nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Regulation of gene expression in the nervous system.

The nervous system contains a multitude of cell types which are specified during development by cascades of transcription factors acting combinatorially. Some of these transcription factors are only active during development, whereas others continue to function in the mature nervous system to maintain appropriate gene-expression patterns in differentiated cells. Underpinning the function of the nervous system is its plasticity in response to external stimuli, and many transcription factors are involved in regulating gene expression in response to neuronal activity, allowing us to learn, remember and make complex decisions. Here we review some of the recent findings that have uncovered the molecular mechanisms that underpin the control of gene regulatory networks within the nervous system. We highlight some recent insights into the gene-regulatory circuits in the development and differentiation of cells within the nervous system and discuss some of the mechanisms by which synaptic transmission influences transcription-factor activity in the mature nervous system. Mutations in genes that are important in epigenetic regulation (by influencing DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications) have long been associated with neuronal disorders in humans such as Rett syndrome, Huntington's disease and some forms of mental retardation, and recent work has focused on unravelling their mechanisms of action. Finally, the discovery of microRNAs has produced a paradigm shift in gene expression, and we provide some examples and discuss the contribution of microRNAs to maintaining dynamic gene regulatory networks in the brain.

Field of study: Biology, Computer science
Divalproex sodium in the management of post-herpetic neuralgia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Post-herpetic neuralgia is difficult to treat. Divalproex sodium (valproic acid and sodium valproate in molar ratio 1:1) has been used successfully in the management of various painful neuropathies.



To study the effectiveness and safety of divalproex sodium in the management of post-herpetic neuralgia.



Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.



We enrolled 48 consecutively attending out-patients with post-herpetic neuralgia, out of whom three were excluded (two had insufficient pain, one withdrew consent). Quantification of pain was by Short Form-McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), visual analogue scale (VAS), present pain intensity score (PPI) and 11 point Likert scale (11 PLS) at the beginning of the study, after 2 weeks, 4 weeks and at the end of the study (8 weeks). We also assessed patients' global impression of change by questionnaire at the end of the study.



After 8 weeks treatment with 1000 mg/day divalproex sodium, there was significant reduction in pain: SF-MPQ, 20.47 +/- 2.29 to 11.90 +/- 6.52 (p < 0.0001); PPI 4.0 +/- 0.52 to 1.95 +/- 1.29 (p < 0.0001); VAS 70.17 +/- 9.21 to 31.27 +/- 29.74 (p < 0.0001) and 11 PLS 6.97 +/- 0.73 to 3.63 +/- 2.34 (p < 0.0001) in comparison to placebo (means +/- SEM). The 'global impression of change' questionnaire showed much or moderate improvement in pain in 58.2% of patients receiving divalproex vs. 14.8% of those receiving placebo. The drug was well tolerated by all patients, except one who developed severe vertigo after 10 days of treatment.



Divalproex sodium provides significant pain relief in patients of post-herpetic neuralgia, with very little incidence of adverse reactions. These data provide a basis for longer trials in a larger group of patients.

Field of study: Medicine
Hardness of a Dielectric Switch to Ionizing Radiation

The effect of transient and steady state radiation on a dielectric switch has been investigated. The dielectric switch is a solid state device which remains, indefinitely, in either a low resistance or a high resistnace state. It trips from the former to the latter by the application of a high current pulse. The reverse procedure is accomplished by a high voltage pulse. For the transient study, pulses from a 55-Mev Linac and 600-kev flash X-rays were used. Gamma rays from a Co-60 source were used for the steady state study. The device appears impervious to a Linac dose rate of 2.4 x 1010 rads (Si)/sec or an X-ray dose rate of 7.47 x 107 rads (Si)/sec. Below a Co-60 dose of 8 x 107 rads, negligible changes in resistance occur but above this level radiation induced switching (on-to-off) occurs as well as increases in resistance. The devices, however, recovered completely after the test was completed. Possible explanations for the responses are offered on the basis of a model developed for device operation.

