nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: An Analysis of Daily Homicide Counts

This article analyzes daily homicide data to address whether the occurrence of executions exerts a short-term deterrent effect. The data analyzed are drawn from computerized death certificates from California during the early 1960s, the last period during which frequent executions were carried out there. The analysis of data from one legal jurisdiction helps overcome criticisms of earlier studies based on data aggregated over executing and nonexecuting jurisdictions. Furthermore, the detailed information in the death certificates allows one to analyze the murders of victims of different race and sex separately, which in principle should allow one to detect possible race- or gender-specific effects too small to be discerned in aggregate data. Poisson and compound-Poisson regression models are estimated, to control for seasonal fluctuations and to measure the effect of executions on daily homicide counts. Two-week and four-week periods surrounding the dates on which executions took place are examin...

Field of study: Mathematics
Varicella zoster virus. Recent advances in management.

To provide an update on strategies for managing varicella zoster virus (VZV) and for preventing and treating established postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).



Treatment guidelines are based on randomized clinical trials. Recommendations concerning other aspects of VZV management (e.g., vaccination) are based mainly on expert opinion.


MAIN MESSAGE
Varicella and herpes zoster caused by VZV can give rise to serious morbidity and mortality and should be treated. For preventing chickenpox, safe and effective immunization is widely recommended. Treating varicella-exposed seronegative pregnant women requires special attention because the virus can harm expectant mothers, fetuses, and newborns. The antiviral drugs, acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir, have been approved for treating herpes zoster and have a role in reducing the duration of PHN. Established PHN can be managed with analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, and other agents.



Vaccination and antiviral and other systemic agents can substantially reduce the morbidity associated with VZV infection.

Field of study: Medicine
ERROR ANALYSIS AND IMPROVEMENTS OF LARGE SPRING/STIFFNESS METHOD FOR STRUCTURAL DYNAMIC RESPONSE ANALYSIS

To verify the practical applicability and accuracy of the large spring/stiffness method(LSM),the dynamic responses of a two-degree-freedom(2DOF) finite element model using the Rayleigh damping assumption are performed respectively according to the LSM and traditional theoretical methods under four groups of seismic ground motion excitations.The origin of errors and the applicability of the LSM are discussed.Then the improved LSM application to a uniform excitation and a non-uniform excitation are respectively presented herein,based on the modification of ground displacements considering the influences of Rayleigh damping.It indicates that the LSM is inapplicable to the structural seismic response analysis in the case of Rayleigh damping theoretically.And the errors depend on the damping coefficients α and β in the case of the uniform seismic excitation and on the coefficient β in the case of the non-uniform seismic excitation respectively.The errors increase monotonously with the aggrandizement of the damping coefficient β.It is also validated that the improved LSM is able to yield results that are identical to those of traditional theoretical methods.

Field of study: Engineering
Partitioning of bacterial communities between travertine depositional facies at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.

Bruce W. Fouke, George T. Bonheyo, Beth Sanzenbacher, and Jorge Frias- A culture-independent molecular survey indicates that the composition of bacterial communities is distinctly partitioned between travertine depositional facies in the surface drainage system of Spring AT-1 at Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes with universally conserved bacterial primers has identified over 553 unique partial and 104 complete gene sequences (derived from more than 14 000 clones), affiliated with 221 unique species that represent 21 bacterial divisions. These sequences exhibited < 12% similarity in bacterial community composition between each of the travertine depositional facies. This implies that relatively little downstream bacterial transport and colonization took place despite the rapid and continuous flow of spring water from the high-temperature to low-temperature facies. These results suggest that travertine depositional facies, which are independently determined by the physical and chemical conditions of the hot spring drainage system, effectively predict bacterial community composition as well as the morphology and chemistry of travertine precipitation.

Field of study: Environmental science
Ideologies, Practices, and their Implications for Special Education

We propose that the articles in this special issue support an emphasis upon specific instructional and assessment practices, as opposed to broad, vague, and often emotive educational ideologies. Often, well-researched, effective practices can be associated with any ideology, as can poor, rotelike practices. The value of a particular instructional or assessment practice is probably dependent upon, at the very least, context and learner characteristics, and empiricism remains the most reliable means for evaluating practices.

