nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
The Decline of Adult Smallpox in Eighteenth‐Century London: A Commentary

This article is a response to Davenport, Schwarz, and Boulton's article, ‘The decline of adult smallpox in eighteenth-century London’. It introduces new data on the parish of St Mary Whitechapel which casts doubt on the pattern of the age incidence of smallpox found by Davenport et al. However, it is concluded that there was a decline in adult smallpox in London, accompanied by a concentration of the disease among children under the age of five. Davenport et al.'s argument that the shift in the age incidence was due to the endemicization of smallpox in England is challenged, with an alternative view that these age changes can be accounted for by the practice of inoculation, both in the hinterland southern parishes of England and in London itself. A detailed discussion is carried out on the history of inoculation in London for the period 1760–1812. It is suggested that inoculation became increasingly popular in this period, rivalling in popularity the practice of vaccination. This was associated with a class conflict between the medical supporters of Jenner and the general population, with many of the latter being practitioners of the old inoculation.

Field of study: Economics, History
Capabilities and (Missed) Opportunity for Women’s Entrepreneurship in Kuwait

Kuwait offers a powerful context for investigating the entrepreneurial cultures developing in Gulf countries in response to the concurrent trends of pursuing economic diversification and efficiency, and the constraints posed by cultural narratives that maintain inequality between the sexes. Bringing a capabilities lens to the analysis of entrepreneurship promotion programs means shifting from a focus on meeting basic human needs to ensuring capabilities development. To begin, we discuss the capabilities approach to entrepreneurship with a focus on the necessity/opportunity classification. Next, we review the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Kuwait, including its focus on opportunity entrepreneurs and the legal, economic, and sociocultural framework in which they operate. After considering the impact of Kuwait’s gender-blind approach on women’s entrepreneurship, we conclude with some suggestions for strengthening Kuwait’s potential for capability expansion through entrepreneurship.

Field of study: Economics
Moderate aerobic exercise training for improving reproductive function in infertile patients: A randomized controlled trial

HIGHLIGHTSThe effects of moderate exercise on markers of male reproduction were examined.Exercise training favorably attenuated seminal cytokines and oxidative stress.Exercise training improved semen parameters and sperm DNA integrity.These changes coincide with favorable improvements in reproductive performance.  This study investigated for the first time the changes in seminal markers of inflammation, oxidative stress status, semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity as well as pregnancy rate following 24 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise in infertile patients. A total of 1026 sedentary men (aged 25–40 years) attending the infertility clinic with history of more than one year of infertility, were screened and 419 were randomized to either exercise (EX, n = 210) or non‐exercise (NON‐EX, n = 209) groups. Exercise training favorably attenuated seminal markers of both inflammation (IL‐1&bgr;, IL‐6, IL‐8, and TNF‐&agr;) and oxidative stress (ROS, MDA, 8‐Isoprostane) as well as enhanced antioxidant defense system (SOD, catalase and TAC) (P < 0.05). These changes correlate with favorable improvements in semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity and pregnancy rate (P < 0.05). The results provide information about the effectiveness of moderate aerobic exercise training as a treatment option for male factor infertility. The 4‐week detraining period was not enough to reverse all benefits promoted by exercise intervention.

Field of study: Medicine
Issues for comparability of DRG statistics in Europe. Results from EURODRG.

DRG use has spread through most European countries thus offering an opportunity for improving hospital data bases at the European level. An EEC Concerted Action 'Use of DRGs to support Hospital Sector Management in the European Community' was approved by the Committee of Health Services Research of the EEC. A general overview of the project is presented as well as a detailed description of the results of the work on aspects related to DRG data production. These aspects (MBDS implementation and variables definition; coding systems and updating; mapping systems; data auditing; trimming methods; and DRG grouper versions) have been analyzed with the objective of increasing opportunities for valid international comparisons of DRG statistics between European countries.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
Chemical stability of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3− δ in oxygen permeation applications under exposure to N2 and CO2

