nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of novel developmentally regulated neural-specific proteins, BRINP family.

Processes of neuronal differentiation involve activation of a set of neuronal specific genes and cessation of cell proliferation in postmitotic neurons. Previous studies revealed that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and retinoic acid (RA) play important roles in the differentiation of peripheral sympathetic neurons such as the synergistic induction of responsiveness to specific neurotrophic factors. In the present study, while trying to clarify the mechanism of the BMP/RA-actions, we identified a novel neural-specific protein, BMP/RA-inducible neural-specific protein-1 (BRINP1) which shows no similarity to other known proteins. Subsequently, two homologous proteins, BRINP2 and BRINP3, making up the BRINP family, are identified. Individual BRINP genes have distinct regulatory mechanisms of expression within the nervous system. In rodent brain, BRINP1 is expressed from earlier developmental stage, i.e. E9.5, and widely expressed in various neuronal layers and nuclei of the adult animal, while BRINP2 and BRINP3 were detectable from E11.5 and expressed in rather limited regions in a complementary manner. During the course of perinatal development of sympathetic neurons, BRINP1 is induced from earlier embryonic stage and further increased toward adult stage, while BRINP3 expressed from earlier stage is replaced by BRINP2 expression which increases postnatally in accordance with the action of BMP2 and RA. Furthermore, when expressed in nonneuronal cells, all three BRINP family proteins suppressed the cell cycle progression. Possible physiological functions of BRINP family members in the development of the nervous system are discussed.

Field of study: Biology
PERMUTATION TESTS AND OTHER TEST STATISTICS FOR ILL-BEHAVED DATA: EXPERIENCE OF THE NINDS t-PA STROKE TRIAL

Permutation tests are often used to analyze data since they may not require one to make assumptions regarding the form of the distribution to have a random and independent sample selection. We initially considered a permutation test to assess the treatment effect on computed tomography lesion volume in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) t-PA Stroke Trial, which has highly skewed data. However, we encountered difficulties in summarizing the permutation test results on the lesion volume. In this paper, we discuss some aspects of permutation tests and illustrate our findings. This experience with the NINDS t-PA Stroke Trial data emphasizes that permutation tests are useful for clinical trials and can be used to validate assumptions of an observed test statistic. The permutation test places fewer restrictions on the underlying distribution but is not always distribution-free or an exact test, especially for ill-behaved data. Quasi-likelihood estimation using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach on transformed data seems to be a good choice for analyzing CT lesion data, based on both its corresponding permutation test and its clinical interpretation.

Field of study: Mathematics
Interobserver variability for interpretation of DMSA scans in the RIVUR trial.

Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans are used in the diagnosis of renal scarring. In the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial that randomized 607 children, DMSA renal scans were used for evaluating the presence and the severity of renal scarring.



The aim was to determine interobserver variability in reporting of DMSA renal scans in the RIVUR trial.



We compared DMSA renal scan reports for renal scarring and acute pyelonephritis from all non-reference local radiologists (ALRs) at study sites with adjudicated as well as non-adjudicated reports from two reference radiologists (RRs) of the RIVUR trial. Two-way comparisons of concordant and discrepant responses were analyzed using an unweighted kappa statistic between the ALR and the adjudicated RR interpretations. All analyses were performed using SAS v 9.4 (SAS institute 2015) and significance was determined at the 0.05 level.



Of the 2872 kidneys evaluated, adjudicated RR reports had 119 (4%) kidneys with renal scarring compared with 212 (7%) by the ALRs. For 79% kidneys the grading for scarring reported by ALRs was either upgraded (24%) or downgraded (55%) by RRs. For acute pyelonephritis (n = 2924), adjudicated RR reports had 85 (3%) kidneys with pyelonephritis compared with 151 (5%) by the ALRs. For 85% kidneys, the grading for pyelonephritis reported by the ALRs was either upgraded (28%) or downgraded (57%) by the RRs. A three-way comparison revealed that all three (RR1, RR2, and ALR) agreed over presence of renal scarring in 19% cases and two of the three agreed in 80% cases. The respective numbers for pyelonephritis were 13% and 84%. The agreement rate for all DMSA scan reports between the RRs and the ALRs was 93%.



