bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Involvement of homocastasterone, salicylic and abscisic acids in the regulation of drought and freezing tolerance in doubled haploid lines of winter barley
Authors: Malaga Sabina , Janeczko Anna , Janowiak Franciszek , Waligórski Piotr , Oklestkova Jana , Dubas Ewa , Krzewska Monika , Nowicka Anna , Surówka Ewa , Rapacz Marcin , Wójcik-Jagła Magdalena , Kopeć Przemysław , Hura Tomasz , Ostrowska Agnieszka , Kaczanowska Katarzyna , Żur Iwona
Published: October 2019

Ten doubled haploid (DH) lines of winter barley with an increased range of freezing/drought tolerance were used to identify phytohormones involved in plant stress acclimation. Cold hardening and drought stress were applied at the most critical stages of plant development on young seedlings and heading plants, respectively. The level of the phytohormones was significantly higher at heading, more than 5-fold in respect of salicylic acid (SA) and total brassinosteroids (BRs) and 1.7-fold in the case of abscisic acid (ABA). Moreover, the spectrum of detectable BRs increased from one—homocastasterone (HCS)—found in seedlings to four BRs identified in heading plants [HCS, castasterone (CS), teasterone and dolicholide], with the last one detected for the first time in cereal species. To some extent freezing tolerance seems to be determined by native hormonal status as control seedlings of tolerant DH lines contained 1.4- and 2.3-fold lower amount of ABA and HCS and 2.3-fold higher amount of SA in comparison to freezing-sensitive ones. Such dependency was not observed in heading plants as significant variation in CS content was the only detected difference. Under stress treatments, tolerant DH lines accumulated significantly lower (75–81%) amount of ABA, which probably reflected lower stress intensity resulting from another defence strategy. In contrast, stress-induced significant almost 2-fold increase in HCS/CS and 2–3-fold decrease in SA content specific for tolerant DH lines of barley suggest the involvement of these molecules in freezing/drought defence. Detected correlations suggest their interaction with nonspecific peroxidase and low molecular weight antioxidants.
How do we construct and operate experimental streams? An overview of facilities, protocols, and studied questions
Authors: Menczelesz Noémi , Szivák Ildikó , Schmera Dénes
Published: October 2019

Experimental streams are bounded and partly enclosed lotic units that facilitate the simulation of certain aspects of natural stream ecosystems under controlled conditions. We summarized the current knowledge regarding experimental streams in order to support researchers in designing and undertaking future studies using experimental streams. We observed an increase in the number of such studies since 1975. The geographically uneven distribution of studies suggests that the generalization of findings to global scale may not be straightforward. Our results indicate that macroinvertebrates, fish, and algae are the most frequently studied organisms and that the size of the experimental streams was related to the focal organism group(s) studied. The size of the units decreased over time, while the number of treatments, interpreted as the combination of the levels of factors, increased. These results suggest that biologically complex studies have gradually been replaced by biologically less complex ones. In contrast, the experimental complexity (the number of treatments) and the statistical power (number of replication) increased. Finally, we identified a number of important, but poorly documented pieces of information regarding experimental stream systems and experimental protocols and made recommendations for future research.
Adaptation to the Speed of Biological Motion in Autism
Authors: Karaminis Themis , Arrighi Roberto , Forth Georgia , Burr David , Pellicano Elizabeth
Published: October 2019

Autistic individuals often present atypicalities in adaptation—the continuous recalibration of perceptual systems driven by recent sensory experiences. Here, we examined such atypicalities in human biological motion. We used a dual-task paradigm, including a running-speed discrimination task (‘comparing the speed of two running silhouettes’) and a change-detection task (‘detecting fixation-point shrinkages’) assessing attention. We tested 19 school-age autistic and 19 age- and ability-matched typical participants, also recording eye-movements. The two groups presented comparable speed-discrimination abilities and, unexpectedly, comparable adaptation. Accuracy in the change-detection task and the scatter of eye-fixations around the fixation point were also similar across groups. Yet, the scatter of fixations reliably predicted the magnitude of adaptation, demonstrating the importance of controlling for attention in adaptation studies.
Multi-source transfer learning of time series in cyclical manufacturing
Authors: Zellinger Werner , Grubinger Thomas , Zwick Michael , Lughofer Edwin , Schöner Holger , Natschläger Thomas , Saminger-Platz Susanne
Published: October 2019

This paper describes a new transfer learning method for modeling sensor time series following multiple different distributions, e.g. originating from multiple different tool settings. The method aims at removing distribution specific information before the modeling of the individual time series takes place. This is done by mapping the data to a new space such that the representations of different distributions are aligned. Domain knowledge is incorporated by means of corresponding parameters, e.g. physical dimensions of tool settings. Results on a real-world problem of industrial manufacturing show that our method is able to significantly improve the performance of regression models on time series following previously unseen distributions.