Phase stability and chemical reactivity of (La 0.6 Sr 0.4 ) 0.99 CoO 3− δ (LSC64) was tested in oxidative (pO 2  = 0.21 atm) and slightly reducing conditions (pO 2  ~ 10 − 5  atm), as well as in carbon dioxide (pO 2  ~ 10 − 4  atm) to evaluate the material performance for oxygen separation technologies. Thin film LSC64 oxygen separation membranes (20–30 μm) were manufactured and electrochemical performance was evaluated at a range of temperatures with either nitrogen or CO 2 purged on the permeate side of the membrane. Material stability was also investigated by high temperature X-ray diffraction, TGA and conductivity measurements in air, N 2 and CO 2 . Under mild reduction LSC64 partly decomposes to a K 2 NiF 4 -type phase (i.e. (La,Sr) 2 CoO 4 ), and Co-oxide, and under high pCO 2 forms SrCO 3 . The latter is found to impair membrane performance. Electrical properties and oxygen permeation (jO 2 ) in thin membranes depend on the thermal and chemical history of the samples. A flux of 4–6 Nml min − 1  cm − 2 in the temperature range of 800–900 °C was demonstrated for optimized membranes and conditions.

Field of study: Materials science
Late Wisconsinan drift stratigraphy of the Lake Michigan Lobe in southwestern Michigan

Three Lake Michigan Lobe till sheets are exposed in a 20- to 25-m-high section (Glenn Shores section) along the Lake Michigan shoreline in southwestern Michigan. The Glenn Shores till (lowest) is directly overlain by stratified silt, sand, and gravel containing organic material dated at 37,150 to >48,000 yr B.P. The Ganges till (middle) and Saugatuck till (uppermost) are overlain by lacustrine sediments. The three till units can be differentiated by the 7A/10A X-ray diffraction peak-height ratio of their clay size fraction. Clay-mineral analyses of more than 200 samples collected from moraines, till plains, and multi-till exposures 2 to 60 km inland suggest that Saugatuck till at the lakeshore is equivalent to till in the Lake Border Valparaiso, and Sturgis-Kalamazoo morainic systems, whereas Ganges till can be traced in the subsurface from the lakeshore to where it crops out within the Tekonsha Moraine. The presence of lacustrine sediments between Ganges and Saugatuck tills implies that a significant retreat (>60 km) of the Lake Michigan Lobe occurred between the formation of the Tekonsha Moraine and that of the Sturgis-Kalamazoo Morainic System. On the basis of morainal correlations, we propose that Saugatuck till correlates with Wadsworth Till in Illinois, whereas Ganges till probably correlates with the upper part of the Yorkville Till in Illinois.

Field of study: Geology
Isolation and characterization of mesotrione-degrading Bacillus sp. from soil.

Dissipation kinetics of mesotrione, a new triketone herbicide, sprayed on soil from Limagne (Puy-de-Dôme, France) showed that the soil microflora were able to biotransform it. Bacteria from this soil were cultured in mineral salt solution supplemented with mesotrione as sole source of carbon for the isolation of mesotrione-degrading bacteria. The bacterial community structure of the enrichment cultures was analyzed by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE). The TTGE fingerprints revealed that mesotrione had an impact on bacterial community structure only at its highest concentrations and showed mesotrione-sensitive and mesotrione-adapted strains. Two adapted strains, identified as Bacillus sp. and Arthrobacter sp., were isolated by colony hybridization methods. Biodegradation assays showed that only the Bacillus sp. strain was able to completely and rapidly biotransform mesotrione. Among several metabolites formed, 2-amino-4-methylsulfonylbenzoic acid (AMBA) accumulated in the medium. Although sulcotrione has a chemical structure closely resembling that of mesotrione, the isolates were unable to degrade it.

Field of study: Environmental science
Transition from boundary- to bulk-controlled regimes in optical pattern formation.

