nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Neural Networks for Predicting Greenhouse Thermal Regimes during Soil Solarization

Soil solarization is a non-chemical method for disinfecting soil solely by solar radiation. The basic principle is to cover the soil with a mulching film during the hottest period of the year so that the soil temperatures increase to levels that are lethal to many soil-borne plant pathogens and weeds. The best results, however, are achieved in closed greenhouses, where temperature regimes in the soil are strongly influenced by the shape and dimensions of the greenhouse as well as by the characteristics of the greenhouse covering material. The modeling of thermal regimes in the soil during solarization treatment is an important issue; it can be useful to estimate the required duration of the treatment in relation to the climatic conditions and the efficacy of the technique in reducing infections due to soil-borne pathogens. To this aim, several studies have modeled the physical processes of the soil-mulch-greenhouse system. The application and reliability of these models require accurate knowledge of the thermo-physical properties of each component of the system, which are sometimes difficult to measure. Neural network (NN) models represent an alternative and widely accepted method for studying physical problems and offer a way to tackle complex systems that may be difficult to define. However, until now, no work in the literature has described the use of NNs for this specific application. In this article, an innovative approach is proposed based on NN models that use as input only climatic data. The development and validation of the NN model were performed using data collected during soil solarization treatments carried out in two full-scale commercial greenhouses that differed in building features. The study showed that a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) network with one hidden layer of 60 neurons and continuous (sigmoid) transfer functions was very efficient. More specifically, the network used outside air temperature, outside solar radiation flux, and time of day as input variables and provided air temperature and solar radiation flux inside the greenhouse as well as soil temperatures at different depths as output variables. The results of the validation show that the modeled NNs estimate the output variables with high accuracy when trained at least once with data measured in the modeled greenhouse. The results for the modeled soil temperatures are particularly remarkable considering that the obtained precision is of the same order of magnitude as the accuracy of the sensors used in the field trials. The results obtained with the designed networks for cases different from those considered in the training can only be used as an indication because they are the outcome of an extrapolation. Nevertheless, the proposed NN model can be used as a reference for an NN of wider effectiveness obtained by training it on a large set of data from different case studies.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Materials and Methods for Producing Basic Instructional Support Resources for Teaching Creative Arts in Zohe Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School, Yendi-Ghana

The study is aimed at assisting teachers in Zohe Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School in Yendi, Ghana to identify and prepare available instructional support resources from the immediate environment for the teaching of Creative Arts. A total of six (6) teachers and one head teacher were selected by the use of purposive sampling technique; and were guided on how to identify and prepare TLMs to be able to teach Creative Arts. The head teacher was only interviewed to solicit his views in order to authenticate data retrieved from the six classroom teachers. Observation and interview were used to obtain data for the study. Findings reveal that the classroom teachers did not teach Creative Arts with appropriate resources, meanwhile there were a lot of instructional support resources within the teachers’ immediate environment to be explored as TLMs. Majority of the teachers were untrained teachers and were not competent to teach the Creative Arts with TLMs. Through the researchers’ guidance, the teachers were able to identify and prepare the available resources within the environment to teach Creative Arts. The study therefore provides ideas and strategies that teachers who have no specialist training in Visual, Performing and Literary Arts could tap to prepare TLMs for teaching Creative Arts in primary schools.  Instructional materials, creative arts; primary school; Zohe-Yendi, Ghana

Field of study: Education
A survey of some trace elements in seaweeds from Patagonia, Argentina.

Cadmium and lead concentrations were determined in some common algal species living in the southernmost coasts of Argentina. Two different sampling areas were chosen: Gulf Nuevo, a locality being influenced by a developing industrial city, and Bay Camarones, a traditional harvest area for seaweed exploitation. Selected species of the genera Lessonia, Macrocystis and Gigartina, all of commercial interest, were collected from the harvest area, and analyses showed low levels of the metals in these species. Accumulation of Pb and Cd was also evident in other common brown seaweeds from the industrial site. Analysis of Al was included in this study due to an aluminum works near one of the sampling sites. High values of this metal ranging between 300 and 3000 mg Al/kg (dry basis) were recorded in the industrialized area. Amongst all of the species studied, Colpomenia sinuosa from Gulf Nuevo exhibited the highest values of aluminum. This preliminary survey showed that, except for Al, the levels of Cd and Pb were lower than those reported in same species of seaweeds from the polluted marine waters of the rest of the world.

