nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Nesting distribution of vultures in relation to land use in Swaziland

Three species of vulture (African White-backed, White-headed and Lappet-faced) breed in Swaziland, all of which are threatened within the country. Vulture nests were surveyed using a fix-winged aircraft in low-lying savannas of Swaziland. Nesting was observed in three land use categories: (1) unprotected government cattle ranches, (2) protected cattle ranches, and (3) conservation areas. A total of 248 nests was recorded, of which 240 belonged to the African White-backed Vulture. Nesting densities were highest in conservation areas, an order of magnitude lower on protected cattle ranches and negligible on government ranches. Nests of White-headed Vultures and Lappet-faced Vultures were exclusively located in conservation areas. Nesting densities of African White-backed Vultures in some conservation areas exceeded 260 nests/100 km2, which are the highest known densities of this species anywhere in Africa. Nests were almost exclusively located in riparian vegetation, but at Hlane National Park a large proportion of nests were placed in open woodland, possibly as a result of an influx of vultures from adjoining agricultural lands that have only been transformed in recent decades. Where elephants were present in conservation areas, vultures did not nest within their enclosures. The location and density of vulture nests may possibly be used as an indicator of pressure on biological resources in low-lying savannas of Swaziland.

Field of study: Environmental science
How to determine a dineutron correlation in Borromean nuclei via a quasi-free knockout ($p,pn$) reaction?

The quasi-free neutron knockout reaction on $^6$He is investigated to discuss the dineutron correlation in the ground state. In the present work, the momentum distributions of the two emitted neutrons are calculated with the $\alpha$~+~$n$~+~$n$ three-body model and the simple reaction model, and the effects of the knockout process via the $^5$He resonance and the target dependence in the momentum distributions are discussed. From the calculation, it is found that a clear signature of the dineutron correlation can be obtained by choosing the kinematical condition to exclude the process via the $^5$He resonance, while the inclusion of the $^5$He resonance drastically changes the momentum distributions. It is also shown to be important to use the proton target in the quantitative discussion on the dineutron correlation by the knockout reaction. In addition to theoretical arguments, a possible experimental setup to determine the dineutron correlation via the quasi-free knockout reaction is considered.

Field of study: Physics
Energy and spectrum efficient mobility-aware resource management for D2D multicasting

The rapid growth of cellular traffic which is mostly due to increasing demands for multimedia and social network applications, has led to spectrum deficiency in cellular networks. Device to Device (D2D) communication is an excellent technology for offloading cellular traffic via direct communication between user equipment reusing cellular radio resources or unlicensed bands. Moreover, using D2D communication, there is a chance of reducing the energy consumption of user equipment. Multicasting is a known scenario of D2D communication which is suitable for some content sharing scenarios such as public safety services and TV broadcasting in ultra-dense networks. Efficient resource management is a challenging problem of D2D multicasting which has not been addressed adequately. This paper proposes an energy and spectrum efficient resource management method for D2D multicast communications which takes user requirements into account. In contrast to previous methods, this work also considers the mobility of user equipment in terms of the stability of possible D2D links using a mobility correlation measure. The multicast group formation and channel/power allocations have been formulated as a multi-objective optimization technique and NSGA-II has been exploited to solve the problem. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method compared to previous methods in terms of energy and spectrum efficiency.

Field of study: Computer science
Null lens design techniques.

There are a surprising number of discrete, well-corrected null lens designs with just two elements for testing a large, fast-speed parabolic mirror from its center of curvature. Some design techniques are discussed for generating these solutions, which may be applicable to the design of null lenses for other mirror shapes. Without examining these multiple solutions, which differ greatly in performance, there is no way to know if the optimum configuration has been found.

Field of study: Physics
Hydrothermal liquefaction of Chlorella pyrenoidosa in water and ethanol.

