nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Physico-Chemical Surface Modifications of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Using Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Radiation and EUV-Induced Nitrogen Plasma

In this work, the effect of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation and the combination of EUV radiation and low-temperature nitrogen plasma on the physico-chemical properties of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surfaces were presented. The laser-plasma EUV source based on a double gas puff target was used in this experiment to irradiate PEEK surfaces with nanosecond pulses of EUV radiation and to produce low-temperature plasma through the photoionization of nitrogen with EUV photons. The changes in surface morphology on irradiated polymer samples were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical changes of the PEEK surfaces were analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). EUV radiation and nitrogen plasma treatment caused significant changes in the topography of modified PEEK’s surfaces and an increase in their average roughness. Strong chemical decomposition, appearance of new functional groups as well as incorporation of nitrogen atoms up to ~17 at.% on the PEEK’s surface were observed.

Field of study: Materials science
Single-shot time-domain studies of spin-torque-driven switching in magnetic tunnel junctions.

We report single-shot measurements of resistance versus time for thermally assisted spin-torque switching in magnetic tunnel junctions. We achieve the sensitivity to resolve the magnetic dynamics prior to as well as during switching, yielding detailed views of switching modes and variations between events. Analyses of individual traces allow measurements of coherence times, nonequilibrium excitation spectra, and variations in magnetization precession amplitude. We find that with a small in-plane hard-axis magnetic field the switching dynamics are more spatially coherent than for a zero field.

Field of study: Physics
Stimulated human peripheral T cells produce high amounts of IL-35 protein in a proliferation-dependent manner.

The p35 subunit of IL-12 and the Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) have been shown to form a heterodimeric cytokine, named interleukin-35 (IL-35). Recently, mRNA expression of both IL-12p35 and EBI3 was clearly shown in stimulated human T effector cells. Here, we investigated the production of IL-35 protein in human anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated pan T cells as well as T cell subpopulations using a specific human IL-35 ELISA system. We measured high concentrations of IL-35 (up to 3 ng/ml) in cell culture supernatants of stimulated pan T cells as well as CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cell subpopulations at 72 h after stimulation. Very low amounts of IL-35, in the range of 100pg/ml, were detectable in supernatants of resting T cells. These observations could be confirmed using a dot-blot assay for IL-12p35 and EBI3. High concentrations of IL-35 could be also measured in cell culture supernatants of both, resting and stimulated CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells. In order to learn more about the regulation of IL-35 production, we studied the effect of dexamethasone, cyclosporine A and rapamycin on IL-35 production of anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated human pan T cells as well as CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell subpopulations. All three drugs significantly suppressed IL-35 production of these cells in a proliferation-dependent manner. In summary, we could show that stimulated human peripheral blood T cells of healthy donors produce high amounts of IL-35 protein. However, the biological function of this cytokine remains to be elucidated.

Field of study: Medicine
Test structure assembly for bump bond yield measurement on high density flip chip technologies

Modern flip chip technologies for imaging applications have achieved a very high integration level together with the possibility of large area assemblies. These developments have resulted in an enormous increase in the total number of bump bonds per assembly. Consequently, yield tests become difficult, and an accurate measurement of it is often discarded. This problem is aggravated in medical applications, where the critical information can be limited to a few pixels, and therefore, yield should be very close to 100%. In these cases, a variation of a small percentage in bump bond yield can make the difference between an usable and a non-usable assembly. Therefore, quantitative and precise measurement of bump bond yield is needed to characterize the quality of any high density flip chip technology for these applications. In this paper, we present a newly developed test structure for electrical measurement of the bump bond yield of high density flip chip technologies, allowing both optimization and statistical control of the process. This test structure facilitates the identification of possible process deviations with precise quantitative yield measurements. It also allows to pin point any localized systematic failure in the bump bonding process. The test structure has been used to evaluate the yield of different flip chip technologies and has contributed to their fine optimization where necessary.

Field of study: Engineering
Climate and small scale factors determine functional diversity shifts of biological soil crusts in Iberian drylands

Understanding functional diversity is critical to manage and preserve biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of global change. However, the efforts to characterize this functional component have been mostly directed to vascular vegetation. We sampled lichen-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs) in semiarid grasslands along an environmental gradient in the Iberian Peninsula. We characterized five effect functional traits for 31 lichens species, and evaluated the influence of large scale (i.e. precipitation) and small scale factors (i.e. substrate type, shrub presence, Stipa tenacissima presence) on dominant trait values; i.e. community weighted means, and functional divergence; i.e. Rao quadratic entropy in 580 sampling quadrats. Across the gradient, we found multiple trait shifts and a general increase of functional divergence with increasing precipitation. We also observed that substrate type and small scale biotic factors determined shifts in all traits studied, while these factors affected less to functional divergence. Comparing functional diversity with taxonomic diversity, we found contrasting responses to both large and small scale factors. These findings suggest that BSC community trait composition is influenced by multi-scale abiotic and biotic factors with environmental filtering dominating at large spatial scales and limiting similarity at specific small scales. Also, our results emphasize the potential differences between taxonomic and functional diversity in response to environmental factors. We concluded that functional diversity of BSCs not only provides novel and critical knowledge of BSC community structure, but also it should be considered as a critical tool in biodiversity conservation strategies, ecosystem services assessment and ecological modelling.