Field of study: Physics
STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN 2004

From a global perspective, the annual average surface temperature in 2004 was the fourth highest value observed since regular instrumental records began in 1880. Global surface air temperatures in 2004 were 0.44°C (0.79°F) above the 1961–90 mean, according to both the U.S. and U.K. archives. Observations of the global annual mean temperature in 2004 from the combined lower and middle troposphere was 0.38°C (0.68°F)—the fourth warmest year in the 47-yr archive of worldwide radiosonde observations, and the ninth warmest year out of the past 26 based on satellite measurements. The average precipitation anomaly over global land areas in 2004 was 10.7 mm above average, which was ∼1% above the 1961–90 mean, and the first year since 2000 that the global mean value was wetter than average. Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent was the third lowest on record for the year, dating back to 1973. The annual snow cover extent over Northern Hemisphere land areas was 25.1 million km2, which was the 25th most extens...

Field of study: Environmental science
Decay of matrix coefficients on reductive homogeneous spaces of spherical type

Let $$Z$$Z be a homogeneous space $$Z=G/H$$Z=G/H of a real reductive Lie group $$G$$G with a reductive subgroup $$H$$H. The investigation concerns the quantitative decay of matrix coefficients on $$Z$$Z under the assumption that $$Z$$Z is of spherical type, that is, minimal parabolic subgroups have open orbits on $$Z$$Z.

Field of study: Mathematics
Late Pleistocene and Holocene paleoenvironmental reconstruction of a drowned karst isolation basin (Lošinj Channel, NE Adriatic Sea)

The results of a comprehensive study of submerged paleoenvironments developed along the karstified eastern Adriatic coast during the Late Quaternary are presented in this study. The Losinj Channel is a drowned karst basin filled with sediments. A multi-proxy analysis of two sediment cores (LK-12 and LK-15) recovered from water depths of 62 and 64 m was conducted. We used magnetic susceptibility, grain size, mineralogy, XRF core scanning, organic and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and paleontological data, supplemented with AMS 14C dating results and high-resolution seismic data, to reconstruct the infill history of the Losinj basin during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Our findings include the first detailed description of the presumed Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a marine sediment succession along the eastern Adriatic coast. Deposition in the brackish-to-freshwater lacustrine body (Losinj paleolake) occurred during MIS 3. Sea level lowstand that followed caused the formation of environmental conditions typical of a karst polje. The post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sea level rise led to the establishment of a brackish marine lake with seawater seepage through the karstified sill at 13.7 cal kyr B.P. The transition to the present-day marine conditions commenced at 10.5 cal kyr B.P. Paleoenvironmental changes in the investigated area can be linked to the presence of a sill at −50 m depth that separates the Losinj basin from the Kvarneric Bay. The sill depth determines the isolation or inundation of the investigated basin in response to the changes in sea level. Paleoenvironments reacted sensitively to these changes, and therefore, the study area represents an ideal setting to track regional sea level and climate variabilty.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
Synthesis of 1-aminoanthrapyridones and their derivatives

Aminoanthrapyridones are obtained when 1-anthrapyridonylpyridinium chlorides are heated in high-boiling amines. The synthesis of a number of substituted N-chloroacetyl-1-aminoanthraquinones. 1-anthrapyridonylpyridinium chlorides. and 1-aminoanthrapyridones is described.

Field of study: Chemistry
Holocene history of Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay and Russell Fiord, southern Alaska

