nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Stimulating Effect of Manumycin A on Suicidal Erythrocyte Death

The streptomycete derived farnesyltransferase inhibitor Manumycin A triggers apoptosis of tumor cells and is thus considered for the treatment of malignancy. The present study explored whether Manumycin A could similarly stimulate eryptosis, the suicidal death of erythrocytes characterized by cell shrinkage and cell membrane scrambling with phosphatidylserine translocation to the erythrocyte surface. Stimulators of eryptosis include Ca2+ entry as well as activation of staurosporine sensitive protein kinase C and SB203580 sensitive p38 kinase. The present study explored, whether Manumycin A induces eryptosis and, if so, to shed some light on the mechanisms involved.  Phosphatidylserine abundance at the human erythrocyte surface was estimated from annexin-V-binding, cell volume from forward scatter, and hemolysis from hemoglobin concentration in the supernatant.  A 48 hours exposure of human erythrocytes to Manumycin A (≥ 5 µg/ml) significantly increased the percentage of annexin-V-binding cells, significantly decreased forward scatter and significantly incrased hemolysis. The effect of Manumycin A on annexin-V-binding was significantly blunted by removal of extracellular Ca2+, by addition of staurosporine (1 µM) and by addition of SB203580 (2 µM).  Manumycin A triggers hemolysis, cell shrinkage and phospholipid scrambling of the human erythrocyte cell membrane. The effect on cell membrane scrambling was in part but not fully dependent on entry of extracellular Ca2+, as well as activity of staurosporine and SB203580 sensitive kinases.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry
Noise reduction in recursive digital filters using high-order error feedback

The problem of solving the optimal (minimum-noise) error feedback coefficients for recursive digital filters is addressed in the general high-order case. It is shown that when minimum noise variance at the filter output is required, the optimization problem leads to set of familiar Wiener-Hopf or Yule-Walker equations, demonstrating that the optimal error feedback can be interpreted as a special case of Wiener filtering. As an alternative to the optimal solution, the formulas for suboptimal error feedback with symmetric or antisymmetric coefficients are derived. In addition, the design of error feedback using power-of-two coefficients is discussed. The efficiency of high order error feedback is examined by test implementations of the set of standard filters. It is concluded that error feedback is a very powerful and versatile method for cutting down the quantization noise in any classical infinite impulse response (IIR) filter implemented as a cascade of second-order direct form sections. The high-order schemes are attractive for use with high-order direct form sections.

Field of study: Engineering
Effect of atmospheric pressure on heat transfer by contact between two plates under laser irradiation

The deformation of two contacting plates irradiated by laser can influence heat transfer by contact obviously. The effect of atmospheric pressure on heat transfer by contact are analyzed by some experiments and numerical simulations. It is shown that: the effect of pressure on heat transfer by contact is prominent, when atmospheric pressure is up to some degree, the interface of two plates always contact each other closely, and the rear temperature raise curve is protruding toward up; when atmospheric pressure is in some scope, the interface of two plates contact ever and again, and the rear temperature raise curve is analogous to linearity; when atmospheric pressure is under some degree, the rear temperature would transit up at some time. Three kinds of temperature curve would be observed with proper designs.

Field of study: Physics
Effect of negative bias temperature instability induced by a low stress voltage on nanoscale high-k/metal gate pMOSFETs

The effect of a low stress voltage on the negative bias temperature instability degradation in a nanoscale p -channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor using high- k /metal gate stacks is investigated. The direct current–current voltage and carrier separation methods are used to separate the effects of electrons and holes. The results indicate that a high stress voltage generates positive oxide charges that degrade the device, but a low stress voltage generates negative oxide charges that induce the turn-around effect of the threshold voltage.