This study aimed at converting low lipid content microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) to biofuels via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). In this article, ethanol was introduced as a solvent for the HTL process. The products of the HTL process were separated into gas, residue, bio-crude, and volatile components. The effects of using ethanol as the solvent are discussed in detail and compared with the traditional HTL process. Preliminary results showed that HTL with ethanol, compared with using water as the solvent, resulted in higher bio-crude yield (51.1%) with better thermal stability (95% acetone soluble after drying at 105°C), along with lower gas and residue yields (1.4% and 14.2%, respectively). The effects of operating parameters, including feedstock load ratio, solid load ratio, and initial pressure, on processing pressures and product yields were investigated. Experimental results indicated that HTL with a high feedstock load ratio increased the residue yield. Compared with water, ethanol was more suitable for HTL under high solid load ratio conditions. HTL of Chlorella pyrenoidosa with water as the solvent was fairly insensitive to the investigated processing parameters within the measuring ranges. Yields of bio-crude, gas, and residue had average values of 40.5% ±1.7%, 6.3% ±0.7%, and 20.8% ±2.9%, respectively.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Metabolic disturbance and sensitivity to endotoxin in patients with advanced cancer: relationship to lymphocyte reactivity, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) production and survival

Increased TNF production and impaired lymphocyte function have been individually linked with metabolic disturbance, endotoxaemia and mortality in humans. The inter‐relationship between these observations was investigated in humans with cancer. In 13 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and seven healthy volunteers, observations (n=23) included peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) TNF production, IL‐2 production and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) response; the acute‐phase protein response (APPR) (serum C‐reactive protein (CRP), albumin, CRP/albumin ratio), and survival. APPR correlated with survival (CRP, r=−0.689, P=0.006; CRP/albumin, r=−0.758, P=0.002; albumin, r=0.655, P=0.011), but not with TNF production. TNF production in response to in vitro endotoxin correlated with impaired lymphocyte function in patients (r=0.567, P=0.043) and in the whole group (r=0.65, P=0.001). The ratio (basal PBMC TNF production)/(lymphocyte function) correlated with CRP (r=0.569, P=0.042), CRP/albumin (r=0.617, P=0.025), endotoxin sensitivity (r=0.567, P=0.043) and survival (r=−0.545, P=0.038) in patients, and the whole group (P<0.002). Impaired lymphocyte function may influence TNF production, endotoxin sensitivity and metabolic disturbance in humans with cancer. (r=Spearman correlation coefficient.

Field of study: Biology, Medicine
Notiz über die Darstellung von 5‐Methyloxazol

Die Titelverbindung 4 wurde ausgehend von Isocyanessigsaure-methylester (1) synthetisiert. 
 
 
 
Note on the Preparation of 5-Methyloxazole 
 
 
 
The title compound 4 was synthesized starting from methyl isocyanoacetate (1).

Field of study: Chemistry
Plane answers to complex questions: the theory of linear models

Providing a wide-ranging introduction to the use of linear models in analyzing data, this text presents a vector space and projections approach to the subject. The topics covered include ANOVA, estimation, hypothesis testing, multiple comparison, regression analysis, and experimental design. Also covered are: testing for lack of fit; models with singular covariance matrices; variance component estimation; best linear prediction; colinearity; and variable selection.

Field of study: Mathematics
AlGaInAs quantum dot solar cells: Tailoring quantum dots for intermediate band formation

We report on the realization of quantum dot (QD) solar cells comprising a spectrally large absorption range. The QD absorption band is designed by integrating quaternary AlGaInAs QDs with varying aluminum contents in combination with conventional InAs/GaAs QDs in the intrinsic region of an AlGaAs p-i-n structure. By adjusting the material composition in the different QD layers, we can cover a spectral range from 680 to 1150 nm by QD absorption. Based on our results we discuss a newly proposed solar cell design employable to facilitate intermediate band absorption for an increased efficiency.