Graphic abstract
Choose change: Situation modification, distraction, and reappraisal in mild versus intense negative situations
Authors: Van Bockstaele Bram , Atticciati Ludovica , Hiekkaranta Anu P. , Larsen Helle , Verschuere Bruno
Published: October 2019

Despite the theoretical importance and applied potential of situation modification as an emotion regulation strategy, empirical research on how people change situations to regulate their emotions is scarce. Meanwhile, existing paradigms typically allowed participants to avoid the entire situation, thus confounding situation modification with situation selection. In our current experiments, participants could choose between partially modifying their negative emotional environment without avoiding it entirely and two well-established emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal and distraction). Participants did choose situation modification (Experiments 1–2) and they did so more often for intense than for mild stimuli in Experiment 2. In addition, modifying the stimulus display effectively helped downregulating negative affect (Experiments 1–2). Finally, in both experiments, participants opted more for distraction for intense compared to mild stimuli, while they opted more for reappraisal for mild compared to intense stimuli. Presenting a first step in developing a paradigm that allows people to exert control over but to not avoid emotion-provoking situations, we thus show that changing one’s environment helps regulating one’s emotions. More generally, our findings indicate that people prefer to regulate their emotions using disengagement strategies (situation modification and distraction) with high-intensity relative to low-intensity negative situations, while they prefer engagement strategies (reappraisal) with low-intensity relative to high-intensity negative situations.
The role of perceived environment, neighbourhood characteristics, and attitudes in walking behaviour: evidence from a rapidly developing city in China
Authors: Chan Eric T. H. , Schwanen Tim , Banister David
Published: October 2019

The associations between objective and subjective dimensions of the built environment and walking behaviour have been examined extensively in existing studies. However, the interaction effects of those dimensions of the built environment on walking behaviour are understudied and may be more complex than hitherto suggested. Apart from the subjective dimensions of the built environment, walking attitudes also play a role in moderating these relationships. This paper investigates the independent and joint effects of objective neighbourhood characteristics, people’s perceptions of the neighbourhood environment, and walking attitudes on the frequency of walking by using Shenzhen as a case study. Since those effects may vary across different kinds of walking trips, the analysis looks separately at three major types of walking at the neighbourhood level—walking for work/school, walking for leisure/recreation, and walking for household responsibilities. Logistic regression analyses confirm that the correlates of people’s walking frequency vary considerably among different types of walking. Statistically significant interaction effects of objective neighbourhood characteristics and perceived environment are found. The results suggest that positive perceptions of the environment can compensate for the effect that low objective walkability of neighbourhoods has on people’s walking frequency. When seeking to encouraging walking at the neighbourhood level, policymakers should not only concentrate on improving objective neighbourhood characteristics but also consider people’s perception of the neighbourhood environment and their attitudes towards walking.
Measuring the Spatial Dimension of Regional Inequality: An Approach Based on the Gini Correlation Measure
Authors: Panzera Domenica , Postiglione Paolo
Published: October 2019

Traditional inequality measures fail to capture the geographical distribution of income. The failure to consider such distribution implies that, holding income constant, different spatial patterns provide the same inequality measure. This property is referred to as anonymity and presents an interesting question about the relationship between inequality and space. Particularly, spatial dependence could play an important role in shaping the geographical distribution of income and could be usefully incorporated into inequality measures. Following this idea, this paper introduces a new measure that facilitates the assessment of the relative contribution of spatial patterns to overall inequality. The proposed index is based on the Gini correlation measure and accounts for both inequality and spatial autocorrelation. Unlike most of the spatially based income inequality measures proposed in the literature, our index introduces regional importance weighting in the analysis, thereby differentiating the regional contributions to overall inequality. Starting with the proposed measure, a spatial decomposition of the Gini index of inequality for weighted data is also derived. This decomposition permits the identification of the actual extent of regional disparities and the understanding of the interdependences among regional economies. The proposed measure is illustrated by an empirical analysis focused on Italian provinces.
On the Use of Ultrasound Waves to Monitor the Local Dynamics of Friction Joints
Authors: Pesaresi L. , Fantetti A. , Cegla F. , Salles L. , Schwingshackl C.W.
Published: October 2019

Friction joints are one of the fundamental means used for the assembly of structural components in engineering applications. The structural dynamics of these components becomes nonlinear, due to the nonlinear nature of the forces arising at the contact interface characterised by stick-slip phenomena and separation. Advanced numerical models have been proposed in the last decades which have shown some promising capabilities in capturing these local nonlinearities. However, despite the research efforts in producing more advanced models over the years, a lack of validation experiments made it difficult to have fully validated models. For this reason, experimental techniques which can provide insights into the local dynamics of joints can be of great interest for the refinement of such models and for the optimisation of the joint design and local wear predictions. In this paper, a preliminary study is presented where ultrasound waves are used to characterise the local dynamics of friction contacts by observing changes of the ultrasound reflection/transmission at the friction interface. The experimental technique is applied to a dynamic friction rig, where two steel specimens are rubbed against each other under a harmonic tangential excitation. Initial results show that, with a controlled experimental test procedure, this technique can identify microslip effects at the contact interface.
Estimation of soil carbon pools in the forests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan
Authors: Ali Anwar , Ashraf Muhammad Irfan , Gulzar Saeed , Akmal Muhammad , Ahmad Bilal
Published: October 2019