Field of study: Engineering
Cryptography with Dispensable Backdoors

Backdooring cryptographic algorithms is an indisputable taboo in the cryptographic literature for a good reason: however noble the intentions, backdoors might fall in the wrong hands, in which case security is completely compromised. Nonetheless, more and more legislative pressure is being produced to enforce the use of such backdoors. In this work we introduce the concept of dispensable cryptographic backdoors which can be used only once and become useless after that. These exotic primitives are impossible in the classical digital world without stateful and secure trusted hardware support, but, as we show, are feasible assuming quantum computation and access to classical stateless hardware tokens. Concretely, we construct a dispensable (single-use) version of message authentication codes, and use them to derive a black-box construction of stateful hardware tokens in the above setting with quantum computation and classical stateless hardware tokens. This can be viewed as a generic transformation from stateful to stateless tokens and enables, among other things, one-time programs and memories. We then use the latter primitives to propose a resolution to the most prominent recent legislative push in favor of backdooring cryptography: the conflict between Apple and FBI last year. We show that it is possible for Apple to create a one-time backdoor which unlocks any single device, and no more than one, i.e., the backdoor becomes useless after it is used. We further describe how to use our ideas to derive a version of CCA-secure public key encryption, which is accompanied with a dispensable (i.e, single-use, as in the above scenario) backdoor.

Field of study: Computer science, Mathematics
Reconstruction and Validation of a Genome-Scale Metabolic Model of Streptococcus oralis (iCJ415), a Human Commensal and Opportunistic Pathogen

The mitis group of streptococci (MGS) is a member of the healthy human microbiome in the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract. Troublingly, some MGS are able to escape this niche and cause infective endocarditis, a severe and devastating disease. Genome-scale models have been shown to be valuable in investigating metabolism of bacteria. Here we present the first genome-scale model, iCJ415, for Streptococcus oralis SK141. We validated the model using gene essentiality and amino acid auxotrophy data from closely related species. iCJ415 has 71-76% accuracy in predicting gene essentiality and 85% accuracy in predicting amino acid auxotrophy. Further, the phenotype of S. oralis was tested using the Biolog Phenotype microarrays, giving iCJ415 a 82% accuracy in predicting carbon sources. iCJ415 can be used to explore the metabolic differences within the MGS, and to explore the complicated metabolic interactions between different species in the human oral cavity.

Field of study: Biology
Valley spin lifetimes reaching 100 ns in monolayer MoSe$_2$ at room temperature

We present time-resolved Kerr-rotation measurements on a monolayer of MoSe$_2$ revealing spin lifetimes up to 100 ns at room temperature. This extraordinary long-lived spin signal only weakly depends on temperature between 60 K and 300 K. At lower temperatures, it gets masked by an additional spin signal with significantly larger amplitude but shorter spin lifetimes reaching 8 ns. The latter spin signal exhibits a Kerr resonance which coincides with the photoluminescence spectrum from neutral and charged excitons showing that the spin dynamics at low temperatures are dominated by excitonic effects. In contrast, the long-lived spin signal at higher temperatures shows no resonance in the energy regime of the excitons. The absence of such resonance combined with the long spin lifetimes at room temperature is expected if the spin dynamics at elevated temperatures are not dominated by excitonic effects but by a polarization of resident holes, which is protected even at room temperature due to the large spin splitting in the valence bands of transition metal dichalcogenides.

Field of study: Physics
A quantitative assessment of the neoichnology and biology of a delta front and prodelta, and implications for delta ichnology

