nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Dialysis strategies to improve growth in children with chronic kidney disease.

Despite major advances in the understanding and management of uremic growth failure, 35% to 50% of children with chronic kidney disease still grow up to become adults of small stature. The final adult height achieved is correlated with the height deficit recorded at the time of kidney transplantation. A degree of catch-up growth does occur after kidney transplantation in childhood, but it is often limited. Growth retardation in children with chronic kidney disease causes significant difficulties in their daily lives, often limiting psychosocial integration. Additionally, growth retardation is associated with a greater number of hospital admissions and an increased risk of mortality. Growth failure is the common endpoint of a variety of pathologies, including growth hormone resistance. In children on chronic dialysis, linear growth may be improved by ensuring that optimal clinical care is provided. This includes maximizing nutritional support (e.g., tube feeding in cases of anorexia) so as to prevent malnutrition. Further management options include the administration of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment and the use of more frequent and intensive dialysis sessions, such as daily on-line hemodiafiltration, which combines increased dialysis convective flow with ultrapure dialysate, to limit cachexia.

Field of study: Medicine
Readout ASIC With SOI Technology for X-Ray CCDs

We developed an analog front-end application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with a fully depleted (FD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology for readout of X-ray CCDs. The ASIC contains seven readout channels, each of which is equipped with the correlated double sampling circuit followed by an amplitude-to-pulse width conversion circuit. We combined the ASIC with an X-ray CCD for performance evaluation tests. We succeeded in processing analog signals from the CCD and confirmed an X-ray imaging and photon-counting capabilities by irradiating a radioisotope 55Fe. The energy resolution is 305 eV at 5.9 keV (full-width at half maximum) and the readout noise is 53.7 μV for power consumption of 33 mW per chip. The ASIC proves that the FD-SOI process can be a practically usable option for front-end applications.

Field of study: Physics
Coping Strategies among Farmers and Herders during Post Conflict Situation in the Kainji Dam Area of Yauri Emirate, Kebbi State Nigeria

This study examines the coping strategies among farmers and herders during post-conflict situation in Kainji dam area of Yauri Emirate, Kebbi State Nigeria. The study was conducted in the 3 Local Government Areas of the Emirate. Purposive sampling was used to select twelve villages in the LGAs (4 villages/ LGA). 16 respondents were randomly selected for data collection, to obtain a total of 192 respondents. The result of the study reveals that the average uses of problem-oriented coping strategies score among farmers were 51.8%, Herders 50.5%. The use of emotion-oriented coping strategies score among farmers and herders were 38.4%, 59.7%, respectively and the average use of social support coping strategies among farmers and herders were 30.0%, 28.5% respectively. The study recommends that Government and other donor organizations should assist the conflict actors with relief materials during conflict situation, so that they can cope with the stress and resume normal production activity.  10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n9p59

Field of study: Education, Sociology
WE‐C‐304A‐09: QA Procedures for Multi‐Modality Preclinical Tumor Drug Response Testing

There are growing expectations that imaging biomarkers can speed preclinical testing of anti‐tumor drugs in rodent models. The only presently accepted imaging biomarker by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tumor size measurement based on WHO or RECIST criteria. Standardized Tumor Response QA procedures are needed to allow accurate tumor size measurements in rodent models coming from multiple devices and laboratories. This project tests the hypothesis that development and testing of new anti‐tumor drugs with imaging biomarkers can be facilitated and speeded by the development of effective QA procedures for preclinical drug testing in rodent tumor models.  A multi‐modality Rodent Tumor Response (RTR) QA procedure was constructed using two sets of measurements on a special purpose calibration phantom: A. Tumor Diameter — low contrast spheres with 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14mm diameters, B. Tumor Volume — five low contrast spheres ranging 4.2 to 1436.8 mm3. Repeated images (n = 3) were obtained with 10 and 35 MHz ultrasoundscanners, animal cone beam μ‐CT and a 7T MR animal imager to develop “RTR‐QA Standardized Measurement Protocols” for each device. The capacity of RTR‐QA methods to standardize tumor drug response measurements was validated using measurements of Head and Neck rat tumor models (SCC‐4) ranging in tumor size from 2, 4, 7, 10, 14mm (three rats per group). Results of Standardized RTR‐QA were compared against gold standard measurements of NIST referenced mass and size of surgically extracted tumors. Statistical comparisons of WHO and RECIST data precision and accuracy were made. Tumor size measurements in rat tumor models using Standardized RTR‐QA procedures showed more accurate results.  We conclude that accurate measurements of tumor response from multiple laboratories/instruments are possible using imaging size biomarkers with Standardized RTR‐QA RECIST and WHO procedures.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Countering the counting problem: a reply to Holton