Forest soils have high carbon densities compared to other land-uses. Soil carbon sequestration is important to reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. An effective climate change mitigation strategy involves limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases from soils. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most forested province of Pakistan, hosting about one-third of the country’s 4.5 × 106 ha forest area. Soil organic carbon in the province’s forests was estimated through a field-based study carried out during 2014–17 covering the whole province. Data was collected from 373 sample plots laid out in different forest types using a stratified cluster sampling technique. The total quantity of soil organic carbon was estimated at 59.4 × 106 t with an average of 52.4 ± 5.3 t/ha. About 69% of the total soil carbon is present in temperate forests. Subtropical broad-leaved and subtropical pine forests constitute 11.4% and 8.8% of the soil carbon stock respectively. Similarly, subalpine and oak forests have respective shares of 5.1% and 5.7% in the soil carbon pool. The lowest carbon stock (0.1%) was found in dry-tropical thorn forests. The highest soil carbon density was found in subalpine forests (69.5 ± 7.2 t/ha) followed by moist temperate forests (68.5 ± 6.7 t/ha) and dry temperate forests (60.7 ± 6.5 t/ha). Oak forests have carbon density of 43.4 ± 7.1 t/ha. Subtropical pine, subtropical broad-leaved and dry tropical thorn forests have soil carbon densities of 36.3 ± 3.7, 32.8 ± 6.2 and 31.5 ± 3.5 t/ha, respectively. The forests of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have substantial amounts of soil carbon which must be conserved for climate change mitigation and maintenance of sound forest health.
Bench to bedside: The technology adoption pathway in healthcare
Authors: Clark Daniel , Dean Gerard , Bolton Sarah , Beeson Beth
Published: October 2019

New technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we manage health and wellbeing now and in the future. But often seen as expensive and difficult to implement, the challenge is to identify the best technology to deliver real patient benefit and support its rapid adoption to help address the funding difficulties faced by all modern healthcare systems. In this paper we consider the traditional linear model of the technology adoption pathway as it pertains to healthcare, look at common challenges faced traversing this path and suggest solutions. In so doing, we recognise the limitations of the linear model and describe our version of a more realistic, non-linear model. Throughout, we will be looking at the key role of the Clinical Engineer to successful healthcare technology adoption based on our experience of supporting medical device products through to adoption and present the key lessons we learnt along the way.
Coronary artery stenosis-related perfusion ratio using dynamic computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging: a pilot for identification of hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease
Authors: Kuwahara Natsumi , Tanabe Yuki , Kido Teruhito , Kurata Akira , Uetani Teruyoshi , Ochi Hitomi , Kawaguchi Naoto , Kido Tomoyuki , Ikeda Shuntaro , Yamaguchi Osamu , Asano Migiwa , Mochizuki Teruhito
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the stenosis-related quantitative perfusion ratio (QPR) for detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease (CAD). Twenty-seven patients were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) and coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) before invasive coronary angiography (ICA) measuring the fractional flow reserve (FFR). Coronary lesions with FFR ≤ 0.8 were defined as hemodynamically significant CAD. The myocardial blood flow (MBF) was calculated using dynamic CTP data, and CT-QPR was calculated as the CT-MBF relative to the reference CT-MBF. The stenosis-related CT-MBF and QPR were calculated using Voronoi diagram-based myocardial segmentation from coronary CTA data. The relationships between FFR and stenosis-related CT-MBF or QPR and the diagnostic performance of the stenosis-related CT-MBF and QPR were evaluated. Of 81 vessels, FFR was measured in 39 vessels, and 20 vessels (51%) in 15 patients were diagnosed as hemodynamically significant CAD. The stenosis-related CT-QPR showed better correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.05) than CT-MBF (r = 0.56, p < 0.05). Sensitivity and specificity for detecting hemodynamically significant CAD were 95% and 58% for CT-MBF, and 95% and 90% for CT-QPR, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the CT-QPR was significantly higher than that for the CT-MBF (0.94 vs. 0.79; p < 0.05). The stenosis-related CT-QPR derived from dynamic myocardial CTP and coronary CTA showed a better correlation with FFR and a higher diagnostic performance for detecting hemodynamically significant CAD than the stenosis-related CT-MBF.
Children’s Agency: Opportunities and Constraints
Authors: Sirkko Riikka , Kyrönlampi Taina , Puroila Anna-Maija
Published: October 2019