The Fraser River delta front exhibits asymmetry with respect to its neoichnological, biological, and sedimentological characteristics on opposing sides of the main distributary channel, as well as the submarine canyon seaward of the channel. This phenomenon is attributed to asymmetric tidal flow, wherein there is a net northward tidal flow along the delta front. The southern delta front lying updrift of the Main Channel, is primarily composed of sandy beds and bedsets that exhibit low bioturbation intensities (BI 0–3) and limited biodiversity (H` 0.9–1.4). Tracemakers in the updrift delta front predominantly consist of polychaetes and bivalves that produce suites dominated by simple vertical and horizontal traces attributable to the Skolithos Ichnofacies. The suites consist of traces comparable to Thalassinoides, Planolites, Skolithos, rare Conichnus, and Cylindrichnus. The northern delta front lying downdrift of the Main Channel, and the prodelta consist of muddy beds and bedsets that display high bioturbation intensities (BI 3–6) and diverse infaunal populations (H` 1.4–2.3). Polychaetes, bivalves, and echinoderms comprise the main tracemakers, and these infauna produce complex and robust ichnological suites typical of the Cruziana Ichnofacies. The downdrift delta front and prodelta trace assemblage includes traces comparable to Skolithos, Planolites, Thalassinoides, Artichnus, Palaeophycus, Conichnus, Asterosoma, Rosselia, Cylindrichnus, Gyrolithes, Teichichnus, Phycosiphon, Arenicolites, Polykladichnus, and Scolicia. The spatial distribution (area and volume) of biogenically induced sediment disruption indicates that the updrift delta front is significantly less bioturbated than its downdrift counterpart. Additionally, the prodelta does not exhibit evidence of asymmetry with respect to its neoichnological character; all spatial variability is recorded in delta front positions.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
The Impact of Hurricane Maria on Student Pharmacists and Their Perception of Their Academic Performance

To assess the self-reported impact of hurricane Maria on the perceived academic performance of student pharmacists at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Puerto Rico Regional Campus.  A 37-item electronic instrument, the Hurricane Impact Survey, was created and sent by email to all student pharmacists ≥21 years old enrolled at NSU-COP Puerto Rico Campus during the fall 2017 semester. The electronic survey was available through Redcap platform for four weeks. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression were used to analyze students’ responses. Qualitative analysis was used to identify emerging themes in the open-ended comments.  A total of 150 student pharmacists completed the survey for a response rate of 69% (150/215). More than 70% of student pharmacists perceived that their academic performance was affected after the hurricane. About one third of students reported not being able to function mentally at the same level as they had prior to the storm (n=53, 35%) and reported having difficulty sleeping (n=54, 36%). Female student pharmacists were more likely than male student pharmacists to report not being able to function at the same level mentally as they had before the hurricane (41% vs 17%). In the multivariate analysis, first- and second-year student pharmacists were more likely to perceive a negative impact on their academic performance compared to third- and fourth-year student pharmacists. Lack of preparedness, gratefulness, and campus management were the themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis.  Hurricane Maria had a significant impact on the lives of student pharmacists in Puerto Rico. This led to a perception of diminished academic performance, especially among first- and second-year students. The results can be used to guide preparedness and response to natural disasters in academic settings.

Field of study: Education, Medicine
Accountability for Community Benefit: A Reasonable Expectation for Canadian Hospitals

North American hospitals have historically struggled to engage in prevention and health promotion activities because they have not been incentivized or held accountable for doing so. However, in order to be exempt from federal taxes, 3,000 non-profit hospitals in the US must now regularly assess the health status of the communities they serve, and take action to address identified health needs. This is called “accountability for community benefit,” and it is required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare).  This is an important health policy topic because even a small shift in focus by hospitals towards prevention and health promotion has the potential to improve population health and reduce healthcare demand.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
A New Interface Technique for the Acquisition of Multiple Multi-Channel High Speed ADCs

Multi-channel high speed ADCs with a serial output interface operating at several hundred Mbps have been introduced several years ago. Interfacing to these high speed devices poses new challenges to the designer. Existing techniques usually rely on delay locked loops, require several milliseconds to reach stable operation, and do not guarantee a fixed latency making the accurate synchronization of several multi-channel ADCs difficult to achieve. A new interface technique is introduced to overcome these limitations. We detail the proposed method and show an implementation where a single field programmable gate array is used to collect data from twenty four 12-bit ADC channels clocked at 20 MHz.

Field of study: Physics
Characterization of calf liver Cu,Zn-metallothionein: naturally variable Cu and Zn stoichiometries.

