. Madrid, Fundación Histórica Tavera, 1999. 1 cd-rom. Clásicos Tavera n.° 20. Serie V, Temáticas para la Historia de España, 7.
La protección de datos personales en las telecomunicaciones : regulación comunitaria europea y española
Authors: Manteca Valdelande Víctor
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: Introducción - La protección de los derechos de la persona frente al tratamiento automatizado de datos en Europa.- La protección de datos personales en el ámbito del derecho comunitario europeo.- El sector de las telecomunicaciones en Europa.- El sector de las telecomunicaciones en el derecho español.-la protección de datos personales en la prestación de servicios de telecomunicaciones. Derecho español.- La transposición de la directiva 97/66/CE del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo de 15 de diciembre de 1997.- Aspectos concretos de la transposición en materia de protección de datos personales en la prestación de los servicios de telecomunicaciones. Seguridad de los servicios de telecomunicación. Tráfico y facturación - Bibliografía.
Las resoluciones interpretativas y supletorias del Reglamento en la jurisprudencia constitucional
Authors: Gómez Corona Esperanza
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Introducción.- 2.Las resoluciones parlamentarias- 3. Naturaleza jurídica de las resoluciones supletorias e interpretativas del reglamento parlamentario - 4. El control de las resoluciones parlamentarias por el tribunal Constitucional. 1. Primera fase: el recurso de inconstitucionalidad como única vía de control posible. 2. Segunda fase: la STC 118/88, de 20 de junio. 3. Tercera fase: la STC 119/90, de 21 de junio. 4. Última fase: el amparo constitucional como única vía de control- 5. Conclusiones.
Las nuevas tecnologías en la vida parlamentaria
Authors: Delgado-Iribarren García-Campero Manuel
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Introducción. - II. El Presente: Principales beneficios en la vida parlamentaria: 1. Hacen posible un funcionamiento institucional rápido, seguro y eficaz, y reducen la lentitud y burocratismo. 2. Permiten dotar al diputado de herramientas de gestión administrativa y de comunicación, frente a la gigantesca desigualdad de medios de aquél respecto del Gobierno al que debe controlar. 3. Abren nuevas fuentes autónomas de información y documentación del diputado, frente a la tradicional dependencia del Gobierno en la materia. 4. Permiten reducir el inevitable alejamiento entre representante y representados propios de la sociedad de masas contemporánea. 5. Facilitan la difusión general e íntegra de la actividad parlamentaria, frente a la mediatización de los medios de comunicación social. - III. Riesgos y peligros que deben evitarse: 1. La fe ciega en la tecnología, como remedio de todos los males. 2. El exceso de información. 3. La «política del espectáculo». 4. La «democracia electrónica» (o teledemocracia, o ciberdemocracia, o democracia digital). -IV. Apunte final sobre el futuro inmediato.
La documentación parlamentaria en Internet (y III): el caso de las páginas web en los países de la Unión Europea
Authors: Ramos Vielba Irene , Gonzalo Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Resultados del análisis comparativo: 1.1. Contenidos o información. 1.2. Enlaces e interactividad. 1.3. Facilidad de uso y diseño visual. 2. Claves del acceso a la documentación parlamentaría: 2.1. Formato y acceso al texto completo. 2.2. Cobertura temporal. 2.3. Inmediatez en su distribución en la red. 2.4. Gratuidad. Instrumentos de búsqueda. 2.6. Conocimiento del procedimiento parlamentario de cada país. 3. Algunos ejemplos significativos en materia documental: 3.1. Francia: 3.1.1. Asamblea Nacional. 3.1.2. Senado. 3.2. Reino Unido: House of Commons. 3.3. Italia: Camera dei Diputati y Senato. 3.4. Portugal: Assembleia da Republica. 3.5. Bélgica: Chambre des Représentants. Irlanda: Parliament of Ireland. - 4. Resumen por países. - 5. Valoración final. - 6. Referencias. - 7. Fuentes de información adicionales.
La Ley de Marcas: entre la innovación y la continuidad
Authors: Martí Sánchez Sylvia
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: Introducción.- I. Distribución de competencias y sistema de registro. - 1.1. El problema de la distribución competencial: la lucha por el registro. - 1.2. Examen de oficio y oposición de terceros. - 1.3. Disposiciones generales sobre procedimiento. - II. Contenido del derecho de marca. - 2.1. Concepto. - 2.2. Clases. - 2.3. Agotamiento comunitario y agotamiento internacional. - 2.4. Acciones por violación del derecho de marca. - 2.5. Nulidad y caducidad. - III. Marcas Internacionales. - IV. Marcas comunitarias. - V. Nombres comerciales. - VI. Rótulo de establecimiento.
La diplomacia parlamentaria
Authors: Elorriaga Fernández Gabriel
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Las relaciones interparlamentarias. - 2. Política exterior y actividad diplomática. - 3. Diplomacia profesional y política. - 4. Apoyo parlamentario a la ejecución gubernamental. -5. Relaciones de pueblo a pueblo. - 6. Organismos Parlamentarios Internacionales con representación española. - 7. Agrupaciones parlamentarias bilaterales. - 8. Las Comisiones Parlamentarias de Asuntos Exteriores.
Crónica del Comité de Ministros del Consejo de Europa (febrero-mayo 2002)
Authors: Torres Ugena Nila
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: Introducción. -1. Cuestiones políticas. Países no miembros. - II. Derechos humanos. - III. Cuestiones jurídicas y penales. - IV economía, agricultura y alimentación. - V. cuestiones sociales y de sanidad. - VI. Educación, ciencia, tecnología y cultura.- VII medio ambiente y administración local. - VIII. Población, refugiados, formación profesional. - IX. Cuestiones administrativas y reglas de procedimiento.
Los grupos de presión en España, una revisión pendiente
Authors: Rubio Rafael
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. Los grupos depresión en democracia. - 2. Formas de participación en España. - 3. El renacer de la participación. - 4. ¿Qué es un grupo de presión? - 5. Características y formas de actuación. - 6. Las actividades de los grupos de presión en España. - 7. La necesidad de legislar la existencia y la actuación de los grupos de presión. - 8. La legislación sobre los grupos de presión en otros países. - 9. Una propuesta de legislación para los grupos de presión en España.
El derecho de voto y la regla de la mayoría
Authors: Sarmiento Méndez Xosé A.
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: 1. El contenido constitucional del derecho de voto. -1.1. Representación parlamentaria y voto individual. 1.2. La votación: presupuestos y contenido. 1.3. El voto como exteriorización de la voluntad: abstención y voto en blanco. -2. Modalidades del voto y sus repercusiones. - 3. Personalidad e indelegabilidad del voto. 3.1. Personalidad de voto y disciplina de grupo. 3.2. El voto indelegable. 3.3. Los caracteres del voto de los parlamentarios autonómicos. - 4. Las reglas de reconducción del voto a la decisión. 4.1. La regla de la mayoría: pluralismo democrático y mayorías cualificadas. 4.2. La regla de la proporcionalidad: el voto ponderado y fórmulas similares. 4.3. La unanimidad: su posible exigencia.
Giraffe translocation population viability analysis
Authors: Lee DE , Fienieg E , Van Oosterhout C , Muller Z , Strauss M , Carter KD , Scheijen CPJ , Deacon F
Published: December 2019

