bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Family History for Cardio-Metabolic Diseases: A Predictor of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Men with Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Rastrelli Giulia , Yannas Dimitri , Mucci Benedetta , Corona Giovanni , Maggi Mario 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Background
Family history (FH) of cardiovascular (CV) disease is a known CV risk factor. However, it is rarely considered for CV risk stratification. Furthermore, FH for metabolic diseases is generally overlooked.

Aim
To evaluate, in a population of men with erectile dysfunction (ED), whether FH for cardio-metabolic diseases could provide insights into metabolic and sexual features and predict the occurrence of forthcoming major adverse CV events (MACE).

Methods
A consecutive series of 4,693 individuals (aged 51.3 ± 13.3 years) attending an Andrology outpatient clinic for ED was studied. A subset of these (n = 1,595) was evaluated retrospectively for MACE occurrence.

Outcomes
Several metabolic and sexual function–related parameters were studied. For the retrospective study, information on an incident MACE was collected over a mean follow-up of 4.2 ± 2.5 years.

Results
A greater number of cardio-metabolic FH factors were associated with a worse metabolic profile, including higher waist circumference, triglycerides, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and diastolic blood pressure, as well as lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. An increased number of FH factors were associated with worse erectile function (odds ratio = 1.14[1.07;1.23], P &lt; .0001), impaired penile dynamic peak systolic velocity, and lower testosterone levels. In the retrospective study, a positive cardiometabolic FH was associated with a significantly higher incidence of MACEs, even after adjusting for age and comorbidities (hazard ratio = 1.51[1.06-2.16], P = .023). Interestingly, when dividing the sample into high- and low-risk categories according to several CV risk factors (age, previous MACEs, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and comorbidities), FH was confirmed as a predictor of incident MACE only among the low-risk individuals.

Clinical Implications
Investigating FH for cardio-metabolic diseases is a quick and easy task that could help clinicians in identifying, among individuals with ED, those who deserve careful evaluation of CV and metabolic risk factors. Moreover, considering FH for CV risk stratification could predict MACEs in individuals who, according to conventional CV risk factors, would be erroneously considered at low risk.

Strengths & Limitations
The large sample size and the systematic collection of MACEs through an administrative database, with no risk of loss at follow-up, represent strengths. The use of administrative database for MACE collection may lead to some misclassifications. The specific population of the study limits the generalizability of the results.

