bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A short-term, hydroponic-culture of ginseng results in a significant increase in the anti-oxidative activity and bioactive components
Authors: Lee Ji Yun , Yang Hee , Lee Tae Kyung , Lee Chang Hyung , Seo Ji Won , Kim Jong-Eun , Kim Seo Yeong , Park Jung Han Yoon , Lee Ki Won
Published: March 2020

Panax ginseng CA Meyer has a variety of biological effects, including antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Ginseng requires long-term cultivation, but this can be shortened using hydroponic systems to facilitate the commercial development of ginseng as a functional food. However, the characteristics of short-term-cultured (< 30 days) hydroponic ginseng (sHCG) are unclear. We investigated the characteristics of 21-day-cultured sHCG compared 5-year-old normally cultured ginseng. The free radical-scavenging activity and total ginsenoside and phenolic contents were significantly higher in sHCG than in normally cultured ginseng. Fifteen ginsenosides were detected in sHCG, and the concentrations of most were higher in shoots than roots. These findings suggest that 21-day-cultured sHCG, due to its enhanced antioxidant activity and higher concentrations of total phenolics and ginsenosides (including Rd and Re), has potential as a functional food.
How relieving is public debt relief? Monetary and fiscal policies in a monetary union during a debt crisis
Authors: Blueschke D. , Neck R. , Wittmann A.
Published: March 2020

We use a dynamic game model of a two-country monetary union to study the consequences of sovereign debt reliefs for a member country or bloc of countries of the union after an exogenous fall in aggregate demand and the resulting increase in public debt. The debt reliefs are assumed to occur endogenously, being enacted after an increase of government debt beyond a certain threshold. We assume that the governments of the countries participating in the union pursue national goals when deciding on fiscal policies whereas the common central bank’s monetary policy aims at union-wide objective variables. The union considered is asymmetric, consisting of a “core” with lower initial public debt, and a “periphery” with higher initial public debt. The “periphery” may experience debt reliefs due to the high level of its sovereign debt. We calculate numerical solutions of the dynamic game between the governments and the central bank using the OPTGAME algorithm. We show that a debt relief as modeled in our study is disadvantageous for both the “core” and the “periphery” of the monetary union, and that after an initial haircut further debt reliefs will be required to an extent that threatens the existence of the entire union.
The Design of Improved Optical Fibre Instrumented Rockbolts
Authors: Hoehn K. , Spearing A. J. S. (Sam) , Jessu K. V. , Singh P. , Pinazzi P. C.
Published: March 2020

Developing an improved understanding of the interaction between the immediate roof and the rockbolts is fundamental in obtaining an effective roof support system. Effective instrumentation along the full length of fully grouted rock bolts would provide the required understanding, which in turn could improve the rock related safety in the underground mines. The rock bolt sensing technology has rapidly developed in the last decade, where the instrumentation has changed from short electrical strain gauges to optical strain and shape sensing using more than 2 slots (which used to be the standard). In addition, the instrumentation has been increased from two orthogonal slots to three or four. With these recent advances of the technologies, there lies a challenge in analysing and understanding the new type of data and in effectively adopting the new technology into the underground mines. This paper deals with the challenges of instrumenting rock bolts with fibre optics and presents techniques for improving the existing technology. Furthermore, it includes a prototype design for an effective implementation of this technology to better suit the harsh underground environment.
Genetic relatedness among Ethiopian Oryza longistaminata populations and other AA genome Oryza species
Authors: Getachew Melaku , Huang Liyu , Zhang Shilai , Huang Guangfu , Zhang Jing , Kassahun Tesfaye , Teklehaimanot Haileselassie , Hu Fengyi
Published: March 2020

Oryza longistaminatais the only AA-genomeOryzaspecies that is perennial via rhizome production. This undomesticated rice species, which is native to Africa, is hypothesized to be a good candidate for expanding the cultivated rice gene pool. However, its phylogenetic relationships with otherOryzamembers are still unresolved, and it is underutilized as a genetic resource in the breeding of cultivated rice (Oryza sativaL.). This study therefore genotyped 361O.longistaminata, 35 cultivated rice, 1Japonicaweedy-type, 25 AA genome and 8 CC genome wild rice accessions by using 67 SSR markers. Genotypic grouping confirmed the distinctness ofO.longistaminatafrom other rice accessions and the sub-differentiation of this population influenced by eco-geographical conditions. The higher genetic diversity within theO.longistaminatapopulation also implies its candidacy as a donor of diverse traits of interest.
Wildlife Ethics and Practice: Why We Need to Change the Way We Talk About ‘Invasive Species’
Authors: Inglis Meera Iona
Published: March 2020

