nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Heart rate as an index of stress response in alcohol administration research: a critical review.

Heart rate has been a widely used measure in experimental investigations of alcohol and stress. Meaningful interpretations from this measure, however, may be threatened due to methodological problems. This article critically reviews alcohol administration studies that have utilized heart rate as an index of stress response. Potential confounds stemming from the use of heart rate are identified and suggestions for its future use are presented. Implications for high-risk studies are discussed. It is concluded that (a) the amount of time provided for the absorption of an alcohol or placebo beverage is highly correlated with postdrink heart rate change, (b) the magnitude of this postdrink heart rate change is highly associated with the probability of finding a subsequent stress response dampening effect, and (c) offspring of alcoholics appear to manifest a heightened heart rate response to alcohol, which may account for apparent enhanced stress response dampening effects among these subjects.

Field of study: Medicine
Sanguina nivaloides and Sanguina aurantia gen. et spp. nov. (Chlorophyta): the taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography and ecology of two newly recognised algae causing red and orange snow

Melting snowfields in polar and alpine regions often exhibit a red and orange colouration caused by microalgae. The diversity of these organisms is still poorly understood. We applied a polyphasic approach using three molecular markers and light and electron microscopy to investigate spherical cysts sampled from alpine mountains in Europe, North America and South America as well as from both polar regions. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of a single independent lineage within the Chlamydomonadales. The genus Sanguina is described, with Sanguina nivaloides as its type. It is distinguishable from other red cysts forming alga by the number of cell wall layers, cell size, cell surface morphology and habitat preference. Sanguina nivaloides is a diverse species containing a total of 18 haplotypes according to nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2, with low nucleotide divergence (≤3.5%). Based on molecular data we demonstrate that it has a cosmopolitan distribution with an absence of geographical structuring, indicating an effective dispersal strategy with the cysts being transported all around the globe, including trans-equatorially. Additionally, Sanguina aurantia is described, with small spherical orange cysts often clustered by means of mucilaginous sheaths, and causing orange blooms in snow in subarctic and Arctic regions.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Role of Temperature and Duration of the Crystallization Anneal in the Texture Development of YBCO Prepared by TFA-MOD

The preparation of thin film Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x by metalorganic deposition using trifluoroacetic acid and metal acetates (TFA-MOD) has gained attention in recent years as a less expensive alternative to high vacuum synthesis. In this method, a sol-gel precursor containing the metal cations is converted to YBCO via a three-stage heat treatment consisting of calcining, firing, and oxygenation. The focus of this study was to optimize the process conditions during the firing heat treatment to obtain strongly textured, high-Jc YBCO. Samples were prepared by depositing the metalorganic precursor onto lang100rang SrTiO3 substrates by dip coating. To ensure that film characteristics were attributable only to the crystallization anneal (i.e. firing), all other process steps were standardized based on earlier reports. The role of firing temperature was then investigated in the range of 700degC to 830degC with the duration held to four hours. After identifying the optimal processing temperature (in this case, 800degC) the duration was investigated in the range of one to six hours. A narrow processing window for obtaining a high degree of c-axis texturing was thereby identified and resulted in Jc values as high as 2.19 MA/cm2 for the film fired for 4 hours at 800degC.

Field of study: Physics
Determination of atmospheric organosulfates using HILIC chromatography with MS detection

Measurements of organosulfates in ambient aerosols provide insight to the extent of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from mixtures of biogenic gases and anthropogenic pollutants. Organosulfates have, however, proved analytically challenging to quantify, due to lack of authentic standards and the complex sample matrix in which organosulfates are observed. This study presents a sensitive and accurate new analytical method for the quantification of organosulfates based upon ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) with the aid of synthesized organosulfate standards. The separation is based upon hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with an amide stationary phase that provides excellent retention of carboxy-organosulfates and isoprene-derived organosulfates. The method is validated using six model compounds: methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, benzyl sulfate, hydroxyacetone sulfate, lactic acid sulfate and glycolic acid sulfate. A straightforward protocol for synthesis of highly pure organosulfate potassium salts for use as quantification standards is presented. This method is used to evaluate the efficiency and precision of two methods of ambient PM2.5 sample extraction. Spike recoveries averaged 98 ± 8% for extraction by ultra-sonication and 98 ± 10% for extraction by rotary shaking. Ultra-sonication was determined to be a better method due to its higher precision compared to rotary shaking. Analysis of ambient PM2.5 samples collected on 10–11 July 2013 in Centreville, AL, USA during the Southeast Atmosphere Study (SAS) confirms the presence of hydroxyacetone sulfate in ambient aerosol for the first time. Lactic acid sulfate was the most abundant compound measured (9.6–19 ng m−3), followed by glycolic acid sulfate (8–14 ng m−3) and hydroxyacetone sulfate (2.7–5.8 ng m−3). Trace amounts of methyl sulfate were detected, while ethyl sulfate and benzyl sulfate were not. Application of this HILIC separation method to ambient aerosol samples further demonstrates its utility in resolving additional biogenic organosulfates.

