nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Superconductivity and metal to insulator transition in homogeneously disordered molybdenum thin films

Disorder driven metal to insulator transition is reported in three dimensional thin films of molybdenum, deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron sputtering at different argon pressures. The disorder is tuned using deposition pressure as the sole parameter. A variation of particle sizes, room temperature resistivity and superconducting transition has been studied as a function of deposition pressure. The disordered molybdenum thin films are found to have large carrier concentration but very low mobility. Hall and conductivity measurements have been used to understand the effect of disorder on the carrier density and mobilities. Ioffe-Regel parameter is shown to correlate with the continuous metal-insulator transition in our samples.

Field of study: Physics
Extractive purification of enzymes from animal tissue using aqueous two phase systems: pilot scale studies.

Pilot scale trials have been carried out to assess the feasibility of using PEG-salt aqueous phase systems for extraction and purification of enzymes from animal tissue on an industrial scale. Comminuted bovine liver was used as a starting material, and it was easy to separate a clear upper phase containing proteins of interest from a mixture containing 20% biomass, 15% PEG and 8% phosphate using a disc separator. Similar attempts with decanters were unsuccessful. Second-phase separation was simply accomplished by the addition of salt to the separated, clear upper layer and standing or allowing passage through a disc separator. The method was tested using continuous mixing on the GBF continuous mixing aqueous phase extraction plant, with and without computer control. Good separations were achieved. The enzyme superoxide dismutase was purified using this method yielding a 4-fold purification factor with respect to soluble protein and a recovery rate of 83%, with the enzyme in a clarified solution suitable for further processing by chromatographic methods. The general applicability of this method, its economics and its potential application in industry are discussed.

Field of study: Biology, Engineering
Comprehensive early diagnosis of cognitive impairment

To study cognitive function, CSF biochemical markers of amyloidosis and neurodegeneration, cerebral metabolism using PET, cerebral volumetric changes and metabolic content of the cingular gyrus using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with amnesic and neurodynamic variants of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).  369 patients with cognitive impairment of different severity. All patients underwent neuropsychological examination. To deter-mine the levels of β-amyloid and tau-protein,a lumbar puncture was performed in 125 patients and 20 controls. 18-Fluorine deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FCSRT) was performed in 77 patients. Assessment of metabolite levels by MRS and volumetric parameters by magnetic resonance morphometry was done in 92 patients.  The «free and cued selective reminding test» and «trail making test» showed the best diagnostic value in the early differential diagnosis of amnesic and neurodynamic variants of MCI. A decrease in beta-amyloid-42 protein and an increase in tau-protein in CSF are early markers of neurodegenerative dementia as well as of the additional involvement of the neurodegeneration in cerebrovascular disease. Specific areas of glucose hypometabolism on preclinical stages of dementia were identified using FCSRT. Spectroscopy and morphometry based on magnetic resonance can predict neurodegeneration in the cingular cortex, frontal and temporal brain.

Field of study: Medicine, Psychology
[Sequencing and analysis of the full coding sequence of Batai virus isolated in China].

By RT-PCR and TAIL-PCR, the full coding region of Batai virus isolated in China (YN92-4 strain)was sequenced for the first time. According to the results, the genome of the virus contained three segments S, M and L of 947, 4,371 and 6,860 nucleotides, respectively. The S segment coded a nucleoprotein of 234 amino acids and a nonstructural protein of 102 amino acids, the M and L segments coded a precursor protein of 1 ,435 amino acids and RNA polymerase of 2,239 amino acids, respectively. Compared with the full coding sequence of Batai viruses isolated out of China, the S and M segments of YN92-4 and ON-7/B/01 showed the highest homology in nucleotide and amino acid sequenes with similarity of 97.7% (100%) and 95.7% (98%), respectively. Since there was no full coding sequence information on the L segment in GenBank for the reference, the L segment of YN92-4 was compared with that of Bunyamwera virus and the homology of nucleotide and amino acid was 73.5%and 81.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed YN92-4 strain was clustered into one group with the prototype of Batai virus (MM2222). The results suggested that the YN92-4 strain had no occurrance of genetic reassortment (like Ngari virus) and was close to the Batai virus (ON-7/B/01 strain) isolated from cattle serum in Japan.

