nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Carbon isotope stratigraphy of the lower to middle Cambrian on the eastern Yangtze Platform, South China

During the Cambrian Series 2 to 3, vast areas of carbonate strata were deposited on the Yangtze Platform, South China, providing excellent materials for carbon isotope stratigraphic studies. Previous studies have revealed the stratigraphic framework of the carbonate strata in the western Yangtze Platform, yet little remains known about the carbon isotope signature of the strata in the eastern Yangtze Platform. High-resolution carbon isotope curves of the Well K2 and Well WN2 drilling sections that cover the traditional Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary in the eastern Yangtze Platform are reported in this study. One positive (M1) and two negative (M2 and M3) δ13C excursions can be recognized in the Mufushan Formation of the Well K2 section, whereas three negative δ13C excursions (D1, D2, and D3) are found in the Dachenling Formation of the Well WN2 section. Combined with palaeontological constraints, the M1 excursion, M2 and D1 excursions, and M3 and D3 excursions are correlated with the MICE (MIngxinsi Carb on Isotope Excursion), AECE (Archaeocyathid Extinction Carbon isotope Excursion), and ROECE (Redlichiid–Olenellid Extinction Carbon isotope Excursion) on the generalized global δ13C curve through the Cambrian. The M1 excursion is accompanied by high total organic carbon contents, indicating that it was caused by high primary productivity. In contrast, the M2, D1, and D3 excursions all coincide with lithological changes implying increased seawater depth, which supports a possible cause for the decreased δ13C by transgression and the introduction of δ13C-depleted deep seawater into shallower seas. Evident differences in δ13C values and amplitudes of the AECE and ROECE can be recognized between the Well K2 and Well WN2 sections, revealing the existence of a shallow-to-deep ocean δ13C gradient during the carbon isotope excursion events. To our knowledge, this is the first report of high-resolution δ13C curves of the strata in the eastern Yangtze Platform, and the δ13C curve of the Mufushan Formation is currently the most complete δ13C record of Cambrian Stage 4 reported for the Yangtze Platform. Our results complement the δ13C dataset for the Yangtze Platform and provide a better understanding of the origin of the δ13C excursions during this stage.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
A new operative technique - extra renal ureterocalycostomy for correction of PUJ obstruction in a horseshoe kidney.

The authors describe a novel operative technique in a child with PUJ obstruction in a horseshoe kidney, where a pyeloplasty was clinically indicated but unsafe because of insufficient length of ureter and predicted technical difficulty in transposing large renal vessels coursing to the renal hilum. During the operation, there was a favourably positioned extra renal lower pole calyceal infundibulum identified, of similar dimensions to the spatulated ureter and this was chosen for an end to side tension free anastomosis. As far as the authors are aware this technique of extra renal ureterocalycostomy has not been described before.

Field of study: Medicine
Ionically Conducting Polymers Based on Ionic Liquid-Plasticized Starch Containing Lithium Chloride

Ionic liquids (ILs) comprising 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([amim]Cl) with certain concentrations of lithium chloride (LiCl), have been used to prepare cast samples of ionically-conducting thermoplastic starch (TPS), with potential applications as solid biopolymer electrolytes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) found that the diameter of residual starch granules existing in [amim]Cl and glycerol-plasticized starch films was about 10 nm. An increased concentration of LiCl tended to decrease the proportion of residual starch granules and form homogeneous TPS. LiCl also increased the interaction of [amim]Cl with plasticized starch, as detected by Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the supramolecular structure of starch was destroyed by [amim]Cl and LiCl. LiCl not only increased the water absorption of TPS, but also improved its electrical conductivity; the latter achieved values as high as 101.0 S cm-1 at 20 wt.% water absorption.

Field of study: Materials science
Selection of Short-term Investment Strategy-Judgment Based on Average Adhesion State

With the development and evolution of the futures market, the prosperity of a country's futures market is more and more important to the country's economic development. In China, the futures market development is not perfect, futures product structure still need to improve. Futures market, the existence of many speculators, futures laws and regulations imperfect, and the development of economic globalization, are the futures investment is facing many uncertain risks. In the choice of investment strategy, more and more investors to take prudent investment strategy, which, a large part of the investors tend to technical analysis. Through technical analysis, traders judge market trends and follow the cyclical changes in the trend to make stock and all financial derivatives trading decisions. In the technical analysis, the average system analysis is the most commonly used in practice is the highest accuracy of the analytical technology, this paper through the copper, rubber, sugar, cotton, zinc, several representative commodity futures to study, to verify the average bonding State of investment strategy choice. First, this paper determines the condition of the bonding state by calculating the distance of different mean points. Then, it is judged whether the reversal of the form is long or short by the comparison of the MA value of the different mean points. Finally, the factory strategy and the factory strategy are determined. And to take more and short after the operation of the proposed stop-loss strategy. The effect of these strategies is very significant, the sum of several commodity futures net profit of 113744.79 yuan, profit and loss ratio of 2.82.

