bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pre-Columbian soil fertilization and current management maintain food resource availability in old-growth Amazonian forests
Authors: Levis Carolina , Peña-Claros Marielos , Clement Charles R. , Costa Flavia R. C. , Alves Rubana Palhares , Ferreira Maria Julia , Figueiredo Camila Guarim , Bongers Frans
Published: March 2020

Aims

The extent and persistence of pre-Columbian human legacies in old-growth Amazonian forests are still controversial, partly because modern societies re-occupied old settlements, challenging the distinction between pre- and post-Columbian legacies. Here, we compared the effects of pre-Columbian vs. recent landscape domestication processes on soils and vegetation in two Amazonian regions.

Methods

We studied forest landscapes at varying distances from pre-Columbian and current settlements inside protected areas occupied by traditional and indigenous peoples in the lower Tapajós and the upper-middle Madeira river basins. By conducting 69 free-listing interviews, participatory mappings, guided-tours, 27 forest inventories, and soil analysis, we assessed the influences of pre-Columbian and current activities in soils and plant resources surrounding the settlements.

Results

In both regions, we found that pre-Columbian villages were more densely distributed across the landscape than current villages. Soil nutrients (mainly Ca and P) were higher closer to pre-Columbian villages but were generally not related to current villages, suggesting past soil fertilization. Soil charcoal was frequent in all forests, suggesting frequent fire events. The density of domesticated plants used for food increased in phosphorus enriched soils. In contrast, the density of plants used for construction decreased near current villages.

Conclusions

We detected a significant effect of past soil fertilization on food resources over extensive areas, supporting the hypothesis that pre-Columbian landscape domestication left persistent marks on Amazonian landscapes. Our results suggest that a combination of pre-Columbian phosphorus fertilization with past and current management drives plant resource availability in old-growth forests.
Quantitative analysis of automatic performance evaluation systems based on the h-index
Authors: Hauer Marc P. , Hofmann Xavier C. R. , Krafft Tobias D. , Zweig Katharina A.
Published: March 2020

Since the h-index has been invented, it is the most frequently discussed bibliometric value and one of the most commonly used metrics to quantify a researcher’s scientific output. The more it is increasingly gaining popularity to use the metric as an indication of the quality of a job applicant or an employee the more important it is to assure its correctitude. Many platforms offer the h-index of a scientist as a service, sometimes without the explicit knowledge of the respective person. In this article we show that looking up the h-index for a researcher on the five most commonly used platforms, namely AMiner, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus and Web of Science, results in a variance that is in many cases as large as the average value. This is due to the varying definitions of what a scientific article is, the underlying data basis, and different qualities of the entity recognition problem. To perform our study, we crawled the h-index of the worlds top researchers according to two different rankings, all the Nobel Prize laureates except Literature and Peace, and the teaching staff of the computer science department of the TU Kaiserslautern Germany with whom we additionally computed their h-index manually. Thus we showed that the individual h-indices differ to an alarming extent between the platforms. We observed that researchers with an extraordinary high h-index and researchers with an index appropriate to the scientific career path and the respective scientific field are affected alike by these problems.
Disconnected Lives: Trends in Time Spent Alone in Finland
Authors: Anttila Timo , Selander Kirsikka , Oinas Tomi
Published: March 2020

Discussions about social isolation have been extensive over the past few decades. A less sociable nature of social ties has been identified in Western societies. The phenomenon has been associated with demographic changes such as aging and living alone as well as changes in the use of new technologies. In this study we employ representative Finnish Time Use Surveys from three decades, 1987–1988 (n = 1887), 1999–2000 (n = 2673) and 2009–2010 (n = 1887) to examine the trends in social isolation, measured as time spent alone. Our results showed that between 1987 and 2010 the time spent alone increased by 124 min per day. The increase was linear and occurred in nearly all population groups. Structural factors, such as aging and an increase in the number of single households, are strongly associated with increased time spent alone. Time spent alone has increased, especially during leisure activities. Specifically, time spent watching television and using computers is associated with the decreasing tendency for face-to-face interaction.
An Epidemiological Model of Malaria Accounting for Asymptomatic Carriers
Authors: Aguilar Jacob B. , Gutierrez Juan B.
Published: March 2020

Asymptomatic individuals in the context of malarial disease are subjects who carry a parasite load, but do not show clinical symptoms. A correct understanding of the influence of asymptomatic individuals on transmission dynamics will provide a comprehensive description of the complex interplay between the definitive host (femaleAnophelesmosquito), intermediate host (human), and agent (Plasmodiumparasite). The goal of this article is to conduct a rigorous mathematical analysis of a new compartmentalized malaria model accounting for asymptomatic human hosts for the purpose of calculating the basic reproductive number ($$\mathcal {R}_0$$R0) and determining the bifurcations that might occur at the onset of disease-free equilibrium. A point of departure of this model from others appearing in the literature is that the asymptomatic compartment is decomposed into two mutually disjoint sub-compartments by making use of the naturally acquired immunity of the population under consideration. After deriving the model, a qualitative analysis is carried out to classify the stability of the equilibria of the system. Our results show that the dynamical system is locally asymptotically stable provided that$$\mathcal {R}_0<1$$R0<1. However, this stability is not global, owning to the occurrence of a sub-critical bifurcation in which additional non-trivial sub-threshold equilibrium solutions appear in response to a specified parameter being perturbed. To ensure that the model does not undergo a backward bifurcation, we demand an auxiliary parameter denoted$$\varLambda <1$$Λ<1in addition to the threshold constraint$$\mathcal {R}_0<1$$R0<1. The authors hope that this qualitative analysis will fill in the gaps of what is currently known about asymptomatic malaria and aid in designing strategies that assist the further development of malaria control and eradication efforts.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia in 2020: the Future Has Arrived
Authors: Milne Kate , Sturrock Beattie , Chevassut Timothy
Published: March 2020

