nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Modulation of microbial predator-prey dynamics by phosphorus availability: growth patterns and survival strategies of bacterial phylogenetic clades.

We simultaneously studied the impact of top-down (protistan grazing) and bottom-up (phosphorus availability) factors on the numbers and biomasses of bacteria from various phylogenetic lineages, and on their growth and activity parameters in the oligo-mesotrophic Piburger See, Austria. Enhanced grazing resulted in decreased proportions of bacteria with high nucleic acid content (high-NA bacteria) and lower detection rates by FISH. There was a change in the composition of the bacterial assemblage, whereby Betaproteobacteria were heavily grazed while Alphaproteobacteria and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides were less affected by predators. Changes in bacterial assemblage composition were also apparent in the treatments enriched with phosphorus, and even more pronounced in the incubations in dialysis tubes (allowing relatively free nutrient exchange). Here, Betaproteobacteria became dominant and appeared to act as successful opportunistic competitors for nutrients. In contrast, Actinobacteria did not respond to surplus phosphorus by population growth, and, moreover, maintained their small size, which resulted in a very low biomass contribution. In addition, significant relationships between high-NA bacteria and several bacterial phylogenetic clades were found, indicating an enhanced activity status. By combining several single-cell methods, new insight is gained into the competitive abilities of freshwater bacteria from a variety of phylogenetic lineages under contrasting sets of bottom-up and top-down constraints.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Error estimates on Nuclear Binding Energies from Nucleon-Nucleon uncertainties

Despite great theoretical efforts the NN interaction can only be determined with a finite precision, implying an error upper bound for nuclear masses. We analyze for the first time the problem of estimating the systematic errors related to the form of the potential and their impact on nuclear binding. To this end we exploit the concept of coarse grained interactions to typical nuclear wavelengths. Our estimate gives an error of 0.1-0.4 MeV for the binding energy per particle and paves the way for ab initio calculations tailored to such a precision.

Field of study: Physics
Complex assembly, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of MHC H-2Kd complexed with an HBV-core nonapeptide.

In order to establish a system for structural studies of the murine class I major histocompatibility antigen complex (MHC) H-2Kd, a bacterial expression system and in vitro refolding preparation of the complex of H-2Kd with human beta2m and the immunodominant peptide SYVNTNMGL from hepatitis B virus (HBV) core-protein residues 87-95 was employed. The complex (45 kDa) was crystallized; the crystals belong to space group P222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 89.082, b = 110.398, c = 47.015 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees. The crystals contain one complex per asymmetric unit and diffract X-rays to at least 2.06 A resolution. The structure has been solved by molecular replacement and is the first crystal structure of a peptide-H-2Kd complex.

Field of study: Chemistry
Quality management framework for the SME's food processing industry in Malaysia

Previous literatures have demonstrated a significant research gap in terms of the quality of the management practices in the organizational performances of the SMEs particularly in the food processing industry in Malaysia. Subsequently, an exploratory study is conducted to verify the proposed critical success factors (CSF) and the model constructs for SMEs in the Malaysian food industry that is in line with these practices. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify CSF of quality management practices of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Malaysian food industry and to develop a conceptual framework of quality management practices based on the Total Quality Management (TQM) in relation to the organizational performance of the SMEs in the food processing industry in Malaysia. The quality management framework consists of leadership, corporate planning, human resource management, customer focus, supplier focus, information management, process management and quality assurance as the CSF. Finding from the exploratory study has supported the proposed constructs and results show that the instrument is reliable in measuring the construct. Thus, this study is important to support the SMEs in the food processing industry in Malaysia to manage and prioritize the implementation of QM in order to improve the organizational performance.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
MProve: A Proof of Assets Protocol for Monero Exchanges

Theft from cryptocurrency exchanges due to cyberattacks or internal fraud is a major problem. Exchanges can partially alleviate customer concerns by providing periodic proofs of solvency. We describe MProve, a proof of assets protocol for Monero exchanges which can be combined with a known proof of liabilities protocol to provide a proof of solvency. MProve also provides a simple proof of non-collusion between exchanges.

