bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the thermal conductivities of aluminum nitride‐ polydimethylsiloxane composites via tailoring of thermal losses in filler networks
Authors: He Xiaoxiang , Ou Dan , Ma Ying , Wu Shuying , Chen Ying , Luo Yue , Wu Daming
Published: December 2020

Traditional methods to overcome the challenges associated with the low thermal conductivities (TCs) of polymer composites range from constructing a continuous filler network to minimizing interface resistance. However, the improvement in the TCs of polymer composites is still limited. A key reason is that the polymer among the filler gaps causes high thermal losses and induces thermal resistance for phonons, as the filler network formed by conventional methods is not compact. Herein, a novel forced compression method, induced by compressing the thicknesses of samples to less than their critical thicknesses in a confined space, was applied to construct a robust network to significantly improve the TCs of polymer composites. Aluminum nitride (AlN) ranging from 0 to 54 wt% was added into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare composites using this method. The enhancement in the TCs of AlN/PDMS composites included several considerations: high compression ratio and filler content both led to a small gap between the fillers in the filler network; the improvement in TC was significantly higher, especially at low filler contents, which simultaneously ensured the mechanical properties of polymer composites. Owing to the gap‐cut behavior, the TC was enhanced to 2.667 W/(mK) at 54 wt% of AlN, which was significantly higher than those in the literature results. The AlN/PDMS sample was then utilized as a heat spreader to decrease the temperature of heat source. The temperature dropped 14.42°C more than pure PDMS sheet. This novel compression process provides a facile approach to prepare light‐weight polymer composites with high TCs.
Preparation and characterization of Enteromorpha prolifera nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol composite films
Authors: Zhang Zhichao , Liu Xin , Wang HuiXin , He HaiFeng , Bai Ruiqin
Published: December 2020

Due to the frequent occurrence of Enteromorpha prolifera “green tide” in recent years, how to solve the ecological disaster brought by the green tide and make maximal use of the Enteromorpha prolifera have become an urgent problem. In order to realize the resource utilization of marine biomass, we extract nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) with high aspect ratio from Enteromorpha prolifera. Filamentous NFC is successfully extracted at nanometric scale with a diameters range of 20 ~ 40 nm, a length of several microns, and a crystallinity index of 57.2%. Then NFC/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films were prepared with NFC as fillers. In addition, for comparison, nanocrystals cellulose (NCC) with small aspect ratio was isolated from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to prepare NCC/PVA composite films. It is shown that because Enteromorpha proliferata NFC has a higher aspect ratio, it is easier to interpenetrate with PVA to form a dense network, and the lower concentration ensures the better dispersion of NFC in the matrix, so its enhancement effect on PVA composite films is better than that of NCC. When the NFC content was 0.1 wt %, the light transmittance of NFC/PVA composite film could reach more than 94%, and the swelling degree was 250%, which is 29% lower than that of the pure PVA film, the water resistance was improved. At the same time, the tensile strength, elastic modulus and toughness were 99.1%, 1547% and 117.9% respectively, which are higher than those of PVA.
Registration of ‘ND Dawn’ large yellow pea
Authors: Bandillo Nonoy , Stefaniak Thomas , Worral Hannah , Jain Shalu , Ostlie Michael , Schatz Blaine , Rickertsen John , Wahlstrom Cameron , Miller Meridith , Dragseth Kyle , Jacobs Justin , Hanson Brian , Martin Glenn , Kalil Audrey , Wunsch Michael , Pasche Julie , Franck William , Chen Chengci , Forster Shana , McPhee Kevin
Published: December 2020

‘ND Dawn’ (Reg. no. CV‐30, PI 694866), a semi‐dwarf, semi‐leafless, large‐seeded yellow field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was developed by the pulse crops breeding program at North Dakota State University and approved for release by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. ND Dawn, the first yellow field pea cultivar from the program, was developed by the bulk‐pedigree method. Based on 18 environments (location‐years) of yield trials across North Dakota, ND Dawn had similar seed yield (2,843 kg ha−1) with the commercial yellow pea cultivars ‘AC Agassiz’ (2,875 kg ha−1) and ‘DS Admiral’ (2,799 kg ha−1) but significantly greater than ‘CDC Golden’ (2,633 kg ha−1). ND Dawn was also tested across eight environments in Montana, where it had an average seed yield of 3,803 kg ha−1, which was significantly greater than ‘Delta’ (3,554 kg ha−1) but similar to DS Admiral (3,686 kg ha−1) or AC Agassiz (3,565 kg ha−1). ND Dawn matures in approximately 94 d. It is resistant to lodging, with a plant height index of 0.66. It has uniform round seed, with size larger than Agassiz, a medium‐seeded yellow pea cultivar. ND Dawn's protein content, 24%, is acceptable to get a premium price in the current market for high‐protein pea. ND Dawn and AC Agassiz exhibited similar responses to Fusarium root rot based on a field trial inoculated with multiple Fusarium species pathogenic to pea. In an irrigated field trial conducted under high Ascochyta blight pressure, ND Dawn yielded similarly to AC Agassiz and ‘CDC Striker’ despite having a higher leaf necrosis percentage. Other agronomic traits of ND Dawn are within market acceptable ranges.
Air‐tolerant poly(3‐hexylthiophene) synthesis via catalyst‐transfer polymerization
Authors: Kubo Tomohiro , Young Morgan S. , Souther Kendra D. , Hannigan Matthew D. , McNeil Anne J.
Published: December 2020

