nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Impacts of ionic strength on three-dimensional nanoparticle aggregate structure and consequences for environmental transport and deposition.

The transport of nanoparticles through aqueous systems is a complex process with important environmental policy ramifications. Ferrihydrite nanoparticles commonly form aggregates, with structures that depend upon solution chemistry. The impact of aggregation state on transport and deposition is not fully understood. In this study, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) were used to directly observe the aggregate structure of ferrihydrite nanoparticles and show how the aggregate structure responds to changing ionic strength. These results were correlated with complementary studies on ferrihydrite transport through saturated quartz sand columns. Within deionized water, nanoparticles form stable suspensions of low-density fractal aggregates that are resistant to collapse. The particles subsequently show limited deposition on sand grain surfaces. Within sodium nitrate solutions the aggregates collapse into denser clusters, and nanoparticle deposition increases dramatically by forming thick, localized, and mechanically unstable deposits. Such deposits limit nanoparticle transport and make transport less predictable. The action of ionic strength is distinct from simpler models of colloidal stability and transport, in that salt not only drives aggregation or attachment but also alters the behavior of preexisting aggregates by triggering their collapse.

Field of study: Environmental science
Acute renal and splenic infarctions: a review.

Renal and splenic infarctions are close entities, with few data concerning their clinical, biological and radiological features.  The aim of this study was to compare the clinical presentations, etiologies and outcomes of acute renal infarctions (RI) and splenic infarctions (SI).  A retrospective multicentric cohort study included patients of the 6 university hospitals in Lyon with RI, SI, or associated RI-SI infarctions was conducted.  All consecutive cases diagnosed by CT imaging, between January 2013 and October 2016, were included. The exclusion criteria were causes of infarction that did not require additional investigations.  A total of 161 patients were selected for analysis: 34 patients with RI, 104 patients with SI and 23 patients with both RI-SI. Mean ± SD age of patients was 63.2 ± 16.6 years; 59.6% were male. Only 5/161 (3.1%) were healthy prior to the event. The main symptoms were diffuse abdominal pain (26.4%), followed by nausea/vomiting (18.3%) and fever (16.4%).The causes of RI or SI varied significantly within the three groups. Hypercoagulable state was associated with SI, and embolic disease and arterial injury were associated with RI. Extensive (i.e.>2/3 of organ volume) (OR 6.22, 95%CI 2.0119.22) and bilateral infarctions (OR 15.05, 95%CI 1.79-126.78) were significantly associated with hemodynamic shocks. The survival at 1 month follow-up did not significantly differ between the three groups.  Acute RI and SI are heterogenous entities in regards to their clinical presentation, etiology, associated venous or arterial thrombosis, but prognoses were not different at short term follow-up.

Field of study: Medicine
A theory of the saving rate of the rich

Empirical evidence suggests that the rich have higher propensity to save than do the poor. While this observation may appear to contradict the homotheticity of preferences, we theoretically show that that is not the case. Specifically, we consider an income fluctuation problem with homothetic preferences and general shocks and prove that consumption functions are asymptotically linear, with an exact analytical characterization of asymptotic marginal propensities to consume (MPC). We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the asymptotic MPCs to be zero. We solve a calibrated model with standard constant relative risk aversion utility and show that asymptotic MPCs can be zero in empirically plausible settings, implying an increasing and large saving rate of the rich.

Field of study: Economics
The influence of temperature during seed development on the germination characteristics of millet seeds

The cardinal temperatures, rate of germination and final percentage germination of pearl millet seeds were measured for seeds raised in greenhouses maintained at mean air temperatures of 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31°C. The results showed that cardinal temperatures for germination are unaffected by the temperature during seed development and growth. However, the conditions during seed growth did affect seed size and, subsequently, germination rate and seed viability.

Field of study: Environmental science
Po‐Thur Eve General‐26: Tracking intraprostatic volumes for determining non‐linear warping algorithm variability

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging(MRSI) is becoming routinely used for diagnosis and treatment planning of prostate cancer.MRSI provides physicians and physicists with information related to metabolic activity of tissues within the prostate. During the MRSIdata acquisition, an endorectal radio frequency coil is utilized to boost signal strength in the localized volume, and brings about a ∼10 fold increase in the signal to noise ratio. A challenge exist is using the MRSI data collected using the endorectal coil technique. The endorectal coil, while crucially important to data acquisition, is filled with approximately with ∼100cc's of air. This pushes the prostate superiorly/anteriorly, deforming the prostate and consequently the spectroscopic imaging data in a non‐linear manner. In this application, the coil‐deformed MRS images are warped back to a non‐deformed state, using a single data set. A non‐linear warping algorithm is presented to achieve this. For this case study, physicians were able to contour both the total prostate volume, and intraprostatic nodules. While choosing anatomical tie points along the external prostate surface (needed for the non‐linear warping algorithm), analysis of the nodules revealed the algorithm accuracy ranges from 63–93%. While the algorithm accuracy itself, when reproducing the total prostate volume, achieved an accuracy of 97%.