Field of study: Computer science, Mathematics
Structure of polynomial representations for orthosymplectic Lie superalgebras

Orthosymplectic Lie superalgebras are fundamental symmetries in modern physics, such as massive supergravity. However, their representations are far from being thoroughly understood. In the present paper, we completely determine the structure of their various supersymmetric polynomial representations obtained by swapping bosonic multiplication operators and differential operators in the canonical supersymmetric polynomial representations. In particular, we obtain certain new infinite-dimensional irreducible representations and new composition series of indecomposable representations for these algebras.

Field of study: Mathematics
Effect of Potato Virus Y on Growth and Yield of Chilli

Effeet of Potato virus Y inoculation at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days after sowing on the syptom expression, growth and yield of chilli was studied. The plants that were inoculated 15 days after sowing were severely stunted and produced no yield. The effect of the virus on the growth and yield was decreased gradually as the age of plant at inoculation was inceeased. The plant inoculated at 90 days after sowing were unaffected.

Field of study: Biology
Realizing the geothermal electricity potential—water use and consequences

Electricity from geothermal resources has the potential to supply a significant portion of US baseload electricity. We estimate the water requirements of geothermal electricity and the impact of potential scaling up of such electricity on water demand in various western states with rich geothermal resources but stressed water resources. Freshwater, degraded water, and geothermal fluid requirements are estimated explicitly. In general, geothermal electricity has higher water intensity (l kWh − 1) than thermoelectric or solar thermal electricity. Water intensity decreases with increase in resource enthalpy, and freshwater gets substituted by degraded water at higher resource temperatures. Electricity from enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) could displace 8–100% of thermoelectricity generated in most western states. Such displacement would increase stress on water resources if re-circulating evaporative cooling, the dominant cooling system in the thermoelectric sector, is adopted. Adoption of dry cooling, which accounts for 78% of geothermal capacity today, will limit changes in state-wide freshwater abstraction, but increase degraded water requirements. We suggest a research and development focus to develop advanced energy conversion and cooling technologies that reduce water use without imposing energy and consequent financial penalties. Policies should incentivize the development of higher enthalpy resources, and support identification of non-traditional degraded water sources and optimized siting of geothermal plants.

Field of study: Environmental science
A task migration algorithm for heterogeneous distributed computing systems

Most load balancing schemes are based on the assumption that all processors in a distributed computing system (DCS) have similar processing power and workload. However, as technology continues to advance, networks have become more likely to contain processors of different capabilities and configurations. The proposed load balancing method is based on the coterie , a tool first used in mutual exclusion and vote assignment. This paper describes how the unique properties of coteries allow the underlying protocol to be tailored to the capabilities of the individual nodes in a connected network. In general, each processor communicates with only a subset of the other processors in the network, keeping message traffic relatively low. The coterie allows these subsets to be constructed according to a more thoughtful method – one that is designed to better meet the needs of networks of varying characteristics. It is also shown that the proposed method will always perform task migration whenever possible i.e., if at least one lightly loaded processor and at least one heavily loaded processor exist in the network, task migration will occur. Further, an extension of our algorithm to provide fault tolerance is given: when a processor fails, the network can continue to function with a modified system configuration.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering
Cooperative formation and functions of multimetal supramolecular systems

Multimetal complexes provide a variety of interesting structures, unique properties, and functions. Such sophisticated functions are often produced by synergistic and cooperative interactions among the metal ions accumulated in the restricted small area of the multimetal systems. We describe novel three strategies (i.e., macrocyclic, C-shape, and multimetal template) for the preparation of the multimetal supramolecular systems by the cooperative metal binding of a multi-Schiff-base and multi-oxime ligands, and their characteristic structures and functions. The three approaches are versatile and effective because the employed coordination reactions smoothly and quickly proceeded under mild conditions to quantitatively form the desired coordination structures. The multimetal supramolecular systems obtained here exhibit the synergistic and cooperative functions for ion recognition, magnetic properties, helicity control, and modulation of reaction selectivity. These types of multimetal complexes could be developed for a cascade functional supramolecular system that shows highly synergistic properties, integrated multifunctions, and function amplification.