Most populations of giraffes have declined in recent decades, leading to the recent IUCN decision to upgrade the species to Vulnerable status, and some subspecies to Endangered. Translocations have been used as a conservation tool to re-introduce giraffes to previously occupied areas or establish new populations, but guidelines for founding populations are lacking. To provide general guidelines for translocation projects regarding feasibility, we simulated various scenarios of translocated giraffe populations to identify viable age and sex distributions of founding populations using population viability analysis (PVA) implemented in Vortex software. We explored the parameter space for demography and the genetic load, examining how variation in founding numbers and sex ratios affected 100 yr probability of population extinction and genetic diversity. We found that even very small numbers of founders (N ≤ 10 females) can appear to be successful in the first decades due to transient positive population growth, but with moderate population growth rate and moderate genetic load, long-term population viability (probability of extinction <0.01) was only achieved with ≥30 females and ≥3 males released. To maintain >95% genetic diversity of the source population in an isolated population, 50 females and 5 males are recommended to compose the founding population. Sensitivity analyses revealed first-year survival and reproductive rate were the simulation parameters with the greatest proportional influence on probability of extinction and genetic diversity. These simulations highlight important considerations for translocation success and data gaps including true genetic load in wild giraffe populations.
Using Fiction to Promote Students� Critical Thinking
Authors: Pardede Parlindungan
Published: December 2019