The study revealed significant interobserver variability in the reporting of abnormal DMSA renal scans compared with the previously published studies. A noteworthy limitation was a lack of uniformity in local reporting of the scans.



Our study highlights the need for optimizing the clinical yield of DMSA renal scans by more specific guidelines, particularly for standardized and uniform interpretation.

Field of study: Medicine
Synthesis of derivatives of tetrazolo[1,5-a]- and oxazolo[4,5-b]pyrano(thiopyrano)[3,4-c]pyridines

Tetrazolo[1,5-a]- and oxazolo[4,5-b]pyrano(thiopyrano)[3,4-c]pyridines, which are new heterocyclic systems, have been synthesized from pyrano[3,4-c]pyridine derivatives.

Field of study: Chemistry
More Efficient Universal Circuit Constructions

A universal circuit (UC) can be programmed to simulate any circuit up to a given size n by specifying its program bits. UCs have several applications, including private function evaluation (PFE). The asymptotical lower bound for the size of a UC is proven to be \(\varOmega (n\log n)\). In fact, Valiant (STOC’76) provided two theoretical UC constructions using so-called 2-way and 4-way constructions, with sizes\(~5n\log _2n\) and \(4.75n\log _2n\), respectively. The 2-way UC has recently been brought into practice in concurrent and independent results by Kiss and Schneider (EUROCRYPT’16) and Lipmaa et al.

Field of study: Computer science, Mathematics
Heavy water around the L1448-mm protostar

L1448-mm is the prototype of a low-mass Class 0 protostar driving a high-velocity jet. Given its bright H 2 O spectra observed with ISO, L1448-mm is an ideal laboratory to observe heavy water (HDO) emission.  Our aim is to image the HDO emission in the protostar surroundings, the possible occurrence of HDO emission also investigating off L1448-mm, towards the molecular outflow.  We carried out observations of L1448-mm in the HDO(1 10 -1 11 ) line at 80.6 GHz, an excellent tracer of HDO column density, with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer.  We image for the first time HDO emission around L1448-mm. The HDO structure reveals a main clump at velocities close to the ambient one towards the the continuum peak that is caused by the dust heated by the protostar. In addition, the HDO map shows tentative weaker emission at ≃2000 AU from the protostar towards the south, which is possibly associated with the walls of the outflow cavity opened by the protostellar wind.  Using an LVG code, modelling the density and temperature profile of the hot-corino, and adopting a gas temperature of 100 K and a density of 1.5 x 10 8 cm -3 , we derive a beam diluted HDO column density of ~7 x 10 13 cm -2 , corresponding to a HDO abundance of ~4 x 10 -7 . In addition, the present map supports the scenario where HDO can be efficiently produced in shocked regions and not uniquely in hot corinos heated by the newly born star.

Field of study: Physics
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Case of Spleen Hamartoma

To emphasize the contribution of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) contrast agent in the diagnosis of the splenic hamartoma.  A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with diffuse abdominal pain. An ultrasound examination revealed a 5 × 4 cm solid lesion in the spleen. Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdominal findings was consistent with a splenic hamartoma. SPIO-enhanced MRI was then performed and it confirmed the diagnosis. The lesion showed a decrease of signal intensity on T2-weighted images.  This case showed that SPIO-enhanced MRI was useful for establishing a noninvasive diagnosis of the splenic hamartomas.