Field of study: Business
Evidence that Early Carboniferous ostracods colonised coastal flood plain brackish water environments

A study of the stable isotope composition (δ18O, δ13C) of biogenic (ostracod, mollusc) and authigenic carbonates in the Ballagan Formation, Lower Carboniferous of Scotland, coupled with evidence from sedimentology and associated fossil fauna and flora, supports the argument that this formation was deposited in a coastal flood plain setting, in brackish (0.5 40‰ NaCl) waters, but in the absence of persistent normal marine conditions. The oxygen isotope data from the Ballagan Formation divide into three clusters: a diagenetic field defined by low δ18O (< − 11‰ VPDB); an intermediary field (δ18O − 11‰ to − 9‰) composed of a mixture of known primary and secondary (diagenetic) carbonates; and samples within the range of − 9‰ to − 4‰ which, as far as we can ascertain, are largely unaltered. No samples give typical Early Carboniferous δ18O marine values. Average marine carbonates from Europe have δ18O between − 4‰ to − 3‰. The Ballagan Formation carbonates were probably deposited in evaporated freshwater and/or brackish water. This conclusion is supported by the presence of evaporites (gypsum, anhydrite, halite pseudomorphs) and common desiccation-cracked mudstone surfaces throughout the Ballagan Formation, suggesting conditions of fluctuating salinity in ephemeral bodies of water. The stable isotope data support the notion that the ostracod assemblages of the Ballagan Formation were colonising brackish water and hypersaline ecologies on a coastal flood plain during the Early Carboniferous, a stage of development that may have encouraged their colonisation of fully non-marine (limnetic) environments during the later Carboniferous. The ostracods include cytherellacean and kloedenellacean species known from marginal marine sites elsewhere, but probably tolerant of brackish water, podocopid species such as ‘Bythocypris’ aequalis that may have been adapted for brackish water settings on coastal flood plains (ephemeral lakes and lagoons), and paraparchitacean-dominated assemblages that may signal harsh (hypersaline or desiccating) environments.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
What Drives Green Restaurant Patronage Intention

The trends of corporate social responsibility and sustainability drive many firms to adopt green marketing practices through the development of products and services targeted to meet the demand of environmentally conscious consumers. Green movement enables firms to gain competitive advantages, improve ecological performance, reduce operational costs, and enhance corporate image. However, the pressure to adopt environmental management practices in the food service sector is insignificant compared to the manufacturing sector in Malaysia. This disparity is evident despite of the fast growing number of restaurants and widespread habit of eating out, which bring with it an increasingly detrimental environmental impact. Currently, there is limited existing research on the demand for green practices within the food service sector from the consumers’ perspectives in Malaysia. This paper reviews the conceptual and empirical literatures and proposes a conceptual framework to examine how attitudes and pro-environmental behaviours influence consumers’ intention towards patronising green restaurants. In addition, the theoretical and practical implications are also put forward.

Field of study: Business
40Ar/39Ar dating of Silurian and Late Devonian cleavages in lower greenschist-facies rocks in the Westminster terrane, Maryland, USA

40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of muscovite, biotite, and K-feldspar combined with microstructural analysis of lower greenschist-facies, polymetamorphic, phyllitic rocks, and marbles were successfully used to decipher the thermal and tectonic histories of the Westminster and adjacent terranes in western Maryland. The presence of unreset detrital muscovite in some samples demonstrates that temperatures in these rocks never exceeded the closure temperature for argon diffusion in muscovite, ∼350 ± 50 °C. Minor biotite in some arkoses constrains the minimum metamorphic temperatures to ≥∼320 °C. These data show an Early Silurian (ca. 430 Ma) cleavage in the western part of the Westminster terrane and a Late Devonian event (ca. 370 Ma) in the eastern Westminster and adjacent Potomac terranes. These two cleavage domains are separated by the NE-trending, newly identified Parrs Ridge fault zone. We propose that the sinistral transpressive collision of the Carolina terrane with Laurentia emplaced the western portion of the Westminster terrane in the Pennsylvania embayment along the Martic fault where it was folded and cleaved at ca. 430 Ma but otherwise largely sheltered from later deformation. The later Late Devonian dextral transpressive accretion of the outboard Potomac terrane thrust rocks of the eastern Westminster and Potomac terranes to the west, causing Late Devonian (360–370 Ma) S 2 cleavage in these rocks, but only minimal discrete overprinting S 3 cleavages in rocks farther west. Final juxtaposition and thermal convergence of these terranes occurred along reactivated dextral strike-slip faults in the Alleghanian at ca. 300 Ma.