Field of study: Environmental science
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Evolution of a sharp peak in the distribution of diatomic molecules over vibrational states

An analysis is made of the initial stage of evolution of a sharp peak in the molecular distribution over vibrational states. The nonlinear Fokker–Planck equation is used as the initial equation. The kinetic coefficients contained in this equation are calculated directly by solving the quantum-mechanical problem of vibrational quantum exchange in collisions between highly excited molecules. It is found that the evolution of the distribution function is described by a function which differs from the traditional solution of the diffusion equation, although the growth of the function width with time completely corresponds to familiar relationships.

Field of study: Engineering, Physics
Extra Luminal Demucosalisation of the Colon

The standard technique used to create a demucosalised colonic segment is to open the bowel and excise mucosa from within the lumen. Long-term results have demonstrated both fibrosis and contraction, and regrowth of colonic epithelium in these segments. We postulated that crypt remnants contribute to the epithelial repopulation. The aim of this study was to create a seromuscular graft from the bowel exterior, with the aim of efficiently removing the epithelium and hence preventing colonocyte regrowth.  Pilot studies were performed on euthanased pigs to optimise the technique and tissue samples examined by immunohistochemistry. In vivo, vascularised seromuscular colonic grafts were created from the bowel exterior in seven large white hybrid pigs and combined with autologous tissue-engineered urothelium to augment the bladder by composite cystoplasty. The dissection was facilitated by placing an inflated Foley catheter within the colonic lumen. The seromuscular ends were approximated with 5/0 Vicryl® sutures and excess mucosa intususcepted within the lumen. Pigs were sacrificed at 3 months and the reconstructed bladder segments examined histologically to determine epithelial phenotype.  Pilot studies showed that the technique was successful in creating seromuscular segments with no epithelial remnants. At 3 months, all bladder specimens showed urothelium lining the augmented segments. There was no evidence of fibrosis or colonocyte regrowth.  Extra-luminal dissection creates robust seromuscular segments for use in bladder augmentation and prevents both regrowth by colonic epithelial cells and contamination of the graft by exposure to the bowel contents. This technique could find application in bladder reconstruction techniques including composite cystoplasty and autoaugmentation.

Field of study: Medicine
An improvement to multiple description transform coding

A multiple description transform coding (MDTC) method has been reported previously. The redundancy rate distortion (RRD) performance of this coding scheme for the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) two-dimensional (2-D) Gaussian source has been analyzed using mean squared error (MSE) as the distortion measure. At the small redundancy region, the MDTC scheme can achieve excellent RRD performance because a small increase in redundancy can reduce the single description distortion at a rate faster than exponential, but the performance of MDTC becomes increasingly poor at larger redundancies. This paper describes a generalization of the MDTC (GMDTC) scheme, which introduces redundancy both by transform and through correcting the error resulting from a single description. Its RRD performance is closer to the theoretical bound in the entire range of redundancy. Analysis both for a single pair of variables and for multiple variables is presented.

Field of study: Engineering
On the University Liability for Student Suicide

In the governance structure of university student suicide,there existed an outstanding contradiction of liability distribution among the university,the student and the family.Based on the special relationship between the university and the student,the university had a reasonable care duty for student suicide.No foreseeing or taking appropriate preventive measures because of negligence,the university should bear civil liability for negligence,joint liability and supplementary liability for student suicide.Meanwhile,the current university liability for student suicide had an expansion trend of the liability subject,liability scope,and social liability.Therefore,to safeguard the legitimate rights of the university,the student and the family better,potential liability for student suicide should be prevented and controlled by various management measures;real liability for student suicide should be resolved with the liability share mechanism.

Field of study: Education
Enhanced gene expression for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the hypoglossal motoneurons following axonal crush.

We attempted to see whether or not gene expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is changeable in the hypoglossal nucleus of rats after hypoglossal nerve crushing by in situ hybridization histochemistry. After unilateral nerve crushing, an apparent enhancement of gene expression for PI 3-kinase was observed in individual neurons of the hypoglossal nucleus at the operated side on the first postoperative day, and it was sustained for 7 postoperative days. Thereafter the expression decreased at the operated side and no significant difference in the expression level was noticed between the operated nucleus and the contralateral, non-operated or sham-operated nucleus on postoperative day 14. The present study suggests that PI 3-kinase contributes to some important roles in morphological changes of mature neurons associated with nerve regeneration.

Field of study: Biology
Effects of co-exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and high-level noise on sleep, weight, and food intake parameters in juvenile rats.

Electrohypersensitive people attribute various symptoms to exposure of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF); sleep disturbance is the most frequently cited. However, laboratory experiments have yielded conflicting results regarding sleep alterations. Our hypothesis was that exposure to RF-EMF alone would lead to slight or non-significant effects but that co-exposure to RF-EMFs and other environmental constraints (such as noise) would lead to significant effects.