Field of study: Medicine, Physics
Advanced Oxidation Protein Products Inhibit Proliferation and Differentiation of Rat Osteoblast-like Cells via NF-κB Pathway

Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), a novel marker for oxidative protein damage, regulated cell behavior in many cell types. Although previous reports have revealed that oxidative stress resulted in an increased AOPPs content in cultured osteoblast-like cells, the effects of AOPPs on osteoblast-like cell function remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of AOPPs on the proliferation and differentiation of rat osteoblast-like (ROB) cells in vitro.  ROB cells isolated from calvarias of newborn rats were incubated with AOPPs-modified rat serum albumin (AOPPs-RSA) prepared in vitro by incubation of RSA with hypochlorous acid. Cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Alkaline phosphatase activity was measured. Expression of osteocalcin mRNA and protein were examined using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was detected by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscope. Phosphorylation of nuclear factor (NF)- κB p65 subunit was detected by Western blot.  Exposure of ROB cells to AOPPs-RSA significantly inhibited cell proliferation, decreased alkaline phosphatase activity, down-regulated the expression of osteocalcin mRNA and protein in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. AOPPs challenge induced ROS generation and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, which were inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase and NADPH oxidase inhibitors diphenyleneiodonium and apocynin. Furthermore, NF-κB inhibitor SN50 could reverse the AOPPs-induced inhibition of ROB cell proliferation and differentiation.  These results suggest that AOPPs can inhibit proliferation and differentiation of ROB cells through ROS-dependent NF-κB pathway.

Field of study: Biology, Chemistry
Meningiomas of the velum interpositum: surgical considerations.

Meningiomas of the third ventricle are a rare subtype of pineal region tumor that arise from the posterior portion of the velum interpositum, the double layer of pia mater that forms the roof of the third ventricle. The authors review the literature concerning these meningiomas and present a case in which the lesion was resected via the supracerebellar-infratentorial approach. The relationship of the tumor to the deep venous system and the splenium of the corpus callosum guides the selection of the most advantageous surgical approach. Posterior displacement of the internal cerebral veins demonstrated on preoperative imaging provides a strong rationale for use of the supracerebellar-infratentorial approach.

Field of study: Medicine
Commitment Readiness and Relationship Formation

The concept of being ready for a relationship is pervasive in popular culture, but theoretical and empirical research on readiness is lacking. We offer a conceptualization of commitment readiness and provide some of the first empirical work examining readiness among single individuals—specifically how this construct shapes various aspects of relationship formation. Using data from five independent samples of individuals not involved in romantic relationships, we first establish that commitment readiness is associated with more interest in developing a close romantic relationship (Studies 1a, 1b, 2) and with active pursuit of relationship initiation (Study 2). We then test whether readiness among single individuals longitudinally predicts both the likelihood of later entering a relationship and, ultimately, how committed individuals are to a future relationship (Studies 3a, 3b, 3c). Implications of commitment readiness specifically, and perceived personal timing more generally, for the social psychology of relationships are discussed.

Field of study: Psychology
CEM-designer: design of custom expression microarrays in the post-ENCODE Era.

Microarrays are widely used in gene expression studies, and custom expression microarrays are popular to monitor expression changes of a customer-defined set of genes. However, the complexity of transcriptomes uncovered recently make custom expression microarray design a non-trivial task. Pervasive transcription and alternative processing of transcripts generate a wealth of interweaved transcripts that requires well-considered probe design strategies and is largely neglected in existing approaches. We developed the web server CEM-Designer that facilitates microarray platform independent design of custom expression microarrays for complex transcriptomes. CEM-Designer covers (i) the collection and generation of a set of unique target sequences from different sources and (ii) the selection of a set of sensitive and specific probes that optimally represents the target sequences. Probe design itself is left to third party software to ensure that probes meet provider-specific constraints. CEM-Designer is available at http://designpipeline.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de.