By increasing the Fresnel number F of the cavity of a photorefractive oscillator, we report the transition from a boundary-controlled regime, where the size of the transverse patterns scales as 1/√F, to a bulk-controlled regime where the pattern size is independent of F. In this new regime, the size corresponds to an intrinsic correlation length imposed by diffusion processes within the material. The wave number spectrum of the emitted field has a sharp cutoff, corresponding to the length scale of bulk correlations. Such a new behavior is explained by the wave number dependence of the gain within the instability region

Field of study: Physics
[Seroepidemiological investigation on Japanese encephalitis in Taiwan (January 1989-December 1991)].

: The hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test was used to detect sero-confirmed cases of clinically suspected Japanese encephalitis. The results revealed a total of 76 sero-confirmed cases; 24, 27 and 25 cases respectively for the year 1989, 1990 and 1991. The percentages of sero-confirmed cases with respect to reported cases were 12.97%, 12.33%, 10.04% respectively. The mean percentage was 11.64%. The mean number of sero-confirmed cases in recent three years was 25, and morbidity rate per 100,000 population was 0.125. The number of sero-confirmed cases in 1970 was 269, and morbidity rate per 100,000 was 1.86. The comparison of these two groups showed the ratio of 1:11 and 1:15. It demonstrated that the period of 50% sero-conversion of HI antibody positive pigs appeared two months earlier in the middle of May currently as against the middle of July during the years 1966-1968. The period of JE prevalence likewise shifted two months earlier to the months of May, June and July, with a peak in June in 1989-1991 as against the months of July, August and September with a peak in August in 1966-1968. There occurred a few sporadic cases in other months away from the period of major epidemic. With regard to the geographical distribution of the sero-confirmed cases in recent three years, most JE cases were detected in the Taipei basin and the Kaohsiung-Pingtung river basin. The next numerous cases were found in the terrace which extends from Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli to the central Taiwan and in the Chiayi-Tainan plain. Only four cases were reported from Ilan, Hualien and Taitung counties. During the years between 1955 and 1967, the vast majority of cases occurred among children, especially of 2-9 years of age. The next suffered group was the age group of 10-14 years. In the meanwhile, the current major group of victim was the age group of 10-14 years and its morbidity rate per 100,000 population was 0.30. The second suffered group was the age group of 20-24 years and its morbidity rate was 0.28, and the third was the age group of 0-9 years and its morbidity rate was 0.16. The percentages of sero-confirmed cases of the above each age group with respect to all sero-confirmed cases were 23.68%, 21.05%, 22.36% respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400

Field of study: Biology
Obstructing the cascade: motivational system coactivation dampening defensive reactions to threat and disgust

This study uses the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP; Lang, 2006) as a framework to study coactivation of fundamental motivational systems elicited by common message features in antismoking public service announcements (PSAs): the appetitive system (elicited by smoking cues) and aversive system (elicited by perceived threat and disgust). Specific predictions were made for smoking cues’ ability to provide cognitive resources for message encoding when simultaneous message elements are so highly aversive they begin to deplete resources (i.e., during a defensive cascade). The results showed that greater resources were expended on encoding headlines as indicated by increased attention (i.e., gaze duration and frequency of fixation) and better free recall, but not noncue pictorial elements when smoking cues were present in PSAs high in perceived disgust. Although the inclusion of smoking cues was effective in highly aversive PSAs, results indicated that the inclusion of smoking cues reduced attention and free recall for moderately and low-aversive PSAs. Theoretical advances include the use of motivational coactivation to reduce defensive reactions and the differential allocation impact on text versus visual message elements. Applied implications highlight the importance of formative production research to ensure aversive activation is high enough to offset urges associated with smoking cues.

