nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Commodity or Propriety? Unauthorised Transfer of Intangible Entitlements in the EU Emissions Trading System

This article argues that the law governing transfer of allowances within the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) should place greater weight upon transactional (and environmental) integrity, even over market liquidity. More broadly, it reflects on the role played by registries in sharing or concealing information about the material world. Although property rules enable market activity through the creation of an abstract carbon commodity, they must also link past to future entitlements in a just way. In emissions trading markets, justice in private transactions is intimately connected to public questions of environmental justice. The relevant EU Regulation prioritises facility of transfer over protection of existing holders, insulating registered entitlements from prior proprietary claims. This approach ignores the important connections between history, integrity and responsibility in both public and private spheres. A preferable response would be to distinguish between transactional and register error, protecting against register mistakes, but not transactional defects.

Field of study: Law
Anonymous survey of blood donors by polymerase chain reaction for Tropheryma whippelii.

Sir,

The introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based testing for Tropheryma whippelii , the causative organism of Whipple's disease and its recent cultivation in vitro 1 has led to a resurgence of interest in this enigmatic disorder. Using PCR, we recently reported a series of patients with Whipple's disease and highly atypical presentations, in whom the absence of gastro-intestinal involvement was striking.2 With greater awareness of Whipple's disease and its protean manifestations, physicians are considering the possibility of Whipple's in a widening range of clinical situations. The use …

Field of study: Medicine
Proton transference number of PFSA ionomer membranes

The cation transference number of the novel XUS (Dow Chemical) ionomer membrane was measured by the employment of protonic conducting solution electrodes. The limiting values of the equivalent conductivity of H + and OH - at various solution concentrations were obtained by extrapolation to yield the membrane proton transference number. The result of 81% was compared to that of NAFION R and aqueous solution to show an inverse relationship between the transference number and the size of the environment accommodating the water molecules, which constitutes some understanding of the ionic conducting mechanism.

Field of study: Materials science
Excitation functions and isotopic effects in (n,p) reactions for stable iron isotopes from reaction threshold to 20 MeV.

The excitation functions for (n,p) reactions from reaction threshold to 20 MeV on four stable Iron isotopes viz; 54 Fe, 56 Fe, 57 Fe and 58 Fe were calculated using Talys-1.2 nuclear model code. This essentially involves fitting a set of global parameters. An excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental data is obtained with minimal effort on parameter fitting and only one free parameter called ‘shell damping factor’ has been adjusted. This is very important for the validation of nuclear model approaches. The systematic decrease in (n,p) cross-sections with increasing neutron number in reactions induced by neutrons on isotopes of iron is explained in terms of the pre-equilibrium model. The compound nucleus and pre-equilibrium reaction mechanism as well as the isotopic effects were also studied extensively.

Field of study: Physics
Performing Piety: Making Sacred Space with the Virgin of Guadalupe by Elaine A. Peña (review)

The author is impressive in her use of relevant historical literature from the Ecuadorian Andes and from the global scene, but she eschews the adjacent Amazonian region of Ecuador almost entirely. This, unfortunately, leads her to identify the Huaorani as "Huarani," which means "enemies like us," rather than "us." She also implies (pp. 44, 127) that General Rodrigez Lara gave his speech about "becoming white" in the Andes, citing the late Ronald Stutzman. Stutzman took his information from two of this reviewer's publications, which he cited, that clearly show that president was speaking instead to an audience in the Amazonian town of Puyo.

Field of study: History
Immune response of Th17‐associated cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

HighlightsChronic HCV infection caused immune dysregulation.Th17 cells and their associated cytokines were involved in this process.HCV core and NS3 antigens induced Th17 immune responses in patients.  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection causes severe cellular immune dysfunction. Here, we investigated the production of Th17‐associated cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of untreated patients with HCV, patients presenting an early virologic response (EVR) after 12 weeks of treatment with interferon‐&agr; plus ribavirin with or without HCV protease inhibitors, and patients who were nonresponders to HCV therapy. PBMCs were stimulated with HCV core and nonstructural antigens, and the production of Th17‐associated cytokines was measured with a Milliplex MAP immunoassay. Core‐stimulated PBMCs from both untreated and nonresponder patients produced interleukin (IL)‐17A, and vigorous production of IL‐17A in response to NS3 antigen was only verified in the untreated group. Nonresponder patients also produced IL‐17F after core antigen stimulation. IL‐21 production was unaltered in the three groups of patients, whereas IL‐17E and IL‐22 were not detected. The production of Th17 cytokines by cells from patients showing an EVR was insignificant. IL‐17A and IL‐17F levels were not correlated with alanine aminotransferase levels or viremia. However, advanced fibrosis was associated with higher IL‐17A production in T0 cells stimulated with core antigen. Untreated patients with HCV and patients who were nonresponders to antiviral treatment differed in their PBMC immune responses of Th17‐associated cytokines. The early virological response to antiviral treatment dramatically decreased Th17 immune responses to HCV antigens.

Field of study: Medicine
Searching for appropriate humidity accelerated migration reliability tests methods

Lifetime estimation is one of today's frequently used reliability testing tool. There are standardized test methods, mathematical apparatus and failure acceleration models for predicting failure rate of electronic components, circuit modules or equipment. Do the widespread used models give a precise description for all kind of failure mechanisms? Can they define the acceleration factor of any test, and the accelerated lifetime of any test vehicles? In connection with open surface migration tests (when the test circuit samples are not covered by any protective or packaging material) two climatic test methods (Thermal Humidity Bias––THB test methods with different parameter settings) have been compared: 40 °C/95%RH suggested by “a well known IEC standard” and 85 °C/85%RH required by the newer JEDEC standard. The novelty of the paper is the comparison between the two climatic test methods. The main conclusion is a suggestion to keep on with the old method in the mentioned particular case, which may be shocking for people who prefer the new standards. All conclusions are strengthened both with theoretical and experimental test results.

Field of study: Engineering
An Expeditious Ultrasound-Initiated Green Synthesis of 1,2,4-Thiadiazoles in Water

A convenient, environmentally benign, metal- and catalyst-free protocol has been developed for the conversion of thioamides to the corresponding 1,2,4-thiadiazole derivatives with chloranil under ultrasound irradiation in water at room temperature. This paper describes a general procedure for the synthesis of different 1,2,4-thiadiazoles in excellent yield in short reaction time via sonochemistry.

Field of study: Chemistry
Structure of ground-foraging ant assemblages in relation to land-use change in the northwestern Mediterranean region

The abandonment by humans of marginal and less productive zones signifies an important change in land use in North Mediterranean agroecosystems. Human perturbations have led to a highly diversified landscape, with a mosaic made up of patches of land at different stages of succession, from cultivated fields to closed forest. Our aim here is to characterize ant assemblages and their functional groups in response to these land-use changes. This progressive abandonment results in an initial increase in ant richness and abundance, which can reach high levels if the succession proceeds as far as woodland. In terms of the ant functional groups, this land-use change implies: (1) the appearance of Subordinate Camponotini; (2) an increase in Generalized Myrmicinae, Cryptics and Cold-climate specialists in terms of ant species richness, overall abundance and, for Generalized Myrmicinae and Cryptics, an increase in abundance percentage; (3) a decrease in percentage abundance of Opportunists; (4) a progressive decrease in species richness as well as overall and percentage abundance of Hot-climate Specialists throughout the transformation from crops to woodlands; and (5) an initial increase of Dominant Dolichoderinae followed by a decrease in ant species richness, overall abundance and percentage abundance. Using the ant functional group approach for the clearly separate stages of the regeneration process is a promising method for comparing responses of ant communities to human land use.

Field of study: Environmental science
Polarization encoding and multiplexing of two-dimensional signals: application to image encryption.

We discuss an optical system that encodes an input signal to a polarization state, using a spatial light modulator (SLM). Using two SLMs the optical system multiplexes two 2D signals in the polarization domain, and we demonstrate the multiplexing of two binary images. The encryption and decryption of two binary images using an XOR operation is also presented.

Field of study: Physics
Does hydrochlorothiazide prevent recurrent urinary tract infection in children with idiopathic hypercalciuria?

Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IHC) has been recognized as a common disorder in childhood, and is a major factor in the formation of renal stones and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Since hydrochlorothiazide ameliorates hypercalciuria, we assessed its efficacy in preventing recurrent UTIs in hypercalciuric girls.



This research was a single blind randomized clinical trial. One hundred 1‒12-year-old girls, who were followed in pediatric nephrology outpatient clinics of two referral hospitals in Markazi Province of Iran, were recruited. All patients had IHC and at least two UTIs in 1 year, without any underlying anatomic or functional abnormality of urinary tract. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group received instructions regarding general preventive measures for UTI and the other group, in addition to these measures, received 1 mg/kg/day hydrochlorothiazide as morning dose. Then recurrence of UTI in the two groups was evaluated.



The mean age was 7.28 ± 1.9 years. In both groups, the incidence of UTI recurrence was 66%.



On the basis of these results, we reject the hypothesis that treating hypercalciuria is beneficial in preventing repeated UTIs. The association between UTIs and IHC needs to be more closely studied and attention to eliminating confounding factors is necessary.

Field of study: Medicine
The Role of Optimism, Social Constraints, Coping, and Cognitive Processing in Psychosocial Adjustment Among Breast Cancer Survivors

The social-cognitive processing model suggests that a socially constrained environment may impede adjustment to a chronic illness. The present study primarily investigated the mediating psychological pathways through which social constraints on cancer-related disclosure, low optimism, disengagement-oriented coping, and brooding could be associated with low levels of psychosocial adjustment. One hundred twenty-five female breast cancer survivors participated in a cross-sectional study. Path analysis was used to examine the proposed model. Low optimism, increased social constraints, and higher levels of brooding appeared to be risk factors for poor psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer. Disengagement-oriented coping and brooding partially mediated the relationship between social constraints and adjustment. Brooding totally mediated the relationship between disengagement-oriented coping and adjustment. The current findings provide support for the value of the social-cognitive processing model among breast cancer survivors. The mapping of psychological pathways of adjustment to breast cancer may have useful clinical implications for better adjustment outcomes.

Field of study: Psychology
Detection of Serum Antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus in ‘False-Seronegative’ Blood Donors in Oman

To detect hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in seronegative donors by disruption of the immune complexes (ICs).  HCV antibody detection was carried out on 600 seronegative donors following an IC dissociation assay. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was then performed on the positive results.  Nine of the 600 samples (1.5%) were positive for IC-dissociated HCV antibodies. Of the 9 only 3 antibody-positive samples had detectable HCV RNA.  Screening for antibodies to HCV in combination with PCR appears to be the safest way to reduce the residual risk of HCV in blood transfusion.

Field of study: Medicine
The GCM–Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC (GRIPS): Scientific Issues and Initial Results

To investigate the effects of the middle atmosphere on climate, the World Climate Research Programme is supporting the project "Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate" (SPARC). A central theme of SPARC, to examine model simulations of the coupled troposphere—middle atmosphere system, is being performed through the initiative called GRIPS (GCM—Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC). In this paper, an overview of the objectives of GRIPS is given. Initial activities include an assessment of the performance of middle atmosphere climate models, and preliminary results from this evaluation are presented here. It is shown that although all 13 models evaluated represent most major features of the mean atmospheric state, there are deficiencies in the magnitude and location of the features, which cannot easily be traced to the formulation (resolution or the parameterizations included) of the models. Most models show a cold bias in all locations, apart from the tropical tropopause region wher...

Field of study: Environmental science
The Influence of Water/Cement Ratio and Air Entrainment on the Electric Resistivity of Ionically Conductive Mortar

Ionically-conductive mortar can be used for indoor radiant heating partition walls. In these applications, mortar blocks are soaked in electrolyte solutions of CuSO4. The surfaces of the block are coated with sealant and epoxy resin afterwards to prevent evaporation. The mortar block becomes a heating element due to ionic conduction if a voltage is applied to the electrodes in the block. Its electrical conductivity depends on the dispersion of the electrolyte, and hence on the porosity of the mortar. The test specimens in this study were divided into four groups according to the different air entrainment agents, including aluminum powder and hydrogen peroxide as well as two air-entraining agents, SJ-2 and K12. Each group was manufactured with water/cement ratios in the range of 0.5 to 0.9. The test results showed that the conductivity of the mortar was strongly influenced by the air-entrainment and the water cement ratios. The volumetric electric resistivity and the associated microstructures of the mortar were investigated. The test results showed that the specimens made with aluminum powder and a water–cement ratio of 0.65–0.75 had high porosity. The porosity of those specimens was further increased by adding two different air-entraining agents. The specimens with aluminum powder and SJ-2, along with a water–cement ratio of 0.7 appeared to be the optimum mixture. Its resistivity was 19.37 Ω·m at 28 days under 25.31% porosity. The experimental results indicate that an ionically-conductive mortar can be produced by combining different air-entrainment agents with variable water-cement ratios to meet a specified electrical heating requirement.

Field of study: Materials science
Biochemostratigraphy of the Devonian−Carboniferous boundary global stratotype section and point, Griotte Formation, La Serre, Montagne Noire, France

The Griotte Formation and the base of Bed 89 exposed at La Serre, Montagne Noire, France represent the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Devonian–Carboniferous (D–C) boundary. This study represents the geochemical work on brachiopods and matrix covering the Siphonodella praesulcata to Siphonodella sulcata Zones at the GSSP. Values of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of unaltered brachiopods provide the most powerful biochemostratigraphic tool in recognizing and correlating the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary on a global scale. The frequency and variations of the latest Devonian 87 Sr/ 86 Sr trend (0.708167±0.000042) are invariant but the population means are similar ( p =1.000) to the essentially pronounced trend for the post-boundary Carboniferous (0.708165±0.000054) brachiopods from the GSSP and supplementary sections. The Devonian–Carboniferous boundary 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value based on unaltered brachiopod samples from within 0.2 m of either side of the boundary is 0.708231±0.000021 (NBS 987=0.710240). Oxygen isotope values of unaltered brachiopods from the Devonian side of the boundary are −1.99±2.29‰ (PDB) and those from the Carboniferous side are −3.08±0.51‰ (PDB, p =0.229), which are from within to outside the range recorded in Recent low-latitude counterparts. Carbon isotope values for the Devonian brachiopods with +4.37±1.69‰ (PDB) are dissimilar to those from the Carboniferous side of the boundary with +1.93±0.49‰ (PDB; p =0.0001), but both mostly overlap with the range observed in Recent low-latitude brachiopods. The large positive excursions in δ 13 C (Δ5.5‰) and δ 18 O (Δ6.9‰) of the unaltered brachiopods reflect changing oceanographic conditions of the La Serre Sea and possibly of the global oceans during the uppermost Middle and Upper S. praesulcata Subzones. Oxygen isotope trend may reflect, in part, a climatic response of a rapid, short and distinct glacial event during the upper Middle S. praesulcata Subzone. This cryogenic event of a larger oceanographic/climatic shift correlates, in part, to the Hangenberg Event sensu lato. Excursions in the seawater– 87 Sr bracket the onset and offset of the glacial event, reflecting changes in continental weathering patterns and processes and with it changes in riverine fluxes. In contrast, the carbon isotope shift although related to the cooling trend is probably associated with a drawdown of atmospheric CO 2 and/or burial of organic matter. The biochemostratigraphic values/contents and trends presented in this study, in conjunction with biostratigraphic observations, facilitate the correlation of sequences at Hasselbachtal and Wocklum (Germany), Nanbiancun (China) and Starks Road and Hannibal (Missouri, USA).

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
The response of papaya fruits with different harvest maturities on 1-MCP application

The payaya fruits(CV.'Risheng') were used to study the response of papaya fruits with four harvest maturity degrees(90%,80%,70% and 60%) to 1-methylcyclopropene(1-MCP) application.The changes in peel colour,the contents of total soluble solids(TSS),titratable acid(TA) and ascorbic acid(Vc),the physiologies of polygalacturonase(PG) and cellulase(CX) were evaluated.The results showed that the changes in quality and physiology of 90% fruits were remarkable,1-MCP couldn't effectively inhibit the ripening and softening of fruits.However,1-MCP could greatly inhibit the changes in qualities and physiologies of 70% and 60% fruits,and fruits coulnn't soften and turn yellow normally.While 80% fruits treated with 1-MCP could turn yellow normally,but it couldn't soften in ripening stage.It suggested that 90% maturity fruits had little sensitiveness to the treatment of 1-MCP,the softening response of papaya fruits with 80%,70% and 60% maturities treated with 1-MCP were characterized,although 1-MCP had the beneficial effects on maintaining quality of 80%,70% and 60% fruits,the fruits couldn't soften normally,1-MCP had the passtive effects on the quality of flavor and texture.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Comparisons of the Tono-Pen® and Goldmann Applanation Tonometer in the Measurement of Intraocular Pressure of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients in a Hospital Population in Southwest Nigeria

The aim of this study was to compare intraocular pressure (IOP) measured with the Tono-Pen® to that measured using the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma attending a glaucoma clinic.  A comparative clinic-based observational study was conducted involving 75 patients (39 men and 36 women) attending a glaucoma clinic in Southwest Nigeria. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data. The Tono-Pen and the GAT were used to measure the IOP in each patient. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured with an ultrasonic pachymeter, and the corrected GAT value was calculated for each patient. The Tono-Pen readings were compared with the uncorrected and corrected GAT readings. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. Values for p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.  The mean age of the participants was 60.39 ± 16.71 years. The mean IOP using the Tono-Pen was 21.1 ± 6.8 mm Hg versus the mean uncorrected GAT value of 17.1 ± 6.9 mm Hg and the corrected GAT value of 18.9 ± 7.5 mm Hg. The mean CCT was 510.5 ± 29.6 µm. The mean differences between the Tono-Pen reading and uncorrected and corrected GAT readings were 3.9 ± 2.6 and 2.1 ± 3.5 mm Hg, respectively. Gender (Tono-Pen vs. GAT; p = 0.981 vs. 0.437) and corneal thickness (p = 0.057) did not significantly affect the IOP value. Of the 75 patients, 68 (90.7%) preferred the Tono-Pen to the GAT.  In this study, the Tono-Pen gave a higher value for IOP than the uncorrected and corrected GAT values. Gender and corneal thickness did not significantly affect the measurements. Most patients found the Tono-Pen more acceptable than the GAT.

Field of study: Medicine
BCS-like gap structure of HgBa/sub 2/CuO/sub 4+/spl delta// tunnel junctions

We report point-contact tunneling into polycrystalline HgBa/sub 2/CuO/sub 4+/spl delta// superconductors with a T/sub c/ onset of 97 K using a superconducting Nb counterelectrode. These SIS' tunnel junctions are of unusually high quality for cuprate superconductors, exhibiting low and flat sub-gap conductances and sharp conductance peaks as expected from a BCS density of states. These features are obtained reproducibly and are consistent with earlier published SIN results using a Au counterelectrode. Use of experimental data to simulate performance of a quasiparticle mixer indicates HgBa/sub 2/CuO/sub 4+/spl delta// may be suitable for use in low noise heterodyne receivers operating at a few THz.<<ETX>>

Field of study: Physics