This article calls for an end to the use of the term ‘invasive species’, both in the scientific and public discourse on wildlife conservation. There are two broad reasons for this: the first problem with the invasive species narrative is that this demonisation of ‘invasives’ is morally wrong, particularly because it usually results in the unjust killing of the animals in question. Following on from this, the second problem is that the narrative is also incoherent, both from scientific and philosophical perspectives. At the heart of both of these issues is the problem that the invasive species narrative oversimplifies what are in fact very complex biological processes. As a result, the policies carried out with the stated aim of ‘controlling’ these animals are often unethical. In light of the current global species decline, this article asserts that the way we think and talk about these animals should be changed and the term ‘invasive species’ should be discontinued, in the hope that this leads to changes in practice.
Mobile Phone Addiction, Phubbing, and Depression Among Men and Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis
Authors: Ivanova Ana , Gorbaniuk Oleg , Błachnio Agata , Przepiórka Aneta , Mraka Natalia , Polishchuk Viktoria , Gorbaniuk Julia
Published: March 2020

For several years, the number of studies on the links between excessive mobile phone use and mental health has been increasing. The aim of the study was to establish if there is a relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression in university students and if phubbing is a mediator of this relationship. The authors also tested if this mediation effect was moderated by loneliness and if the model of relationships between these variables was the same in women and in men. The participants were 402 university and college students from Ukraine, aged 17 to 31; 74% of them were women. The authors used the Adapted Mobile Phone Use Habits, the Phubbing Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Loneliness Scale. The results of the study have shown that higher mobile phone addiction and higher phubbing is associated with a higher level of depressive moods, with phubbing functioning as a mediator of the relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression. A moderator of this mediation is loneliness, the moderation effect being asymmetrically dependent on gender: in men, high loneliness increases the mediating role of phubbing, which more markedly translates into depression, while in women the analyzed mediation effect becomes weaker with an increase in the sense of loneliness (phubbing correlates less strongly with depression).
Studying the accumulation velocity of altmetric data tracked by Altmetric.com
Authors: Fang Zhichao , Costas Rodrigo
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates the data accumulation velocity of 12 Altmetric.com data sources. DOI created date recorded by Crossref and altmetric event posted date tracked by Altmetric.com are combined to reflect the altmetric data accumulation patterns over time and to compare the data accumulation velocity of various data sources through three proposed indicators, including Velocity Index, altmetric half-life, and altmetric time delay. Results show that altmetric data sources exhibit different data accumulation velocity. Some altmetric data sources have data accumulated very fast within the first few days after publication, such as Reddit, Twitter, News, Facebook, Google+, and Blogs. On the opposite spectrum, research outputs are at relatively slow pace in accruing data on some data sources, like Policy documents, Peer review, Q&A, Wikipedia, Video, and F1000Prime. Most altmetric data sources’ velocity degree also changes by document types, subject fields, and research topics. The type Review is slower in receiving altmetric mentions than Article, while Editorial Material and Letter are typically faster. In general, most altmetric data sources show higher velocity values in the fields of Physical Sciences and Engineering and Life and Earth Sciences. Within each field, there also exist some research topics that attract social attention faster than others.
Pore Network Modeling of the Effects of Viscosity Ratio and Pressure Gradient on Steady-State Incompressible Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media
Authors: Gjennestad Magnus Aa. , Winkler Mathias , Hansen Alex
Published: March 2020

We perform steady-state simulations with a dynamic pore network model, corresponding to a large span in viscosity ratios and capillary numbers. From these simulations, dimensionless steady-state time-averaged quantities such as relative permeabilities, residual saturations, mobility ratios and fractional flows are computed. These quantities are found to depend on three dimensionless variables, the wetting fluid saturation, the viscosity ratio and a dimensionless pressure gradient. Relative permeabilities and residual saturations show many of the same qualitative features observed in other experimental and modeling studies. The relative permeabilities do not approach straight lines at high capillary numbers for viscosity ratios different from 1. Our conclusion is that this is because the fluids are not in the highly miscible near-critical region. Instead they have a viscosity disparity and intermix rather than forming decoupled, similar flow channels. Ratios of average mobility to their high capillary number limit values are also considered. Roughly, these vary between 0 and 1, although values larger than 1 are also observed. For a given saturation, the mobilities are not always monotonically increasing with the pressure gradient. While increasing the pressure gradient mobilizes more fluid and activates more flow paths, when the mobilized fluid is more viscous, a reduction in average mobility may occur.
Sagittal SLIP-anchored task space control for a monopode robot traversing irregular terrain
Authors: Yu Haitao , Gao Haibo , Ding Liang , Deng Zongquan
Published: March 2020

As a well-explored template that captures the essential dynamical behaviors of legged locomotion on sagittal plane, the spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model has been extensively employed in both biomechanical study and robotics research. Aiming at fully leveraging the merits of the SLIP model to generate the adaptive trajectories of the center of mass (CoM) with maneuverability, this study presents a novel two-layered sagittal SLIP-anchored (SSA) task space control for a monopode robot to deal with terrain irregularity. This work begins with an analytical investigation of sagittal SLIP dynamics by deriving an approximate solution with satisfactory apex prediction accuracy, and a two-layered SSA task space controller is subsequently developed for the monopode robot. The higher layer employs an analytical approximate representation of the sagittal SLIP model to form a deadbeat controller, which generates an adaptive reference trajectory for the CoM. The lower layer enforces the monopode robot to reproduce a generated CoM movement by using a task space controller to transfer the reference CoM commands into joint torques of the multi-degree of freedom monopode robot. Consequently, an adaptive hopping behavior is exhibited by the robot when traversing irregular terrain. Simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Development of oncolytic virotherapy: from genetic modification to combination therapy
Authors: Lan Qiaoshuai , Xia Shuai , Wang Qian , Xu Wei , Huang Haiyan , Jiang Shibo , Lu Lu
Published: March 2020

Oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) is a novel form of immunotherapy using natural or genetically modified viruses to selectively replicate in and kill malignant cells. Many genetically modified oncolytic viruses (OVs) with enhanced tumor targeting, antitumor efficacy, and safety have been generated, and some of which have been assessed in clinical trials. Combining OVT with other immunotherapies can remarkably enhance the antitumor efficacy. In this work, we review the use of wild-type viruses in OVT and the strategies for OV genetic modification. We also review and discuss the combinations of OVT with other immunotherapies.
Approved LXR agonists exert unspecific effects on pancreatic β-cell function
Authors: Maczewsky Jonas , Kaiser Julia , Krippeit-Drews Peter , Drews Gisela
Published: March 2020

Novel agonists of the nuclear liver-X-receptor (LXR) are designed to treat metabolic disorders or cancer. The rationale to develop these new drugs is based on promising results with established LXR agonist like T0901317 and GW3965. LXRα and LXRβ are expressed in β-cells, and expression is increased by T0901317. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether effects of these drugs on β-cell function are specific and reliably linked to LXR activation. T0901317 and GW3965, widely used as specific LXR agonists, show rapid, non-genomic effects on stimulus-secretion coupling of mouse pancreatic β-cells at low µM concentrations. T0901317 lowered the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, reduced or completely inhibited action potentials, and decreased insulin secretion. GW3965 exerted similar effects on insulin secretion. T0901317 affected the production of reactive oxygen species and ATP. The involvement of the classical nuclear LXRs in T0901317- and GW3965-mediated effects in β-cells could be ruled out using LXRα, LXRβ and double knockout mice. Our results strongly suggest that LXR agonists, that are considered to be specific for this receptor, interfere with mitochondrial metabolism and metabolism-independent processes in β-cells. Thus, it is indispensable to test novel LXR agonists accompanying to ongoing clinical trials for acute and chronic effects on cell function in cellular systems and/or animal models lacking classical LXRs.
REACH: Solutions for Technology-Based Prevention and Empowerment for Older People and their Caregivers
Authors: Linner Thomas , Seeliger Anja , Vogt Lydia , Schäpers Barbara , Steinböck Martina , Krewer Carmen , Bock Thomas
Published: March 2020

REACH stands for “Responsive Engagement of the Elderly Promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare”. Sustained physical activity matters greatly to the health and well-being of older people and significantly improves their chance of maintaining independent living. It can make a difference across the whole care continuum as well as in almost every setting. Therefore, REACH solutions focus on the systematic, target-oriented increase of physical activity of older people, and tackle the whole prevention spectrum (primary, secondary, and tertiary). It seeks to empower older people and their formal and informal caregivers, and works towards viable solutions for both the formal and in-formal care sector. Technology-based personalization of prevention, activation, and care services provided in various living and care settings is at the center of the developed solutions. Ideally toolkit approach would allow for the tailoring of solutions that create value for end-users, care providers and health care payers alike through the combination, integration and adaptation/re-design elements towards the different contexts of different countries, different payment and reimbursement structures. This Special Issue sheds light on such solutions, their conception, their development, and their testing.
Cochlear Implant Reliability: Reporting of Device Failures
Authors: O’Neill Graham , Tolley Neil S.
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the adequacy of the reporting of cochlear implant device failures. Data from a parallel study involving over 6300 children [1] was used to calculate the instantaneous failure rate for explantations. We found that this is comparable to what manufacturers term ‘Cumulative Failure Percentage’ (CFP). This finding raises concerns about the information provided by manufacturers on the reliability of their implants.
Hyperbolic Metrics on Surfaces with Boundary
Authors: Rupflin Melanie
Published: March 2020

We discuss an alternative approach to the uniformisation problem on surfaces with boundary by representing conformal structures on surfaces M of general type by hyperbolic metrics with boundary curves of constant positive geodesic curvature. In contrast to existing approaches to this problem, the boundary curves of our surfaces (M, g) cannot collapse as the conformal structure degenerates which is important in applications in which (M, g) serves as domain of a PDE with boundary conditions.
A break-glass protocol based on ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption to access medical records in the cloud
Authors: T. de Oliveira Marcela , Bakas Alexandros , Frimpong Eugene , Groot Adrien E. D. , Marquering Henk A. , Michalas Antonis , Olabarriaga Silvia D.
Published: March 2020

In emergency care, fast and efficient treatment is vital. The availability of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) allows healthcare professionals to access a patient’s data promptly, which facilitates the decision-making process and saves time by not repeating medical procedures. Unfortunately, the complete EMR of a patient is often not available during an emergency situation to all treatment teams. Cloud services emerge as a promising solution to this problem by allowing ubiquitous access to information. However, EMR storage and sharing through clouds raise several concerns about security and privacy. To this end, we propose a protocol through which all treatment teams involved in the emergency care can securely decrypt relevant data from the patient’s EMR and add new information about the patient’s status. Furthermore, our protocol ensures that treatment teams will only access the patient’s EMR for the period during which the patient is under their care. Finally, we present a formal security analysis of our protocol and some initial experimental results.
Bradyrhizobia associated with Laburnum anagyroides, an exotic legume grown in Poland
Authors: Sajnaga Ewa , Jach Monika Elżbieta
Published: March 2020