Stratigraphic and geomorphic data defined by radiocarbon ages, tree-ring dates, and historical observations provide evidence of three major Holocene expansions of Hubbard Glacier. Early in each advance the Hubbard Glacier margin blocked Russell Fiord to create Russell lake, raising base level and causing stream beds and fan deltas throughout the Russell drainage basin to aggrade. Each Hubbard Glacier expansion continued with an ice lobe advancing through Disenchantment and Yakutat Bays in the west, and an eastern lobe advancing into Russell Fiord. The earlier two Holocene expansions were, respectively, under way at 7690 and 5600 calibrated yr B.P., and each advance culminated more than 1 k.y. later. The late Holocene advance was under way by 3100 yr ago and reached ∼13 km farther south in Russell Fiord than the preceding two expansions. Late Holocene deglaciation of Yakutat and Disenchantment Bays was complete before A.D. 1791; Nunatak Glacier flowing from neves east of Russell Fiord became the primary ice source to the Russell Fiord lobe at or before this date. Ice retreat from the southern end of Russell Fiord began in the late eighteenth century and the penultimate Russell lake drained ca. A.D. 1860. The relatively slow advances and more rapid retreats of Hubbard Glacier are consistent with the model of the iceberg-calving glacier cycle. Hubbard Glacier is currently advancing and will likely reestablish Russell lake in the near future, affecting local fisheries. However, glacier lobes are unlikely to reach the area of the town of Yakutat, built on late Holocene glacial deposits, in the next 1 k.y.

Field of study: Geology
Corporate Corruption and Chaos: A Formal Recursive Model

This paper develops a formal model of organizational corruption in order to explore rigorously the dynamic implications of corporate culture. This formalism is especially important whenever feedback (i.e. recursive) mechanisms are at play, since this can induce complex dynamics which are not at first obvious. We show that the conclusions of even a simple model are not intuitive and are, in fact, chaotic. Moreover, corporate corruption often has little to do with the variables that are under the control of management. Rather, they are determined endogenously, by a corporate culture that has a life of its own and is sensitive to the initial conditions in which the firm finds itself. Managers can influence the dynamics of corporate culture through various methods including employment pre-screening or promotions policies. However, these methods do not diminish the chaotic nature of dynamics of corporate corruption that are beyond managerial control.

Field of study: Business
Predicting the outputs of finite networks trained with noisy gradients

A recent line of studies has focused on the infinite width limit of deep neural networks (DNNs) where, under a certain deterministic training protocol, the DNN outputs are related to a Gaussian Process (GP) known as the Neural Tangent Kernel (NTK). However, finite-width DNNs differ from GPs quantitatively and for CNNs the difference may be qualitative. Here we present a DNN training protocol involving noise whose outcome is mappable to a certain non-Gaussian stochastic process. An analytical framework is then introduced to analyze this resulting non-Gaussian process, whose deviation from a GP is controlled by the finite width. Our work extends upon previous relations between DNNs and GPs in several ways: (a) In the infinite width limit, it establishes a mapping between DNNs and a GP different from the NTK. (b) It allows computing analytically the general form of the finite width correction (FWC) for DNNs with arbitrary activation functions and depth and further provides insight on the magnitude and implications of these FWCs. (c) It appears capable of providing better performance than the corresponding GP in the case of CNNs. We are able to predict the outputs of empirical finite networks with high accuracy, improving upon the accuracy of GP predictions by over an order of magnitude. Overall, we provide a framework that offers both an analytical handle and a more faithful model of real-world settings than previous studies in this avenue of research.

Field of study: Computer science
An Empirical Method of Forecasting Tornado Development

The frequency distribution of tornadoes in the United States is discussed briefly and an empirical method of forecasting these and allied severe local storms is described. It is shown that the formation of such storms can be forecast by evaluating certain empirical criteria related to the stability of the air column, the horizontal and vertical distributions of the moisture content and the wind. A typical tornado development is discussed from a synoptic point of view. An unusual situation and the verification of 35 experimental forecasts are briefly described.

Field of study: Environmental science
Flux Phase as Possible Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking Surface States of High-TC Cuprate Superconductors

At a (110) surface of a \(d_{x^{2} - y - 2}\)-wave superconductor, superconducting order is strongly suppressed. In such a situation, ordered states that are forbidden in the bulk may arise. This problem is studied for high-TC cuprate superconductors by treating the t–J model with extended transfer integrals using the Bogoliubov–de Gennes method. It is found that a flux phase with staggered currents along the surface, or an antiferromagnetic state can occur near the surface. Stability of the emergent surface states is different from system to system depending on the shapes of their Fermi surfaces. Possible relation to the experiments on the Kerr effect that suggest time-reversal symmetry breaking is discussed.