Purpose of Review

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is now recognised as a heterogenous disease with a variety of clinical outcomes. Here we summarise the way it is currently stratified according to genetic risk and patient characteristics and the treatment approaches used for these different subgroups.

Recent Findings

Certain patients appear to sustain MRD negativity after combination chemoimmunotherapy, leading to the suggestion that their CLL may be cured. However, 17p-deleted, p53-mutated or IGHV-UM subgroups are generally resistant to FCR, and much better responses are seen with ibrutinib and venetoclax, frequently inducing MRD negativity that hopefully will be translated into durable remissions.

Small molecule inhibitors have already revolutionised CLL treatment. Going forward, we anticipate their use in the majority of patients, early after diagnosis and with curative intent.
Amalgamated gold-nanoalloys with enhanced catalytic activity for the detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) in seawater samples
Authors: Logan Natasha , McVey Claire , Elliott Christopher , Cao Cuong
Published: March 2020

Mercury (Hg) is extremely toxic, and continues to cause major threats to aquatic life, human health and the environment. Hg2+ mainly derives from seawater as a product of atmospheric deposition, therefore there is great demand for sensing approaches that can detect Hg2+ in seawater samples. Herein, we demonstrate that the peroxidase-mimicking activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) or so-called nanozymes, can be exploited for the detection of Hg2+ ions in various water samples. In a high electrolyte environment, the catalytic activity for the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was significantly diminished due to poor stability of the bare-AuNPs. This activity was reduced by ∼ 73.7% when the NaCl concentration was higher than 1.168%, which is much lower than that of seawater (∼ 3.5%), thus presenting its unsuitability for detecting Hg2+ in harsh water matrices. To overcome this limitation, AuNPs were first functionalized with oligo-ethylene glycol (OEG), of which their colloidal form presented high stability in NaCl concentrations up to 20% and across a wide range of pHs from 1–14. Interestingly, the catalytic activity of OEG-AuNPs for the oxidation of TMB was strongly suppressed by the coating, but enhanced upon formation of Au-Hg amalgamation. This novel finding underlies a straightforward, sensitive, and highly selective detection platform for Hg2+ in water samples. The approach could detect the exposure limit level for Hg2+ in drinking water (i.e., 2 ppb for tap and bottled water) as set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). When Hg2+ was spiked into a 3.5% saline solution and a coastal seawater certified reference material (CRM), the detection limits were found to be 10 and 13 ppb, respectively, which exceed the Hg2+ concentrations commonly found within seawater (~ 60–80 ppb). The whole procedure takes less than 45 min to conduct, providing a highly innovative, rapid and low-cost approach for detecting Hg2+ in complex water matrices.
Phylogeography of Acartia tonsa Dana, 1849 (Calanoida: Copepoda) and phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Acartia Dana, 1846
Authors: Figueroa Nicole J. , Figueroa Diego F. , Hicks David
Published: March 2020

The calanoid copepod,Acartia tonsaDana, 1849 is one of the most abundant and well-studied estuarian species with a worldwide distribution. In this research, we use the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene to study the phylogeography ofA. tonsaby analyzing sequences from specimens collected in the western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) along with all sequences from previous research. We reconstruct the phylogeny for the genusAcartiaDana, 1846 and highlight numerous potential misidentifications ofAcartiaspecies deposited in GenBank. The incorrect taxonomy assigned to some of these sequences results in apparently paraphyletic relationships. This study demonstrates thatA. tonsais a species complex with multiple, deeply diverging, lineages of varying geographic affinities. Multiple new lineages are found in the Texas GOM that is basal to northwestern Atlantic lineages with phylogenetic connectivity also observed between Brazil and the Texas GOM. Results show two major phylogeographic breaks in the North American continent, one at the border between the Gulf of Mexico and the Northwest Atlantic, and the other at about 35° N. One of the major clades in theA. tonsaspecies complex shows a clear pattern of divergence that follows the prevailing currents. Within this clade, older lineages are found in the western GOM while newer lineages are found in the eastern GOM and the southern coast of the northwest Atlantic, with the youngest lineages diversifying in the north. The results show thatA. tonsacan be used as a model species for observing phylogeographical structuring of coastal plankton along the American continent.
Asynchronous Lagrangian scenario decomposition
Authors: Aravena Ignacio , Papavasiliou Anthony
Published: March 2020