The importance of Critical reading (CT) to support every individual�s success in academic, personal and social life has long been acknowledged. The accelerating advancement of technology makes the need for CT more crucial. However, due to various factors, CT development through the educational process has not been satisfactory. This article reviews current ideas and studies on the nature of CT, the nature of fiction and their role in developing CT. To get ideas about how to implement using fiction to promote CT, the article ends with the practical description of a step by step of using fiction to promote CT through an instructional model.
PENETAPAN KADAR FLAVONOID DAN AKTIVITAS ANTIMIKROBA EKSTRAK ETANOL KULIT BAWANG MERAH (Allium cepa L.) TERHADAP Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Sofihidayati Trirakhma
Published: December 2019

Bawang merah (Allium cepa L.) merupakan salah satu komoditas sayuran penting di Indonesia dan banyak digunakan sebagai bahan pengobatan tradisional.   Kulit bawang dianggap sebagai limbah, tetapi ternyata pada kulit bawang merah  terkandung berbagai bahan alami dengan nilai fungsional tinggi. Bawang merah dan kulitnya  kaya akan senyawa seperti senyawa flavonoid dan organosulfur (allicin) yang bertindak sebagai antibakteri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kadar flavonoid ekstrak etanol 70% kulit bawang merah dari hasil ekstraksi metode   Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) dan menentukan aktivitasnya terhadap bakteri Staphylococcus aureus. Uji aktivitas ditentukan pada konsentrasi ekstrak 20, 40, 60, 80 dan100 % dengan mengukur lebar daerah hambat (LDH) menggunakan metode difusi agar. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan ekstrak etanol kulit bawang merah mengandung flavonoid sebesar 14,57 % dan uji aktivitas antibakteri menghasilkan lebar daerah hambat berturut-turut sebesar 18,00; 19,50; 19,50; 22,00 dan 21,50 mm.
Ethical codes in adult education as subjects of comparative analysis
Authors: Malach Josef
Published: December 2019

In the process of professionalisation of adult educators, a significant role is played by qualification, educational and evaluation standards. However, they do not often deal with ethical questions which can arise from their relationship with participants of the educational process, from their membership in professional associations or from the relationship with an educational institution. This gap is filled by ethical codes, which are not legal standards but they are adult educators’ voluntary obligations. The importance of codes was a reason for the comparison of 26 ethical codes aiming to find their common features and non-standard regulations, to point out the prevailing structures and contents and disciplinary measures when the code is violated. The contribution of this study is to enrich the andragogical theory with a deeper understanding of the purpose of ethical codes, their structural elements and content. From the point of view of education policy, an analysis of codes can work as a specific monitoring of the market of educational services. It can serve for designing certification courses of adult educators as well as subjects in graduate studies in andragogy. The limitation of this study lies in the fact that the selection of codes was limited to codes written in four languages; however, one of them was English, which is a world language. As for the territorial scope, codes cover North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
ANALISIS DAMPAK REMUNERASI DAN LINGKUNGAN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA DOKTER SPESIALIS DENGAN MOTIVASI KERJA SEBAGAI VARIABEL MEDIASI
Authors: Hartati Hartati , Semiarty Rima , Verinita Verinita
Published: December 2019

Performance specialists is something that is very important in order to achieve the objectives Hospital Organization for specialists is the frontline in the service of clients in the hospital so important to know the factors that influence it. The purpose of this study is to describe the impact / influence of the system of remuneration and working environment on the performance and motivation as an intervening or mediating variable in the installation department of obstetrics and child XYZ Hospital Padang. This study uses a quantitative approach to research explanatori. Sampling in the Census, ie as many as 36 people obstetricians and children. Data analysis technique used in this study using the approach Partial Least Square (PLS).