Children’s agency accords with the principles emphasised by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations in Convention on the rights of the child. UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Geneva. Retrieved from, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx, 1989). This study focuses on children’s opportunities for agency in first grade of a Finnish primary school. The research explored how children’s agency was evident in photographs taken by 16 children on their school experiences and discussions with the researcher about the photographs. A phenomenological approach was used in the analyses to identify four themes in the data: the social order of school; teacher’s pedagogical tools; break times; and learning new skills. In the school context, the children’s agency seemed to require continuous balancing between the children’s freedom and adults’ power and authority. Pedagogically, the results imply that the adults who work with children can listen closely to children’s voices in order to strengthen opportunities in classrooms and to support children’s sense of personal agency. The study challenges teachers to consider how classroom practices may divide or categorise some children and how these practice may reduce children’s participation, contribution and agency.
Phenolic Constituents with Antioxidative, Tyrosinase Inhibitory and Anti-aging Activities from Dendrobium loddigesii Rolfe
Authors: Ma Rui-Jing , Yang Liu , Bai Xue , Li Jin-Yu , Yuan Ming-Yan , Wang Ya-Qin , Xie Yong , Hu Jiang-Miao , Zhou Jun
Published: October 2019

Aqueous ethanol extracts of powdered stems of Dendrobium loddigesii afforded three new phenolics including threo-7-O-ethyl-9-O-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionyl-guaiacylglycerol (1), (R)-4,5,4ʹ-trihydroxy-3,3ʹ,α-trimethoxybibenzyl (2) and (S)-5,5′,7-trihydroxy-3′,4′-dimethoxyflavanone (3), together with eleven known analogues. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. To identify natural antioxidants, whitening, and anti-aging agents, the abilities of these phenolics were assessed to scavenge the 1,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, their abilities to inhibit tyrosinase production, and their abilities to stimulate collagen production by human dermal fibroblasts-adult (HDFa) assay. It was found that compounds 1, 4–8, 13 and 14 exhibited significant DPPH radical scavenging activities, compound 10 exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity (IC50 37.904 μg/mL), and compound 9 showed significant collagen production with an EC50 value of 3.182 μg/mL. These results suggest that phenolic constituents from D. loddigesii may be candidate antioxidants, skin-whitening and/or anti-aging agents.

Graphic Abstract
A jump-diffusion model for pricing electricity under price-cap regulation
Authors: Kegnenlezom M. , Takam Soh P. , Mbele Bidima M. L. D. , Emvudu Wono Y.
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we derive a new jump-diffusion model for electricity spot price from the “Price-Cap” principle. Next, we show that the model has a non-classical mean-reverting linear drift. Moreover, using this model, we compute a new exact formula for the price of forward contract under an equivalent martingale measure and we compare it to Cartea et al. (Appl Math Finance 12(4):313–335, 2005) formula.
Mechanical properties of highly porous PEEK bionanocomposites incorporated with carbon and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for scaffold applications
Authors: Uddin Md. Nizam , Dhanasekaran Puttagounder S. , Asmatulu Ramazan
Published: October 2019

Bone regeneration is of great importance worldwide, because of various bone diseases, such as infections, tumors, and resultant fracture, birth defects, and bone loss due to trauma, explosion, or accident. Bone regeneration can be achieved by several materials and templates manufactured through various fabrication techniques. Uses of different materials and scaffold fabrication techniques have been explored over the past 20 years. In this research, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) was used to fabricate highly porous bionanocomposite foams for bone scaffolding. Melt casting and salt porogen (200–500 µm size) leaching methods were adapted to create an adequate pore size and the necessary percent of porosity, because pore size plays a vital role in cell implantation and growth. Porosity (75% and 85%) of the prepared scaffolds was adjusted by changing salt concentrations in the PEEK powder. Hydroxyapatite (HA) and carbon particles were used to improve cell attachments and interactions with the porous PEEK and to increase the mechanical properties of the scaffold materials. Carbon fiber (CF) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly dispersed into the PEEK powder before melt casting to enhance the mechanical properties and to observe the influence of the carbon particles on the properties of PEEK bionanocomposite foam. Compression test results of the fabricated bionanocomposites showed that HA and carbon particles are the potential filler materials for the enhancement of bionanocomposite mechanical properties. About 186% enhancement of compression modulus and 43% enhancement of yield strength were observed while incorporating only 0.5 wt% of CNTs into PEEK/HA bionanocomposites having 75% porosity, compared to PEEK/HA 20 wt% bionanocomposites. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) test results reveal that pore size and interconnectivity of the nanocomposite foams are in order and within the designed sizes. Mechanical tests proved that PEEK bionanocomposite foam has the potential for use in bone scaffolding and other biomedical applications.
Towards a Paradigm Shift in Governing Data Access and Related Intellectual Property Rights in Big Data and Health-Related Research
Authors: Andanda Pamela
Published: October 2019

Big data is revolutionising the health care sector by making it easier to analyse large volumes of data. This enables health care providers to monitor individuals or systems in real time. However, the main concern with regard to big data in biomedicine is how to overcome the barriers to using such data for health-related research. The landscape of big data is still evolving and the law has not developed suitable principles for governing access to big data. This paper sketches the fuzzy contours of data ownership and related intellectual property rights to demonstrate that ownership is a concept that is ill-suited for governing rights in big data. The dawn of big data calls for an alternative normative framework. This framework must be capable of reconciling competing societal, individual and industries’ interests in the data with a view to ensuring fair access while minimising legal and ethical risks. Ultimately, the paper proposes a paradigm shift from ownership to custodianship in the governance of access and use of big data, particularly in international health-related research.
An application of Bayesian multilevel model to evaluate variations in stochastic and dynamic transition of traffic conditions
Authors: Kidando Emmanuel , Moses Ren , Sando Thobias , Ozguven Eren Erman
Published: October 2019

