bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the antecedents of mobile payment service usage
Authors: Lin Kuan-Yu , Wang Yi-Ting , Huang Travis K.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The number of smartphone users has increased with the maturity of mobile networks, which has not only led to a new lifestyle but has also facilitated the development of mobile application services. Smartphones are regarded as essential communication devices. Currently, diverse groups of people are considering using mobile payment services. Thus, the motives for using mobile payment as well as individual motives for continuing usage are of great research interest. The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioral motivations underlying individual intentions to continue using mobile payment.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore the factors affecting the intention to use mobile payment services, this study constructed a theoretical framework based on cost-benefit theory that also considers social influences to form an integrated research model that explains the intentions of individuals to use mobile payment services. Online questionnaires were used to evaluate individuals with experience using mobile payment services. A total of 302 questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modeling was employed to assess the relationships among factors included in the research model.

Findings

Perceived value, social norms and social self-image played crucial roles in the intention to use mobile payment services. Furthermore, perceived benefits (relative advantage and service compatibility) and perceived costs (security risks and perceived fees) determined users’ perceived value. Social self-image positively affected users’ perceived value; in the context of a mobile-oriented information system, the ability of a mobile payment service to satisfy a user’s demands with respect to social self-image influenced the user’s perceived value of using such services.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a theoretical understanding of factors that explain users’ intention to use mobile payment services.
“Bring in your parents day”: building inclusion and engagement through a cross-generational family-friendly workplace initiative
Authors: Beauregard T. Alexandra , King Karin A.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Employer-sponsored family-friendly events are designed to boost engagement and encourage retention by building family members’ identification with the organization. These events are usually targeted at employees with dependent children, but LinkedIn’s more inclusive “Bring in Your Parents” (BIYP) initiative aims to introduce employees’ parents to the daily work of their adult children. This study evaluates the impact of BIYP on the attitudes and behavioral intentions of participating employees and their parents.

Design/methodology/approach

Repeated-measures surveys were conducted among participating employees and parents in six organizations in six countries (UK, Ireland, France, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia). These were followed by in-person interviews with participating employees (UK) and phone interviews with HR managers (Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, UK and USA).

Findings

Participation in BIYP increases employee engagement and parents’ instrumental and affective support for their children and for their children’s employers. Hosting BIYP is perceived to enhance corporate reputation among both internal and external stakeholders.

Practical implications

BIYP serves the dual function of building employee engagement and creating new parental brand ambassadors for participating organizations. BIYP can be an effective tool for employers to engage members of staff not traditionally included in organizational family-friendly events and may be particularly useful for firms with a high proportion of younger workers in tech-savvy jobs.

Originality/value

This evaluation of a new workplace initiative demonstrates measurable effects on important employee attitudes and behavioral intentions.
Demarcation and Definition: Explicating the Meaning and Scope of ‘Decolonisation’ in the Social and Political Sciences
Authors: Saini Rima , Begum Neema
Published: January 2020

Decolonisation of the curriculum is a burgeoning yet controversial project of radical change, gaining slow but steady traction in higher education politics departments across the country. At its heart is the acknowledgement and systematic unravelling of colonial and imperial practices in the UK university system. This article pins down what decolonisation is and is not, highlighting the barriers and tentative opportunities to effective decolonisation work. This is discussed in the context of the structural constraints that critical scholars of race—particularly those at the intersection of marginalised racial and gender identities—work against in the academy.
Assessment of nursing home reporting of major injury falls for quality measurement on nursing home compare
Authors: Sanghavi Prachi , Pan Shengyuan , Caudry Daryl
Published: December 2019

Objective

To assess the accuracy of nursing home self‐report of major injury falls on the Minimum Data Set (MDS).

Data Sources

MDS assessments and Medicare claims, 2011‐2015.

Study Design/Methods

We linked inpatient claims for major injury falls with MDS assessments. The proportion of claims‐identified falls reported for each fall‐related MDS item was calculated. Using multilevel modeling, we assessed patient and nursing home characteristics that may be predictive of poor reporting. We created a claims‐based major injury fall rate for each nursing home and estimated its correlation with Nursing Home Compare (NHC) measures.

Principal Findings

We identified 150,828 major injury falls in claims that occurred during nursing home residency. For the MDS item used by NHC, only 57.5 percent were reported. Reporting was higher for long‐stay (62.9 percent) than short‐stay (47.2 percent), and for white (59.0 percent) than nonwhite residents (46.4 percent). Adjusting for facility‐level race differences, reporting was lower for nonwhite people than white people; holding constant patient race, having larger proportions of nonwhite people in a nursing home was associated with lower reporting. The correlation between fall rates based on claims vs the MDS was 0.22.