Cu,Zn-metallothioneins were purified from bovine calf liver in order to examine the stoichiometry of metal binding to the protein. Copper and zinc analyses were carried out by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Consistent quantitative thiolate analyses were obtained spectrophotometrically with Ellman's reagent and amperometrically with phenylmercuric acetate. These were used to define protein concentration. A complementary method to assess the sum of the thiol and Cu(I) content of metallothionein involved titration of the reducing equivalents of the protein with ferricyanide. The stoichiometry of reaction was consistent with the oxidation of all the sulphydryl groups to disulphides and all of the bound Cu from the cuprous to the cupric oxidation state. Accordingly to these methods, total numbers of zinc plus copper ions bound to metallothionein isolated from a number of calf livers centred on about 7, 10-12, or 15 g-atoms of metal per mol of protein. The reactivity of ferricyanide and 4,7-phenylsulphonyl-2,9-dimethyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (BCS) with Cu,Zn-metallothioneins of various metal ratios was assessed. Zinc metallothionein reacted almost entirely in two slow steps with ferricyanide. As the Cu content of the protein increased, the fraction of reaction occurring in the time of mixing increased in parallel. BCS was able to remove 70-80% of metallothionein-bound Cu as Cu(I). The rest was resistant to reaction.

Field of study: Biology, Computer science
Bayes and Hurwicz without Bernoulli

We provide a theory of decision under ambiguity that does not require expected utility maximization under risk. Instead, we require only that a decision maker be probabilistically sophisticated in evaluating a subcollection of acts. Three components determine the decision maker's ranking of acts: a prior, a map from ambiguous acts to equivalent risky lotteries, and a generalized notion of certainty equivalent. The prior is Bayesian, defined over the inverse image of acts for which the decision maker is probabilistically sophisticated. Ambiguity preferences are similar to Hurwicz, depending on an act's best- and worst-case interpretations. The generalized certainty equivalent may, but need not, come from a Bernoulli utility. The ability to combine appealing theories of risk and ambiguity at will has been sought after but missing from the literature, and our decomposition provides a promising way forward.

Field of study: Economics
AUTOMATED METEOROLOGICAL REPORTS FROM COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT

Commercial aircraft now provide over 130,000 meteorological observations per day, including temperature, winds, and in some cases, humidity, vertical wind gust, or eddy dissipation rate (turbulence). The temperature and wind data are used in most operational numerical weather prediction models at NCEP and at other centers worldwide. At nonsynoptic times, these data are often the primary source of upper-air information over the United States. Even at synoptic times, these data are critical in depicting the atmosphere along oceanic air routes. A Web site  has been developed that gives selected users access to these data. Because the data are proprietary to the airlines, real-time access is restricted to entities such as government agencies and nonprofit research institutions (although sample past data are available to all). Data can be displayed in a variety of ways and can be downloaded for local processing. These data are described here, and examples of how they have been usefu...

Field of study: Environmental science
Metamorphism in the Agnew Lake Area, Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada

Metamorphism occurred in the Agnew Lake area about 1600 m. y. ago during the Penokean orogeny. Mafic igneous, pelitic meta-sedimentary, and quartzofeldspathic rocks were metamorphosed under conditions ranging from the low greenschist (chlorite-grade) to low almandine amphibolite (staurolite-grade) facies. The metamorphic zones have a nodal distribution. The sequence of mineralogic and assemblage changes with advancing metamorphic grade can be portrayed diagrammatically and by equations. There is regular partitioning of some elements, notably Mn, among coexisting biotite, staurolite, and garnet. Study of the interrelationships of metamorphic porphyroblasts and fabric elements provides evidence for a threefold division of events; an early “plastic” phase of deformation accompanied by growth of “low-grade” minerals such as muscovite and chlorite; the major period of metamorphism and the growth of “high-grade” minerals such as staurolite in a static environment; a late “brittle” deformation phase with minor “retrograde” metamorphism. The composition of pyrrhotites which have supposedly equilibrated with pyrite during metamorphism indicate metamorphic temperatures of 400°–570° C in the upper greenschist and almandine amphibolite facies. Calculations based on the pyrrhotite data indicate thermal gradients of 75°–150° C per km.