Field of study: Materials science
Synthesis and Characterization of Potentiostatically Electrodeposited Tungsten Oxide Thin Films for Smart Window Application

Tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films have been synthesized using electrodeposition in potentiostatic mode and the effect of different deposition potentials on their structural, morphological, optical, and electrochromic (EC) properties investigated. The deposition potential versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) was varied from −0.35 V to −0.50 V in steps of −0.05 V for 20 min each. The electrodeposited WO3 thin films were characterized using x-ray diffraction analysis, micro-Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, revealing amorphous nature with nanograins having average size from 40 nm to 60 nm. The EC performance of the WO3 thin films exhibited response times of 1.35 s for bleaching (tb) and 3.1 s for coloration (tc) with excellent reversibility of 64.36%. The highest coloration efficiency of the electrodeposited WO3 thin films was found to be 87.95 cm2/C. The electrochemical reversibility and stability of the WO3 thin films obtained in this study make them promising for use in smart window applications.

Field of study: Materials science
RESEARCH ON LOAD EFFECT FUNCTION MODEL UNDER FULL-SPAN AND HALF-SPAN LOADING

The characteristics of load effect function are studied under full-span and half-span loading conditions.First,the reason for the nonlinear load effect function is discussed.Then a general model of load effect function is proposed through the ultimate load analysis of some examples under full-span and half-span loadings.It is indicated that the function model is accurate at both the structural member level and system level.Finally based on the approximate function model,the nonlinear degree of the load effect curve is discussed.The results show that the curve is a parabola or hyperbola.It provides some references on structural reliability calculation.

Field of study: Engineering
Local community attitudes to wildlife utilisation in the changing economic and social context of Mongolia

In recent years illegal hunting has increased in Mongolia, putting considerable pressure on large mammals populations. The causes for this phenomenon lie in increasing rural poverty, ineffective policies to regulate hunting, as well as a ready market for many wildlife products in the Chinese medicine markets of east Asia. It is now accepted that biodiversity is ultimately lost or conserved at the local level and it is therefore imperative that the perspectives of the local people are better understood if wildlife management programmes are to be sustainable. This research uses a ‘grounded theory’ approach to investigate local community attitudes to wildlife utilisation and to explore what local people consider as a sustainable wildlife management strategy in remoter regions of Mongolia. The findings clearly suggest that the current situation is not conducive to sustainability either of wildlife populations or human livelihoods. Important changes are needed if sustainability is to be achieved, including alterations to property rights, greater government support, and improved marketing skills and employment opportunities from wildlife. Linked to all of the above points is the need to address the serious information deficit experienced in rural Mongolia to enable local people to examine critically the issues at hand and to participate actively in solutions.

Field of study: Environmental science
The Effect of Finite Spatial Resolution on the Measurement of Cardiac Phantom Wall Thickness in Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomographic Imaging

To devise and validate a method of estimating accurately myocardial wall thickness from cardiac images acquired with single photon emission tomography (SPECT).  We simulated the imaging process by convolving a spatial resolution function, experimentally determined for a clinical SPECT system, with rectangular profiles mimicking the myocardial walls for different thicknesses and separations. Wall thicknesses were estimated by fitting the resulting profiles to a linear superposition of two offset Gaussians. The method was validated by extensive computer simulation and by testing on real phantom images.  Accurate estimates of the wall thickness of SPECT phantoms were obtained when the estimated thickness (using fitting to Gaussians) was deconvolved with the point spread function (PSF) of the imaging system using a look-up table.  This method is a novel method of estimating wall thickness from cardiac images. It is particularly useful for small separations (e.g. at end systole and/or towards the apex of the heart) of walls that are narrow compared to the PSF of the imaging system.