Conclusions

The nursing home‐reported data used for the NHC falls measure may be highly inaccurate.
Evaluating the role of Section 1115 waivers on Medicaid coverage and utilization of opioid agonist therapy among substance use treatment admissions
Authors: Tormohlen Kayla N. , Krawczyk Noa , Feder Kenneth A. , Riehm Kira E. , Crum Rosa M. , Mojtabai Ramin
Published: December 2019

Objective

To examine the impact of Section 1115 waivers on Medicaid coverage and opioid agonist therapy (OAT) utilization among substance use treatment admissions.

Data Source

Treatment Episode Data Set‐Admissions (TEDS‐A) (2001‐2012).

Study Design

We examined effects of 1115 waiver implementation on proportions of substance use treatment admissions with Medicaid and receiving OAT, using random intercept linear regression.

Principal Findings

1115 waiver implementation was associated with an average of a 6 percentage point increase in proportion of all admissions with Medicaid, and 4 percentage point increase among opioid outpatient admissions. Implementation was not associated with change in proportion of opioid outpatient admissions receiving OAT.

Conclusions

1115 waivers influence Medicaid coverage among substance use treatment admissions. The findings improve our understanding of how state policies impact substance use treatment utilization.
The sweet side of misbalanced nutrients in cadmium‐stressed plants
Authors: Carvalho Marcia E. A. , Castro Paulo R. C. , Kozak Marcin , Azevedo Ricardo A.
Published: January 2020

Some plants are able to maintain or improve their performance under cadmium (Cd) exposure, despite high Cd concentrations in roots and shoots, indicating that they have protective strategies to neutralise the side effects from Cd accumulation. The regulation of antioxidant machinery and the mitigation of Cd uptake and translocation have been the focus of several studies, but evidence shows that the modulation of nutritional status is also involved in tolerance mechanisms. Although alterations in the nutrient concentrations are usually coupled to negative outcomes on the development of plants under Cd exposure, current works have shown their “sweet” sides. Here, we provide evidence that the degree of plant tolerance to short Cd exposure is, at least partially, associated with differential changes in magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and boron (B) status, all of which modulate physiological and developmental events, such as root architecture (Mg and/or B status), ionomic balance (Mn and/or B status), biomass production (Mg and/or Mn status) and biomass allocation (Mg/K ratio). Modulation of root architecture can be a strategy to obtain water and nutrients in metal‐free patches in a growing medium. Changes in the uptake and/or distribution of nutrients may adjust the ionomic profile to equilibrate charge and pH homeostasis after Cd entrance into the plant. Alterations in the Mn and Mg status may alter the balance between photorespiratory and photosynthetic metabolisms. Finally, reprogramming biomass allocation among organs can be a strategy to remodelling plant body in order to better cope with environmental challenges. The identification and understanding of plant tolerance mechanisms against heavy metal toxicity is necessary to support strategies to mitigate their impacts on crop productivity and quality, supporting food security in increasing environmental contamination in the Anthropocene.
Interleukin‐17 level in patients with vitiligo: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Acharya Prakash , Mathur Mahesh
Published: January 2020

Background/Objectives

The role of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)‐17 is being continuously explored in various autoimmune disorders. Studies have assessed the levels of IL‐17 in vitiligo patients. This study aims to evaluate the IL‐17 levels in vitiligo patients in comparison with the healthy controls by performing a meta‐analysis.

Methods

A systematic review of the existing literature was performed in PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases by two authors independently. The data required to calculate the pooled effect size in the form of standardised mean difference (SMD) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted from the eligible studies. Separate analyses for active and stable vitiligo were also performed.

Results

A total of 11 case–control studies with 626 vitiligo patients and 475 healthy controls were included. Random‐effects meta‐analysis found significantly higher serum IL‐17 levels in vitiligo patients compared with the healthy controls (SMD = 1.67, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.22, P < 0.001). The IL‐17 levels were higher in both active (SMD = 1.31, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.86) and stable (SMD = 1.47, 95% CI 0.59 to 2.35) vitiligo patients compared with the healthy controls. The skin IL‐17 levels were also significantly higher in vitiligo patients (SMD = 1.28, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.74). Heterogeneity in the baseline characteristics of the included studies was the major limitation of this study.

Conclusions

These results suggest that vitiligo patients have significantly elevated IL‐17 levels. Further examination of this association could have implications for the treatment of vitiligo.
Credit Risk and Anomalies in Pakistan’s Stock Market
Authors: Qayyum Abdul , Suh Jungwon
Published: December 2019

This paper investigates the relation between credit risk and stock return for publicly traded firms in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) over the period 2000–2017. Using credit ratings as a proxy for credit risk, we find that the credit risk–stock return relation is negative in Pakistan, as low‐rated stocks (i.e., those with high credit risk) earn lower returns than high‐rated stocks (i.e., those with low credit risk). This negative relation is robust to alternative measures of credit risk (e.g., Altman’s Z‐score and the distance‐to‐default) and is also maintained even after controlling for size, momentum, and liquidity effects. Our study provides evidence of the default‐risk anomaly in a frontier market that lacks adequate information infrastructure and faces high levels of political and economic uncertainty.
Managerial Financial Education and the Valuation Effects of Seasoned Equity Offerings: Evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ching‐Yen , Su Xuan‐Qi , Chen Chin‐Ming , Chen Mei‐Shih
Published: December 2019

