nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Improved Spatial Resolution in PET Scanners Using Sampling Techniques

Increased focus towards improved detector spatial resolution in PET has led to the use of smaller crystals in some form of light sharing detector design. In this work we evaluate two sampling techniques that can be applied during calibrations for pixelated detector designs in order to improve the reconstructed spatial resolution. The inter-crystal positioning technique utilizes sub-sampling in the crystal flood map to better sample the Compton scatter events in the detector. The Compton scatter rejection technique, on the other hand, rejects those events that are located further from individual crystal centers in the flood map. We performed Monte Carlo simulations followed by measurements on two whole-body scanners for point source data. The simulations and measurements were performed for scanners using scintillators with Zeff ranging from 46.9 to 63 for LaBr3 and LYSO, respectively. Our results show that near the center of the scanner, inter-crystal positioning technique leads to a gain of about 0.5-mm in reconstructed spatial resolution (FWHM) for both scanner designs. In a small animal LYSO scanner the resolution improves from 1.9-mm to 1.6-mm with the inter-crystal technique. The Compton scatter rejection technique shows higher gains in spatial resolution but at the cost of reduction in scanner sensitivity. The inter-crystal positioning technique represents a modest acquisition software modification for an improvement in spatial resolution, but at a cost of potentially longer data correction and reconstruction times. The Compton scatter rejection technique, while also requiring a modest acquisition software change with no increased data correction and reconstruction times, will be useful in applications where the scanner sensitivity is very high and larger improvements in spatial resolution are desirable.

Field of study: Physics
Using Content Reading Assignments in a Psychology Course to Teach Critical Reading Skills.

Liberal arts students are expected to graduate college with fully developed critical reading and writing skills. However, for a variety of reasons these skills are not always as well developed as they might be - both during and upon completion of college. This paper describes a reading assignment that was designed to increase students’ discipline-specific critical reading and writing skills. The assignment was piloted in a mid-level social psychology class. Pre-test/post-test comparisons indicate substantial improvement in students’ ability to identify thesis statements, recognize and interpret evidence, and other critical reading skills. Furthermore, students themselves rate the assignment as efficacious in helping them with both their reading and writing skills.

Field of study: Education
The Protestant Reformation in Sixteenth-Century Italy. Salvatore Caponetto , Anne C. Tedeschi , John Tedeschi

As that might suggest, Braden's own thread is stretched very thin indeed. Yet it is the chapter on Sor Juana to which I would send a student, far sooner than most of the earlier material. Braden has "striven for an approach which will make the phenomenon of Petrarchism intelligible as a whole" (xii), and twenty-nine pages of notes to what is in fact a rather short book show that he has read widely in European Petrarchist writings and related amorous works, and is familiar with much scholarship in other languages. But his method is essentially narrative and thematic; in the Petrarch chapter this works, based as it is in a solid beginning and a conclusion of great insight. In the central chapter on Petrarchism, however, there is an unnerving lack of control over the material; thus in the space often pages (72-82) we move from Chaucer to Poliziano to Boiardo to Spenser to Cervantes, and because Braden's instinct is to narrate and thematize rather than argue a case, our grip on his original position is quickly lost. This lack of argumentative control also afflicts the final chapter, where above all the excellent brief account of Sor Juana's writings surely should lead us back to to that early insight about isolation from the unimagined. Braden's final words are "What it is like to be in love this way is the elite experience of which the poets write. What it is like to be the object of such love is perhaps no less than the ordinary experience of being human: imagine that this is how God feels about us" (161). Unhappily, we have been left with no sure pathway along the route by which he reached that point. GERMAINE WARKENTIN University of Toronto

Field of study: History
Paradoxical synergistic effects of tumour necrosis factor and interleukin 1 in murine gut-derived sepsis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The authors evaluated the synergistic effect of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) in gut-derived sepsis in mice. After colonization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain D4 in the gastrointestinal tract, cyclophosphamide was administered to induce bacterial translocation of the P. aeruginosa and thereby to cause gut-derived sepsis. In this model, treatment either with 8 microg/kg of recombinant human TNF-alpha (rhTNF-alpha) or 2 microg/kg of recombinant human interleukin 1alpha (rhIL-1alpha) solely did not affect the mortality, whereas combined administration of the same doses of rhTNF-alpha and rhIL-1alpha significantly increased the mortality rate in comparison with saline-treated mice. Bacterial counts in liver and blood were significantly higher in rhTNF-alpha and rhIL-1alpha treated mice than in saline-treated mice. Endogenous TNF-alpha and IL-1beta productions were stimulated after combined treatment with rhTNF-alpha and rhIL-1alpha. On the contrary to these adverse effects, combined treatment with 500 microg/kg of rhTNF-alpha and 50 microg/kg of rhIL-1alpha on the day before the administration of cyclophosphamide significantly reduced the mortality from septic infection. We conclude that TNF and IL-1 synergistically affect the mortality of mice after gut-derived sepsis due to P. aeruginosa in mice and the timing of treatment with these cytokines causes both extremes in their effects.