The discovery of catalyst‐transfer polymerization and its further developments have led to unprecedented control over the length and sequence of conjugated polymers. However, the methods themselves are technically challenging to perform due to the air‐ and moisture‐sensitivities of the monomers and catalysts. Herein, we report a catalyst‐transfer polymerization method that affords poly(3‐hexylthiophene) in high yields without using an inert atmosphere. The synthesis capitalizes on a rapid Negishi cross‐coupling using a moisture‐tolerant organozinc monomer mediated by an air‐stable Pd precatalyst. This simple method should make conjugated polymer synthesis more accessible to a broader range of researchers and may be generalizable to other monomer scaffolds.
Solvent‐Assisted Lipid Bilayer Formation on Au Surfaces: Effect of Lipid Concentration on Solid‐Supported Membrane Formation
Authors: Neupane Shova , Betlem Kai , Renner Frank Uwe , Losada-Pérez Patricia
Published: December 2020

Solvent‐assisted lipid bilayer (SALB) formation is emerged as a versatile approach in forming supported lipid membranes (SLBs) on metal surfaces, interesting platforms for transducing a biological signal to an electrical readout where vesicle rupture is not straightforward. Herein, the effect of the lipid concentration in the organic solvent, a key parameter controlling SALB, is addressed in the low and high concentration limits of 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine lipid on a Au surface. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM‐D) responses are correlated with atomic force microscopy (AFM) topographic and nanomechanical measurements. Upon SALB completion at both concentrations, QCM‐D and AFM topographical characterization suggest the formation of thin, although incomplete, lipid layers at the Au–liquid interface, with frequency and dissipation plateau values departing from well‐established homogeneous SLB responses. Nanomechanical analysis reveals the presence of mostly monolayers at low concentration due to lack of lipid material, while at high concentration excess of lipid material leads to the coexistence of diverse structures. Their formation stems from the SALB formation mechanism, based on lyotropic transformations upon solvent exchange, which differs from customarily vesicle rupture. Such mechanism leads to peculiar two‐step features in approach force curves on SLBs pointing toward a decoupling in bilayer leaflets when supported.
Botanical drugs and supplements affecting the immune response in the time of COVID‐19: Implications for research and clinical practice
Authors: Brendler Thomas , Al‐Harrasi Ahmed , Bauer Rudolf , Gafner Stefan , Hardy Mary L. , Heinrich Michael , Hosseinzadeh Hossein , Izzo Angelo A. , Michaelis Martin , Nassiri‐Asl Marjan , Panossian Alexander , Wasser Solomon P. , Williamson Elizabeth M.
Published: December 2020

In times of health crisis, including the current COVID‐19 pandemic, the potential benefit of botanical drugs and supplements emerges as a focus of attention, although controversial efficacy claims are rightly a concern. Phytotherapy has an established role in everyday self‐care and health care, but, since botanical preparations contain many chemical constituents rather than single compounds, challenges arise in demonstrating efficacy and safety. However, there is ample traditional, empirical, and clinical evidence that botanicals can offer some protection and alleviation of disease symptoms as well as promoting general well‐being. Newly emerging viral infections, specifically COVID‐19, represent a unique challenge in their novelty and absence of established antiviral treatment or immunization. We discuss here the roles and limitations of phytotherapy in helping to prevent and address viral infections, especially regarding their effects on immune response. Botanicals with a documented immunomodulatory, immunostimulatory, and antiinflammatory effects include adaptogens, Boswellia spp., Curcuma longa, Echinacea spp., Glycyrrhiza spp., medicinal fungi, Pelargonium sidoides, salicylate‐yielding herbs, and Sambucus spp. We further provide a clinical perspective on applications and safety of these herbs in prevention, onset, progression, and convalescence from respiratory viral infections.
Do investors value the voluntary assurance of sustainability information? Evidence from the Spanish stock market
Authors: Reverte Carmelo
Published: December 2020

This study examines in the Spanish setting whether, after the passing of the European Directive 2014/95/UE, investors value positively the voluntary assurance of sustainability reports corresponding to the period 2014–2017 for a sample of listed companies. It also analyzes the valuation by investors of a series of assurance characteristics such as its quality, level of application (reasonable/high vs. moderate/limited), scope (complete vs. partial), and the type of assurance provider (accounting vs. non‐accounting firms). Our results find that investors reward firms that adopt external sustainability assurance. Furthermore, we document that investors value to a greater extent those assurance statements with a broader scope, a high/reasonable level of assurance, and with a better quality. Our results are relevant for companies, investors, regulators, and practitioners, and justify the pertinence of the recent Law 11/2018 that places Spain as a European reference by requiring a mandatory assurance of sustainability information in order to increase its reliability and comparability.
Induction of vitamin B12 to purify biogas slurry and upgrade biogas using co‐culture of microalgae and fungi
Authors: Xu Bing , Liu Jia , Zhao Chunzhi , Sun Shiqing , Xu Jie , Zhao Yongjun
Published: December 2020

