nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Long-term upper and lower urinary tract functions in children with posterior urethral valves.

Several factors have been identified as predictive of future renal function in children with posterior urethral valves (PUV). Our aim was to analyse upper and lower urinary tract outcome in patients with PUV, and determine any factors from the period of early management that were predictive of future renal function.



The charts of 67 boys (mean age 2.4 years) diagnosed with PUV were reviewed. The most common presenting symptom was dribbling in 43.2% and UTI in 28.3%. Twenty-three (34.8%) patients developed end-stage renal disease aged 1-15 years. The mean time of renal survival was calculated as 7.8 (SEM=0.73) years.



Incontinence in patients over 5 years old, lower urinary tract dysfunction, serum creatinine level in first year or at the time of diagnosis, and presence of vesicoureteral reflux and high-grade bilateral reflux were significant risk factors for occurrence of renal failure in the future. Lower tract dysfunction was seen in 58.6% of patients. Postnatal diagnosis and presence of high-grade reflux were significant risk factors for the future occurrence of lower urinary tract dysfunction.



It is important to recognize that PUV have consequences not only during childhood or before treatment, but also during or after the treatment period. Long-term assessment and follow-up of upper and lower urinary tract functions after valve ablation is necessary.

Field of study: Medicine
Economic analysis of an immunosuppressive strategy in renal transplantation.

Recently introduced immunosuppressants, which have been shown to be more effective but apparently more costly than conventional regimens, have renewed interest in the economic evaluation of national policies regarding the management of end-stage renal disease. The present paper addresses these questions, together with the different methods of expressing the costs involved, with reference to a sequential protocol using anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS), followed by cyclosporine from the third post-graft month onwards. The analysis is based on the results of a randomized trial carried out at the University Hospital, Nantes (France), from 1982 to 1984, in which the above protocol was compared to conventional treatment with ALS alone. Despite the considerable cost of long-term cyclosporine treatment, analysis reveals collective financial and social benefits from the reduced rate of graft failure and subsequent return to dialysis.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
Geometrical analysis of ripple-drift cross-lamination

The geometrical parameters of ripple-drift cross-lamination (climbing ripples) have been measured in coastal exposures of the Cloridorme Formation (Middle Ordovician turbidites of northern Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec), in order to determine the factors that control the angle at which the ripples climb, and to investigate the context of the ripple-drift relative to the other sedimentary features in the Cloridorme Formation. Purely geometrical analysis shows that the angle of the stoss side is more sensitive in controlling the angle of climb than the angle of the lee side, but the single most important factor is the ratio of thickness of the stoss side and lee side laminae. When the lee laminae are about twice as thick as the stoss laminae, the angle of climb is about 30–40 degrees. If the ratio is greater than about 10, the angle of climb is reduced to about 5 degrees.The lamina thicknesses are controlled by the rate of deposition from suspension relative to the rate of bed load movement. At high flow regimes,...

Field of study: Environmental science
Determination of Low Level 129I in Soil Samples Using Coprecipitation Separation of Carrier Free Iodine and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Measurement

The accurate determination of 129 I in samples at ultralow level is critical and essential for the application of natural 129 I in geological dating and environmental tracer studies. In this study, iodine is first separated from soil through combustion at high temperature; the released iodine is collected in an alkali trap solution. AgI-AgCl coprecipitation is used to separate carrier-free iodine from the trap solution and to prepare 129 I target. 129 I is then measured using a 3.0-MV accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in the Xi'an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center. The recovery of iodine is higher than 95%, during combustion. An iodine recovery of about 75%–85% is obtained through coprecipitation separation method, and the total recovery of iodine is above 70%. The developed method has been successfully used to determine 129 I in soil samples with low iodine content. An atomic ratio of 129 I/ 127 I as low as 10 −11 in deep soil has been determined. With this method, the ratio of 129 I/ 127 I down to 10 −12 can be determined in solid samples with low level of iodine.

Field of study: Chemistry
Y-box proteins combine versatile cold shock domains and arginine-rich motifs (ARMs) for pleiotropic functions in RNA biology.