Field of study: Medicine
Synthesis and Nonlinear Optical Properties of p-(Dimethylamino)benzylidene Dyes Containing Different Acceptors

Several p-(dimethylamino)benzylidene dyes were synthesized and their evaluation of β using Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering (HRS) technique was reported. The results show that these dyes have enhanced second-order hyperpolarizabilities.

Field of study: Chemistry
Do microscopic organisms feel turbulent flows?

Microscopic organisms in aquatic environments are continuously exposed to a variety of physical and chemical conditions. Traditionally, it is accepted that due to their small size the physiology of microscopic organisms is not affected by the moving fluid at their scale. In this study, we demonstrate that the small-scale turbulence significantly modulates algal and bacterial nutrient uptake and growth in comparison to still-water control. The rate of energy dissipation emerges as a physically based scaling parameter integrating turbulence across a range of scales and microscopic organism responses at the cell level. Microbiological laboratory tests and bioassays do not consider fluid motion as an important variable in quantifying the physiological responses of microorganisms. A conceptual model of how to integrate the fluid motion in Monod-type kinetics is proposed. We anticipate our findings will encourage researchers to reconsider the laboratory protocols and modeling procedures in the analysis of microorganism physiological responses to changing physical and chemical environments by integrating the effect of turbulence.

Field of study: Environmental science
Administration of Interleukin-35-Conditioned Autologous Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells Prolong Allograft Survival After Heart Transplantation

IL-35, a powerful suppressor of inflammation and autoimmunity, is primarily secreted by regulatory T cells (Tregs) and can, in turn, promote Treg differentiation. However, the precise effect of IL-35 on dendritic cells (DCs) remains to be clarified.  In this study, we investigated the expression of IL-35 in DCs after stimulation with LPS utilizing enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, and the influence of IL-35 on the maturation and function of DCs by mixed lymphocyte reaction assay and flow cytometry. We further examined the regulation of IL-35 in DCs by the microRNA let-7i (let-7i) via transfected with let-7i mimic, inhibitor or suppressor of cytokine signalling 1 (SOCS1) siRNA. IL-35-overexpressing DCs were transfused into BALB/c recipients with C57BL/6 heart transplantations to verify the role of immune tolerance in transplantation.  The results showed that IL-35 expression was significantly up-regulated following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced DC maturation. Overexpression of IL-35 suppressed DC maturation, promoted the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and subsequently affected the balance between Treg and Th17 cells. IL-35 expression in DCs was regulated by let-7i, which targets SOCS1. The transfusion of IL-35-transfected DCs induced Treg generation in mice and prolonged cardiac allograft survival.  Our data demonstrated that IL-35 induces tolerogenic DCs which are capable of alleviating allograft rejection. Clinical application of IL-35-treated DCs might be a promising approach for eliciting cardiac allograft immune tolerance.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry
Modular deposition chamber for in situ X-ray experiments during RF and DC magnetron sputtering.

A new sputtering system for in situ X-ray experiments during DC and RF magnetron sputtering is described. The outstanding features of the system are the modular design of the vacuum chamber, the adjustable deposition angle, the option for plasma diagnostics, and the UHV sample transfer in order to access complementary surface analysis methods. First in situ diffraction and reflectivity measurements during RF and DC deposition of vanadium carbide demonstrate the performance of the set-up.

Field of study: Physics
Supercapacitors or electrochemical capacitors: New energy storage device and alternative to battery

Electrochemical capacitors, also called supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, store energy using either ion adsorption (electrochemical double layer capacitors) or fast surface redox reactions or faradaic reactions (pseudo-capacitors/ redox-capacitors). They can complement or replace batteries in electrical energy storage and harvesting applications, when high power delivery or uptake is needed. A notable improvement in performance has been achieved through recent advances in understanding charge storage mechanisms and the development of advanced nanostructured materials. This review article focuses on the recent advancement of supercapacitors as energy storage device.

Field of study: Materials science
New technique for high-precision, simultaneous measurements of CH 4 , N 2 O and CO 2 concentrations; isotopic and elemental ratios of N 2 , O 2 and Ar; and total air content in ice cores by wet extraction

