nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
New insights into the genetic mechanism of IQ in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a number of underlying sub-types with various symptoms and presumably different genetic causes. One important difference between these sub-phenotypes is IQ. Some forms of ASD such as Asperger’s have relatively intact intelligence while the majority does not. In this study, we explored the role of genetic factors that might account for this difference. Using a case–control study based on IQ status in 1657 ASD probands, we analyzed both common and rare variants provided by the Autism Genome Project (AGP) consortium via dbGaP (database of Genotypes and Phenotypes). We identified a set of genes, among them HLA-DRB1 and KIAA0319L, which are strongly associated with IQ within a population of ASD patients.

Field of study: Biology
Grain or coleoptile tip as the source of IAA in cereal shoots

Current opinion is divided on whether the free IAA in cereal shoots is derived from the coleoptile tip or from the grain. To date these hypotheses have been considered to be mutually exclusive. In this paper the idea is advanced that both sources may function in the supply of IAA in the shoot. Critical review of the literature shows that such an explanation best fits all the available evidence. It is argued that the relative importance of each source may vary between species of the Gramineae, with the supply of IAA in Avena shoots being derived predominantly from the grain, whereas in Zea the coleoptile tip is the more important source.

Field of study: Environmental science
Preparation of Advanced Carbon Anode Materials from Mesocarbon Microbeads for Use in High C-Rate Lithium Ion Batteries

Mesophase soft carbon (MSC) and mesophase graphite (SMG), for use in comparative studies of high C-rate Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) anodes, were made by heating mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) at 1300 °C and 3000 °C; respectively. The crystalline structures and morphologies of the MSC, SMG, and commercial hard carbon (HC) were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, their electrochemical properties, when used as anode materials in LIBs, were also investigated. The results show that MSC has a superior charging rate capability compared to SMG and HC. This is attributed to MSC having a more extensive interlayer spacing than SMG, and a greater number of favorably-oriented pathways when compared to HC.

Field of study: Materials science
Comprehensive analysis of multiple cytokines and blood parameters for the diagnosis of bacterial infections in rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more susceptible to infections, which elevate the levels of relative cytokines. However, the ability of the cytokines levels to predicate bacterial infections in RA patients remains unclear. Here, we assessed the ability of the combination of serum cytokine levels and blood parameters to diagnose bacterial infections in RA patients. We measured the levels of a panel of serum cytokine and blood parameters in 168 RA patients and 81 healthy individuals. RA patients were divided into the bacterial infection (INFE) group (n = 76) and RA flare without INFE group (n = 92). Bacterial infection was confirmed by microbial culture, imaging, antibiotic response, and typical clinical symptoms. The discriminative ability of the combination of the cytokine levels and inflammatory parameters was assessed using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis and a novel bioscore system. The levels of interleukin (IL)-6 (p = 0.006), IL-10 (p = 0.019), interferon (IFN)-γ (p = 0.033), CRP (p < 0.001), and ESR (p < 0.001) were higher in patients of the INFE group than in patients with RA flare, and the absolute numbers of CD19+ B cells (p < 0.001) and CD4+ T cells (p = 0.009) were lower. For discriminating bacterial infection, the combination of IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, ESR, CRP, CD19+ B cells, and CD4+ T cells, provided an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.827 [(95% confidence interval (CI): 0.760-0.881)], which was profoundly larger than that of IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, ESR, CRP, CD19+ B cells, or CD4+ T cells alone. In addition, we also developed a bioscore system based on the combination of these seven biomarkers. Seventeen (100%) patients with a bioscore of 0 were non-infected, while seven (100%) patients with a score of 7 had bacterial infections. The bioscore based on the combination of ESR, CRP, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, CD19+ B cells and CD4+ T cells may be a promising and robust tool to diagnose bacterial infections in RA patients.

Field of study: Medicine
Several Countermeasures and Suggestions on Deepening Villages and Towns Management System Reform in China——Analysis on Villages and Towns Management System Reform Experiment Sites in Anhui Province

This article realistically expounds five major problems to be urgently solved under the macroscopic background that towns and villages management system reform is transforming from the partial experiment site to the comprehensive deepening in China.The key is re-defining of villages and towns management function and its transformation;the core is clarification of relations between matter and power;the foundation is scientific determination of the villages and towns management system reform plan;the premise is three levels of reforms linkages including county,township,the village;the base is the villages and towns government power ability construction.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Change of methane production pathway with sediment depth in a lake on the Tibetan plateau