Y-box proteins are single-strand DNA- and RNA-binding proteins distinguished by a conserved cold shock domain (CSD) and a variable C-terminal domain organized into alternating short modules rich in basic or acidic amino acids. A huge literature depicts Y-box proteins as highly abundant, staggeringly versatile proteins that interact with all mRNAs and function in most forms of mRNA-specific regulation. The mechanisms by which Y-box proteins recognize mRNAs are unclear, because their CSDs bind a jumble of diverse elements, and the basic modules in the C-terminal domain are considered to bind nonspecifically to phosphates in the RNA backbone. A survey of vertebrate Y-box proteins clarifies the confusing names for Y-box proteins, their domains, and RNA-binding motifs, and identifies several novel conserved sequences: first, the CSD is flanked by linkers that extend its binding surface or regulate co-operative binding of the CSD and N-terminal and C-terminal domains to proteins and RNA. Second, the basic modules in the C-terminal domain are bona fide arginine-rich motifs (ARMs), because arginine is the predominant amino acid and comprises 99% of basic residues. Third, conserved differences in AA (amino acid) sequences between isoforms probably affect RNA-binding specificity. C-terminal ARMs connect with many studies, demonstrating that ARMs avidly bind sites containing specific RNA structures. ARMs crystallize insights into the under-appreciated contributions of the C-terminal domain to site-specific binding by Y-box proteins and difficulties in identifying site-specific binding by the C-terminal domain. Validated structural biology techniques are available to elucidate the mechanisms by which YBXprot (Y-box element-binding protein) CSDs and ARMs identify targets.

Field of study: Biology, Computer science
ELECTRICALLY ACTIVATED MECHANOCHEMICAL DEVICES USING POLYELECTROLYTE GELS

We report the first model of electrically activated mechanochemical system made of polyelectrolyte gels which contracts, oscillates, and bends reversibly. On the basis of this principle a variety of devices which function under electric stimulus, i.e., a “chemical valve” membrane expanding and contracting the pore size, a switching oscillating 15 to 100 times per minute, and a composite bending like “bimetal” were developed.

Field of study: Chemistry
PRODUCTION OF A QUASI-MONOCHROMATIC $gamma$-RAY BEAM FROM MULTI-Gev ELECTRON ACCELERATORS

Measurements of electron pair production and bremsstrahlung from high- energy photons in a silicon single crystal were made. A "fine structure" was discovered in the coherent bremsstrahlung from the crystal. The bremsstrahlung cross section was calculated taking into account the actual structure of the crystal lattice planes. Calculations of the "fine structure" agree with results. Consequences in experiments using multi-Bev electron accelerators are discussed.

Field of study: Physics
Adenoviral-mediated interferon-gamma gene therapy augments pulmonary host defense of ethanol-treated rats.

Alcohol has long been recognized as an immunosuppressive drug and a risk factor for a spectrum of infectious diseases. Among these infections, bacterial pneumonias are most closely correlated with alcohol abuse. One potential mechanism of ethanol-induced immunosuppression is through its ability to suppress alveolar macrophage production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). This defect can be reversed by priming macrophages with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). We hypothesized that macrophage priming in vivo in a model of acute ethanol intoxication could augment pulmonary host defenses. To test this hypothesis, we used adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of the IFN-gamma gene. This strategy resulted in prolonged expression of IFN-gamma in vivo. Moreover, in a model of acute ethanol intoxication, this vector significantly enhanced lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha responses and lung polymorphonuclear leukocyte recruitment. Furthermore, pulmonary host defenses against Klebsiella pneumoniae were significantly augmented. These enhanced host defenses were not reversed with pretreatment with a polyclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody, suggesting that IFN-gamma's effect was through a non-TNF-alpha-dependent mechanism. These data demonstrate that ethanol-induced suppression of pulmonary host defenses can be reversed with IFN-gamma gene therapy.

Field of study: Medicine
Scnditignal inference and maximum likelihood in a capture-recapture model

A capture-recapture model is used to illustrate the use of sufficient statistics to factor the joint likelihood function into parts suitable for inferences, valid in samples of any size, on various subsets of the parameters. An assessment is made of the information ignored by confining attention to these parts of the likelihood function. The appropriate application of maximum likelihood estimation is illustrated as providing reasonably accurate approximations to these inferences. Although there are practical examples of this approach in the statistical literature, general awareness of the logical principles involved does not seem widespread. This paper illustrates and explains these logical principles in a more complex situation

Field of study: Mathematics
Origins of dinosaur bonebeds in the Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada

Upper Cretaceous dinosaur bonebeds are common in Alberta, Canada, and have attracted continuous scientific attention since the 1960s. Since its inception, the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology has documented the presence of hundreds of these sites and has been involved directly in the scientific study of many tens. Because many of these bonebeds have been used to address questions about the paleobiology and paleoecology of dinosaurs, questions have arisen about bonebed origins and preservation in the Cretaceous of Alberta. This study of 260 bonebeds delineates broad paleoenvironmental settings and associations, and taphonomic signatures of assemblages as a first step in assessing patterns of dinosaur bonebed origins in the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta. Bonebeds are known predominantly from the Belly River Group and the Horseshoe Canyon, lower St. Mary River, Wapiti, and Scollard formations. In these units, bonebeds are mostly associated with river channel and alluvial wetland settings that were influen...

