Journal articles on the topic 'JA. Acquisitions'

The aim of the two development projects was to provide information about the future of digital social- and health care and the necessary future competencies. Data acquisition was carried out by scenario work in the future workshops. The workshops were attended total of 73 people. The participants worked in the social and health care, both in the public and private sectors, in ICT companies, in educational organizations, and in the third sector. Among the participants were also ordinary citizens. The workshops were remotely connected and data was collected into electronic bulletin boards. The workshops produced total of 25 scenarios, which found eight different themes: information management, quantified self, remote services, robotics - automation of manual labour, multiprofessionality, digital architecture, customer-oriented services and the customer's responsibility, and human encounter. Future competency consisted of ten areas of expertise, which classified into three broader categories: basic know-how of social and health care professionals, special know-how of social and health care professionals and the collective know-how of social and health care and technology professionals. The special know-how also includes information systems and software development skills. Scenario work provided preliminary information about the future social and health services and qualifications. This information will be used in further development projects of digital services as well as more widely in education planning. The future workshops provided information about the scenario method and its compatibility with development activities.

AbstractThis study examines the acquisition of broken plural (BP) patterns generated by child speakers of Jordanian Arabic (JA). Data were collected from 20 Jordanian children via an experimental production test. Children were given pictures of a set of singular entities depicting nouns and pictures containing their plural counterparts, and they were asked to say the names of the items in the pictures in an attempt to provide their corresponding plural forms. The results reveal that the acquisition of correct BP patterns appears critical for children. The feminine sound plural (FSP) was employed as the default pattern by children and thus is acquired before the BP, with the acquired patterns mainly shaped by productivity, predictability (but not familiarity) and overgeneralization (morphological, phonological, and semantic). Based on the oral speech corpus produced by adult JA speakers, published in Semarchive, a rough count of plural pattern frequencies was undertaken. The FSP proved to be less frequent than BPs in tokens and can thus be considered a minority default, a finding that calls into question the validity of Boudelaa and Gaskell’s corpus (2002. A re-examination of the default system for Arabic plurals. Language and Cognitive Processes 17(3). 321–343) on JA. Although 3- to 5-year-old children use the FSP as the most productive pattern, frequency does not significantly contribute to the predictability of the distribution in shaping the correct plural form at this stage of learning BPs.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi favor plant growth by improving nutrient acquisition, but also by increasing their resistance against abiotic and biotic stressors, including herbivory. Mechanisms of AM fungal mediated increased resistance include a direct effect of AM fungi on plant vigor, but also a manipulation of the hormonal cascades, such as the systemic activation of jasmonic acid (JA) dependent defenses. However, how AM fungal inoculation and variation in the endogenous JA production interact to produce increased resistance against insect herbivores remains to be further elucidated. To address this question, three genotypes of Solanum lycopersicum L., a JA-biosynthesis deficient mutant, a JA over-accumulating mutant, and their wild-type were either inoculated with AM fungi or left un-inoculated. Plant growth-related traits and resistance against Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) caterpillars, a major crop pest, were measured. Overall, we found that deficiency in JA production reduced plant development and were the least resistant against S. littoralis. Moreover, AM fungi increased plant resistance against S. littoralis, but such beneficial effect was more pronounced in JA-deficient plant than on JA over-accumulating plants. These results highlight that AM fungi-driven increased plant resistance is negatively affected by the ability of plants to produce JA and that AM fungi complement JA-mediated endogenous plant defenses in this system.

Highlights Prevent metal foreign bodies from scratching the intestines of animals and damaging the harvest cutter. Highly integrated design of acquisition circuit. Application of electromagnetic simulation to verify the feasibility of the principle of eddy current effect. Establishment of Support Vector Machine Multi-Classification Algorithm Model. Abstract. Aiming at the problem that the metal foreign bodies mingled in the silage cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract of animals and livestock, as well as irreversible damage to the rotary cutter of the harvester, a metal foreign body detection and sensing device for the harvester feeding drum composed of multiple single coils and signal acquisition units was designed to realize real-time detection and alarm of metal foreign bodies during harvesting. The sensor adopted a monolithic design with high integration of the signal acquisition circuit, which has a strong anti-interference ability. First, the electromagnetic simulation model was established. According to the simulation analysis of the eddy current effect, when the metal foreign object enters the alternating magnetic field, the energy will be lost, and the equivalent impedance of the coil will change accordingly. Then, the existence of the metal foreign body can be determined by detecting the equivalent impedance Rp of the coil. Next, we adopted a support vector machine multi-classification algorithm to train the detection device. In this process, different sizes of metal (copper, aluminum, and iron) were used, which can effectively improve the sensitivity and accuracy of metal foreign body detection. Finally, the sensor was installed on the test stand for multi-scene simulation experiments. The results show that the metal detection sensor can quickly identify the existence of metal by detecting the equivalent impedance Rp based on the eddy current effect; at the same time, the size of this sensor for metal foreign body detection is limited to 0.6 mm in diameter, 12 mm in length, and 100 mm in maximum detecting distance. Keywords: Eddy current effect, Equivalent impedance, Harvester, Metal foreign body, Support vector machine.

The rapid development of telecomunications industry has changed people’s views of the services communications. This is challenge for telecommunication providers so they must perform a variety ways that makes their company still exist in this industry. One way to do is by restructuring through acquisitions.This research aims is to analyzing the financial performance of PT. Smartfren Telecom Tbk pre and post acquisition. Data used in this research is secondary data that the company’s financial statement in 2010-2011. Method of analysis used in is financial ratio analysis such as liquidity ratio, leverage ratio, asset management ratio, and profitability ratio.The research find that financial performance of PT. Smartfren Telecom Tbk shows the positive impact that can be seen from: ( i ) level of liquidity and profitability has improved to the post acquisition, ( ii ) level of leverage has improved because until 2011 experienced a significant decline, ( iii ) level of assets management is not good because it has decreased in 2011. Thus it can be concluded that the decision to carry out the acquisition demonstrate a positive impact for the company.Keywords: pre and post acquisiton, financial performance analysis, liquidity ratio, leverage ratio, assets management ratio, profitability ratio.

This article discusses developments affecting Livonian during the last decade. It describes actions to promote Livonian during this period, for example, the International Year of Livonian Language and Culture and also discusses the status of Livonian in Latvia, the social setting for its use, and the ways in which it is used in everyday life. This article offers insight into the difficulties associated with Livonian language acquisition and language development as well as a description of Livonian language pedagogical materials and other resources, which have been recently developed or are in the process of being developed. Likewise, methods and opportunities for further developing Livonian and improving its current situation are examined in the context of potential solutions as well as already existing initiatives.Kokkuvõte. Valts Ernštreits: Liivi keel uusimal ajal. Artiklis on vaadeldud liivi keele arengut viimase aastakümne jooksul. Sellesse on koondatud andmeid sel ajal aset leidnud liivi keele populariseerimisega seotud ürituste, näiteks rahvusvahelise liivi keele ja kultuuri aasta kohta, samuti teavet liivi keele staatusest Lätis, keelekeskkonnast ja argipäevasest kasutusest. Artikkel heidab pilgu liivi keele omandamise ja keelekorraldusega seotud probleemidele ning viimasel ajal valminud või praegu loodavatele õppevahenditele ja liivi keele ressurssidele. Samuti on artiklis nii potentsiaalsete lahenduste kui ka olemasolevate algatuste kontekstis vaadeldud viise ja võimalusi edasiseks liivi keele arendamiseks ja keele olukorra parandamiseks.Märksõnad: liivi keel, keelepoliitika, keelekorraldus, keelekorpus, sotsiolingvistika, keeleressursid, grammatika, keele õpetamineKubbõvõttõks. Valts Ernštreits: Līvõ kēļ amāūžimõl āigal. Kēra vaņțlõb līvõ kīel kazāndimizt perīz āigastkim āigal. Sīezõ ātõ kubbõ võttõd tīetõd līvõ kīel tundtõbõks tīemizõks sidtõd jeddõvõtāmiztõst, nägțõbõks iļ rovdvailiz līvõ kīel ja kultūr āigast, nei īž tieutõ iļ līvõ kīel statūs Lețmǭl, kīel immõrkouțšt ja jegāpäuvizõst kȭlbatimizõst. Kēra ētab pilk līvõ kīel ummistõmiz ja kīel kõrdõlpanmiz problēmõd pǟl, perīz āigal vaļmõks sǭdõd agā paldīn lūodõbõd optõbvaindõkst ja līvõ kīel resursõd pǟl. Neiīž ātõ võibizt arāndõkst ja paldīņizt tikkimizt kontekstõs vaņțõltõd līvõ kīel kazāntimiz ja vȯlmiz parāntimiz vītõd ja võimizt.