Field of study: Environmental science
IP packet interleaving for UDP bursty losses

We study for the first time in literature the problem of packet interleaving at IP layer.We adopt a comprehensive approach made of analytical, simulative, emulative and real network experimentations.We have implemented and publicly released to the community an Open Source packet interleaver written in C.Our packet interleaver can effectively decorrelate losses at the IP layer in real networks.It highly increases real application performance: for example, video distortion can be reduced 65%. The bursty nature of losses over the Internet is constantly asking for effective solutions. In this work, we use a comprehensive approach to study packet interleaving for coping with loss burstiness. Our aim is to assess if and how packet interleaving can be employed in real networks at the IP layer and what benefits real UDP-based applications may expect. Through an analytical study we determine the interleaving configuration to be used as a function of the loss characteristics. Then, in simulation we confirm these findings and highlight also potential counter effects. Afterwards, we design and develop a real application for packet interleaving. We move a step ahead towards real networks using a testbed that comprises an emulated WAN. Thanks to it, we study and solve a number of issues arising in real environments such as network dynamics and interleaving performance. Finally, we deploy the packet interleaver in the wild and we study the improvements achievable in general and by a real application. Our work shows that providing benefits to real applications is not an easy task. However, our packet interleaver can effectively decorrelate losses at the IP layer in real networks and highly increase real application performance, for example, video distortion can be reduced 65%.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Remote detection of hydrocarbons in water by four-photon polarization Raman spectroscopy

A study was made of a method for remote detection of low concentrations of hydrocarbons by four-photon spectroscopy of the Kerr effect due to the Raman scattering. The minimum detectable concentration of benzene in water was found to be 30 ppm. Ways of improving on this value are considered. It is suggested that the method can be used for fast remote identification of oil pollution of the high seas.

Field of study: Engineering, Physics
Canadians with health problems: their use of specialized services and their waiting experiences.

Improving access to healthcare has been a consistent priority for Canadians. In particular, reducing patient waiting times for health services has been a prominent policy issue. Across the country, governments are using a range of strategies to reduce patient waiting times for care, with a particular focus on reducing waits for specialized services. Although information is emerging on waits for selected procedures, there is limited information on whether the utilization of services or waiting experiences of Canadians with health problems are different from those of the general population. Data from the Health Services Access Survey (2001-2005) were used to compare waiting experiences for specialized services between adults with health problems and healthier adults. The specialized services included specialist visits for a new illness or condition, non-emergency surgery and diagnostic tests. National-level estimates revealed that adults with health problems were more likely to self-report that they required specialized services. However, the median waiting times for these services were comparable to those of healthier adults.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
Soils associated to different tree communities do not elicit predictable responses in lake bacterial community structure and function.

Freshwater bacterioplankton communities are influenced by the inputs of material and bacteria from the surrounding landscape, yet few studies have investigated how different terrestrial inputs affect bacterioplankton. We examined whether the addition of soils collected under various tree species combinations differentially influences lake bacterial communities. Lake water was incubated for 6 days following addition of five different soils. We assessed the taxonomic composition (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and metabolic activity (Biolog Ecoplates) of lake bacteria with and without soil addition, and compared these to initial soil communities. Soil bacterial assemblages showed a strong influence of tree composition, but such community differences were not reflected in the structure of lake communities that developed during the experiment. Bacterial taxa showing the largest abundance increases during incubation were initially present in both lake water and across most soils, and were related to Cytophagales, Burkholderiales and Rhizobiales. No clear metabolic profiles based on inoculum source were found, yet soil-amended communities used 60% more substrate than non-inoculated communities. Overall, we show that terrestrial inputs influence aquatic communities by stimulating the growth and activity of certain ubiquitous taxa distributed across the terrestrial-aquatic continuum, yet different forest soils did not cause predictable changes in lake bacterioplankton assemblages.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Vertical ground deformation on Mount Etna, 1975–1980

We present the results of repeated, precise leveling, between the years 1975 and 1980, of an 11-km traverse over the summit of Mount Etna, together with data from a network of dry tilt stations, measured between 1976 and 1980. Both methods demonstrate that little vertical movement occurs except on fresh lava flows, which show a consistent pattern of downward movement, interpreted as compaction and downhill sliding of lava after it has solidified. Other small vertical movements of a few centimetres, recorded on the leveling traverse, appear to be related to activity, particularly the eruptions from a new vent area on the southeast side of the summit in 1978 and 1979. Models of the recorded movement indicate that a small amount of magma was already stored in a dike below this eruption site as much as two years before it was erupted, although the bulk of the magma for these eruptions was not stored in the upper few kilometres of the volcano. The latter conclusion is supported by the dry tilt data, which are dominated by local movements of 10 to 20 microradians, with no consistent pattern of movement over the whole volcano.