Field of study: Geology
Narrative constructions of school-oriented parenthood during parent–teacher-conferences

This article deals with parent–teacher-conferences in German elementary and secondary schools. Drawing on the frameworks of ethnomethodology and interactional sociolinguistics, it investigates narrative fragments that teachers and parents employ to characterize and assess children and to present themselves in school-oriented identities. Fragmentary stories represent a highly functional communicative means of doing so: They re-stage childrens’ behavior and learning situations and allow parents to portray themselves as urging, correcting and supporting. In jointly developing a mildly critical view on the child, parents and teachers co-construct common ground regarding the norms for objectively assessing the child and his/her achievements and educational perspectives. However, analyses brought to light differences in the degree of common ground established by teachers and parents in terms of the perspectivation of the child as an achiever and the parents as critical and benevolent supporters.

Field of study: Education, Linguistics
A Distributional Approach for Causal Inference Using Propensity Scores

Drawing inferences about the effects of treatments and actions is a common challenge in economics, epidemiology, and other fields. We adopt Rubin's potential outcomes framework for causal inference and propose two methods serving complementary purposes. One can be used to estimate average causal effects, assuming no confounding given measured covariates. The other can be used to assess how the estimates might change under various departures from no confounding. Both methods are developed from a nonparametric likelihood perspective. The propensity score plays a central role and is estimated through a parametric model. Under the assumption of no confounding, the joint distribution of covariates and each potential outcome is estimated as a weighted empirical distribution. Expectations from the joint distribution are estimated as weighted averages or, equivalently to first order, regression estimates. The likelihood estimator is at least as efficient and the regression estimator is at least as efficient and robust as existing estimators. Regardless of the no-confounding assumption, the marginal distribution of covariates times the conditional distribution of observed outcome given each treatment assignment and covariates is estimated. For a fixed bound on unmeasured confounding, the marginal distribution of covariates times the conditional distribution of counterfactual outcome given each treatment assignment and covariates is explored to the extreme and then compared with the composite distribution corresponding to observed outcome given the same treatment assignment and covariates. We illustrate the methods by analyzing the data from an observational study on right heart catheterization.

Field of study: Mathematics
Anti-depressant potential of banana fruit.

The prevalence of depression is alarming all over the world afflicting as many as 121 million individuals. Females in India are more susceptible than males owing to societal customs. The efficacy of anti-depressant medicines is limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safe, better-tolerated and more efficacious anti-depressants. Furthermore, depression is largely a hidden problem in India, which prompts the necessity of identifying the nutrients commonly available to Indian population for the management of depression. Recently, the search for novel drugs of vegetable origin for psychiatric illnesses has progressed significantly (Zhang, 2004). Musa paradisiaca Linn or banana, a plant belonging to family Musaceae, is consumed all over the world as a popular fruit throughout the year. Traditionally, the fruits of banana have been used as a remedy for constipation, hangovers, anthelmintic and as a rich source of iron (Davey et al., 2009) and potassium (Rai et al., 2009). Banana contains very high levels of antioxidants, viz. vitamin-A, vitamin-C, carotenoids (Davey et al., 2009), thiamine, niacin, catechins and -tocophenol (Enayde et al., 2006). Furthermore, banana contains hypoglycemic agents (Ghosal and Saini, 1984) such as sterylacyl glycoside (sitoindosides I and II) and diacylglycerols in addition to several other bioactive compounds. However, there is no scientific evidence for therapeutic potential of banana in neuropsychiatric disorders. In the light of above, the present study was designed to determine the anti-depressant potential of banana fruit in mice.

Field of study: Medicine