3-week-old male Wistar rats (4 groups, n = 12 per group) were exposed for 5 weeks to continuous RF-EMF (900 MHz, 1.8 V/m, SAR = 30 mW/kg) in the presence or absence of high-level noise (87.5 dB, 50-20000 Hz) during the rest period. After 5 weeks of exposure, sleep (24 h recording), food and water intakes, and body weight were recorded with or without RF-EMF and/or noise. At the end of this recording period, sleep was scored during the 1 h resttime in the absence of noise and of RF-EMF exposure.



Exposure to RF-EMF and/or noise was associated with body weight gain, with hyperphagia in the noise-only and RF-EMF + noise groups and hypophagia in the RF-EMF-only group. Sleep parameters recording over 24 h highlighted a higher frequency of active wakefulness in the RF-EMF-only group and a lower non-rapid eye movement/rapid eye movement sleep ratio during the active period in the noise-only group. There were no differences in sleep duration in either group. During the 1-h, constraint-free sleep recording, sleep rebound was observed in the noise-only group but not in the RF-EMF-only and RF-EMF + noise groups.



Our study showed effects of RF-EMF, regardless of whether or not the animals were also exposed to noise. However, the RF-EMF + noise group presented no exacerbation of those effects. Our results did not support the hypothesis whereby the effects of RF-EMF on physiological functions studied are only visible in animals exposed to both noise and RF-EMF.

Field of study: Environmental science
Axis measurements, field quality and quench performance of the first LHC short straight sections

The series testing at 1.9 K of the 360 Short Straight Sections (SSS) for the Large Hadron Collider have started at CERN in September 2003. The SSS contain the lattice quadrupoles and correction magnets in a common cryostat. The lattice quadrupoles feature two collared coils with 56 mm bore assembled in a common yoke. The coils are wound in two-layers from 15.1 mm wide NbTi cable, insulated with polyimide tape. The paper reviews the main test results performed in superfluid helium. The magnetic field and magnetic center position of the quadrupoles and associated correctors were measured with two independent systems, namely an automated scanner and a single stretched wire technique. The quench training, the field quality and the magnetic alignment measurements are presented and discussed in terms of the specifications and expected performances of these magnets in the LHC. We discuss in detail the field quality in terms of multipole errors measured at injection and nominal field and decomposed into geometric and persistent current magnetization errors. Warm/cold correlation for the geometric multipoles and the magnetic axis is also presented.

Field of study: Physics
Identification of the subunits of the nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the rat cochlea using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization.

There are two tissues in the adult mammalian cochlea that are post-synaptic to cholinergic efferent fibers: The outer hair cells (OHCs) and the dendrites of the afferent fibers of the type I spiral ganglion cells. The unusual nicotinic-like pharmacology of cochlear cholinergic responses and the unique embryonic development of cochlear tissues suggest that the inner-ear nicotinic cholinergic receptor (nAChR) may be different from nAChRs described previously at synapses in the mammalian brain, autonomic ganglia, or skeletal muscle. In this study, we determined the mRNA expression of the alpha2-7, alpha9, and beta2-4 subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) family in the rat cochlea. In micro-dissected tissue from the organ of Corti, spiral ganglion, and the membranous lateral wall, we found mRNA expression of the alpha7 and alpha9 subunits in the organ of Corti and alpha5-7, and beta2 and beta3 in the spiral ganglion using RT-PCR. Employing in situ hybridization with 35S-riboprobes, we localized alpha9 in hair cells regions and alpha6, alpha7 and beta2 in the type I cells of the spiral ganglion. No evidence of nAChR subunit mRNA expression was found in supporting cells, but beta2 was expressed in type II spiral ganglion cells, which are neither cholinergic nor cholinoceptive.

Field of study: Biology
Double electron transitions [MN] or [MO] above 74W MIII edge in X-ray absorption spectra.

The x-ray absorption spectra in metallic W (Tungsten) have been measured above MIII edge using the third generation synchrotron radiation. ALS, Berkeley. Several features caused by multi-electron transitions were detected on MIII in solid phase. , and [3p5p] double electron transitions were identified by the Z+1 approximation.

Field of study: Physics
Brachial artery vasomotion and transducer pressure effect on measurements by active contour segmentation on ultrasound.

To use feed-forward active contours (snakes) to track and measure brachial artery vasomotion on ultrasound images recorded in both transverse and longitudinal views; and to compare the algorithm's performance in each view.