This paper tests how managerial financial education explains the valuation effects of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). Using a sample of Taiwanese listed firms during 2007–2018, our results show that investors react more negatively to SEO announcements by firms with more financially educated managers (MFEMs). Such a negative effect is more pronounced for firms with a higher information asymmetry and more earnings management. Further evidence indicates that SEO firms with MFEMs are substantially overvalued and thus experience a significantly long‐run post‐SEO underperformance. MFEMs are also found to reduce their ownership prior to SEOs. Our overall results support the opportunism‐based information advantage hypothesis.
Political Capital: An Analysis of Congress Voting on the Financial Regulations
Authors: Hao Xiaoting , Kim Yong‐Cheol , Lim Yuree
Published: December 2019

We find that members of the House of Representatives who vote for deregulation are more likely to be employed in the private sector after leaving Congress than those who do not vote for deregulation. An analysis of voting behavior in a major financial regulation—the Gramm‐Leach‐Bliley Act of 1999—shows that representatives use voting to enhance their careers. The results are consistent with politicians' public rent‐seeking and show that political capital is as valuable for politicians as it is for companies.
Maternal religion and breastfeeding intention and practice in the US Project Viva cohort
Authors: Bernard Jonathan Y. , Rifas‐Shiman Sheryl L. , Cohen Emmanuel , Lioret Sandrine , de Lauzon‐Guillain Blandine , Charles Marie‐Aline , Kramer Michael S. , Oken Emily
Published: December 2019

Background

Religion has rarely been studied as a determinant of infant feeding practices. We examined whether religious affiliation is associated with formula feeding vs breastfeeding intention and practice in women from the United States Project Viva cohort.

Methods

Between 1999 and 2002, 2128 pregnant women were recruited in the area of Boston, Massachusetts. They reported by questionnaire their religious affiliation, and their intended and practiced infant feeding mode (exclusive formula feeding vs partial vs exclusive breastfeeding) at different time points. We examined associations of religious affiliation with infant feeding intention and practice by modified Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression adjusted for known sociodemographic confounders.

Results

Of 1637 women with complete data, 52% reported being Catholic, 29% Protestant, 11% unaffiliated, 4% Jewish, and 4% other religion. Overall, 8.5% and 15.9% women intended and initiated exclusive formula feeding, respectively. Compared with unaffiliated women, Catholics were more at risk to intend to exclusively formula‐feed their infant at birth (risk ratio [95% CI]: 6.4 [1.6‐26.0]) and to exclusively formula‐feed after delivery (2.4 [1.3‐4.2]) and 3 months postpartum (1.3 [0.98‐1.8]). The odds ratio for intending and practicing partial (vs exclusive) breastfeeding did not differ by religious affiliation at most examined time points. Associations of Protestant women with infant feeding exhibited estimates closer to unaffiliated than to Catholic women.

Conclusions

Catholic women are more at risk to intend and practice exclusive formula feeding than women of other religious affiliations. Our findings may help health care practitioners adapt their breastfeeding promotion to the mother's religious affiliation.
Novel multifunctional iron chelators of the aroyl nicotinoyl hydrazone class that markedly enhance cellular NAD+/NADH ratios
Authors: Wu Zhixuan , Palanimuthu Duraippandi , Braidy Nady , Salikin Nor Hawani , Egan Suhelen , Huang Michael L.H. , Richardson Des R.
Published: January 2020

Background and Purpose

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial condition leading to cognitive decline and represents a major global health challenge in ageing populations. The lack of effective AD therapeutics led us to develop multifunctional nicotinoyl hydrazones to target several pathological characteristics of AD.

Experimental Approach

We synthesised 20 novel multifunctional agents based on the nicotinoyl hydrazone scaffold, which acts as a metal chelator and a lipophilic delivery vehicle, donating a NAD+ precursor to cells, to target metal dyshomeostasis, oxidative stress, β‐amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, and a decrease in the NAD+/NADH ratio.

Key Results

The most promising compound, 6‐methoxysalicylaldehyde nicotinoyl hydrazone (SNH6), demonstrated low cytotoxicity, potent iron (Fe)‐chelation efficacy, significant inhibition of copper‐mediated Aβ aggregation, oxidative stress alleviation, effective donation of NAD+ to NAD‐dependent metabolic processes (PARP and sirtuin activity) and enhanced cellular NAD+/NADH ratios, as well as significantly increased median Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan (to 1.46‐fold of the control); partly decreased BACE1 expression, resulting in significantly lower soluble amyloid precursor protein‐β (sAPPβ) and Aβ1–40 levels; and favourable blood–brain barrier‐permeation properties. Structure–activity relationships demonstrated that the ability of these nicotinoyl hydrazones to increase NAD+ was dependent on the electron‐withdrawing or electron‐donating substituents on the aldehyde‐ or ketone‐derived moiety. Aldehyde‐derived hydrazones containing the ONO donor set and electron‐donating groups were required for NAD+ donation and low cytotoxicity.