Field of study: Geology
Simple models for stomatal conductance derived from a process model: cross-validation against sap flux data.

Representation of stomatal physiology in models of plant-atmosphere gas exchange is minimal, and direct application of process-based models is limited by difficulty of parameter estimation. We derived simple models of stomatal conductance from a recent process-based model, and cross-validated them against measurements of sap flux (176-365 d in length) in 36 individual trees of two age classes for two Eucalyptus species across seven sites in the mountains of southeastern Australia. The derived models - which are driven by irradiance and evaporative demand and have two to four parameters that represent sums and products of biophysical parameters in the process model - reproduced a median 83-89% of observed variance in half-hourly and diurnally averaged sap flux, and performed similarly whether fitted using a random sample of all data or using 1 month of data from spring or autumn. Our simple models are an advance in predicting plant water use because their parameters are transparently related to reduced processes and properties, enabling easy accommodation of improved knowledge about how those parameters respond to environmental change and differ among species.

Field of study: Environmental science
Generalization and discrimination of shape orientation in the pigeon.

Pigeons learned to peck a green key on which parallelogram-shapes were projected; they then received generalization tests in which the orientation of the parallelogram was varied. Nondifferential training produced very little eventual stimulus control along the orientation dimension, but when training included S- trials (absence of the parallelogram) subjects responded consistently more to certain orientations than to others. Unlike typical results for visual generalization (e.g., line-tilt), the tilt gradients obtained for this complex stimulus were bimodal, supporting predictions on the basis of human perceptual data. However, unimodal gradients could be produced by specific discrimination training along the orientation dimension. Other forms of intradimensional training also produced relatively steep gradients, often characterized by unexpected but consistent secondary peaks. An attempt to obtain inhibitory gradients (S+: green key; S-: parallelogram on a green background) resulted in virtually zero responding all along the shape-orientation dimension; therefore, specific inhibitory control could not be evaluated. All these experiments suggest that definition of this complex stimulus dimension in terms of mere "angular orientation" is inappropriate, and alternative interpretations are discussed.

Field of study: Biology, Psychology
The emission of prompt neutrons from the spontaneous fission of 252No and 244Fm

The neutron detector with 3He -filled counters placed in the focal plane of the VASSILISSA separator is used for measuring the average number and determining the multiplicity distribution of prompt neutrons from the spontaneous fission of heavy short-lived isotopes. The test reaction $\ensuremath \mathrm{{}^{48}Ca}+\mathrm{{}^{206}Pb}=2{\rm n}+\mathrm{{}^{252}No}$ is used for tuning the separator settings and calibrating the detector system with the spontaneous fission of the 252No . The average neutron number per 252No spontaneous fission event is as large as $\ensuremath \bar{\nu}=4.06 \pm 0.12$ . The short-lived heavy isotope 244Fm , produced in the complete fusion reaction 40Ar + 206Pb , is investigated. The average number of neutrons per spontaneous fission of 244Fm from the experimental data ( $\ensuremath \bar{\nu}=3.3 \pm 0.3$ is determined for the first time.

Field of study: Physics
From universal health insurance to universal healthcare? The shifting health policy landscape in Ireland since the economic crisis.

Ireland experienced one of the most severe economic crises of any OECD country. In 2011, a new government came to power amidst unprecedented health budget cuts. Despite a retrenchment in the ability of health resources to meet growing need, the government promised a universal, single-tiered health system, with access based solely on medical need. Key to this was introducing universal free GP care by 2015 and Universal Health Insurance from 2016 onwards. Delays in delivering universal access and a new health minister in 2014 resulted in a shift in language from 'universal health insurance' to 'universal healthcare'. During 2014 and 2015, there was an absence of clarity on what government meant by universal healthcare and divergence in policy measures from their initial intent of universalism. Despite the rhetoric of universal healthcare, years of austerity resulted in poorer access to essential healthcare and little extension of population coverage. The Irish health system is at a critical juncture in 2015, veering between a potential path to universal healthcare and a system, overwhelmed by years of austerity, which maintains the status quo. This papers assesses the gap between policy intent and practice and the difficulties in implementing major health system reform especially while emerging from an economic crisis.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
A Design Based on Internet of Things for Safety Monitoring System in High-speed Railway Maintenance

Safety monitoring system for high-speed railway maintenance based on Internet of Things aims to ensure the supervision of the status of operation gates and the safety of the lines after operation is completed, thus ensuring the safe driving of high-speed railway. Combined with the characteristics and demands of high-speed railway maintenance Operation safety assurance, the paper studies and determines the monitoring contents, overall framework and system functions of safety monitoring system for high-speed railway maintenance based on internet of things.