Conclusion
FH is simple and inexpensive information that should be part of the CV risk assessment in all men with ED because it helps in the identification of those who need lifestyle and risk factor modifications and whose risk would otherwise be overlooked.
Using diagnostic stewardship to reduce rates, healthcare expenditures and accurately identify cases of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection
Authors: Solanky Dipesh , Juang Derek K. , Johns Scott T. , Drobish Ian C. , Mehta Sanjay R. , Kumaraswamy Monika 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjective:Lack of judicious testing can result in the incorrect diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), unnecessary CDI treatment, increased costs and falsely augmented hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates. We evaluated facility-wide interventions used at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) to reduce healthcare-onset, healthcare-facility–associated CDI (HO-HCFA CDI), including the use of diagnostic stewardship with test ordering criteria.Design:We conducted a retrospective study to assess the effectiveness of measures implemented to reduce the rate of HO-HCFA CDI at the VASDHS from fiscal year (FY)2015 to FY2018.Interventions:Measures executed in a stepwise fashion included a hand hygiene initiative, prompt isolation of CDI patients, enhanced terminal room cleaning, reduction of fluoroquinolone and proton-pump inhibitor use, laboratory rejection of solid stool samples, and lastly diagnostic stewardship with C. difficile toxin B gene nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) criteria instituted in FY2018.Results:From FY2015 to FY2018, 127 cases of HO-HCFA CDI were identified. All rate-reducing initiatives resulted in decreased HO-HCFA cases (from 44 to 13; P ≤ .05). However, the number of HO-HCFA cases (34 to 13; P ≤ .05), potential false-positive testing associated with colonization and laxative use (from 11 to 4), hospital days (from 596 to 332), CDI-related hospitalization costs (from $2,780,681 to $1,534,190) and treatment cost (from $7,158 vs $1,476) decreased substantially following the introduction of diagnostic stewardship with test criteria from FY2017 to FY2018.Conclusions:Initiatives to decrease risk for CDI and diagnostic stewardship of C. difficile stool NAAT significantly reduced HO-HCFA CDI rates, detection of potential false-positives associated with laxative use, and lowered healthcare costs. Diagnostic stewardship itself had the most dramatic impact on outcomes observed and served as an effective tool in reducing HO-HCFA CDI rates.
Host discrimination in the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata: evidence from virgin female behaviour and egg distribution patterns
Authors: Devescovi Francisco , Bachmann Guillermo E. , Nussenbaum Ana L. , Viscarret Mariana M. , Cladera Jorge L. , Segura Diego F. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractMany parasitoid species discriminate already parasitized hosts, thus avoiding larval competition. However, females incur in superparasitism under certain circumstances. Superparasitism is commonly observed in the artificial rearing of the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, yet host discrimination has been previously suggested in this species. Here, we addressed host discrimination in virgin D. longicaudata females in a comprehensive way by means of direct and indirect methods, using Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha fraterculus which are major fruit fly pests in South America. Direct methods relied on the description of the foraging behaviour of females in arenas with parasitized and non-parasitized host larvae. In the indirect methods, healthy larvae were offered to single females and the egg distributions were compared to a random distribution. We found that D. longicaudata was able to recognize parasitized host from both host species, taking 24 h since a first parasitization for A. fraterculus and 48 h for C. capitata. Indirect methods showed females with different behaviours for both host species: complete discrimination, non-random (with superparasitism), and random distributions. A larger percentage of females reared and tested on A. fraterculus incurred in superparasitism, probably associated with higher fecundity. In sum, we found strong evidence of host discrimination in D. longicaudata, detecting behavioural variability associated with the host species, the time since the first parasitization and the fecundity of the females.
RECONCILING INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT LAW AND EUROPEAN UNION LAW IN THE WAKE OF ACHMEA
Authors: Restrepo Amariles David , Farhadi Amir Ardelan , Van Waeyenberge Arnaud 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Slovak Republic v Achmea dealt a major blow to the predictability of the legal regime for the protection of foreign investments, whilst failing to offer a realistic, clear and sustainable solution for the protection of investments within the European single market. Commentators have mainly considered its implications from the perspective of the European Union or International Investment Law, and the potential conflict of regimes. This article offers a different approach, arguing that a reading of Achmea based on a moderate version of legal pluralism could adequately respond to the legitimate concerns about the case from both international and European legal perspectives. It is argued that the imprecision of the decision is in fact constructive ambiguity, allowing a sufficient margin of appreciation for all stakeholders and avoiding direct confrontation between the European and international legal orders. Recent developments, such as the innovative EU agreement for the termination of intra-EU BITs, point to new opportunities for ordering pluralism in the Achmea saga.
Paratectonatica tigrina (Gastropoda: Naticidae) adjusts its predation tactics depending on the chosen prey and their shell weight relative to its own
Authors: Takeshita Fumio , Maekawa Takumi 
Published: September 2020

