bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Three new species of <i>Diascia</i> (Scrophulariaceae) from the western Cape
Authors: Steiner K. E. 
Published: July 2015

Three annual Diascia species are described from the western Cape. Two species, D maculata K.E. Steiner and D. humilis K.E. Steiner have small flowers and are closely related. D. maculata is characterized by a slightly gibbous corolla with no spurs or sacs, erect stamens, and a distinct patch of oil-secreting trichomes in the tube at the base of each upper and lateral corolla lobe. D. humilis is characterized by a bisaccate corolla, forward projecting stamens and oil-secreting trichomes localized in corolla sacs. The third new species, D hexensis K.E. Steiner, is most similar to D. sacculata Benth.. but it differs from that species by its larger flowers and much longer spurs which curve downward instead of upward.
New records and new species of Asclepiadaceae from Namibia
Authors: Bruyns P. V. 
Published: July 2015

Eleven species of Asclepiadaceae not previously recorded from Namibia are discussed. Of these. Brachystelma codonanthum Bruyns. B. recurvatum Bruyns and Schizoglossum saccatum Bruyns are new species. The new combinations Brachy­stelma gymnopodum (Schltr.) Bruyns (for Ceropegia pygmaea Schinz) and B. schultzei (Schltr.) Bruyns [for Tenaris schultzei (Schltr.) E. Phillips] are proposed and the delimitation of Brachystelma R. Br. against Ceropegia L. and Tenaris E. Mey. is discussed. Notes are also included on little-known species, and the species of Gomphocarpus R. Br. in Namibia are enumerated.
Montane flora of the southern Langeberg, South Africa: a checklist of the flowering plants and ferns
Authors: Mcdonald D. J. 
Published: July 2015

The flora of the southern Langeberg is rich, w ith 1 228 species and intraspecific taxa (referred to collectively as species) recorded in 361 genera and 105 families. An analysis of the montane flora of the southern Langeberg. Western Cape, South Africa based on an annotated checklist shows that the Asteraceae has the highest number of species per familv (167) and the genus Erica has the most infrageneric taxa per genus (130) as well as the most endemic species (51). One endemic monotypic family, the Geissolomataceae, two endemic genera Geissoloma and Langebergia (Asteraceae) and a total of 167 endemic species are found on the southern Langeberg The plant families of the southern Langeberg flora are ranked according to species-richness of the families and compared with floras of other areas (mainly montane) in the Fynbos Biome and marginally to the east of this biome (the Amatole Mountains). The greatest similarity of ranking is evident betw een the plant families of the southern Langeberg and those of the Cape Hangklip Area.
A review of generic concepts in the Stilbaceae
Authors: Rourke J. P. 
Published: July 2015

The generic concepts in the Cape endemic family Stilbaceae (± 14 species), are reviewed. Proposals by various authors to include Retzia capensis Thunb. in the Stilbaceae are supported. Xeroplana Briq. and Eurylobium Hochst. are shown to be congeneric with Stilbe L.. resulting in one new combination and one new name in Stilbe. Seven currendy recognised species of Stilbe are enumerated. A key to the genera of the Stilbaceae, as presently understood, is provided. A new genus Kogelbergia is described to accommodate two species previously assigned to Stilbe sect. Amphistilbe and two new combi­nations in Kogelbergia are proposed
Vegetation of the coastal fynbos and rocky headlands south of George, South Africa
Authors: Hoare D. B. , Victor J. E. , Lubke R. A. 
Published: July 2015