The results showed that there was no significant effect between remuneration and the performance of the T statistics amounted to 0.549 (less than 1.96) and the p value 0.002 (greater than 0.05) so the hypothesis is rejected. No significant difference between the work environment and performance statisticsT is smaller than TTable and p value is greater than alpha so the hypothesis is rejected. No significant difference between the motivation to work on performance because the hypothesis is rejected. A significant difference between the remuneration and motivation to work as much as 2.8%. No significant difference between the working environment on work motivation for the hypothesis is rejected. While remuneration on performance mediated by labor motivation does not have a significant effect.
Assessment of a Turbo-Electric Aircraft Configuration with Aft-Propulsion Using Boundary Layer Ingestion
Authors: Schnell Rainer , Zhao Xin , Rallis Efthymios , Kavvalos Mavroudis , Sahoo Smruti , Schnoes Markus , Kyprianidis Konstantinos
Published: December 2019

In this paper, a turbo-electric propulsion system was analyzed, and its performance was assessed. The aircraft considered here was a single-aisle, medium-range configuration targeting a capacity of 150 Pax. The propulsion concept comprised two boosted geared turbofan engines mounted under-wing. Those main engines were supported by an electrically driven aft-propulsor contributing to the thrust generation and by taking advantage of ingesting the boundary layer of the fuselage for potentially higher levels of propulsive efficiency and allowing for the improved operation of the main engines. The performance assessment as carried out in the context of this paper involved different levels: Firstly, based on the reference aircraft and the detailed description of its major components, the engine performance model for both main engines, as well as for the electrically driven aft-propulsor was set up. The methodology, as introduced, has already been applied in the context of hybrid-electric propulsion and allowed for the aforementioned aircraft sizing, as well as the subsequent gas turbine multi-point synthesis (simulation). A geared turbofan architecture with 2035 technology assumptions was considered for the main engine configuration. The present trade study focused on the design and performance analysis of the aft-propulsor and how it affected the performance of the main engines, due to the electric power generation. In order to allow for a more accurate description of the performance of this particular module, the enhanced streamline curvature method with an underlying and pre-optimized profile database was used to design a propulsor tailored to meet the requirements of the aft propulsor as derived from the cycle synthesis and overall aircraft specification; existing design expertise for novel and highly integrated propulsors could be taken advantage of herein. The resulting performance characteristics from the streamline curvature method were then fed back to the engine performance model in a closely coupled approach in order to have a more accurate description of the module behavior. This direct coupling allowed for enhanced sensitivity studies, monitoring different top-level parameters, such as the thrust/power split between the main engines and the aft propulsor. As a result, different propulsor specifications and fan designs with optimal performance characteristics were achieved, which in return affected the performance of all subsystems considered.
Beneficial Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Hypertension, Visceral Obesity, UCP-1 Expression and Oxidative Stress in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats
Authors: El Midaoui Adil , Fantus I. George , Ait Boughrous Ali , Couture Réjean
Published: December 2019

Evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of metabolic syndrome. This study aims to investigate whether α-lipoic acid (LA), a potent antioxidant, could exert beneficial outcomes in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Male 6-week-old ZDF rats and their lean counterparts (ZL) were fed for six weeks with a standard diet or a chow diet supplemented with LA (1 g/kg feed). At 12 weeks of age, ZDF rats exhibited an increase in systolic blood pressure, epididymal fat weight per body weight, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance (HOMA index), adipocyte hypertrophy and a rise in basal superoxide anion (O2•−) production in gastrocnemius muscle and a downregulation of epididymal uncoupled protein-1 (UCP-1) protein staining. Treatment with LA prevented the development of hypertension, the rise in whole body weight and O2•− production in gastrocnemius muscle, but failed to affect insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in ZDF rats. LA treatment resulted in a noticeable increase of pancreatic weight and a further adipocyte hypertrophy, along with a decrease in epididymal fat weight per body weight ratio associated with an upregulation of epididymal UCP-1 protein staining in ZDF rats. These findings suggest that LA was efficacious in preventing the development of hypertension, which could be related to its antioxidant properties. The anti-visceral obesity effect of LA appears to be mediated by its antioxidant properties and the induction of UCP-1 protein at the adipose tissue level in ZDF rats. Disorders of glucose metabolism appear, however, to be mediated by other unrelated mechanisms in this model of metabolic syndrome.
Phenolic Antioxidants in Aerial Parts of Wild Vaccinium Species: Towards Pharmaceutical and Biological Properties
Authors: Bujor Oana-Crina , Tanase Corneliu , Popa Mona Elena
Published: December 2019