We isolated 18 rhizobial strains from root nodules of a leguminous shrub Laburnum anagyroides (common laburnum) grown in Southeast Poland as an exotic plant. With the use of BOX-PCR fingerprinting, the isolates were clustered into 2 main groups and one separate lineage, which was congruent with the ITS-RFLP results. The phylogenetic trees constructed based on 16S rRNA and combined atpD, dnaK, glnA, and recA gene sequence data separated the representative strains into three evolutionary lineages within the Bradyrhizobium jicamae supergroup, with Bradyrhizobium algeriense and Bradyrhizobium valentinum as the closest relatives. The nodA and nifH gene phylogenies proved that the L. anagyroides symbionts carry a symbiotic gene variant known as Clade IV, representing the symbiovar retamae. Phenotypic characteristics of the isolates and reference strains are also reported. Our study of the rhizobia nodulating L. anagyroides growing in Poland complements earlier few findings on the symbiotic associations of this Genisteae species.
Thyroid-related hormones as potential markers of hypoxia/ischemia
Authors: Tani Naoto , Ishikawa Mayumi , Watanabe Miho , Ikeda Tomoya , Ishikawa Takaki
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of the thyroid-related hormones as markers of acute systemic hypoxia/ischemia to identify deaths caused by asphyxiation due to neck compression in human autopsy cases. The following deaths from pathophysiological conditions were examined: mechanical asphyxia and acute/subacute blunt head injury; acute/subacute non-head blunt injury; sharp instrument injury as the hemorrhagic shock condition; drowning as alveolar injury; burn; and death due to cardiac dysfunction. Blood samples were collected from the left and right cardiac chambers and iliac veins, and serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroglobulin (Tg), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Two types of thyroid cell lines were used to confirm independent thyroid function under the condition of hypoxia (3% O2). The human thyroid carcinoma cell line (HOTHC) cell line derived from human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and the UD-PTC (sample of the second resection papillary thyroid carcinoma) cell line derived from human thyroid papillary adenoma, which forms Tg retention follicles, were used to examine the secretion levels of T3, T4, and Tg hormones. The results showed a strong correlation between T3 and T4 levels in all blood sampling sites, while the TSH and Tg levels were not correlated with the other markers. Serum T3 and T4 levels were higher in cases of mechanical asphyxia and acute/subacute blunt head injury, representing hypoxic and ischemic conditions of the brain as compared to those in other causes of death. In the thyroid gland cell line, T4, T3, and Tg levels were stimulated after exposure to hypoxia for 10–30 min. These findings suggest that systemic advanced hypoxia/ischemia may cause a rapid and TSH-independent release of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones in autopsy cases. These findings demonstrate that increased thyroid-related hormone (T3 and T4) levels in the pathophysiological field may indicate systemic hypoxia/ischemia.
Waxing and Waning: Periods of Intermittency in Criminal Careers
Authors: van Koppen Vere , Rodermond Elanie , Blokland Arjan
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Focusing on intermittency as a specific criminal career dimension, the present study explores the distribution of intermittency as it occurs across individuals and in the course of the criminal career.

Methods

Using conviction data on repeat offenders (N = 3716) from the Criminal Career and Life-Course Study (CCLS), overall patterns of intermittency (measured as conviction-free intervals between subsequent convictions) are analyzed. Given different levels of offending before and after conviction-free periods, we examine the length of the conviction-free interval and the extent to which offending in terms of frequency and specialization changes after a conviction-free period.

Results

On average, repeat offenders show relatively short intermittency periods. However, conviction-free intervals tend to increase towards the end of the criminal career regardless of offending frequency. A substantial minority of offenders has a criminal career characterized by more than one spell of frequent offending separated by an extended period of non-offending. As the intermittency period increases, offending specialization across offending periods declines, but not for all types of offenses.

Conclusions

This study shows that even after committing several offenses, some offenders experience a prolonged conviction-free interval only to resume offending at a non-trivial rate. Due to the length of their conviction-free interval, these offenders would erroneously have been labeled desisters in many prior studies.
Investigation of the relationship between dynamic and static deformation moduli of rocks
Authors: Davarpanah Seyed Morteza , Ván Peter , Vásárhelyi Balázs
Published: March 2020

