nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Nonparametric Two-Sample Tests of Longitudinal Data with Termination Events

In longitudinal data, observations of response variables occur at fixed or random time points, and can be stopped by a termination event. When comparing longitudinal data for two groups, such irregular observation behavior must be considered to yield suitable results. In this article, we propose the use of nonparametric tests based on the difference between weighted cumulative mean functions for comparing two mean functions with an adjustment for difference in the timing of termination events. We also derive the asymptotic null distributions of the test statistics and examine their small sample properties through simulations. We apply our method to data from a study of liver cirrhosis.

Field of study: Mathematics
Release of soil bound (nonextractable) residues by various physiological groups of microorganisms.

Soil bound 14C-labeled residues were released by four different physiological groups of microorganisms from an organic soil treated with 14C-ring-labeled prometryn [2-(methylthio)-4,6-bis(isopropylamino)-s-triazine]. The extent to which the different microbial populations released bound 14C residues (25-30% of the total bound 14C) from the gamma-irradiated soil after 28 days incubation did not differ considerably. Analysis of the extractable material from the incubated soil showed the presence of small amounts of the parent compound, and its hydroxy and mono-N-dealkylated analogues. Low level of 14CO2 (1.5-3.0% of the total bound 14C) was evolved from the microbial systems indicating ring cleavage of the released material as being a very minor reaction.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Regional Jointing in Southern Alberta

Regional joints in southern Alberta form patterns that persist over an area extending from the Rocky Mountain Foothills to the Saskatchewan border. These patterns persist vertically through a section of rocks ranging in age from Late Cretaceous to Late Paleocene.The basic unit of jointing is an orthogonal system consisting of two sets of extension fractures. Two or more orthogonal systems may be present at a given locality creating a complex pattern of joints. System I predominates and has sets trending approximately 65 °and 155°, or roughly normal and parallel to the Rocky Mountains. System II joints trend approximately 5 °and 95°, but swing about 15 °clockwise in the Drumheller area. A system having sets trending 45 °and 135 °is present near Medicine Hat.System I joints roughly parallel intermediate width (32-64 km) subsurface structural undulations described by Robinson et al. (1969). System II joints trend parallel and normal to the crest of the Sweet-grass Arch. Further study is needed to determine t...

Field of study: Environmental science
Sedimentation and Thrusting of Late Mesozoic Rocks in the Coast Ranges near Clear Lake, California

South and southeast of Clear Lake, California, approximately 35,000 ft of clastic sedimentary strata of the Great Valley sequence ranging in age from Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous crop out in irregular belts trending from northwest to southeast. Together with overthrust lower Tertiary beds, these rocks form a thrust complex that rests structurally upon the Franciscan assemblage of late Mesozoic age along the Soda Creek thrust and is overlain unconformably by late Cenozoic strata. A number of subsidiary thrusts, that are discordant to bedding, break the Great Valley sequence into at least three and possibly more than four successive thrust plates or slices. In all exposed cases, younger strata overlie older strata along the thrusts. The principal structurally intact stratigraphic components of the thrust complex are: A conformable Tithonian to Valanginian succession, 6900 ft, dominantly mudstone with 1600 ft of lithic sandstone and conglomerate in the upper part. Lower Cretaceous strata, 4500 ft, in part Aptian, dominantly thin-bedded quartzose sandstone and mterbedded mudstone. Three structurally isolated “mid”-Cretaceous successions, two of massive sandstone and one of mudstone, total of 5700 ft exposed. A conformable Upper Cretaceoussuccession, 17,500 ft, in large part Campanian, composed of five mappable units including massive sandstone (3700 ft), siltstonc (3600 ft), massive sandstone (4000 ft), mudstone (1000ft), and alternating sandstone and mudstone (5200 ft) in ascending order. A conformablemarine Paleocene and Eocene succession (5500 ft). The lithologic characteristics, petrologic variations, and paleocurrent indicators oi the strata in the Great Valley sequence near Clear Lake are comparable to those of correlative parts of the Great Valley sequence along the western side of the Sacramento Valley. Emplacement of the Great Valley sequence and the lower Tertiary beds above the Franciscan assemblage by regional thrusting was probably complete by Oligocene time from evidence elsewhere in the Northern Coast Ranges. The thrusts themselves and the strata of the thrust complex were later folded and cut by younger normal and reverse faults during Cenozoic deformations.