1. It has become commonplace to claim that 'the counting problem' for Donald Davidson's paratactic account of oratio obliqua can be met only by admitting propositions into one's ontology.1 In a recent note, Richard Holton (1996) has disputed this. The purpose of this brief reply is to argue that Holton's rearguard action against propositions is unsuccessful. He has not succeeded in showing that we can hold on to the nominalistic ontology which Davidson takes to be concomitant on his paratactic proposal.

Field of study: Philosophy
Formation and migration of oxygen and zirconium vacancies in cubic zirconia and zirconium oxysulfide

Oxygen ionic conductivity through zirconia (ZrO2) is essential to the performance of solid oxide fuel cells, thermal barrier coatings, and zirconium alloys for nuclear fuel cladding. Since sulfur (S) atoms can replace oxygen atoms at ZrO2 surface or even induce formation of homogeneous zirconium oxysulfide (ZrOS) structure at high S partial pressure, we study defect migration and formation in both cubic zirconia (c-ZrO2) and ZrOS under different electron and element chemical potentials using density functional theory. Our calculations show that S addition to zirconia, either by doping or through gas diffusion, increases both the formation energy and migration barrier of doubly positively charged oxygen vacancies. Since the charged oxygen vacancies play a vital role in the ionic and thermal conductivities, our results suggest that high S partial pressures are expected to change the mechanisms of ionic and thermal conductivities of ZrO2-based materials.

Field of study: Materials science
INFLUENCE ON SEISMIC RESPONSE OF PILE DUE TO STIFFNESS VARIATION OF SUPERSTRUCTURE

The dynamic interaction between the soil and the pile and the superstructure was studied by the method of integral finite element under the seismic condition. The soil side boundary is simulated by using the elastic spring-damper. Input restraint joint is used to settle continuous conditions of the different type of connective unit. Consequently, some useful conclusions are obtained by comparing the vibration of the periods and the displacement as well as the internal force of the piles under the seismic condition, with the consideration of the stiffness variations of three types of superstructures.

Field of study: Engineering
P1 element morphological variability within the Late Pennsylvanian asymmetrical Idiognathodus clade from the Midcontinent, U.S.A. and implications for ontogeny, taxonomy, phylogeny, and function

Missourian-Virgilian asymmetrical Idiognathodus represent a distinct clade of species with strong dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry that exhibit a series of morphological events before the Late Pennsylvanian extinction of Idiognathodus. Previous taxonomic work and morphometric analyses were completed separately for the three major groups of the clade. From oldest to youngest, these are the I. magnificus, I. eudoraensis, and I. simulator groups. The dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry is more apparent in larger specimens and the asymmetry is caused by ontogenetic distortion of the dextral element, which widens in the ventral part of the rostral side. At smaller sizes, both sinistral and dextral elements grow predominately dorsal-ventral, and at larger sizes growth is predominately rostral-caudal. Lobe groups correspond with different platform shapes, suggesting that lobe groups are useful taxonomic identification criterion for classifying morphologically distinct species. There are four major morphological events that occur within the asymmetrical Idiognathodus clade: 1) the development of simulator-style P1 element asymmetry in the I. magnificus group; 2) the replacement of flat ungrooved platforms in the I. magnificus group with the grooved platforms of the I. eudoraensis group; 3) the shortening of the adcarinal ridges and development of stronger dextral-sinistral element P1 asymmetry in the I. simulator group; and 4) the replacement of the asymmetric Idiognathodus clade with the I. tersus group which have grooveless narrow platforms, long adcarinal ridges and no apparent dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry. These morphological events likely reflect significant biological and paleoecological changes that ultimately culminate with the extinction of Idiognathodus.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
Structures of the PKC-iota kinase domain in its ATP-bound and apo forms reveal defined structures of residues 533-551 in the C-terminal tail and their roles in ATP binding.