This study seeks to investigate the variations associated with lane lateral locations and days of the week in the stochastic and dynamic transition of traffic regimes (DTTR). In the proposed analysis, hierarchical regression models fitted using Bayesian frameworks were used to calibrate the transition probabilities that describe the DTTR. Datasets of two sites on a freeway facility located in Jacksonville, Florida, were selected for the analysis. The traffic speed thresholds to define traffic regimes were estimated using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM). The GMM revealed that two and three regimes were adequate mixture components for estimating the traffic speed distributions for Site 1 and 2 datasets, respectively. The results of hierarchical regression models show that there is considerable evidence that there are heterogeneity characteristics in the DTTR associated with lateral lane locations. In particular, the hierarchical regressions reveal that the breakdown process is more affected by the variations compared to other evaluated transition processes with the estimated intra-class correlation (ICC) of about 73%. The transition from congestion on-set/dissolution (COD) to the congested regime is estimated with the highest ICC of 49.4% in the three-regime model, and the lowest ICC of 1% was observed on the transition from the congested to COD regime. On the other hand, different days of the week are not found to contribute to the variations (the highest ICC was 1.44%) on the DTTR. These findings can be used in developing effective congestion countermeasures, particularly in the application of intelligent transportation systems, such as dynamic lane-management strategies.
Experimental and numerical study on surface roughness of magnetorheological elastomer for controllable friction
Authors: Li Rui , Li Xi , Li Yuanyuan , Yang Ping-an , Liu Jiushan
Published: October 2019

Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is a type of smart material of which mechanical and electrical properties can be reversibly controlled by the magnetic field. In this study, the influence of the magnetic field on the surface roughness of MRE was studied by the microscopic modeling method, and the influence of controllable characteristics of the MRE surface on its friction properties was analyzed by the macroscopic experimental method. First, on the basis of existing studies, an improved mesoscopic model based on magnetomechanical coupling analysis was proposed. The initial surface morphology of MRE was characterized by the W-M fractal function, and the change process of the surface microstructures of MRE, induced by the magnetic interaction between particles, was studied. Then, after analyzing the simulation results, it is found that with the increase in the magnetic field and decrease in the modulus of rubber matrix, the surface of MRE changes more significantly, and the best particle volume fraction is within 7.5%–9%. Furthermore, through experimental observation, it is found that the height of the convex peak on the surface of MRE decreases significantly with the action of the magnetic field, resulting in a reduction in the surface roughness. Consistent with the simulation results, a particle volume fraction of 10% corresponds to a maximum change of 14%. Finally, the macroscopic friction experiment results show that the friction coefficients of MREs with different particle volume fractions all decrease with the decrease in surface roughness under the magnetic field. When the particle volume fraction is 10%, the friction coefficient can decrease by 24.7% under a magnetic field of 400 mT, which is consistent with the trend of surface roughness changes. This shows that the change in surface morphology with the effect of the magnetic field is an important factor in the control of MRE friction properties by magnetic field.
Influence of the cotton and silastic seton on the distance of the anal sphincter cables after fistulotomy in rats
Authors: Lima Ana Laura Sanches , Gianini Beatriz Schorro , Santana Bruna Miranda , Santos Carlos Henrique Marques dos , Dourado Doroty Mesquita , Falcão Juliano Seger , Bannwart Lucas , Câmara Sara Jéssica Falcão
Published: October 2019

Rationale Fistulotomy is a procedure widely used in the treatment of anal fistulas but is associated with varying degrees of fecal incontinence that could be minimized by previous use of sedentum, and the material used may influence the outcome.

Purpouse To compare cotton and silastic used as setons in the spacing of the sphincter cables of rats subjected to fistulotomy.

Method Thirty Wistar rats were used, which after 30 days of fistula production were distributed in: Control Group (GC): the steel wire was removed, followed by fistulotomy; Cotton Group (GA) and Silastic Group (GS), in which were applied cotton and silastic setons respectively for 30 days when fistulotomy was performed; after seven days, euthanasia and removal of the specimens were performed for histological study, and the results were submitted to statistical assessment using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test, establishing a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results The distance between the muscular cables was 107.9 μm in the GC, 82.4 μm in the GA and 53.5 μm in the GS (p = 0.00001). The mean inflammation scores were 1.9 in the CG, 1.0 in the GA and 0 in the GS (p < 0.05). The fibrosis scores were 1.1 in GC, 0.9 in GA and 0.6 in GS (p > 0.05).