Field of study: Chemistry
Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Si–Ge–Sn Heterostructures for Monolithically Integrated Optoelectronic Devices Based on Silicon

Elastically strained metastable Ge1–xSnx layers with molar fractions of tin of up to 0.15 are grown on Si (001) substrates. To analyze the optical properties of the samples, photoluminescence (PL) spectra are measured at room temperature and IR transmission spectra are measured at the liquid helium temperature. The room temperature direct intrinsic absorption edge at 0.71–0.72 eV is visible in the spectra of the studied structures with tin contents of 12–13%.

Field of study: Physics
Introduction to the special issue: Aspects of word learning on first exposure to a second language

This contribution presents an overview of first exposure studies in the context of word learning, focusing on issues that show up repeatedly in the relevant literature: computation versus storage, the nature of representations of words and how those representations are processed. I discuss aspects of research methodologies that limit our ability to generalize from experiments to normal learning situations. I conclude with a brief discussion of the articles of this issue.

Field of study: Linguistics
Origin of the Pass Peak Formation and Equivalent Early Eocene Strata, Central Western Wyoming

The Pass Peak Formation is a Tertiary basin-flank deposit exposed throughout much of the Hoback Basin; a depression physiographically distinct from, but structurally continuous with, the northern Green River Basin. Two lithofacies of the Pass Peak Formation are identified. A northern quartzite conglomerate-sandstone facies, possibly as thick as 3200 ft, intertongues southward with a sandstone-siltstone facies 1500 ft thick. This in turn extends southward and intertongues with the Wasatch Formation. Arkosic sandstone and conglomerate intertongues with the Pass Peak on the east.

Trends in grain size and sandstone composition, and directional structures indicate that: (1) a sedimentary source to the north supplied quartzite cobbles and associated garnet-bearing sand and (2) an igneous or metamorphic source, or both, to the northeast supplied abundant arkosic debris. Regional geology suggests that the Pinyon Conglomerate to the north was the source for Pass Peak sediments and the Precambrian core of the Wind River Range to the northeast was the source for the arkosic sediments to the east.

Uplift in the Mt. Leidy Highlands, the Gros Ventre Mountains, and the Wind River Range during the early Eocene resulted in the deposition of fanglomerate in the northern part of the basin and coarse arkosic alluvial plain sediments in the eastern part. The finer debris from the north was carried southward onto a flood-plain where it mixed with the finer sediments from the east.

Field of study: Geology
Role of Urinary Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 as a Practical Biomarker for Determining Conservative or Surgical Management of Children with Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction

Previously, we reported elevated level of urine carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) in childern with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). In present study we aimed to investigate the role of urinary CA 19-9 as a predictive biomarker to serve as a surrogate in differentiating between children with UPJO in need of pyeloplasty and those with dilated nonobstructed kidneys suitable for conservative treatment.  The study included 36 children with UPJO treated with pyeloplasty (GI) and 24 children with dilated nonobstructed kidneys who were treated conservatively (GII). Voided urine samples were obtained for CA 19-9 measurement before treatment, and every 3 months during follow-up. Additionally, ultrasonography in three-month intervals and annual renography were performed. Follow-up ranged from 12-27 months (average 16.4 months). pyeloplasty was considered for patients with >10% loss of renal function.  In GI preoperative CA 19-9 was significantly higher than in GII and a cutoff value of 41.06 U/ml yielded a sensitivity of 96.7% and a specificity of 93%. Compared to initial measurements, CA 19-9 decreased significantly at 3 months after pyeloplasty in GI and in the 12th month in GII with significant correlation with changes in renal pelvis diameter. In three patients due to rising CA 19-9 levels during follow-up along with decline in renal function (mean 12.8%) pyeloplasty was considered.  Urinary CA 19-9 is a non-invasive clinically applicable marker for definition of management protocol in children with UPJO. The practical clinical implications of the biomarker for long-term follow-up of children with UPJO after pyeloplasty and those receiving conservative treatment are significant.