Field of study: Physics
Smallpox did reduce height : a reply to our critics

Between them our critics span the entire range of this Journal’s readership. On the one hand Razzell accuses us of ‘the abandonment of traditional scholarly procedures’. He argues that our plight ‘will provide a salutary lesson for the new economic history. No amount of sophisticated statistical analysis will provide a substitute for careful study of original sources.’ In contrast, Heintel and Baten use far more sophisticated statistical techniques - including a continuous kernel density estimator and truncation point estimators - in an attempt to justify their claim that our ‘conclusions are without empirical or statistical foundation.’ Because these two comments are so totally different we will look at each in turn.

Field of study: Economics, History
Antioxidant activity of some Moroccan marine microalgae: Pufa profiles, carotenoids and phenolic content.

In order to promote Moroccan natural resources, this study aims to evaluate the potential of microalgae isolated from Moroccan coastlines, as new source of natural antioxidants. Different extracts (ethanolic, ethanol/water and aqueous) obtained from 9 microalgae strains were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical-scavenging assay. The highest antioxidant potentials were obtained in Dunalliela sp., Tetraselmis sp. and Nannochloropsis gaditana extracts. The obtained results indicate that ethanol extract of all microalgae strains exhibit higher antioxidant activity, when compared to water and ethanol/water extracts. Therefore, total phenolic and carotenoid content measurement were performed in active ethanol extracts. The PUFA profiles of ethanol extracts were also determined by GC/MS analysis. The studied microalgae strains displayed high PUFA content ranging from 12.9 to 76.9 %, total carotenoids content varied from 1.9 and 10.8mg/g of extract and total polyphenol content varied from 8.1 to 32.0mg Gallic acid Equivalent/g of extract weight. The correlation between the antioxidant capacities and the phenolic content and the carotenoids content were found to be insignificant, indicating that these compounds might not be major contributor to the antioxidant activity of these microalgae. The microalgae extracts exerting the high antioxidant activity are potential new source of natural antioxidants.

Field of study: Biology, Engineering
Cellulolytic and fermentative guilds in eutrophic soils of the Florida Everglades.

The northern Florida Everglades has been subject to eutrophication in recent years, resulting in well-documented changes in microbial ecology and a shift in the dominant plant species. This study investigated effects of plant quality and eutrophication on activities and composition of cellulolytic and fermentative guilds in soils. Most probable numbers of cellulolytic bacteria in eutrophic (F1) and transition (F4) soils were 10-fold higher than in oligotrophic soils (U3). Higher potential methanogenesis was observed from cellulose in microcosms with soils from F1 and F4, compared to U3 soils. Nutrient status of soil, rather than plant type, was the major factor controlling methanogenesis rates, although numbers of fermentative bacteria were higher in microcosms supplemented with ground cattail (dominant in F1 and F4) than with sawgrass (dominant component of soil in U3), regardless of soil origin. DNA sequence analysis indicated Clostridium assemblage composition correlates with soil nutrient status.

Field of study: Biology, Environmental science
Chemical scaling of the ionic conductivity in AgI-Ag2O-MxOy glasses

With the thought that the physical properties of the materials depend on the nature of the chemical bond, a simple approach to treat the ion transport properties of glasses has been developed. A new scale of electronegativity has been defined in terms of the atomic nodal radii. The values of the ionic conductivities, activation energies and glass transition temperatures of AgI-Ag2O-MxOy glasses have been analysed by using this new scale. Interesting chemical trends that provide useful insights to the understanding of the ion transport properties in glasses have been found.

Field of study: Materials science
Titanium-Salan-Catalyzed Asymmetric Oxidation of Sulfides and Kinetic Resolution of Sulfoxides with H2O2 as the Oxidant

Asymmetric oxidation of sufides to sulfoxides by aqueous hydrogen peroxide with catalysis by titanium-salan complexes is presented. Optically active sulfoxides have been obtained with good to high enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee) by a tandem enantioselective oxidation and kinetic resolution procedure, the catalyst performing over 500 turnovers with no loss of enantioselectivity.