Field of study: Geology
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE HERBICIDES BENSULFURON AND CINOSULFURON ON SOIL MICROORGANISMS

Bensulfuron toxicity on soil microbes was evaluated by the methods used in a previous study on cinosulfuron; the effects of the two sulfonylureas were compared. Cinosulfuron and bensulfuron, at the normal field application rate and 100 times higher, had no effect on the total number of bacteria and nitrifiers, or on the respiration activity in the soil, but they did decrease the nitrification activity. In vitro toxicity tests carried out on representative soil microbial strains using bensulfuron at 50 mg l−1 showed some inhibition of three of the 17 bacterial strains and strong inhibition of almost all the 12 fungal strains; cinosulfuron had had no effect on any of these strains in the previous study. It is concluded that, compared with cinosulfuron, bensulfuron is potentially more toxic on soil heterotrophic microorganisms, but only at very high concentrations that are nearly impossible to reach with the usual agricultural use of the herbicides. However, autotrophic nitrifiers were more sensitive to both sulfonylureas than the other microorganisms.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
A European-wide 222 radon and 222 radon progeny comparison study

Although atmospheric 222radon (222Rn) activity concentration measurements are currently performed worldwide, they are being made by many different laboratories and with fundamentally different measurement principles, so compatibility issues can limit their utility for regional-to-global applications. Consequently, we conducted a European-wide 222Rn ∕ 222Rn progeny comparison study in order to evaluate the different measurement systems in use, determine potential systematic biases between them, and estimate correction factors that could be applied to harmonize data for their use as a tracer in atmospheric applications. Two compact portable Heidelberg radon monitors (HRM) were moved around to run for at least 1 month at each of the nine European measurement stations included in this comparison. Linear regressions between parallel data sets were calculated, yielding correction factors relative to the HRM ranging from 0.68 to 1.45. A calibration bias between ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) two-filter radon monitors and the HRM of ANSTO ∕ HRM = 1.11 ± 0.05 was found. Moreover, for the continental stations using one-filter systems that derive atmospheric 222Rn activity concentrations from measured atmospheric progeny activity concentrations, preliminary 214Po ∕ 222Rn disequilibrium values were also estimated. Mean station-specific disequilibrium values between 0.8 at mountain sites (e.g. Schauinsland) and 0.9 at non-mountain sites for sampling heights around 20 to 30 m above ground level were determined. The respective corrections for calibration biases and disequilibrium derived in this study need to be applied to obtain a compatible European atmospheric 222Rn data set for use in quantitative applications, such as regional model intercomparison and validation or trace gas flux estimates with the radon tracer method.

Field of study: Environmental science
Medical electives in developing countries. Investment for Canada's health care.

Greetings from Melfort, Sask, a city of 5000 people, where I have been spending a few weeks immersed in rural family medicine. Having been born and raised in the greater Toronto area and having completed my schooling in Kingston and London, Ont, I have found this rural way of life an interesting, positive, and eye-opening experience. One of the greatest opportunities we have in family medicine is to practise in all types of settings. I believe all family medicine programs across Canada require their residents to spend some part of their training in rural or underserviced areas, to experience family medicine away from tertiary care centres. Although the rural life might not be for everyone, exposure is critical if we are to attract new graduates to rural areas. This month, Payam Dehghani shares his “rural medicine” experience during an elective in Uganda this past summer. Dr Dehghani offers a fresh and interesting perspective on the objectives of international medicine and how practice in other countries can improve family medicine here in Canada.

Field of study: Medicine
Can You have too Much of a Good Thing? The Limits of Voice for Improving Satisfaction with Leaders

Research on procedural justice has consistently found that increases in voice are associated with enhanced ratings of procedural fairness, satisfaction with leaders, and acceptance of decisions made by authorities. This research extends those findings in two ways by (a) replicating the voice effect in small group decision making with a low status leader and (b) illustrating the limit of voice in improving support for leaders under conditions of persistent conflict. Results from Study 1 suggest that people care about their treatment by leaders because it provides them with information about their value within the group rather than because the leader controls important resources. Study 2 demonstrates that very high levels of voice can be associated with reduced leader support and lower levels of decision satisfaction under conditions of persistent conflict. These results suggest that extensive use of voice by leaders has limited advantages when people fundamentally disagree.