Field of study: Medicine
Late Quaternary climatic variability in northern Patagonia, Argentina, based on δ18O of modern and fossil shells of Amiantis purpurata (Bivalvia, Veneridae)

Amiantis purpurata is a common warm-temperate water bivalve species distributed from southern Brazil to northern Patagonia, Argentina, which has a rich and well preserved fossil record in the San Matias Gulf (SMG) dating back to the late Quaternary. This study aims to establish A. purpurata shells as a new palaeoarchive of past marine conditions in South America. We compared the stable oxygen and carbon profiles (δ18Oshell; δ13Cshell) of eleven specimens of A. purpurata from different geological times (modern, Late Holocene and interglacial Late Pleistocene), and additionally present in situ oxygen isotope values of seawater within SMG (δ18Owater). Using both sets of information, we calculated and reconstructed palaeowater temperatures for the Late Holocene and compared them to modern water temperatures. Our findings indicate that A. purpurata records past environmental parameters such as water temperatures on a seasonal scale and can therefore be considered a suitable candidate for future palaeoenvironmental reconstructions in Northern Patagonia. This study is the first step towards further stable isotope analyses on fossil A. purpurata shells, which will show whether and if so, to what extent, important global climate events such as the Neoglacial (Early Holocene), the Hypsithermal (Middle Holocene) and the Little Ice Age (Late Holocene) occurred in South America.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
On Succinct Arguments and Witness Encryption from Groups

Succinct non-interactive arguments (SNARGs) enable proofs of \(\mathsf {NP} \) statements with very low communication. Recently, there has been significant work in both theory and practice on constructing SNARGs with very short proofs. Currently, the state-of-the-art in succinctness is due to Groth (Eurocrypt 2016) who constructed a SNARG from bilinear maps where the proof consists of just 3 group elements.

Field of study: Computer science, Mathematics
Numerical and experimental studies of refrigerant circuitry of evaporator coils

This study attempts to analyze the performances of evaporator coils with complex refrigerant circuitry using a distributed simulation model, which has three elements: branch, tube and control volume. The governing equations for a control volume are presented in the paper together with the computer simulation procedure for branches, tubes and control volumes of a coil. The model predictions on four test coils are validated with experimental data collected under different airflow conditions using R134a as a refrigerant. Using this model, the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of the coils are studied. The study shows that while the thermal resistance of refrigerant side is comparable to that of airside, the coil comprehensive performance can be improved by changing the refrigerant mass velocity along the flow path. Compared with a common coil, using a complex refrigerant circuitry arrangement where the refrigerant circuits are properly branched or joined may reduce the heat transfer area by around 5% in coil design. A guideline is proposed for the refrigerant circuitry arrangements to improve the coil performance.

Field of study: Engineering
Management of perisylvian arteriovenous malformations: a retrospective institutional case series and review of the literature.

OBJECT
Sylvian arteriovenous malformations (sAVMs) are challenging lesions of the central nervous system. The natural history of these unique lesions as well as clinical outcomes following treatment of sAVMs has been limited to case series owing to the rarity of these lesions. The authors present their experience with sAVMs and review the literature.



In accordance with the Henry Ford Institutional Review Board, medical records of patients with sAVMs treated from 2000 to 2012 were reviewed. Clinical data were retrospectively collected to calculate pre- and posttreatment modified Rankin Scale scores for all patients.



The authors identified 15 patients with sAVMs who received treatment. Of these, 12 were female and 3 were male, and the average age at presentation was 39.6 ± 12.94 years (± SD). Two patients (13.3%) had Spetzler-Martin Grade I lesions, 6 patients (40%) had Grade II lesions, 5 patients (33.3%) had Grade III lesions, and another 2 (13.3%) harbored Grade IV arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). According to the Sugita classification, 6 patients (40%) had medial lesions, 6 (40%) had lateral lesions, 2 (13.3%) had deep lesions, and 1 patient (6.67%) had a pure sAVM. Eight patients (53.3%) underwent stereotactic radiosurgery while 7 patients (46.7%) had microsurgical resection; 1 patient underwent surgical extirpation after incomplete response following radiosurgery. After treatment, 9 patients were unchanged from pretreatment (60%), 3 patients worsened, and 2 patients had improved functional outcome (20% and 13.3%, respectively). The authors' literature search yielded 348 patients with sAVMs, most of them harboring Spetzler-Martin Grade II and III lesions. Approximately 98% of the patients underwent resection with excellent outcomes.