AbstractParatectonatica tigrina employs three predatory tactics against bivalve prey: wall-drilling, edge-drilling and non-drilling (suffocation) tactics. In this study, we conducted laboratory experiments to examine the predator–prey interactions between the naticid gastropod P. tigrina and two species of bivalve prey, Ruditapes philippinarum and Meretrix lusoria, and to investigate how predatory tactics differ for the bivalve species. Predation success increased with the shell weight ratio between predator and prey, however, there was no significant difference among prey species. The shell weight ratio significantly differed (P < 0.05) between predatory tactics against R. philippinarum, but not against M. lusoria, implying that P. tigrina determines its predatory tactics based on the shell weight ratio for R. philippinarum. However, we observed that feeding duration was not influenced by shell weight ratio or prey species, even though data were separated for each predatory tactic. These results suggest that there is no difference in feeding efficiency based on shell weight ratio between prey species and between predatory tactics. Paratectonatica tigrina may alter its predatory tactics suitably depending on the prey species and the relative size difference, despite the same feeding efficiency.
RECOVERY OF ZEROTH ORDER COEFFICIENTS IN NON-LINEAR WAVE EQUATIONS
Authors: Feizmohammadi Ali , Oksanen Lauri 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the resolution of an inverse problem related to the recovery of a function $V$ from the source to solution map of the semi-linear equation $(\Box _{g}+V)u+u^{3}=0$ on a globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifold $({\mathcal{M}},g)$. We first study the simpler model problem, where $({\mathcal{M}},g)$ is the Minkowski space, and prove the unique recovery of $V$ through the use of geometric optics and a three-fold wave interaction arising from the cubic non-linearity. Subsequently, the result is generalized to globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifolds by using Gaussian beams.
Role of cover crops and nicosulfuron dosage on weed control and productivity in corn crop
Authors: Zandvakili Omid R. , Hashemi Masoud , Chaichi Mohammad R. , Barker Allen V. , Keshavarz Afshar Reza , Mashhadi Hamid R. , Oveysi Mostafa , Sabet Maryam 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the University of Tehran to evaluate the effect of cover crops and herbicide (nicosulfuron) dosage on corn (Zea maysL.) productivity. Cover crops suppressed weed biomass and density during the fallow period; however, there was no significant effect on weed biomass or weed density in the subsequent corn crop. A mixture of cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosaRoth.) was the most weed-suppressive cover in the fallow period. Nicosulfuron applied at different amounts suppressed weed biomass and density in corn when compared with weedy plots. Application of 40 g ai ha−1of nicosulfuron was as effective on weed control as the recommended application. Cover crops did not affect corn growth; however, corn yield improved with herbicide application.
Coastal Bluff Evolution in Response to a Rapid Rise in Surface Water Level
Authors: Krueger Russell , Zoet Lucas K. , Rawling J. Elmo 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe water level in Lake Michigan began rising in 2013. Historically, erosion of the bluffs along the shoreline increases when water levels rise and remain high, beginning at the toe and propagating upslope, potentially damaging infrastructure near the crest. Bluff retreat is well understood over decadal scales; however, transient perturbations of force instabilities from toe to crest during disequilibrium are difficult to document. This instability for three bluffs, distinguished by height, was investigated using Scoops3D, a three‐dimensional limit equilibrium stability model. For each study site, high‐resolution (10 cm) elevation models were created using Structure from Motion from photographs collected by small unmanned aerial vehicle (sUAV), and steady state groundwater models were developed using MODFLOW. These were used as inputs for Scoops3D along with physical properties of the sediment reported in the literature. Photographs from all sites and a repeat sUAV flight at one site verified the model results. Slope angle and relative strength of the sediment are the most significant factors controlling stability, while pore water pressure below the water table acts as a destabilizing agent. At the time of the analysis, unstable surfaces had propagated to the top of the shortest bluffs while the propagation was still working upslope in the tallest bluffs. Unstable surfaces progressed up the bluff faces at an average rate of ~4.4 m/year, indicating the tallest bluff faces will not experience crest recession for a minimum of a decade following stabilization of the toe after water levels stabilize or begin to fall.