The determination of deformation parameters of rock material is an essential part of any design in rock mechanics. The goal of this paper is to show, that there is a relationship between static and dynamic modulus of elasticity (E), modulus of rigidity (G) and bulk modulus (K). For this purpose, different data on igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, all of which are widely used as construction materials, were collected and analyzed from literature. New linear and nonlinear relationships have been proposed and results confirmed a strong correlation between static and dynamic moduli of rock species. According to rock types, for igneous rocks, the best correlation between static and dynamic modulus of elasticity (E) were nonlinear logarithmic and power ones; for sedimentary rocks were linear and for metamorphic rocks were nonlinear logarithmic and power correlation. Moreover, with respect to different published linear correlations between static modulus of elasticity (Estat) and dynamic modulus of elasticity (Edyn), an interesting correlation for rock material constants was established. It was found that the static modulus of elasticity depends on the dynamic modulus only with one parameter formula.
DNA-Programmed Chemical Synthesis of Polymers and Inorganic Nanomaterials
Authors: Xu Xuemei , Winterwerber Pia , Ng David , Wu Yuzhou
Published: March 2020

DNA nanotechnology, based on sequence-specific DNA recognition, could allow programmed self-assembly of sophisticated nanostructures with molecular precision. Extension of this technique to the preparation of broader types of nanomaterials would significantly improve nanofabrication technique to lower nanometer scale and even achieve single molecule operation. Using such exquisite DNA nanostructures as templates, chemical synthesis of polymer and inorganic nanomaterials could also be programmed with unprecedented accuracy and flexibility. This review summarizes recent advances in the synthesis and assembly of polymer and inorganic nanomaterials using DNA nanostructures as templates, and discusses the current challenges and future outlook of DNA templated nanotechnology.
Seismic Response Analysis for Ordinary State-Based Peridynamics in a Linear Isotropic Elastic Material
Authors: Shimbo Taiki , Itto Ryota , Inaba Koutaro , Araki Kouichi , Watanabe Naoto
Published: March 2020

Earthquakes may induce the failure of soil-structures built with a geo-material. It is therefore a crucially important aspect to study how a crack initiates and propagates in these soil-structures to analyze and improve their earthquake resistance. Peridynamics, although a powerful method for such an analysis, has not been applied to seismic response analysis of soil-structures on a viscous boundary surface that can consider an input seismic wave. To apply seismic response analysis to ordinary state-based peridynamics (OSB-PD), this paper proposed a fictitious viscous boundary layer and Rayleigh damping components constructed with time derivative of force density vectors. OSB-PD was semi-verified through the comparison of calculated response acceleration via the proposed method and via the dynamic finite element method (FEM). The discussions were stressed on the effect of Poisson’s ratio, the frequency, and the Rayleigh damping components relative to the calculated response acceleration in both methods. Moreover, the seismic response acceleration at the top of the analysis model was calculated through the proposed method using an actual seismic acceleration time history, and then the result was compared with that calculated by the dynamic FEM. The results of both methods in the seismic response analysis agreed well with each other. From these results, we verified that the fictitious viscous layer can represent incoming/outgoing acceleration wave from the bottom of the analysis domain, and that Rayleigh damping can be expressed using the time derivative of force density vectors.
The Association Between Pelvic Discomfort and Erectile Dysfunction in Adult Male Bicyclists
Authors: Balasubramanian Adithya , Yu Justin , Breyer Benjamin N. , Minkow Roger , Eisenberg Michael L.
Published: March 2020

Background

Bicycle riding's impact on erectile function remains a topic of great interest given cycling's popularity as a mode of transportation and exercise.

Aim

We evaluated risk factors for sexual dysfunction in male cyclists with the primary intention of determining if genital/pelvic pain and numbness are associated with erectile dysfunction (ED).

Methods

We surveyed male cyclists using an online anonymous questionnaire. Cyclists were queried on their demographics, cycling experience, and sexual function using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM). ED was diagnosed when a completed SHIM score was <22. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk of ED in men with genital/pelvic pain or numbness after riding. The survey was designed in the United States.

Outcomes

Quantitative characterization of cycling habits, onset and timing of genital pain and numbness, and SHIM score.

Results

A total of 1635 participants completed the survey. A majority of men were over the age of 50 (58%, 934/1,607), Caucasian (88%, 1,437/1,635), had been active cyclists for over 10 years (63%, 1,025/1,635) and used road bikes (97%, 1,578/1,635). Overall, 22%, 30%, and 57% of men reported ED, genital pain, and genital numbness, respectively. While controlling for cohort demographics, body mass index, cycling intensity and equipment, and medical comorbidities, no saddle characteristics were associated with the risk of developing genital numbness. However, men reporting penile numbness were at higher risk of reporting ED (odds ratio [OR] = 1.453, P = .048). In addition, quicker onset of numbness and resolution of numbness within a day was associated with impaired erectile function. For example, numbness occurring less than 1 hour after cycling had greater odds of leading to ED than numbness after 5 hours (OR = 2.002, P = .032). Similarly, genital pain occurring less than 1 hour (OR = 2.466, P = .031) after cycling was associated with higher ED risk.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths include a large sample size of high-intensity cyclists and validated questionnaire use. Limitations include reliance on anonymous self-reported survey data and minimal inquiry into the riding preferences and terrain traversed by cyclists.