We present a distributed asynchronous algorithm for solving two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programs (SMIP) using scenario decomposition, aimed at industrial-scale instances of the stochastic unit commitment (SUC) problem. The algorithm is motivated by large differences in run times observed among scenario subproblems of SUC instances, which can result in inefficient use of distributed computing resources by synchronous parallel algorithms. Our algorithm performs dual iterations asynchronously using a block-coordinate subgradient descent method which allows performing block-coordinate updates using delayed information, while candidate primal solutions are recovered from the solutions of scenario subproblems using heuristics. We present a high performance computing implementation of the asynchronous algorithm, detailing the operations performed by each parallel process and the communication mechanisms among them. We conduct numerical experiments using SUC instances of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council system with up to 1000 scenarios and of the Central Western European system with up to 120 scenarios. We also conduct numerical experiments on generic SMIP instances from the SIPLIB library (DCAP and SSLP). The results demonstrate the general applicability of the proposed algorithm and its ability to solve industrial-scale SUC instances within operationally acceptable time frames. Moreover, we find that an equivalent synchronous parallel algorithm would leave cores idle up to 80.4% of the time on our realistic test instances, an observation which underscores the need for designing asynchronous optimization schemes in order to fully exploit distributed computing on real world applications.
The challenge of intracellular temperature
Authors: Suzuki Madoka , Plakhotnik Taras
Published: March 2020

This short review begins with a brief introductory summary of luminescence nanothermometry. Current applications of luminescence nanothermometry are introduced in biological contexts. Then, theoretical bases of the “temperature” that luminescence nanothermometry determines are discussed. This argument is followed by the 105 gap issue between simple calculation and the measurements reported in literatures. The gap issue is challenged by recent literatures reporting single-cell thermometry using non-luminescent probes, as well as a report that determines the thermal conductivity of a single lipid bilayer using luminescence nanothermometry. In the end, we argue if we can be optimistic about the solution of the 105 gap issue.
Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 in Wastewater and Urban Surface Waters in Germany
Authors: Beyer Sophia , Szewzyk Regine , Gnirss Regina , Johne Reimar , Selinka Hans-Christoph
Published: March 2020

In highly populated areas, environmental surveillance of wastewater and surface waters is a key factor to control the circulation of viruses and risks for public health. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is considered as an emerging pathogen in industrialized countries. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of HEV in environmental waters in urban and suburban regions in Germany. HEV was monitored in water samples using quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and nested RT-PCR without or with virus concentration via polyethylene glycol precipitation or ultracentrifugation. By RT-qPCR, 84–100% of influent samples of wastewater treatment plants were positive for HEV RNA. Genotypes HEV-3c and 3f were identified in wastewater, with HEV-3c being the most prevalent genotype. These data correlate with subtypes identified earlier in patients from the same area. Comparison of wastewater influent and effluent samples revealed a reduction of HEV RNA of about 1 log10 during passage through wastewater treatment plants. In addition, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) after heavy rainfalls were shown to release HEV RNA into surface waters. About 75% of urban river samples taken during these CSO events were positive for HEV RNA by RT-qPCR. In contrast, under normal weather conditions, only around 30% of river samples and 15% of samples from a bathing water located at an urban river were positive for HEV. Median concentrations of HEV RNA of all tested samples at this bathing water were below the limit of detection.
Multisensory satellite observations of the expansion of the Batagaika crater and succession of vegetation in its interior from 1991 to 2018
Authors: Vadakkedath Vishakh , Zawadzki Jarosław , Przeździecki Karol
Published: March 2020

On-site monitoring in large areas located in inaccessible regions can be difficult and costly. Thus remote sensing is an essential tool for mapping and monitoring changes in such regions. Therefore, this paper describes long-term multisensory satellite observations of the expansion of the Batagaika crater in Northern Siberia and natural succession of vegetation in its interior from 1991 to 2018. Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 + ETM, Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS imageries were mainly used as a data source for analyses, although Sentinel-2A imagery and DEM image from ASTER satellite were also employed for calculating a vegetation index and expansion in the crater area. The observations were conducted in years 1991–2018 and were made in a summer season. The results reveal that the crater area increased by almost three times during these 27 years and that the fastest expansion took place between 2010 and 2014 with 22.7% increment. The analysis of elevation of the crater revealed that in 2018 its maximum depth was ca 70 m and that depth was decreasing towards its north-east tail. Additionally, the satellite imagery of land surface temperature which is a driving force of crater expansion was visualized for chosen hot days within the time frame 2010–2018. The study of temporal and spatial changes in NDVI spatial distributions inside the crater revealed also a high rate of the succession of vegetation, which may reduce melting of permafrost inside the Batagaika crater and its further expansion.
Use of coal beneficiation tailings as solid sorbents in the treatment of nitrate-contaminated real wastewater
Authors: Nunes Keila Guerra Pacheco , Illi Júlia Carolina , Dávila Ivone Vanessa Jurado , Feris Liliana Amaral
Published: March 2020