Magnetohydrodynamic With Embedded Particle‐In‐Cell Simulation of the Geospace Environment Modeling Dayside Kinetic Processes Challenge Event
Authors: Chen Yuxi , Tóth Gábor , Hietala Heli , Vines Sarah K. , Zou Ying , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Silveira Marcos V. D. , Guo Zhifang , Lin Yu , Markidis Stefano 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe use the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) with embedded particle‐in‐cell model (MHD‐EPIC) to study the Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) dayside kinetic processes challenge event at 01:50–03:00 UT on 18 November 2015, when the magnetosphere was driven by a steady southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). In the MHD‐EPIC simulation, the dayside magnetopause is covered by a PIC code so that the dayside reconnection is properly handled. We compare the magnetic fields and the plasma profiles of the magnetopause crossing with the MMS3 spacecraft observations. Most variables match the observations well in the magnetosphere, in the magnetosheath, and also during the current sheet crossing. The MHD‐EPIC simulation produces flux ropes, and we demonstrate that some magnetic field and plasma features observed by the MMS3 spacecraft can be reproduced by a flux rope crossing event. We use an algorithm to automatically identify the reconnection sites from the simulation results. It turns out that there are usually multiple X‐lines at the magnetopause. By tracing the locations of the X‐lines, we find that the typical moving speed of the X‐line endpoints is about 70 km/s, which is higher than but still comparable with the ground‐based observations.
A Global Data Set of Present‐Day Oceanic Crustal Age and Seafloor Spreading Parameters
Authors: Seton Maria , Müller R. Dietmar , Zahirovic Sabin , Williams Simon , Wright Nicky M. , Cannon John , Whittaker Joanne M. , Matthews Kara J. , McGirr Rebecca 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe present an updated oceanic crustal age grid and a set of complementary grids including spreading rate, asymmetry, direction, and obliquity. Our data set is based on a selected set of magnetic anomaly identifications and the plate tectonic model of Müller et al. (2019, 10.1029/2018TC005462). We find the mean age of oceanic crust is 64.2 Myr, slightly older than previous estimates, mainly due to the inclusion of pockets of Mesozoic aged crust in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and improvements to the Jurassic Pacific triangle. This older crust is partly compensated by additional Cenozoic‐aged back‐arc basin crust not included in previous models. The distribution of spreading modes based on area of preserved crust is relatively equal between slow (20–55 mm/yr) and fast (75–180 mm/yr) spreading systems at 33% and 39%, respectively. Crust transitional between fast and slow, or intermediate systems (55–75 mm/yr), cover 20% of the preserved ocean floor with much smaller proportions of crust formed at ultraslow (5%) and super‐fast (3%) spreading systems. Slow and intermediate spreading systems exhibit the most stable behavior in terms of spreading asymmetry and obliquity, with the widest distribution of obliquities occurring at ultraslow spreading systems, consistent with present‐day observations. Our confidence grid provides a complementary resource for nonexperts to identify those parts of the age grid that are least well constrained. Our grids in 6, 2, and 1 arc min resolution as well as our python workflow, isopolate, used to compute our data sets are freely available in online repositories and on the GPlates data portal.
Lower Crustal Rheology Controls the Development of Large Offset Strike‐Slip Faults During the Himalayan‐Tibetan Orogeny
Authors: Yang Jianfeng , Kaus Boris J. P. , Li Yang , Leloup Philippe Hervé , Popov Anton A. , Lu Gang , Wang Kun , Zhao Liang 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe mechanism of crustal deformation and the development of large offset strike‐slip faults during continental collision, such as the India‐Eurasia zone, remains poorly understood. Previous mechanical models were simplified which are either (quasi‐)2‐D approximations or made the a priori assumption that the rheology of the lithosphere was either purely viscous (distributed deformation) or purely localized. Here we present three‐dimensional visco‐elasto‐plastic thermo‐mechanical simulations, which can produce both distributed and highly localized deformation, to investigate crustal deformation during continental indentation. Our results show that large‐scale shear zones develop as a result of frictional plasticity, which have many similarities with observed shear zones. Yet localized deformation requires both a strong upper crust (>1022 Pa·s) and a moderately weak middle/lower crust (~1020 Pa·s) in Tibet. The brittle shear zones in our models develop low viscosity zones directly beneath them, consistent with geological observations of exhumed faults, and geophysical observations across active faults.