Different gradient concentrations of vitamin B12 (0, 10, 100, 1,000 ng L−1) were used in the symbiosis system (Chlorella vulgaris–Ganoderma lucidum or Chlorella vulgaris–Pleurotus ostreatus) to assess their effect on simultaneous purification of biogas and removal of nutrients in biogas slurry using co‐culture of microalgae and fungi. When B12 was added to the symbiosis system, biomass growth, intracellular carbonic anhydrase activity (CA), chlorophyll a content (CHL‐a), photosynthetic characteristics of the two cultivation system, and removal efficiency of nutrients in biogas slurry and CO2 in biogas were significantly higher than those in the control group. The optimal concentration of B12 was determined to be 100 ng L−1 considering the removal efficiency of nutrients and CO2. Maximum mean chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and CO2 removal efficiencies were 75.98 ± 6.26%, 78.46 ± 6.21%, 80.21 ± 6.83% and 61.08 ± 5.21% in Chlorella vulgaris–Ganoderma lucidum, respectively. This study showed the potential of microalgae and fungi symbiosis system with B12 addition for nutrient removal and biogas upgrading.

Practitioner points

Vitamin B12 had positive effects on algal–fungal pellets growth.

The optimal vitamin B12 concentration was 100 ng L−1.

The highest CO2 remove rate was 61.08% by G. lucidum/C. vulgaris pellets.

Vitamin B12 significantly improved photosynthetic performance of pellets.
Systematisierung von Methoden partizipativer Forschung
Authors: Kasberg Azize , Müller Patrick , Markert Claudia , Bär Gesine
Published: December 2020

Hintergrund

In der Forschung gewinnen partizipative Ansätze an Bedeutung. Der Einsatz partizipativer Methoden erfolgt meist ohne eine methodologische Auseinandersetzung oder den Bezug auf eine gemeinsame Systematik.

Ziel der Arbeit

Auf der Grundlage eines Scoping-Reviews wird eine Systematisierung partizipativer Methoden vorgeschlagen. Damit wird ein Beitrag zum Diskurs über partizipative Methoden geleistet, die gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit fördern.

Material und Methoden

Nach einer Literaturrecherche wurden 44 Treffer eingeschlossen. Die Suche sowohl nach deutsch- als auch englischsprachiger Literatur basierte auf diversen Datenbanken (PubMed, PsycInfo, SocIndex, Livivo, Cochrane, Fachportal Pädagogik), einer Handsuche und einer Suche nach dem Schneeballprinzip.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Die Systematisierung kombiniert phasen- und formatbasierte Logiken. Als zentrale Prinzipien in den Definitionen einer partizipativen Methodologie und von partizipativen Methoden werden die Mehrdimensionalität und Phasenintegration berücksichtigt. Daraus abgeleitet werden die Hauptunterscheidung von prozessgestaltenden und forschenden Methoden. Schwerpunkte zeigen sich bei den Erhebungsmethoden und Reflexionsverfahren. Lücken im deutschsprachigen Raum sind bei Methoden gemeinsamer Entscheidungsfindungen, der Auswertung und Verwendung erkennbar.

Fazit

Die Ergebnisse helfen bei der Einordnung verschiedener Ansätze und ihres Grades an Partizipation. Für Forschung und Lehre wird die Aufmerksamkeit auf das Spektrum forschender und prozessgestaltender partizipativer Methoden gelenkt, die es einzusetzen, zu beschreiben und zu vermitteln gilt.
Multi-parent QTL mapping reveals stable QTL conferring resistance to Gibberella ear rot in maize
Authors: Galiano-Carneiro Ana L. , Kessel Bettina , Presterl Thomas , Gaikpa David Sewordor , Kistner Maria Belen , Miedaner Thomas
Published: December 2020

Maize production is on risk by Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused byFusarium graminearum. This is one of the most important ear rot diseases in temperate zones as it leads to yield losses and production of harmful mycotoxins. We investigated, for the first time, the potential use of Brazilian tropical maize to increase resistance levels to GER in temperate European flint germplasm by analyzing six interconnected biparental populations. We assessed GER symptoms in Brazil and in Europe in up to six environments (= location × year combinations) during the growing seasons of 2018 and 2019. We conducted multi-parent QTL and biparental QTL mapping, and identified four QTLs with additive gene action, each explaining 5.4 to 21.8% of the total genotypic variance for GER resistance. Among them, QTL q1 was stable across test environments, populations, and between inbred lines and testcrosses. The accuracies of genomic prediction ranged from 0.50 to 0.59 depending on the resistance donor and prediction model. Jointly, our study reveals the potential use of Brazilian resistance sources to increase GER resistance levels by genomics-assisted breeding.
Unobserved preferences and dynamic platform pricing under positive network externality
Authors: Huuki Hannu , Svento Rauli
Published: December 2020