While the ideal choice of therapeutic modality for cerebral AVMs remains controversial in light of the recent publication of the ARUBA (A Randomized trial of Unruptured Brain AVMs) trial, a multidisciplinary treatment approach for the management of sAVMs can lead to acceptable neurological outcome.

Field of study: Medicine
Effect of Copper TSV Annealing on Via Protrusion for TSV Wafer Fabrication

Three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) technologies are receiving increasing attention due to their capability to enhance microchip function and performance. While current efforts are focused on the 3D process development, adequate reliability of copper (Cu) through-silicon vias (TSVs) is essential for commercial high-volume manufacturing. Annealing a silicon device with copper TSVs causes high stresses in the copper and may cause a “pumping” phenomenon in which copper is forced out of the blind TSV to form a protrusion. This is a potential threat to the back-end interconnect structure, particularly for low-κ materials, since it can lead to cracking or delamination. In this work, we studied the phenomenon of Cu protrusion and microstructural changes during thermal annealing of a TSV wafer. The extruded Cu-TSV was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D profilometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique was employed to study the grain orientation of Cu-TSV and evolution of the grain size as a function of annealing temperature. The elastic modulus and yield stress of copper were characterized using nanoindentation. A model for Cu protrusion is proposed to provide insight into the failure mechanism. The results help to solve a key TSV-related manufacturing yield and reliability challenge by enabling high-throughput TSV fabrication for 3D IC integration.

Field of study: Materials science
SU-F-207-08: CT Protocol Management Using Quantitative Clinical Image Quality Measurement

To establish a CT protocol management program based on quantitative measurement of clinical Image Quality.  After reviewing images of routine adult brains and abdomens for 12 system scanners, we established a target Image Noise range. The scanners are of different vendors, models and configurations. For instance, only 4 have iterative reconstruction capability. For this reason it is problematic to rely on dose alone as a standardization metric.We then instituted quarterly review of clinical images. A set of 10 images is randomly selected, and reviewed to determine if the target noise range is being achieved. This is done for both routine adult brains and abdomens. Outliers are studied to determine if further action is needed, e.g. protocol revision. The performance of the sample as a whole is also examined.  The program was implemented spring of 2014. To date, it has successfully identified situations where Image Noise systematically exceeded the target range. Interventions were made in each one of these cases, successfully adjusting the Image noise to within desired limits. In addition, the program is used as a Measure of Effectiveness for proposed protocol revisions, producing an objective performance measure.  Measuring and monitoring clinical image noise is a simple, effective, quantitative tool for managing CT protocols.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Research on total flavonoids bioactivity of edible fungus

In this study, four kinds of total flavonoids were extracted from Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus geesteranus, Auricularia auricula and Pleurotus ostreatus, and determined the content in fruiting bodies. We compared the bioactivities among 4 kinds of flavonoids that antioxidative activities of flavonoids were detected by DPPH and FRAP methods. The antiproliferative activities also were examined against MCF7 cells. It was found that the content of flavonoids in Pleurotus ostreatus was highest, followed by Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus geesteranus and Auricularia auricula. The ability of free radical scavenging was different among mushroom strains, IC50 values of Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus geesteranus and Auricularia auricula were 6.77 μg/mL, 8.58 μg/mL, 11.32 μg/mL and 12.97 μg/mL, respectively. The flavonoids in Pleurotus ostreatus were determined with the highest bioactivities in FRAP assays, and showed the highest antiproliferative activity with IC50 values 4.17 μg/mL. In all, Pleurotus ostreatus was advanced strain in the four kinds of mushroom in this study which should be further research in future.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Some factors controlling preference between fixed-ratio and variable-ratio schedules of reinforcement.