Field of study: Biology
4H-SiC p–i–n diodes grown by sublimation epitaxy in vacuum (SEV) and their application as microwave diodes

Sublimation epitaxy under vacuum (SEV) was investigated as a method for growing 4H-SiC epitaxial structures for p–i–n diode fabrication. The SEV-grown 4H-SiC material was investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction, photo-luminescence spectroscopy (PL), cathodo-luminescence (CL) spectroscopy, photocurrent method for carrier diffusion length determination, electro-luminescence microscopy (EL), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), C–V profiling and Hall-effect measurements. When possible, the same investigation techniques were used in parallel with similar layers grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) epitaxy and the physical properties of the two kind of epitaxied layers were compared. p–i–n diodes were fabricated in parallel on SEV and CVD-grown layers and showed close electrical performances in dc mode in term of capacitance, resistance and transient time switching, despite the lower mobility and the diffusion length of the SEV-grown layers. X-band microwave switches based on the SEV-grown p–i–n diodes have been demonstrated with insertion loss lower than 4 dB and an isolation higher than 17 dB. These single-pole single-throw (SPST) switches were able to handle a pulsed power up to 1800 W in isolation mode, similar to the value obtained with switches incorporating diodes with CVD-grown layers.

Field of study: Materials science
SmPFT: Social media based profile fusion technique for data enrichment

People use different social networking platforms for distinct purposes. The information across each micro-blogging site is often partial. A better profile of an individual can be built, if we amalgamate the complementary information from various sites. This data enrich profile can be useful in a number of online services i.e. marketing of any product across sites, friend recommendation, etc. To integrate profile information, it is essential to identify individuals in distinct social networking platforms. This study aims to identify identical users across different social media platforms. Existing works on user profile matching frameworks are restricted to certain social networks as some of the previously available streaming APIs are not available now. In this work, there are no such dependencies over the streaming APIs as it is based on the uniqueness of usernames, which are identical among various social networking sites. We also efficiently exploit the information redundancies, due to individual similar behavioral patterns which can be used during mapping. We have tested our system over 500 users in the real-time scenario, considering only those profiles which generate their content predominately in the English language. The total dataset comprises of over 1.1 Million tweets and 0.63 Million URLs, in which 35.6% URLs contained the geotagged information. Our model is able to identify 6.3% more identical users than the traditional approaches. There are several application areas such as friends recommendation, future place prediction, leaders identification, and information diffusion across social media sites that can benefit from the outcoming of this work.

Field of study: Computer science
Using fire scars and growth release in subfossil Scots pine to reconstruct prehistoric fires

Fire scars indicating low- to moderate-intensity fires on peat deposits have been sampled from subfossil Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) at sites in England, Wales and south-west Ireland. Analysis of ring-width responses to one fire event in 2800 BC illustrates its rejuvenating effect on Pinus sylvestris woodland, supporting a growing body of modern and palaeoecological data that illustrates the regenerative role played by fire in persistence of Pinus sylvestris woodland. Both the scale and timing of these fires suggest that infrequent low- to moderate-intensity fires are sufficient to stimulate Pinus sylvestris growth. This effect is shown by average increases in ring-width following the fire of between 0.62 and 1.16 mm in non-scarred trees and between 0.92 and 2.74 mm in fire-scarred individuals. Growth release in non-scarred trees may prove to be a more reliable method of detecting fire than using the relatively rare fire scars alone. Radii at time of scarring varied between 1.85 and 11.2 cm, much smaller than is predicted to survive from modern studies.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
Multiproxy analysis of paleoenvironmental, paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic changes during the early Danian in the Caravaca section (Spain)

After the Chicxulub impact and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-PgB), ecosystems haltingly recovered under unstable conditions. An early Danian (65.9 Ma) perturbation of the carbon cycle known as Dan-C2, which includes two carbon isotopic excursions (CIEs), has been ascribed to inputs of greenhouse gases through large-scale volcanism of the Deccan Traps. However, the relationship between Dan-C2, volcanism and environmental and climatic changes during the early Danian remains ambiguous. Based on stable isotopes, calcium carbonate content, magnetic susceptibility and planktic foraminifera, we present a paleoenvironmental, paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic reconstruction of the early Danian from the Caravaca section, Spain, one of the most complete and continuous K-PgB sections worldwide. The paleobiological response of planktic foraminifera suggests very volatile environmental conditions during the first 230 kyr of the Danian, as reflected in the rapid succession of opportunistic/generalist blooms and episodic high occurrences of aberrant specimens. According to our age model, the Dan-C2 has been identified at the Caravaca section from 65.92 to 65.74 Ma. No evidence of strong carbonate dissolution through ocean acidification was observed in the Dan-C2 interval or the rest of the studied section, excluding the K-PgB clay bed. We find that blooms of highly eutrophic Chiloguembelitria and increases in aberrant planktic foraminifera coincided with a major early Danian eruptive episode of Deccan Traps (Ambelani Formation), occurring before the Dan-C2. Conversely, during both Dan-C2 CIEs, less opportunistic taxa thrived, indicating changes in the upper part of the water column. This study demonstrates that the relationship between marine biota and climate change was very complex and rapidly changing during the early Danian. In addition, we propose that the Deccan volcanism had adverse effects on marine plankton, mostly through strong eutrophication, while an increased water column stratification during the Dan-C2 event resulted in a transient boost in the recovery of ecosystems.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
Identification of Cr species at the aqueous solution-hematite interface after Cr(VI)-Cr(III) reduction using GI-XAFS and Cr L-edge NEXAFS.