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays an essential role in a wide range of cellular functions. Although crystal structures of the PKC-theta, PKC-iota and PKC-betaII kinase domains have previously been determined in complexes with small-molecule inhibitors, no structure of a PKC-substrate complex has been determined. In the previously determined PKC-iota complex, residues 533-551 in the C-terminal tail were disordered. In the present study, crystal structures of the PKC-iota kinase domain in its ATP-bound and apo forms were determined at 2.1 and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. In the ATP complex, the electron density of all of the C-terminal tail residues was well defined. In the structure, the side chain of Phe543 protrudes into the ATP-binding pocket to make van der Waals interactions with the adenine moiety of ATP; this is also observed in other AGC kinase structures such as binary and ternary substrate complexes of PKA and AKT. In addition to this interaction, the newly defined residues around the turn motif make multiple hydrogen bonds to glycine-rich-loop residues. These interactions reduce the flexibility of the glycine-rich loop, which is organized for ATP binding, and the resulting structure promotes an ATP conformation that is suitable for the subsequent phosphoryl transfer. In the case of the apo form, the structure and interaction mode of the C-terminal tail of PKC-iota are essentially identical to those of the ATP complex. These results indicate that the protein structure is pre-organized before substrate binding to PKC-iota, which is different from the case of the prototypical AGC-branch kinase PKA.

Field of study: Chemistry
Atmospheric coherent X-ray diffraction imaging for in situ structural analysis at SPring-8 Hyogo beamline BL24XU.

Coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (CXDI) is a promising technique for non-destructive structural analysis of micrometre-sized non-crystalline samples at nanometre resolutions. This article describes an atmospheric CXDI system developed at SPring-8 Hyogo beamline BL24XU for in situ structural analysis and designed for experiments at a photon energy of 8 keV. This relatively high X-ray energy enables experiments to be conducted under ambient atmospheric conditions, which is advantageous for the visualization of samples in native states. The illumination condition with pinhole-slit optics is optimized according to wave propagation calculations based on the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction formula so that the sample is irradiated by X-rays with a plane wavefront and high photon flux of ∼1 × 1010 photons/16 µmø(FWHM)/s. This work demonstrates the imaging performance of the atmospheric CXDI system by visualizing internal voids of sub-micrometre-sized colloidal gold particles at a resolution of 29.1 nm. A CXDI experiment with a single macroporous silica particle under controlled humidity was also performed by installing a home-made humidity control device in the system. The in situ observation of changes in diffraction patterns according to humidity variation and reconstruction of projected electron-density maps at 5.2% RH (relative humidity) and 82.6% RH at resolutions of 133 and 217 nm, respectively, were accomplished.

Field of study: Physics
Transfer Learning via Latent Factor Modeling to Improve Prediction of Surgical Complications

We aim to create a framework for transfer learning using latent factor models to learn the dependence structure between a larger source dataset and a target dataset. The methodology is motivated by our goal of building a risk-assessment model for surgery patients, using both institutional and national surgical outcomes data. The national surgical outcomes data is collected through NSQIP (National Surgery Quality Improvement Program), a database housing almost 4 million patients from over 700 different hospitals. We build a latent factor model with a hierarchical prior on the loadings matrix to appropriately account for the different covariance structure in our data. We extend this model to handle more complex relationships between the populations by deriving a scale mixture formulation using stick-breaking properties. Our model provides a transfer learning framework that utilizes all information from both the source and target data, while modeling the underlying inherent differences between them.