This work evaluates the application efficiency of coal tailings beneficiation as a solid sorbent in the treatment of real wastewater contaminated with nitrate. The solid was characterized by XDR, SEM, FTIR and TGA. Adsorption experiments were performed in batch evaluating the effects of pH, solids concentration and contact time parameters. The kinetics of nitrate adsorption was evaluated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. Equilibrium isotherms for this system were analyzed at three different temperatures (298, 308 and 318 K) by Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips models. The best results from the adsorption experiments were pH 6, contact time of 60 min and 1 g 100 mL−1 of solid. The thermodynamics model that best described the behavior of the process was Sips. By applying these conditions to real wastewater, a nitrate removal of 93% was achieved. This result shows that adsorption using coal beneficiation tailings is technically possible.
The assessment of water quality in river Molo water basin, Kenya
Authors: Chebet Emily B. , Kibet Joshua K. , Mbui Damaris
Published: March 2020

The monitoring of water quality for both domestic and commercial use is absolutely essential for policy formulation that affects both public and environmental health. This study investigates the quality of water of river Molo system which lies in the Kenyan Rift Valley. The river is considered a vital source of water for the residents and industrial activities in Nakuru and Baringo Counties. Six water samples were collected during the dry season of December 2017. Various physicochemical parameters were determined in situ by use of a portable pH meter. These parameters included pH, temperature, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids (TDS). Anions such as fluorides, sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, chlorides, carbonates and bicarbonates were determined using conventional methods such as titrimetry and (ultra-violet visible) UV–Vis techniques. The cations including sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were determined using flame photometry. The results showed that the water had pH values ranging from 7.90 to 9.66 units, temperature ranged from 14.02 to 31.5 °C, while electrical conductivity ranged from 181 to 1637 μS/cm, TDS (69–823 mg/L), F (2.76–3.28 mg/L), sulfates (4.97–85.66 mg/L), phosphates (0.13–11.06 mg/L), nitrates (1.73–6.16 mg/L), chlorides (38.5–69.4 mg/L), carbonates (18–148 mg/L), bicarbonates (54–384 mg/L), sodium (19–1800 mg/L), potassium (8.9–121 mg/L), magnesium (4.8–106.8 mg/L) and calcium (13.4–77.4 mg/L). The pH, temperature, fluorides and sodium were above the World Health Organization permissible limits for drinking water in S4 and S5. All the water samples fall under bicarbonate or freshwater zone. The sampling points can be classified into five water types: Na–Mg–Ca–HCO3, Na–HCO3, Na–Ca–Mg–HCO3–CO3, Na and Na–Ca–HCO3–CO3. Chemical indices such as sodium adsorption ratio, magnesium hazard, percent sodium and permeability index are reported. Accordingly, the findings from this work indicate that the river Molo water in general is good for irrigation.
Role-Value Maps and General Concept Inclusions in the Minimal Description Logic with Value Restrictions or Revisiting Old Skeletons in the DL Cupboard
Authors: Baader Franz , Théron Clément
Published: March 2020

We investigate the impact that general concept inclusions and role-value maps have on the complexity and decidability of reasoning in the description logic$$\mathcal{FL}_0$$FL0. On the one hand, we give a more direct proof for ExpTime-hardness of subsumption w.r.t. general concept inclusions in$$\mathcal{FL}_0$$FL0. On the other hand, we determine restrictions on role-value maps that ensure decidability of subsumption, but we also show undecidability for the cases where these restrictions are not satisfied.
Commentary on “From unidimensional to multidimensional inequality: a review”
Authors: Bosmans Kristof
Published: March 2020

This commentary on the review by Andreoli and Zoli questions the requirement of consistency between aggregation procedures and suggests that multidimensional inequality measurement benefits from an explicit account of allocative efficiency.
Analyzing the condition of Japanese electricity cost linkages by fossil fuel sources after the Fukushima disaster
Authors: Aruga Kentaka
Published: March 2020

This study analyzes the dynamics of the linkages among costs of electricity generation via crude oil, natural gas, and coal for the periods before and after the Fukushima accident. We find that Markov regime switching in the cost spreads between the fossil fuels has become more frequent after the Fukushima accident. Johansen and Bierens–Martins cointegration tests also indicate that since the accident, the oil and gas relationship has become more evident, while the cost relationships between coal and other fossil fuels have weakened. These results might reflect changes in Japanese energy policy since the accident to promote LNG and compensate for the reduced energy supply from closing the nuclear power plants, while concurrently coping to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement to reduce CO2emissions.
Exploring the associations between middle adolescent romantic activity and positive youth development
Authors: Beckmeyer Jonathon J. , Weybright Elizabeth H.
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Although prior research has demonstrated romantic involvement can negatively impact adolescent well‐being, it may also provide a context for developing characteristics of positive youth development (PYD). The present study explored the associations between adolescent romantic involvement and PYD. Study aim‐1 determined if participation in different romantic activities was associated with PYD. Study aim‐2 specifically focused on adolescents in romantic relationships, testing if relationship quality was associated with PYD.

Methods

The study was a secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data from the age‐15 assessment of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Study aim‐1 used data from 826 15‐year‐olds (50% female) who reported their romantic socializing, dating, and relationship involvement. Study aim‐2 used data from 190 15‐year‐olds (52% female) in romantic relationships who reported positive and negative interactions in their relationships. For both study aims, PYD was assessed as psychosocial maturity, peer competence, and school bonding.