A multiple schedule of food reinforcement for key-pecking was arranged which consisted of nine fixed-ratios, each of which operated in the presence of a different stimulus. Pigeons could complete a given fixed-ratio within the multiple schedule or, by pecking a second key, could switch from the fixed-ratio schedule to a variable-ratio schedule consisting of the same nine ratios. Stable switching behavior was established which did not maximize simple probability or rate of reinforcement. Instead, the subjects showed a stable preference for the variable-ratio schedule of food reinforcement. Increasing the number of responses required to switch, and removing the occasions on which reinforcement was delivered after a single response in the variable schedule, decreased the number of switches to the variable schedule. Periods of delay interposed between a completed switch and the availability of reinforcement after one response in the variable schedule also decreased switching to the variable schedule, particularly at long delay intervals.

Field of study: Biology, Psychology
Plant growth and metal distribution in tissues of Prosopis juliflora-velutina grown on chromium contaminated soil in the presence of Glomus deserticola.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have been known to increase metal uptake in plants. In this study, mesquite (Prosopis juliflora-velutina) inoculated with Glomus deserticola or amended with EDTA were grown for 30 days in soil containing Cr(III) or Cr(VI) at 0, 40, 80, and 160 mg kg(-1). Total amylase activity (TAA) was monitored as a stress indicator. Element concentrations and distribution in tissue were determined using ICP-OES, electron scanning microprobe, and TEM. ) treated plants had 21% and 30% more Cr than uninoculated and EDTA treated roots, respectively, at 80 mg Cr kg(-1) treatment. In the case of Cr(III), EDTA produced the highest Cr accumulation in roots. TAA was higher in inoculated plants grown with Cr(III) at 80 and 160 mg kg(-1) and Cr(VI) at 40 and 160 mg kg(-1). The X-ray mapping showed higher metal concentrations in the vascular system of inoculated plants and the TEM micrographs demonstrated the presence of G. deserticola in roots.

Field of study: Environmental science
"Platinum on the road": Interactions of antitumoral cisplatin with proteins

When the antitumor activity of cisplatin was discovered, no one would have thought of the existence of specific proteins able to transport Pt across the cell membrane or to specifically recognize DNA modified by this drug. However, such proteins do exist and, furthermore, are specific for the Pt substrate considered. It follows that proteins are deeply involved in managing the biological activity of cisplatin. It is expected that, after the first 20 years in which most of the efforts were devoted to understanding its mode of interaction with DNA and consequent structural and functional alterations, the role of proteins will be more deeply scavenged. How cisplatin can survive the attack of the many platinophiles present in the extracellular and intracellular media is the issue addressed in this article. Significantly, differences are observed between cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin.

Field of study: Chemistry
A numerical scheme for solving special class of nonlinear diffusion-convection equation

The nonlinear diffusion-convection equations arising from the theory of transport in porous media is analyzed. The problem under analysis has the [email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected]?zD(c)@[email protected]?z-K(c),where D(c)=D"0c^m/(1-vc)^m^+^2 and K(c)=K"0c^m^+^2/(1-vc)^m^+^1. The behavior of solutions when m>1 and 00. Numerical and analytical results compared for the cases m=0,1 and numerical results for m=2 and m=0.5 are stated.

Field of study: Mathematics
Basic Education Teachers' Proficiency of Skills Required for Teaching Mathematical Concepts

This study aimed to determine basic education teachers’ proficiency of skills required for teaching mathematical concepts. The study sample consisted of (115) male teachers and (113) female teachers, the study results showed that the level of basic education teachers' proficiency of skills required for teaching mathematical concepts was average ranging from (2:27) to (4:13), while the overall average level of proficiency of these skills was ( 3:04).The results showed statistically significant differences in the level of basic education teachers' proficiency of skills required for teaching mathematical concepts based on some variables (educational stage, educational administration, gender, years of experience, grade, teaching load, and employment type), in favor of,  female teachers, those who have longer years of experience, the elementary grades (fourth, fifth and sixth),  the least teaching load, temporary teachers, where there are no significant differences with regard to teachers' proficiency skills required for teaching mathematical concepts that can be attributed to the variable of educational administration.

Field of study: Education