Field of study: Medicine
STAT3 Mediates Protection From Liver Inflammation After Partial Hepatectomy

The liver has the unique capacity to restore its mass by hepatocyte proliferation after injury or transplantation. The present study investigated whether the regenerating liver responds to immune stimuli in the same way as the quiescent one.  We performed partial hepatectomy (PHx) in mice, then stimulated the mice with concanavalin A (ConA) to study their immune responses. Plasma Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and cytokine levels as well as liver inflammatory infiltration were measured to evaluate liver damage. Transcriptional factors were further detected to study the underlining mechanisms.  Our results showed that PHx mice were resistant to ConA-induced liver inflammation and injury, as evidenced by both morphological and biochemical observations. Then we went further to study the mechanisms. We found marked signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation 48 hours after PHx. When STAT3 activation was blocked with its inhibitor JSI-124, PHx mice also developed severe liver inflammation after ConA stimulation.  The regenerating liver is resistant to ConA induced immune assaulting, and STAT3 is the major player in the protection process.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry
A temporal model for multiple sclerosis course evolution

Multiple Sclerosis is a degenerative condition of the central nervous system that affects nearly 2.5 million of individuals in terms of their physical, cognitive, psychological and social capabilities. Researchers are currently investigating on the use of patient reported outcome measures for the assessment of impact and evolution of the disease on the life of the patients. To date, a clear understanding on the use of such measures to predict the evolution of the disease is still lacking. In this work we resort to regularized machine learning methods for binary classification and multiple output regression. We propose a pipeline that can be used to predict the disease progression from patient reported measures. The obtained model is tested on a data set collected from an ongoing clinical research project.

Field of study: Computer science
The second order pole over split quaternions

This is an addition to a series of papers [1, 2, 3, 4], where we develop quaternionic analysis from the point of view of representation theory of the conformal Lie group and its Lie algebra. In this paper we develop split quaternionic analogues of certain results from . Thus we introduce a space of functions Dh ⊕ Da with a natural action of the Lie algebra gl(2, HC) ≊ sl(4, C), decompose Dh ⊕ Da into irreducible components and find the gl(2, Hc)- equivariant projectors onto each of these irreducible components.

Field of study: Mathematics
Estilo parental, motivação e satisfação de atletas de beisebol: um estudo correlacional doi: 10.4025/reveducfis.v24i2.16282

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a relacao entre o estilo parental, a motivacao e a satisfacao atletica de jogadores de beisebol da categoria juvenil. Oitenta e oito atletas (16,20 anos ±1,18) participantes do campeonato brasileiro da categoria juvenil responderam ao questionario SMS para avaliar a motivacao atletica, EMBU-p para os estilos parentais e QSA para a satisfacao atletica. Na analise dos dados utilizou-se o teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov para os dados descritivos, U Mann-Whitney para a comparacao de grupos, Spearman para a correlacao das variaveis e um modelo de regressao multipla, adotando p<0,05. Verificou-se que atletas de beisebol sao mais intrinsecamente motivados, tem estilos parentais de suporte emocional e estao satisfeitos atleticamente, havendo correlacoes entre estas tres variaveis. Conclui-se que atletas com estilos parentais de suporte emocional sao autodeterminados e satisfeitos com seu esporte.

Field of study: Education
Osmotic Response of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons Expressing Wild-Type and Mutant KCC3 Transporters.

Loss-of-Function (LOF) of the potassium chloride cotransporter 3 (KCC3) results in hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (HSMN/ACC). Our KCC3 knockout mouse recapitulated axonal swelling and tissue vacuolization observed in autopsies of individuals with HSMN/ACC. We previously documented the first human case of a KCC3 gain-of-function (GOF) in which the patient also exhibited severe peripheral neuropathy. Furthermore, the GOF mouse model exhibited shrunken axons implicating the cotransporter in cell volume homeostasis. It is unclear how both KCC3 LOF and GOF lead to peripheral neuropathy. Thus, we sought to study differences in cell volume regulation of dorsal root ganglion neurons isolated from different mouse lines.



Using wide-field microscopy, we measured calcein fluorescence intensity through pinhole measurements at the center of cells and compared cell swelling and cell volume regulation/recovery of wild-type, LOF, and GOF dorsal root ganglia neurons, as well as wild-type neurons treated with a KCC-specific inhibitor.