Results

Based on hierarchical regression models, romantic socializing was positively associated with psychosocial maturity, peer competence, and school bonding; dating was positively associated with peer competence and school bonding; and relationship involvement was negatively associated with psychosocial maturity and school bonding. In terms of relationship quality, only one significant association emerged such that positive interactions were positively associated with peer competence.

Conclusions

Overall, results supported the expectation that romantic involvement is associated with PYD during middle adolescence. However, the potential benefits of romantic involvement may be limited to the on‐time romantic activities of romantic socializing and dating.
Occurrence of Pulmonary Oil Microembolism After Testosterone Undecanoate Injection: A Postmarketing Safety Analysis
Authors: Pastuszak Alexander W. , Hu Yiqun , Freid Jeffrey D.
Published: March 2020

Background

The Aveed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program was instituted because of potential risk of pulmonary oil microembolism (POME) and/or anaphylaxis after intramuscular injection of Aveed (testosterone undecanoate), indicated for treatment of adult male patients with congenital or acquired primary hypogonadism or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Aim

To analyze the reporting rate of POME associated with testosterone undecanoate administration (750 mg/3 mL) during postmarketing surveillance.

Methods

The Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc database was searched for POME reports occurring from testosterone undecanoate approval on March 5, 2014, through June 30, 2018. Each case was reviewed and adjudicated by a drug safety physician to confirm the reported event had predefined clinical characteristics consistent with POME.

Outcomes

Annual rate and clinical features of spontaneously reported POME cases were characterized.

Results

During the 4.3-year period, 90,092 doses of intramuscular testosterone undecanoate were distributed via an Aveed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program to health-care professionals for patient treatment. Of 633 individual case safety reports in the Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc safety database, 28 spontaneously reported adverse events were classified as POME, for a yearly spontaneously reported adverse event per-injection rate of <0.1%. Most (21/22) events resolved, and of those with a resolution time reported, most (13/17) resolved in ≤30 minutes. More than 60% (13/21) of patients required no medical intervention (ie, the POME event resolved spontaneously). One fatality was reported 18 months after a documented POME event and appeared unrelated to the reported testosterone undecanoate injection or subsequent injections after the POME event. In 3 out of 4 POME cases with symptoms serious enough to require an emergency room visit, issues with injection technique or dosing were identified as a potential contributing factor.

Clinical Implications

Injection technique and proper product usage are key elements in the prevention of POME events.

Strengths & Limitations

The reported rate of POME events was determined from a real-world clinical practice patient population; however, postmarketing safety data typically are underreported and retrospective in nature.

Conclusion

POME events appear to be rare, with resolution occurring quickly without medical intervention in most cases.
Phase II Randomized, Clinical Trial Evaluating 2 Schedules of Low-Intensity Shockwave Therapy for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Patel Premal , Katz Jonathan , Lokeshwar Soum D. , Molina Manuel , Reis Isildinha M. , Clavijo Raul , Ramasamy Ranjith
Published: March 2020

Purpose

To evaluate safety and clinical response of Low-intensity Shockwave Therapy (Li-SWT) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Materials & Methods

A single-institution, 2 arm, phase II randomized clinical trial was conducted between February 2017 and April 2019. Patients were randomized into 2 groups, with Li-SWT delivering a total of 3,600 shocks over 5 days (720 once a day, Group A) or over 2 weeks (600 once a day, 3 times a week, Group B). Patients were evaluated for the safety of therapy and completed the International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function domain and the Erectile Hardness Scale assessment at baseline, and at 1, 3, and 6 months visits.

Results

Among 87 evaluable patients, 45 and 42 were allocated to Groups A and B treatment schedules, respectively, and 80 patients (40 per group) completed the 6-month evaluation. No adverse events were reported during treatment or during follow-up. There were statistically significant (P < .05) improvements in International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function score (mean increase of 2.7 [95% CI = 1.2, 4.2] and 2.7 points [95% CI = 1.4, 4.1] for Groups A and B, respectively) and in Erectile Hardness Scale (mean increase of 0.6 points (95% CI = 0.3, 0.8) and 0.5 (95% CI = 0.2, 0.8) for Groups A and B, respectively) at 6 months, with no differences between groups.

Conclusion

No difference in outcomes was found when Li-SWT 3,600 shocks were delivered over 1 or 2 weeks at 6 months follow-up and both schedules were safe with no adverse events during or after treatment. Further trials with longer follow-up and sham arm will provide valuable information regarding treatment efficacy and durability.
Comparative Assessment of Various Machine Learning‐Based Bias Correction Methods for Numerical Weather Prediction Model Forecasts of Extreme Air Temperatures in Urban Areas
Authors: Cho Dongjin , Yoo Cheolhee , Im Jungho , Cha Dong‐Hyun
Published: March 2020