HighlightsThis study focused on proper validation methodology for agricultural machine multibody dynamic models.Experimental design included categorizing subsystems, data acquisition, testing, and data pre-processing.Three error quantification metrics are proposed to summarize model performance and overall agreement.Abstract. Multibody dynamic (MBD) models are required to be accurate if they are to be used with confidence. To determine the overall accuracy of an agricultural machine MBD model, the model needs to be validated through proper experimental design principles and error analysis. At a high-level, the main methodology concepts for the experimental design involve categorizing dynamic subsystems, creating a data acquisition plan, determining and completing experimental testing, and pre-processing of physical and virtual time series datasets. This paper provides a methodology and example validation process for an MBD model of an agricultural self-propelled sprayer. As part of the experimental testing, a tip test revealed that the vertical center of gravity of the MBD model resulted in a 2.8% error from the physical machine. Furthermore, to summarize simulation model performance against physical data, three error quantification metrics for time-series data comparison are proposed: (1) correlation coefficient, (2) two-sample t-test and two-sample F-test, and (3) standard deviation of absolute error. For determining whether there is an acceptable level of agreement, this study proposes that the correlation coefficient should be greater than 0.7, the two-sample t-test and two-sample F-test should both pass (but with special consideration of the resulting confidence intervals if they fail), and that the standard deviation of absolute error should be less than 25% of the standard deviation of physical time series data. These error metrics, together with their defined sets of agreement criteria, resulted in detecting where the self-propelled sprayer system was experiencing validation issues and eventually the overall practical validation of the MBD model. Keywords: Agricultural machines, Confidence, Error metrics, Models, Multibody dynamics (MBD), Simulation, Validation.

This paper discusses the need for a modern Estonian reference grammar for learners and lays the basic groundwork for creating one. The current abundance of materials for teaching Estonian as a foreign language and recent advancements in both areal-typological linguistics and in the study of acquisition of Estonian contribute to conceptualizing a new type of grammar, and further improving the teaching and learning of Estonian. Modern language instruction orients to proficiency as the ability to use language in real life. We contend that this goal, combined with the availability of language technology and increased mobility of people increases the demands on effective teaching of language structure. Research has shown that the main difficulties for learners of Estonian concern morphology and morphosyntax. We suggest that including an areal-typological perspective on categories and concepts in describing and explaining the structure of Estonian may help learners in these areas.Kokkuvõte. Anne Tamm, Piibi-Kai Kivik: Grammatika eesti keele õppijale: võõrkeeleõpe ja tüpoloogia. Artikkel osutab ühisosale areaal-tüpoloogilise keeleteaduse ja teise keele omandamise uurimise vahel. Eesti keele morfosüntaks ja süntaks, sh evidentsiaalsuse, aspekti ja eituse väljendamine pakub huvi mõlema ala uurijatele. Keeleõppija jaoks pole siin tegu mitte ainult uue vormi, vaid ka uue grammatilise kategooria või moodustussüsteemiga (nt eitus), kus erinevuste teadvustamine, sh metalingvistiline teadlikkus võib aidata vältida vigu ja kiirendada keeleomandamise protsessi. Artikkel väidab, et kaasaegne kommunikatiivne, suhtluspädevusele suunatud keeleõpe ei väldi grammatika õpetamist, vaid teeb seda läbimõeldult ja kontekstis. Et keeletundides kasutataks võimalikult palju aega suhtlemise harjutamiseks, on vaja käepäraseid ja ammendavaid materjale iseseisvaks tööks, sh grammatikaseletusi ja pedagoogilist grammatikat. Pedagoogiline grammatika, mis põhineb lingvistilisel uurimistööl, pakub uusi võimalusi nii õpetajale kui õppijale sihtja lähtekeele kõrvutamiseks ning veaohtlike või keerulisemate keelenähtuste paremaks omandamiseks.Märksõnad: areaal-tüpoloogiline keeleteadus; eesti keel võõrkeelena; morfosüntaks; kategooriad; õppijagrammatika

Estonian and Japanese are quantity languages both exploiting the duration cue to implement phonological contrasts. However, the quantity systems of the two languages are different – Estonian features a three-way quantity contrast while Japanese has a binary contrast. This paper studies how L2 subjects with Japanese-language background (L2-JP) produce the Estonian quantity contrasts. For the acoustic analysis the speech recordings by six L2-JP subjects and 12 native Estonian (L1-EE) subjects were used. The material analyzed consists of read sentences comprising triplets of segmentally identical disyllabic target words in the quantities Q1 (short), Q2 (long) and Q3 (overlong). In their production, the L2-JP subjects successfully produced the Q1/Q2 contrast but failed in contrasting vocalic Q2 and Q3 (CVVCV vs. CVVːCV) oppositions; however, the subjects managed to produce the Q2/Q3 consonantal quantity contrasts (CVCCV vs. CVCːCV). The L2-JP subjects’ segment durations differing from those of the L1-EE subjects, reveal the role of native durational patterns on the acquisition of Estonian quantity oppositions.Kokkuvõte. Einar Meister, Rena Nemoto, Lya Meister: Eesti välted jaapani emakeelega keelejuhtide häälduses. Eesti ja jaapani keel on kvantiteedikeeled, st mõlemad keeled kasutavad kestust fonoloogiliste vastanduste väljendamiseks. Kvantiteedisüsteemid kahes keeles on siiski erinevad – eesti keelt iseloomustab kolmene vältevastandus, jaapani keeles on kestusvastandus binaarne. Artiklis uuriti eesti väldete hääldust jaapani emakeelega keelejuhtide kõnes ja võrreldi seda eesti emakeelega keelejuhtide hääldusega. Akustiliseks analüüsiks kasutati kuue eesti keelt võõrkeelena kõneleva jaapanlase ja 12 eesti emakeelega keelejuhi etteloetud lausete salvestusi, milles esinesid vältevastandusi kandvad kahesilbilised sõnad. Tulemused näitasid, et jaapani keelejuhid hääldasid kontrastiivselt esma- ja teisevältelisi sõnu, kuid ei eristanud teise- ja kolmandavältelisi vokaalikeskse vastandusega (CVVCV vs CVVːCV) sõnu. Samas hääldasid nad erinevalt teise- ja kolmandavältelisi konsonandikeskse vastandusega (CVCCV vs CVCːCV) sõnu. Leitud segmendikestuste erinevused jaapanlaste ja eestlaste kõnes peegeldavad emakeelsete kestusmustrite erinevusi kahes keeles.Märksõnad: eesti keel, jaapani keel, aktsendiga kõne, fonoloogiline kestus, välted

Abstract This study explores the ability of Jordanian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) to produce English metaphorical and metonymical expressions, using a completion task. It also examines whether the use of conceptual and linguistic knowledge of the participants’ first language, i.e. Jordanian Arabic (JA) would facilitate the production task. The study adopts a contrastive model to compare and contrast figurative devices in English and JA, consisting of six types that vary in relation to the conceptual bases and linguistic expressions involved. The results reveal that even though the participants’ scores were poor, the participants exhibited a general capacity to produce metaphorical/metonymical expressions that are similar in meaning to the ones required on the test, utilizing their L1 conceptual and linguistic knowledge. It was suggested that three important factors need to be satisfied to enable EFL learners to produce English figurative devices correctly, i.e. knowledge of the conceptual bases involved, a good command of English collocational knowledge and familiarity with the concept of partial synonymy, and continuous exposure to the figurative expressions in real-life English. Based on these results, the study proposes some pedagogical implications that may assist EFL learners to familiarize themselves with metaphorical/metonymical expressions in English and it concludes with recommendations for further research.

Eesti keele kui teise keele õppe ja hindamise aluseks oleva „Euroopa keeleõppe raamdokumendi” keeleoskustasemete funktsionaalsed kirjeldused vajavad täiendamist lingvistiliste kirjeldustega. Artiklis esitan eesti keele kui teise keele B1- ja B2-taseme verbivormide uurimise tulemused lähtuvalt CAF-triaadi dimensioonidest: keerukus ja täpsus. Tulemused olen saanud eesti vahekeele korpuses asuvate riiklike tasemeeksamite kirjutamisülesande soorituste uurimisel korpuse juhitud lähenemise ja DEMfad-mudeli abil. Olen selgitanud välja nii B1- kui ka B2-taseme sagedasemad verbi vormid. Lähemalt olen vaadelnud verbi tahtma konstruktsioonide jaotuvust, sagedust ja täpsust B1- ja B2-taseme tekstides. Mõlemal tasemel esinevad sagedasemad verbivormid peamiselt isikulise tegumoe kindla kõneviisi olevikus ja lihtminevikus, tingiva kõneviisi olevikus ning infinitiividena. B1-tasemel esineb oluliselt rohkem kindla kõneviisi lihtminevikuvorme ning B2-tasemel kindla kõneviisi olevikuvorme, tingiva kõneviisi vorme ning infinitiivivorme. Nii B1- kui ka B2-tasemel esineb tahtma isikulise tegumoe kindlas ja tingivas kõneviisis ning mõlemal tasemel eelistatakse konstruktsioone tahan + infinitiivivorm ja tahaksin + infinitiivivorm. B2-tasemel suureneb verbi tahtma tingiva kõneviisi vormide sagedus ning kasvab konstruktsioonide täpsus.Abstract. Mare Kitsnik: Written learner language verb forms at B1 and B2 levels. CEFR (The Common European Framework) is the basis of teaching and assessment of second language (L2) in Europe. In the CEFR functional specifications of the L2 proficiency levels are given, which are universal for all languages. These specifications need to be completed with language specific linguistic descriptions. In this article the investigation of the linguistic content of the B1 and B2 levels of Estonian as a second language is described according to the CAF triad dimensions: complexity, accuracy and fluency. The presence of verb forms in the national examination texts (stored in the Estonian Interlanguage Corpus) on the both levels has been studied by using corpusdriven approach and the DEMfad model. Common verb forms on the B1 and B2 level have been identified. The verb tahtma ‘to want’, ‘to wish’ has been investigated more precisely; the distribution, frequency and accuracy of its constructions on the B1 and B2 level have been investigated. The main similarities and main differences between the levels are analyzed comparatively.Keywords: second language acquisition, Estonian as a second language, CAFtriad, linguistic description of the B1 and B2 levels, written learner language, verb forms