Conclusion The silastic seton prior to fistulotomy caused less detachment of the muscular cables and less local inflammatory process.
Evaluation of Foveal Avascular Zone and Capillary Plexus in Smokers Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Authors: Çiloğlu Emine , Unal Fikret , Alyamac Sukgen Emine , Kocluk Yusuf , Dogan Nese Cetin
Published: October 2019

Purpose:

To evaluate the macular microvasculature in smokers in comparison to healthy subjects using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods:

Fifty chronic, regular smokers and 50 healthy non-smokers, as a control group, were recruited for the study. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (mm2) and vessel density (VD) (%) in the superficial (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were evaluated.

Results:

FAZ area was 0.424 ± 0.100 mm2 in the smoker group and 0.333 ± 0.093 mm2 in the non-smoking control group (P = 0.002). The deep foveal VD was 31.76 ± 6.33% in the smoker group and 53.09 ± 5.88% in the non-smoking control group (P = 0.006). Superficial foveal and parafoveal, deep parafoveal VD were not statistically different between the groups (P = 0.120), (P = 0.337), (P = 0.287), respectively.

Conclusion:

In our study, there was an enlargement of FAZ and reduction of foveal VD at DCP in the eyes of smokers compared with non-smoking adults.
A Systematic Review of Human Trials Using Stem Cell Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Lokeshwar Soum D. , Patel Premal , Shah Serena M. , Ramasamy Ranjith
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Novel therapeutic modalities have been proposed for the treatment and management of erectile dysfunction (ED). Stem cell therapy (SCT) is the injection of mesenchymal stem cells or stromal vascular fractions from adipose and other tissue sources. Although SCT has been studied and reported in multiple rodent trials, few human clinical trials exist.

Aim

The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review of SCT for the treatment of ED with an emphasis on data from peer-reviewed human studies.

Methods

A systematic review was performed evaluating SCT for ED in human studies using PubMed-Medline and Scopus databases. Literature search was conducted using key words such as “Clinical Trials of SCT for ED,” “Stromal Vascular Fraction Treatment for ED,” and “SCT for ED.” Systematic review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Main Outcome Measure

The main outcomes measure was the safety and efficacy of SCT for ED in humans.

Results

5 studies specific to SCT for ED treatment were included. A total of 61 patients were included in these phase I and II clinical trials and follow-up periods ranged from 6−62 months. End points of the studies included safety, tolerability, and efficacy of SCT for ED. The majority of the studies demonstrated improvement in erectile function due to SCT in patients, including improvements in penile vascular flow, International Index of Erectile Function-15 items, and Erectile Hardness Scale scores. All of the studies reported that there were no serious adverse events for patients. Limitations of the studies included small cohort sizes, and only 1 contained a sham arm.

Conclusion

The 5 completed human clinical trials show promise for SCT as a restorative therapy for the treatment of ED. However, although promising, there still exists very limited data for the use of SCT for ED in humans. With the expansion of clinics offering SCT for ED, it is imperative that SCT is investigated further for safety, efficacy, and standardization.
The status of Eustachian tube balloon dilations in Nordic countries
Authors: Silvola Juha T. , Sinkkonen Saku T. , Wanscher Jens , Westman Eva , Holm Niels H. , Ovesen Therese
Published: October 2019

There is no unanimous consensus for indications of eustachian tube balloon dilation (ETBD). Nordic countries have relatively similar hospital organizations and treatment guidelines. Therefore, it was logical to organize a consensus meeting of ETBD. The symposium: Nordic Experiences on Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation, in Copenhagen, 30–31 March, 2017. The panellists from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and the attendees of the meeting agreed a consensus on the following issues: Candidates, Definition of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Diagnostic Work up, Differential Diagnosis, Contraindications, ETBD Procedure, Complications, Follow‐up, and Outcomes. The article also presents the status for ETBD in each of these countries. Thereafter the consensus statement has been discussed in the national societies and meetings for ear surgeons in each of these countries. It can be assumed that surgeons in the hospitals of these Nordic countries generally follow the recommendations from the consensus meeting.
Land‐Atmosphere Coupling Regimes in a Future Climate in Africa: From Model Evaluation to Projections Based on CORDEX‐Africa
Authors: Soares Pedro M. M. , Careto João A. M. , Cardoso Rita M. , Goergen Klaus , Trigo Ricardo M.
Published: October 2019