Community structure and composition of the coastal fynbos and rocky headland plant communities south of George, southern Cape, were studied. Vegetation was analysed using standard sampling procedures of the floristic-sociological approach of Braun-Blanquet. The releve data were subject to TWIN SPAN-based divisive classification, and ordinated by Principal Coordinates Analysis with the aim to identify vegetation coenocline subsequently interpreted in terms of under­lying environmental gradients. Most of the sampled vegetation was classified as coastal fynbos. The Leucadendron salignum-Tetraria cuspidata Fynbos Community was found to occupy sheltered habitats, whereas the Relhania calyci- na-Passerina vulgaris Fynbos Community was found in exposed habitats The other two communities characterise strong­ly exposed rocky headlands. The Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus-Ruschia tenella Community is wind-sheared scrub, and the Gazania rigens- Limonium scabrum Rocky Headland Community is a loose-canopy, low-grown herbland, characterised by the occurrence of partly salt-tolerant and succulent herbs. The ordination of the fynbos communities revealed a horseshoe structure allowing a direct recognition of a coenocline spanning two fynbos communities along the Axis 1 interpreted in terms of exposure to wind and salt spray. A considerable amount of alien plant infestation was also present. This appears to be the largest threat to the continued existence of this coastal fynbos.
Revision of the <i>Tarchonanthus</i> camphoratus complex (Asteraceae-Tarchonantheae) in southern Africa
Authors: Herman P. P. J. 
Published: July 2015

The Tarchonanthus camphoratus L. complex in southern Africa is revised. Five species are recognized on the grounds of differences in synflorescences, flowering times, leaf shape and margin, and distribution. Two names. T. minor Less, and T. ohovatus DC., are resurrected and two new species. T. littoralis P.P.J.Herman and T. parvicapitulatus PP.J.Herman. are described. A key, lull descriptions of each taxon and distribution data are presented.
A checklist of the plants of Mahwaqa Mountain, KwaZulu-Natal
Authors: Meter E. B. , Edwards T. J. 
Published: July 2015

A checklist o f the plants of Mahwaqa Mountain. KwaZulu-Natal, is presented. The list includes 1 030 indigenous and naturalized flowering plants and ferns. Comparisons are made with the floras of KwaZulu-Natal (Ross 1972). the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Cape Point (Taylor 1985). the southern Natal Drakensberg (Hilliard Burtt 1987). the Amatolas (Phillipson 1987). the Langeberg (McDonald 19991 and Umtamvuna Nature Reserve (Abbott et al. 2000). It is hoped that the publication of this list w ill contribute towards the recognition of the area as a natural heritage site.
<i>Commiphora kaokoensis</i> (Burseraceae), a new species from Namibia, with notes on <i>C. dinteri</i> and <i>C. namaensis</i>
Authors: Swanepoel W. 
Published: July 2015

Commipora kaokoensis W.Swanepoel. here described as a new species, is known only from the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, an arid region in northwestern Namibia. Illustrations of the plant and a distribution map are provided. Diagnostic characters include the petiolate or subsessile. all-simple and relatively large leaves with the lamina obovate or elliptic. New information is provided on the leaf morphology and geographical distribution of C. namaensis Schinz and C. dinteri Engl., species with which the new species shares some similarities. When without leaves or fruit, the three species can easily be con­fused. A comprehensive table with diagnostic morphological features to distinguish between the three species is presented.
A Fast Semi-Implicit Level Set Method for Curvature Dependent Flows with an Application to Limit Cycles Extraction in Dynamical Systems
Authors: You Guoqiao , Leung Shingyu 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe propose a new semi-implicit level set approach to a class of curvature dependent flows. The method generalizes a recent algorithm proposed for the motion by mean curvature where the interface is updated by solving the Rudin-Osher-Fatemi (ROF) model for image regularization. Our proposal is general enough so that one can easily extend and apply the method to other curvature dependent motions. Since the derivation is based on a semi-implicit time discretization, this suggests that the numerical scheme is stable even using a time-step significantly larger than that of the corresponding explicit method. As an interesting application of the numerical approach, we propose a new variational approach for extracting limit cycles in dynamical systems. The resulting algorithm can automatically detect multiple limit cycles staying inside the initial guess with no condition imposed on the number nor the location of the limit cycles. Further, we also propose in this work an Eulerian approach based on the level set method to test if the limit cycles are stable or unstable.
Treatment of Posttraumatic Abdominal Autonomic Neuropathy Manifesting as Functional Dyspepsia and Chronic Constipation: An Integrative East-West Approach
Authors: Shubov Andrew , Taw Lawrence 
Published: July 2015

A 52-year-old male with a history of spinal cord injury and cauda equina syndrome resulting in neurogenic bladder presented with chronic constipation and functional dyspepsia that was refractory to medical management. He was treated with an integrative East-West approach including acupuncture, trigger point injections, and Tui Na massage. Both his pain and constipation improved after a series of treatments, and this improvement was largely sustained at 2-year follow-up. This patient's symptoms are consistent with damage to the visceral parasympathetic nervous system. Interestingly, many studies evaluating the mechanisms of acupuncture point to restoration of parasympathetic tone as a mechanism of action. In this article, we describe a case of complex functional gastrointestinal disorders associated with posttraumatic autonomic neuropathy that was refractory to pharmacotherapy and was successfully treated with an integrative East-West approach
Does Mindfulness Improve after Heart Coherence Training in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Healthy Subjects? A Pilot Study
Authors: Soer Remko , De Jong Annemieke B. , Hofstra Bert L. , Preuper Henrica R. Schiphorst , Reneman Michiel F. 
Published: July 2015

Background: Mindfulness and heart coherence training (HCT) training are applied increasingly in the treatment of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Questionnaires have been developed to assess changes in mindfulness but no gold standard is available. Objective: Explore the relationship between changes in mindfulness scores and changes in heart coherence after 3 sessions of HCT in patients with CMP and in healthy subjects. Research Method/Design: Ten patients with CMP and 15 healthy subjects were trained in self-regulation with the use of HCT following a standardized stress relief program developed by the HeartMath Institute. A heart coherence-score (HC-score) was constructed with scores ranging from 0-100 with higher scores reflecting more heart rate variability (HRV) coherency. Change scores, Spearman correlation coefficients, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test were calculated to test relationships and differences between HC-score, the Mindfulness Attention and Aware ness Scale (MAAS) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). A new questionnaire was constructed to explore on which mindfulness-related domains patients with CMP report changes after HCT. Results: Increases were present on HC-score in healthy subjects (P<.01) and in patients (P<.01) between baseline and follow-up. Effect sizes on change on the MAAS and FFMQ were low. Weak (r<0.25) and non-significant correlations were observed in change scores between HC-score and MAAS or FFMQ. Patients reported significant favorable differences on 6 mindfulness related domains in the new questionnaire: breathing rhythm, physical awareness, positive or negative emotions, recognition of stressful situations, thoughts, and tendency to actively self-regulate. Conclusions: In this pilot study, mindfulness as assessed by the MAAS and FFMQ does not appear to improve after HCT. HRV coherency, MAAS, and FFMQ measure different constructs and are weakly related. It is of great importance to choose and develop valid measures that reflect patients’ states of mindfulness. Content and face validity of measures of mindfulness may be considered in the light of performance-based measures.
Dietary Preferences and Nutritional Information Needs among Career Firefighters in the United States
Authors: Yang Justin , Farioli Andrea , Korre Maria , Kales Stefanos N. 
Published: July 2015

Background: Considerable cardiovascular disease and cancer risk among firefighters are attributable to excess adiposity. Robust evidence confirms strong relationships between dietary patterns and the risk of chronic disease. Dietary modification is more likely to be effective when the strategy is appealing and addresses knowledge gaps. Objective: To assess career firefighters’ diet practices and information needs, compare the relative appeal of proposed diet plans, and examine how these vary in association with body composition. Methods: Cross-sectional, online survey distributed to members of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Results: Most firefighters do not currently follow any specific dietary plan (71%) and feel that they receive insufficient nutrition information (68%), but most are interested in learning more about healthy eating (75%). When presented with written descriptions of diets without names or labels and asked to rank them in order of preference, firefighters most often rated the Mediterranean diet as their favorite and gave it a more favorable distribution of relative rankings (P<.001) compared to the Paleo, Atkins, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, and Esselsteyn Engine 2 (low-fat, strictly plant-based) diets. Obese respondents reported more limited nutritional knowledge (P<.001) and were more likely to feel that they received insufficient nutritional information (P=.021) than participants with normal body weight. Conclusions: Most career firefighters are overweight or obese and do not practice a specific diet; however, 75% want to learn more about healthy eating. Among popular dietary choices, firefighters were most receptive to a Mediterranean diet and least receptive to a strictly plant-based diet.
Response of the Amazon carbon balance to the 2010 drought derived with CarbonTracker South America
Authors: van der Laan‐Luijkx I. T. , van der Velde I. R. , Krol M. C. , Gatti L. V. , Domingues L. G. , Correia C. S. C. , Miller J. B. , Gloor M. , van Leeuwen T. T. , Kaiser J. W. , Wiedinmyer C. , Basu S. , Clerbaux C. , Peters W. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTwo major droughts in the past decade had large impacts on carbon exchange in the Amazon. Recent analysis of vertical profile measurements of atmospheric CO2 and CO by Gatti et al. (2014) suggests that the 2010 drought turned the normally close‐to‐neutral annual Amazon carbon balance into a substantial source of nearly 0.5 PgC/yr, revealing a strong drought response. In this study, we revisit this hypothesis and interpret not only the same CO2/CO vertical profile measurements but also additional constraints on carbon exchange such as satellite observations of CO, burned area, and fire hot spots. The results from our CarbonTracker South America data assimilation system suggest that carbon uptake by vegetation was indeed reduced in 2010 but that the magnitude of the decrease strongly depends on the estimated 2010 and 2011 biomass burning emissions. We have used fire products based on burned area (Global Fire Emissions Database version 4), satellite‐observed CO columns (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer), fire radiative power (Global Fire Assimilation System version 1), and fire hot spots (Fire Inventory from NCAR version 1), and found an increase in biomass burning emissions in 2010 compared to 2011 of 0.16 to 0.24 PgC/yr. We derived a decrease of biospheric uptake ranging from 0.08 to 0.26 PgC/yr, with the range determined from a set of alternative inversions using different biomass burning estimates. Our numerical analysis of the 2010 Amazon drought results in a total reduction of carbon uptake of 0.24 to 0.50 PgC/yr and turns the balance from carbon sink to source. Our findings support the suggestion that the hydrological cycle will be an important driver of future changes in Amazonian carbon exchange.
Effects of water clarity on lake stratification and lake‐atmosphere heat exchange
Authors: Heiskanen Jouni J. , Mammarella Ivan , Ojala Anne , Stepanenko Victor , Erkkilä Kukka‐Maaria , Miettinen Heli , Sandström Heidi , Eugster Werner , Leppäranta Matti , Järvinen Heikki , Vesala Timo , Nordbo Annika 
Published: July 2015

AbstractRecent progress of including lake subroutines in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models has led to more accurate forecasts. In lake models, one essential parameter is water clarity, parameterized via the light extinction coefficient, Kd, for which a global constant value is usually used. We used direct eddy covariance fluxes and basic meteorological measurements coupled with lake water temperature and clarity measurements from a boreal lake to estimate the performance of two lake models, LAKE and FLake. These models represent two 1‐D modeling frameworks broadly used in NWP. The results show that the lake models are very sensitive to changes in Kd when it is lower than 0.5 m−1. The progress of thermal stratification depended strongly on Kd. In dark‐water simulations the mixed layer was shallower, longwave and turbulent heat losses higher, and therefore the average water column temperatures lower than in clear‐water simulations. Thus, changes in water clarity can also affect the onset of ice cover. The more complex LAKE modeled the seasonal thermocline deepening, whereas it remained virtually constant during summer in the FLake model. Both models overestimated the surface water temperatures by about 1°C and latent heat flux by >30%, but the variations in heat storage and sensible heat flux were adequately simulated. Our results suggest that, at least for humic lakes, a lake‐specific, but not time‐depending, constant value for Kd can be used and that a global mapping of Kd would be most beneficial in regions with relatively clear lakes, e.g., in lakes at high altitudes.
Run‐of‐river power plants in Alpine regions: Whither optimal capacity?
Authors: Lazzaro G. , Botter G. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAlthough run‐of‐river hydropower represents a key source of renewable energy, it cannot prevent stresses on river ecosystems and human well‐being. This is especially true in Alpine regions, where the outflow of a plant is placed several kilometers downstream of the intake, inducing the depletion of river reaches of considerable length. Here multiobjective optimization is used in the design of the capacity of run‐of‐river plants to identify optimal trade‐offs between two contrasting objectives: the maximization of the profitability and the minimization of the hydrologic disturbance between the intake and the outflow. The latter is evaluated considering different flow metrics: mean discharge, temporal autocorrelation, and streamflow variability. Efficient and Pareto‐optimal plant sizes are devised for two representative case studies belonging to the Piave river (Italy). Our results show that the optimal design capacity is strongly affected by the flow regime at the plant intake. In persistent regimes with a reduced flow variability, the optimal trade‐off between economic exploitation and hydrologic disturbance is obtained for a narrow range of capacities sensibly smaller than the economic optimum. In erratic regimes featured by an enhanced flow variability, instead, the Pareto front is discontinuous and multiple trade‐offs can be identified, which imply either smaller or larger plants compared to the economic optimum. In particular, large capacities reduce the impact of the plant on the streamflow variability at seasonal and interannual time scale. Multiobjective analysis could provide a clue for the development of policy actions based on the evaluation of the environmental footprint of run‐of‐river plants.
Imaging continental breakup using teleseismic body waves: The Woodlark Rift, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Eilon Zachary , Abers Geoffrey A , Gaherty James B , Jin Ge 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis study images the upper mantle beneath the D'Entrecasteax Islands, Papua New Guinea, providing insight into mantle deformation beneath a highly rifted continent adjacent to propagating spreading centers. Differential travel times from P and S‐wave teleseisms recorded during the 2010–2011 CDPapua passive seismic experiment are used to invert for separate VP and VS velocity models of the continental rift. A low‐velocity structure marks the E‐W axis of the rift, correlating with the thinnest crust, high heat flow, and a linear trend of volcanoes. This slow region extends 250 km along strike from the oceanic spreading centers, demonstrating significant mantle extension ahead of seafloor breakup. The rift remains narrow to depth indicating localization of extension, perhaps as a result of mantle hydration. A high‐VP structure at depths of 90–120 km beneath the north of the array is more than 6.5% faster than the rift axis and contains well‐located intermediate depth earthquakes. These independent observations place firm constraints on the lateral thermal contrast at depth between the rift axis and cold lithosphere to the north that may be related to recent subduction, although the polarity of subduction cannot be resolved. This geometry is gravitationally unstable; downwelling or small‐scale convection could have facilitated rifting and rapid lithospheric removal, although this may require a wet mantle to be realistic on the required time scales. The high‐V structure agrees with the maximum P,T conditions recorded by young ultra‐high pressure rocks exposed on the rift axis and may be implicated in their genesis.
Under‐canopy turbulence and root water uptake of a Tibetan meadow ecosystem modeled by Noah‐MP
Authors: Zheng Donghai , Van der Velde Rogier , Su Zhongbo , Wen Jun , Booij Martijn J. , Hoekstra Arjen Y. , Wang Xin 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe Noah‐MP land surface model adopts a multiparameterization framework to accommodate various alternative parameterizations for more than 10 physical processes. In this paper, the parameterizations implemented in Noah‐MP associated with under‐canopy turbulence and root water uptake are enhanced with: (i) an under‐canopy turbulence scheme currently adopted by the Community Land Model (CLM), (ii) two vertical root distribution functions, i.e., an exponential and an asymptotic formulation, and (iii) three soil water stress functions (βt) controlling root water uptake, e.g., a soil water potential (ψ)‐based function, a nonlinear soil moisture (θ)‐based power function and an empirical threshold approach considering preferential uptake from the moist part of the soil column. A comprehensive data set of in situ micrometeorological observations and profile soil moisture/temperature measurements collected from an alpine meadow site in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is utilized to assess the impact of the augmentations on the Noah‐MP performance. The results indicate that (i) implementation of the CLM under‐canopy turbulence scheme greatly resolves the overestimation of sensible heat flux and underestimation of soil temperature across the profile, (ii) both exponential and asymptotic vertical root distribution functions better represent the Tibetan conditions enabling a better representation of the measured soil moisture dynamics, and (iii) the ψ‐based βt functions overestimate surface soil moisture, the default linear θ‐based βt function underestimates latent heat flux during the dry‐down, while both the nonlinear power function and empirical threshold approach simultaneously simulate well soil moisture, and latent and sensible heat fluxes. Additionally, the parameter uncertainty associated with soil water stress function and hydraulic parameterization is addressed.