Phenolic compounds are a widespread group of secondary metabolites found in all plants, representing the most desirable antioxidants due to their potential to be used as additives in the food industry (inhibition of lipid oxidation), and in cosmetology and medicine (protection against oxidative stress). In recent years, demand for the identification of edible sources rich in phenolic antioxidants, as well as the development of new natural plant products to be used as dietary supplements or pharmaceuticals, has been a great preoccupation. At present, from the “circular economy” perspective, there is an increased interest to use agricultural waste resources to produce high-value compounds. Vaccinium leaves and stems are considered essentially an agro-waste of the berry industry. Scientific studies have shown that phenolic compounds were found in a markedly higher content in the leaves and stems of Vaccinium plants than in the fruits, in agreement with the strongest biological and antioxidant activities displayed by these aerial parts compared to fruits. This paper aims to review the current state of the art regarding the phenolic antioxidants from leaves and stems of two wild Vaccinium species, bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), as promising natural resources with pharmaceutical and biological activity.
Steel Fiber Use as Shear Reinforcement on I-Shaped UHP-FRC Beams
Authors: Hasgul Umut , Yavas Altug , Birol Tamer , Turker Kaan
Published: December 2019

In the presented paper, the effectiveness of steel fiber use on the shear and flexure behaviors of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) beams and the feasibility of steel fibers in place of shear reinforcement were investigated experimentally. In this framework, a total of four I-shaped UHPC beams were produced for a high tensile reinforcement ratio of 2.2%. While two of them were non-fiber UHPC beams with and without the shear reinforcement to show the contribution of steel fibers, the remaining beams were made from the ultra-high performance steel fiber-reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC) having the short straight fibers with 1.5% and 2.5% by volume. The shear and flexural parameters, such as the load–deflection response, cracking pattern, failure mode, deflection, and curvature ductilities were discussed based on the four-point loading test results. While the reference beam without fiber and shear reinforcement failed by the shear with a sudden load drop before the yielding of reinforcement and produced no deflection capability, the inclusion of steel fibers to the UHPC matrix transformed the failure mode from shear to flexure through the fibers’ crack-bridging ability. It might be deduced that the moderate level of steel fiber use in the UHP-FRC beams may take the place of shear reinforcement in practical applications.
Theoretical Study and Application of the Reinforcement of Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipes with External Prestressed Steel Strands
Authors: Zhao Lijun , Dou Tiesheng , Cheng Bingqing , Xia Shifa , Yang Jinxin , Zhang Qi , Li Meng , Li Xiulin
Published: December 2019

Prestressed concrete cylinder pipes (PCCPs) can suffer from prestress loss caused by wire-breakage, leading to a reduction in load-carrying capacity or a rupture accident. Reinforcement of PCCPs with external prestressed steel strands is an effective way to enhance a deteriorating pipe’s ability to withstand the design load. One of the principal advantages of this reinforcement is that there is no need to drain the pipeline. A theoretical derivation is performed, and this tentative design method could be used to determine the area of prestressed steel strands and the corresponding center spacing in terms of prestress loss. The prestress losses of strands are refined and the normal stress between the strands and the pipe wall are assumed to be distributed as a trigonometric function instead of uniformly. This derivation configures the prestress of steel strands to meet the requirements of ultimate limit states, serviceability limit states, and quasi-permanent limit states, considering the tensile strength of the concrete core and the mortar coating, respectively. This theory was applied to the reinforcement design of a PCCP with broken wires (with a diameter of 2000 mm), and a prototype test is carried out to verify the effect of the reinforcement. The load-carrying capacity of the deteriorating PCCPs after reinforcement reached that of the original design level. The research presented in this paper could provide technical recommendations for the application of the reinforcement of PCCPs with external prestressed steel strands.
Application of a Hybrid Artificial Neural Network-Particle Swarm Optimization (ANN-PSO) Model in Behavior Prediction of Channel Shear Connectors Embedded in Normal and High-Strength Concrete
Authors: Shariati Mahdi , Mafipour Mohammad Saeed , Mehrabi Peyman , Bahadori Alireza , Zandi Yousef , Salih Musab N A , Nguyen Hoang , Dou Jie , Song Xuan , Poi-Ngian Shek
Published: December 2019