We study the dynamic optimization of platform pricing in industries with positive direct network externalities. The utility of the network for the consumer is modeled as a function of three components. Platform price and participation rate affect the consumer’s decision to join the platform. The platform operator is assumed to know the consumer’s sensitivities with respect to these components. In addition, the consumer’s utility is a function of other attributes, such as network privacy policies and environmental effects of the service. We assume that the distribution of these unobserved preferences in the potential customer base is known to the platform operator. We show analytically how the unobserved preferences affect the dynamic platform price design. Both static and rational expectations with respect to the platform participation are presented. We simulate an electricity market demand side management service application and show that the platform operator sets low prices in the launch phase. The platform operator can set higher launching prices if it can affect customers’ preferences, expectations or adjustment friction.
A study of contact methods in the application of large deformation dynamics in self-contact beam
Authors: Bozorgmehri Babak , Yu Xinxin , Matikainen Marko K. , Harish Ajay B. , Mikkola Aki
Published: December 2020

This paper introduces a procedure in the field of computational contact mechanics to analyze contact dynamics of beams undergoing large overall motion with large deformations and in self-contact situations. The presented contact procedure consists of a contact search algorithm which is employed with two approaches to impose contact constraint. The contact search task aims to detect the contact events and to identify the contact point candidates that is accomplished using an algorithm based on intersection of the oriented bounding boxes (OBBs). To impose the contact constraint, an approach based on the complementarity problem (CP) is introduced in the context of beam-to-beam contact. The other approach to enforce the contact constraint in this work is the penalty method, which is often used in the finite element and multibody literature. The latter contact force model is compared against the frictionless variant of the complementarity problem approach, linear complementarity problem approach (LCP). In the considered approaches, the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is used as an underlying finite element method for modeling beam-like structures in multibody applications, in particular. The employed penalty method makes use of an internal iteration scheme based on the Newton solver to fulfill the criteria for minimal penetration. Numerical examples in the case of flexible beams demonstrate the applicability of the introduced approach in a situation where a variety of contact types occur. It was found that the employed contact detection method is sufficiently accurate when paired with the studied contact constraint imposition models in simulation of the contact dynamics problems. It is further shown that the optimization-based complementarity problem approach is computationally more economical than the classical penalty method in the case of studied 2D-problems.
Modular crawling robots using soft pneumatic actuators
Authors: Wang Nianfeng , Chen Bicheng , Ge Xiandong , Zhang Xianmin , Wang Wenbin
Published: December 2020

Crawling robots have elicited much attention in recent years due to their stable and efficient locomotion. In this work, several crawling robots are developed using two types of soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs), namely, an axial elongation SPA and a dual bending SPA. By constraining the deformation of the elastomeric chamber, the SPAs realize their prescribed motions, and the deformations subjected to pressures are characterized with numerical models. Experiments are performed for verification, and the results show good agreement. The SPAs are fabricated by casting and developed into crawling robots with 3D-printing connectors. Control schemes are presented, and crawling tests are performed. The speeds predicted by the numerical models agree well with the speeds in the experiments.
Molecular modeling of electrolyte and polysulfide ions for lithium-sulfur batteries
Authors: Babar Shumaila , Lekakou Constantina
Published: December 2020

The operation of a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery involves the transport of Li+ ions and soluble sulfides mostly in the form of solvated ions. Key challenges in the development of Li-S battery technology are the diffusion of Li+ in micropores filled with sulfur and eliminating the “shuttling” of polysulfides. Ion dimensions in solvated and desolvated forms are key parameters determining the diffusion coefficient and the rate of transport of such ions, while constrictivity effects due to the effect of pore size compared to ion size control both transport and filling of the pores. We present molecular simulations to determine the solvation parameters of electrolyte ions and sulfides S22−, S42−, S62−, and S82− in two different electrolyte systems: LiTFSI in DOL/DME and LiPF6 in EC/DMC. The calculated parameters include the coordination number and the geometrically optimized model and dimensions, using the van der Waals surface approach, of the solvated and desolvated ions. The desolvation energy of the electrolyte ions is also calculated. Such data is useful for the modeling and design of the pore sizes of cathode host materials to be able to accommodate the different sulfides while minimizing their “shuttling” between cathode and anode.
Optimal design of extractive dividing-wall column using an efficient equation-oriented approach
Authors: Ma Yingjie , Zhang Nan , Li Jie , Cao Cuiwen
Published: December 2020

The extractive dividing-wall column (EDWC) is one of the most efficient technologies for separation of azeotropic or close boiling-point mixtures, but its design is fairly challenging. In this paper we extend the hybrid feasible path optimisation algorithm (Ma Y, McLaughlan M, Zhang N, Li J. Computers & Chemical Engineering, 2020, 143: 107058) for such optimal design. The tolerances-relaxation integration method is refined to allow for long enough integration time that can ensure the solution of the pseudo-transient continuation simulation close to the steady state before the required tolerance is used. To ensure the gradient and Jacobian information available for optimisation, we allow a relaxed tolerance for the simulation in the sensitivity analysis mode when the simulation diverges under small tolerance. In addition, valid lower bounds on purity of the recycled entrainer and the vapour flow rate in column sections are imposed to improve computational efficiency. The computational results demonstrate that the extended hybrid algorithm can achieve better design of the EDWC compared to those in literature. The energy consumption can be reduced by more than 20% compared with existing literature report. In addition, the optimal design of the heat pump assisted EDWC is achieved using the improved hybrid algorithm for the first time.
COVID-19: Reflections on the Crisis, Transformation, and Interactive Processes Under Development
Authors: Moura Gabriella Garcia , Nascimento Célia Regina Rangel , Ferreira Juliene Madureira
Published: December 2020