Forecasts of maximum and minimum air temperatures are essential to mitigate the damage of extreme weather events such as heat waves and tropical nights. The Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model has been widely used for forecasting air temperature, but generally it has a systematic bias due to its coarse grid resolution and lack of parametrizations. This study used random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), artificial neural network (ANN) and a multi‐model ensemble (MME) to correct the Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS; a local NWP model over Korea) model outputs of next‐day maximum and minimum air temperatures (
and
) in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 14 LDAPS model forecast data, the daily maximum and minimum air temperatures of in‐situ observations, and five auxiliary data were used as input variables. The results showed that the LDAPS model had an R2 of 0.69, a bias of −0.85 °C and an RMSE of 2.08 °C for
forecast, whereas the proposed models resulted in the improvement with R2 from 0.75 to 0.78, bias from −0.16 to −0.07 °C and RMSE from 1.55 to 1.66 °C by hindcast validation. For forecasting
, the LDAPS model had an R2 of 0.77, a bias of 0.51 °C and an RMSE of 1.43 °C by hindcast, while the bias correction models showed R2 values ranging from 0.86 to 0.87, biases from −0.03 to 0.03 °C, and RMSEs from 0.98 to 1.02 °C. The MME model had better generalization performance than the three single machine learning models by hindcast validation and leave‐one‐station‐out cross‐validation.
Probabilistic Forecasting of El Niño Using Neural Network Models
Authors: Petersik Paul Johannes , Dijkstra Henk A.
Published: March 2020

We apply Gaussian density neural network and quantile regression neural network ensembles to predict the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Both models are able to assess the predictive uncertainty of the forecast by predicting a Gaussian distribution and the quantiles of the forecasts, respectively. This direct estimation of the predictive uncertainty for each given forecast is a novel feature in the prediction of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation by statistical models. The predicted mean and median, respectively, show a high‐correlation skill for long lead times (r=0.5, 12 months) for the 1963–2017 evaluation period. For the 1982–2017 evaluation period, the probabilistic forecasts by the Gaussian density neural network can better estimate the predictive uncertainty than a standard method to assess the predictive uncertainty of statistical models.
The Persistent Ionospheric Responses Over Japan After the Impact of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
Authors: Chou Min‐Yang , Cherniak Iurii , Lin Charles C.H. , Pedatella N.M.
Published: March 2020

In this study, we report the persistent impacts of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake/tsunami on the ionosphere using the ground‐based Global Navigation Satellite System and FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC total electron content. Multiple unusual ionospheric phenomena, such as ionospheric irregularities, nighttime medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs), and planar traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), were observed after the emergence of tsunami‐induced concentric gravity waves. The ionospheric irregularities initially developed over the Hokkaido region following the interference of gravity waves at ~8:45 UT. Remarkably, the Perkins‐type nighttime MSTIDs accompanying the planar TIDs were discernible over Japan following the irregularities. By comparing with the tsunami model simulation and ocean buoy observations, it is determined that these planar TIDs, lasting for about 10 hr, were likely related to tsunami ocean waves reflected by seamounts, ridges, islands, and seafloor topography in the Pacific Ocean. Due to the absence of sporadic E layers, we suggest that the coupling between the tsunami‐generated gravity waves and the Perkins instability plays an essential role in initiating the equinoctial nighttime MSTIDs. The long‐lasting tsunami can continuously impact the ionosphere, affecting the nighttime ionospheric electrodynamics and making the conditions conducive for the development of midlatitude nighttime ionospheric irregularities and instabilities.
Using Natural Experiments and Counterfactuals for Causal Assessment: River Salinity and the Ganges Water Agreement
Authors: Penny Gopal , Mondal M. Shahjahan , Biswas Subir , Bolster Diogo , Tank Jennifer L. , Müller Marc F.
Published: March 2020

The effect of environmental policy on water resources is often challenging to evaluate due to dynamic interactions between people and water, particularly in data‐scarce watersheds. Increasing interactions between society and hydrology present a need to understand causal relations for improved assessment and prediction in complex human‐water systems. Conventional approaches to causal assessment in hydrology are sometimes insufficient due to data scarcity or system complexity. We argue that natural experiments present a promising and complementary avenue for assessing causal relations in such systems. In this spirit, we describe a natural experiment to assess causal effects of the Ganges water treaty, between India and Bangladesh, on streamflow and channel salinity in the Ganges delta in Bangladesh. We apply causal inference to assess the effect of the treaty on streamflow and use the results to generate synthetic ensembles of streamflow and salinity under a realistic scenario (with the treaty) and a counterfactual scenario (without the treaty). We then use synthetic streamflow ensembles to model salinity ensembles. The Ganges water treaty increased dry‐season streamflow in Bangladesh by approximately 18% and decreased channel salinity by approximately 10%. The treaty has the greatest effect on salinity in Bangladesh in the driest years, but the overall effect is small compared with natural variability. We show that our approach accounts for natural hydrologic variability to accurately assess the causal effect of the treaty, compared with a naive approach that greatly overestimates the effect. This research demonstrates the value of natural experiments for causal assessment in coupled human‐water systems.
China's Food Supply Sources Under Trade Conflict With the United States and Limited Domestic Land and Water Resources
Authors: Liu Wenfeng , Yang Hong , Ciais Philippe , Kummu Matti , Hoekstra Arjen Y.
Published: March 2020