Conclusions and Implications

The nicotinoyl hydrazones, particularly SNH6, have the potential to act as multifunctional therapeutic agents and delivery vehicles for NAD+ precursors for AD treatment.
Overlapping Mechanisms in Implying and Inferring
Authors: Rees Alice , Bott Lewis
Published: December 2019

Prior psychological work on Gricean implicature has revealed much about how listeners infer (comprehension) but little about how speakers imply (production). This is surprising given the inherent link between the two. This study aimed to obtain a more integral understanding of implicatures by investigating the processes that are shared between inference and implication. In two experiments, a participant and a confederate engaged in a dialogue game that invited the use of implicatures. In each there was a global priming manipulation, in which a confederate predominantly used implicit or explicit utterances, and a local priming manipulation, in which the utterance structure varied from trial to trial. Participants could choose whether to imply or use an explicit expression. Our results revealed that speaker and listener align on their use of implicatures. We interpret the local priming results as providing evidence of shared implicature representations between speaker and listener, and the global priming results as a form of audience design. We also present a model of implicature production that explains our findings.
The evolution of eusociality: no risk‐return tradeoff but the ecology matters
Authors: Field Jeremy , Toyoizumi Hiroshi
Published: December 2019

The origin of eusociality in the Hymenoptera is a question of major interest. Theory has tended to focus on genetic relatedness, but ecology can be just as important a determinant of whether eusociality evolves. Using the model of Fuet al. (2015), we show how ecological assumptions critically affect the conclusions drawn. Fuet al. inferred that eusociality rarely evolves because it faces a fundamental ‘risk‐return tradeoff’. The intuitive logic was that worker production represents an opportunity cost because it delays realising a reproductive payoff. However, making empirically justified assumptions that (1) workers take over egg‐laying following queen death and (2) productivity increases gradually with each additional worker, we find that the risk‐return tradeoff disappears. We then survey Hymenoptera with more specialised morphological castes, and show how the interaction between two common features of eusociality – saturating birth rates and group size‐dependent helping decisions – can determine whether eusociality outperforms other strategies.
Asian technical experts: skilled corporate migration in the global commodity chain
Authors: WU SHUXI
Published: January 2020

In this article I discuss the relocation of skilled employees from the peripheral operating regions of transnational corporations to their operating centres. I examine employees who migrated from regional offices in East and Southeast Asian countries to the headquarters of two athletic footwear companies based in the northwestern United States. Drawing on 12 in‐depth interviews and six months of ethnographic fieldwork, I contextualize corporate migration within the global athletic footwear commodity chain and argue that the layers of asymmetrical power within the industry construct a specific identity profile of the ‘Asian technical expert’ based on employees' embodiment of technical capital, geographical origin, and corporate rank. This identity profile gives regional office employees opportunities for mobility, while creating both empowerment and constraints that structure post‐migration experiences. In this study, by examining migrants from countries that are fairly low down in the global commodity chain hierarchy, I hope to expand both the theoretical framework available to corporate migration scholars and the range of migration considered.
Non‐healing wounds: Can it take different diagnosis?
Authors: Calis Hasan , Sengul Serkan , Guler Yilmaz , Karabulut Zulfikar
Published: December 2019

Wound healing is a complex cellular and biochemical process and can be affected by several systemic and local factors. In this study, we aimed to discuss the aetiologic factors of non‐healing wounds and the management of this complicated process with current information. The medical data of the patients who were admitted to our clinic due to non‐healing or chronic wounds were analysed retrospectively. A total of 27 patients were evaluated retrospectively during the 14 months of the study. The data of 6 patients who were followed up for chronic wound that developed after abdominal incisional hernia repair and pilonidal sinus surgery were not included in the study as their data could not be reached. A total of 21 patients were included in the study. Malignancy was diagnosed in two patients and granulomatous disease was found in four patients. The aetiology of the other cases included foreign body reaction, infection, and mechanical causes. Non‐healing wounds are a serious social and economic problem for patients. Further studies on the pathophysiology of various aetiologies in non‐healing wounds in both clinical settings and experimental animal models would be a useful step in treatment.
Risk factors for histological progression of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis analyzed from repeated biopsy cases
Authors: Daijo Kana , Nakahara Takashi , Inagaki Yuki , Nanba Maiko , Nishida Yuno , Uchikawa Shinsuke , Kodama Kenichiro , Oya Kazuki , Morio Kei , Fujino Hatsue , Ono Atsushi , Murakami Eisuke , Yamauchi Masami , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Miki Daiki , Tsuge Masataka , Hiramatsu Akira , Hayes C Nelson , Imamura Michio , Aikata Hiroshi , Ochi Hidenori , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: January 2020

Background and Aim

The most important prognostic factor for non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is liver fibrosis. The aim of this study is to examine clinical parameters involved in pathological progression in NASH patients who underwent repeated liver biopsy and to analyze the response to treatment with respect to NASH‐related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We performed longitudinal analysis of genetic and clinical factors associated with progression of NASH.