Field of study: Environmental science
Willingness to Accept Limitations and College Achievement: A Replication

This is a replication of an earlier study which hypothesized and found some support for a positive relationship between a variable called "willingness to accept limitations" (W. A. L.), and college achievement. The W. A. L. concept refers to a person's willingness to accept ordinary human limitations such as being imperfect, making mistakes, etc. The replication uses larger N's; more varied groups; and the additional criterion of first year grades. Matched pairs were used. The subjects were all entering university students, men and women. The number of matched pairs ranged from 16 to 63 for various. groups. Support for the hypothesis was considered to be confirmed for some groups entering the "arts" college, but not for men entering the engineering college. A question is raised re the appropriateness of first year grades as a criterion. In a previous study, Berger (1961), some evidence was obtained which supported a hypothesis concerning the relation of willingness to accept limitations (W. A. L.), to college achievement. The hypothesis was: other things being equal, those students who are more willing to accept limitations will achieve at a higher level. The concept; the scale used to measure it; the derivation of the concept from the observed characteristics of high ability, underachieving students; and the integration of the observation with theoretical concepts concerning self-acceptance and the idealized image, are explained more fully in the original article. In the first study, relatively small numbers of matched pairs were used; the criterion of college achievement was first quarter grades; and the subjects were exclusively from the highest levels of college aptitude and high school rank. This paper reports a replication using larger N's with an additional criterion of first year grades

Field of study: Psychology
Does ochre have the potential to be a remedial treatment for As-contaminated soils?

Ochre is an iron oxyhydroxide-rich waste that accumulates in water bodies associated with disused mines. Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the potential of four different ochres to be used as remedial agents for As contaminated soils. The ochres removed As from solution (200 and 500 mg L(-1)) in adsorption experiments at pH 3 and 8 and, when added to As contaminated soil (5% w/w) significantly reduced As release to solution. In both these experiments the highest surface area ochres performed best. The impact of ochre amendments on uptake of As from soil by plants and humans and release of As to ground water was assessed in a year-long incubation study. Ochres increased soil pH and reduced CaCl2 extractable As but had no consistent effect on plant growth, plant As uptake or As extraction in physiologically-based extraction tests. Ochre may be better used for water treatment than soil remediation.

Field of study: Environmental science
Kuil vir kwaliteit : fokus op kuilvoer

Meer noukeurige aandag aan spesifieke fasette van kuilvoermaak, kan 'n groot invloed op die gehalte van die kuilvoer he, wat op sy beurt weer 'n groot invloed op die produksie op 'n melkplaas het, se Rudi Kuschke, weidingsgewasspesialis van K2Agri op Bronkhorstspruit.

Field of study: Agricultural and Food sciences
Analysis on teaching quality of institutions of higher learning after enrollment expansion

Based on a collection of university teaching quality from thirteen provinces/cities, this paper believes that many institutions of higher learning, making full use of enrollment expansion, have sped up the teaching reform of higher education and achieved great successes. However, in the economically backward Middle and West China and some outlying districts, the problem of teaching quality is quite serious. More input must be put to improve both the soft and hard environment, especially to train high\|level faculty and to establish a pluralistic index system to assess the overall teaching procedure.

Field of study: Education
[Identification of people at the latent stage of Parkinson's disease (the PARKINLAR study): first results and an optimization of the algorithm].

To work out an optimal algorithm to identify people at the latent stage of neurodegenerative process of «parkinsonian» type in the Russian population.



Authors launched a two-step study aimed at identifying people at the latent stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) in the Russian population - the PARKINLAR (PARKINsonism, LAtent stage, Russia). As the first step, we formed a group of «primary risk» by the identification in neurologically healthy people of at least one of the following confirmed PD risk factors: a) the substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (ultrasound screening was performed in 193 people); b) mutations in «parkinsonian» genes (genetic screening was performed in 29 relatives of PD patients from families with LRRK2, PARK2 and GBA mutations). Thereby, 37 people comprised the «primary risk» group, of whom 23 agreed to continue further examination (44±10.2 years). A matched group of people without the aforementioned primary biomarkers of PD served as control. As the second step, we undertook in the prescreened groups a complex of investigations assessing the presence of secondary («minor») biomarkers of PD: Sniffin' Sticks olfactory testing; color visual evoked potentials; analysis of goal-directed eye-head-hand movements with the use of a special neuro-cybernetic system; assessment of motor and non-motor symptoms with the use of UPDRS and NMSS scales.



When comparing the «primary risk» group with controls, maximal differences in the occurrence of symptoms were seen for goal-directed eye movements (43.5% vs. 20.0%) and color vision (39.1% vs. 26.7%). Among these individuals, we found two people with 4 secondary biomarkers and one with 3, and no such observations in controls. People with the combination of a primary biomarker with several secondary biomarkers of PD comprised a group of «high risk» in our study.



Optimization of this algorithm of population screening of people predisposed to the development of PD may be done by expanding the spectrum of biomarkers and assessing their validity in a long-term prospective observational study.

Field of study: Medicine, Psychology
Über die gequantelte Bewegung eines zweiatomigen Moleküls im Kramersschen Molekülmodell

ZusammenfassungEs wird die Molekülbewegung in engem Anschluß an zwei Abhandlungen von Kramers1) und von Kramers und Pauli2) erörtert. Dabei wird gezeigt, daß der Grund nicht stichhaltig ist, nach welchem diese Verfasser alle anderen Bewegungen des zweiatomigen Moleküls als die Rotation um eine feste Achse verwerfen. Es dürfte vielmehr unter gewissen Umständen auch eine Bewegung stattfinden können, hei welcher die Ebene durch das Elektronenimpulsmoment und die Molekülachse um diese volle Umläufe macht. Die Energie als Funktion der Quantenzahlen wird für diesen Fall berechnet. Sie zeigt einen komplizierteren Verlauf als in dem von Kramers und Pauli als einzigen angegebenen Falle. Eine Prüfung an experimentellem Material ist nicht vorgenommen worden3).

Field of study: Physics
Thrust tectonics along the north-western continental margin of Sabah/Borneo

ZusammenfassungNach herkömmlichen plattentektonischen Vorstellungen soll eine inaktive Subduktionszone am nordwestlichen Kontinentalrand von Sabah liegen. Reflexionsseismische Meßdaten der BGR zeigen jedoch, daß hier autochthone kontinentale Kruste mit einer oligozänen-frühmiozänen Karbonatplattform progressiv von einem allochthonen Gesteinsverband überschoben wird. Fortschreitender Zusammenschub seit dem frühen Miozän führte zur Anlage von vier Deformationszonen: Tekonische Schuppen (Zone III); zwei übereinander geschobene Verschuppungssysteme (Zone IV); Gürtel mit mehrphasiger Deformation (Zone V) und Durchspießungsstrukturen (Zone VI).AbstractWidely accepted plate tectonic models suggest that an inactive subduction zone lies along the north-west continental margin of Sabah. In contrast, interpretation of reflection seismic data acquired by BGR shows an autochthonous continental terrane comprising an Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate platform being progressively overthrust by an allochthonous rock complex. Progressive compression resulted in the development of four structural zones: Imbricated thrust sheets (Zone III); two thrust sheet systems one on top of the other (Zone IV); a complex zone with multiphase deformation (Zone V); and piercement ridges (Zone VI).RésuméLes modèles géodynamiques que l'on admet habituellement comportent une zone de subduction inactive le long de la marge continentale nord-occidentale de Sabah. Toutefois, des mesures de sismique-réflexion exécutées par le BGR font apparaître qu'à cet endroit, une croûte continentale autochtone, comportant une plateforme carbonatée oligocène à éomiocène, est chevauchée progressivement par un complexe allochtone. La compression, qui s'est manifestée progressivement depuis le Miocène inférieur, a engendré quatre zones structurales: un ensemble d'écailles tectoniques (zone III); deux systèmes de lames tectoniques charriés l'un sur l'autre (zone IV); une zone complexe à déformation multiphasée (zone V); des structures d'extrusion tectonique (zone VI).Краткое содержаниеПо принятым представ лениям теории тектон ики плит, неактивная зона засасывания располо жена на северо-западном крае материка у Sabah'a. Но данные сейсмических исслед ований указывают на т о, что здесь аллохтонные по роды постепенно надв игаются на автохтонную матер иковую кору с карбона тной платформой олиго-ран немиоценового возра ста. Начиная с раннего миоцена про грессирующая коллиз ия привела к появлению 4-? з он деформации: тектон ическая чешуя (зона 3), два надви га чешуйчатых систем друг на друга (зона 4) по яс с многофазовой деф ормацией (зона 5) и диапировые стр уктуры (зона 6).

Field of study: Environmental science
Valence subbands and acceptor levels in p-type GaAs-AlxGa1-xAs superlattices

Raman scattering and far-infrared (reflectance and transmission) spectra are measured to study valence subband transitions, transitions between the ground and (s-like) excited states of Be acceptors, and acceptor binding energies in p-type modulation-doped GaAs-AlxGa1-xAs superlattices with narrow (40 AA) wells. The results show carrier confinement effects and the splitting of the acceptor levels in quantum well structures. The observed transition energies agree with calculations for valence subbands, acceptor levels and binding energies, which depend strongly on well width.

Field of study: Materials science
Improving the Farnel, Threeballot, and Randell-Ryan Voting Schemes

A number of recent voting schemes provide the property of voter verifiability: voters can confirm that their votes are accurately counted in the tally. The Farnel type voting schemes are based on the observation that to achieve voter-verifiability it is not necessary for the voter to carry away a receipt corresponding to their own vote. The Farnel approach then is to provide voters, when they cast their vote, with copies of receipts of one or more randomly selected, previous cast votes. This idea has a number of attractive features: ballot secrecy is achieved up front and does not have to be provided by anonymising mixes etc during tabulation. In fact, plaintext receipts can be used in contrast to the encrypted receipts of many other voter-verifiable schemes. Furthermore, any fears that voters might have that their vote is not truly concealed in an encrypted receipt are mitigated. The Farnel mechanism also mitigates randomization style attacks. In this paper we explore some enhancements to the original Farnel scheme and ways that the Farnel concept can be combined with some existing voter-verifiable schemes, namely Pret-a-Voter, ThreeBallot, and

Field of study: Computer science, Mathematics
Diversity of dung and carrion beetles in a disturbed Mexican tropical montane cloud forest and on shade coffee plantations

This paper analyzes the diversity of dung and carrion beetles (Scarabaeinae and Silphidae) in four human-induced habitats of a disturbed tropical montane cloud forest: polyspecific shade coffee plantations, monospecific shade coffee plantations, tropical montane cloud forest fragments, and clear cuts. The four habitats had similar richness, species composition, and assemblage structure of dung and carrion beetles. Differences were found in abundance and biomass levels for the four dominant species in the landscape. Dung beetles were more abundant than carrion beetles, but the biomass was higher for the latter. Carrion beetles were seasonal, while dung beetles were clearly not. When forest fragments and shade coffee plantations were compared to other similar habitats in the region, the same general pattern was observed. However, forests with high disturbance and monospecific shade coffee plantations had lower species richness than forests with low and medium disturbance and polyspecific shade coffee plantations. Thus shade coffee plantations maintain connectivity between patches of cloud forest in a landscape that is strongly affected by human activities. Protecting landscape diversity appears to ensure high species richness.

Field of study: Environmental science
The image of women in the National Education Text Books in Jordan

The study aimed to identify the image of women and how it was dealt with in the National Education books in Jordan, where the content of the National Education books analyzed and for multiple age stages, also it addressed the content analysis of images, concepts and fees, activities and evaluation to identify the image of women in the family, at work, in education and in political participation, and in the distribution of occupations to demonstrate the extent of their representation in comparison with men, and the study results showed that women were represented randomly and unsystematic in the Jordanian curriculum. In light of the results, the study recommended the need for attention to the quality of representing women and remove them from the stereotypes, and the need of careful for those in charge of curriculum to take into account distribution of occupations fairly between men and women.  Image of the Woman, National Education Books, Curricula

Field of study: Education
A Proportional Odds Beta-Binomial Model for Evaluating the Effect of Treatment in Cross-Over Studies with Baseline Covariates: An Application to Condom Failure Data

Cross-over trials with correlated Bernoulli outcomes are common designs. In condom functionality studies, for example, an indicator of condom failure is reported for each sex act using standard or experimental condoms. Two popular analysis methods for such data are Generalized Estimating Equations and logit-normal random effects models. An alternative random effects model, the beta-binomial, is commonly used in contexts involving only between-cluster effects. The flexibility of the beta distribution and the interpretation of random effects as cluster-specific failure probabilities make it appealing, and we consider an extension of the model to account for within-cluster treatment effects using proportional odds assumptions.

Field of study: Mathematics
Research on Steel Based Surface Composites Prepared by Cast Infiltration with Special Composite Particles

Big size of composite particles were prepared by mixing WC with Cr-Fe powder and then pressing.The composites particles were coated on the surface of sand cast mould,and then 45 steel liquid was poured in the cast mould.The thickness,composition of the cast infiltration layer and the cast infiltration mechanism were studied.The results show that,the surface composite layer without defects are obtained using this special composite particles cast infiltration.The coating prepared by this method is thicker than that of by common cast infiltration.The surface composites layer consist of melting layer and brazing layer.The mechanism of the cast infiltration is that high temperature cast steel liquid infiltrates into the gaps between composite particles firstly,and then the gaps between small particles in the composite particles,in the end,the liquid steel solidifies into cast infiltration surface composites layer.

Field of study: Materials science