Field of study: Medicine
Strategy Self-Verbalization During Remedial Listening Comprehension Instruction

This experiment investigated the effects of strategy self-verbalization on children's self-efficacy and listening comprehension. Children with language deficiencies in grades two through four received instruction in listening comprehension. One-half of the children in each grade verbalized explicit strategies prior to applying them to questions. Strategy self-verbalization led to higher self-efficacy across grades, and promoted performance among third and fourth graders, but did not benefit second graders. Future research should apply strategy self-verbalization to other language skills and should explore the effects of covert fading.

Field of study: Education
A Variable Bandwidth Filter for Estimation of Instantaneous Frequency and Reconstruction of Signals With Time-Varying Spectral Content

The notion of “instantaneous frequency” is utilized in processing signals with time-varying spectral content. Specifically, a variable bandwidth filter (VBF) and some related spectral analysis tools are proposed to handle a multicomponent signal whose components interact with each other in the time-frequency (TF) domain. In the analysis, a multicomponent signal is decomposed into its components by estimating local instantaneous frequencies (IFs). In order to construct the proposed filter, we define a differential operator composed of the derivative operator and a positive time-varying coefficient. An extended Fourier transform (EFT) and its functional relations are derived to exploit the newly defined differential operator and the VBF in some weighted vector spaces. Further, a heterogeneous TF distribution is constructed by a short-time EFT to utilize as a criterion for identifying whether an estimated IF is intrinsic or not and repairing a suspect estimate of IF. To confirm usefulness of the EFT and the VBF, we conduct several numerical simulations for spectral localization of an AM-FM signal and for estimation of local IFs, and then, for decomposition of a multicomponent signal into its components with their resolving powers to be compared.

Field of study: Engineering
Preparation of ultrafine calcium carbonate with micropore dispersion

Ultrafine particles of CaCO_3 were synthesized with micropore dispersion in gas-liquid (slurry) systems.Experiments was conducted on carbonation of Ca(OH)_2/H_2O system.Micropore plate was used for the dispersion of mixed gas containing CO_2.Therefore,the processes of momentum transfer, mass transfer and reaction were enhanced.The results showed that ultrafine particles with diameter about 40nm and specific surface area more than 30 m2·g -1 were prepared successfully.The crystal structure of particles was characterized with BET, FTIR and TEM.

Field of study: Chemistry, Environmental science
Structure of voltage-dependent anion channel-tethered bilayer lipid membranes determined using neutron reflectivity.

Neutron reflectivity (NR) has emerged as a powerful technique to study the structure and behavior of membrane proteins at planar lipid interfaces. Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) remain a significant challenge for NR owing to the difficulty of forming complete bilayers with sufficient protein density for scattering techniques. One strategy to achieve high protein density on a solid substrate is the capture of detergent-stabilized, affinity-tagged IMPs on a nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-functionalized self-assembled monolayer (SAM), followed by reconstitution into the lipids of interest. Such protein-tethered bilayer lipid membranes (ptBLMs) have the notable advantage of a uniform IMP orientation on the substrate. Here, NR is used to provide a structural characterization of the ptBLM process from formation of the SAM to capture of the detergent-stabilized IMP and lipid reconstitution. The mitochondrial outer-membrane voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), which controls the exchange of bioenergetic metabolites between mitochondria and the cytosol, was used as a model β-barrel IMP. Molecular dynamics simulations were used for comparison with the experimental results and to inform the parameters of the physical models describing the NR data. The detailed structure of the SAM is shown to depend on the density of the NTA chelating groups. The relative content of detergent and protein in surface-immobilized, detergent-stabilized VDAC is measured, while the reconstituted lipid bilayer is shown to be complete to within a few percent, using the known atomic structure of VDAC. Finally, excess lipid above the reconstituted bilayer, which is of consequence for more indirect structural and functional studies, is shown to be present.