Kokkuvõte. Siinses artiklis vaatleme modaalverbide ja neile funktsionaalselt lähedaste väljendite kasutust eesti ja soome palvetes ja küsimustes. Mõlemas keeles on palju sarnase algupäraga modaalkonstruktsioone, kuid nende funktsioneerimine palve ja küsimuse pehmendajatena on osaliselt erinev. Materjal pärineb diskursuse täiendamise ülesandest, milles emakeelsetel keelejuhtidel paluti kirjutada, mida nad kirjeldatud olu korras teeksid. Modaalpredikaatide võrdlus näitab, et nende esinemise üldsagedus palvetes on eesti ja soome keeles enam-vähem võrdne, kuid soome keeles on nad sagedamini konditsionaalis. Küsimuste pehmendamisel on konditsionaali mõlemas keeles märgatavalt vähem kui palvete puhul. Artiklis vaadeldakse ka sagedamate modaalverbide (saama/saada, võima/voida jm) esinemist eri situatsioonides.Abstract. Birute Klaas-Lang and Renate Pajusalu: Modal constructions in Estonian and Finnish requests. The aim of this article is to compare Estonian and Finnish modal verbs and other modal predicates in requests and questions. Written discourse completion tasks were used as a method. Native speakers were asked to write what they would say in 10 different scenarios. The scenarios were constructed so that they provided maximum variety of context for the requests and questions (from institutional to colloquial and from written to oral). The article concentrates on modal predicates, many of which have the same origin in Estonian and Finnish but are used somewhat differently. The overall number of modal verbs used to soften requests and questions was approximately the same in Estonian and Finnish. In the Estonian data, the modal constructions of main acts were in conditional form in 58% of the cases, in the Finnish data in 84% of the cases; thus in the Finnish data the conditional is much more frequent. The typical modal verb in the Estonian data is saama ‘get’, whereas in the Finnish data it is voida ‘can’. In the Estonian data some variation is possible: Estonian võima ‘can’ occurs as well, despite being considerably less frequent. In the Finnish data saada ‘get’ was present only in the sense of acquisition or success which is not included in the current table. Other modal constructions were represented in the data surprisingly evenly in both languages. Only oskama/osata ‘can, know’ showed a slight difference, being noticeably more frequent in the Estonian questions than in the Finnish ones. The article also examines the modal predicates in other response texts. A tendency to use more speaker-oriented modal verbs expressing mainly desire and obligation can be observed in the Estonian data. On the basis of modal verbs only, it would also be possible to conclude here that in the Estonian requests the speaker’s obligation is expressed more frequently (I should send the abstract, need to submit the certificate, etc.).Keywords: politeness; directives; questions; modality; Estonian; Finnish

HighlightsAn NIR-Vis hyperspectral imaging approach was developed to predict the viability of rice seeds.Through multi-step accelerated aging, seed lots in various states were used for the experiments.Models using spectral information and spectral-spatial information of hyperspectral images were used and compared.Abstract. Rice is one of the world’s most important food crops, and rice seed viability is an important factor in rice crop production. In this study, a visible–near infrared (vis–NIR) hyperspectral imaging system and spectral–spatial information modeling are used to predict the viability of rice seeds. Experimental samples are prepared using seeds harvested in two different years and artificially aged for various periods. Vis-NIR hyperspectral acquisition and germination tests of the prepared seed samples are performed. Partial least square (PLS)–discriminant analysis, a support vector machine (SVM), a PLS–SVM, a PLS–artificial neural network, and a one-dimensional–convolutional neural network (CNN) for the mean spectra of seeds, as well as a CNN, a PLS–CNN, and dual branch networks for the hyperspectral images of the seeds are applied for viability prediction modeling. Result shows that an accuracy of approximately 90% and high f1 scores can be obtained in most models. Furthermore, it is confirmed that models using spectral and spatial information can classify hard samples more effectively. Keywords: Deep learning, Hyperspectral images, Rice, Seed, Spectroscopy, Viability.

The article gives an overview of the studies conducted at the University of Tartu on Estonian as a second language and of the methodology and study aids designed for learning and teaching Estonian. While several BA theses have been defended on the acquisition of Estonian as a second language, there are but few MA theses and only one PhD the-sis on the topic, leaving this research area still largely uncharted. Various traditional and interactive study aids have been designed at the Department of Estonian as a Foreign Language; the aim is to cre-ate web-based study aids for learners of Estonian. Future prospects for research at the University of Tartu on Estonian as a second language depend on the relevant units being able to attract young researchers who are interested in the topic and who can form a research team to study it.

HighlightsA novel platform was developed for intra-canopy insertion of sensors from a multi-rotor sUAS.The system enables real-time data acquisition from inside the crop canopy comparable to an in-person view.The system provides ideal data for use in modern CNN-based stress diagnosis in row crop production.Abstract. Remote sensing is a critical tool in precision agriculture, giving producers the ability to monitor field conditions throughout the growing season. Although several remote sensing platforms are in use today, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) provide the greatest flexibility with the highest resolution. As sUAS capabilities continue to increase (i.e., payload, flight time, and speed), their potential in commercial row crop production is substantial. However, like other forms of remote sensing, traditional sUAS are limited to a nadir view of the target and only capture the top of the crop canopy. Although disease epidemiology and stress origins vary, this limited view usually does not capture the impact of stress at the initial manifestation. For example, stresses such as macronutrient deficiencies in corn originate at the base of the plant and then move upward as nutrients translocate. By the time the stress is detectable at the top of the canopy, the opportunity to mitigate yield loss is limited. A new sUAS platform is needed for sensing beneath the upper portion of the canopy. The Stinger platform, developed to meet this need, consists of a 4.0 m fiberglass rod, custom sensor mount, communication network, and radio link. Using this platform, a variety of sensors can be inserted into the crop canopy from a hovering sUAS. The Stinger platform, when combined with artificial intelligence (AI), significantly expands the capabilities of sUAS for diagnosis of crop stress in row crop production. Keywords: Intra-canopy sensing, Remote sensing, RGB imagery, Stress diagnosis, sUAS.

HighlightsHyperspectral image processing was used to classify Palmer amaranth and soybean species.Chemometrics methods (PCA, PLS-DA, and SIMCA) were used to extract features and establish classification models.Abstract. Herbicide-resistant weed species are one of the largest threats to modern agriculture, as ineffective weed control results in significant yield losses or increased costs through alternatives such as mechanical methods. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) has been one of the most troublesome weeds. Its identification through the adoption of site-specific weed management systems will help farmers select more appropriate control options to reduce costs and improve efficacy, resulting in increased farm revenue. In this study, a pixel-wised method was evaluated for the classification of Palmer amaranth and soybean (Glycine max L.). A pushbroom hyperspectral imagery acquisition system was used to collect imagery from 224 spectral bands ranging from 400 to 1000 nm. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in three different runs. Greenhouse-grown plants were evaluated to generate predictive models from paired samples generated with 56 replications in each run. Data collection occurred weekly when Palmer amaranth plants were between approximately 2.5 and 12.7 cm tall. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) were tested to classify Palmer amaranth and soybean. Half of the dataset (Palmer amaranth = 42, soybean = 42) was used to train the models, and the other half (Palmer amaranth = 42, soybean = 42) was used to test model performance. Preliminary results showed that the PLS-DA model with PLS factors as input had a cumulative variation (R2Y(cum)) of 60% and predictive ability (Q2Y(cum)) of 60%. The SIMCA model showed a cumulative variation of 85% and a predictive ability of 82%. Overall, this study illustrated the capability of hyperspectral imagery to classify Palmer amaranth and soybean, which will increase the efficiency of weed control in modern agriculture. Keywords: Chemometrics methods, Hyperspectral imaging, Palmer amaranth classification.

This article examines, how two Russian-speaking children (ages 9 and 11) learn Finnish morpho-syntactic structures in interaction in a transitional classroom at primary school. It also discusses whether the influence of the mother tongue is observable in the learning process. The study focuses on the development of prototypical possessive structure and standard negation. The data consist of 15 lessons, video-recorded during one school year. The episodes, including the structures used by the children, are analysed by drawing on the principles of conversation analysis. The analyses show that for both children the possessive structure appears to be more complex to learn than the standard negation. However, the children’s acquisition of these structures follows different paths. At the end of the semester, the younger child’s possessive has not become established in Finnish, whereas the older child has begun to use it in accordance with the target language norms. The negation, however, follows the target language norms, in both children’s speech.