Methods

Eighty NASH patients who had undergone serial liver biopsies were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Histological exacerbation was determined based on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) and liver fibrosis.

Results

About 22.5% had progression of fibrosis, 22.5% had improvement of fibrosis, and 55.0% had no change. NAS increased in 12.5%, decreased in 61.3%, and remained stable in the remaining 26.3%. We examined factors associated with histological progression versus non‐progression. Poor response of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, increase in HbA1c levels, and presence of the tumor necrosis factor risk allele in the rs1799964 SNP were identified as independent risk factors contributing to histological progression in NASH patients. In addition, we found that the histological progression rate varies with ALT response, HbA1c levels, and rs1799964 genotype.

Conclusions

In this study, we clarified the serum ALT level and the clinical significance of HbA1c to evaluate the progression of fibrosis in Japanese NASH patients. Furthermore, the tumor necrosis factor SNP was more likely to be involved in the response than PNPLA3 SNP. By simultaneously evaluating three factors, it is possible to estimate the risk of histological progression more accurately.
COP9 signalosome: Discovery, conservation, activity, and function
Authors: Qin Nanxun , Xu Dongqing , Li Jigang , Deng Xing Wang
Published: January 2020

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a conserved protein complex, typically composed of eight subunits (designated as CSN1 to CSN8) in higher eukaryotes such as plants and animals, but of fewer subunits in some lower eukaryotes such as yeasts. The CSN complex is originally identified in plants from a genetic screen for mutants that mimic light‐induced photomorphogenic development when grown in the dark. The CSN complex regulates the activity of cullin‐RING ligase (CRL) families of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, and play critical roles in regulating gene expression, cell proliferation, and cell cycle. This review aims to summarize the discovery, composition, structure, and function of CSN in the regulation of plant development in response to external (light and temperature) and internal cues (phytohormones).
The Autonomy of the State, Radical Left and Karatani's Capital‐Nation‐State: The Turkish Left of 1960‐1971
Authors: Öncü Ahmet , Ulus Özgür Mutlu
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of how leading radical left movements of Turkey in 1960–71 conceptualized the state. The analytical framework draws on the mode of exchange framework developed by Kojin Karatani. The Turkish Left was unable to theorize the autonomy of the state, the construction of the nation as an imagined community, and the importance of popular resistance against the state's destruction of traditional communities. Right‐wing political parties filled this vacuum with the populist discourse of nation. The Turkish Left conceded its social base to right‐wing parties and hence lost the opportunity of winning political efficacy. Our critical assessment of the Left of Turkey in 1960–71 is pertinent to discussions about present‐day left‐wing strategies that leave the nation and ravaged communities to right parties to exploit or utilise as part of their program.
The Masculine Sociology of Prison Escapes and Inmate Recapture: Exploring the Discursive Representation of Prison Escapes in Scotland c. 1941 ‐ 1978
Authors: Holligan Chris
Published: December 2019

This paper theorises historical prison escapes by male prisoners from Scottish prisons, arguing that they represent a form of hegemonic masculinity. That dominant masculinity parallels recapture narratives constructed by the official masculinity associated with military service and its transfer to the prison ethos. Manly soldiering cultivated in prison officers with previous military service suited them to security duties. Violence, cunning, determination and athleticism is reflected in the escape bids, and human needs. These escapes occurred before electronic technology secured prison estates, so the strength and vigilance of the prison officers was essential. The sociology of escapes and the prison community literature underpins the paper's narrative analysis. It is concluded that escape data offers opportunities to understand the material nature of escape processes, and the representation of masculinity as reflected through accounts of technologies implemented in escapes, as well as to how the state represents prison escapes. By connecting masculinity to prison escape processes, a conceptual bridge is created between prison culture and concepts of masculinity. The latter, it is argued, are represented in narrative depictions of escapes. Escape narratives teach us about material forms of legal violence and embrace a tacit recognition of heterosexual manliness.
Toponymy as Method: Official Italian Rhetoric, History and the Foibe
Authors: Bernardi Marco
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the victimization policy in Italian history through a multifaceted investigation of Italian toponymy: statistics, history, and communication. The investigation shows that the attitudes of victimhood and chauvinism in the public discourse concerning the Italian past became not only socially prevalent but also part of the official rhetoric of the Republic. These narratives resulted in moral shifts concerning the national past, and the foibe (mass killings in Northeast Italy at the end of World War II) became the most representative and celebrated event, as testified by the co‐occurrence of the concept of “martyrdom” with the foibe.
Toward a Sociology of Knowledge of Land Surveys: The Influences of Societies and States
Authors: Emigh Rebecca Jean , Riley Dylan , Ahmed Patricia
Published: December 2019