In contrast to control neurons that swell and volume regulate under a hypotonic challenge, neurons lacking KCC3 swell but fail to volume regulate. Similar data were observed in wild-type neurons treated with the KCC inhibitor. We also show that sensory neurons expressing a constitutively active KCC3 exhibited a blunted swelling phase compared to wild-type neurons, questioning the purely osmotic nature of the swelling phase.



These findings demonstrate the integral role of KCC3 in cell volume homeostasis and support the idea that cell volume homeostasis is critical to the health of peripheral nerves.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry
Nonlinear separation of data via Mixed 0-1 Integer and Linear Programming

This paper presents a new mathematical programming-based learning methodology for separation of two types of data. Specifically, we develop a new l 1 -norm error distance metric and use it to develop a Mixed 0–1 Integer and Linear Programming (MILP) model that optimizes the interplay of user-provided discriminant functions, including kernel functions for support vector machines, to implement a nonlinear, nonconvex and/or disjoint decision boundary for the best separation of data at hand. With the concurrent optimization of discriminant functions, the MILP-based learning can be used for finding the optimal and least complex classification rule for noise-free data and for implementing a most robust classification rule for real-life data with noise. With extensive experiments on separation of two dimensional artificial datasets that are clean and noisy, we graphically illustrate the aforementioned advantages of the new MILP-based learning methodology. With experiments on real-life benchmark datasets from the UC Irvine Repository of machine learning databases, in comparison with the multisurface method and the support vector machines, we demonstrate the advantage of using and concurrently optimizing more than a single discriminant function for a robust separation of real-life data, hence the utility of the proposed methodology in supervised learning.

Field of study: Mathematics
[Characteristics of ischemic stroke according to hospital register data: a role of neuroreparative therapy].

To study characteristics of the acute stage of ischemic stroke (IS) basing on the data of a hospital register of the Perm Regional vascular center and to assess the efficacy and safety of the drug cellex in patients with IS.



Authors have analyzed the group of 128 patients with MRI-confirmed acute ischemic lesion. The subgroup of 40 patients, which beside the basic therapy received cellex in dose of 0.1 mg during 10 days, was randomized.



The following data were analyzed: gender and age, prevalence of risk factors, primary prevention, time before admission, clinical presentations, results of instrumental diagnostic methods, pathogenic structure of stroke, use of intravenous thrombolysis, regimens of secondary prevention, functional outcome and its predictors.



The group of patients was characterized by the high prevalence of risk factors, insufficient primary prevention, prolonged time before the admission, low rate of thrombolysis use and significant prevalence of large artery disease associated with stroke. The main independent predictors of low mobility level at discharge were severe neurological deficit on admission, cognitive impairment and age. Patients treated with cellex were characterized by the lower level of neurologic deficit, higher mobility and better global cognitive status in comparison with controls.

Field of study: Medicine, Psychology
A botanical inventory of a submontane tropical rainforest on Negros Island, Philippines

This paper provides a botanical inventory of a forest community in the North Negros Forest Reserve that is disproportionately valuable from a conservation perspective. The forest fragment is one of the last remaining wet tropical rainforest ecosystems in the biogeographic region of the West Visayas and an important refuge for a large number of endemic species. Using standard methods of the Philippine Plant Inventory Project we described the structure and composition of this little known forest type in the transition zone between lowland and lower montane forest. A 1 ha inventory plot 500 × 20 m in size was established and all trees of 10 cm DBH or greater were measured and permanently labeled. Subsequently, fertile specimens were collected over a period of 18 months. We found 645 individuals belonging to 92 species, 54 genera and 39 families with a combined basal area of 58.8 m2 and an average canopy height of 30 m. This community was not dominated by dipterocarps. Species of Lauraceae, Burseraceae, Sapotaceae and Icainaceae were equally or more important. Diversity measured as Shannon–Wiener index (5.59), equitability index (0.86) and Simpson index (0.032) was high, and no single family or species dominated the plot.

Field of study: Environmental science