Field of study: Geology
Competing populations on fragmented landscapes with spatially structured heterogeneities: improved landscape generation and mixed dispersal strategies

Interactions between two species competing for space were studied using stochastic spatially explicit lattice-based simulations as well as pair approximations. The two species differed only in their dispersal strategies, which were characterized by the proportion of reproductive effort allocated to long-distance (far) dispersal versus short-distance (near) dispersal to adjacent sites. All population dynamics took place on landscapes with spatially clustered distributions of suitable habitat, described by two parameters specifying the amount and the local spatial autocorrelation of suitable habitat. Whereas previous results indicated that coexistence between pure near and far dispersers was very rare, taking place over only a very small region of the landscape parameter space, when mixed strategies are allowed, multiple strategies can coexist over a much wider variety of landscapes. On such spatially structured landscapes, the populations can partition the habitat according to local conditions, with one species using pure near dispersal to exploit large contiguous patches of suitable habitat, and another species using mixed dispersal to colonize isolated smaller patches (via far dispersal) and then rapidly exploit those patches (via near dispersal). An improved mean-field approximation which incorporates the spatially clustered habitat distribution is developed for modeling a single species on these landscapes, along with an improved Monte Carlo algorithm for generating spatially clustered habitat distributions.

Field of study: Biology, Mathematics
The regional seas in the 21st century: the need for data

This paper is meant as introducing A Regional Seas Dossier by giving a view of how the data bank, which the Dossier was based on, was designed and operated. The breakdown on the regional sea management is concerns 149 States of the existing 156 independent States, and 45 no sovereign territories. It is based on a spectrum of national data, including: (i) the extent of the coastal, island and archipelagic State, and that of the non independent spaces; (ii) the population; (iii) the coast length; (iv) the extent of the exclusive economic zone ; (v) the land coastline pressure indicator; and (vi) the coastal human pressure indicator. It consists in tables, maps, and diagrams. First, the methodological features are concisely discussed, then the individual components of the Dossier are presented, and finally the need to implement the information systems on the regional seas, and on the regional scale of ocean management, is emphasised.

Field of study: Environmental science
HETEROCYCLIZATIONS BASED ON γ-HALO-α,β-UNSATURATED KETONES

В обзоре впервые обобщены литературные данные по использованию алифатических и (гет)ароматических γ-галоген-α,β-ненасыщенных кетонов в синтезе гетероциклов, содержащих один или несколько гетероатомов в цикле, и их аннелированных аналогов. Методы гетероциклизации распределены в зависимости от механизма реакции. Библиография – 122 источника, охватывает литературу по 2020 г.

Field of study: Chemistry
Students’ Perceptions of Cell Phones and Emotional Behaviour of Undergraduates in Nigerian Universities

The study examined students’ perceptions of cell phones and emotional behaviour patterns in Nigerian universities. A total number of 140 students were randomly selected from three universities. The subjects were exposed to Cell Phone Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) consisting of 17 items. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data were analysed using chi-square statistics. Results showed that emotional reactions and sleep were not significantly related to students’ perceptions of cell phone while types of messages received and financial addiction implications were significantly related to students’ perceptions of cell phones.

Field of study: Education, Sociology
Antigenic structure of the hepatitis C virus envelope 2 protein

The antigenic structure of the envelope 2 (e2) protein of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was characterized by the use of 70 synthetic peptides and 131 human sera from persons with antibodies to HCV, Among 34 overlapping peptides spanning the e2 protein of HCV, two major antigenic regions were located to residues 484–499 and residues 554–569. The sequence of the two major antigenic regions of the e2 protein are partly well conserved within the described types of HCV. Both regions contain two Cys residues in close proximity, and the region at residues 554–569 contains a putative N‐glycosylation site, which are factors that previously have been suggested to affect the immune recognition of the e2 protein. Using substitution peptide analogues where each position within residues 484–499 and 554–569 were sequentially substituted by Ala or Gly, the most essential residues for antibody binding were found to be the Pro‐498, Ala‐499, Ala‐566, Pro‐567, and Pro‐568. All of these, except for the Pro‐498 and Ala‐566, are conserved among different HCV strains. Also, according to previous studies, position 496 often shows variations, which could be explained by position 496 being contained within the antigenic region at residues 484–499. Interestingly, none of the Cys residues at positions 486, 494, 564 and 569 were found to be essential for antibody binding, indicating that these are not essential in maintaining the e2antigenicity of the peptides. In a material of 114 confirmed anti‐HCV positive sera, derived from patients during the acute or the chronic phase of HCV infection, the prevalence of antibodies to the two major linear antigenic regions of the e2 protein was found to be 55% among HCV RNA‐positive sera, and 53% among HCV RNA‐negative sera. In conclusion, we have identified and characterized two major linear antigenic regions outside the two hypervariable regions of the e2 protein. Since these regions are accessible to the B cells of the infected host, these two regions are likely to be surface exposed either on the precursor polyprotein or the native e2 protein. Also, we could confirm that antibodies to the e2 protein co‐exist with HCV viraemia.