Channel shear connectors are known as an appropriate alternative for common shear connectors due to having a lower manufacturing cost and an easier installation process. The behavior of channel connectors is generally determined through conducting experiments. However, these experiments are not only costly but also time-consuming. Moreover, the impact of other parameters cannot be easily seen in the behavior of the connectors. This paper aims to investigate the application of a hybrid artificial neural network–particle swarm optimization (ANN-PSO) model in the behavior prediction of channel connectors embedded in normal and high-strength concrete (HSC). To generate the required data, an experimental project was conducted. Dimensions of the channel connectors and the compressive strength of concrete were adopted as the inputs of the model, and load and slip were predicted as the outputs. To evaluate the ANN-PSO model, an ANN model was also developed and tuned by a backpropagation (BP) learning algorithm. The results of the paper revealed that an ANN model could properly predict the behavior of channel connectors and eliminate the need for conducting costly experiments to some extent. In addition, in this case, the ANN-PSO model showed better performance than the ANN-BP model by resulting in superior performance indices.
Design on the Winter Jujubes Harvesting and Sorting Device
Authors: Ni Hongjun , Zhang Jiaqiao , Zhao Nansheng , Wang Chusen , Lv Shuaishuai , Ren Fuji , Wang Xingxing
Published: December 2019

According to the existing problems of winter jujube harvesting, such as the intensive labor of manual picking, damage to the surface of winter jujubes, a winter jujube harvesting and sorting device was developed. This device consisted of vibration mechanism, collection mechanism, and sorting mechanism. The eccentric vibration mechanism made the winter jujubes fall, and the umbrella collecting mechanism can collect winter jujube and avoid the impact of winter jujube on the ground, and the sorting mechanism removed jujube leaves and divided the jujube into two types, and the automatic leveling mechanism made the device run smoothly in the field. Through finite element analysis and BP (Back Propagation) neural network analysis, the results show that: The vibration displacement of jujube tree is related to the trunk diameter and vibration position; the impact force of winter jujubes falling is related to the elastic modulus of umbrella material; the collecting area can be increased four times for each additional step of the collection mechanism; jujube leaves can be effectively removed when blower wind speed reaches 45.64 m/s. According to the evaluation standard grades of the jujubes harvesting and sorting, the device has good effects and the excellent rate up to 90%, which has good practicability and economy.
Biosynthesized ZnO-NPs from Morus indica Attenuates Methylglyoxal-Induced Protein Glycation and RBC Damage: In-Vitro, In-Vivo and Molecular Docking Study
Authors: Anandan Satish , Mahadevamurthy Murali , Ansari Mohammad Azam , Alzohairy Mohammad A. , Alomary Mohammad N. , Farha Siraj Syeda , Halugudde Nagaraja Sarjan , Chikkamadaiah Mahendra , Thimappa Ramachandrappa Lakshmeesha , Naguvanahalli Krishnappa Hemanth Kumar , Ledesma Ana E. , Nagaraj Amruthesh Kestur , Urooj Asna
Published: December 2019

The development of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) inhibitors is considered to have therapeutic potential in diabetic complications inhibiting the loss of the biomolecular function. In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of Morus indica and were characterized by various techniques such as ultraviolet (UV)-Vis spectroscopy, Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Further, the inhibition of AGEs formation after exposure to ZnO-NPs was investigated by in-vitro, in-vivo, and molecular docking studies. Biochemical and histopathological changes after exposure to ZnO-NPs were also studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ZnO-NPs showed an absorption peak at 359 nm with a purity of 92.62% and ~6–12 nm in size, which is characteristic of nanoparticles. The images of SEM showed agglomeration of smaller ZnO-NPs and EDS authenticating that the synthesized nanoparticles were without impurities. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed significant inhibition in the formation of AGEs. The particles were effective against methylglyoxal (MGO) mediated glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by inhibiting the formation of AGEs, which was dose-dependent. Further, the presence of MGO resulted in complete damage of biconcave red blood corpuscles (RBCs) to an irregular shape, whereas the morphological changes were prevented when they were treated with ZnO-NPs leading to the prevention of complications caused due to glycation. The administration of ZnO-NPs (100 mg Kg−1) in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats reversed hyperglycemia and significantly improved hepatic enzymes level and renal functionality, also the histopathological studies revealed restoration of kidney and liver damage nearer to normal conditions. Molecular docking of BSA with ZnO-NPs confirms that masking of lysine and arginine residues is one of the possible mechanisms responsible for the potent antiglycation activity of ZnO-NPs. The findings strongly suggest scope for exploring the therapeutic potential of diabetes-related complications.
Experience Matters: The Effects of Hypothetical versus Experiential Delays and Magnitudes on Impulsive Choice in Delay Discounting Tasks
Authors: Steele Catherine C. , Gwinner MacKenzie , Smith Travis , Young Michael E. , Kirkpatrick Kimberly
Published: December 2019