Air in polar ice cores provides various information on past climatic and atmospheric changes. We developed a new method combining wet extraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, for high-precision, simultaneous measurements of eight air components (CH4, N2O and CO2 concentrations, δ15N, δ18O, δO2/N2, δAr/N2 and total air content) from an ice core sample of ~60 g. The ice sample is evacuated for ~2 hours and melted under vacuum, and the released air is continuously transferred into a sample tube at 10 K within 10 minutes. The air is homogenized in the sample tube overnight at room temperature, and split into two aliquots for mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic measurements. Cares are taken to minimize contamination of greenhouse gases with long evacuation time, consumption of oxygen during sample storage by passivation treatment on sample tubes, and fractionation of isotopic ratios with long homogenization time for splitting. Precisions are assessed by analysing standard gases with artificial ice, and by duplicate measurements of the Dome Fuji and NEEM ice cores. The overall reproducibility (one standard deviation) from duplicate ice-core analyses are 3.2 ppb, 2.2 ppb and 3.1 ppm for CH4, N2O and CO2 concentrations, 0.006, 0.010, 0.09 and 0.12 ‰ for δ15N, δ18O, δO2/N2 and δAr/N2, and 0.67 mlSTP kg-1 for total air content, respectively. Our new method successfully combines the high-precision, small-sample and multiple-species measurements, with a wide range of applications for ice-core paleoenvironmental studies.

Field of study: Environmental science
Thick Ideals in Deligne's category $\underline{\operatorname{Re}}\!\operatorname{p}(O_\delta)$

We describe indecomposable objects in Deligne's category $\underline{\operatorname{Re}}\!\operatorname{p}(O_\delta)$ and explain how to decompose their tensor products. We then classify thick ideals in $\underline{\operatorname{Re}}\!\operatorname{p}(O_\delta)$. As an application we classify the indecomposable summands of tensor powers of the standard representation of the orthosymplectic supergroup up to isomorphism.

Field of study: Mathematics
Singularity measurement in the Cyber-physical and intelligent robot systems laboratory

In the building mechatronics research centre of University of Debrecen, Faculty of Engineering, a new laboratory has been designed, named “Cyber-physical and intelligent robot systems laboratory”. The possibility to design and test unique and platform-independent systems was among the main goals, hoping that the system itself and its advancements may later be used in manufacturing industries as well.Fulfilling the needs of “Industry 4.0” is a challenging task, as it requires every single device (e.g. industrial robots) to be connected to the same network, where they may be monitored and controlled. However, there are some factors that limit this, such as the periodical “instability” that some machines have, caused by singularity points.The following material studies these so-called singularities of a KUKA KR5 industrial welder robot placed in a robot cell, from an engineering viewpoint.

Field of study: Engineering
Milton and Gender (review)

through the play’s intertextual relation with Plutarch and Seneca. The second studies the Tragedy along similar lines with special attention to the Iliad. The final section relates the themes Forby has set in motion to contemporary issues as King James’s absolutism, memories of the Essex rebellion, and Prince Henry’s patronage. Having admired the complexity of this kind of interpretation, one still has to wonder whether the audience at the Blackfriars, which was, surely, not composed of scholars, could understand these plays this way. Is such an understander, whom Florby early on concedes would have to be “preternatually well-read” (12), actually possible? JOHN HUNTINGTON University of Illinois at Chicago

Field of study: History
Transient amnesia: epileptic or global? A differential diagnosis with significant implications for management.

A 58-year-old lady presented to her local district general hospital with confusion. She was unable to give a history of what had happened to her, but her husband reported that she had appeared distressed and was repeatedly asking the same question. She could not remember where she had been on holiday the week before, or whether her mother was alive or dead. The episode settled spontaneously after ∼6 h. The patient had no subsequent recollection of this period. She was otherwise in good health, with a history of only infrequent migraine. She admitted being under recent stress preparing for her son's wedding. Her general and neurological examinations at presentation were normal. Computed tomography brain scan was normal. A provisional diagnosis of transient ischaemic attack was made by the local stroke coordinator, but the managing clinician was uncertain as to whether the episode may have been an epileptic seizure, so arrangements were made for an outpatient electroencephalography (EEG) a few weeks later. The patient was advised not to drive in the …

Field of study: Medicine
Completely Etch-Free Fabrication of Multifilamentary Coated Conductor Using Inkjet Printing and Electrodeposition

Filamentization has been proven to be an effective way to reduce the ac loss of coated conductor superconducting tapes. However, all filamentization techniques to date involve material removal at some stage of processing. Utilizing inkjet printing and electrodeposition, a novel, completely etch-free method of fabricating multifilamentary RE-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO, $\hbox{RE} = \hbox{rare- ) superconducting tapes has been developed. Multiple insulating lines were fabricated on biaxially-textured MgO-buffered substrates by inkjet printing. Multifilamentary REBCO was obtained by preferential deposition of the superconductor between the insulating lines. Selective deposition of silver by electrodeposition on REBCO filaments was also achieved to create a multifilamentary conductor with a complete etch-free process. Due to the highly resistive barrier lines, reduced ac loss with minimized coupling was achieved in the multifilamentary REBCO tapes. Optimization of the inkjet and REBCO deposition process is underway to achieve a combination of high critical current and low ac losses by this completely etch-free technique.