Land‐atmosphere coupling plays a crucial role in determining the evolution of weather and climate. In the current study, the full ensemble of CORDEX‐Africa climate change simulations is used to understand how strong and weak coupling regions in Africa will evolve in the future. The ability of the regional climate models to capture the coupling signal relies on a reasonable representation of near surface air temperature, precipitation, surface fluxes, and soil moisture. A thorough model evaluation reveals typical shortcomings in the representation of the African climate, in particular seasonal precipitation. The multimodel ensemble mean outperforms the individual models and is therefore used for the investigation of the land‐atmosphere coupling. This ensemble mean shows a widespread warming in Africa and changes in precipitation, such as a decrease in the Sahel during summer and an increase in western Africa during summer and autumn. The coupling analysis relies on surface fluxes, the related evaporative fraction and their correlations as well as the correlation between evaporative fraction and soil moisture. Overall, water‐limited regions that exhibit a strong land‐atmosphere coupling are projected to expand further southward in West Africa and further northward in southern Africa. This is particularly true over the Sahel during spring and summer, when the strong coupling region shifts southward, indicating a potential expansion of the semiarid and arid regions. A transition of energy limited regimes, with weak coupling, to water‐limited regimes where soil moisture plays a more important role, is projected for the end of the 21st century as drying continues.
The Community Land Model Version 5: Description of New Features, Benchmarking, and Impact of Forcing Uncertainty
Authors: Lawrence David M. , Fisher Rosie A. , Koven Charles D. , Oleson Keith W. , Swenson Sean C. , Bonan Gordon , Collier Nathan , Ghimire Bardan , van Kampenhout Leo , Kennedy Daniel , Kluzek Erik , Lawrence Peter J. , Li Fang , Li Hongyi , Lombardozzi Danica , Riley William J. , Sacks William J. , Shi Mingjie , Vertenstein Mariana , Wieder William R. , Xu Chonggang , Ali Ashehad A. , Badger Andrew M. , Bisht Gautam , van den Broeke Michiel , Brunke Michael A. , Burns Sean P. , Buzan Jonathan , Clark Martyn , Craig Anthony , Dahlin Kyla , Drewniak Beth , Fisher Joshua B. , Flanner Mark , Fox Andrew M. , Gentine Pierre , Hoffman Forrest , Keppel‐Aleks Gretchen , Knox Ryan , Kumar Sanjiv , Lenaerts Jan , Leung L. Ruby , Lipscomb William H. , Lu Yaqiong , Pandey Ashutosh , Pelletier Jon D. , Perket Justin , Randerson James T. , Ricciuto Daniel M. , Sanderson Benjamin M. , Slater Andrew , Subin Zachary M. , Tang Jinyun , Thomas R. Quinn , Val Martin Maria , Zeng Xubin
Published: October 2019

The Community Land Model (CLM) is the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and is used in several global and regional modeling systems. In this paper, we introduce model developments included in CLM version 5 (CLM5), which is the default land component for CESM2. We assess an ensemble of simulations, including prescribed and prognostic vegetation state, multiple forcing data sets, and CLM4, CLM4.5, and CLM5, against a range of metrics including from the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMBv2) package. CLM5 includes new and updated processes and parameterizations: (1) dynamic land units, (2) updated parameterizations and structure for hydrology and snow (spatially explicit soil depth, dry surface layer, revised groundwater scheme, revised canopy interception and canopy snow processes, updated fresh snow density, simple firn model, and Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport), (3) plant hydraulics and hydraulic redistribution, (4) revised nitrogen cycling (flexible leaf stoichiometry, leaf N optimization for photosynthesis, and carbon costs for plant nitrogen uptake), (5) global crop model with six crop types and time‐evolving irrigated areas and fertilization rates, (6) updated urban building energy, (7) carbon isotopes, and (8) updated stomatal physiology. New optional features include demographically structured dynamic vegetation model (Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator), ozone damage to plants, and fire trace gas emissions coupling to the atmosphere. Conclusive establishment of improvement or degradation of individual variables or metrics is challenged by forcing uncertainty, parametric uncertainty, and model structural complexity, but the multivariate metrics presented here suggest a general broad improvement from CLM4 to CLM5.
Parameterization and Surface Data Improvements and New Capabilities for the Community Land Model Urban (CLMU)
Authors: Oleson K. W. , Feddema J.
Published: October 2019

The Community Land Model Urban (CLMU) is an urban parameterization developed to simulate urban climate within a global Earth System Model framework. This paper describes and evaluates parameterization and surface data improvements, and new capabilities that have been implemented since the initial release of CLMU in 2010 as part of version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4) and the Community Earth System Model (CESM®). These include: 1) an expansion of model capability to simulate multiple urban density classes within each model grid cell; 2) a more sophisticated and realistic building space heating and air conditioning submodel; 3) a revised global dataset of urban morphological, radiative, and thermal properties utilized by the model, including a tool that allows for generating future urban development scenarios, and 4) the inclusion of a module to simulate various heat stress indices. The model and data are evaluated using observed data from five urban flux tower sites and a global anthropogenic heat flux (AHF) dataset. Generally, the new version of the model simulates urban radiative and turbulent fluxes, surface temperatures, and AHF as well or better than the previous version. Significant improvements in the global and regional simulation of AHF are also demonstrated that are primarily due to the new building energy model. The new model is available as part of the public release of CLM5 and CESM2.0.
Coral Records of Variable Stress Impacts and Possible Acclimatization to Recent Marine Heat Wave Events on the Northwest Shelf of Australia
Authors: Clarke H. , D'Olivo J. P. , Conde M. , Evans R. D. , McCulloch M. T.
Published: October 2019