Field of study: Environmental science
Reference Values of Static Back Extensor Muscle Endurance in Healthy Nigerian Adults

This study aimed to establish gender and age reference values of static back extensor muscle endurance in healthy Nigerian adults.  This study involved 373 consecutive participants aged between 21 and 60 years who were grouped into four age strata. A modification of the Sørensen test of Static Muscular Endurance (BSME) was used to quantify static endurance. The mean, standard deviation, range and 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile scores were determined for four gender/age categories.  Endurance time differed significantly across the age groups (F = 47.286; p = 0.000). Males exhibited higher mean endurance than females (t = 2.583; p = 0.010). Using percentiles, 25th (poor endurance), 25th–75th (medium endurance) and >75th (good endurance) percentile were 72, 72–161, and >161–240 s, respectively, for males; and 64, 64–142, and >142–236 s, respectively, for females. There was an age and gender variation in the median values. The results suggest that the significant age and anthropometric differences between the categories of participants could contribute to endurance differences.  This study established a set of reference values for static back endurance in healthy Nigerians. These values can be used to compare a patient’s score at intake or as an outcome measure in clinical practice.

Field of study: Medicine
Self-Complexity and Health Promotion: Promising but Premature

Self-complexity, the number of nonredundant aspects by which the self is cognitively represented, was reported in 1987 by Linville to function as a buffer against the adverse consequences of stress under conditions of high stress. An attempt was made to increase the self-complexity of 110 undergraduates through the use of psychoeducational interventions, with the goal of decreasing physical symptoms. None of four interventions produced an increase in self-complexity or a decrease in physical symptoms. Using multiple regression, the previously reported buffering interaction was evident only among those experiencing the strongest intervention, and Linville's results were not replicated when the entire data set was analyzed. The hypothesis of a relationship between self-complexity and individuals' sense of meaning and purpose in life was not corroborated by correlational analysis. It is concluded that the relationship between self-complexity and health remains intriguing but inadequately tested.

Field of study: Psychology
Changing Company Law

Sealy wrote in 1984 of 'a widespread concern among law teachers that company law has become unteachable'.' If that concern is justified, it may follow that it has become impossible to write a satisfactory company law textbook, and that it would therefore be unreasonable to criticise Farrar and his colleagues for not achieving the impossible. They have produced a book which the majority of students declare to be readable2 and which seems to fill the gap created in the market for degree course level company law text books by the decision to update Gower's classic text through supplements rather than a new edition.3 It is not, however, unreasonable to question whether Farrar has made a contribution beyond filling a gap in the student market on a temporary basis. When the long awaited new edition of Gower is published, will it resume its pre-eminent position, or will it have been replaced? Arguably, the authors of Farrar set themselves the wrong task. The constant developments in the law which affects companies and the consequent rumblings of change in company law teaching mean that what was needed was a completely fresh approach to the study of the law governing business entities rather than another traditional company law text book. What we have is a traditional textbook with some contextual material, at the expense, in places, of thorough case analysis. Farrar's Company law is not (and does not claim to be) a blueprint for curriculum reform in the way that Gower's Principles of Modem Company Law was when first published in 1954. However, the authors' stated objectives are not unambitious; the back cover of the book claims that 'Its character is unique, combining as it does some elements of a traditional approach with a clear theoretical structure, contextual treatment and practical new perspectives.' This is a good example of the type of work which legal publishers now appear to be encouraging, especially in fields where they feel there 'should' be a wide (and profitable) market; a kind of 'pick and mix' approach to legal writing, offering a wide menu from which the reader can make a personal selection. Yet ultimately, in its attempt to please all, this book fails to take a new direction and present a thesis of its own about its subject. It is essentially derivative and, like all works which aim to please everyone, risks satisfying

Field of study: Law
Does It Matter How We Die? Ethical and Legal Issues Raised by Combining Euthanasia and Organ Transplantation

If, in jurisdictions with legalized euthanasia, obtaining organs for transplant from euthanized people is allowed, must their organs be taken only after death or should euthanasia be allowed to be performed by removal of vital organs? Asked another way, if “Donation after Death” is practiced, why not “Death by Donation?” The article addresses two questions. First, “What issues does connecting euthanasia and organ donation raise?” They include dealing with uncertainty regarding the definition of death, defining what constitutes conscientiously objecting healthcare professionals' involvement in euthanasia, and whether connecting euthanasia and transplantation makes conflicts of interest for healthcare professionals unavoidable. Additional issues raised by death by donation include breach of the “dead-donor rule”; what would constitute informed consent to it; and what impact its acceptance would have on important foundational societal values, especially respect for human dignity and human life. The second question is “Why might some people who agree with euthanasia and even organ donation after death by euthanasia find death by donation ethically unacceptable?” Considerations again include its harmful impact on upholding respect for human dignity and human life and that the “wisdom of repugnance” could be informing these people's reaction. It is concluded that in order to avoid serious breaches of ethics, organ transplantation and euthanasia should not be linked in any way.

