nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Effect of voltage-dependent calcium channel blockers on ethanol-induced beta-endorphin release from hypothalamic neurons in primary cultures.

The voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) has been shown to mediate calcium entry into neurons that regulates neurotransmission in many neuronal cells. Four major types of VDCCs (three high-voltage-activated L-, N-, and P-types and one low-voltage-activated T-type) have been identified in neurons. Involvement of the VDCC in ethanol-stimulated beta-endorphin (beta-EP) release from hypothalamic neurons has not been studied. In the present study, the role of VDCC on basal and ethanol-induced beta-EP release was determined by using rat fetal hypothalamic cells in primary cultures. Treatments with a 50 mM dose of ethanol for 3 hr increased immunoreactive beta-EP (IR-beta-EP) release from hypothalamic cells maintained in cultures for 9 days. Ethanol-induced IR-beta-EP release was inhibited by a P/Q-type channel blocker omega-agatoxin TK (0.1-1 microM), an N-type channel blocker omega-conotoxin (0.1-1 microM), an L-type blocker nifedipine (1-10 microM), and a T-type blocker flunarizine (1-10 microM). The minimal effective doses of these blockers that blocked the ethanol response produced no significant effects on basal release of IR-beta-EP; neither did these doses of the blockers produce any significant effects on cell viability. These results suggest that ethanol-stimulated IR-beta-EP release is regulated by extracellular calcium involving P-, N-, L- and T-type channels.

Field of study: Medicine
Implications of the spin-orbit interaction for singlet-triplet qubits in silicon

Spin-orbit coupling is relatively weak for electrons in bulk silicon, but enhanced interactions are reported in nanostructures such as the quantum dots used for spin qubits. These interactions have been attributed to various dissimilar interface effects, including disorder or broken crystal symmetries. In this work, we use a double-quantum-dot qubit to probe these interactions by comparing the spins of separated singlet-triplet electron pairs. We observe both intravalley and intervalley mechanisms, each dominant for [110] and [100] magnetic field orientations, respectively, that are consistent with a broken crystal symmetry model. We also observe a third spin-flip mechanism caused by tunneling between the quantum dots. This improved understanding is important for qubit uniformity, spin control and decoherence, and two-qubit gates.

Field of study: Physics
Agonistic Strategies and Spatial Distribution in Captive Sooty Mangabeys (Cercocebus Atys)

The aim of this article is to study the relationship between the dominance hierarchy and the spatial distribution of a group of captive sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys). The analysis of the spatial distribution of individuals in relation to their rank in the dominance hierarchy showed a clear linear hierarchy in which the dominant individual was located in central positions with regard to the rest of the group members. The large open enclosure where the group was living allowed them to adopt a high-risk agonistic strategy in which individuals attacked other individuals whose rank was significantly different from their own. The comparison of the results with a previous study of mangabeys showed that, although the dominance ranks of both groups were similar, the fact that they lived in facilities with different layouts caused different agonistic strategies to emerge and allowed the dominant individual to assume different spatial locations.

Field of study: Psychology
Disturbance by traffic of breeding birds: evaluation of the effect and considerations in planning and managing road corridors

In wildlife considerations in planning and managing road corridors little attention has been given to the effects of disturbance by traffic on populations of breeding birds. Recent studies, however, show evidence of strongly reduced densities of many species of woodland and open habitat in broad zones adjacent to busy roads. The density reduction is related to a reduced habitat quality, and traffic noise is probably the most critical factor. Because density can underestimate the habitat quality, the effects on breeding populations are probably larger than have been established. In consequence, species that did not show an effect on the density might still be affected by traffic noise. On the basis of this recent knowledge, methods have been developed that can be used in spatial planning procedures related to main roads, and in road management practice, and some practical points are discussed. An example of application shows that the effects are probably very important in The Netherlands with a dense network of extremely crowded main roads. For ‘meadow birds’, which are of international importance, the decrease in population in the West of The Netherlands may amount to 16%. Because breeding birds suffer from many other environmental influences there is also a great risk of an important cumulation of effects.