Although land surveys can be viewed as accomplishments of strong states, this paper shows that they are successful not because of state power, but because of two social factors, lay knowledge and the alignment of social interests. Land surveyance is a strategic research site because it is technologically and labor intensive, so it is difficult to complete. The paper uses historical methodologies of comparison and narrative to show that a national land survey was never completed in the case with the strong state, England/Great Britain/the United Kingdom, while such surveys were completed in the cases with the weak states, the United States and Italy. Where the surveys were completed, there was widespread social knowledge about them and support for surveyance.
The Role of Public Confessions in Show Trials: An Analysis of the Moscow Show Trials
Authors: Decker Stephanie K.
Published: December 2019

Authority figures may organize show trials featuring public confessions when they are faced with deep rooted contradictions within the social order and want to increase their legitimacy, delegitimize defendants, and justify increased social control in society. An analysis of the court report of the Moscow Show Trials found that these public confessions frame conflicts rooted in contradictions within the social order as acts of deviance that can be resolved with additional social control. The public confessions accomplished this using four main themes: establishing credibility, labeling the defendants as deviant, endorsing the power holder, and demonstrating closure.
Bile acid metabolism in fish: disturbances caused by fishmeal alternatives and some mitigating effects from dietary bile inclusions
Authors: Romano Nicholas , Kumar Vikas , Yang Gang , Kajbaf Kimia , Rubio Marina B. , Overturf Ken , Brezas Andreas , Hardy Ronald
Published: January 2020

Bile is a yellow‐green liquid produced in the liver from cholesterol and stored in the gallbladder of vertebrates. Bile improves the efficacy of lipid digestion by acting as an emulsifier and is essential in activating bile salt lipase, an enzyme that has broad substrate specificity. Bile improves the absorption of lipid soluble nutrients while also facilitating the excretion of cholesterol and toxic metabolites, particularly bilirubin. Dietary fishmeal alternatives often disturb bile acid status in fish resulting in either increased excretion/decreased intestinal reabsorption and/or decreased bile acid synthesis. Saponins and high molecular mass proteins are believed to contribute to altered bile acid status, which may reduce fish productivity. This situation can worsen with increased incorporations of plant‐based proteins in aquafeeds, but also may be mitigated by processing of fishmeal alternatives as well as the dietary inclusion of some bile acids/salts. This area of research will likely increase due to the roles dietary bile acids/salts can have on protecting digestive organs and improving nutrient utilization. This, however, depends on the bile type, level and fish species. This review discusses these aspects in regard to fish nutrition to help increase the inclusion of dietary fishmeal alternatives and thus enhance aquaculture sustainability.
THE EFFECT OF THE PRESENCE OF INFILLING CONCRETE ON FLEXURAL PERFORMANCE OF SPUN PILE – AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Authors: Irawan Candra , Djamaluddin Rudy , Putu Raka I Gusti , Faimun Faimun , Suprobo Priyo , Soeprapto Gambiro
Published: December 2019

This research investigates the effect of the presence of infilling concrete inside of the middle void of the spun pile on its flexural behavior. The flexural monotonic load without axial load testing was conducted on the full-scale of two spun piles with infilling concrete. The dimensions of the pile were 400 mm in diameter, 75 mm in wall thickness, and 6,000 mm in length. The compressive strength of the concrete of the spun pile and infilling concrete was 58.4 MPa and 26.9 MPa, respectively. The observed flexural behaviors were the moment capacity, displacement ductility factor, and failure modes. Comparing with the previous research result about the testing of the spun pile without infilling concrete, the present testing results show that the presence of infilling concrete as the core of the spun pile’s section did not have a significant effect on the flexural performances of tested spun pile. Low compressive stress on compression fiber, due to no axial load, caused no concrete crushing occurred and the confinement mechanism of spiral reinforcement did not work. The fracture of the PC bar on extreme tensile fiber become the trigger of the failure of the pile. All piles had a ductility factor around µ∆ = 4 in all cases. According to the seismic design code requirement, the spun piles were appropriate to be applied to a moderate seismic risk area. In application, due to seismic load, the piles should be designed remaining in the elastic state.
DIGITAL CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR (DCO) FOR ALL DIGITAL PHASE-LOCKED LOOP (ADPLL) – A REVIEW
Authors: Choong Florence , Ibne Reaz Mamun , Kamaruzzaman Mohamad Ibrahim , Badal Md. Torikul Islam , Farayez Araf , Liz Crespo Maria , Cicuttin Andres
Published: December 2019