Methane production is the terminal step in the degradation of organic matter in most anoxic lake sediments. It has been suggested that CH 4 production in lake sediments is dominated by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, especially in deeper layers. We investigated the vertical sediment profile from the surface to 50 cm depth in the sediment of Bangong Co, an oligotrophic high altitude lake on the Tibetan plateau. We measured CH 4 production, stable carbon isotopefractionation and the archaeal community structure. We found that the methane production rates, the acetate concentrations and the numbers of bacteria and archaea strongly decreased with sediment depth. The enrichment factor (e) for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis also decreased with depth, while δ 13 C of acetate stayed fairly constant. The contribution of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis to total CH 4 production increased with depth from ~ 36% to 100%. Analysis of terminal restriction fragment polymorphism (T-RFLP) of archaeal 16S rRNA genes showed that the relative abundance of aceticlastic ( Methanosaetaceae ) methanogens also decreased with depth disappearing completely at 50 cm depth. Our study firstly showed that the methanogenic pathway and the methanogenic archaeal community systematically changed with sediment depth in a high altitude lake, probably controlled by the availability of easily degradable organic matter.

Field of study: Environmental science, Geography
THE USE OF MICROWAVES TO DETERMINE THE FREE WATER CONTENT IN A CEMENT PASTE DURING HYDRATION

The hydration of cement is a phenomenon which can be evaluated by means of hyperfrequency dielectric measurements, but the various methods which have been developed for other types of study are not well adapted to this kind of material. A new method is proposed, that uses a parallel piped resonant cavity of varying length. The samples consist of small glass or rigid plastic tubes which have been filled with fresh cement paste to be studied. Complex dielectric constant measurements were made on three types of cement paste at 3000 mhz. They show that variations in the dielectric constant as a function of the time passed since mixing accurately reflect the cement hydration rate. This method could be applied to the control of the setting of mortar and fresh concrete.

Field of study: Philosophy
Bearing of the tertiary mountain belt on the origin of the earth’s plan

One of the grandest facts which the science of geology has established up to the present time is the existence of a great world-belt, or girdle, of Tertiary fold-mountains almost encircling the earth. This mountain belt comprises the entire Pacific coast of the two Americas and of Asia and extends westward along the southern border of Asia and Europe to the Atlantic coast in Spain and Morocco. In the Malay archipelago the belt branches to the eastward and sends an arm around the northern and eastern sides of Australia, but the mountain ranges of this branch are mostly submerged, and are now represented only by island chains, including New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and many smaller islands. Excepting the gap between New Zealand and southern Chile, the Pacific Ocean is completely surrounded by the Tertiary mountain belt. This fact rests upon a sound basis of observations, and is . . .

Field of study: Geology
Papanicolaou testing by physicians in manitoba: who does them?

Pap testing is one of the few effective preventive health practices available to primary care physicians. Yet we know little about how well this procedure is being done. Using data from the province of Manitoba's universal health insurance plan for the years 1976, 1978 and 1982, we determined the proportion of all Pap tests of women over 25 years of age performed by the various physician specialties; the percentage of physicians in each specialty who performed tests; and the mean number of tests per specialty group. We also determined the mean number of tests by age and training of the physician. The number of physicians performing Pap tests increased from 749 in 1976 to 780 in 1982. About 2% of Pap tests performed in the province were done by internists, 5% by general surgeons, about 33% by obstetrician/gynecologists, 40% by urban general practitioners, and 22% by rural general practitioners. Other physicians accounted for less than 0.2% of all tests. The mean number of Pap tests performed increased with increasing physician age up to age 60 and declined thereafter. Manitoba-trained physicians performed the highest rate of Pap testing, and this pattern was maintained over time. In 1982, only 22% of internists, 29% of general surgeons, and 78% of family physicians/general practitioners were performing tests. These results raise the question of why a significant number of physicians are not carrying out this effective preventive health practice.

Field of study: Medicine
The role of exercising in improving the myocardial fibrosis of diabetic rats and its possible mechanism

The authors established a type 2 diabetic rat model by means of high fat feeding plus intraperitoneal injection of a small dose of streptozotocin(STZ),probed into the role of exercising in improving the myocardial fibrosis of type 2 diabetic rats,and revealed the following findings: as compared with those of the rats in the normal control group,the blood GLU,GHb,GSP and INS level as well as myocardium AGEs,Hyp,CVF,GSSG/GSH,MDA and NF-κB P65 protein expression of the rats in the diabetic control group increased significantly(P0.05 or P0.01);as compared with those of the rats in the diabetic control group,the blood GLU,GHb and GSP level as well as myocardium AGEs,Hyp,CVF,GSSG/GSH,MDA and NF-κB P65 protein expression of the rats in the diabetic exercising group decreased significantly(P0.05 or P0.01).The said findings indicated the followings: the type 2 diabetic rat model duplicated by this experiment showed such a sign as myocardial fibrosis;exercising could improve the fasting blood glucose of type 2 diabetic rats,lower myocardial tissue’s AGEs content,oxidative stress and the level of NF-κB P65 protein expression,play a role in improving the myocardial fibrosis of type 2 diabetic rats;AGEs or oxidative stress or NF-κB P65 might be an important channel for exercising to improve the myocardial fibrosis of type 2 diabetic rats.