Conclusions

Pelvic pain and numbness are common complaints among male riders in the United States. Men with such complaints are more likely to also report ED especially if it occurs earlier in the ride. Although direction of causality and temporality are uncertain, alleviation of factors resulting in pelvic discomfort may reduce cycling's impact on sexual function. Such interventions are critical given that cycling for both active travel and aerobic exercise confers numerous health benefits.
The Nocebo Effect and Informed Consent—Taking Autonomy Seriously
Authors: GELFAND SCOTT
Published: March 2020

The nocebo effect, a phenomenon whereby learning about the possible side effects of a medical treatment increases the likelihood that one will suffer these side effects, continues to challenge physicians and ethicists. If a physician fully informs her patient as to the potential side effects of a medicine that may produce nocebogenic effects, which is usually conceived of as being a requirement associated with the duty to respect autonomy, she risks increasing the likelihood that her patient will experience these side effects and therefore suffer (unnecessary) harm, a violation of the duty of nonmaleficence. If, on the other hand, she intentionally withholds side effect information in an effort to protect her patient from suffering unnecessary harm from side effects, which is consistent with the duty of nonmaleficence, she violates the duty to respect patient autonomy. In this paper, the author discusses several previous attempts to deal with the nocebo effect and explains their weaknesses. He then proposes a means of managing the nocebo effect and argues that it does not share the weaknesses found in previous approaches. He concludes with a discussion of a simple, yet practical tool that might help clinicians manage the tension resulting from the nocebo effect.
Association Between Author Diversity and Acceptance Rates and Citations in Peer‐Reviewed Earth Science Manuscripts
Authors: Lerback J. C. , Hanson B. , Wooden P.
Published: March 2020

The scientific community is becoming more demographically diverse, and team science is becoming more common. Here, we compare metrics of success in academic research, acceptance rates, and citations, among/across differing team compositions regarding demographic diversity. We collected the final decisions and citations as of 2019 of 91,427 manuscripts submitted from 2012–2018 to journals published by the American Geophysical Union. We matched the authors by email on each manuscript to self‐provided demographic information within the American Geophysical Union's membership database. This resulted in 20,940 manuscripts matched to nation, gender, and career stage, and 6,015 manuscripts matched to race/ethnicity for manuscripts in which the entire authorship team was affiliated with the United States.

Among similar sized authorship teams (teams of two to four), acceptance rates were 2.7, 4.5, and 0.9% higher (pnation < 0.01, pgender < 0.05, pcareer stage = 0.51) with more than one nation, gender, and career stage, respectively, than nondiverse authorship teams. Diverse papers had 1.2 more citations for international teams than single‐nation teams (pnation < 0.01). There were 0.4 and 1.0 fewer citations for authorship teams with more than one gender or career stage than manuscripts with one gender or career stage (pgender = 0.21, pcareer stage = 0.36). Racially/ethnically diverse teams were associated with 5.5% lower acceptance rates (p < 0.01) and 0.8 fewer citations (p = 0.15) than racially/ethnically homogenous teams. Although not every difference is statistically significant, the overall results are consistent with the notion that diversity can benefit science, but equitable practices and inclusive cultures must also be fostered.
An Empirical Algorithm for Retrieving Land Surface Temperature From AMSR‐E Data Considering the Comprehensive Effects of Environmental Variables
Authors: Zhang Quan , Cheng Jie
Published: March 2020

Microwave (MW) remote sensing has the potential to obtain all‐weather land surface temperature (LST) and serves as a complement to the thermal‐infrared (TIR) LST under cloudy sky conditions. However, the accuracy of MW LST is generally lower than that of TIR LST, making the retrieval of highly accurate all‐weather LST a challenging task. We propose an empirical algorithm for retrieving LST from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR‐E) brightness temperature (BT) data. First, we constructed a comprehensive classification system of environmental variables (CCSEV), allowing for the influence of topography, land cover, solar radiation, and atmospheric condition on the spatiotemporal distribution of LST, then the LST was expressed as a function of the combination of different AMSR‐E channels for each CCSEV class. When performing the testing with the data from 2005, 2009 and 2011, the accuracy is 3.27 K, 2.65 K and 3.48 K in the daytime and 2.94 K, 2.63 K, 2.15 K at nighttime, respectively. The proposed algorithm was compared to an existing algorithm developed for China without considering the topography. The result shows that the accuracy of LST has improved by 2.81 K in the daytime and 2.14 K at nighttime in China, compared with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST. The verification at the Naqu sites in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau shows that the accuracy has improved by 1–2 K in the daytime and 0.7–1 K at nighttime. These results indicate that the developed algorithm is universal and accurate and benefits the retrieval of accurate all‐weather LST.
Scale‐Dependent Evanescence of River Dunes During Discharge Extremes
Authors: Naqshband S. , Hoitink A. J. F.
Published: March 2020

During high river discharge extremes, the growth of dunes can reach a maximum beyond which a transition to upper stage plane bed may occur, enhancing the river's conveyance capacity and reducing flood risk. Our predictive ability of this bedform regime shift in rivers is exclusively built upon high Froude number flows dominated by asymmetric dunes with steep downstream‐facing slipfaces that are rare in natural rivers. By using light‐weight polystyrene particles as a substrate in an experimental flume setting, we present striking dune morphodynamic similarity between shallow laboratory flow conditions and deep rivers, preconditioned that both flow and sediment transport parameters are accurately scaled. Our experimental results reveal the first observation of upper stage plane bed in a shallow laboratory flume that is reached for a Froude number well below unity. This work highlights the need to rethink widely used dune scaling relationships, bedform stability diagrams, predictions of flow resistance, and flood risk.
The Influence of Elevated Smoke Layers on Stratocumulus Clouds Over the SE Atlantic in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Model
Authors: Das Sampa , Colarco Peter R. , Harshvardhan H.
Published: March 2020