Surface-mediated redox processes and sorption reactions occurring at the solid-liquid interface are of importance to a broad variety of environmental and industrial pollution or corrosion/passivation problems. A more fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of these reactions is required in order to increase our ability to predict interfacial phenomena. In this study, gazing-incidence XAFS (GI-XAFS) and near-edge XAFS (both Land K-edge NEXAFS) techniques were used to investigate the chemical and structural characteristics of interfacial Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species on a molecular level. In particular, products of postulated electron transfer reactions between Cr(VI) and Fe(II) at the oxide-solution interface were investigated. Both techniques confirmed the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) mediated by a partially reduced hematite (O001) surface. The observed local structure of the interracial chromium species emphasizes the need for an improved, molecular-level conceptualization of reactions occurring at the solid-solution interface.

Field of study: Physics
Osseous and chondromatous metaplasia in calcific aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve replacement for calcific aortic valve stenosis is one of the more common cardiac surgical procedures. However, the underlying pathophysiology of calcific aortic valve stenosis is poorly understood. We therefore investigated the histologic findings of aortic valves excised for calcific aortic valve stenosis and correlated these findings with their associated clinical features.



We performed a retrospective analysis on 6685 native aortic valves excised for calcific stenosis and 312 prosthetic tissue aortic valves with calcific degeneration at a single institution between 1987 and 2013. Patient demographics were correlated with valvular histologic features diagnosed on formalin-fixed, decalcified, and paraffin embedded hematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Of the analyzed aortic valves, 5200 (77.8%) were tricuspid, 1473 (22%) were bicuspid, 11 (0.2%) were unicuspid, and 1 was quadricuspid. The overall prevalence of osseous and/or chondromatous metaplasia was 15.6%. Compared to tricuspid valves, bicuspid valves had a higher prevalence of metaplasia (30.1% vs. 11.5%) and had an earlier mean age of excision (60.2 vs. 75.1 years old). In addition, the frequency of osseous metaplasia and/or chondromatous metaplasia increased with age at time of excision of bicuspid aortic valves, while tricuspid aortic valves showed the same incidence regardless of patient age. Males had a higher prevalence of metaplasia in both bicuspid (33.5% vs. 22.3%) and tricuspid (13.8% vs. 8.6%) aortic valves compared to females. Osseous metaplasia and/or chondromatous metaplasia was also more common in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and concurrent chronic kidney disease or atherosclerosis than in those without (33.6% vs. 28.3%). No osseous or chondromatous metaplasia was observed within the cusps of any of the prosthetic tissue valves.



Osseous and chondromatous metaplasia are common findings in native aortic valves but do not occur in prosthetic tissue aortic valves. Bicuspid valves appear to have an inherent proclivity for metaplasia, as demonstrated by their higher rates of osseous metaplasia and/or chondromatous metaplasia both overall and at earlier age compared to tricuspid and prosthetic tissue aortic valves. This predilection could be due to aberrant hemodynamic forces on bicuspid valves, as well as intrinsic genetic changes associated with bicuspid valve formation. Aortic valve interstitial cells may play a central role in this process. Calcification of prosthetic tissue valves is most likely a primarily dystrophic phenomenon.

Field of study: Biology, Medicine
Phase Transition Kinetics in Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) with Regard to Mo Content

The phase transformation to ausferrite during austempered ductile iron (ADI) heat treatment can be significantly influenced by the alloying element Mo. Utilizing neutron diffraction, the phase transformation from austenite to ausferrite was monitored in-situ during the heat treatment. In addition to the phase volume fractions, the carbon enrichment of retained austenite was investigated. The results from neutron diffraction were compared to the macroscopic length change from dilatometer measurements. They show that the dilatometer data are only of limited use for the investigation of ausferrite formation. However, they allow deriving the time of maximum carbon accumulation in the retained austenite. In addition, the transformation of austenite during ausferritization was investigated using metallographic methods. Finally, the distribution of the alloying elements in the vicinity of the austenite/ferrite interface zone was shown by atom probe tomography (APT) measurements. C and Mn were enriched within the interface, while Si concentration was reduced. The Mo concentration in ferrite, interface and austentite stayed at the same level. The delay of austenite decay during Stage II reaction caused by Mo was studied in detail at 400 °C for the initial material as well as for 0.25 mass % and 0.50 mass % Mo additions.