HighlightsDeveloped a stereo vision spray controller with a single board computer for precision sprayers.Developed algorithms to process stereo vision data, calculate spray volumes, and activate spray nozzles. Developed a graphical user interface to embed algorithms and operate the controller.Controller detected target volume and sprayed target in real time at various travel speeds before target was on spray area.The spray controller consumed 111 to 141 ms to acquire and process data and determine spray output.Abstract. Under laboratory conditions, a variable rate spray controller using stereo vision as a target detection sensor was developed and evaluated with moving spray targets at travel speeds ranging from 3.2 to 8.0 km h-1. The controller detected the target with a resolution of 480 pixels (vertical) × 640 pixels (horizontal) at a frame rate of 5 Hz and modulated spray nozzles at 10 Hz based on the analysis results of the stereo vision data. A customized graphical user interface was developed to operate the controller, display incoming data, and control other components. Evaluations of the controller with a flat, 3-dimensional box column and artificial tree targets with travel speeds ranging from 3.2 to 8.0 km h-1 showed that the controller consistently activated the nozzles 158.7 to 293.6 ms before the spray target arrived on the spray axis. The controller was also capable of repeatedly detecting the volume of the spray target with variations less than 12% for the same target at one travel speed, although it measured the volume generally higher than the manually calculated volume by as much as 33%, which resulted from duplicate target detection between detection cycles of the controller. These duplicated detections caused the overapplications of as much as 38%, although the controller repeatedly discharged spray volumes with variations less than 11% for the same target at the same travel speed. On average, the spray controller required 111.2 to 140.7 ms for data processing in one detection cycle, from image acquisition to activating spray nozzles for travel speeds ranging from 3.2 to 8.0 km h-1, with the potential to reduce this further. The developed controller would provide an economical and versatile platform for future variable rate sprayers with the benefits of stereo vision technology. Keywords: Automation, Crop protection, Precision Agriculture, Pesticide, RealSenseTM.

A better understanding of the mode of action of postharvest biocontrol agents on fruit surfaces is critical for the advancement of successful implementation of postharvest biocontrol products. This is due to the increasing importance of biological control of postharvest diseases over chemical and other control methods. However, most of the mechanisms involved in biological control remain unknown and need to be explored. Yarrowia lipolytica significantly inhibited blue mold decay of apples caused by Penicillium expansum. The findings also demonstrated that Y. lipolytica stimulated the activities of polyphenoloxidase, peroxidase, chitinase, l-phenylalanine ammonia lyase involved in enhancing defense responses in apple fruit tissue. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed a total of 35 proteins identified as up- and down-regulated in response to the Y. lipolytica inducement. These proteins were related to defense, biotic stimulus, and stress responses, such as pathogenesis-related proteins and dehydrin. The analysis of the transcriptome results proved that the induced resistance was mediated by a crosstalk between salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene/jasmonate (ET/JA) pathways. Y. lipolytica treatment activated the expression of isochorismate synthase gene in the SA pathway, which up-regulates the expression of PR4 in apple. The expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase gene and ET-responsive transcription factors 2 and 4, which are involved in the ET pathway, were also activated. In addition, cytochrome oxidase I, which plays an important role in JA signaling for resistance acquisition, was also activated. However, not all of the genes had a positive effect on the SA and ET/JA signal pathways. As transcriptional repressors in JA signaling, TIFY3B and TIFY11B were triggered by the yeast, but the gene expression levels were relatively low. Taken together, Y. lipolytica induced the SA and ET/JA signal mediating the defense pathways by stimulating defense response genes, such as peroxidase, thaumatin-like protein, and chitinase 4-like, which are involved in defense response in apple. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2017 The Author(s) This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

The methodology developed for testing gun propellants at low temperatures according to PN-EN ISO 604:2006 is presented in the paper. Brief characteristics are given of the materials tested and the most important static compression test conditions, such as specimen dimensions, deformation velocity and temperature range for selected propellants, i.e. JA-2 and SC. To verify the methodology developed, preliminary strength tests were performed at selected temperatures (25, 0, -25 and -50°C). Tests were carried out on specimens fabricated by shortening the propellant grain to the dimensions required by the reference standard. The results obtained confirmed the expected strength properties for both propellants (tensile strength and brittleness). Due to its chemical composition, the JA-2 propellant is a material of low brittleness even at -50°C. It does not crack completely and only its yield point increases. The results obtained for the JA-2 propellant were consistent with those published in reference literature. The SC propellant proved to be very brittle even at room temperature. At temperatures below 0°C, it fractures completely after reaching the desired deformation. The results obtained confirm that the adopted strength test conditions and the way the tests were prepared and performed enable acquisition of comparable and reliable results. It can be seen by analysing the results for the JA-2 propellant, which are consistent with the data in the available references. In contrast, the tests on the SC propellant proved the validity of strength tests on this type of material. Brittleness of propellant grains is a very undesirable phenomenon. A change in the combustion surface of low explosives caused by the process of propellant grain fracturing can adversely affect the magnitude and course of the pressure pulse, leading to failure of a cartridge chamber or gun barrel.

Purpose. This paper reports on an investigation of Arabic word order acquisition by twelve Jordanian children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the reasons for this order of acquisition. This study researched the following questions: (1). Which word order do Jordanian Arabic speaking children with ASD prefer? (2). Why do children with ASD prefer this word order? Methods and Procedure. The study sample consisted of 12 autistic children (mean age of nine, two females, ten males) attending Tawasul Center for Autism, Amman, Jordan. Such a ratio is logical since there are more male than female autistic children, as concluded in multiple studies. In the present study, the participants’ native language is JA, which facilitated communication between the children and researchers since the latter are also JA native speakers. The sample’s ASD severity level was moderate with a nonverbal IQ of around 45. These 12 children were selected because their L1 proficiency was approximately the same and their mental age was around 6, based on an annual test conducted by the center. In addition, none of these children had any specific language impairments, suggesting that the sample was homogenous and heterogeneous regarding language skills. Concerning ethical approval, consent was obtained from the center and the children’s parents to conduct the tests on the children in the center. Participants from the Tawasul Center for Autism in Amman, Jordan, were asked to describe what they saw in ten different pictures and their responses were recorded. These responses can be divided into two types: SV word order and VS word order. Results. The results indicate that SV word order structures were used more often than VS structures. The results of the t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two in favor of subject-verb-object (SVO) order. We argue that the SVO word order is used more frequently by children with ASD due to the noun bias principle. Conclusions. Based on the analysis, SVO sentences were used more than VSO sentences for many reasons; namely, the basic word order of the linguistic input in the surrounding community, the noun bias principle, and the type of message being conveyed, i.e., entity-oriented messages. After administering a t-test, statistically significant differences were found between the results of the two word orders in favor of SVO word order.