With a global extent, the pandemic of the new coronavirus and the resulting measures to contain the contagion imposed immediate changes in the routine of people and societies. In view of this historical event, the first part of this theoretical study discussed its relationship with the concept of crisis, while circumscribing human development processes, mobilizing reorganizations in life trajectories. In the second part, the intensification of the use of digital tools to support communication during social isolation was highlighted, particularly reflecting on new interactive arrangements and inter-corporeal experiences. The paper reflects on the proximal processes in the new interactive and contextual configurations through the bioecological theory of human development and, based on concepts of the enactive theory, discusses possible implications of the new perceptual fields and the production of meanings with the repositioning of the body and new modes of engagement. The study highlights that the changes, events, relationships, and effects that we are experiencing (trans)form our forms of sociability and bases of psyche.
A case report on the effects of atropine against baclofen in inguinal hernia surgery patient
Authors: Beiranvand Siavash
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Intake of baclofen, as an anti-spasm is common in patients with inguinal hernia.

Presentation of case:

This paper reports a case where preoperative intake of baclofen for back pain is associated with the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.

Discussion and conclusion:

However, atropine can effectively correct this condition, with precise monitoring and care.
Defining the Deficit in US Surgical Training: The Trainee's Perspective
Authors: Anderson Tiffany N. , Payne Davis H. , Dent Daniel L. , Kearse LaDonna E. , Schmiederer Ingrid S. , Korndorffer James R.
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND:

Self-efficacy is the personal judgment of how well one can successfully complete a task. The goal of this study was to assess self-efficacy of PGY5 residents for common general surgery operations. We hypothesized there are deficits in self-efficacy of PGY5 residents, and self-efficacy of a given operation correlates with experience performing the operation without attending assistance (independently) and teaching the operation from start to finish.

METHODS:

A survey was linked to the 2020 American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination. From the ACGME case log's 15 most commonly performed surgeon-chief operations and AHRQ's 15 most common operations, 10 operations were selected. Residents evaluated their ability to perform these operations independently using a 5-point self-efficacy scale. Residents were asked whether they had experience performing these operations independently or teaching the operation from start to finish. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and operative experience.

RESULTS:

In all, 1,145 of 1,367 PGY5 residents (84%) responded. Highest self-efficacy was in performing wide-local excision (90.24%) and lowest was in performing open thyroidectomy (19.58%). Eighty-eight (7.7%) reported self-efficacy in all procedures. Statistically significant positive correlations were identified between experience and self-efficacy for cases performed without assistance (r = 0.98, p < 0.01) and cases taught (r = 0.91, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

With 5 months left in training, 92.3% of residents report deficits in preparation for practice, as defined by self-efficacy to complete common procedures independently. Resident self-efficacy increased in direct relation to performed cases and cases taught.
Validity of Erectile Function Assessment Questionnaires in Premature Ejaculation Patients: A Comparative Study Between the Abridged Forms of the International Index of Erectile Function and Proposal for Optimal Cutoff Redefinition
Authors: Xi Yu , Colonnello Elena , Ma Gongchao , Limoncin Erika , Ciocca Giacomo , Zhang Hui , Jannini Emmanuele A. , Zhang Yan
Published: December 2020

Background

Patients with premature ejaculation (PE) are often diagnosed as having a comorbid erectile dysfunction (ED). When evaluating erectile function in PE patients with the popular International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5, or Sexual Health Inventory for Men [SHIM]), question #5 (Q5) about sexual satisfaction in the intercourse often lowers the total score of the questionnaire, giving false-positive results for the presence of ED.

Aim

We aimed to compare SHIM with the other abridged form of IIEF, which is IIEF-EF, and to discriminate which tool has the best diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of erectile function in PE patients.

Methods

The study was conducted from March 2019 to January 2020. A total of 189 heterosexual males with lifelong PE (117, 61.9%) or acquired PE (72, 38.1%) were included. They all compiled Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool, IIEF-15, SHIM, and IIEF-EF and underwent a full clinical examination to evaluate their erectile function.

Outcomes

The scores of the 2 erectile function assessment questionnaires (SHIM and IIEF-EF) were compared in terms of their sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of ED in PE patients.

RESULTS

In terms of diagnosing ED in PE patients, the sensitivity of SHIM is 100% while the specificity is only 36%; meanwhile, the sensitivity of IIEF-EF is 100% but specificity is 77.2%. Further analysis demonstrates that decreasing cutoff of SHIM to 17.5 would provide an increased specificity of 82.5%, while sensitivity would lower to 96.0%. However, the highest area under the curve (0.966 vs 0.941) is given by the IIEF-EF with 100% sensitivity and 80.7% specificity at the cutoff of 24.5, which is one point lower than the usual cutoff value of 25.5.

Clinical Implications

Our study suggests that when evaluating erection function in PE patients, the cutoff of both SHIM and IIEF-EF should be amended.