Field of study: Biology, Medicine
Sample size, parameter rates and contiguity the I.I.D. case

Let defined on the probability space (X, A, Pθ), where is an open subset of , is a nondecreasing sequence of positive integers tending to ∞ as . Let , be a sequence of positive real numbers tending to ∞ as and set . Finally, let be the restrictions of the probability measures , respectively, to the σ-field . Then a necessary and sufficient condition for the sequences to be contiguous is that , provided certain fairly mild conditions are satisfied.

Field of study: Mathematics
The succession of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) after 15 years of conversion from conventional to organic farming

The results of a 15 years investigation after the conversion from conventional to organic farming are presented for the beetle family Staphylinidae. The aim of the study was to find general trends in the succession of assemblages, changes in the biodiversity and changes of dispersion for invading or retreating species. The succession of all fields studied are shifted in the same direction, which indicates an overall driving ecological factor after the conversion. However, individual fields showed a different speed within the succession. The number of species remained on the same level in the first 8 years but increased from the eighth to the 15th year. However, the species diversity on the organic fields were still lower than in the field margins. The conventionally farmed fields in 2001 before the conversion of the main study area was compared with adjacent conventionally farmed fields investigated 15 years later. This comparison showed that the species diversity was currently much lower there than 15 years before in the main study area. During the succession single species retreated from fields after the conversion and other species invaded the fields. In particular, species of open habitats and inquilines of mammals invaded the fields. It was concluded that organic farming had benefit effects on biodiversity, but a mosaic with field margins will enhance this effect.

Field of study: Environmental science
On the cultural choice of the United University of Southwest

Cultural choice is the basic function of higher education. From the viewpoint of culture, the miracle that the United University of Southwest created is that the intellectuals in the university achieved the identity of culture through the way of correct cultural choice. The United University of Southwest is built on the model of traditional culture-centered and the integration of Sino-West educational idea. The model embodied a kind of harmony of progressiveness and appropriateness.

Field of study: Education
Vertical Bearing Capacity Numerical Analysis of Prestressed Concrete Piles Based on Piles and Soil Material Constitutive Model

This research simulates vertical bearing capacity of Prestressed Concrete piles by the theory basis of finite difference method and relevant material constitutive model for its capacity can be affected by soil plug effect significantly. Its Q-s curves are acquired and analyzed. The research indicates that load-settlement relationship of PC piles is proportional function basically within its bearing property. Also the advantages of FLAC3D software are affirmed when analyzing piles settlement problems.

Field of study: Engineering
Diversity of psychopathology associated with use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy')

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or 'Ecstasy') has become one of the most widely used illicit substances in the UK. Little is known of the psychiatric morbidity which may be associated with its use. We have examined this association by collecting a series of psychiatric cases in which MDMA use was a prominent feature.



Patients presenting between 1990 and 1992 with psychiatric symptoms which developed in the context of MDMA use (n = 13) were interviewed, and their psychiatric, medical and drug history, sociodemographic background and mental state were examined in detail. The psychopathology of cases with psychosis (n = 8) was assessed with the Present State Examination and compared with that of substance-naïve psychotic controls (n = 40).



Eight patients presented with psychotic syndromes, two experienced visual illusions, hallucinations and palinopsia, one had panic attacks, one suffered from depression, and one described chronic depersonalisation and derealisation. The psychopathology of the patients with psychoses was very similar to that of controls.



Use of MDMA may be associated with a broader spectrum of psychiatric morbidity than heretofore suspected. Cases with psychosis may be clinically similar to psychotic patients with no history of substance use.

Field of study: Medicine, Psychology
Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke in patients with renal dysfunction.

This study used the Taiwan stroke registry data to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in treating acute ischemic stroke in patients with renal dysfunction.



We identified 3525 ischemic stroke patients and classified them into 2 groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the emergency department: ≥ 60, and <60 mL/min/1.73m2 or on dialysis and by the propensity score from August 2006 to May 2015. The odds ratio (OR) of poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≥ 2) was calculated for patients with tPA treatment (N = 705), compared to those without tPA treatment (N = 2820), by eGFR levels, at 1, 3 and 6 months after ischemic stroke. We also evaluated the risks of intracerebral hemorrhage, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, mortality, between the two groups by eGFR levels.