Kitchen space and kitchen equipment as interpreted by Estonian museums Recent exhibitions focusing on kitchen spaces – “Köök” (Kitchen) at the Hiiumaa Museum (September 2015 to September 2016), “Köök. Muutuv ruum, disain ja tarbekunst Eestis” (The Kitchen. Changing space, design and applied art in Estonia) at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design (February to May 2016) and “Süüa me teeme” (We Make Food) at the Estonian National Museum (opened in October 2016) – are noteworthy signs of food culture-related themes rearing their head on our museum landscape. Besides these exhibitions, in May 2015, the Seto farm and Peipsi Old Believer’s House opened as new attractions at the Open Air Museum, displaying kitchens from south-eastern and eastern Estonia. Compared to living rooms, kitchens and kitchen activities have not been documented very much at museums and the amount of extant pictures and drawings is also modest. Historical kitchen milieus have for the most part vanished without a trace. Estonian museums’ archives also contain few photos of kitchens or people working in kitchens, or of everyday foods, as they were not considered worthy of research or documentation. The article examines comparatively how the museums were able to overcome these challenges and offer new approaches to kitchens and kitchen culture. The analysis focuses on aspects related to material culture and museum studies: how the material nature of kitchens and kitchen activities were presented and how objects were interpreted and displayed. The research is based on museum visits, interviews with curators and information about exhibitions in museum publications and in the media. The new directions in material culture and museum studies have changed our understanding of museum artefacts, highlighting ways of connecting with them directly – physically and emotionally. Items are conceptualized not only as bearers of meaning or interpretation but also as experiential objects. Kitchens are analysed more and more as a space where domestic practices shape complicated kitchen ecologies that become interlaced with sets of things, perceptions and skills – a kind of integrative field. At the Estonian museums’ exhibitions, kitchens were interpreted as lived and living spaces, in which objects, ideas and practices intermingle. The development of the historical environment was clearly delineated but it was not chronological reconstructions that claimed the most prominent role; rather, the dynamics of kitchen spaces were shown through the changes in the objects and practices. All of the exhibits brought out the social life of the items, albeit from a different aspect. While the Museum of Applied Art and Design and the Estonian Open Air Museum focused more on the general and typical aspects, the Hiiumaa Museum and the National Museum focused on biographical perspective – individual choices and subjective experiences. The sensory aspects of materiality were more prominent in these exhibitions and expositions than in previous exhibitions that focused on material culture of Estonian museums, as they used different activities to engage with visitors. At the Open Air Museum, they become living places through food preparation events or other living history techniques. The Hiiumaa Museum emphasized the kitchen-related practices through personal stories of “mistresses of the house” as well as the changes over time in the form of objects with similar functions. At the Museum of Applied Art and Design, design practices or ideal practices were front and centre, even as the meanings associated with the objects tended to remain concealed. The National Museum enabled visitors to look into professional and home kitchens, see food being prepared and purchased through videos and photos and intermediated the past’s everyday actions, by showing biographical objects and stories. The kitchen as an exhibition topic allowed the museums to experiment new ways of interpreting and presenting this domestic space. The Hiiumaa Museum offered the most integral experience in this regard, where the visitor could enter kitchens connected to one another, touch and sense their materiality in a direct and intimate manner. The Open Air Museum’s kitchens with a human face along with the women busy at work there foster a home-like impression. The Applied Art and Design Museum and the National Museum used the language of art and audiovisual materials to convey culinary ideals and realities; the National Museum did more to get visitors to participate in critical thinking and contextualization of exhibits. Topics such as the extent to which dialogue, polyphony and gender themes were used to represent material culture in the museum context came to the fore more clearly than in the past. Although every exhibition had its own profile, together they produced a cumulative effect, stressing, through domestic materiality, the uniqueness of history of Estonian kitchens on one hand, and on the other hand, the dilemmas of modernday consumer culture. All of the kitchen exhibitions were successful among the visitors, but problems also emerged in connection with the collection and display of material culture in museums. The dearth of depositories, disproportionate representation of items in collections and gaps in background information point to the need to organize collection and acquisition efforts and exhibition strategies in a more carefully thought out manner and in closer cooperation between museums.

The article analyzes the principle of systemacy in the speech process study which is implemented in the approach to speech analysis where speech is considered an element of a system consisting of joint activity (JA) of communicants and their verbal communication (VC), this system determining all speech actions of the communicants. The subject of the theory of speech processes systemacy is the organization of the system that reflects the connections arising between interacting and communicating communicants, learned by the researcher, i.e., the connections that determine the communicants’ mutual speech control over each other’s behavior. The research method used in the article is a theoretical and metatheoretical analysis of the main provisions of the system-activity approach to the speech process study. People’s behavior is controlled by means of symbolic messages, which is possible only with a similar image of the world among the communicants, the latter being developed while acquiring identical subject culture. Subject-empirical culture is the substance of consciousness, the acquisition of which ensures the common consciousness of native speakers, and which is an obligatory prerequisite for sign communication, since the bodies of linguistic signs, being only a substance, do not themselves carry any knowledge. Speech processes carried out by the co-actors in the JA are determined by the structure of JA and VC, and in addition to that, by the whole society, whose culture they have acquired and which now, in the form of images of consciousness, constitutes the content side of linguistic signs. System determination specifies both constant and variable properties of speech processes.

Mycorrhizal inoculation in the plant causing increase in growth and production of phytochemicals is well reported, however little information is available related to the effect of mycorrhiza on morphological and biochemical properties of the medicinal plants like Ashwagandha. The present study is an attempt on diversity analysis in Withania somnifera with an aim to ascertain the nature and extent of genetic diversity present among different accessions in presence of mycorrhiza. The major biochemical constituents of Ashwaganda roots are with nolides which are well known for its medicinal properties. Mycorrhizal associations confer benefits like better nutrition acquisition, enhanced growth, defense enhancement and improved abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants. The present investigation was undertaken to assess genetic diversity among five different accessions of W. somnifera using morphological and biochemical markers and the effect of mycorrrhizal inoculation on these marker. The present study concluded that presence of mycorrhiza was effective on plant growth and phytochemical constituents more than non-treated plants. Amongst five selected germplasms IC 283662, JA 134, RAS 23, MPAS 6 and MWS 205 of W. somnifera, JA 134 showed best response in pretext of the selected morphological and biochemical features in presence of mycorrhiza.

Artiklis kirjeldatakse lapse ja tema vanema suulise argisuhtluse direktiivsetes lausungites kasutatavaid verbi finiitvormide kõrvutikasutusi ning selgitatakse nende rolli nii eesti suulise direktiivse argisuhtluse kui ka keeleomandamise perspektiivist. Verbi finiitvormi kõrvutikasutused on lapsele suunatud kõnes sagedased ja täiskasvanu kõne iga viies direktiivne lausung sisaldab rohkem kui kaht finiitverbi kõrvuti. Samas ei ole aga verbi kõrvutikasutused sagedased laste kõnes, kust võib leida vaid mõned üksikud näited. Vanema kõne verbi kõrvutikasutuste sageduse poolest vaatlusperioodi vältel ei muutu. Verbi finiitvormi kõrvutikasutused on analüüsis jagatud esmalt kaheks – sama ja eri verbi kõrvuti esinemised; eri verbi kõrvuti kasutused omakorda kolmeks: esimese verbina liikumisverbi sisaldavateks ehk tüüpilisteks seriaalkonstruktsioonideks, esimese verbina partiklilaadset verbivormi sisaldavateks ning sidesõnaga ühendatud verbi kõrvutikasutusteks. Kõige enam kasutasid vanemad seriaalkonstruktsioone ja partiklilaadsete verbivormidega algavaid verbi kõrvuti kasutusi, vähem leidus sama verbi korduseid. Lastele suunatud kõne verbi kõrvuti kasutustel on mõned täiskasva nutele suunatud kõnest erinevad jooned, kõige enam on selliseid erijooni partikli laadsete verbivormidega kõrvutikasutustel. Suhtluses on sellistel ühenditel käsu intensiivistamise roll, selle kõrval ka koostöö algatamise, lapse tegevuse pidurdamise, ergutamise, aga ka tegevuse muutmise roll. Abstract. Reili Argus: The co-occurrences of verb finite forms used by children and their caregivers. The article describes the co-occurrences of verb finite forms used by children and their caregivers in directive speech acts of spontaneous everyday speech. The role of co-occurrences of verbs have been described from the perspective of Estonian everyday directive communication and from the perspective of first language acquisition. The co-occurrences of finite verbs are frequent in child directed speech and almost every fifth directive utterance consists of co-occurrence of verb finite forms. These kinds of co-occurrences are not characteristic to children’s speech and only a couple of examples can be found from their data. The frequency of verb co-occurrences does not change during the observation period, so, the clear fine-tuning effect of the child directed speech was not observed in the analyzed data. All instances of verb co-occurrences have been divided into two sub-classes – the repetitions of the same lemma and co-occurrences of different lemmas, last sub-class consists of constructions where the first verb denotes movement, that is typical serial constructions; constructions where the first verb was a particlelike verb form; and constructions with conjunctions. The most frequent type of verb co-occurrences in child directed speech were typical serial constructions and constructions where the first constituent was particle-like verb form, repetitions of same lemma were not so frequent. The co-occurrences of verb finite forms used in child directed speech had some features which are not characteristic to adult directed speech, such different features were registered mostly in constructions with particle-like verb forms. In adult-child interaction, verb co-occurrences have mostly been used for intensifying the command, but also for initiating cooperation, stopping, stimulating, and modifying the child’s activities.