Strengths & Limitations

We proposed the solution for the bias of erectile function assessment in PE patients. However, other trials are needed to further validate in larger cohorts of PE patients.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that the cutoff of SHIM and IIEF-EF should be amended (SHIM at 17.5 and IIEF-EF at 24.5, respectively) when assessing erectile function among PE population.
On Polish groups admitting non-essentially countable actions
Authors: KECHRIS ALEXANDER S. , MALICKI MACIEJ , PANAGIOTOPOULOS ARISTOTELIS , ZIELINSKI JOSEPH
Published: December 2020

It is a long-standing open question whether every Polish group that is not locally compact admits a Borel action on a standard Borel space whose associated orbit equivalence relation is not essentially countable. We answer this question positively for the class of all Polish groups that embed in the isometry group of a locally compact metric space. This class contains all non-archimedean Polish groups, for which we provide an alternative proof based on a new criterion for non-essential countability. Finally, we provide the following variant of a theorem of Solecki: every infinite-dimensional Banach space has a continuous action whose orbit equivalence relation is Borel but not essentially countable.
The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Authors: Young Simon N.M.
Published: December 2020

The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSL) was passed on June 30, 2020 by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC). It did not have immediate direct effect in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). After consulting the Committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR (BLC) and the Government of the HKSAR (HKSARG), the NPCSC added the NSL to Annex III of The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Basic Law) before the Chief Executive of the HKSAR (Chief Executive) promulgated the NSL for local application. All this happened on June 30, enabling the NSL to enter into force at 11 p.m., just ahead of the twenty-third anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR on July 1, 2020.
An imbalancing act: the delayed dynamic response of the Kaskawulsh Glacier to sustained mass loss
Authors: Young Erik M. , Flowers Gwenn E. , Berthier Etienne , Latto Rebecca
Published: December 2020

The Kaskawulsh Glacier is an iconic outlet draining the icefields of the St. Elias Mountains in Yukon, Canada. We determine and attempt to interpret its catchment-wide mass budget since 2007. Using SPOT5/6/7 data we estimate a 2007–18 geodetic balance of −0.46 ± 0.17 m w.e. a−1. We then compute balance fluxes and observed ice fluxes at nine flux gates to examine the discrepancy between the climatic mass balance and internal mass redistribution by glacier flow. Balance fluxes are computed using a fully distributed mass-balance model driven by downscaled and bias-corrected climate-reanalysis data. Observed fluxes are calculated using NASA ITS_LIVE surface velocities and glacier cross-sectional areas derived from ice-penetrating radar data. We find the glacier is still in the early stages of dynamic adjustment to its mass imbalance. We estimate a committed terminus retreat of ~23 km under the 2007–18 climate and a lower bound of 46 km3of committed ice loss, equivalent to ~15% of the total glacier volume.
The Recuperative Past in Siemerling’s The Black Atlantic Reconsidered
Authors: Levine Robert S.
Published: December 2020

Central to Siemerling’s impressive study of black Canadian writing is an optimism about the recuperative potential of historical knowledge. My contribution to the forum acknowledges that potential, while raising questions about the limits of such knowledge for addressing the persistence of racist ideologies and practices. My test case is Siemerling’s fine reading of Lawrence Hill’s novels.
The National, the Transnational, and the Diasporic: Black Canadian Writing and the Logic of Literary History
Authors: Sarkowsky Katja
Published: December 2020

This response takes as its starting point the twofold agenda Winfried Siemerling pursues inThe Black Atlantic Reconsidered: his systematic outline of a history of Black writing in Canada from the eighteenth century to the present and his goal to fill a geographical gap in Paul Gilroy’s influential concept of the Black Atlantic, thereby also offering a reconsideration of this concept. I suggest that, although Siemerling is clearly successful with regard to the first aspect, he is only partially so with regard to the second, with the logic of a nation-based literary history to some extent countering the agenda of the constitutive transnationality of the Black Atlantic. This tension between the two agendas, I suggest, results in crucial questions concerning the complex relationship among the national, the transnational, and the diasporic in the specific logic of literary histories.
Collapse of Holocene mangrove ecosystems along the coastline of Oman
Authors: Decker Valeska , Falkenroth Michaela , Lindauer Susanne , Landgraf Jessica , Al-Lawati Zahra , Al-Rahbi Huda , Franz Sven Oliver , Hoffmann Gösta
Published: December 2020

Sedimentological, geochemical, and paleontological investigations of the coastline of northeastern Oman have provided the authors with an in-depth insight into Holocene sea levels and climate conditions. The spatial distribution and species assemblage of mangrove ecosystems are analyzed. These ecosystems are sensitive to changes in sea level and precipitation and thus reflect ecological conditions. The close proximity to archaeological sites allows us to draw conclusions regarding human interaction with the mangrove ecosystems. Our interdisciplinary inquiry reveals that the mangrove ecosystems along the east coast of Oman collapsed ~6000 cal yr BP on a decadal scale. There is no sedimentological evidence for a mid-Holocene sea-level highstand. The ecosystem collapse was not caused by sea-level variation or anthropogenic interferences; rather, it was the consequence of reduced precipitation values related to a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. This resulted in a decrease of freshwater input and an increase in soil salinity. Further, the aridification of the area caused increased deflation and silting up of the lagoons.
Overcoming and Denial: Disability and Modern Dance in the United States
Authors: Anderson Bailey
Published: December 2020