Field of study: Environmental science
Random Leslie matrices in population dynamics

We generalize the concept of the population growth rate when a Leslie matrix has random elements (correlated or not), i.e., characterizing the disorder in the vital parameters. In general, we present a perturbative formalism to deal with linear non-negative random matrix difference equations, then the non-trivial effective eigenvalue of which defines the long-time asymptotic dynamics of the mean-value population vector state is presented as the effective growth rate. This effective eigenvalue is calculated from the smallest positive root of a secular polynomial. Analytical (exact and perturbative calculations) results are presented for several models of disorder. In particular, a 3 × 3 numerical example is applied to study the effective growth rate characterizing the long-time dynamics of a biological population model. The present analysis is a perturbative method for finding the effective growth rate in cases when the vital parameters may have negative covariances across populations.

Field of study: Biology, Mathematics
Negative Politeness in Korean Questions: Interaction between Epistemic Uncertainty and Conventional Indirectness

In this paper, I investigate the negative politeness phenomena in Korean question. The current study focuses on the examination of the mitigating effects raised from the epistemic modal marker nka. Thus far, nka has been treated as a sub-type of question marker used in familiar speech style. Contrary to the previous view, however, I claim that nka should NOT be treated as a factual question marker; rather, it is an attenuative modal marker used as a pragmatic device for conventional indirectness. Since Korean speakers tend to consider speech act of question as an illocutionary act of requesting with a big favor, they use nka in order to minimize the threat and avoid the risk of losing face. In this vein, nka is employed for the pragmatic treatment of mitigated illocutionary force to smooth the conversational interaction. An important contribution of the current work is to add the discussion by considering novel empirical issues in Korean in which epistemic modal device can be another element that exhibits the mitigation in the illocutionary act of asking a question.

Field of study: Linguistics
Thermal-inertial effects on magnetic reconnection in relativistic pair plasmas.

The magnetic reconnection process is studied in relativistic pair plasmas when the thermal and inertial properties of the magnetohydrodynamical fluid are included. We find that in both Sweet-Parker and Petschek relativistic scenarios there is an increase of the reconnection rate owing to the thermal-inertial effects, both satisfying causality. To characterize the new effects we define a thermal-inertial number which is independent of the relativistic Lundquist number, implying that reconnection can be achieved even for vanishing resistivity as a result of only thermal-inertial effects. The current model has fundamental importance for relativistic collisionless reconnection, as it constitutes the simplest way to get reconnection rates faster than those accessible with the sole resistivity.

Field of study: Physics
Apps-olutely Perfect! Apps to Support Common Core in the History/Social Studies Classroom

The inclusion of technology in the classroom is an increasingly important feature of effective instruction. The implementation of Common Core Standards in many states also requires teachers to consider new pedagogical strategies to support meaningful learning. This article explores the intersection between technology demands and curricular change by examining apps that can be used to support Common Core State Standards instruction in history/social studies. Specifically, the authors highlight several apps that they presented at a professional development workshop for six to twelve history/social studies teachers and discuss the teachers' feedback regarding the strengths and limitations of apps to support their instruction. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for history/social studies teachers using apps in the classroom are provided.

Field of study: Sociology
The morphological consequences and the significance of cytomegalovirus infection in renal transplant patients.

In 21 adult patients dying after renal transplantation, tissues examined by light microscopy and/or culture showed evidence of infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV). The morphologic appearances in these 21 patients are presented and contrasted with those of 29 other renal transplant patients in whom infection by CMV was not detected. It is concluded that CMV may be an important potential cause of injury to the lungs and the liver of the allograft patient and also that this virus may contribute to death.