Among patients with eGFR levels of less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2, tPA therapy reduced the OR of poor functional outcome to 0.60 (95% CI = 0.42-0.87) at 6 months after ischemic stroke. The tPA therapy was not associated with increased overall risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, but with increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. The low eGFR was not a significant risk factor of intracerebral hemorrhage among ischemic stroke patients receiving tPA treatment.



tPA for acute ischemic stroke could improve functional outcomes without increasing the risks of upper gastrointestinal bleeding for patients with or without renal dysfunction. The low eGFR was not a significant risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage among patients receiving tPA treatment.

Field of study: Medicine
Carbon source utilization patterns of Bacillus simplex ecotypes do not reflect their adaptation to ecologically divergent slopes in 'Evolution Canyon', Israel.

The 'Evolution Canyons' I and II in Israel are model habitats to study adaptation and speciation of bacteria in the environment. These canyons represent similar ecological replicates, separated by 40 km, with a strongly sun-exposed and hot 'African' south-facing slope (SFS) vs. a cooler and mesic-lush 'European' north-facing slope (NFS). Previously, among 131 Bacillus simplex isolates, distinct genetic lineages (ecotypes), each specific for either SFS or NFS, were identified, suggesting a temperature-driven slope-specific adaptation. Here, we asked whether the ecological heterogeneity of SFS vs. NFS also affected carbon utilization abilities, as determined using the Biolog assay. Contrary to expectation, a correlation between substrate utilization patterns and the ecological origin of strains was not found. Rather, the patterns split according to the two major phylogenetic lineages each of which contain SFS and NFS ecotypes. We conclude that traits related to the general energy metabolism, as far as assessed here, are neither shaped by the major abiotic features of 'Evolution Canyon', namely solar radiation, temperature, and drought, nor by the soil characteristics. We further conclude that some traits diverge rather neutrally from each other, whereas other, more environmentally related traits are shaped by natural selection and show evolutionary convergence.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Marginal Methods for Incomplete Longitudinal Data Arising in Clusters

Inverse probability–weighted generalized estimating equations are commonly used to deal with incomplete longitudinal data arising from a missing-at-random mechanism when the marginal means are of primary interest. In many cases, however, the repeated measurements themselves may arise in clusters, which leads to both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal correlation structure. In some applications, the degree of these types of correlation may become of scientific interest. Here we develop inverse probability–weighted second-order estimating equations for monotone missing-data patterns which, under specified assumptions, facilitate consistent estimation of the marginal mean parameters and association parameters. Here the missing-data model accommodates cross-sectional clustering in the missing-data indicators, and the probabilities are estimated under a multivariate Plackett model. For computational reasons, we also consider using the alternating logistic regression algorithm for estimation of the association parameters for the responses. We investigate the importance of modeling the cross-sectional clustering in the missing-data process by simulation. An extension to deal with intermittently missing data is provided, and an application to a longitudinal cluster-randomized smoking prevention trial is presented.

Field of study: Mathematics
Seed Metering and Placement Devices for Rangeland Seeder

in the seeding rate when metering fluffy grass seed is a problem that was largely over-come by a semi-circular seedbox, auger agitator and pickerwheel. This device reduced the percentage change in seeding rates by 84 percentage points compared to a standard grass seeding mechanism in static seedbox tests. The experimental metering mechanism functioned well in a specially designed rangeland seeder and the flexing, runner openers operated without undue break-age from stumps and large logs. Seedbeds prepared by discing were consistantly better than other methods tested.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Anxiolytic effects of cytotoxic hippocampal lesions in rats.

Rats with cytotoxic lesions of the hippocampus were given 3 anxiety tests: social interaction with a novel rat, the elevated zero-maze (a modification of the plus-maze), and hyponeophagia (eating familiar and novel foods in a novel place). Marked anxiolytic effects were seen in the social interaction and hyponeophagia tests, but not on the zero-maze. These results confirm and extend previous experiments that used traditional lesion techniques. The zero-maze result was consistent with other experiments using the plus-maze, in which intrahippocampal administrations of pharmacological agents were not anxiolytic, although variability in ethological tests may also be a factor. As the hyponeophagia test used an elevated apparatus, as in the zero- and plus-mazes, the lack of a lesion effect in the zero-maze was unlikely to have been due to an inability to relieve height-induced anxiety.

Field of study: Biology, Psychology