The U.S.‐China trade conflict has already considerably reshaped China's food imports, and should the conflict continue, it might have substantial impacts on global food supply dynamics as well as China's food supply sources. We address these implications by analyzing recent trends in China's food imports and associated use of land and water resources. We show that China's limited land and water availability will make it challenging to replace soybean imports from the United States with its own production, but switching to new trading partners by investment and cooperation could secure China's food supply while avoiding much negative environmental impacts on exporting countries.
Emergent Simplicity of Continental Evapotranspiration
Authors: McColl Kaighin A. , Rigden Angela J.
Published: March 2020

Evapotranspiration (ET) is challenging to model because it depends on heterogeneous land surface features—such as soil moisture, land cover type, and plant physiology—resulting in rising model complexity and substantial disagreement between models. We show that the evaporative fraction (ET as a proportion of available energy at the surface) can be estimated accurately across a broad range of conditions using a simple equation with no free parameters and no land surface information; only near‐surface air temperature and specific humidity observations are required. The equation performs well when compared to eddy covariance measurements at 76 inland continental sites, with prediction errors comparable to errors in the eddy covariance measurements themselves, despite substantial variability in surface conditions across sites. This reveals an emergent simplicity to continental ET that has not been previously recognized, in which land‐atmosphere coupling efficiently embeds land surface information in the near‐surface atmospheric state on daily to monthly time scales.
The Seasonality of Submesoscale Energy Production, Content, and Cascade
Authors: Dong Jihai , Fox‐Kemper Baylor , Zhang Hong , Dong Changming
Published: March 2020

Submesoscale processes in the upper ocean vary seasonally, in tight correspondence with mixed layer thickness variability. Based on a global high‐resolution MITgcm simulation, seasonal evaluation of strong vorticity and spectral analysis of the kinetic energy in the Kuroshio Extension System show the strongest submesoscales occur in March, implying a lag of about a month behind mixed layer thickness maximum in February. An analysis of spectral energy sources and transfers indicates that the seasonality of the submesoscale energy content is a result of the competition between the conversion of available potential energy into submesoscale kinetic energy via a buoyancy production/vertical buoyancy flux associated with mixed layer instability and nonlinear energy transfers to other scales associated with an energy cascade. The buoyancy production is seasonally in phase with the mixed layer depth, but the transfers of energy across scales makes energizing the reservoir of submesoscale kinetic energy lag behind by a month.
Analysis of Electric and Magnetic Lightning‐Generated Wave Amplitudes Measured by the Van Allen Probes
Authors: Ripoll J.‐F. , Farges T. , Malaspina D. M. , Lay E. H. , Cunningham G. S. , Hospodarsky G. B. , Kletzing C. A. , Wygant J. R.
Published: March 2020

We provide a statistical analysis of both electric and magnetic field wave amplitudes of very low frequency lightning‐generated waves (LGWs) based on the equivalent of 11.5 years of observations made by the Van Allen Probes encompassing ~24.6 × 106 survey mode measurements. We complement this analysis with data from the ground‐based World Wide Lightning Location Network to explore differences between satellite and ground‐based measurements. LGW mean amplitudes are found to be low compared with other whistler mode waves (1 ± 1.6 pT and 19 ± 59 μV/m). Extreme events (1/5,000) can reach 100 pT and contributes strongly to the mean power below L = 2. We find excellent correlations between World Wide Lightning Location Network‐based power and wave amplitudes in space at various longitudes. We reveal strong dayside ionospheric damping of the LGW electric field. LGW amplitudes drop for L < 2, contrary to the Earth's intense equatorial lightning activity. We conclude that it is difficult for equatorial LGW to propagate and remain at L < 2.
Cell-type-specific role of CHK2 in mediating DNA damage-induced G2 cell cycle arrest
Authors: van Jaarsveld Marijn T. M. , Deng Difan , Ordoñez-Rueda Diana , Paulsen Malte , Wiemer Erik A. C. , Zi Zhike
Published: March 2020

Cancer is a life-threatening disease that affects one in three people. Although most cases are sporadic, cancer risk can be increased by genetic factors. It remains unknown why certain genes predispose for specific forms of cancer only, such as checkpoint protein 2 (CHK2), in which gene mutations convey up to twofold higher risk for breast cancer but do not increase lung cancer risk. We have investigated the role of CHK2 and the related kinase checkpoint protein 1 (CHK1) in cell cycle regulation in primary breast and lung primary epithelial cells. At the molecular level, CHK1 activity was higher in lung cells, whereas CHK2 was more active in breast cells. Inhibition of CHK1 profoundly disrupted the cell cycle profile in both lung and breast cells, whereas breast cells were more sensitive toward inhibition of CHK2. Finally, we provide evidence that breast cells require CHK2 to induce a G2–M cell cycle arrest in response of DNA damage, whereas lung cells can partially compensate for the loss of CHK2. Our results provide an explanation as to whyCHK2germline mutations predispose for breast cancer but not for lung cancer.
Redox engineering of strontium titanate-based thermoelectrics
Authors: Kovalevsky Andrei V. , Zakharchuk Kiryl V. , Aguirre Myriam H. , Xie Wenjie , Patrício Sonia G. , Ferreira Nuno M. , Lopes Diogo , Sergiienko Sergii A. , Constantinescu Gabriel , Mikhalev Sergey M. , Weidenkaff Anke , Frade Jorge R.
Published: March 2020