Digital controlled oscillator (DCO) is becoming an attractive replacement over the voltage control oscillator (VCO) with the advances of digital intensive research on all-digital phase locked-loop (ADPLL) in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process technology. This paper presents a review of various CMOS DCO schemes implemented in ADPLL and relationship between the DCO parameters with ADPLL performance. The DCO architecture evaluated through its power consumption, speed, chip area, frequency range, supply voltage, portability and resolution. It can be concluded that even though there are various schemes of DCO that have been implemented for ADPLL, the selection of the DCO is frequently based on the ADPLL applications and the complexity of the scheme. The demand for the low power dissipation and high resolution DCO in CMOS technology shall remain a challenging and active area of research for years to come. Thus, this review shall work as a guideline for the researchers who wish to work on all digital PLL.
A REVIEW OF RELAY NETWORK ON UAVS FOR ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY
Authors: Bashir Muhammad Nauman , Mohamad Yusof Kamaludin
Published: December 2019

One of the best evolution in technology breakthroughs is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This aerial system is able to perform the mission in an agile environment and can reach the hard areas to perform the tasks autonomously. UAVs can be used in post-disaster situations to estimate damages, to monitor and to respond to the victims. The Ground Control Station can also provide emergency messages and ad-hoc communication to the Mobile Users of the disaster-stricken community using this network. A wireless network can also extend its communication range using UAV as a relay. Major requirements from such networks are robustness, scalability, energy efficiency and reliability. In general, UAVs are easy to deploy, have Line of Sight options and are flexible in nature. However, their 3D mobility, energy constraints, and deployment environment introduce many challenges. This paper provides a discussion of basic UAV based multi-hop relay network architecture and analyses their benefits, applications, and tradeoffs. Key design considerations and challenges are investigated finding fundamental issues and potential research directions to exploit them. Finally, analytical tools and frameworks for performance optimizations are presented.
ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF KEBAR GRASS (BIOPHYTUM PETERSIANUM KLOTSZCH) STEM ETHANOL EXTRACT ON THE GROWTH OF AFLATOXIGENIC ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS IN CORN AND PEANUT-BASED MEDIA
Authors: Lisangan Meike Meilan , Cepeda Gino Nemesio , Roreng Mathelda Kurniaty
Published: December 2019

Cereals and legumes are very easily damaged by fungi, including toxigenic fungi species such as Aspergillus flavus which can produce aflatoxins. Various methods have been carried out to reduce aflatoxin contamination in foods, including the use of plant extracts based antimicrobial compounds. One of indigenous herbs in Papua that has potency as natural antimicrobial is Kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum Klotszch). The aims of this study were to investigate the chemical composition and the effect of kebar grass stem ethanol extract on the growth of toxigenic A. flavus. Kebar grass stem ethanol extract at concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mg mL-1 was tested on the growth of A. flavus in two types media i.e. corn based-medium and peanut based-medium. The result showed that kebar grass stem ethanol extract at concentration of 15 mg ml-1 in corn based-medium and peanut based-medium caused 100% growth inhibition of A. flavus. The major compounds in kebar grass stem ethanol extract were: Pyrocatechol, Methylhydrazine hydrochloride, 2-Fluoropropane, Isobutyric acid, 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol. The results obtained from this study suggested that the ethanol extract of the kebar grass stem can be used as a natural antifungal agent to inhibit the growth of aflatoxigenic A. flavus.
EFFECT OF IMMOBILIZATION PARAMETERS ON THE IMMOBILIZATION OF CYCLODEXTRIN GLUCANOTRANFERASE ON HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE
Authors: Jamil N. , Man R. C. , Suhaimi S. , Shaarani S. M. , Arshad Z. I. M. , Mudalip S. K. A. , Sulaiman S. Z.
Published: December 2019

Cyclodextrin (CD) is a non-reducing maltooligosaccharides which able to form inclusion complexes with many hydrophobic molecules, changing their physical and chemical properties. With these properties, CD has been discovered to have numerous applications in food industries, pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental engineering. CD is produced by the enzymatic reaction between cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and starch. Various enzyme immobilization techniques such as adsorption, entrapment, encapsulation and cross-linking have been applied to improve the production of CD. Some of the immobilization parameters such as contact time, agitation rate and pH of the immobilization solution play a vital role in enzyme immobilization process, in order to achieve high production of CD. In the present study, the CGTase from Bacillus licheniformis was immobilized on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane via adsorption technique. The efficiency of enzyme immobilization appears to be affected by various factors (immobilization parameters) such as contact time, agitation rate and pH. Therefore, the effect of contact time (6-72 h), agitation rate (50-250 rpm) and pH (3-10) on the immobilization of CGTase on PVDF hollow fiber membrane were investigated in this study. The immobilized CGTase exhibited the highest immobilization yield of 69.37% under the conditions of 24 h contact time, 100 rpm and pH 7.0. Therefore, the influence of the immobilization parameters during the enzyme immobilization process is vital in order to achieve the high production of CD. Hence, high immobilization yield contributed to the high production of CD which in turn may be beneficial for the industrial purposes.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMART VERTICAL GARDEN SYSTEM FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE IN MALAYSIA
Authors: Hamidon Munirah Hayati , Abd Aziz Samsuzana , Ahamed Tofael , Mahadi Muhammad Razif
Published: December 2019