Impulsive choice in humans is typically measured using hypothetical delays and rewards. In two experiments, we determined how experiencing the delay and/or the reward affected impulsive choice behavior. Participants chose between two amounts of real or hypothetical candy (M&Ms) after a real or hypothetical delay (5–30 s), where choosing the shorter delay was the impulsive choice. Experiment 1 compared choice behavior on a real-delay, real-reward (RD/RR) task where participants received M&Ms after experiencing the delays versus a real-delay, hypothetical-reward (RD/HR) task where participants accumulated hypothetical M&Ms after experiencing the delays. Experiment 2 compared the RD/HR task and a hypothetical-delay, hypothetical-reward (HD/HR) task where participants accumulated hypothetical M&Ms after hypothetical delays. The results indicated that choices did not differ between real and hypothetical M&Ms (Experiment 1), and participants were less sensitive to delay and more larger-later (LL)-preferring with hypothetical delays compared to real delays (Experiment 2). Experiencing delays to reward may be important for modeling real-world impulsive choices where delays are typically experienced. These novel experiential impulsive choice tasks may improve translational methods for comparison with animal models and may be improved procedures for predicting real-life choice behavior in humans.
Changes in Rainfall in Sierra Leone: 1981–2018
Authors: Wadsworth Richard , Jalloh Amie , Lebbie Aiah
Published: December 2019

Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa has a monsoon-type climate. Reports by politically influential donors regularly state that Sierra Leone is extremely vulnerable to climate change, but the objective evidence backing these statements is often unreported. Predicting the future climate depends on modelling the West African monsoon; unfortunately, current models give conflicting results. Instead, changes in rainfall over the last four decades are examined to see if there are already significant changes. Rainfall records are extremely limited, so the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station daily data at a spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees was used. In addition to total annual rainfall, the characteristics of the early rainy season (critical for farmers), the length of the rainy season and growing season, and the frequency of extreme events were calculated. There is evidence for a significant reduction in annual rainfall in the northwest. There is only limited support for the widely held belief that the start of the rainy season is becoming more erratic and that extreme events are becoming more common. El-Niño was significant in the southeast. If these trends continue, they will exacerbate the consequences of temperature increases (predicted to be between 1 and 2.6 °C by 2060) and negatively affect the livelihoods and agricultural practices of the rural poor.
Continuous Agrochemical Treatments in Agroecosystems Can Modify the Effects of Pendimethalin-Based Herbicide Exposure on Immunocompetence of a Beneficial Ground Beetle
Authors: Giglio Anita , Cavaliere Francesco , Giulianini Piero Giulio , Kurtz Joachim , Vommaro Maria Luigia , Brandmayr Pietro
Published: December 2019

Herbicide application for pest control can negatively affect soil biodiversity, mainly acting on species that are involved in ecosystem service. In this study, field and laboratory trials were designed to assay herbicide exposure effects on the constitutive immunity of Harpalus (Pseudoophonus) rufipes (De Geer, 1774), a beneficial carabid species that inhabits croplands. The circulating hemocytes (THCs) and plasmatic levels of basal and total phenoloxidase (PO), as well as lysozyme-like enzyme activities, were measured as markers of exposure. In laboratory tests, the exposure to realistic field doses of pendimethalin-based herbicides for two, seven and 21 days caused a reduction in enzyme activities in beetles from organic crops. In beetles from conventional fields, the THCs and total PO activity decreased significantly at two and seven days after the initial exposure, though no effects were recorded on basal PO and lysozyme like-enzyme activities. These differences in enzyme activities and THCs indicate that the interference of pendimethalin with immune parameters clearly depends on both the different field conditions from which the population comes and the cumulative effects of repeated applications over the time.
Diatoms Dominate and Alter Marine Food-Webs When CO2 Rises
Authors: Harvey Ben P. , Agostini Sylvain , Kon Koetsu , Wada Shigeki , Hall-Spencer Jason M.
Published: December 2019