The ability of massive corals to record the impacts of marine heat wave events provides a unique perspective into the variable responses of corals to anthropogenic climate change. In this study, coral cores (Porites spp.) were collected from seven reef sites across the inner‐, mid‐, and outer‐NW shelf of Australia, to examine seasonal patterns of trace element (TE), Sr/Ca and Li/Mg ratios, and extension rate signatures associated with past marine heat waves in the region. TE anomalies and declines in linear extension rate were observed in the records during the late 1990s (two of five records) and more recently during the summers of 2011 (three of seven records) and 2013 (five of seven records), indicating the impacts of marine heat waves have become increasingly widespread in the region. However, for the summers of 2011 and 2013, no significant relationships were observed between the magnitude of these TE ratio anomalies in the core records and maximum thermal stresses predicted at the reef sites from high‐resolution satellite records. We show that the strongest individual reductions in linear extension rates and associated TE ratio anomalies occurred during the 2011 heat wave, rather than during the subsequent and more intense (~1 °C warmer) 2013 event. Together, these observations suggest that at the local reef scale, Porites spp. colonies and their symbionts exhibit differential responses to heat wave events, with the prior exposure to less intense events probably playing an important role in acclimatization.
Does Io Have a Magma Ocean?
Authors: McEwen Alfred , de Kleer Katherine , Park Ryan
Published: October 2019

Future space missions will further our knowledge of tidal heating and orbital resonances, processes thought to create spectacular volcanism and oceans of magma or water on other worlds.
The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall
Authors: Sima Richard
Published: October 2019

New research tracking 1.8 million trees found that tall trees died at more than twice the rate of smaller ones toward the end of extreme and persistent drought.
Scientific Integrity Act Passes House Committee
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2019

Legislation would require federal science agencies to adopt and enforce strong scientific integrity policies.
Comment on “Climate Impact of a Regional Nuclear Weapon Exchange: An Improved Assessment Based on Detailed Source Calculations” by Reisner et al.
Authors: Robock Alan , Toon Owen B. , Bardeen Charles G.
Published: October 2019

Reisner et al. revisited a study we had done modeling the climate impacts of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, in which fires started by 100 15‐kt atomic bombs would produce 5 Tg of soot injected into the upper troposphere, and subsequently lofted into the lower stratosphere. Their claim that there would be much less smoke than in our results is wrong for several reasons. They chose a target area of suburban Atlanta that includes a golf course, playground, and individual houses with large yards, with little material to burn, which is not representative of densely populated cities in India and Pakistan. The fire they modeled is not typical of the type of mass fire likely to result from a nuclear attack on cities. They used winds that are stronger than typical winds. They did not allow moist convection, which would be important in convective lofting of the smoke. Their claim that if they included convection the resulting rain would wash out the smoke is not supported by observations of pyrocumulonimbus injection of smoke into the stratosphere from forest fires. And they used a fire model that they have not made available for other scientists to try to reproduce their work, and which has not been shown to accurately simulate firestorms observed in Hamburg, Dresden, and Hiroshima during World War II. They significantly underestimate the amount of smoke, and climate and agricultural impacts likely after a nuclear war.
Reply to Comment by Robock et al. on “Climate Impact of a Regional Nuclear Weapon Exchange: An Improved Assessment Based on Detailed Source Calculations”
Authors: Reisner Jon , Koo Eunmo , Hunke Elizabeth , Dubey Manvendra
Published: October 2019

Key Points

firestorms are difficult to form

black carbon source scales in a nonlinear fashion with regard to fuel load

Reisner et al.'s paper was indeed the worst case
Correlation Between Shoreline Change and Planform Curvature on Wave‐Dominated, Sandy Coasts
Authors: Lauzon R. , Murray A. B. , Cheng S. , Liu J. , Ells K. D. , Lazarus E. D.
Published: October 2019

Low‐lying, wave‐dominated, sandy coastlines can exhibit high rates of shoreline change that may impact coastal infrastructure, habitation, recreation, and economy. Efforts to understand and quantify controls on shoreline change typically examine factors such as sea‐level rise; anthropogenic modifications; geologic substrate, nearshore bathymetry, and regional geography; and sediment grain size. The role of shoreline planform curvature, however, tends to be overlooked. Theoretical and numerical model considerations indicate that incident offshore waves interacting with even subtle shoreline curvature can drive gradients in net alongshore sediment flux that can cause significant erosion or accretion. However, these predictions or assumptions have not often been tested against observations, especially over large spatial and temporal scales. Here, we examined the correlation between shoreline curvature and shoreline change rates for spatially extended segments of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts (~1,700 km total). Where shoreline stabilization (nourishment or hard structures) does not dominate the shoreline change signal, we find a significant negative correlation between shoreline curvature and shoreline change rates (i.e., convex‐seaward curvature [promontories] is associated with shoreline erosion, and concave‐seaward curvature [embayments] with accretion) at spatial scales of 1–5 km alongshore and timescales of decades to centuries. This indicates that shoreline changes observed in these reaches can be explained in part by gradients in alongshore sediment flux acting to smooth spatial variations in shoreline curvature. Our results suggest that shoreline curvature should be included as a key variable in modeling and risk assessment of coastal change on wave‐dominated, sandy coastlines.