This paper investigates the variety of Russian spoken by the Nganasans, basing on the Nganasan Russian subcorpus of narratives from the larger corpus of contact-influenced Russian speech of Russian Far East and Northern Siberia. The study focuses on morphosyntactic phenomena, namely peculiarities in noun and verbal inflection, verbal derivation, preposition drop, non-standard verb argument encoding, gender disagreement and some others, that presumably are contact-induced – they could be explained by direct structural copying (with clear parallels in Nganasan) or by incomplete acquisition of Russian (with no clear parallels in Nganasan). The second aim of this paper is to speculate as to whether the varieties of Russian spoken in the 1990s (when the audiofiles were collected) by the Nganasans form a post-pidgin continuum, with Govorka as the basilect and Standard Russian as the acrolect. Kokkuvõte. Irina Xomtšenkova: Kontaktist tingitud jooned nganassaanide venekeelses kõnes. Selles artiklis uuritakse nganassaanide kõneldavat vene keele varianti. Töö põhineb narratiividel, mis on pärit suuremast Venemaa Lähis-Ida ja Põhja-Siberi suulise vene keele korpusest, mis sisaldab just kontaktist mõjutatud vene keele näiteid, sealhulgas ka nganassaanide kõneldud vene keele allkorpust. Uurimus keskendub morfosüntaktilistele nähtustele, sealhulgas eripäradele noomenite ja verbide inflektsioonis, verbituletuses, prepositsioonide väljajätus, mittestandardses verbi argumentide kodeerimises, soo mitteühildumises jms, mis on eeldatavasti kontaktist tulenevad – neid võib seletada otsese strukturaalse kopeerimisega (otsesed paralleelid nganassaani keeles) või vene keele mittetäieliku omandamisega (ilma otseste paralleelideta nganassaani keeles). Uurimuse teine eesmärk on spekuleerida, kas 1990ndatel kogutud keelenäidete põhjal moodustavad selleaegsed nganassaanide kõneldud vene keele variandid pidžini-järgse kontiinumi, milles govorka ehk Taimõri poolsaare pidžinvene keel on vähemprestiižne keelevariant ja vene kirjakeel on prestiižne keelevariant. Аннотация. Ирина Хомченкова: Интерференция в русской речи нганасанов. Данная статья представляет обзор русского языка нганасанов, основанный на нганасанском подкорпусе нарративов из корпуса контактно- обусловленной русской речи билингвов – носителей малых языков Севера Сибири и Дальнего Востока. Исследование сфокусировано на морфосинтаксических феноменах, а именно нестандартности в именном и глагольном словоизменении, глагольном словообразовании, на опущении предлогов, нестандартном кодировании аргументов глагола, рассогласовании по роду и некоторых других, которые предположительно контактно обусловлены – их употребление может быть объяснено либо с помощью прямого структурного копирования (с явными параллелями в нганасанском), либо с помощью неполного усвоения русского (без явных параллелей в нганасанском). Вторая цель работы – это обсуждение того, образуют ли варианты русского языка нганасанов в 1990-х гг. (когда были записаны аудиозаписи) постпиджинный континуум, где говорка является базилектом, а стандартный русский – акролектом.

Verticillium wilt will seriously affect cotton yield and fiber quality. BEL1-Like transcription factors are involved in the regulation of secondary cell wall (SCW) formation, especially the biosynthesis of lignin that also plays a key role in cotton disease resistance. However, there is no report on the role of BEL1-Like transcription factor in the regulation of plant biological stress. In this study, tissue expression pattern analysis showed that a BEL1-Like transcription factor GhBLH7-D06 was predominantly expressed in vascular tissues and the SCW thickening stage of fiber development, while its expression could also respond to Verticillium dahliae infection and the phytohormone MeJA treatment, which indicated that GhBLH7-D06 might be involved in the defense response of Verticillium wilt. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology, we found silencing the expression of GhBLH7-D06 could enhance the resistance of cotton plants to Verticillium wilt, and the acquisition of resistance might be mainly due to the significant overexpression of genes related to lignin biosynthesis and JA signaling pathway, which also proves that GhBLH7-D06 negatively regulates the resistance of cotton to Verticillium wilt. Based on the results of yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library screening and confirmation by bimolecular fluorescence complementary (BiFC) experiment, we found an Ovate Family Protein (OFP) transcription factor GhOFP3-D13 which was also a negative regulator of cotton Verticillium wilt resistance could that interacts with GhBLH7-D06. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) experiment indicated that GhBLH7-D06 could target binding to the promoter region of GhPAL-A06 to suppress its expression and eventually lead to the inhibition of lignin biosynthesis. In general, the GhBLH7-D06/GhOFP3-D13 complex can negatively regulate resistance to Verticillium wilt of cotton by inhibiting lignin biosynthesis and JA signaling pathway.

This study carries out an analysis using the framework of Optimality Theory to investigate the acquisition of the morphophonemics of JA triconsonantal verbs. The analyzed data consist of speech samples obtained from a picture/action naming task as well as spontaneous speech collection. The sample of the study consists of 64 normally developing children who are acquiring spoken Jordanian Arabic as their mother tongue. The participants whose ages range from 2;1 to 6 years are selected randomly from different preschools in two Jordanian cities. The major findings of the study suggest that children overcome the morphological complexity of Arabic verbs by applying a number of processes, including: cluster simplification, glottalization, and truncation. The OT analysis indicates that these processes are associated with highly-ranked markedness constraints and lower-ranked faithfulness constraints in child grammar. In addition, the root/affix asymmetry triggers unmarked patterns to emerge in the affix. Finally, the results display that children’s morphophonological abilities improve with age and that the majority of children’s morphophonological processes disappear at age six years.

Potassium (K) plays a crucial role in multiple physiological and developmental processes in plants. Its deficiency is a common abiotic stress that inhibits plant growth and reduces crop productivity. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in plant responses to low K could help to improve the efficiency of K use in plants. However, such responses remain poorly characterized in fruit tree species such as pears (Pyrus sp). We analyzed the physiological and transcriptome responses of a commonly used pear rootstock, Pyrus betulaefolia, to K-deficiency stress (0 mM). Potassium deprivation resulted in apparent changes in root morphology, with short-term low-K stress resulting in rapidly enhanced root growth. Transcriptome analyses indicated that the root transcriptome was coordinately altered within 6 h after K deprivation, a process that continued until 15 d after treatment. Potassium deprivation resulted in the enhanced expression (up to 5-fold) of a putative high-affinity K+ transporter, PbHAK5 (Pbr037826.1), suggesting the up-regulation of mechanisms associated with K+ acquisition. The enhanced root growth in response to K-deficiency stress was associated with a rapid and sustained decrease in the expression of a transcription factor, PbMYB44 (Pbr015309.1), potentially involved in mediating auxin responses, and the increased expression of multiple genes associated with regulating root growth. The concentrations of several phytohormones including indoleacetic acid (IAA), ABA, ETH, gibberellin (GA3), and jasmonic acid (JA) were higher in response to K deprivation. Furthermore, genes coding for enzymes associated with carbon metabolism such as SORBITOL DEHYDROGENASE (SDH) and SUCROSE SYNTHASE (SUS) displayed greatly enhanced expression in the roots under K deprivation, presumably indicating enhanced metabolism to meet the increased energy demands for growth and K+ acquisition. Together, these data suggest that K deprivation in P. betulaefolia results in the rapid re-programming of the transcriptome to enhance root growth and K+ acquisition. These data provide key insights into the molecular basis for understanding low-K-tolerance mechanisms in pears and in other related fruit trees and identifying potential candidates that warrant further analyses.

High bicarbonate concentrations of calcareous soils with high pH can affect crop performance due to different constraints. Among these, Fe deficiency has mostly been studied. The ability to mobilize sparingly soluble Fe is a key factor for tolerance. Here, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed with two naturally selected Arabidopsis thaliana demes, the carbonate-tolerant A1(c+) and the sensitive T6(c−). Analyses of plants exposed to either pH stress alone (pH 5.9 vs. pH 8.3) or to alkalinity caused by 10 mM NaHCO3 (pH 8.3) confirmed better growth and nutrient homeostasis of A1(c+) under alkaline conditions. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that bicarbonate quickly (3 h) induced Fe deficiency-related genes in T6(c−) leaves. Contrastingly, in A1(c+), initial changes concerned receptor-like proteins (RLP), jasmonate (JA) and salicylate (SA) pathways, methionine-derived glucosinolates (GS), sulfur starvation, starch degradation, and cell cycle. Our results suggest that leaves of carbonate-tolerant plants do not sense iron deficiency as fast as sensitive ones. This is in line with a more efficient Fe translocation to aerial parts. In A1(c+) leaves, the activation of other genes related to stress perception, signal transduction, GS, sulfur acquisition, and cell cycle precedes the induction of iron homeostasis mechanisms yielding an efficient response to bicarbonate stress.

Rhizobia live in the soil or enter into a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with a suitable host plant. Each environment presents different challenges with respect to iron acquisition. The soybean symbiont Bradyrhizobium japonicum 61A152 can utilize a variety of siderophores (Fe[III]-specific ligands). Purification of iron-regulated outer membrane proteins had previously allowed the cloning of a gene, fegA, from B. ja-ponicum 61A152, whose predicted protein shares significant amino acid similarity with known TonB-dependent siderophore receptors. Here, we show that fegA is in an operon with a gene, fegB, that is predicted to encode an inner membrane protein. Characterization of fegAB and fegB mutants shows that both fegA and fegB are required for utilization of the siderophore ferrichrome. Whereas the fegB mutant forms a normal symbiosis, the fegAB mutant has a dramatic phenotype in planta. Six weeks after inoculation with a fegAB strain, soybean nodules do not contain leghemoglobin and do not fix nitrogen. Infected cells contain few symbiosomes and are filled with vesicles. As ferrichrome is a fungal siderophore not likely to be available in nodules, the symbiotic defect suggests that the fegAB operon is serving a different function in planta, possibly one involved in signaling between the two partners.