Field of study: Chemistry
Activation of protein kinase in the bovine corpus luteum by phospholipid and Ca2+.

A new species of protein kinase has been identified in cytosol preparations from bovine corpora lutea. Enzyme activity required the simultaneous presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid, and was also enhanced by glyceryl dioleate. Phosphatidylserine was the most effective phospholipid for stimulating histone phosphorylation. Other phospholipids capable of supporting enzymic activity were, in order of decreasing activity, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol. Several other phospholipids tested were ineffective. A cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was also present in the luteal cytosol. This enzyme activity was eliminated by protein kinase inhibitor without affecting the Ca2+- and phospholipid-stimulated activity. Lysine-rich histone (IIIS) was a much better substrate than type-IIA histone for Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent phosphorylation. Ca2+ and phospholipid also enhanced phosphorylation of endogenous luteal cytosol protein. Calmodulin, alone or in the presence of Ca2+, was unable to increase phosphorylation. Trifluoperazine inhibited protein kinase activity stimulated by Ca2+ and phospholipid. These data suggest that a phospholipid-sensitive, Ca2+-dependent protein kinase may provide an important link between hormonally-induced changes in phospholipid metabolism and corpus-luteum function.

Field of study: Biology, Computer science
Demonstration of anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against IgM rheumatoid factor in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

We have identified the presence of anti-idiotypic activity against IgMRF in the sera of RA patients. Only patients seropositive for IgMRF had significant levels of anti-idiotypic activity, while seronegative patients and normal volunteers did not. When this anti-idiotypic activity was affinity-purified from a single RA patient, two separate binding activities were identified. IgG antibodies were pepsin-digested to F(ab')2 fragments before affinity-purification to remove the Fc portion capable of binding to IgMRF. Anti-idiotypic F(ab')2 fragments of IgG were eluted from an IgMRF-Sepharose 4B column. These F(ab')2 bound preferentially to IgMRF bearing an idiotype recognized by the anti-idiotypic murine monoclonal 17.109. A second anti-idiotypic F(ab')2 was affinity purified using rabbit anti-human Fc antibody bound to Sepharose 4B. These eluted antibodies behaved as the internal image of IgG, binding five out of seven IgMRF's tested. The binding of both anti-idiotypic F(ab')2 was inhibited with human IgG. The presence of both IgMRF and anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against it in the sera of RA patients suggests that anti-idiotypic antibodies alone are not capable of inhibiting the production of rheumatoid factor.

Field of study: Biology, Medicine
Die Störungsrechnung im Dienste der Quantentheorie. II. Die numerische Durchführung der Methode

ZusammenfassungDer Inhalt der § 1 bis 10 läßt sich in den folgenden Sätzen zusammenfassen:1.Es wurde gezeigt, daß der physikalische Inhalt der Delaunayschen Methode in einer sukzessiven Approximation durch bedingt periodische Bewegungen besteht.2.Es wurde ferner gezeigt, daß auf jeder Stufe der Approximation zwei mögliche Fälle zu unterscheiden sind. In dem einen ist die Bewegung des Systems in einer gewissen Variablen periodisch, im anderen führt diese Variable Librationen aus.3.In beiden Fällen wurden für numerische Rechnungen geeignete Formeln zur Durchführung des Approximationsverfahrens in der Quantentheorie gegeben.4.Eine von Whittaker angegebene Modifikation der Delaunayschen Methode ist nur in dem einen (periodischen) Fall anwendbar und daher unvollständig.5.Die Delaunaysche Methode (in unserer Modifikation) liefert auf jeder Stufe der Approximation ganz automatisch die quantentheoretisch ausgezeichneten Koordinaten.

Field of study: Physics