Previous evaluations of simulated aerosol transport over the south‐east Atlantic by global aerosol models, including the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) atmospheric general circulation model, showed that the bulk of the modeled smoke aerosol layer resided ~1–2 km lower than Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar observations. Using this finding as the motivation, this study examines the changes in model‐simulated cloud properties in response to redistributing the vertical placement of the aerosol over the ocean. Ten years (2006–2015) of CALIOP‐retrieved smoke aerosol extinction profiles were used to redistribute the model‐simulated aerosol mass on a monthly mean basis, keeping the column aerosol mass conserved. The results from the model sensitivity experiments show that elevating the aerosol layer to higher levels in agreement with CALIOP observations causes an increase in cloud fractions by ~33% for shallow marine boundary layers (MBL) and a decrease by ~30% for deeper MBL. For a shallow MBL, aerosol‐induced warming within the cloud layers for the lower altitude aerosol case decreases relative humidity at these levels and leads to a reduction of overall cloud amount compared to the elevated aerosol case. For a deeper MBL, however, aerosol heating within the upper cloud levels in the lower altitude aerosol case increases the underlying MBL stability, which suppresses the cloud vertical extent, enhances cloud cover, and delays the stratocumulus to cumulus transition. Finally, aerosol redistribution impacts on radiative forcing are investigated, which appear to be mainly driven by the changes in cloud area fractions rather than in‐cloud liquid water path changes between the model experiments.
Geochemical Records of the Provenance and Silicate Weathering/Erosion From the Eastern Arabian Sea and Their Responses to the Indian Summer Monsoon Since the Mid‐Pleistocene
Authors: Chen Hongjin , Xu Zhaokai , Lim Dhongil , Clift Peter D. , Chang Fengming , Li Tiegang , Cai Mingjiang , Wang Wei , Yu Zhaojie , Sun Rongtao
Published: March 2020

We present a multiproxy record of Sr‐Nd isotopes and major and trace elements for clay‐sized (<2 μm) siliciclastic sediment fractions from the International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1456 in the eastern Arabian Sea to extract reliable chemical indicators not influenced by the grain‐size effect, quantitatively estimate detrital provenance, and constrain silicate weathering/erosion in response to the Indian summer monsoon over orbital timescales. A provenance analysis of fine‐grained siliciclastic sediments indicates a two end‐member mixture from the Indus River (20–90%) and rivers draining the Deccan Traps (10–80%). A prominent increase in terrigenous input from the Indus River occurred at ~0.5 Ma, probably resulting from an intensive erosional event in the Himalayan region. Moreover, αAlK at Site U1456, which is calculated as Al/K ratio of the study sample versus Al/K ratio of the upper continental crust, can be generally used to reflect the chemical weathering intensity in the source regions. During most interglacial and even certain glacial periods, the Indian summer monsoon reinforcement is closely coupled with enhanced continental chemical weathering and physical erosion. Wavelet and spectral analyses of the αAlK record display strong 125‐, 35‐, 29‐, and 23‐kyr periodicities since 1.2 Ma with significant ~100‐kyr cycles established at the end of the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition (~0.7 Ma), suggesting forcing mechanisms linked with both Northern and Southern Hemispheric processes. Significant fluctuations observed in silicate weathering/erosion during ~1.2–0.7 Ma indicate an enhancement of the Indian summer monsoon with increased variability in association with the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition.
Water Stress and Productivity: An Empirical Analysis of Trends and Drivers
Authors: Doeffinger Tess , Hall Jim W.
Published: March 2020

Water scarcity is a global risk that could arguably be mitigated by using water more efficiently, that is, increasing water's productivity. However, the effects of water productivity on water stress have not been empirically tested or validated across countries. Evidence from other natural resource sectors suggests that improving productivity may, in fact, lead to “rebound” effects that exacerbate resource exploitation. An econometric analysis is used to evaluate the relationship between water stress and productivity at the country level. A 1.0% increase in productivity is associated with a 0.81% decrease in water stress through time within a country, on average, and accounts for 75% of the variance of water stress. This suggests that targeting improvements in productivity have the ability to lower water stress. Analysis of trends in stress and productivity demonstrates that several developed countries are starting to exhibit decreasing trends in stress. Conversely, stress is low in developing countries, but rising. Productivity is generally increasing across all countries. Fixed effects panel regressions demonstrate that population, cultivated land, and political stability are also related to a variance in stress within a country. Differences in gross domestic product and precipitation explain variations in stress when looking across countries. The results of this analysis show that as a country develops, water stress is initially likely to increase. Increasing water productivity, which typically occurs later in a country's development pathway, is linked to decreasing stress, so water stress has the potential to be mitigated if a “productivity transition” were to take place sooner.
Mitochondrial peptide BRAWNIN is essential for vertebrate respiratory complex III assembly
Authors: Zhang Shan , Reljić Boris , Liang Chao , Kerouanton Baptiste , Francisco Joel Celio , Peh Jih Hou , Mary Camille , Jagannathan Narendra Suhas , Olexiouk Volodimir , Tang Claire , Fidelito Gio , Nama Srikanth , Cheng Ruey-Kuang , Wee Caroline Lei , Wang Loo Chien , Duek Roggli Paula , Sampath Prabha , Lane Lydie , Petretto Enrico , Sobota Radoslaw M. , Jesuthasan Suresh , Tucker-Kellogg Lisa , Reversade Bruno , Menschaert Gerben , Sun Lei , Stroud David A. , Ho Lena
Published: March 2020