Field of study: Physics
Thermal Evaporation Synthesis and Optical Properties of ZnS Microbelts on Si and Si/SiO2 Substrates

In this study, we report on the differences in optical properties of zinc sulfide (ZnS) microbelts grown on Si and Si/SiO2 substrates by a thermal evaporation method. Our investigation suggests that the composition and luminescence of the microbelts are dependent on the growth substrate. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images show the formation of nanoparticles with a diameter of 300–400 nm on ZnS microbelts grown on Si substrate. In addition, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis combined with x-ray diffraction and Raman measurements reveal the existence of Si on these microbelts which may bond with O to form SiO2 or amorphous silica. In contrast, no Si presents on the microbelts grown on Si/SiO2 substrate. Moreover, photoluminescence measurement at 300 K shows a narrow emission peak in the near-ultraviolet region from microbelts grown on Si/SiO2 substrate but a broad emission band with multi-peaks from microbelts grown on Si substrate. The origin of the luminescence distinction between microbelts is discussed in terms of the differences in the growth substrates and compositions.

Field of study: Materials science
A functional perspective on the challenges of teaching English tenses to speakers of other languages: The case of adult speakers of Serbian

Systemic-functional linguistics (SFL) describes the English TENSE system as a logical ideational resource for representing experience of time. There is a gap in research, however, exploring the applications of an SFL-based tense description in second language acquisition (SLA). Using the SFL framework, this paper investigates the difficulties arising for adult Serbian speakers when learning English tenses and offers practical pedagogical strategies. Data were collected through surveys and interviews with English teachers in Serbia. The findings indicate that learners struggle when tense forms reflect more than one temporal relation, arguably due to the Serbian tense system. The study also suggests learners’ tendencies to misinterpret English progressive tenses as equivalent to Serbian imperfective aspect. The concept of relative tenses can be used to observe all time references influencing tense selection. It can also be employed to mitigate the negative L1 transfer in terms of aspect. The key implication of this study pertains to the benefits of adopting a systemic-functional perspective on time realisation in SLA research.

Field of study: Education, Linguistics
Tale of Two Tails: Molecular Exchange Kinetics of Telechelic Polymer Micelles.

Telechelic polymers contain two chain ends that are able to promote self-assembly into "flowerlike" or interconnected micellar structures. Here, we investigate the molecular exchange kinetics of such micelles using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering. We show that the activation energies of monofunctional and telechelic chain exchange are identical. This demonstrates that the two chain ends are not simultaneously released in a single event. Instead, the results show that, contrary to regular micelles, the kinetics occurs in a multistep process involving a collision-induced single-molecule exchange mechanism where the exchange rate is directly proportional to the polymer concentration. We show that this novel mechanism can be quantitatively explained by a simple kinetic model.

Field of study: Physics
Characterization of Mediterranean hail-bearing storms using an operational polarimetric X-band radar

This work documents the effective use of X-band radar observations for monitoring severe storms in an operational framework. Two severe hail-bearing Mediterranean storms that occurred in 2013 in southern Italy, flooding two important Sicilian cities, are described in terms of their polarimetric radar signatures and retrieved rainfall fields. The X-band dual-polarization radar operating inside the Catania airport (Sicily, Italy), managed by the Italian Department of Civil Protection, is considered here. A suitable processing is applied to X-band radar measurements. The crucial procedural step relies on the differential phase processing, being preparatory for attenuation correction and rainfall estimation. It is based on an iterative approach that uses a very short-length (1 km) moving window, allowing proper capture of the observed high radial gradients of the differential phase. The parameterization of the attenuation correction algorithm, which uses the reconstructed differential phase shift, is derived from electromagnetic simulations based on 3 years of drop size distribution (DSD) observations collected in Rome (Italy). A fuzzy logic hydrometeor classification algorithm was also adopted to support the analysis of the storm characteristics. The precipitation field amounts were reconstructed using a combined polarimetric rainfall algorithm based on reflectivity and specific differential phase. The first storm was observed on 21 February when a winter convective system that originated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, marginally hit the central-eastern coastline of Sicily, causing a flash flood in Catania. Due to an optimal location (the system is located a few kilometers from the city center), it was possible to retrieve the storm characteristics fairly well, including the amount of rainfall field at the ground. Extemporaneous signal extinction, caused by close-range hail core causing significant differential phase shift in a very short-range path, is documented. The second storm, on 21 August 2013, was a summer mesoscale convective system that originated from a Mediterranean low pressure system lasting a few hours that eventually flooded the city of Syracuse. The undergoing physical process, including the storm dynamics, is inferred by analyzing the vertical sections of the polarimetric radar measurements. The high registered amount of precipitation was fairly well reconstructed, although with a trend toward underestimation at increasing distances. Several episodes of signal extinction were clearly manifested during the mature stage of the observed supercells.

Field of study: Environmental science