Dancers and choreographers have always been navigating disability within an ableist representational form. This article questions the ableist histories of modern dance in the United States and seeks to redefine how disability is conceived of within the field of dance. The article explores five themes found within archival research, including overcoming narratives, symbiotic and inseparability of dance and disability, denial of disability, changing choreographic practices, and disability aesthetics. Examples of these themes are found in primary source documents about and by Martha Graham, Ted Shawn, and Doris Humphrey and contextualized throughout the article with dance and disability studies theorization.
After COVID-19: The Way We Die from Now On
Authors: ELSNER ANNA MAGDALENA
Published: December 2020

Ethical issues raised by the outbreak of COVID-19 have predominantly been addressed through a public health ethics lens. This article proposes that the rising COVID-19 fatalities and the World Health Organization’s failure to include palliative care as part of its guidance on how to maintain essential health services during the pandemic have exposed palliative care as an underlying global crisis. It therefore calls for a different ethical framework that includes a care ethics perspective and thereby addresses the ways in which the pandemic has triggered new difficulties in ensuring the delivery of appropriate end-of-life care for the dying. The article analyses the structural weaknesses of palliative care accentuated by the pandemic and proposes solutions that could set in motion lasting changes in the way it is delivered beyond COVID-19.
Autonomy, Coercion, and Public Healthcare Guarantees: The Uptake of Sofosbuvir in Germany
Authors: GANDJOUR AFSCHIN
Published: December 2020

Health insurance coverage for incarcerated citizens is generally acceptable by Western standards. However, it creates internal tensions with the prevailing justifications for public healthcare. In particular, a conceptualization of medical care as a source of autonomy enhancement does not align with the decreased autonomy of incarceration and the needs-based conceptualization of medical care in cases of imprisonment; and rejecting responsibility as a criterion for assigning medical care conflicts with the use of responsibility as a criterion for assigning punishment. The recent introduction of sofosbuvir in Germany provides a particularly instructive illustration of such tensions. It requires searching for a refined reflective equilibrium regarding the scope, limits, and justifications of publicly guaranteed care.
The Role of Mental Health in Multiple Exclusion Homelessness
Authors: Pattison Ben , McCarthy Lindsey
Published: December 2020

Development of effective policy responding to recent increases in rough sleeping in England requires an understanding of the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Research on multiple exclusion homelessness (MEH) should be central to policy development as it highlights the interactions between ‘homelessness’ and ‘deep social exclusion’. This article focuses on the nexus between mental health and homelessness within MEH. Mixed methods findings from Nottingham, England, are used to investigate the role of mental ill-health in the pathways into MEH. This included a survey of the mental health needs of homeless people and ‘homeless pathway’ interviews. Survey results demonstrated high levels of diagnosed and self-reported mental health issues. Interviews highlighted that mental ill-health and homelessness were closely associated with adverse life experiences and could not be viewed in isolation from them. The article contributes further insight on the specificities of mental health issues, their temporal ordering, and interrelationship with homelessness experiences.
Crustal Structure Across the Extinct Mid‐Ocean Ridge in South China Sea From OBS Receiver Functions: Insights Into the Spreading Rate and Magma Supply Prior to the Ridge Cessation
Authors: Hung Tran Danh , Yang Ting , Le Ba Manh , Yu Youqiang , Xue Mei , Liu Baohua , Liu Chenguang , Wang Jian , Pan Mohan , Huong Phan Thien , Liu Fang , Morgan Jason P.
Published: December 2020

The crust near an extinct mid‐ocean ridge provides unique constraints on how its accretion and deformation responded to the cessation of spreading. Here we present crustal thickness and Vp/Vs measurements beneath 11 Ocean Bottom Seismograph sites that cross the South China Sea's extinct spreading axis. We find that the oceanic crust, which generally had only slight thickness changes once spreading started, abruptly thins at sites close to the extinct ridge axis. Abnormally high Vp/Vs ratios are obtained at several sites south of the ridge, indicating the presence of serpentine. These observations imply that, in its final stage, spreading changed to an ultraslow accretion style. As the axial crust thinned, normal faults and/or detachment faults began to form. Water could penetrate more deeply through these faults, and large fault slip could raise ultramafic peridotites to near or at the seafloor, creating favorable conditions for their enhanced serpentinization.
Weakened Aerosol‐PBL Interaction During COVID‐19 Lockdown in Northern China
Authors: Wang Zilin , Huang Xin , Ding Ke , Ren Chuanhua , Cao Lu , Zhou Derong , Gao Jian , Ding Aijun
Published: December 2020