Field of study: Education
Characterization of the DNA-binding motif of the arsenic-responsive transcription factor Yap8p.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae uses several mechanisms for arsenic detoxification including the arsenate reductase Acr2p and the arsenite efflux protein Acr3p. ACR2 and ACR3 are transcribed in opposite directions from the same promoter and expression of these genes is regulated by the AP-1 (activator protein 1)-like transcription factor Yap8p. Yap8p has been shown to permanently associate with this promoter and to stimulate ACR2/ACR3 expression in response to arsenic. In the present study we characterized the DNA sequence that is targeted by Yap8p. We show that Yap8p binds to a pseudo-palindromic TGATTAATAATCA sequence that is related to, but distinct from, the sequence recognized by other fungal AP-1 proteins. Probing the promoter by mutational analysis, we confirm the importance of the TTAATAA core element and pin-point nucleotides that flank this element as crucial for Yap8p binding and in vivo activation of ACR3 expression. A genome-wide search for this element combined with global gene expression analysis indicates that the principal function of Yap8p is to control expression of ACR2 and ACR3. We conclude that Yap8p and other yeast AP-1 proteins require distinct DNA-binding motifs to induce gene expression and propose that this fact contributed towards a separation of function between AP-1 proteins during evolution.

Field of study: Biology, Computer science
The Electrical Insulation of Large Superconducting Magnets

The latest generation of fusion devices needs large superconducting magnets that have to withstand operational voltages of tens of kV. Their insulation typically targets a dielectric strength of about 10 times the operational voltages to cope with degradation during operation resulting from the high electromagnetic loads with cyclic components, thermal stresses due to cycles from 293 K to 4 K, and ionizing radiation. Degradation of dielectric strength is further mitigated by applying solid polyimide overlapped layers in the insulation. The level of Lorentz forces, together with the large superconducting coil sizes, makes high-voltage tests impossible to realize under exact operational conditions. The fact that insulation is very difficult or even often practically impossible to repair in case of electrical fault, requires sound insulation design to reach utmost quality. In this paper, we will discuss the build-up of the electrical insulation in large superconducting magnets both from the manufacturing and operational point of view. In particular, the impact of the insulation design and manufacturing choices on the quality will be discussed in depth. We will also discuss the implementation and the application of insulation systems.

Field of study: Physics
Recollection of a Transitional Object and Needs for Intimacy and Affiliation in Adolescents

A number of researchers have shown that the absence or misuse of a transitional object, e.g., a soft toy or blanket, with special meaning to a small child, is associated with later cognitive or character disorders. This paper shows that recall of a transitional object is related to personality characteristics of normal adolescents. These characteristics, the need for intimacy and need for affiliation, were measured by the Thematic Apperception Test administered to 102 11th graders. As expected, results indicated that need for intimacy was related both to recall of a special toy or object and to its softness, while need for affiliation was weakly related.

Field of study: Psychology
Uptake, excretion, and metabolism of phorate in the land snail, helix aspersa (Müller)

Uptake, excretion, and metabolism of phorate (O,O‐diethyl S‐ethylthiomethyl phosphorodithioate) following application to lettuce leaves were investigated in the land snail , Helix aspersa. Snails were fed on a leaf disc of lettuce immersed in a solution of 100 ppm of phorate. Snails were dissected at time intervals between 1 and 7 days after dosing. Phorate was readily absorbed within 24 hrs following ingestion. The amount of phorate reached a peak value of 880 ug at 4days, and then dropped as time passed to the end of experiment (7days) indicating there was no accumulation of the compound in the snail tissues. Phorate was metabolized to phorate sulfoxide and phorate sulfone. Phorate and/or its metabolites were rapidly excreted soon after ingestion. The major compound identified in the excreta was the unchanged phorate.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Age-dependent changes in electroencephalographic responses to alcohol consumption in subjects with aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 genetic variations.

We have recently reported that alcohol consumption resulted in a significant increase in alpha power of the EEGs in aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2)-normal (NN) subjects but not in ALDH2-deficient heterozygote (ND) subjects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate interactive effects of individual factors such as age and ALDH2 genotype on alcohol-induced EEG changes.



We examined EEG power spectral changes induced by 0.4 ml/kg of alcohol ingestion in 53 NN and 21 ND subjects of two different age groups: younger and older groups. Blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were also determined in 17 NN and 13 ND subjects in separate studies.



Alcohol consumption markedly increased EEG power in the NN subjects of the older group, especially in theta and slow alpha power, whereas only slight increases were noted in fast alpha and beta power in the NN subjects of the younger group. However, no such differences between the two age groups were observed in the ND subjects. It should be noted that there were no differences in blood ethanol and acetaldehyde level at 30 min after alcohol ingestion between the different age groups in both genotypes. However, there was a significant increase in frequency of alcohol intake in the older group of both genotype groups. The multiple regression analysis indicated that both alcohol use habits and genotype, as well as aging, significantly modulated EEG changes after alcohol ingestion.