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mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} --> <!--[endif] --> <!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ＭＳ 明朝&quot;; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;" lang="EN-GB">Phonological opacity is a challenge for parallel OT, which does not allow for intermediate levels of representation. Several modifications of the theory have been proposed over the years to incorporate opacity, all of them falling short of accounting for spontaneous opacity effects in developing grammars. In this paper I demonstrate that if certain independently motivated adjustments are made to the recent OT-based theory of opacity called <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Optimality Theory with Candidate Chains</em> (OT-CC, see McCarthy 2007), it can successfully deal with spontaneous opacity effects.</span><!--EndFragment-->

This review focuses on virus-plant pathosystems, manipulation paradigms and alterations induced by viruses in their hosts and vectors. After forming a suitable cell environment viruses elude the defense mechanism of cell, having a transformative interaction with hosts and vectors urge the scientists to work on different molecular alterations and manipulations induced by viruses in their hosts and vectors. Different manipulation paradigms are regulated by viruses, that start after acquisition of viruses by corresponding vectors in adaptive manipulation and behavioral manipulation manners, which are generally known as “Host Manipulation Hypothesis” (HMH). Because of these mediated alterations, secondary chemistry of vector’s behavior can be affected. In the same way, plants are also extensively influenced by viruses which cause dramatic fluctuations in; genotype, phenotype, metabolism, systemic and hormones of the plants. The combination of viral proteins and host proteins evidenced efficacious viral infection. After viral infection defense system of plants is activated in the way of Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) that is (1) Rapid/ Extreme resistance (2) Slower host response or (hypersensitive response, HR) also known as programmed death of plant cells. Proteome-level alterations have been reported in phloem sap at the time of virus infection but this phenomenon needs to be investigated. Viruses have also been reported for making alterations in primary phytohormones of plants; Salicylic acid (SA), Abscisic acid (ABA), Jasmonic acid (JA), Ethylene (ET) actively involved in defense mechanism of the plant

ABSTRACT Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium responsible for ocular, respiratory, and sexually transmitted diseases. The genome contains a nine-member polymorphic membrane protein (Pmp) family unique to members of the order Chlamydiales. Genomic and molecular analyses were performed for the entire pmp gene family for the 18 reference serological variants (serovars) and genovariant Ja to identify specific gene and protein regions that differentiate chlamydial disease groups. The mean genetic distance among all serovars varied from 0.1% for pmpA to 7.0% for pmpF. Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) serovars were the most closely related for the pmp genes and were also the most divergent, compared to ocular and non-LGV urogenital disease groups. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed that for six of nine pmp genes (not pmpA, pmpD, or pmpE), the serovars clustered based on tissue tropism. The most globally successful serovars, E and F, clustered distantly from the urogenital group for five pmp genes. These pmp genes may confer a biologic advantage that may facilitate infection and transmission for E and F. Surprisingly, serovar Da clustered with the ocular group from pmpE to pmpI, which are located together in the chromosome, providing statistically significant evidence for intergenomic recombination and acquisition of a genetic composition that could hypothetically expand the host cell range of serovar Da. We also identified distinct domains for pmpE, pmpF, and pmpH where substitutions were concentrated and associated with a specific disease group. Thus, our data suggest a possible structural or functional role that may vary among pmp genes in promoting antigenic polymorphisms and/or diverse adhesions-receptors that may be involved in immune evasion and differential tissue tropism.

We sought to assess the impact of procedural skills simulation training on residents’ competence in performing critical resuscitation skills. Our study was a prospective, cross-sectional study of residents from three residency training programs (Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine) at the University of Calgary. Participants completed a survey measuring competence in the performance of the procedural skills required to manage hemodynamic instability. The study intervention was an 8 hour simulation based training program focused on resuscitation procedure psychomotor skill acquisition. Competence was criterion validated at the Right Internal Jugular Central Venous Catheter Insertion station by an expert observer using a standardized checklist (Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) format). At the completion of the simulation course participants repeated the self-assessment survey. Descriptive Statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Paired Sample t-test statistical tools were applied to the analyze the data. Thirty-five of 37 residents (9 FRCPC Emergency Medicine, 4 CCFP-Emergency Medicine, 17 CCFP, and 5 Internal Medicine) completed both survey instruments and the eight hour course. Seventy-two percent of participants were PGY-1 or 2. Mean age was 30.7 years of age. Cronbach’s alpha for the survey instrument was 0.944. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was 0.69 (p < 0.001) for relationship between Expert Assessment and Self-Assessment. The mean improvement in competence score pre- to post-intervention was 6.77 (p < 0.01, 95% CI 5.23-8.32). Residents from a variety of training programs (Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine) demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in competence with critical resuscitation procedural skills following an intensive simulation based training program. Self-assessment of competence was validated using correlation data based on expert assessments. Dawson S. Procedural simulation: a primer. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2006; 17(2.1):205-13. Vozenilek J, Huff JS, Reznek M, Gordon JA. See one, do one, teach one: advanced technology in medical education. Acad Emerg Med. 2004; 11(11):1149-54. Ziv A, Wolpe PR, Small SD, Glick S. Simulation-based medical education: an ethical imperative. Acad Med. 2003; 78(8):783-8.

Engineering design activities (EDA) demonstrating the science and technology for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), are being conducted based on the four-party international collaboration of Japan (JA), the U.S.A (US), Europe (EU), and Russia (RF). EDA basically concerns engineering design required for ITER construction and technical development confirming design feasibility. In engineering R&D design, the central role is being played by an International Joint Design Team (JCT) consisting of scientists and engineers from the four parties, conducting work on detailed component design, buildings and plant facilities design, safety analysis and evaluation, and comprehensive overall system design. In engineering R&D, whose final objective is to demonstrate engineering technology necessary for ITER construction, a wide variety of technical development ranging from data acquisition on material characteristics to verification of system performance is being conducted through equal participation of the four parties. Because of the importance of principal ITER components, such as superconducting coils, vacuum vessel, in-vessel components such as diverters and blankets, and remote maintenance equipment, a large-scale project has been set up for manufacturing prototypes, including full-scale models, and for demonstrating performance. In-vessel components such as blankets and divertors are exposed radioactivity of 14 MeV neutrons due to DT operation, and therefore must be maintained or replaced remotely. Plansbased on stage-by-stage ITER operation call for shielding blankets to be replaced by blankets for breeding tritium. Diverters require scheduled maintenance and replacement because they are subjected to severe plasma heat and particle loads. For in-vessel components that undergo scheduled maintenance, remote maintenance is an important technical issue that may affect the performance of ITER, so component structures and layout consistent with remote handling receive top priority and will be subjected to remote maintenance demonstration-testing of using full-scale models. Remote ITER maintenance focuses on technologies involving radiation-hard devices designed for a gamma radiation environment, remote operation and metrology and control for precisely handling heavy in-vessel payloads, and welding and cutting and inspection in narrow confines. Thus, use must be made of robot technologies in Japan and a design concept conceived that meets unique ITER needs. Because device handling precision, the working environment, and other factors surpass conventional technical levels, technical data on large-scale tokamaks, experience in handling heavy payloads in industry, and nuclear field environmental resistance must be studied and system development, including technical demonstrations, conducted on a full engineering scale. This is the backer of ITER device design and development. Good prospects exist for developing a large number of remote maintenance equipment satisfying ITER specifications through the development of a new remote maintenance concept that calls for the handling of heavy payloads with high precision, the acquisition of technical data confirming concept feasibility, the development of components having 2 to 3 times higher resistance to radiation than anything available previously, and the development of remote maintenance based tools that cut, weld, and inspect in narrow confines. In final development, steady progress is being made in fabricating, testing, and demonstrating full-scale remote maintenance. This Special Issue summarizes these achievements and provides an overview of the remote maintenance design on in-vessel components, introducing current status and plans on remote maintenance technology in which the Japan Home Teams is engaged in. Topics covered include the following: 1. Remote Maintenance Development for ITER 2. Blanket Remote Maintenance Development 3. Diverter Remote Maintenance Development 4. In-Vessel Metrology and Viewing Development 5. Pipe Welding and Cutting Tool Development 6. Pipe Inspection Tool Development 7. Thick-Plate Welding and Cutting Tool Development 8. Radiation-Hard Component Development 9. Standard Component Development 10. Data Acquisition and Control

Fruit detachment in blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) may occur through the physiological process of abscission or through physical separation by breakage. Natural and induced fruit detachment through abscission occurs at the peduncle–pedicel junction (PPJ), while detachment through breakage typically occurs at the fruit–pedicel junction (FPJ). The ease of fruit detachment varies across blueberry genotypes, and a better understanding of such variation may allow for the development of genotypes better suited for hand and mechanical harvesting. TH-729 and ‘Suziblue’ are sibling southern highbush blueberry (hybrids composed largely of Vaccinium corymbosum and Vaccinium darrowi) genotypes derived from the same cross (‘Star’ × TH-474) and differ in their fruit detachment characteristics. Anatomical and molecular basis of the difference in fruit detachment between these genotypes was investigated in this study. Greater than 85% of the mature fruit of TH-729 detached at the PPJ in response to mechanical shaking in contrast to that observed in ‘Suziblue’, where greater than 90% of the fruit detached at the FPJ. The anatomy of the abscission zones (AZs) at the PPJ was similar between the two genotypes indicating that they did not differ in the establishment of the AZ. The fracture plane at the PPJ of manually detached fruit was more even in TH-729 compared with that in ‘Suziblue’, where many ruptured cells were evident. These data suggest advanced progression of abscission at the PPJ in TH-729 compared with that in ‘Suziblue’. The expression of 28 genes related to cell wall and membrane metabolism, phytohormone metabolism and signaling, and transcriptional regulation was compared between the two genotypes. Of these, two genes, ILL1 (iaa-leu resistant 1 like 3) and BIM1 (bes-interacting myc like1), associated with auxin metabolism and brassinosteroid signaling displayed over 3-fold and 1.5-fold higher transcript accumulation, respectively, in TH-729. Also, OPR1 (12-oxophytodienoate reductase), a gene associated with jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis, displayed 33% lower transcript levels in TH-729. As phytohormone signaling regulates the acquisition of competence for abscission, these data suggest that this phase of abscission progression at the PPJ differed between the two genotypes. Together, data from this study suggest inherent differences in the progression of abscission at the PPJ in blueberry. Such variation can be exploited to develop genotypes with desired harvesting characteristics.