Field of study: Computer science
Estimating daily pan evaporation with artificial neural networks

Daily pan evaporation has been shown to be an important variable in making crop management decisions and 
in modeling crop response to weather conditions. However, daily pan evaporation is difficult to measure accurately and 
consistently over longer time periods. The objective of this research was to develop artificial neural network (ANN) 
models to estimate daily pan evaporation using measured weather variables as inputs. Weather data from Rome, Plains, 
and Watkinsville, Georgia, consisting of 2044 daily records from 1992 to 1996 were used to develop the models of daily 
pan evaporation. Additional weather data from these locations, which included 720 daily records from 1997 and 1998, 
served as an independent evaluation data set for the models. The measured variables included daily observations of 
rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. Daily pan evaporation was also estimated using 
multiple linear regression and the Priestley-Taylor method and was compared to the results of the ANN models. The ANN 
model of daily pan evaporation with all available variables as inputs was the most accurate model delivering an r 2 of 
0.717 and a root mean square error of 1.11 mm for the independent evaluation data set. ANN models were developed with 
some of the observed variables eliminated to correspond to different levels of data collection as well as for minimal data 
sets. The accuracy of the models was reduced considerably when variables were eliminated to correspond with National 
Weather Service cooperative weather stations. Pan evaporation estimated with ANN models was slightly more accurate 
than pan evaporation estimated with a multiple linear regression model or the Priestley-Taylor equation. Future efforts 
will focus on the inclusion of the ANN model as part of the quality control procedure to estimate missing pan evaporation 
data of the automated weather station network.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
The Price of Abundance

We investigated the long-standing—yet previously untested—idea that an abundance of desirable life experiences may undermine people’s ability to savor simpler pleasures. In Study 1, we found that the more countries individuals had visited, the less inclined they were to savor a future trip to a pleasant but ordinary destination. In Study 2, we conducted a field experiment at a popular tourist attraction, where we manipulated participants’ perceptions of their own experiential backgrounds; when participants were led to feel well-traveled, they devoted significantly less time to their visit compared with individuals who were led to feel less worldly. We replicate these findings in Study 3 and found evidence that the observed effect could not be easily explained by other mechanisms. Being a world traveler—or just feeling like one—may undermine the proclivity to savor visits to enjoyable but unextraordinary destinations by endowing individuals with a sense of abundance.

Field of study: Psychology
A bioluminescent derivative of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 for deliberate release into the environment.

Recombinant derivatives of Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440 are of potential interest as microbial inoculants to be deliberately released for agricultural applications. To facilitate tracking of this strain and its derivatives after introduction into the environment, a mini-Tn5-'luxAB transposon was introduced into the chromosome of P. putida KT2440, yielding strain P. putida S1B1. Sequencing of the DNA region located upstream of the 'luxAB genes and similarity search with the P. putida KT2440 genome sequence, localized the transposon within a 3021-bp open reading frame (ORF), whose translated sequence showed significant similarity with the hypothetical YdiJ proteins from Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae. A second ORF adjacent to and divergent from the ydiJ sequence was also found and showed significant homology with various LysR-type transcriptional activator proteins from several bacteria. Disruption of the ydiJ locus in P. putida S1B1 did not affect the survival of the strain in unvegetated or vegetated soils. Bioluminescent detection of P. putida S1B1 cells enriched in selective media directly from soil allowed detection of culturable cells in soil samples over a period of at least 8 months. The addition of the luxAB biomarker facilitates tracking in the root system of several plant species grown under sterile and non-sterile conditions. The correlation of the bioluminescent phenotype with the growth activity of P. putida S1B1 cells colonizing the root system of barley and corn plants was estimated by monitoring ribosomal contents using quantitative hybridization with fluorescence-labeled ribosomal RNA probes. A correlation between inoculum density, light output, and ribosomal contents was found for P. putida cells colonizing the root system of barley seedlings grown under sterile conditions. Although ribosomal contents, and therefore growth activity, of P. putida S1B1 cells extracted from the rhizosphere of corn plants grown in non-sterile soil were similar to those found in starved cells, the luminescent system permitted non-destructive in situ detection of the strain in the upper root system.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Lighting energy consumption in ultra-low energy buildings: Using a simulation and measurement methodology to model occupant behavior and lighting controls