Suppression of CO2 Outgassing by Gas Bubbles Under a Hurricane
Authors: Liang Jun‐Hong , D'Asaro Eric A. , McNeil Craig L. , Fan Yalin , Harcourt Ramsey R. , Emerson Steven R. , Yang Bo , Sullivan Peter P. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe role of gas bubbles on the air‐sea CO2 flux during Hurricane Frances (2004) is studied using a large‐eddy simulation model that couples ocean surface boundary layer turbulence, gas bubbles, and dissolved gases. In the subtropical surface ocean where gases are slightly supersaturated, gases in bubbles can still dissolve due to hydrostatic pressure and surface tension exerted on bubbles. Under the simulated conditions, the CO2 efflux with an explicit bubble effect is less than 2% of that calculated using a gas flux formula without explicit inclusion of bubble effect. The use of a gas flux parameterization without bubble‐induced supersaturation contributes to uncertainty in the global carbon budget. The results highlight the importance of bubbles under high winds even for soluble gases such as CO2 and demonstrate that gas flux parameterization derived from gases of certain solubility may not be accurate for gases of very different solubility.
Observation of the Large‐Amplitude and Fast‐Damped Plasma Sheet Flapping Triggered by Reconnection‐Induced Ballooning Instability
Authors: Zhang Y. C. , Dai L. , Rong Z. J. , Wang C. , Rème H. , Dandouras I. , Carr C. M. , Escoubet C. P. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn this study, we reported the large‐amplitude and fast‐damped flapping of the plasma sheet, which co‐occurred with magnetic reconnection. Data from the Double Star TC‐1 and Cluster satellites were used to analyze the features of the plasma sheet flapping 1.4 RE earthward of an ongoing magnetic reconnection event. The flapping was rapidly damped, and its amplitude decreased from the magnetohydrodynamics scale to the subion scale in 5 min. The variation in the flapping period (from 224 to 20 s) indicated that the source of the flapping had highly dynamic temporal characteristics. The plasma sheet flapping propagated duskward through a kink‐like wave with a velocity of 100 km/s, which was in agreement with the group velocity of the ballooning perturbation. A correlation analysis between the magnetic reconnection and plasma sheet flapping indicated that the magnetic reconnection likely facilitated the occurrence of ballooning instability by altering the state of plasma in the downstream plasma sheet. In this regard, the reconnection‐induced ballooning instability could be a potential mechanism to generate the flapping motion of the plasma sheet.
Adaptive Beamforming and Power Allocation for mmWave Communication in High‐Speed Railway
Authors: Zhang Qingmiao , Zhao Junhui , Chen Anyun , Wang Chuanyun 
Published: September 2020

AbstractMillimeter wave (mmWave)‐based massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) beamforming technology is one of the key technologies in the fifth‐generation (5G) network. In this paper, we apply mmWave to high‐speed railway (HSR) communication scenario to meet its increasingly growing demands for tremendous data rate and reliable mobile services. The HSR mmWave communication system uses a control/user (C/U) plane separation structure; that is, control information and user information are transmitted through the high‐frequency micro base station (BS) and the low‐frequency macro BS, respectively. Then, an optimized beam width and power allocation scheme is proposed, which is combined with the mobile relay (MR) technology to utilize the architecture of the large‐scale antenna beamforming. In the proposed scheme, we introduce a power factor related to the change of train speed. According to the power factor, the service beam width is adjusted dynamically and the transmit power of the beams from two simultaneously served mmWave access points (APs) is jointly calculated. Simulation results show that, compared with the traditional uniform beam width scheme, the proposed adaptive beam width and power allocation scheme can maximize the total service volume within the maximum transmit power range.