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mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ＭＳ 明朝&quot;; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">This paper aims to determine the behavior of secondary clusters in Swiss French child language and, in doing so, provide a first step towards the identification of the order of acquisition of primary and secondary clusters. The data first of all reveal that the variant with schwa is in a global fashion preferred to the variant without schwa, and this regardless of the child&rsquo;s mastery of primary clusters. The data further reveal that the occasional production of the non-preferred variant without schwa entails modifications of the secondary cluster in conformity with the child&rsquo;s relative mastery of consonant sequencing. While secondary clusters pattern with primary clusters when it comes to repair strategies such as gliding and realization of an interconsonantal reduced vowel, they diverge from the latter when it comes to cluster reduction: there is a general preference for the preservation of C2, irrespective of the sonority profile of the cluster.</span><!--EndFragment-->

Arvioitu teos: Laura Kanto: Two languages, two modalities. A special type of early bilingual language acquisition in hearing children of Deaf parents. Acta Universitatis Ouluensis B 141. Oulu: Oulun yliopisto 2016. Johdanto 126 s. ja kolme artikkelia. isbn 978-952-62-1177-0 (pdf).

Abstract Background Joint attention (JA) is a basic social communicative skill important for language development. JA deficits appear prior to language acquisition. Because autism is often not diagnosed until a child is three or four years of age, it is important to look for indicators prior to language acquisition such as JA to provide appropriate treatment at a younger age. Therefore, the aim of this study is to construct an objective tool for assessment of joint attention skills in young Egyptian children to detect the presence of autistic behaviour in high-risk children in order to conduct plans for early intervention. The questionnaire was constructed to assess the five main components of JA and was termed Egyptian Joint Attention Questionnaire. The questions were formulated in the colloquial Egyptian Arabic language and in an ‘easy-to understand’ design that would be comprehensible by mothers. No question was directly translated from another questionnaire. Ten typically developing (TD) children, with an age range of 18–54 months, were included in the pilot study of the test design. It was applied to 90 TD children and 30 autistic children (contrast group) within the same age range. Participant's responses were statistically analysed to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire and to compare the responses related to TD children and autistic children. Results There was high internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.9, Intra-class correlation = .776), with a statistically significant difference between TD and autistic children (P < 0.001). Conclusions The questionnaire is a valid and reliable assessment tool that could be used in early detection of autistic Egyptian children.

In this article we will examine the question of how open access publishers should be evaluated from the point of view of library acquisition services or of a researcher who considers publishing in an OA journal. We will present a method for evaluation of the practices of OA publishers and the impact of their e-journals. Our method combines quantitative and qualitative analysis and can also be applied to evaluating singular OA journals. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastelemme sitä, miten open access -julkaisijoita tulisi arvioida kirjastojen hankintapalvelujen tai avointa julkaisemista harkitsevan tutkijan näkökulmasta. Esittelemme kvantitatiiviseen ja kvalitatiiviseen arviointiin perustuvan menetelmän, jonka avulla voidaan arvioida OA-julkaisijan uskottavuutta ja sen julkaisemien lehtien vaikuttavuutta. Samaa laadunarviointimenetelmää voidaan soveltuvin osin käyttää myös yksittäisten open access -lehtien laadun arviointiin.

Abstract Introduction The German practical year is the last clinical placement period during Medical School. However, it remains unclear how medical students evaluate the practical year in orthopaedics and traumatology (Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie; O & U) and whether it has an impact on becoming an O & U specialist. Method We analysed data of 146 medical students (46,7% female) who completed the placement in O & U. From the evaluation, 37 items were included in the analyses. Participants who could imagine becoming an O & U specialist (O & U-Ja) following graduation were statistically compared to those who could not (O & U-Nein). Results Overall 123 (83.7%) trainees indicated that they would like to become an O & U specialist (O & U-Ja), 18 (12.8%) negated (O & U-Nein) and 6 (4.1%) were undecided. Groups did not differ for sex and age (sex: Chi² = 2.50, p = 0.114; age: F [1.93] < 1, p = 0.764). Group differences were found for practical orientation, independency, acquisition of anamnesis and diagnostics skills and problem-solving expertise with students who could imagine becoming an O & U specialist (O & U-Ja) giving the highest ratings. Discussion Evaluations of the last medical year are essential in order to continuously improve the internship experience and to attract students towards a certain medical field and, moreover, to post-graduate specialist training. Clinics and institutions who already emphasize on the factors derived from this evaluation, or are continuously working on improvement, might be more able to attract young professionals, since personnel acquisition is starting early in the medical field.

The theoretical part of this article draws on terminology defined by theorists such as J. C. Kauffman,N. Luhmannn, Ch. Lasch, E. Beck-Gernsheim, U. Beck, A. Giddens, L. Jamienson, E. Illouz,and Z. Bauman. The research on partnership relations in the narcissistic culture are published in thebook by the article author: Ściupider-Młodkowska M., Love in the time of Me. A socio-pedagogical study,Poznań 2018. The fight for an approval and innovatory ideas for a happy partnership life (which hasbeen observed in my research on biographies of relationships) does not entirely come from “free”choices. Therefore, we may conclude that to some extent the culture of narcissism has an impact ona quality of relationships and relations between people in general. In the wider context, the articletries to provide an answer to the question of transgression of common responsibility for a success ora failure in relations between people. Interpersonal contacts are increasingly controlled or created bythe market as well as the world of technicization. As a result, their character is changed into shorttermrelations where only an Ego of individuals is promoted and general narcissism culture is spread.Pedagogues are concerned about building identity of young people mostly in social media accordingto the phrase Selfie ergo sum. Pedagogy cannot ignore the influence of media on the social developmentof teenagers (which includes their sexual development, too). To prevent the acquisition of negativepatterns, an educational program needs to be proposed which will teach a critical approach to socialmedia and help build sustained interpersonal relations.

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This decision is an appeal from the decision of the South Gauteng High Court in SFF Association v Xstrata (2011 JDR 0407 (GSJ)). The court a quo decided incorrectly that the holder of an old-order mining right, which was converted into a (new) mining right in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (the “Act”), remains liable upon conversion for the payment of (contractual) royalties in terms of a mineral lease, which was concluded prior to enactment of the Act. The appeal was upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeal (“SCA”) (2012 (5) SA 60 (SCA) par 27). The decision was rendered by Wallis JA with the other judges concurring with his judgment. Prior to the Act mineral-right holders could grant a mining right to a miner against payment of royalties or other forms of consideration. At issue on appeal was whether the obligation to pay royalties in terms of a mineral lease “survives the introduction of the new regime in respect of mining rights brought about by the Act”. As indicated by the SCA, the Act fundamentally changed the legal basis upon which rights to minerals are acquired and exercised. Previously mineral rights were vested in the owner of land or the holder of mineral rights, which rights could be exercised upon acquisition of a statutory authorization to exploit the minerals. In terms of the new regime, common-law mineral rights were destroyed and “all mineral resources vested in the state as the custodian of such resources on behalf of all South Africans”, whereupon the state could confer the right to exploit such resources to applicants. Upon granting a mining right in terms of the Act (statutory) royalties have become payable to the state since 1 March 2010 of the Act and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act 28 of 2008. In order to prevent disruption of the mining industry, provision was made in the Act for the continuation of old-order rights for different transitional periods ranging from one to five years and conversion of such rights during the periods of transition. The transitional arrangements in Schedule II of the Act (“transitional arrangements”) inter alia ensured security of tenure of prospecting rights and mining rights and enabled holders thereof to comply with the Act. In particular, an old-order mining right remained valid for five years “subject to the terms and conditions under which it was granted” (item 7(1) of the transitional arrangements) and could be converted into a new mining right (item 7(2) of the transitional arrangements) if certain requirements were met. The applicant had to have: (a) met the requirements for lodgement of application for conversion; (b) conducted mining operations in respect of the mining right; (c) indicated that he would continue to conduct such mining operations upon conversion of the mining right; (d) had an approved environmental management programme; and (e) paid the prescribed conversion fee (item 7(3) of the transitional arrangements). To recap, the Xstrata decision dealt with an old-order mining right that had been converted into a (new) mining right and the effect of these statutory changes on rights to royalties which accrued to a former holder of mineral rights by virtue of a mineral lease.