Diatoms are so important in ocean food-webs that any human induced changes in their abundance could have major effects on the ecology of our seas. The large chain-forming diatom Biddulphia biddulphiana greatly increases in abundance as pCO2 increases along natural seawater CO2 gradients in the north Pacific Ocean. In areas with reference levels of pCO2, it was hard to find, but as seawater carbon dioxide levels rose, it replaced seaweeds and became the main habitat-forming species on the seabed. This diatom algal turf supported a marine invertebrate community that was much less diverse and completely differed from the benthic communities found at present-day levels of pCO2. Seawater CO2 enrichment stimulated the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of benthic diatoms, but reduced the abundance of calcified grazers such as gastropods and sea urchins. These observations suggest that ocean acidification will shift photic zone community composition so that coastal food-web structure and ecosystem function are homogenised, simplified, and more strongly affected by seasonal algal blooms.
Diagnosis of Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) and Sustainable Control in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies—A Review
Authors: Gregorc Aleš , Sampson Blair
Published: December 2019

Determining varroa mite infestation levels in honey bee colonies and the proper method and time to perform a diagnosis are important for efficient mite control. Performing a powdered sugar shake or counting mites that drop from combs and bees onto a hive bottom board are two reliable methods for sampling varroa mite to evaluate the efficacy of an acaricide treatment. This overview summarizes studies that examine the efficacy of organic acids and essential oils, mite monitoring, and brood interruption for integrated varroa mite control in organic beekeeping.
HAR Testing for Spurious Regression in Trend
Authors: Phillips Peter C. B. , Wang Xiaohu , Zhang Yonghui
Published: December 2019

The usual t test, the t test based on heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (HAC) covariance matrix estimators, and the heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation robust (HAR) test are three statistics that are widely used in applied econometric work. The use of these significance tests in trend regression is of particular interest given the potential for spurious relationships in trend formulations. Following a longstanding tradition in the spurious regression literature, this paper investigates the asymptotic and finite sample properties of these test statistics in several spurious regression contexts, including regression of stochastic trends on time polynomials and regressions among independent random walks. Concordant with existing theory (Phillips 1986, 1998; Sun 2004, 2014b) the usual t test and HAC standardized test fail to control size as the sample size n → ∞ in these spurious formulations, whereas HAR tests converge to well-defined limit distributions in each case and therefore have the capacity to be consistent and control size. However, it is shown that when the number of trend regressors K → ∞ , all three statistics, including the HAR test, diverge and fail to control size as n → ∞ . These findings are relevant to high-dimensional nonstationary time series regressions where machine learning methods may be employed.
Impact of Climate, Stand Growth Parameters, and Management on Isotopic Composition of Tree Rings in Chestnut Coppices
Authors: Marini Francesco , Battipaglia Giovanna , Manetti Maria , Corona Piermaria , Romagnoli Manuela
Published: December 2019

Research Highlights: Chestnut trees’ (Castanea sativa Mill.) growth and their responses to climate are influenced by stand-characteristics and managements. This study highlighted that chestnut tree-ring growth is not particularly influenced by climate, while minimum temperature showed a positive relation with both intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi) and δ¹8O. Background and Objectives: The aim is to check the responses of chestnut trees to climate conditions and the role of stand structure and management. Materials and Methods: Stands with 12–14-year-old shoots were studied using dendrochronological and isotopic (δ18O and δ13C) approaches. Correlations with climate parameters were investigated and principal component analysis was performed using site-characteristics and tree growth parameters as variables. Results: Correlations between tree-ring width (TRW), tree-ring δ18O, and δ13C-derived intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi) revealed stand-dependent effects. The highest Correlations were found between climate and tree-rings’ isotopic composition. Chestnut was sensitive to high-minimum temperature in March and April, with a negative relationship with TRW and a positive relationship with WUEi. δ18O signals were not significantly different among stands. Stand thinning had a positive effect on WUEi after 1–2 years. Stand competition (indicated by shoots/stump and stumps/ha) positively influenced both WUEi and δ¹8O.