This work explores how, by redox-sensitive substitutions, the thermoelectric properties of oxides can be tuned and enhanced.
Plasmonic enhancement of photocurrent generation in a photosystem I-based hybrid electrode
Authors: Szalkowski Marcin , Harputlu Ersan , Kiliszek Małgorzata , Unlu C. Gokhan , Maćkowski Sebastian , Ocakoglu Kasim , Kargul Joanna , Kowalska Dorota
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate that oriented assembly of red algal photosystem I reaction centers on a plasmonically active Silver Island Film leads to strong enhancement of both photocurrent and fluorescence intensity.
The crystal packing, morphology and hydrophobicity of polyoxometalate-based amphiphilic materials
Authors: Wang Yu , Lin Xinjun , Huang Bo , Chen Weizhou , Xiao Zicheng , Wu Pingfan
Published: March 2020

Crystal structures of polyoxometalate-based amphiphiles with multiple alkyl tails were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction to reveal the relationship between morphologies and manner of packing.
Influence of immobilized cations on the thermodynamic signature of hydrophobic interactions at chemically heterogeneous surfaces
Authors: Yeon Hongseung , Wang Chenxuan , Gellman Samuel H. , Abbott Nicholas L.
Published: March 2020

Hydrophobic interactions play a central role in bioinspired strategies for molecular self-assembly in water, yet how these interactions are encoded by chemically heterogeneous interfaces is poorly understood.
Regioselective catalytic asymmetric N-alkylation of isoxazol-5-ones with para-quinone methides
Authors: Qi Suo-Suo , Jiang Zhen-Hui , Chu Ming-Ming , Wang Yi-Feng , Chen Xue-Yang , Ju Wan-Zhen , Xu Dan-Qian
Published: March 2020

A highly regioselective and enantioselective N-alkylation of isoxazol-5-ones with para-quinone methides has been developed to obtain enantioenriched N-diarylmethane substituted isoxazolinones with high yields and enantioselectivities.
A multifunctional nanoprobe for targeting tumors and mitochondria with singlet oxygen generation and monitoring mitochondrion pH changes in cancer cells by ratiometric fluorescence imaging
Authors: Zhao Jingjin , Zou Mengbing , Huang Mengjiao , Zhang Liangliang , Yang Keqin , Zhao Shulin , Liu Yi-Ming
Published: March 2020

A multifunctional nanoprobe with singlet oxygen generation that can target tumors and mitochondria was developed for photodynamic therapy of tumors and monitoring mitochondrion pH changes in cancer cells by ratiometric fluorescence imaging.
Heavy oil-derived carbon for energy storage applications
Authors: Hu Han , Wu Mingbo
Published: March 2020

Recent progress in constructing carbon materials using heavy oil-derived by-products for energy storage has been summarized.
Reducing photovoltage loss at the anode contact of methylammonium-free inverted perovskite solar cells by conjugated polyelectrolyte doping
Authors: Wang He , Song Yilong , Kang Yifei , Dang Song , Feng Jing , Dong Qingfeng
Published: March 2020

Doping of conjugated polyelectrolyte (PFN-Br) in MA-free perovskite resulted in a well level matching to reduce VOC loss and improve device performance, achieving a PCE of 20.32% with enhanced stability.
Template effects in Cu(i)–Bi(iii) iodide double perovskites: a study of crystal structure, film orientation, band gap and photocurrent response
Authors: Bi Le-Yu , Hu Tian-Li , Li Mu-Qing , Ling Bo-Kai , Lassoued Mohamed Saber , Hu Yue-Qiao , Wu Zhaoxin , Zhou Guijiang , Zheng Yan-Zhen
Published: March 2020

Structural dimensions, energy band gaps and thin film orientations are revealed to be amine-dependent in seven newly prepared cuprous–bismuth iodide double perovskites.
A MoO3/MoO2-CP self-supporting heterostructure for modification of lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Yang Weiwei , Wei Yi , Chen Qian , Qin Shengjian , Zuo Jinghan , Tan Shengdong , Zhai Pengbo , Cui Shiqiang , Wang Haowu , Jin Chunqiao , Xiao Jing , Liu Wei , Shang Jiaxiang , Gong Yongji
Published: March 2020

A unique MoO3/MoO2 heterostructure with an active interface is an ideal host for Li2S8, exhibiting superior rate and long-term cycling performance.
A near-infrared light-responsive multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel for efficient and synergistic antibacterial wound therapy and healing promotion
Authors: Yang Na , Zhu Ming , Xu Guochao , Liu Ning , Yu Cong
Published: March 2020

A multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel for synergistic antibacterial wound therapy and healing promotion.
Experimental corroboration of the thermoelectric performance of Bi2PdO4 oxide and Pb-doped derivatives
Authors: Kayser Paula , Serrano-Sanchez Federico , Dura Oscar Juan , Fauth François , Alonso José Antonio
Published: March 2020

Predicted thermoelectric behaviour in Bi2PdO4 is experimentally realized. Pb doping enhances the power factor, with additional reduction of thermal conductivity.