Vertical garden system has the potential to increase vegetable production in the urban areas in Malaysia. This research designed and developed a compact and smart vertical garden system for the urban agriculture. It also analysed the growth performances of lettuce in the smart vertical garden system which involved two phases; the development of vertical garden system and the monitoring system for nutrient solution. The growth performances of different stacks of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the vertical garden system were observed and compared against the commercialised conventional hydroponic system. The growth performances of lettuce in the vertical garden system showed that the most bottom stack (stack 5) of lettuce achieved the maximum level of lettuce height, and had the highest number of leaves and leaves width. Nevertheless, from the overall ANOVA results, at different levels of the stacks of lettuce, only lettuce height was observed as having a significant difference (P < 0.0001) while no significant difference was found in the number of leaves (P = 0.0002) and leaves width (P = 0.0046). The growth development varied due to different amounts of water and light exposure. On the other hand, no significant difference was found when comparing between the vertical garden system and the commercialised conventional hydroponic system (lettuce height, P = 0.4997; number of leaves, P = 0.5325; and leaves width, P = 0.5231). In short, the smart vertical garden system can give the same performance as the commercial conventional hydroponic system.
PEPTIDE EXTRACTS FROM TEMPEH PROTECT AGAINST PHOTOAGING VIA DOWN-REGULATING MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-3 GENE EXPRESSION
Authors: Hallis Steffanus Pranoto , Yanti Yanti , Suhartono Maggy Thenawidjaja , Ali Soegianto
Published: December 2019

Photoaging damages skin tissue via activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and MMP-3 induces activation of MMP-1 and 9. Tempeh is made from fermented soybean in Indonesia and has been known for its high protein content. This study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of peptide extracts from tempeh against photoaging at gene level in UVB-treated mice. Peptide was extracted from soybean and black soybean tempeh, and identified for its amino acid profiling. Photoaging model was made by gradient UVB exposure to seven groups of mice for 4 weeks. Mice were supplemented with 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight dosages of peptide extracts from soybean and black soybean tempeh. Dorsal skin tissue was collected for histology staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). This present study found that both tempeh peptide extracts were rich in glutamic acid and branched-chain amino acids. Histology staining showed that tempeh protected mice skin from photoaging. At 100 and 300 mg/kg, both tempeh peptide extracts significantly attenuated MMP-3gene expression that lead to the decrease level of MMP-1 and MMP-9 gene expression. These results suggest that supplementation of both tempeh peptide extracts may possess anti-photoaging effect via altering MMP-3 gene expression in UVB-treated mice.
POTENTIAL OF VETIVER GRASS AND KIM CHIAM AS SLOPE STABILIZER AT DIFFERENT ELEVATION IN GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (MYGAP) AREA/ RUMPUT VETIVER DAN KIM CHIAM SEBAGAI PENSTABIL CERUN PADA KETINGGIAN BERBEZA DI KAWASAN AMALAN PERTANIAN BAIK (MYGAP)
Authors: Jasni Zakiyyah , Lihan Tukimat , Idris Wan Mohd Razi , Ali Rahman Zulfahmy , Ahmad Mustapha Muzzneena , Abdul Rahim Sahibin
Published: December 2019

The fast tempo of agriculture development and land use changes has resulted in a rapid depletion of most of the suitable land for agriculture in the country. This has caused the opening of new unsustainable agriculture area in sloping land especially the steep land and has sparked serious soil erosion phenomena. The Malaysia Good Agricultural Practice (myGAP) certification program which emphasizes the environment, economy and social aspects for agricultural produce has become one of the tools to guide farmers in controlling soil erosion. This study looked at the comparison of vetiver grass (T1) and daylily (T2) as slope stabilizers against bare soil at different elevations using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). A unit plot of 22.1m long and 4.5m wide was built on the 9% sloping area in Cameron Highlands, Pahang (L1) and Titi Gantong, Perak (L2), respectively. Data from rainfall stations were used to define rain erosivity (R) while land cover (C); inclusive of the measurement of height, canopy and root was obtained using hemispherical photography. Length of slope (LS) was constant and conservation measures (P) were based on structures and land use types. To obtain the erodibility factor (K), soil samples were analyzed. The dry soil weight was measured to determine the eroded soil (A). Results showed that L1 had the highest R (13260.3 MJ/mm/ha/hour/year). C of T1 (L1&L2) gave the broadest coverage compared to T2 (L1) and T2 (L2) with higher average measurement of height, canopy and root, while P (L1&L2) was 0.1 (T1) and 0.4 (T2). However, T2 was outstanding at L1 than L2. Despite the K value of L1 (0.02 ton/hour/MJ/mm) being higher, L2 showed higher erosion. Thus, it is concluded that vetiver grass can be a myGAP recommendation as an easy and low-cost slope stabilizer at different elevation whilst daylily is best to be recommended for the highlands.