Field of study: Psychology
Estimating the probability of P–H bonds breaking in a modified biocomposite after exposure to a pulsed magnetic field

For the successful compaction wood, we miust convert its amorphous component (lignin) from a glassy to a highly elastic state by treating it with, e.g., ammonia. This plasticization of lignin results in the formation of compounds containing bi-coordination phosphorus, increasing its hydrophobicity due to the formation of P–H bonds. In this work, the problem of reducing the number of such bonds after treatment with a pulsed magnetic field is discussed, using the results from studying the IR spectra of modified wood samples.

Field of study: Physics
Optimal investment and reinsurance problem with jump-diffusion model

In this paper, the optimal investment and reinsurance problem is investigated for a class of the jump-diffusion risk model. Here, the insurer can purchase excess-of-loss reinsurance and invest his or her surplus into a financial market consisting of one risk-free asset and one risk asset whose price is modeled by constant elasticity of variance (CEV) model, the net profit condition and the criterion of maximizing the expected exponential utility of terminal wealth are considered in the CEV financial market. By using stochastic control theory to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation, and the explicit form of the optimal policies and value functions can be obtained. Finally, numerical examples are presented to show the impacts of model parameters on the optimal strategies.

Field of study: Mathematics
Creating a strategic management plan for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provision.

We were commissioned by the West Midlands NHS Regional Specialized Services Group (RSSG) to formulate a strategic plan for the management of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) within the West Midlands, UK. We needed to establish whether an increase in MRI provision was required, and if so to develop criteria to shape both the nature and location of MRI provision. We found that the UK had relatively low MRI provision per capita by international standards, and that the West Midlands region of the UK had less than the UK average level of MRI provision per capita. Within the region there was a 'mixed economy' of MRI provision involving fixed site scanners owned by the NHS and private companies, and private sector mobile MRI provision. There was little evidence of inappropriate MRI use, but considerable evidence of under-provision. Most MRI scanners in the region were heavily utilized, and average waiting times for MRI frequently exceeded guidelines (of a maximum 13-week wait for non-urgent MRI scans). Projections from NHS Trusts, MRI suppliers, and experts in the MRI field, led us to the conclusion that demand for MRI was likely to grow by between 12.5 and 18.5% per annum. This implies that 8-14 additional MRI scanners might be required within the West Midlands over the next 5 years, to meet existing, and rising demand for MRI. We therefore developed criteria (outlined in the paper) to enhance the productive and allocative efficiency of the deployment of MRI provision, whilst improving the configuration of MRI with reference to geographical equality of access to MRI.

Field of study: Medicine, Political science
ФАКТОРЫ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО РОСТА В 2013 Г. - 1-М ПОЛУГОДИИ 2014 Г

Результаты декомпозиции роста показателя выпуска свидетельствуют о том, что в среднем в 2013 г. – 1-м полугодии 2014 г. доминирующую роль в определении темпов роста ВВП играют затраты труда и капитала, т.е. в настоящее время рост российской экономики достигается в основном за счет экстенсивных факторов. Наращивание затрат основных факторов осуществляется преимущественно за счет увеличения затрат капитала, которое обеспечивается устойчивым ростом объемов основных фондов при снижении степени их загрузки.

Field of study: Economics
Translation from layout-based to visual android test scripts: An empirical evaluation

Mobile GUI tests can be classified as layout-based – i.e. using GUI properties as locators – or Visual – i.e. using widgets’ screen captures as locators –. Visual test scripts require significant maintenance efforts to be kept aligned with the tested application as it evolves or it is ported to different devices. This work aims to conceptualize a translation-based approach to automatically derive Visual tests from existing layout-based counterparts or repair them when graphical changes occur, and to develop a tool that implements and validates the approach. We present TOGGLE, a tool that translates Espresso layout-based tests for Android apps to Visual tests that conform to either SikuliX, EyeAutomate, or a combination of the two tools’ syntax. An experiment is conducted to measure the precision of the translation approach, which is evaluated on maintenance tasks triggered by graphical changes due to device diversity. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of a translation-based approach, show that script portability to different devices is improved (from 32% to 93%), and indicate that translation can repair up to 90% of Visual locators in failing tests. GUI test translation mitigates challenges with Visual tests like maintenance effort and portability, enabling their wider use in industrial practice.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering
Priority responses to the 2006 Guimaras oil spill, Philippines: Will history repeat itself?