Field of study: Materials science
A dynamical phase transition in ferromagnetic granular materials

We study, using simulations the dynamical properties of complex ferromagnetic granular materials. The system of grains is modeled by a disordered two-dimensional lattice in which the grains are embedded, while the magnitude and direction of the easy axis are random. Using the monte-carlo method we track the dynamics of the magnetic moments of the grains. We observe a transition of the system from a macroscopic blocked (ferromagnetic) phase at low temperature in which the grain's magnetic moment do not flip to the other direction to an unblocked (superparamagnetic) phase at high temperature in which the magnetic moment is free to rotate. Our results suggest that this transition exhibits the characteristics of a second order phase transition such as the appearance of a giant cluster of unblocked grains which is fractal at the critical temperature, a peak in the size of the second largest cluster at the same temperature and a power law distribution of cluster sizes near the criticality.

Field of study: Physics
Couture & Consensus: Fashion and Politics in Postcolonial Argentina (review)

Regina Root's pioneering work on fashion has been extremely important to those interested in the study of Latin American material culture. She has made evident the tools that the study of fashion brings to our understanding of political and gender dynamics. This book draws on previous work, but in reading its full range of material the reader is impressed with tlie breadth of her argument and its relevance for scholars of nineteenthcentury Argentina. The introduction opens with the 2001 crisis, a time of "reassessing the 'fracturing of memory' that makes up the present-day process of national reconstitution," and a period when "artists and authors have appropriated the historical vocabulary of color and fashion to reformulate die tenets of collective identity" (p. xvii). This book attempts to contextualize this appropriation by interpreting the hidden meanings of the colors and symbols used. After all, since the early days of the independence movement dress represented "emerging political interests that would play a significant role in shaping the future Argentine nation; in fact, fashion appears to have reflected uniquely national concerns long before any consolidation process had been enacted" (p. xxiii).

Field of study: History
Bias temperature reliability of p-channel high-voltage devices

Important shifts in the threshold voltage of high voltage p-channel DMOS transistors have been observed. These shifts are strongly dependent on the stress conditions. An empirical degradation model is derived from measurement data. For a given allowed shift in threshold voltage, this model can determine the safe operating area of the device. The shift in threshold voltage in the p-channel DMOS transistors is explained by excitation and trapping of holes at the oxide-silicon interface at the drain side.

Field of study: Engineering
Uncertainty, Competition, and Speculative Finance in the Eighties

The 1980s has been characterized by financial speculation that emerged as a result of lingering market uncertainty and stiff competition among market players. Such competition was, in turn, a result of technological innovations and a shrinking market for many industries. The dismantling of financial constraints contributed to the speculative activity which proved eventually disastrous because it was not geared towards socially productive activity. The dynamics of the financial system that lead to institutional change result from profit-seeking activities ... In this process innovation occurs ... transform(ing) the financial and economic system ... into one that (is) vulnerable to crises.

Field of study: Economics
Communication Skill Building in Young Children With and Without Disabilities in a Preschool Classroom

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the turn-taking skills of children with and without disabilities who participated in a social communication intervention targeting peer-directed initiations and responses. Eight children met the selection criteria for inclusion in the study. A multiple baseline design across participants (dyads) was used to determine the effects of the social communication intervention. All eight participants showed increases of initiations with an immediate peer response. Follow-up assessments showed that the effects were maintained in the return to baseline condition but did not generalize into the classroom setting. Classroom teachers found the intervention procedures and the behavioral changes in participants to be socially valid. Several implications for practice can be derived from the findings of the present study.

Field of study: Education
Immunologic and biochemical analysis of TNT-1 and TNT-2 monoclonal antibody binding to histones.

Two novel murine monoclonal antibodies that bind to intracellular antigens, designated TNT-1 and TNT-2, have been generated by immunizing mice with nuclear extracts from human lymphoma cells. The monoclonal antibodies were initially identified by indirect immunofluorescence on lymphoma cell lines and subsequently were found to stain the nucleus of all cell types from several species including plants by indirect immunofluorescence techniques. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that TNT-1 bound to a protein of 22 kD and TNT-2 bound to two proteins of 15 and 22 kD, consistent with the known molecular weight of histones. To characterize their immunoreactivity, competition radioimmunoassays were performed using purified histone fractions H1, H2a, H2b and H3. By these assays, TNT-1 was found to bind to histone fraction H1 and TNT-2 to an epitope common to histone fractions H1 and H3. Histones are found in abundance in the nucleus of the cell and are known to play a major role in chromosome structure and gene expression. Upon cell death, histones remain tightly bound to DNA and consequently provide an abundant intracellular antigen that can be exploited in targeting necrotic cells, such as those found in tumors.

Field of study: Biology