Field of study: Medicine, Philosophy
Mapping cropland-use intensity across Europe using MODIS NDVI time series

Global agricultural production will likely need to increase in the future due to population growth, changing diets, and the rising importance of bioenergy. Intensifying already existing cropland is often considered more sustainable than converting more natural areas. Unfortunately, our understanding of cropping patterns and intensity is weak, especially at broad geographic scales. We characterized and mapped cropping systems in Europe, a region containing diverse cropping systems, using four indicators: (a) cropping frequency (number of cropped years), (b) multi-cropping (number of harvests per year), (c) fallow cycles, and (d) crop duration ratio (actual time under crops) based on the MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series from 2000 to 2012. Second, we used these cropping indicators and self-organizing maps to identify typical cropping systems. The resulting six clusters correspond well with other indicators of agricultural intensity (e.g., nitrogen input, yields) and reveal substantial differences in cropping intensity across Europe. Cropping intensity was highest in Germany, Poland, and the eastern European Black Earth regions, characterized by high cropping frequency, multi-cropping and a high crop duration ratio. Contrarily, we found lowest cropping intensity in eastern Europe outside the Black Earth region, characterized by longer fallow cycles. Our approach highlights how satellite image time series can help to characterize spatial patterns in cropping intensity—information that is rarely surveyed on the ground and commonly not included in agricultural statistics: our clustering approach also shows a way forward to reduce complexity when measuring multiple indicators. The four cropping indicators we used could become part of continental-scale agricultural monitoring in order to identify target regions for sustainable intensification, where trade-offs between intensification and the environmental should be explored.

Field of study: Environmental science
Qualitative and Textural Changes in Fresh Okra Pods (Hibiscus esculentus L.) under Modified Atmosphere Packaging in Perforated Film Packages

Improper post-harvest handling and storage under room temperature lead to high loss of moisture resulting in loss of strength and development of flaccidity in okra tissues, apart from the loss of its characteristic green color. In this study, different weights of freshly harvested okra pods (Hibiscus esculentus L.) were stored at 15°C and 75% relative humidity packaged under modified atmosphere (MAP) in 35 μm thick polypropylene film packages to assess the effect of different in-pack gaseous compositions of O2 and CO2 on the properties of okra. During storage, the normal freshness indicators of okra namely, the bright green color and ease of snapping at the tip served as the prominent qualitative and textural parameters, indicative of the acceptability of okra. Results indicated that an in-pack gaseous range for O2 (6.3-8.4%) and CO2 (10.7-11.8%) under MAP resulted in maintenance of green color and β-carotene in the pericarp, and ascorbic acid in the seeds as well as other qualitative parameters. Further, the texture analysis of okra at the pre-determined snapping point at the tip and also along the longitudinal portion showed that MAP stored okra were snapping easily at the tips and had a very slight increase in the other mechanical properties which were considered to be within acceptable limits.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Genome-wide association analysis confirms and extends the association of SLC2A9 with serum uric acid levels to Mexican Americans

Increased serum uric acid (SUA) is a risk factor for gout and renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this study was to identify genetic factors that affect the variation in SUA in 632 Mexican Americans participants of the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS). A genome-wide association (GWA) analysis was performed using the Illumina Human Hap 550K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray. We used a linear regression-based association test under an additive model of allelic effect, while accounting for non-independence among family members via a kinship variance component. All analyses were performed in the software package SOLAR. SNPs rs6832439, rs13131257, and rs737267 in solute carrier protein 2 family, member 9 (SLC2A9) were associated with SUA at genome-wide significance (p < 1.3 × 10−7). The minor alleles of these SNPs had frequencies of 36.2, 36.2, and 38.2%, respectively, and were associated with decreasing SUA levels. All of these SNPs were located in introns 3–7 of SLC2A9, the location of the previously reported associations in European populations. When analyzed for association with cardiovascular-renal disease risk factors, conditional on SLC2A9 SNPs strongly associated with SUA, significant associations were found for SLC2A9 SNPs with BMI, body weight, and waist circumference (p < 1.4 × 10−3) and suggestive associations with albumin-creatinine ratio and total antioxidant status (TAS). The SLC2A9 gene encodes an urate transporter that has considerable influence on variation in SUA. In addition to the primary association locus, suggestive evidence (p < 1.9 × 10−6) for joint linkage/association (JLA) was found at a previously-reported urate quantitative trait locus (Logarithm of odds score = 3.6) on 3p26.3. In summary, our GWAS extends and confirms the association of SLC2A9 with SUA for the first time in a Mexican American cohort and also shows for the first time its association with cardiovascular-renal disease risk factors.

Field of study: Biology