Field of study: Biology, Engineering
Plasmons in nanoscale metal junctions: optical rectification and thermometry

We use simultaneous electronic transport and optical characterization measurements to reveal new information about electronic and optical processes in nanoscale junctions fabricated by electromigration. Comparing electronic tunneling and photocurrents allows us to infer the optical frequency potential difference produced by the plasmon response of the junction. Together with the measured tunneling conductance, we can then determine the locally enhanced electric field within the junction. In similar structures containing molecules, anti-Stokes and Stokes Raman emission allow us to infer the effective local vibrational and electronic temperatures as a function of DC current, examining heating and dissipation on the nanometer scale.

Field of study: Physics
Peanut agglutinin, a lectin with an unusual quaternary structure and interesting ligand binding properties

Lectins are multivalent proteins which play their biological role through the ability to specifically bind different carbohydrate structures. This ability has also led to their myriad applications. They occur in all forms of life. Among plant lectins, those from leguminous plants constitute the most thoroughly studied family. Most of the well-characterized legume lectins can be classified as mannose (Man)/glucose (Glc) specific or galactose (Gal)/N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) specific. Tetrameric, non-glycosylated peanut agglutinin (PNA) is the most thoroughly investigated member of the Gal/GalNAc specific family of legume lectins. Its structure indicated that open quaternary association also needed to be considered when dealing with multimeric proteins. The structure also helped to establish legume lectins as a family of proteins in which small alterations in essentially the same tertiary structure lead to large changes in quaternary association. It provides an explanation for the exclusive specificity of PNA for galactose at the primary site. The structures of the relevant complexes demonstrated that the specificity of the lectin for T-antigen at the disaccharide level is caused by a water-bridge, thus establishing water-mediated interactions as a strategy for generating ligand specificity. In disaccharide complexes, the second residue interacts directly with the protein only when the glycosidic linkage is β1-3 or β1-4. Studies on the interactions of PNA with a bivalent ligand provide valuable insights into the multivalency of lectins. The availability of detailed structural information on the lectin permitted rational re-design of its combining site. A comparison of the available structural data on PNA led to the elucidation of the limited plasticity of the lectin molecule and its relation to function. An exploration of its hydration shell brought out the importance of conserved water molecules in the structure and function of PNA. Interestingly, while the Man/Glc specific concanavalin A, the most thoroughly studied lectin to date, represents the conventional wisdom on legume lectins, PNA, perhaps the next most extensively studied legume lectin, largely highlights departures from it.

Field of study: Materials science
Plato on Medicine's Role in Society: The Care of the Elderly

Plato was the teacher of Aristotle, as well as an important source for the early Christian thinkers including Augustine. Thomas Aquinas continued to draw on the wisdom of Plato as well as Aristotle. Perhaps by trying to understand how Plato might have dealt with a modern moral problem, we might gain that perspective which often comes with standing back and looking through the eyes of someone less closely involved. O'Rourke and Brodeur identify as a "serious problem in medical ethics" that "health care professionals often must decide when to allow a person to die."· Let us try to examine this question through the gaze of Plato. 2 On Monday, Oct. 6,1986, there was an article on the editorial page of the New York Times by Alvin Feinstein, Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, about a 96-year old woman. She was treated for pneumonia following a stroke and survived. Feinstein describes her, at that time, as in "the agony of her vegetation". He identifies the decision to treat her vigorously, which was made by the doctors, as one which would "benefit no one except their own satisfaction in thwarting death, regardless of the consequences". As Feinstein ends, he asks, "Why?", and weeps both for the woman, his mother, and the profession, also his own. Plato, and Feinstein, I suspect, would have made one identical decision. Neither would have treated her pneumonia. I also suspect Feinstein would have performed one further act, however. He would have held her handnot as physician, but as loving son. The reasons that neither Feinstein nor Plato would not have treated her would also probably at least in part -be different. Feinstein, in his article, seems to base his agony about the treatment on compassion as well as autonomy and a recognition ofIimits . He writes of his mother's values and her clearly expressed wishes. She had

Field of study: Medicine, Philosophy
Size Effect in the Electrical Conductivity of Thin Films of Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

The electrical resistivity of thin films of topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 10 to 75 nm thick is measured in the temperature range of 4.2 to 300 K. A size effect is observed in the electrical conductivity of the Bi2Se3 films; i.e., there is a linear dependence of a film’s conductivity on its inverse thickness. It is assumed that a similar effect can be observed in other TIs and in systems with nonuniform distributions of current over the cross section of a sample.

Field of study: Physics
Common skeletal problems in children and adolescents.

Injuries are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Approximately 15% of injuries involve the skeleton. The prevalence of injuries and musculoskeletal problems increases with age as growing children achieve higher levels of physical activity. This paper provides brief descriptions of only the most common skeletal problems. The authors describe skeletal injuries seen in battered children; problems that cause painful or immobile arms; limps or immobile legs; and spinal pain problems. The common causes of pain or disability in these four areas are discussed.

Field of study: Medicine
Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease: A Psychosocial Perspective

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease primarily characterised by motor symptoms. However, another feature of PD which is receiving increasing attention is the phenomenon of impulse control disorders (ICDs), such as pathological gambling. To date, research into ICDs in PD has centred on a biomedical model of cause, related to the effects of dopamine replacement therapy. However, there are several areas of discrepancy in the current biomedical account of ICDs in PD. In addition, we argue that social and psychological factors also need to be considered to achieve a more complete understanding of the phenomenon. We present a novel conceptual model which combines biomedical and psychosocial factors in the genesis of ICDs in PD and use the model to identify a number of potential treatment intervention points and to highlight important outstanding questions concerning the inter-relationship between psychosocial and biomedical factors in the genesis of ICDs in PD.

Field of study: Psychology
A analysis of body shape indices of adults in 7 minority nationalities in Xinjiang

By means of sampling survey, the authors analyzed 7 test indices and 5 derivative indices of body shape of 10,500 adults in 7 minority nationalities in Xinjiang, namely, Uygour, Kazak, Mongolia, Kirks, Xibe, Tajik and Hui, and revealed the variation pattern, development trend, discrepancy existed in genders and its causes in respect of body shape of adults in 7 minority nationalities in Xinjiang, providing scientific data for studying the variation pattern of body shape of adults in 7 minority nationalities in Xinjiang and establishing various physical quality evaluating criteria.

Field of study: Education
Effect of tea infusions on inhibition of nitrosifi cation

Various tea infusions were used as the test samples, the scavenging rate of nitrite and interdiction rate of nitrosylation were measured under simulate gastric juice in vitro. The results showed that the scavenging rate of nitrite was significant positive correlation with the concentration of tea polyphenols. Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, pu'er tea had some effect on scavenging nitrite, the average scavenging rates were 75.90%, 37.25%, 64.29% and 70.45%. Under the condition of pH3.0 and 37 ℃, green tea had higher interdiction rate of nitrosamine, at 54.20%; Black tea, oolong tea, pu'er tea also had certain effect on inhibition of nitrosifi cation, the average interdiction rate were 44.16%, 51.23% and 53.00%, respectively. The order of scavenging rates and interdiction rate were: green teapu'er teaoolong teablack tea. But the scavenging rate of nitrite and interdiction rate existed differences of all kinds of tea infusions.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Synthesizing Agile and Knowledge Discovery: Case Study Results

This research adopts a framework that synthesizes Knowledge Discovery in Database (KDD), Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM), and agile practices. The application of this framework is demonstrated through an institutional case study of three knowledge discovery projects: Persistence, Retention, and Donor projects. Results from the case study suggest that (a) interaction and iteration are foundations for the success of a knowledge discovery project, especially one with a strong business focus; (b) agile practices facilitate the interaction and iteration nature of a knowledge discovery project; (c) adding business understanding and deployment steps from CRISP-DM to KDD explicitly helps data miners stay focused on the ultimate goals of the project—the needs of the business and the users.

Field of study: Computer science
A prediction-Based VM consolidation approach in IaaS Cloud Data Centers

Recent years have witnessed a rapid growth in exploiting Cloud environments to host and deliver various types of virtualized resources as on-demand services. In order to optimally use Cloud resources, the arrangement of virtual machines (VMs) in physical machines (PMs) must be performed strategically, because the placement of VMs in accordance with the available resources can reduce energy consumption, improve resource utilization and, consequently, can increase companies benefits. However, VMs could have time varying workloads, which leads to degradation of performance and power consumption. Thus, re-configuring the VMs placement is essential. Virtual machine consolidation aims to optimally use the available resources by allocating several virtual machines on a set of physical ones (PMs). To determine the PMs capacities to reallocate VMs, it is important to predict their states based on resource utilization history within each VM, and the past VMs migration traffic. However, a common limitation between existing VM consolidation approaches is the lack of information about the history of (and the future) VM migration traffic. Through this paper, we aim to propose a virtual machine consolidation approach based on the estimation of requested resources and the future VM migration traffic. We exploit the strength of Kernel Density Estimation technique (KDE) as a powerful mean to forecast the future resource usage of each VM, and AKKA toolkit as an actor-based model that allows exchanging useful information about the host’s states. We adopt a weighted-graph representation to model the history of migration traffic between PMs and to design the actor-based topology of the data center. The obtained results show the effectiveness of our approach in terms of total number of migrations and energy consumption.

Field of study: Computer science, Engineering