Field of study: Education
An intense neutrino source based on the 7Li isotope: Reactor and accelerator design

The creation of an intense antineutrino source with a hard $$\tilde \nu _e$$ spectrum based on the reaction of activation by 7Li(n, γ)8Li is proposed. When decaying, the resulting β− active 8Li isotope, emits a hard $$\tilde \nu _e$$ spectra with Eν up to 13 MeV at an average energy of ∼6.5 MeV. This $$\tilde \nu _e$$ source can be created on the basis of a nuclear reactor with a high-purity 7Li blanket. Stationary and dynamic modes are possible when lithium are pumped in the closed cycle through the bulk reservoir (lithium converter) near the active reactor zone and then to the distant $$\tilde \nu _e$$ detector. The accelerated development of a $$\tilde \nu _e$$ source in a setup based on a combination of an accelerator and a neutron-producing target inside a lithium converter is also considered. A tungsten target on a proton accelerator with energies of up to 300 MeV is discussed as well. The results from calculating the neutron yield from the target and the formation of 8Li and a $$\tilde \nu _e$$ flux are presented.

Field of study: Physics
Paulo Drinot (ed.), Peru in Theory (Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), pp. viii + 259, £62.50, hb.

more careful methodologically and more perceptive as to some of the major contrasts within Peruvian cultural memory, which Vich tends to brush over. But what these books have in common is more striking than their differences. Both are optimistic, viewing the mediations of cultural memory as contributions towards a better (more empathetic, solidary, less discriminatory in Saona, more critical and politicised, in Vich) national community. Readers will not find, in either, a critical evaluation of cultural memory as a discourse particular to the current global and Peruvian context. Likewise, they both stop short of fully systematising tendencies within this production, or of engaging with the debate as to the pros and cons of its different forms. In addition, readers interested in cultural memory practices that were not produced nor circulated in Lima will have to turn to other studies (such as some of the essays in Milton’s volume and in No hay mañana sin ayer, cited above). Overall, these books are important contributions, but many questions remain to be answered (and, moreover, asked) about cultural memory in Peru today.

Field of study: Political science
Numerical Simulation of Thermal Stress Field of Steel Ingot in Solidification Process

The temperature and thermal stress field of 13t ingot and mould were simulated and studied by three-dimensional transient FEM, the laws of thermal stress distribution in mould and ingot during solidification were discussed. The results show that at initial stage of solidification, the compressive stress and tensile stress is located at internal surface and outside ones of mould respectively, the tensile stress is located at outside surface of ingot due to solidification contraction, and the value of thermal stress in the mould decreases gradually with the incnease of solidification time. At the end of solidification, the tensile stress lies at core of ingot; the compressive stress lies at outside surface of ingot. During the solidification, the maximum and minimum shrinkages are located at fillet and opposite arc of ingot outside surface, respectively. This conclusion may provide basis for the optimizing design of mould and improvement of the ingot quality.

Field of study: Materials science
Demonstration of scan path optimization in proton therapy.

A three-dimensional (3D) intensity modulated proton therapy treatment plan to be delivered by magnetic scanning may comprise thousands of discrete beam positions. This research presents the minimization of the total scan path length by application of a fast simulated annealing (FSA) optimization algorithm. Treatment plans for clinical prostate and head and neck cases were sequenced for continuous raster scanning in two ways, and the resulting scan path lengths were compared: (1) A simple back-and-forth, top-to-bottom (zigzag) succession, and (2) an optimized path produced as a solution of the FSA algorithm. Using a first approximation of the scanning dynamics, the delivery times for the scan sequences before and after path optimization were calculated for comparison. In these clinical examples, the FSA optimization shortened the total scan path length for the 3D target volumes by approximately 13%-56%. The number of extraneous spilled particles was correspondingly reduced by about 13%-54% due to the more efficient scanning maps that eliminated multiple crossings through regions of zero fluence. The relative decrease in delivery time due to path length minimization was estimated to be less than 1%, due to both a high scanning speed and time requirements that could not be altered by optimization (e.g., time required to change the beam energy). In a preliminary consideration of application to rescanning techniques, the decrease in delivery time was estimated to be 4%-20%.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Study of Correlation between Endoscopic Assessment and Radiological Evaluation in Chronic Nasal Obstruction