The emergence of small open reading frame (sORF)-encoded peptides (SEPs) is rapidly expanding the known proteome at the lower end of the size distribution. Here, we show that the mitochondrial proteome, particularly the respiratory chain, is enriched for small proteins. Using a prediction and validation pipeline for SEPs, we report the discovery of 16 endogenous nuclear encoded, mitochondrial-localized SEPs (mito-SEPs). Through functional prediction, proteomics, metabolomics and metabolic flux modeling, we demonstrate that BRAWNIN, a 71 a.a. peptide encoded by C12orf73, is essential for respiratory chain complex III (CIII) assembly. In human cells, BRAWNIN is induced by the energy-sensing AMPK pathway, and its depletion impairs mitochondrial ATP production. In zebrafish, Brawnin deletion causes complete CIII loss, resulting in severe growth retardation, lactic acidosis and early death. Our findings demonstrate that BRAWNIN is essential for vertebrate oxidative phosphorylation. We propose that mito-SEPs are an untapped resource for essential regulators of oxidative metabolism.
Exploiting loss of heterozygosity for allele-selective colorectal cancer chemotherapy
Authors: Rendo Veronica , Stoimenov Ivaylo , Mateus André , Sjöberg Elin , Svensson Richard , Gustavsson Anna-Lena , Johansson Lars , Ng Adrian , OʼBrien Casey , Giannakis Marios , Artursson Per , Nygren Peter , Cheong Ian , Sjöblom Tobias
Published: March 2020

Cancer chemotherapy targeting frequent loss of heterozygosity events is an attractive concept, since tumor cells may lack enzymatic activities present in normal constitutional cells. To find exploitable targets, we map prevalent genetic polymorphisms to protein structures and identify 45 nsSNVs (non-synonymous small nucleotide variations) near the catalytic sites of 17 enzymes frequently lost in cancer. For proof of concept, we select the gastrointestinal drug metabolic enzyme NAT2 at 8p22, which is frequently lost in colorectal cancers and has a common variant with 10-fold reduced activity. Small molecule screening results in a cytotoxic kinase inhibitor that impairs growth of cells with slow NAT2 and decreases the growth of tumors with slow NAT2 by half as compared to those with wild-type NAT2. Most of the patient-derived CRC cells expressing slow NAT2 also show sensitivity to 6-(4-aminophenyl)-N-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)pyrazin-2-amine (APA) treatment. These findings indicate that the therapeutic index of anti-cancer drugs can be altered by bystander mutations affecting drug metabolic genes.
Crystal structure of a lipin/Pah phosphatidic acid phosphatase
Authors: Khayyo Valerie I. , Hoffmann Reece M. , Wang Huan , Bell Justin A. , Burke John E. , Reue Karen , Airola Michael V.
Published: March 2020

Lipin/Pah phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAPs) generate diacylglycerol to regulate triglyceride synthesis and cellular signaling. Inactivating mutations cause rhabdomyolysis, autoinflammatory disease, and aberrant fat storage. Disease-mutations cluster within the conserved N-Lip and C-Lip regions that are separated by 500-residues in humans. To understand how the N-Lip and C-Lip combine for PAP function, we determined crystal structures of Tetrahymena thermophila Pah2 (Tt Pah2) that directly fuses the N-Lip and C-Lip. Tt Pah2 adopts a two-domain architecture where the N-Lip combines with part of the C-Lip to form an immunoglobulin-like domain and the remaining C-Lip forms a HAD-like catalytic domain. An N-Lip C-Lip fusion of mouse lipin-2 is catalytically active, which suggests mammalian lipins function with the same domain architecture as Tt Pah2. HDX-MS identifies an N-terminal amphipathic helix essential for membrane association. Disease-mutations disrupt catalysis or destabilize the protein fold. This illustrates mechanisms for lipin/Pah PAP function, membrane association, and lipin-related pathologies.
Publisher Correction: A CD146 FACS Protocol Enriches for Luminal Keratin 14/19 Double Positive Human Breast Progenitors
Authors: Ísberg Ólöf Gerdur , Kim Jiyoung , Fridriksdottir Agla J. , Morsing Mikkel , Timmermans-Wielenga Vera , Rønnov -Jessen Lone , Petersen Ole W. , Villadsen René
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.