The results suggest that both ALDH2 genotype and age as well as alcohol use habits modify alcohol sensitivity in the central nervous system, resulting in greater increases in EEG energy in response to alcohol intake in the older group of the NN subjects.

Field of study: Medicine
Performance of hot billing mobile prepaid service

Prepaid service has become an important mobile application with rapid growth for subscription rate in the recent years. Implementation of prepaid service may generate large network traffic that significantly affects the performance of a mobile network. This paper studies the hot billing solution for prepaid service. We investigate how the amount of prepaid credit and the frequency of call detail record (CDR) transmissions affect network signaling and potential bad debt that a service provider may bear. Our study suggests that a prepaid service provider should encourage customers to buy large prepaid credits by giving them discounts. Furthermore, based on call traffic, an optimal CDR transmission frequency can be found by using our modeling technique.

Field of study: Computer science
A REASONABLE MODIFICATION FOR LADE COLLAPSE YIELD MODEL

In the double yield surface model proposed by Lade, the projection of shear yield surface and that of volume collapse yield surface are significantly different on π plane.This deficiency is discussed theoretically and experimentally, then a modified Lade volume collapse yield surface is suggested, which is further examined by testing results.Meanwhile, another reasonable volume collapse yield surface is also recommended.Thus stress and strain characteristics of soil mass could be predicted reasonably by the combined Lade shear yield surface with the modified Lade collapse yield surface or with the recommended collapse yield surface.

Field of study: Engineering
Analysis and optimization of the annealing mechanisms in (In)GaAsN on GaAs

We demonstrate the use of an ultra short annealing time to minimize the overall blueshift of the photoluminescence peak emission in (In)GaAsN during rapid thermal annealing (RTA). For the first time, the redshift component has been identified as a contributor in compensating the blueshift component. In doing so, we optimize the annealing conditions in dilute nitride and also identify the dominant mechanisms via the different PL behaviour exhibited by layers of InGaAs, GaAsN and InGaAsN embedded in GaAs as the annealing temperature is varied from 650 to 850 °C for t = 20 s.

Field of study: Materials science
Enhanced rates of herbicide metabolism in low herbicide-dose selected resistant Lolium rigidum.

Lolium rigidum is an obligately cross-pollinated, genetically diverse species and an economically important herbicide resistance-prone weed. Our previous work has demonstrated that recurrent selection of initially susceptible L. rigidum populations with low herbicide rates results in rapid herbicide resistance evolution. Here we report on the mechanisms endowing low-dose-selected diclofop-methyl resistance in L. rigidum. Results showed that resistance was not due to target-site ACCase mutations or overproduction, or differential herbicide leaf uptake and translocation. The in vivo de-esterification of diclofop-methyl into phytotoxic diclofop acid was rapid and similar in resistant versus susceptible populations. However, further metabolism of diclofop acid into non-toxic metabolites was always faster in resistant plants than susceptible plants, resulting in up to 2.6-fold lower level of diclofop acid in resistant plants. This corresponded well with up to twofold higher level of diclofop acid metabolites in resistant plants. The major polar metabolites of diclofop acid chromatographically resembled those of wheat, a naturally tolerant species. Clearly, recurrent selection at reduced herbicide rates selected for non-target-site-based enhanced rates of herbicide metabolism, likely involving cytochrome P450 monooxygenases.

Field of study: Environmental science
Is an endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene mutation a risk factor in the origin of intraventricular hemorrhage?

OBJECT
Studies have shown decreased levels of nitric oxide (NO), the product of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) gene activity, in infants with respiratory conditions and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The authors evaluated the association of the eNOS gene promoter polymorphism T-786C with the cause of these conditions (respiratory conditions and IVH) in premature infants.



Blood samples from 124 African American premature infants were studied. The DNA was isolated and microplate polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay was performed. Genotypes were scored as: TT homozygotes with 140 bp and 40 bp; CC homozygotes with 90 bp, 50 bp, and 40 bp; and TC heterozygotes with 140 bp, 90 bp, 50 bp, and 40 bp. Genotypes were stratified according to ethnicity, preterm status, and prematurity conditions.