Field of study: Engineering
Efficient Syntheses of [(n-C4H9)4N]4[α-Mo8O26] and [(n-C4H9)4N]2[Mo2O7]

Efficient and simple syntheses of [(n-C4H9)4N]4[α-Mo8O26] (I) and [(n-C4H9)4N]2[Mo2O7] (II) from MoO3 and aqueous [(n-C4H9)4N]OH are described. The yield is 72% for I and 73% for II.

Field of study: Materials science
Exploring issues of teacher retention and attrition in Ghana: A case study of Public Senior High Schools in Kwabre East district of Ashanti region-Ghana

Teacher attrition and retention in the education sector is a matter of concern for all Ghanaians and as such the study was conducted to explore issues concerning teacher retention and attrition in Ghana. The study was descriptive survey in nature, and sought to establish factors that militate against the retention of teachers, as well as their satisfaction of the conditions of service in public senior high schools. The study was conducted in four Senior High Schools and a sample of 116 teachers was randomly selected for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect qualitative data. Findings revealed that most of the senior high school teachers may leave the teaching profession in the nearest future if their conditions of service and salaries, as well as school and classroom environment are not improved. Also the problem of teacher attrition in Senior High Schools in the district is partly attributable to non-compliance of the conditions of service for teachers by Ghana Education Service. Based on the findings, the study made the following recommendations: As a matter of urgency, the state should review the conditions of service for teachers and ensure their full implementation. Moreover, the state should take immediate steps to improve upon infrastructure in Senior High Schools, especially, those located in rural communities, to create conducive environment for teaching and learning.  Attrition; retention; senior high schools; education; conditions of service; and teachers.

Field of study: Education
ANALYSIS OF THE POST-PEAK POISSON’S RATIO OF ROCK SPECIMENS IN UNIAXIAL COMPRESSION

The ratio of lateral strains to axial strains at the strain-softening stage in uniaxial compression, which is termed as the post-peak Poisson’s ratio, is studied analytically. It is assumed that plastic deformation stems from the localization of shear strain. After the localization is initiated at peak strength, axial and lateral strains are each decomposed into two parts. One is elastic strain described by elastic mechanics; the other is plastic part determined by gradient-dependent plasticity and geometrical relations. At the strain-softening stage, lateral strain-axial strain relation, lateral strain-axial strain relation, and axial stress-axial strain relation were verified by existing experiments. At the peak strength, the localization is just initiated and the post-peak Poisson’s ratio is equal to the Poisson’s ratio at the elastic stage. When compressive stress reaches zero, a critical value of the post-peak Poisson’s ratio is achieved. Whether the critical value is greater than the Poisson’s ratio at the elastic stage or not, the constitutive parameters of rock material, the geometrical size of the specimen and inclination angle of the shear band play an important role. It is possible for linear, upwards concave or upwards convex relations between the post-peak Poisson’s ratio and the flow compressive stress. Generally, a post-peak Poisson’s ratio depend on the flow compressive stress and is concerned with geometrical size. Therefore, the Poisson’s ratio cannot be seen as a material constant, which is different from the Poisson’s ratio at the elastic stage.

Field of study: Engineering
On the Incommensurability Phenomenon

Suppose that two large, multi-dimensional data sets are each noisy measurements of the same underlying random process, and principal components analysis is performed separately on the data sets to reduce their dimensionality. In some circumstances it may happen that the two lower-dimensional data sets have an inordinately large Procrustean fitting-error between them. The purpose of this manuscript is to quantify this “incommensurability phenomenon”. In particular, under specified conditions, the square Procrustean fitting-error of the two normalized lower-dimensional data sets is (asymptotically) a convex combination (via a correlation parameter) of the Hausdorff distance between the projection subspaces and the maximum possible value of the square Procrustean fitting-error for normalized data. We show how this gives rise to the incommensurability phenomenon, and we employ illustrative simulations and also use real data to explore how the incommensurability phenomenon may have an appreciable impact.

Field of study: Computer science