Chronic nasal obstruction is one of the most common chronic diseases and affects nearly 50 million individuals every year the world over. The diagnosis of diseases associated with chronic nasal obstruction relies heavily on the clinical judgment. However the degree of accuracy in diagnosis of many reported cases with chronic nasal obstruction has exponentially increased owing to modern diagnostic methods like computed tomography of paranasal sinuses and diagnostic nasal endoscopy. The aim of the study is to implement the consistency among the findings of CT, X ray soft tissue and endoscopic findings of the PNS. This will help in a better understanding of the disease, its diagnosis and management.  This was a prospective observational study. The study was conducted in all the patients coming to the department of ENT in a tertiary health care centre. Patients of any age group with a history of nasal obstruction > 3 months not resolved in spite of medications were included in the study. An informed consent was obtained from the participants. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy and CT Scan PNS and or x-ray nasopharynx was done in 35 patients, suffering from chronic nasal obstruction.  A highly significant positive correlation was found between nasal endoscopic and radiological findings.  A detail assessment of radiological and endoscopic findings is necessary for tailoring surgical plan .No single procedure can be sufficient in accurately diagnosing chronic nasal obstruction and both the preoperative CT and endoscopic examination are complementary to each other.

Field of study: Medicine
On the evaluation of drug benefits policy changes with longitudinal claims data: the policy maker's versus the clinician's perspective.

Cost containment in pharmaceutical-benefit plans are often controversially debated for their potential of unintended consequences on health and overall expenditures. Thorough evaluations are needed but hypotheses and design considerations are complex. Our objective is to provide a structured framework for the evaluation of drug-benefit changes using longitudinal claims data. Differential cost sharing (DCS) will serve as a recent example. Benefit-plan managers are mainly interested in the overall performance of their plan. In a policy model, any observed policy-related effects may be compared with what would have happened had the intervention not been implemented by extrapolating the pre-policy trend from the same patients. These estimates will reflect the global consequences of the policy maker's decision. However, such estimates represent summary effects of benefits and harms, separately identifiable in those complying with the intended policy and those not complying. Results from a policy model apply only to a specific policy implementation and tend to underestimate effects when non-compliance is high. Clinical-decision makers and patients, by contrast, are interested in the consequences of patients' actual compliance to the policy. A clinical model assesses the effects of DCS depending on the actual treatment in contrast to the treatment intended by the policy. However, this model must sometimes make, unprovable assumptions about the appropriate control of selection factors. In conclusion, both policy and clinical models should be tested with a clear understanding of their perspectives, hypotheses, and interpretations, using quasi-experimental time-series designs to evaluate the effects of drug cost-containment policies.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
The work lives of child molesters: A phenomenological perspective

To understand the work experiences of men who sexually offend against children, the authors conducted a qualitative study on a sample of 8 outpatients in mandated treatment. The results, based on both interview and quantitative data, highlighted the reciprocal influence of work and sexual offending and ways in which the offense affected participants' psychosocial and career stability. Participants who were rated as making the most favorable progress by their therapists ranked work as less salient than home and family, leisure, and community service, although they were relatively satisfied with their current jobs. Work was more salient than other life roles, but less satisfying for participants who were making less progress in treatment. Participants reported a loss of job security and career status, as well as restricted opportunities for vocational change and advancement.

Field of study: Psychology
Proton radiosurgery in neurosurgery.

OBJECT
Photon energy deposition from gamma or photon sources follows the law of exponential decay. Consequently, energy is deposited over the entire path of the radiation beam, resulting in dose distribution before and after the target is reached. In contrast, the physical properties of protons are such that energy deposition occurs with no exit dose beyond the target volume. Therefore, relative to photons, proton beams represent a superior platform for the administration of radiosurgery.



In this review, the authors will discuss the fundamental principles underlying photon- and proton-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The clinical efficacy of proton-based SRS in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations, vestibular schwannomas, and pituitary adenomas is reviewed.



Direct comparisons of clinical results attained using photon- and proton-based SRS are confounded by a bias toward reserving proton beams for the treatment of larger and more complex lesions. Despite this bias, the clinical outcomes for proton-based SRS have been excellent and have been at least comparable to those for photon-based treatments.



The physical properties of proton radiation offer superior conformality in dose distribution relative to photon irradiation. This advantage becomes more apparent as the lesion size increases and will probably be magnified with the development of intensity-modulated proton techniques.

Field of study: Medicine
WARRP Core: Optoelectronic Implementation of Network-Router Deadlock-Handling Mechanisms.

The wormhole adaptive recovery-based routing via pre-emption(WARRP) core optoelectronic chip, which integrates coredeadlock-handling circuitry for a fully adaptive deadlock-freemultiprocessor network router, is presented. This chip demonstratesprimarily the integration of complex deadlock-recovery circuitry andfree-space optoelectronic input-output on a monolithicGaAs-based chip. The design and implementation of thefirst-generation, bit-serial, torus-connected chip that uses 1400transistors and six light-emitting diode-photodetector pairs is presented.

Field of study: Physics