The mutant allele -786C was present in 15.3% of premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and IVH, compared with 7.25% in those premature infants without these conditions. A significant 2-fold increase of the mutant allele in patients compared with controls (p = 0.04, OR 2.3) reveals that the eNOS -786C allele could be a significant risk factor in the origin of respiratory conditions and IVH in premature infants.



These results suggest that the mutant eNOS -786C allele is a significant risk factor in the origin of respiratory and IVH diseases, probably mediating an insufficient supply of endogenous NO in premature infants.

Field of study: Medicine
Assessing the impact of different liquid water permittivity models on the fit between model and observations

Permittivity models for microwave frequencies of liquid water below 0 °C (supercooled liquid water) are poorly constrained due to limited laboratory experiments and observations, especially for high microwave frequencies. This uncertainty translates directly into errors in retrieved liquid water paths of up to 80 %. This study investigates the effect of different liquid water permittivity models on simulated brightness temperatures by using the all-sky assimilation framework of the Integrated Forecast System. Here, a model configuration with an improved representation of supercooled liquid water has been used. The comparison of five different permittivity models with the current one shows a small mean reduction in simulated brightness temperatures of at most 0.15 K at 92 GHz on a global monthly scale. During austral winter differences occur more prominently in the storm tracks of the southern hemisphere and in the Intertropical Convergence Zone with values of around 0.5 K to 1.5 K. For most permittivity models the fit to observations is slightly improved compared to the default one. The permittivity model by Rosenkranz (2015) is recommended to be used inside the observation operator RTTOV-SCATT for frequencies below 183 GHz.

Field of study: Environmental science
When superconductivity does not fear magnetism: Insight into electronic structure of RbEuFe$_{4}$As$_{4}$

In the novel stoichiometric iron-based material RbEuFe$_{4}$As$_{4}$ superconductivity coexists with a peculiar long-range magnetic order of Eu 4f states. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal a complex three dimensional electronic structure and compare it with density functional theory calculations. Multiple superconducting gaps were measured on various sheets of the Fermi surface. High resolution resonant photoemission spectroscopy reveals magnetic order of the Eu 4f states deep into the superconducting phase. Both the absolute values and the anisotropy of the superconducting gaps are remarkably similar to the sibling compound without Eu, indicating that Eu magnetism does not affect the pairing of electrons. A complete decoupling between Fe- and Eu-derived states was established from their evolution with temperature, thus unambiguously demonstrating that superconducting and a long range magnetic orders exist independently from each other. The established electronic structure of RbEuFe$_{4}$As$_{4}$ opens opportunities for the future studies of the highly unorthodox electron pairing and phase competition in this family of iron-based superconductors with doping.

Field of study: Physics
The effect of multiple soil applications of disulfoton on enhanced microbial degradation in soil and subsequent uptake of insecticidal chemicals by potato plants.

Potatoes were grown during 1992 in 2 m2 plots of loam which had received 1, 2 or 3 annual treatments of Di-Syston 15G, equivalent to 3.36 kg AI/ha, in furrow at planting. The presence of enhanced degradative activity to the sulfoxide and sulfone metabolites of disulfoton in the soil treated in the previous two years was confirmed by laboratory tests prior to the 1992 treatments. Soil, seed potato and foliage from the three treatments were analyzed for disulfoton and its sulfoxide and sulfone metabolites for 12 wk following planting/treatment. Disulfoton was the major insecticidal component of the soil, a minor component of the seed piece and was not detected (< 0.02 ppm) in potato foliage. Disulfoton concentrations in each of the three substrates sampled were similar for the three treatments. Disulfoton sulfoxide and sulfone were the major insecticidal components of the seed piece and foliage. Their maximum concentrations in 1st year soil, seed pieces and foliage were ca. 2x, 2x and 6x, respectively, those measured in the 2nd and 3rd year treatments. The results demonstrate that enhanced microbial degradation of relatively minor insecticidal compounds in the soil can profoundly affect insecticide levels in the plant when these compounds are the major insecticidal components accumulated. The broader implications for crop protection using soil-applied systemic insecticides are discussed.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Efficient online computation of statement coverage

Evaluation of statement coverage is the problem of identifying the statements of a program that execute in one or more runs of a program. The traditional approach for statement coverage tools is to use static code instrumentation. In this paper we present a new approach to dynamically insert and remove instrumentation code to reduce the runtime overhead of statement coverage measurement. We also explore the use of dominator tree information to reduce the number of instrumentation points needed. Our experiments show that our approach reduces runtime overhead by 38-90% compared with purecov, a commercial statement coverage tool. Our tool is fully automated and available for download from the Internet.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering