nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Molecular simulation studies of CO2 adsorption by carbon model compounds for carbon capture and sequestration applications.

Effects of oxygen-containing surface functionalities on the adsorption of mixtures including CO(2)/CH(4), CO(2)/N(2), and CO(2)/H(2)O have been investigated in the current work. Together with Bader charge analysis, electronic structure calculations have provided the initial framework comprising both the geometry and corresponding charge information required to carry out statistical-based molecular simulations. The adsorption isotherms and selectivity of CO(2) from CO(2)/N(2), CO(2)/CH(4), and CO(2)/H(2)O gas mixtures were determined by grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations at temperature/pressure conditions relevant to carbon capture and sequestration applications. The interactions between the surfaces with induced polarity and nonpolar/polar molecules have been investigated. It has been observed that, due to the induced polarity of the surface functionalization, the selectivity of CO(2) over CH(4) increases from approximately 2 to higher than 5, and the selectivity of CO(2) over N(2) increases from approximately 5 to 20, especially in the low-pressure regime. However, water vapor will always preferentially adsorb over CO(2) in carbon-based systems containing oxygen functionalized surfaces at conditions relevant to carbon capture application. Molecular simulation results indicate that the surface chemistry in micropores is tunable thereby influencing the selectivity for enhanced uptake of CO(2).

Field of study: Environmental science
Ferromagnetic properties of hexagonal iron-oxide compounds with and without a preferred orientation

ZusammenfassungBesprechung der Magnetisierung von hexagonalen Eisenoxydverbindungen als Funktion der Feldstärke.Bei der Bildung von Bloch-Wänden müssen Unregelmäßigkeiten im Kristallbau mitspielen (B). Bei regelloser Kristallverteilung und einer Kristallgröße oberhalb der kritischen kann Demagnetisierung durch Wandverschiebung schon bei positiven Feldstärken von ungefähr 4πIs auftreten (C).Durch Orientierung der Kristalle dieser Eisenoxydverbindungen Ferroxdure werden (BH)max-Werte von 3·106 Gß Oe erreicht. Durch Kornvergrößerung ergibt sich eine starke Verbesserung der Textur, die gedeutet wird (D).

Field of study: Physics
Soluble glycoprotein 130 (gp130) attenuates OSM- and LIF-induced cartilage proteoglycan catabolism.

Oncostatin M (OSM) and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) exhibit pleiotropic biological activities and share many structural and genetic features. The two cytokines bind with high affinity to the same receptor (LIF/OSM receptor), which consists of the LIF receptor alpha chain (LIFRalpha) and the signal transduction unit gp130. A soluble form of the beta chain of the receptor complex called soluble gp130 (sgp130) has been cloned. In this study, we sought to determine whether recombinant sgp130 or anti-gp130 Ab could attenuate the resorption of proteoglycans induced by OSM and LIF in articular cartilage explants. The results show that at high concentrations sgp130 is capable of attenuating both LIF and OSM mediated resorption. In contrast, anti-gp130 Ab selectively inhibited the stimulation of proteoglycan (PG) release by OSM, albeit minimally. The failure of anti-gp130 to attenuate LIF stimulated PG resorption may be due to the normal interaction of LIF with LIFRalpha and unfettered heterodimerization of LIFRalpha with gp130 in the presence of the antibody. The results indicate that sgp130 and anti-gp130 can modulate cartilage PG metabolism in vitro. Whether sgp130 may have therapeutic activity in models of arthritis or indeed in arthritic diseases remains to be determined.

Field of study: Medicine
Influences of Thermal Treatment on the Dielectric Performances of Polystyrene Composites Reinforced by Graphene Nanoplatelets

Dielectric properties of composites near percolation threshold (fc) are often sensitive to thermal treatments, and the annealing temperature is usually associated with a polymer’s rheological properties. In this study, the influences of the thermal treatment on dielectric properties are investigated for the polystyrene (PS) matrix composite reinforced by graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) fillers near fc. It can be found that the thermal treatment can not only increase the dielectric constant, but also decrease the dielectric loss for the PS/GNP composite. This interesting phenomenon possibly happens in the interfacial region of PS/GNP with the thickness about 4–6 nm according to the electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) results. The free volumes around the interface can be easily altered by the movement of polymeric segments after annealing at the glass transition temperature.

Field of study: Materials science
Molecular interactions between ribosomal proteins--a study of S4-S9 interaction.

The ribosomal proteins S4 and S9 were isolated from the 30S ribosomal subunit of Escherichia coli to greater than 95% purity and characterized in the reconstitution buffer. Neither of the proteins indicated any tendency to self associate at 3 degrees C in the concentration range studied. At higher temperatures (greater than 20 degrees C), protein S9 forms a significant amount of a soluble aggregate as seen from the sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium experiments. From an analysis of the solution mixture of S4 and S9 at 1:1.08 molar concentration ratio by sedimentation velocity experiment, an s20,w value of 1.77 +/- 0.02S was obtained. A fast moving component which accounts for approximately 20% of the mass was also observed. Increasing the concentration of S9 does not alter the observed s20w value significantly for that component which could be followed. A detailed analysis of the data obtained at 3 degrees C from sedimentation equilibrium experiments on mixtures of the proteins indicated that a species of molecular weight greater than either of the two proteins was present. The proteins were found to interact with a mean equilibrium constant of association of 3.66 +/- 2.39 x 10(4) M-1 and a Gibbs free energy of interaction, delta Go = -5.8 kcal/mole at 3 degrees C in TMKD buffer. This information helps in understanding the energetics of the 30S ribosomal subunits of E. coli.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Inequality in willingness-to-pay for community-based health insurance.

The purpose was to provide information for devising community-based health insurance (CBI) policies that reduce inequality in enrolment and further inequality in access to health services. A two-stage cluster sampling was used in the household survey. Inequalities in willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CBI are examined by expenditure quintile using data collected from a household survey. Interviews were conducted with 2414 individuals, 705 of whom were household heads. A bidding game method was used to elicit WTP. Individuals and households were assigned to 6-month expenditure quintiles. We found that mean and median individual WTP for CBI was significantly higher for higher spending quintiles, as was mean and median household WTP. The curves of cumulative percentage of individual and household WTP shifted rightwards for higher quintiles, implying that at any given premium the lower the quintile the lower the uptake of CBI. The Gini coefficient for individual WTP and household WTP was 0.15 and 0.08, respectively, and for individual 6-month expenditure and household 6-month expenditure is 0.68 and 0.63, respectively. The results imply that the premium needs to be adjusted for income; otherwise, a lower proportion of poor people will enrol in CBI and without exemptions or subsidies the poor will have less access to health services than the rich. Thus, exemptions and subsidies for the poor for enrolling in CBI are an important issue for decision-makers with an objective of improving equity of health and helping the poor to break out of the cycle of poverty. Since the distribution of WTP by household is less unequal than the distribution of WTP by individuals, the household might be a better unit of enrolment in terms of equity than the individual.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
The study of parasite sharing for surveillance of zoonotic diseases

Determining the factors that influence the transmission of parasites among hosts is important for directing surveillance of animal parasites before they successfully emerge in humans, and increasing the efficacy of programs for the control and management of zoonotic diseases. Here we present a review of recent advances in the study of parasite sharing, wildlife ecology, and epidemiology that could be extended and incorporated into proactive surveillance frameworks for multi-host infectious diseases. These methods reflect emerging interdisciplinary techniques with significant promise for the identification of future zoonotic parasites and unknown reservoirs of current zoonoses, strategies for the reduction of parasite prevalence and transmission among hosts, and decreasing the burden of infectious diseases.

Field of study: Environmental science
Optical characterization of Nd (3+):AgBr.

The luminescence of silver bromide crystals, doped with neodymium, was investigated over the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. The emission, excitation, and absorption spectra were measured over a broad temperature range. The absolute luminescence quantum yield was estimated by comparing the luminescence with that of a neodymium-doped phosphate glass, for which the manufacturer gives a value of 0.4. The Judd-Ofelt analysis was applied to both materials, and transition rates, branching ratios, and quantum efficiencies were calculated for all the observed bands. Good agreement was obtained between theory and experiment.

Field of study: Physics
Statistical Treatment Choice

Choosing among a number of treatments the most suitable for a particular client is an issue of everyday concern. In this article two methodological advances for statistically assisted treatment choice are developed: First, it permits one to combine a dataset on previously treated clients with a dataset on new clients when the regressors available in these two datasets do not coincide. It thereby incorporates additional regressors on previously treated clients that are not available for the current clients. Such a situation often arises because of cost considerations, data confidentiality reasons, or time delays in data availability. Second, statistical inference on the recommended treatment choice is analyzed and conveyed to the agent or caseworker in a comprehensible and transparent way. The implementation of this methodology in a pilot study in Switzerland for choosing among active labor market programs for unemployed job seekers is described.

Field of study: Mathematics
Terrestrial mollusk records in the loess sequences from eastern Central Asia since the last deglaciation and their paleoenvironmental significance

A variety of proxies has been studied to document paleoclimatic changes in arid Central Asia (ACA). However, biological archives, which can be directly related to climatic conditions, are still scarce in this region. Here we report records of the total count fossils (TCF) of terrestrial mollusks, organic carbon isotopes (δ13Corg) and loss on ignition (LOI), since the last deglaciation in the Talede and XRBLK loess sections in Xinjiang, eastern Central Asia. Prior to the Holocene, the records show rare fossils with relatively low LOI and more positive δ13Corg, indicating low biomass/organic carbon content under dry conditions which were unfavorable for the survival of snails. In contrast, TCF increased abruptly at the beginning of Holocene, coincident with a prominent increase in LOI and a marked negative shift in δ13Corg. Furthermore, TCF increased gradually to its maximum and δ13Corg became progressively negative with constant high LOI from the early to late Holocene. The variations imply a trend towards wetter environment, with optimal moisture (precipitation/relative humidity) conditions occurring in the late Holocene. Overall, this Holocene moisture evolution history could be attributed to the variations of Westerlies strength modulated by the latitudinal temperature gradient and the insolation-related evaporation should also be concerned.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
Disciplining the Body: Power and Language in Margaret Atwood's Dystopian Novel The Handmaid's Tale

This article explores the effect of power and language in dystopian society. I attempt to show that a novel may be classified as dystopian if it fulfills certain factors that posit language and discourse as fundamental devices of power. These three main factors are as follows: the establishment of an official, totalitarian language, evidence of opposing discourses, and the representation of the characters as a figure who deconstruct social reality.

Field of study: Education, Sociology
A novel identity-based strong designated verifier signature scheme

Unlike ordinary digital signatures, a designated verifier signature scheme makes it possible for a signer to convince a designated verifier that she has signed a message in such a way that the designated verifier cannot transfer the signature to a third party. In a strong designated verifier signature scheme, no third party can even verify the validity of a designated verifier signature, since the designated verifier's private key is required in the verifying phase. Firstly, this paper proposes the model of identity-based strong designated verifier signature scheme based on bilinear pairings by combining identity-based cryptosystem with the designated verifier signature scheme, and then, provides one concrete strong identity-based designated verifier signature scheme, which has short size of signature, low communication and computational cost. We provide security proofs for our scheme.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering
Estimation and Prediction for Stochastic Blockstructures

A statistical approach to a posteriori blockmodeling for digraphs and valued digraphs is proposed. The probability model assumes that the vertices of the digraph are partitioned into several unobserved (latent) classes and that the probability distribution of the relation between two vertices depends only on the classes to which they belong. A Bayesian estimator based on Gibbs sampling is proposed. The basic model is not identified, because class labels are arbitrary. The resulting identifiability problems are solved by restricting inference to the posterior distributions of invariant functions of the parameters and the vertex class membership. In addition, models are considered where class labels are identified by prior distributions for the class membership of some of the vertices. The model is illustrated by an example from the social networks literature (Kapferer's tailor shop).

Field of study: Mathematics
Regional and subunit specific changes in NMDA receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity in mouse brain following chronic ethanol ingestion.

Chronic ethanol treatment of mice has been shown to result in increased binding of dizocilpine and glutamate to hippocampal NMDA receptors. These changes were suggested to reflect an increase in NMDA receptor number that may underlie certain signs of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome. However, there was no change in binding of a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, or of ligand binding to the glycine co-agonist site on the receptor after chronic ethanol treatment. Differential changes in the binding of particular ligands at the NMDA receptor suggested the possibility that chronic ethanol ingestion might selectively affect the expression of particular NMDA receptor subunits. Our current work demonstrates that chronic ethanol ingestion by mice, which results in the generation of physical dependence, also produces increases in the NMDA receptor NR1 subunit protein in the hippocampus and cerebellum (approximately 50% and 95%, respectively), and produces increases in the NR2A subunit protein in the hippocampus and cortex (approximately 25% and 40%, respectively). However, the mRNA levels for these subunits were not increased in the respective brain areas by the same ethanol treatment. The changes in NMDA receptor subunit expression in discrete areas of the brain may contribute to the previously observed changes in ligand binding and, possibly, signs of ethanol withdrawal.

Field of study: Biology
Preprotachykinin-A gene expression in the forebrain of Sardinian alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats.

Increasing evidence suggests that TKergic mechanisms might play a role in ethanol intake control. Preprotachykinin-A (PPT-A) mRNA brain levels were measured in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats. A mRNAs were about 50% lower in sP than in sNP rats in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), whereas levels in the olfactory tubercle (Tu) were about 30% higher in sP than in sNP rats. Our findings suggest that altered PPT-A gene expression might contribute to the different ethanol preference and intake of sP opposite to sNP rats.

Field of study: Biology
Application of Factor Analysis in Imaging Mass Spectrometric Data Analysis

The factor analysis method for imaging mass spectrometry data analysis was studied. The imaging mass spectrometric data were obtained by air flow-assisted ionization imaging mass spectrometry method. The sample contained some symbols which were drawn on slides using three color inks (red, blue and black). The imaging data analyzed by factor analysis method were divided into the background, black, blue and red factor. The results showed that the scores of m/z 443.2, 478.4 and 322.2 (344.2) in red, blue, black factor respectively were much larger than others. Therefore, they were markers of the three inks. The results accorded with actual condition well and proved that the application of factor analysis in imaging mass spectrometric data analysis was feasible. The data analysis results of factor analysis and principal component analysis were compared. The results showed that the target sample markers could be extracted by factor analysis simply and quantitatively. It was of great potential in biomarker extraction, diseases diagnose and pharmacological analysis.

Field of study: Chemistry
Methanoculleus spp. as a biomarker of methanogenic activity in swine manure storage tanks.

Greenhouse gas emissions represent a major problem associated with manure management in the livestock industry. A prerequisite to mitigate methane emissions occurring during manure storage is a clearer understanding of how the microbial consortia involved in methanogenesis function. Here, we have examined manure stored in outdoor tanks from two different farms, at different locations and depths. Physico-chemical and microbiological characterization of these samples indicated differences between each tank, as well as differences within each tank dependent on the depth of sampling. The dynamics of both the bacterial and archaeal communities within these samples were monitored over a 150-day period of anaerobic incubation to identify and track emerging microorganisms, which may be temporally important in the methanogenesis process. Analyses based on DNA fingerprinting of microbial communities identified trends common among all samples as well as trends specific to certain samples. All archaeal communities became enriched with Methanoculleus spp. over time, indicating that the hydrogenotrophic pathway of methanogenesis predominated. Although the emerging species differed in samples obtained from shallow depths compared to deep samples, the temporal enrichment of Methanoculleus suggests that this genus may represent a relevant indicator of methanogenic activity in swine manure storage tanks.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Maxwell's Equations in Superconductors

A discussion is given of the various ways of defining fields in normal metals and superconductors. Josephson and Evetts used different approaches but they lead to the same results. The Evetts formulation, based on the chemical potential of a vortex line, leads to the development of thermo-electric equations using irreversible thermodynamics. The magnetic field terms in the Ginzburg-Landau free energy are discussed. An alternative is to use macroscopic quantities rather local ones. These are the external field and total moment of a body.

Field of study: Physics
Fixed-height exit bender of synchrotron X-rays above 40 keV.

A crystal bender for sagittal focusing has been designed for standard monochromators at SPring-8. The bender does not move the position of the crystal center when the bending radius is changed. Sagittal focusing from 40 keV to 60 keV was achieved by using Si(311) double crystals. The flux density of the focused beam measured at 40 keV was 15 times higher than that of the unfocused beam. The height deviation of the focused beam throughout the measured energy range was within +/- 0.15 mm.

Field of study: Physics
Conflict Management in the Academy: An Exploration of the Issues.

Conflict appears to be a universal characteristic of human associations. It is difficult to imagine either simple or complex relationships which are not in part defined by the nature of the conflicts which test and vitalize the bonds people form with each other. At the same time, it is difficult to accept conflict as a natural and inevitable condition. It is an uncomfortable condition; one for which the natural tendency is to seek a resolution. As a matter of fact, Coser [6] makes a case to the effect that the behavioral sciences-particularly sociology-long treated conflict as a pathological phenomenon, as evidence of a sickness to be rooted out and cured. Modern theoretical work tends rather to hold that conflict is a naturally occurring phenomenon, one which serves not only positive but irreplaceable social functions. It is surprising that in the literature on higher education there is little work which can legitimately be said to treat conflict in the latter sense. Rather, there is a pervasive emphasis, either implicit or explicit, upon ways in which to reduce, eliminate, or deny the manifestation of conflict in the academy. Blame is placed at the feet of radical students, cosmopolitan faculty, insensitive bureaucrats, populist legislatures, and others. But no one would seriously

Field of study: Education
Dissimilation in the second language acquisition of Mandarin Chinese tones

This article extends Optimality Theoretic studies to the research on second language tone phonology. Specifically, this work analyses the acquisition of identical tone sequences in Mandarin Chinese by adult speakers of three non-tonal languages: English, Japanese and Korean. This study finds that the learners prefer not to use identical lexical tones on adjacent syllables, especially the contour tone sequences. It is argued that the Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP) was playing a role in shaping the second language Chinese tonal phonology even though it was not learned from these speakers’ native languages, nor found widely applied in the target language. The acquisition order of tone pairs suggests an interacting effect of the OCP and the Tonal Markedness Scale. This study presents a constraint-based analysis and proposes a four-stage path of OCP sub-constraint re-ranking to account for the error patterns found in the phonological experiment.

Field of study: Linguistics