The Guimaras oil spill of 2006 was the worst environmental accident of the Philippine and coincidentally happened during a period of rapid progress in nationwide communication technology. This study took advantage of the massive media coverage of the incident to answer questions about the priority needs of the affected population, the prominent disaster response, and the rationale for the response. Techniques were combined to implement a descriptive analysis of the available information-interview of key respondents and news survey, substantiated by a document analysis of hardcopy and online materials, and content mapping in the integration and analysis. The priority needs of the oils spill victims were few and basic-a plain consequence of economic and physical dislocations. Yet, these needs were inadequately met because the many forms of disaster response “diluted” the relief operation and further spawned unwarranted issues that aggravated the situation. Habitat assessment and rehabilitation, especially of mangroves, emerged as the prominent response. Aggressively pushed by experts and advocates, it competed with and overshadowed the priority action on the distressed population. The environmental response is linked to a lingering foreign crusade. The environmentalism is unregulated and turning adverse, but it continually succeeds because, apart from its domineering advocacy, as foreign imposition, the society is naturally resilient to it, Philippine laws support it and, particularly, even intellectuals espouse it. Moreover, there exists a large pool of potential environment advocates in the country with hardly 1% of which being development-oriented. Other failures of the disaster response are discussed. The aftermath rippled with issues on litigations, irregularities and continuing research.

Field of study: Environmental science
SU‐E‐J‐138: The Effect of Shoulder Variation on IMRT and SmartArc Plans for Head and Neck Cancer

First, to determine an average and maximum displacement of the shoulder relative to isocenter over the course of treatment. Second, to establish the dosimetric effect of shoulder displacements relative to correct isocenter alignment on the dose delivered to the target and the surrounding structures for head and neck cancer patients.  The frequency of shoulder shifts of various magnitudes relative to isocenter was assessed for 4 patients using image registrationsoftware. The location of the center of the right and left humeral head relative to isocenter (usually C2) was found daily from CT on rails scans, and was compared to the location of the humeral heads relative to isocenter on the initial simulation CT. Three Baseline head and neck IMRT and SmartArc plans were generated in Pinnacle based on simulation CTs. The CT datasets (external contour and boney structures) were then modified to represent shifts of the shoulder (relative to isocenter) between 3 mm and 15 mm in the SI, AP, and LR directions. The initial plans were recalculated on the image sets with shifted shoulders.  On average, shoulder motion was 2‐5 mm in each direction, although displacements of over 1 cm in the inferior and posterior directions occurred. Shoulder shifts induced perturbations in the dose distribution, although generally only for large shifts. Most substantially, superior shifts resulted in coverage loss of up to 152 cc for targets in the lower neck. Inferior shifts elevated the dose to the brachial plexus by 0.6–4.1 Gy. SmartArc plans showed similar loss of target coverage as IMRT plans.  The position of the shoulder can have an impact on target coverage and critical structure dose. Shoulder position may need to be considered for setup of head and neck patients depending on target location.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Getting to 2020: The Canadian forces and future force structure and investment considerations

The author analyses the combat capability of the Canadian Forces and argues that the most expedient use of limited investment dollars provided by the Department of National Defence would be to overcome the psychological anathema of specialization. Using the United States as an exemplar of the kind of force structure that Canada and others could pursue, he discusses the types of investment choices that are available to Canada within the budgetary constraints imposed. He argues not for duplication of the American model, but for transformation, employing cost‐effective RMA technologies, and ensuring some degree of balanced combat force among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. But RMA technologies will also demand new force structures, of which the idea of ‘joint‐ness’ among the services is just the tip of the iceberg. Decisions made in the next several years will dictate the nature of the CF in 2020; waiting for the RMA to unfold will be too late.

Field of study: Political science