Field of study: Chemistry
[Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in multiple sclerosis].

The review presents data on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its structure and functions, the effect on the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis (MS). The correlation of BDNF level with clinical manifestations of MS and the changes of its level during disease-modifying therapy is considered.

Field of study: Medicine, Psychology
Efeito de 16 semanas de treinamento com pesos sobre a força muscular de mulheres não treinadas

O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar o impacto de 16 semanas de treinamento com pesos na forca muscular de mulheres nao treinadas. Para tanto, 31 mulheres nao treinadas, na faixa etaria de 18 a 30 anos, foram selecionadas e separadas aleatoriamente em dois grupos, a saber: grupo treinamento (GT = 13) e grupo controle (GC = 11). O programa de treinamento com pesos foi progressivamente estruturado em duas etapas, com duracao de oito semanas cada, e frequencia de tres sessoes semanais. A forca muscular foi avaliada antes (M1), apos oito (M2) e dezesseis semanas (M3), utilizando o teste de 1-RM nos exercicios supino em banco horizontal (SUP), agachamento (AGA) e rosca direta de biceps (RDB). Observou-se aumento na forca muscular no GT, com interacao Grupo X Tempo (P < 0,001) para o SUP (22,9%), AGA (23,6%) e RDB (22,8%). Adicionalmente, foi encontrado que nos tres exercicios analisados o maior ganho de forca ocorreu entre M1-M2 (SUP=18,4%; AGA=16,0%; RDB=14,7%). Os resultados sugerem que 16 semanas de TP, com variacao no estimulo e adequada avaliacao da forca muscular, levam a significantes aumentos da forca muscular em mulheres nao treinadas em diferentes segmentos corporais. Sendo que, os maiores ganhos ocorrem nas primeiras oito semanas do treinamento. Palavras chave: treinamento resistido, forca muscular, adaptacoes neuromuscular.

Field of study: Education
Artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol intoxication in bar patrons.

Previous laboratory research on alcohol absorption has found that substitution of artificially sweetened alcohol mixers for sucrose-based mixers has a marked effect on the rate of gastric emptying, resulting in elevated blood alcohol concentrations. Studies conducted in natural drinking settings, such as bars, have indicated that caffeine ingestion while drinking is associated with higher levels of intoxication. To our knowledge, research has not examined the effects of alcohol mixers that contain both an artificial sweetener and caffeine, that is, diet cola. Therefore, we assessed the event-specific association between diet cola consumption and alcohol intoxication in bar patrons. We sought to determine whether putative increases in blood alcohol, produced by accelerated gastric emptying following diet cola consumption, as identified in the laboratory, also appear in a natural setting associated with impaired driving.



We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 2 nighttime field studies that collected anonymous information from 413 randomly selected bar patrons in 2008 and 2010. Data sets were merged and recoded to distinguish between energy drink, regular cola, diet cola, and noncaffeinated alcohol mixers.



Caffeinated alcohol mixers were consumed by 33.9% of the patrons. Cola-caffeinated mixed drinks were much more popular than those mixed with energy drinks. A large majority of regular cola-caffeinated mixed drink consumers were men (75%), whereas diet cola-caffeinated mixed drink consumers were more likely to be women (57%). After adjusting for the number of drinks consumed and other potential confounders, number of diet cola mixed drinks had a significant association with patron intoxication (β = 0.233, p < 0.0001). Number of drinks mixed with regular (sucrose-sweetened) cola and energy drinks did not have significant associations with intoxication (p > 0.05).



Caffeine's effect on intoxication may be most pronounced when mixers are artificially sweetened, that is, lack sucrose which slows the rate of gastric emptying of alcohol. Risks associated with on-premise drinking may be reduced by greater attention given to types of mixers, particularly diet colas.

Field of study: Medicine