Field of study: Psychology
STRESS EVALUATION IN FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF DAMS

The stress evaluation based on adaptive finite element method is discussed.An optimized mesh,which is generated under control of a given global error limit,is used to evaluate stresses.The Zienkiewicz-Zhu a posteriori error estimator and corresponding h-version adaptive strategy are employed.The linear elastic adaptive finite element analysis is applied to a typical gravity dam.Results indicate that error limit is satisfied after several mesh adaptation.There exists a global error limit,which make the stresses at dam heel and toe asymptotically keep stabilization rather than increase without limit.As a global error limit 3% is suggested.

Field of study: Engineering
A Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Multiple Comparisons in Mixed Models

We propose a Bayesian hierarchical model for multiple comparisons in mixed models where the repeated measures on subjects are described with the subject random effects. The model facilitates inferences in parameterizing the successive differences of the population means, and for them, we choose independent prior distributions that are mixtures of a normal distribution and a discrete distribution with its entire mass at zero. For the other parameters, we choose conjugate or vague priors. The performance of the proposed hierarchical model is investigated in the simulated and two real data sets, and the results illustrate that the proposed hierarchical model can effectively conduct a global test and pairwise comparisons using the posterior probability that any two means are equal. A simulation study is performed to analyze the type I error rate, the familywise error rate, and the test power. The Gibbs sampler procedure is used to estimate the parameters and to calculate the posterior probabilities.

Field of study: Mathematics
Properties of LYSO and recent LSO scintillators for phoswich PET detectors

The luminescence and nuclear spectroscopic properties of the new cerium-doped rare-earth scintillator lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (Lu/sub 0.6/Y/sub 1.4/Si/sub 0.5/:Ce, LYSO) were investigated and compared to those of both recent and older LSO crystals. UV-excited luminescent spectra outline important similarities between LYSO and LSO scintillators. The two distinct Ce1 and Ce2 luminescence mechanisms previously identified in LSO are also present in LYSO scintillators. The energy and timing resolutions were measured using avalanche photodiode (APD) and photomultiplier tube (PMT) readouts. The dependence of energy resolution on gamma-ray energy was also assessed to unveil the crystal intrinsic resolution parameters. In spite of significant progress in light output and luminescence properties, the energy resolution of these scintillators appears to still suffer from an excess variance in the number of scintillation photons. Pulse-shape discrimination between LYSO and LSO scintillators has been successfully achieved in phoswich assemblies, confirming LYSO, with a sufficient amount of yttrium to modify the decay time, to be a potential candidate for depth-of-interaction determination in multicrystal PET detectors.

Field of study: Physics
Nutritional management of pregnancy in a chronic hemodialysis patient with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Pregnancy, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease requiring dialytic therapy each demand specialized nutritional intervention. When all three occur simultaneously, assessment of needs and monitoring for adequacy become complex. Detailed nutritional information is lacking for this combination, forcing practitioners to glean recommendations and potential concerns from literature addressing each individual diagnosis. Glycemic control, appropriate micronutrient supplementation, and consistently meeting calorie and protein needs may reduce likelihood of an adverse pregnancy outcome.

Field of study: Medicine
Adolescent Science Students’ Perception of Acquisition of Environmental Health Skills through School Health Programme in Nigeria

The study was on science students’ perception of acquisition of environmental health (sanitation) skills among adolescents in Imo State through the school health programme. Six research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive research design was used for the study. Using the multi- stage sampling technique, 565 science students were sampled for the study. The study revealed that all the items presented in the study were perceived to be very important environmental sanitation skills by students. These covered water pollution, disposal of human waste, food handing, and environmental cleanliness. Gender, educational qualification of parents, and person responsible for family health were significant on the acquisition of environmental sanitation skills while family typology and status of single parenthood had no influence on acquisition of health skills. The perception of students whose parents hold PhD was significantly higher than those with ordinary National Diploma (OND), Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC). The perception of those whose father cares most was significantly higher than those whose mother does not care or cares a little. In view of the results of the study, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education should develop procedures for inculcating these skills in adolescents as a way of life and as a school requirement for graduation. Parental responsibility in health care is fundamental in acquisition of health skills.  10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p193

Field of study: Education, Sociology