Anthropogenic emissions were greatly constrained during COVID‐19 lockdown in China. Nevertheless, observations still showed high loadings of fine particles (PM2.5) over northern China with secondary aerosols increasing by 15 μg/m3 yet a ∼10% drop in light‐absorbing black carbon (BC). Such a chemical transition in aerosol composition tended to make the atmosphere more scattering, indicated by satellite‐retrieved aerosol absorption optical depth falling by 60%. Comparison between weather forecast and radiosonde observations illustrated that, without upper‐level heating induced by BC, the stabilized stratification diminished, which was conducive for planetary boundary layer (PBL) mixing and thus near‐surface pollution dispersion. Furthermore, coupled dynamic‐chemistry simulations estimated that emission reduction during the lockdown weakened aerosol‐PBL interaction and thus a reduction of 25 μg/m3 (∼50%) in PM2.5 enhancement. Based on the unique natural experiment, this work observationally confirmed and numerically quantified the importance of BC‐induced meteorological feedback, further highlighting the priority of BC control in haze mitigation.
Using Continuous Turbidity and Seismic Measurements to Unravel Sediment Provenance and Interaction Between Suspended and Bedload Transport in an Alpine Catchment
Authors: Misset C. , Recking A. , Legout C. , Bakker M. , Gimbert F. , Geay T. , Zanker S.
Published: December 2020

Fine sediment transport results from the complexity of the interactions between the different modes of transport and the variety of possible sediment sources, from the river bed stocks remobilization to hillslopes erosion. From a 2‐year period in an Alpine catchment, we show how the combined use of continuous turbidity and seismic measurements can help to address these issues. In the studied catchment, the signals are more strongly correlated during the high flows of the snowmelt period than during the summer period when the river bed is stable and the hillslopes are no longer protected by a snow cover during storms. This sheds light on the seasonal control exerted by the river bed mobility and the snow cover on suspended sediment dynamics in mountainous catchments. It also questions the potential shift of this dynamics from river bed to hillslope dominated in a context of global warming.
Evaluating the Glacial‐Deglacial Carbon Respiration and Ventilation Change Hypothesis as a Mechanism for Changing Atmospheric CO2
Authors: Stott Lowell D. , Shao Jun , Yu Jimin , Harazin Kathleen M.
Published: December 2020

The prevailing hypothesis to explain pCO2 rise at the last glacial termination calls upon enhanced ventilation of excess respired carbon that accumulated in the deep sea during the glacial. Recent studies argue lower [O2] in the glacial ocean is indicative of increased carbon respiration. The magnitude of [O2] depletion was 100–140 µ mol/kg at the glacial maximum. Because respiration is coupled to δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), [O2] depletion of 100–140 µ mol/kg from carbon respiration would lower deep water δ13CDIC by ∼1‰ relative to surface water. Prolonged sequestration of respired carbon would also lower the amount of 14C in the deep sea. We show that Pacific Deep Water δ13CDIC did not decrease relative to the surface ocean and Δ14C was only ∼50‰ lower during the late glacial. Model simulations of the hypothesized ventilation change during deglaciation lead to large increases in δ13CDIC, Δ14C, and ε14C that are not recorded in observations.
A New Thermal Categorization of Ice‐Covered Lakes
Authors: Yang Bernard , Wells Mathew G. , McMeans Bailey C. , Dugan Hilary A. , Rusak James A. , Weyhenmeyer Gesa A. , Brentrup Jennifer A. , Hrycik Allison R. , Laas Alo , Pilla Rachel M. , Austin Jay A. , Blanchfield Paul J. , Carey Cayelan C. , Guzzo Matthew M. , Lottig Noah R. , MacKay Murray D. , Middel Trevor A. , Pierson Don C. , Wang Junbo , Young Joelle D.
Published: December 2020

Lakes are traditionally classified based on their thermal regime and trophic status. While this classification adequately captures many lakes, it is not sufficient to understand seasonally ice‐covered lakes, the most common lake type on Earth. We describe the inverse thermal stratification in 19 highly varying lakes and derive a model that predicts the temperature profile as a function of wind stress, area, and depth. The results suggest an additional subdivision of seasonally ice‐covered lakes to differentiate underice stratification. When ice forms in smaller and deeper lakes, inverse stratification will form with a thin buoyant layer of cold water (near 0°C) below the ice, which remains above a deeper 4°C layer. In contrast, the entire water column can cool to ∼0°C in larger and shallower lakes. We suggest these alternative conditions for dimictic lakes be termed “cryostratified” and “cryomictic.”
Dynamic Sea Level Variation From GNSS: 2020 Shumagin Earthquake Tsunami Resonance and Hurricane Laura
Authors: Larson Kristine M. , Lay Thorne , Yamazaki Yoshiki , Cheung Kwok Fai , Ye Lingling , Williams Simon D.P. , Davis James L.
Published: December 2020

Rapid determination of sea level variations caused by tsunamis or major storm surges is important for coastal hazard mitigation. Coastal Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) stations at elevations less than ∼300 m can record time‐varying sea level changes by tracking signals that reflect from the sea surface, relative to direct signals from the satellites. We demonstrate that such GNSS stations can rapidly provide local sea level measurements for a near‐field tsunami, involving many hours of shelf resonance generated by the 2020 Shumagin earthquake as well as for the storm surge accompanying passage of the eye of Hurricane Laura over the Louisiana Coast. Coastal GNSS stations deployed to measure tectonic deformation and co‐seismic displacements can inexpensively augment the spatial sampling provided by tide gauges for measuring tsunami‐induced coastal resonance and storm surges. This information can guide response activities during the crucial initial hours of an event.