Longitudinal and transverse view ultrasound image sequences of 45 brachial arteries were segmented by feed-forward active contour (FFAC). The segmented regions were used to measure vasomotion artery diameter, cross-sectional area, and distention both as peak-to-peak diameter and as area. ECG waveforms were also simultaneously extracted frame-by-frame by thresholding a running finite-difference image between consecutive images. The arterial and ECG waveforms were compared as they traced each phase of the cardiac cycle.



FFAC successfully segmented arteries in longitudinal and transverse views in all 45 cases. The automated analysis took significantly less time than manual tracing, but produced superior, well-behaved arterial waveforms. Automated arterial measurements also had lower interobserver variability as measured by correlation, difference in mean values, and coefficient of variation. Although FFAC successfully segmented both the longitudinal and transverse images, transverse measurements were less variable. The cross-sectional area computed from the longitudinal images was 27% lower than the area measured from transverse images, possibly due to the compression of the artery along the image depth by transducer pressure.



FFAC is a robust and sensitive vasomotion segmentation algorithm in both transverse and longitudinal views. Transverse imaging may offer advantages over longitudinal imaging: transverse measurements are more consistent, possibly because the method is less sensitive to variations in transducer pressure during imaging.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Management and micro-scale landform determine the ground flora of secondary woodlands and their verges in the Tama Hills of Tokyo, Japan

We investigated the influence of management and micro-scale landform on the species composition and richness of ground flora in secondary woodlands and their verges next to paddy fields in the Tama Hills, Tokyo, Japan. Sites representing various micro-scale landforms and different management regimes were sampled. The results of Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Indicator Species Analysis showed that there was no significant difference between management regimes on species composition in head hollow sites. However, species composition was unique in other landform types having the same management regimes. Micro-scale landform units had less effect on species composition than management regime on crest slopes and side slopes of secondary woodlands. A large variation in species composition of verges, all on the lowermost side slopes, was found within sites, but the composition was different when compared with other sites. We recognized five habitat types associated with species composition that resulted from the combined effects of landform and management regimes. Among habitat types, the verges and the well-managed woodlands had high species richness. Management practices within woodlands have enhanced the species richness on crest slopes and side slopes. High beta diversity of ground flora could be due to the variation in micro-scale landform along soil moisture regimes. Intensive management involving clear-cutting on the lower side slopes (an ecotone of mesic and wet environments) accompanied by paddy cultivation on valley bottoms enhanced the diversity of herbaceous vegetation in the verges.

Field of study: Environmental science
Laboratory Evaluation of a Vertical Vibration Testing Method for an SMA-13 Mixture

In order to simulate the on-site compaction conditions of a Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mixture, The Vertical Vibration Testing Method (VVTM), Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC), and Marshall method are used to test the SMA-13 mixture, and the physical and mechanical properties of the asphalt mixture designed by these three methods are tested. Subsequently, the influences of the molding method on the mechanical properties are compared. The influence of vibration compaction time on the volume parameters of the SMA mixture is studied. Following the heavy traffic compaction standards, the vibration compaction time of the SMA mixture is determined. The results show that the densities of the heavy Marshall specimen, VVTM specimen, and SGC specimen are 1.018 times, 1.019 times, and 1.015 times greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen, respectively. The passing rate of the 4.75 mm aggregate of the standard Marshall specimen is 29.9%, and that of the VVTM specimen and SGC specimen is 31.1% and 30.5%, respectively, while that of the heavy Marshall specimen is 34.5%. The mechanical strength of the specimen can be greatly improved as the density increases. On the other hand, by the same compaction work, the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimens can be increased by at least 7% compared with the heavy Marshall specimen. The mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen is increased by at least 22% compared with the standard Marshall specimen. The results also show that under the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio and the same compaction work, the compressive strength and shear strength of the VVTM specimens are increased by at least 6% and 9%, respectively, compared with the Marshall specimens. In summary, the performance of the asphalt mixture designed by the VVTM is superior, providing a wider choice for future asphalt mixture design.

Field of study: Materials science
Antecedents of Online Service Quality, Commitment and Loyalty

The growth of Internet Mediated Environment (IME) based services has changed the manner in which firms and consumers interact. This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the role service quality dimensions play in developing service enjoyment, commitment, and loyalty in IMEs. Analyses of data from 772 US consumers revealed that service content quality and service delivery quality are two important antecedents of consumers' service enjoyment that further affect their commitment and loyalty relation to services in IMEs. We discuss the implications of our research and also point to future research directions.

Field of study: Computer science