Field of study: Medicine
Performance and Properties of Ultra-Thin Silicon Nitride X-ray Windows

The spectral transmittance of a new generation of SiN based X-ray windows is characterized. The windows are strengthened by low aspect-ratio support grid. As expected for this unprecedented thin window material, the transmittance in the soft X-ray spectral region outperforms the present technologies. A detailed study of the various performance properties of the fabricated SiN X-ray windows is presented. Besides their high transmittance, the windows also have high uniformity, high mechanical strength and good leak tightness. The windows can withstand temperatures from cryogenic range to approximately 250°C. SiN foils are the first real nanotechnology-based choice for the practical realization of X-ray windows and bring the performance to a level that only nanotechnology can offer.

Field of study: Physics
Botanical diversity in British mires

Although mires are sometimes regarded as a single, specific and even esoteric habitat-type, in their full range of development-calcareous fens to acidic bogs, lowland swamps to upland flushes, woodlands, sedgelands and mosslands-they occupy a wide range of environmental conditions and sustain a rich botanical resource. Here an outline is given of the types of mires that are widespread in Britain and their botanical resource. It is discussed with reference to some of the environmental variables and management conditions that have been shown to influence the species composition and diversity of their vegetation. Some implications that this has for the classification of mires are outlined.

Field of study: Environmental science
Genetic Variations of Nucleocapsid Gene of Infectious Bronchitis Virus Strains Isolated in China during 1995-1999

Nucleocapsid protein(N protein) genes of ten IBV strains isolated in China between 1995 and 1999 were amplified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),and then were cloned,sequenced and compared with 20 IBV reference strains.The results showed that all of the n genes of the ten isolates were composed of 1230 nucleotides,encoding a polypeptide of 409 amino acid residues.Deletion and insertion were not found in the n genes of the ten isolates.Phylogenetic tree based on amino acid sequences of n genes from ten IBV isolates and 20 reference IBV strains showed that the ten isolates were classified into three distinct clusters.IBV strains in the three clusters were isolated mainly in China.Furthermore,the phylogenetic tree also showed that recombination within the genome of IBV isolates may induce gene mutation of some Chinese IBV isolates.In addition,compared with the H120 vaccine strain,it was found that point mutations inducing the amino acid substitutions were common in n genes of the ten isolates. Taken together,these results suggested that gene mutation and recombination within the IBV genome existed in the Chinese IBV strains isolated between 1995 and 1999.

Field of study: Biology
An Agent-Based Knowledge Management Framework for the E-Commerce Environment

Knowledge Management (KM) is emerging as one of the management tools to gain competitive advantage and e-businesses are beginning to invest in KM initiatives. Though several organizations have reported successful KM projects, there are many failures due to a variety of reasons including the incongruence between strategic and KM objectives, as well as lack of a framework for supporting KM related activities. This paper presents a framework for knowledge management, which takes into account the different levels of knowledge that exist within e-businesses. The architecture of a KM system that incorporates enabling technologies such as intelligent agents and XML is also discussed.

Field of study: Computer science
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Influence of a light-reflecting polymer cladding on the optical losses in glassy chalcogenide waveguides

An investigation was made of the influence of a light-reflecting polymer cladding (made of a fluoroplastic F-42) on the optical losses in fiber waveguides made of chalcogenide glasses belonging to the As–Se, Ge–As–Se, and Ge–As–S systems. Deposition of a light-reflecting polymer cladding on fibers 300–500μ in diameter increased the optical losses in the wavelength range 2–7μ by 0.2–0.8 dB/m and by more than 2 dB/m in the range 7–12μ.

Field of study: Engineering, Physics
OSS Optimized Superpixel Segmentation

Optimized superpixel segmentation is an approach using lazy random walk and an energy optimization algorithm. The first step is to initializing the seed positions and runs the lazy random walk algorithm on the input to obtain the probabilities of each pixel. The initial superpixels are iteratively optimized by the new optimization function, which is defined based on the texture measurement LBP. Lazy random walk algorithm has the advantage of segmenting the weak boundaries and complicated texture regions by the global probability maps. The superpixel performance is improved by relocating the seed positions of superpixels and splitting the large superpixels into small ones with the optimization algorithm and for foreground object separation use combination of these two methods. KeywordsForeground object separation, Lazy Random Walk, Optimization, Segmentation, Superpixel

Field of study: Engineering
Zur Hyperfeinstruktur der Platinisotope

ZusammenfassungEs wurde das Intensitätsverhältnis der Komponenten einiger früher analysierter PtI-Linien photographisch-photometrisch untersucht und daraus das Isotopen-mischungsverhältnis bestimmt. Es ergab sich, daß die Häufigkeiten von Pt 194∶Pt 195∶ Pt 196∶ Pt 198 sich wie 19∶20∶13∶5 verhalten.

Field of study: Physics
[Genetic Characteristics of Coxsackievirus Group A Type 4 Isolated from Patients with Acute Flaccid Paralysis in Shaanxi, China].

We analyzed the genetic characteristics of coxsackievirus A4 (CV-A4) based on the entire VP1 coding region. Samples were isolated from patients with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in Shaanxi, China from 2006 to 2010. We wished to ascertain the predominant genotype and the relationship between CV-A4 infection and AFP. Sixty-eight non-polio enteroviruses were inoculated onto RD cells (to increase the virus titer) and molecular typing was undertaken. The entire VP1 coding region was amplified. Percentage of CV-A4 was 10.3% (7/68). Analyses of genetic identify and creation of phylogenetic trees revealed that CV-A4 could be classified into A, B and C genotypes. Seven CV-A4 strains from Shaanxi and other CV-A4 strains from China formed an independent evolution lineage located in group 4 and belonged to the C2 sub-genotype. These data suggested that CV-A4 strains of sub-genotype C2 were the predominant genotypes in China. These strains co-evolved and co-circulated with those from other provinces in China, so continued monitoring of CV-A4 (by clinical and genetic surveillance) should be enhanced.

Field of study: Biology
Splenic T helper cell type 1 cytokine profile and extramedullary haematopoiesis in severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Scid mice develop a severe, chronic, and lethal IBD 3–6 months after engraftment of gut wall from immunocompetent congenic donors, induced by donor‐derived CD4+ T cells migrating from the graft [ 7]. We have investigated intracellular T‐helper type 1 (Th1) cytokines in the spleens of gut wall‐transplanted scid mice with IBD. Increased fractions of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and IL‐2‐positive CD4+ T cells were found in the spleens of diseased mice compared with control mice. Moreover, a small but significant population of CD4+ T cells which stained positive for granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) was found in scid mice with IBD but was virtually absent in congenic non‐scid control mice. Cloning of granulocyte/macrophage colony‐forming cells (G/M‐CFC) revealed that both non‐transplanted scid mice and scid mice with IBD had an 8–14‐fold increase in splenic G/M‐CFC compared with control mice. No significant difference in the number of G/M‐CFC per total spleen was found between non‐transplanted and disease scid mice, although both groups of mice showed a nearly two‐fold increase compared with control mice. G/M‐CFC were never found in the thymus, liver or lymph nodes of diseased mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the multinucleated giant cells observed in the gut wall of diseased mice did not represent haematopoietic foci, but were derived from macrophages. These observations point towards a dominant role for Th1‐type CD4+ T cells in the immunopathogenesis of IBD, whereas haematopoiesis does not seem to be affected by the development of the disease.

Field of study: Biology, Medicine
Landscape anthropization shapes the survival of a top avian scavenger

Events of non-natural mortality in human-dominated landscapes are especially challenging for populations of large vertebrates with K strategies. Among birds, vultures are one of the most threatened groups experiencing sharp population declines due to non-natural mortality. Factors causing non-natural mortality are usually studied separately. However, the potential use of an integrated index able to predict large-scale mortality risks of avian scavengers could be especially useful for planning conservation strategies. Here, we used the Human Footprint index to examine the impact of landscape anthropization on the survival rates of 66 GPS-tagged adult Eurasian griffon vultures ( Gyps fulvus ) in two Spanish regions. Foraging in more anthropized areas resulted in a significantly higher individual mortality risk mainly due to collisions with vehicles, poisonings, electrocutions and fatalities with wind turbines. Mean yearly survival rates were estimated at 0.817 ± 0.043 SE and 0.968 ± 0.018 SE for individuals from the more and less anthropized regions, respectively. Additional research should investigate whether some vulture populations could be acting as sinks unnoticed due to metapopulation dynamics. From a broader point of view, our study shows that a straightforward Human Footprint was a useful index to predict the survival of top scavengers and can be highly applicable to planning large-scale conservation measures.

Field of study: Environmental science
The Special Education Teacher's Understanding of Statistics

sionals, they must be able to understand the literature in their field. And, in‘fact, the willingness and ability to keep abreast of new knowledge can perhaps serve to differentiate between teachers who are master craftsmen in their profession and those who are merely maintaining themselves at the journeyman level. A survey of the literature relevant to exceptional children provides evidence of an increasing volume of research articles and reports that include statistical concepts and symbols. Statistics courses, however, are not usually included in a teacher’s education, and teachers frequently have a limited college mathematics background. Thus, it might be expected that teachers’ familiarity with statistical concepts would be minimal, leading them to be, at best, readers of introductions, conclusions, and abstracts of journal articles. In some cases, such a piecemeal approach to the literature may be sufficient to review a research article, but it cannot substitute for a comprehensive grasp of the entire work. The present study was conducted (a) to determine whether there is in fact a trend in the special education literature toward an increasing number of articles that require knowledge of statistical techniques and symbols and (b) to ascertain the capability of special education teachers to understand the literature in light of such a trend. PROCEDURES Six professional journals were surveyed for the years 1945, 1955, and 1965. They were:  A Study DONALD D. HAMMILL, Ed. D. and ARTHUR BLUMBERG, Ed. D. Temple University

Field of study: Education
Aminoacyl derivatives of nucleosides, nucleotides, and polynucleotides. VI. Phosphonic analogues of 2'(3')-O-aminoacyl ribonucleosides: Synthesis of 2'(3' )-O-( R , S )-(1-aminoethane-1-phosphonyl)- and 2'(3')-O-( R , S )-(1-amino-2-phenylethane-1-phosphonyl)adenosine


Field of study: Chemistry
PBW--filtration over $\bz$ and compatible bases for $V_\bz(\la)$ in type ${\tt A}_n$ and ${\tt C}_n$

We study the PBW-filtration on the highest weight representations $V(\la)$ of the Lie algebras of type ${\tt A}_{n}$ and ${\tt C}_{n}$. This filtration is induced by the standard degree filtration on $\U(\fn^-)$. In previous papers, the authors studied the filtration and the associated graded algebras and modules over the complex numbers. The aim of this paper is to present a proof of the results which holds over the integers and hence makes the whole construction available over any field.

Field of study: Mathematics
Cloud classification of ground-based infrared images combining manifold and texture features

Automatic cloud type recognition of ground-based infrared
images is still a challenging task. A novel cloud classification method is
proposed to group images into five cloud types based on manifold and texture
features. Compared with statistical features in Euclidean space, manifold
features extracted on symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrix space can
describe the non-Euclidean geometric characteristics of the infrared image
more effectively. The proposed method comprises three stages: pre-processing,
feature extraction and classification. Cloud classification is performed by a
support vector machine (SVM). The datasets are comprised of the zenithal and
whole-sky images taken by the Whole-Sky Infrared Cloud-Measuring System
(WSIRCMS). Benefiting from the joint features, compared to the recent two
models of cloud type recognition, the experimental results illustrate that
the proposed method acquires a higher recognition rate with an increase of
2 %–10 % on the ground-based infrared datasets.

Field of study: Environmental science