As building owners, designers, and operators aim to achieve significant reductions in overall energy consumption, understanding and evaluating the probable impacts of occupant behavior becomes a critical component of a holistic energy conservation strategy. This becomes significantly more pronounced in ultra-efficient buildings, where system loads such as heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation are reduced or eliminated through high-performance building design and where occupant behavior-driven impacts reflect a large portion of end-use energy. Further, variation in behavior patterns can substantially impact the persistence of any performance gains. This paper describes a methodology of building occupant behavior modeling using simulation methods developed by the Building Energy Research Center (BERC) at Tsinghua University using measured energy consumption data collected by the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab (UW IDL). The Bullitt Center, a six-story 4831 m2 (52,000 ft2) net-positive-energy urban office building in Seattle, WA, USA, is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world (2013 WAN Sustainable Building of the Year Winner). Its measured energy consumption in 2015 was approximately 34.8 kWh/(m2∙yr) (11 kBtu/(ft2∙yr)). Occupant behavior exerts an out-sized influence on the energy performance of the building. Nearly 33% of the end-use energy consumption at the Bullitt Center consists of unregulated miscellaneous electrical loads (plug-loads), which are directly attributable to occupant behavior and equipment procurement choices. Approximately 16% of end-use energy is attributable to electric lighting which is also largely determined by occupant behavior. Key to the building’s energy efficiency is employment of lighting controls and daylighting strategies to minimize the lighting load. This paper uses measured energy use in a 330 m2 (3550 ft2) open office space in this building to inform occupant profiles that are then modified to create four scenarios to model the impact of behavior on lighting use. By using measured energy consumption and an energy model to simulate the energy performance of this space, this paper evaluates the potential energy savings based on different occupant behavior. This paper describes occupant behavior simulation methods and evaluates them using a robust dataset of 15 minute interval sub-metered energy consumption data. Lighting control strategies are compared via simulation results, in order to achieve the best match between occupant schedules, controls, and energy savings. Using these findings, we propose a simulation methodology that incorporates measured energy use data to generate occupant schedules and control schemes with the ultimate aim of using simulation results to evaluate energy saving measures that target occupant behavior.

Field of study: Engineering
Effect of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide-6/Polypropylene Composites for Lightweight Automotive Parts

The development of lightweight automotive parts is an important issue for improving the efficiency of vehicles. Polymer composites have been widely applied to reduce weight and improve mechanical properties by mixing polymers with carbon fibers, glass fibers, and carbon nanotubes. Polypropylene (PP) has been added to carbon fiber-reinforced nylon-6 (CF/PA6) composite to achieve further weight reduction and water resistance. However, the mechanical properties were reduced by the addition of PP. In this research, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to compensate for the reduced mechanical properties experienced when adding PP. Tensile testing and bending tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties. A small amount of CNTs improved the mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced PA6/PP composites. For example, the density of CF/PA6 was reduced from 1.214 to 1.131 g/cm3 (6.8%) by adding 30 wt % PP, and the tensile strength of 30 wt % PP composite was improved from 168 to 173 MPa (3.0%) by adding 0.5 wt % CNTs with small increase of density (1.135 g/cm3). The developed composite will be widely used for lightweight automotive parts with improved mechanical properties.

Field of study: Materials science